I just want to share some of my latest little art musings with you, and how they collaborate with some distant psychic premonitions. Art & Soul at work together in a tiny, little garden, by someone without a green thumb.
Some of you may a tiny love letter (if you'd like to receive my Wild Milk & Honey Newsletters, just contact me and I'll add you :) ) about medicinal gardens, and this deep, almost enveloping feeling to cultivate and create them, and to learn about these natural medicines. This feeling kept coming to me over and over and, for whatever reason, accompanied me wherever I went, it felt like. Many of these "premonitions" bear fruit for me in unforeseen ways, like when I just knew that we had to buy our Christmas toys in September, which we did... and then there was a container issue and folks were scrambling for toys that Christmas. This time, though, I have no idea why the interest in medicinal gardens came up and why it was so important a year or so ago.
I do know that having a bit of knowledge about plants gives you power. I learned in AntiCancer, A New Way of Life how green tea helps stop tumors. And if you look up studies about dandelions, you can also learn about their powerful anticancer properties, especially for breast cancer. And once you know these things, you can prepare your own teas and feel a bit more in control in your life. So, this year, in my Wild Garden, or as my child and I call it, our Secret Garden, I planted a few medicinal beauties: white clover, chamomile, California Poppy, and red clover came up on its own. Yay! I also planted many dandelion seeds and not one came up. How is that possible?
It's harvesting time and I knew that I'd want to write down the basic medicinal uses for each plant in my own binder, and so I would need to get into the garden and draw them. This helps me connect with each plant and truly understand it better, because I'm really seeing it, studying it, connecting with it. And then I'll write down the bits and scraps of information that I know. As you can see, I brought my dehydrator trays with me to the garden, to make it easy, and I found another four-leaf clover (I find them incredibly easily and have my entire life... one time I sent my little brother 20 or so of them in the mail). Right now I have about, oh, maybe eight drying between some pages in a cookbook. :)
In 2021, allopathic medicine was scarce in Cuba, and people turned to natural remedies to help them. And in 2024 and beyond, we're due for a giant earthquake in Oregon. I think that knowing the basic medicinal attributes of various herbs could be so helpful.
And helpful for regular aches and pains. For example, the California Poppy Tincture that I made is safe enough for children and can help with the regular chronic pain and, at times, intense pain that I occasionally feel. And it feels good to know that you have something that you MADE at the ready, like an herbal friend who's there to help you.
Would you like the recipe for the Poppy Tincture? Here goes:
(Of course, be safe and run it by a doctor if you want to. I'm just sharing for fun and am not giving medical advice or accurate dosages.)
Gather up some Beautiful California Poppies: Stems, Leaves, and Flowers
Chop up entire plant and fill a large jar.
Pour vodka over plant to the top and cover completely.
Store in a cool, dark place.
Filter out plant material in 4-6 weeks, put vodka into droppers, and add a few drops to your tea or beverage when you need it.
Here's a great Video for you if you want more thorough information:
The next time you're in your garden, take a look at your weeds and, maybe, try to draw them and see what happens. Look them up online. See how they're useful, and take a few to play with. It's fun, it's satisfying, and it makes life feel just a bit more meaningful. xo
Big hugs!
-Paige
Comments