Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving!            We give our gratitude and deep appreciation for family, friends, our Ancestors & future generations; to gardeners, caretakers and teachers that help sustain the Earth, Democracy, Art, Peace, Joy, Harmony and Love.

To Mother Earth we give thanks and deep appreciation for giving all that is needed for life;

To the Spirit of Water and all life in water;

To the Plant Kingdom who sustains many life forms;

To all the Edibles and Medicine Herbs who sustain life with health and pleasure;

To the Animal Life who teach us about ourselves;

The Tree Kingdom our support in breath, strength and peace;

The Bird and other Air People who give songs, colors and beauty;

The Nine Sacred Directions who speak to us through the wind;

To the Thunder Beings who renew life by bringing all varieties of chi;

To Grandfather Sun who is life;

To Grandmother Moon who sustains beauty, reflection & love in relationships;

To the Great Unseen Ones who sustain the Circle of Life;

To the Great Mystery, Divine Creator we are grateful;

We are One – One is All.

Herbal Notes: Mugwort

Mugwort, artemisia-absinthium, also known as absinthe, wormwood and by Pliny ( Roman master gardener, A.D. 23-79) who called it the ‘mother of herbs’. In Roman times to insure continued good heath, winners of the chariot races drank its bitter tea. Pliny recommended stomach aches of children to be treated with “a spoon dipped in honey then filled with mugwort tea”.  It was a favorite flavor in wine and added to Italian Vermouth.

Although a strong cup of mugwort tea can be used to stimulate the appetite and digestion, it is recommended that pregnant and nursing mothers DO NOT ingest the leaves, its extract, vermouth that includes mugwort, and a cup of tea that is made with it or an herbal tea blend that includes mugwort.

From now until spring, my family eats a tiny leaf each day to prevent against colds or any other flu-like viruses. I like packing a few dried leaves when traveling over the holidays. The leaves are very easy to dry and will maintain their potency for many months. Cut the tiny branches of leaves to spread out on a cloth or hang a bunch in a dry, dark place in your home. The dried bunches make excellent smudging sticks.

Read more in my August blog article.

Meditation in Community

Take time to smell the flowers – or take time to meditate with the MedMob movement. Begun this year to create space for people to be a part of a meditation community that is free of dogma and to acquaint people with the benefits of meditation. See their website, http://www.medmob.org, to learn more about it, get a date and location and to learn how to organize one in  your hometown.