Unveiling the Magic of Herbs
It’s been quite a while since I’ve shared anything that’s been going on in my world, and when I finally made the decision to start writing and communicating again, it was a bit of a challenge to pick one thing to write about (it’s such an exciting time in history to be alive!). But in all honesty, it was this picture that jumped out at me and begged to be seen and heard.
This is a photo I took at one of my Herbal Intensive classes this past summer in Northern Michigan. This class was a 6 month deep dive into herbs, their properties and characteristics, how to identify them and how to utilize them in remedies, tinctures, teas, essences, and much more. I had so much fun in the course and it really spurred my fascination, even more, for the world of herbs and how we can work together with them.
I absolutely love this particular photo - the colors are so vibrant and they speak to the energy and the medicinal and emotional aspects of the herbs themselves. During this particular class, we were gathering herbs to make a wellness syrup. We included Calendula, red clover, sage, mullein, plantain, lemon balm, thyme, white pine, elderberries, and anise hyssop. We covered the herbs in water and let them simmer for at least an hour or so, then took the pot off the burner, covered it and let the herbs steep for a couple of hours. We then strained the herbs, took an equal amount of honey as there was strained liquid, and mixed it together to make a syrup. This became, what we called, our Wellness Syrup.
Not only was this syrup delicious, but it was also loaded with some of the best components of the herbs and provided a great way to take in the health and emotional benefits of the herbs. I refrigerated my portion and any time I felt I needed a little extra immune support or a little pick-me-up, or I was just craving the taste of the potent mix, I would take 1-2 Tablespoons of the syrup.
The cool thing about this particular project was that it was very intuitively guided by all of us - and it was so easy. A lot of herbal preparations take a lot of time to make - they often have to set for 4-6 weeks to allow the alcohol, honey or glycerine to draw out the beneficial aspects of the herbs. But this was ready to go within a few hours.
I was so inspired after making this with the class, that I went to my own garden and property in Northern Michigan the next day and picked a variety of herbs from the garden as well as some that were wild harvested from the property and made my own version of the Wellness Syrup.
Some of the reported benefits of the herbs that we chose in class are as follows. Red clover is known for it’s lymph moving properties. Thyme is good for respiratory and flu type stuff. Mullein is known for it’s positive effects on the lungs. Lemon balm has been used for liver stagnation and mood. Sage is known for its anti-spasmodic properties. Anise hyssop is known for its sweetness and digestive aiding properties. Calendula is known for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, as is plantain. And finally, white pine is great for upper respiratory infections and flu and its high Vitamin C content is great for the immune system.
I’ve just barely touched upon some of the life-giving properties of the handful of herbs that we put in our Wellness Syrup. You can do further research on these and other herbs at great websites like https://mountainroseherbs.com/, https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/, and https://theherbalacademy.com/ . These are just a few of my go-to sites.
With this new-found appreciation for herbs, I’m super excited to expand my offerings of herbs in my garden this year, and I can’t wait for Spring and Summer to get here so I can further explore our Northern Michigan property for these treasures and friends.
And, next time you are hiking in the woods or find yourself in an open field, tune into the plants that pop out at you. Observe them. Allow yourself to become fascinated with their structures, smells, colors, and shapes. And then do some research to see what you can learn about their properties. But don’t be limited by what has already been written about them. Use your own instincts and tune into them and let them speak to you and then take in your own personal relationship with them.
Live Naturally,
Nancy