The sap or resin of a plant is the water ways and canals that run through the entire organism. Water is a force deep within the body that permeates all things. We are at least 90% water, and so are plants. These solid feeling structures that make up our bodies are animated by the power of water, as if inflated by it. Without it, we become small, dry, and lifeless. Water can put out fire, move earth, uproot wood, and over time even wear metal. It has lunar qualities, embraces darkness, can sit in stillness like an ocean cave or motionless lake. It can also roar like a raging rapid or crash like a tsunami. It has a way of finding the deepest channel to run through whilst moving as one body that can at any moment segment into infinite bodies. It can take the forms of solid, vapour or liquid. The water is a shapeshifter, and the most mysterious of all. The quality of water available to us will dictate a huge aspect of our health, and like the sap of a tree or the blood of our body, if the water is pure and clean, health will follow as the water deliver nutrients to where it needs to go. Water will carry toxicity and deliver it to the organisms and landscapes that purify, such as the ocean’s bottom feeders, the mangroves, and in our body the kidneys and bladder. In this way, the water is a vessel of receptivity to be filled with life. When life split from the origin of source, the Monad became the Dyad and yin and yang birthed. Yang is the primal and original expression of Fire, whereas Yin is Water. These 2 elements will forever be entangled in a balancing act. Just as the Water is the container & river of blood itself, the fire is the heat and warmth of energy pumping through that blood from the heart. Just as Fire is the attraction of the sexual organs and the yearning for life to create, the Water is the container of the womb that life grows in, and the inherited Jing or genetic life force buried deep within our DNA. In the I-Ching, Water is the inverse of Fire, with hollow edges and a solid centre. It is called, ‘The Abysmal’ as it is characterised by the drawing of energy inward and downward. There is a holographic aspect to the Water as well; that it holds the vibration of the entirety within it. This is the same for the Earth’s water ways. The health of the river IS the health of the ecosystem that lives on the river. The health of the ocean IS the health of the planet. The egg and sperm of a human hold these qualities as well, a seed encoded with the past. When you look into the surface of the Water you see a reflection, but when you dive below the surface, there is another story of whale song singing below. Herbal medicine is the original medicine :)

A flower is a self contained collection of reproductive material able to seed the future. It’s role is to attract. Its function combines with the function of a seed, together attracting and creating. It does this from an ancient primal place where the origins of beauty live. The dance of creation is an expression of Fire, where life is sparked from within, and birth created out of an incantation. The primordial fire is the light that reaches back to the birth of the universe. Spirit cast into motion. It expresses, it moves, it enchants, it desires, it loves. This is the function of a flower, and it can be likened to our own sexual organs, but even more so to our hearts and the seat of consciousness within us. When life split from the origin of source, the Monad became the Dyad and yin and yang birthed. Yang is the primal and original expression of fire, whereas Yin is water. The fire dances and enchants, it beats our very hearts. It is through this warmth that our bodies are animated with spirit, blood and rich redness. The fire is our culture and expression - the very act of engaging in it creates more of itself. It is the songs we lose ourself to and the dance that dances us. Without it, I wonder why we are here at all? What’s it all about if not for the pure expression of our creative life force bubbling out of us? Fire wakes you up in the morning. It is the child yearning to grow up and discover. It is the initiatory rituals that burn lessons into us and make us who we are. In the I-Ching, the Fire trigram is also called The Clinging, and represented by solid outside lines, and a hollow centre for the air current to fuel the fire that must cling to the wood. For Fire to thrive, like a flower, it needs others. It needs to resource itself from the bees and insects, from the wind and wood, and requires an attractive quality to summon its needs. Flowers are pure beauty and attraction that ignite feelings inside our hearts. They motivate healing. The encourage loving. And through this outward expression volcanoes erupt and the genetic information of life itself recreates and re-experiences itself. Life wants to live another day, and through a flower a plant will invest everything it has left to enchant you with the spell of life and try for another round of experiencing life. Herbal medicine is original medicine :)

The bark of a plant is responsible for keeping a separation between the inner and outer worlds. In the body of a human this correlates to the skin, microbiome layer of the lungs & gut (inner skin) and immune system. Whilst the bark’s edges are sharp and defined, its function reaches out into the space around itself transceiving information just like our own immune systems do; working through the bioelectric field around 30cm outside our body interacting with the landscape we live in. It is called the Wei Chi in traditional Chinese medicine, and would be compared to the element of the Metal. Rather than growing like the leaves, or connecting like the roots, the function of the bark is around protecting. The image of a fierce warrior with a shield protecting his village, or the barrier that the edge of a great forest creates as a wall of trees meets the grasslands. These landscapes conjure up imagery and feelings that can help to understand the role of the Metal element and the bark. Metal has a conductivity to it, a magnetism that can feel, smell and sense. This is how we can quickly discern threat from ally,through sensing which is a necessary skill when pursuing the mastery of Metal. To master the “I feel”, requires a clean and clear system, constantly letting go and returning to a sate of emptiness. An empty state, free from the past and expectation, is the clearest state to digest the outside world and intimately understand the space one finds themself in. This allows one to then make a clear and concise choice about how to respond to life. Herbal medicine is original medicine :)

The leaf represents power. Growing up and reaching out into the world. This part of the plant (along with phylloids which are stems acting as leaves) photosynthesise. This is a function that evolved some 3500 million years ago. Enter the algae, turning sun rays into plant Qi. They were so busy photosynthesising that 90% of life forms on Earth died to oxygen toxicity. The leaf overlays with the element of the Wood, ruling the liver, gallbladder and our ability to make big & small decisions respectively. The Wood energy wants to reach out, it is yin (form) expanding into yang (formless). It is a pulse finding rhythm turning into a song that others can hear. It takes up space. The general. It rules over Spring time and correlates with the colour green. The Wood reaches up and out, yang rising to the heavens from where it came. It comes up with lots of ideas on the way up and this can feel hot & stimulating. Sometimes there isn’t enough water to grow all the thought saplings into trees and depletion & dryness appear as a ‘burning the candle at both ends’ presentation. When too many ideas form at once, this can be followed by a cemetery of unresourced creations, like a swampy land of overgrowth. Functional Wood must be like hollow bamboo rather than rigid tree trunks that snap in the wind, and that’s because life will have its way with you. Be flexible and clear as you reach towards your goal - the Light. Ensure you are serving a communal purpose - the Forest. A leaf registers the direction of light changing and moves towards its goal with focus. In the I-Ching, the Wind is the movement of air and comparable to the Wood. It is called the Gentle as it is a great invisible power from above (the mind) that impacts the earth below in a gentle progressive movement. There is great power here in the land of leaf and Wood. The leadership of a leaf takes risks as it moves into unchartered space, seeking that which it desires to serve the self at large. Remember that growth for the sake of growth, is the mentality of a cancer cell. So align the yearning of the Wood’s expansion to the earth beat. Herbal medicine is the original medicine :)

The root represents connection to the inner world. It is first principle medicine ; I am. Do you even know what you are? The roots do. They are positioned deep in the Earth, bringing stability and balance. Roots are thoroughly involved in their placement, their connection, and alliances with community. They play this boundary of Self; interweaving root tendrils with fungal hyphae. Making alliances with bacterial allies and trading information & resources, all to the betterment of themselves within a greater network. Plants are good at getting their needs met through interdependence with others, working together and working as one. Darwin believed the root brain theory, where the vegetal world ‘thinks’ through its roots; a mind with no one organ. The root hairs might be likened to a swarm neuronal network. 13 million roots. 14 billion root hairs. 6000 miles of ‘thinking’ territory. Each root hair can act as an individual neural organ, utilising a plethora of senses to map the terrain & signal in real time with the major neurotransmitters of GABA, acetylcholine and glutamate to name a few. Collectively, the roots act as a data processing centre, analysing gravity, temperature, humidity, light, electrical fields, pressure, sounds, toxins, chemical gradients, oxygen and carbon dioxide. Roots then make decisions on their movements based on their findings of the world. The root overlays with the element of the Earth, ruling our middle jiao burner, our appetite, the stomach, spleen and pancreas; key sources of nourishment for our bodies. The transformation and transportation of chi. Earth energy is yin by nature, cool, feminine and still at the centre. However there are more masculine and yang expressions of the Earth in its structure and stability. Nothing is quite so simply one thing, such as the power contained within the still. Earth appears at the change of all seasons. In the I-Ching, It is represented by the trigram of 3 broken lines; fully receptive. As Earth is caring towards all, having healthy sense of self and not being overly sympathetic can be a lesson of this element. The song of the Earth is sweet in flavour, and melodious in sound. It may cling to things when feeling unstable. But we can only cling to gravity pulling us down, and a deeper knowing of who we truly are. The colour of the Earth is golden orange, and at the middle of all it. Herbal medicine is the original medicine :)

I went out into the garden, to choose which leaves we’ll share dinner with. Brushing past the Basil, allowing its scent to rise into the air, breathing in aromatic communication. What is this plant telling me? This terpene tongue is the widest spoken language on Earth. It’s more powerful than English as it speaks across the Kingdoms and can be broken down into syllabic information. Plants & Animals sharing conversation, revealing who they are in this moment and what they offer in the wisdom of being. This delicious smell I’m consuming tells me that this Basil is edible, pungent and uplifting. But what does it say to the other kinfolk in the garden bed, and the grasshoppers hiding under the foliage? When I was little, I thought life had one truth at the mountain top, and if I studied with the highest and most credible sources, I would be able to understand this truth, and understand myself in the process. I never did find that pyramid; it seemed each peak I climbed was the bottom of another question. I exhale into myself these days, allowing a maturity to take seat in the seekers place, that allows truth to be buried within the experiencing of life, amidst the multiplicity. Like a water colour painting, truth bleeding from one line to the next, both flow and form simultaneously, solely pertaining to no one colour but rather the experience of colour within oneself. Experiencing colour requires many colours of contrast to bring the tones out. My experience of a delicious pizza friendly aroma has me licking my lips, but to the smelling facets of an insect it may translate to ‘Stay away - I bite’, and to the neighbour plants it may be a friendly community service announcement saying “Look sharp, we have visitors.’ Of course this kind of communication happens readily between plant-plant life and plant-fungi through a negotiated mutualism under foot. A fungal hyphae reaches out, and threads itself around and penetrates into the root of the plant. The deal seals over, and the connection of symbiosis is consummated. Two beings hooked in; a neural connection akin to Tsaheylu by the Na’vi in the world of Pandora. Except this one fungi is hooked into many, many plant beings, and once wed, the fungi reduce competition between plants in the neighbourhood allowing a richer diversity of flora to express. The nervous system of the soil united with the photosynthesising lungs of the canopy. The role of root is now exchanged to the fungus, and payment made in phosphate & nitrogen for carbohydrate sugars. The currency of the Earth. But how do the walking factions of consciousness tap into this communication express lane? How might we allow the flow of nutrients up gradients too competitive and scarce to distribute ourselves, when we don’t have tails capable of bonding in sacred symbiosis? I sit and wonder these things, whilst shopping for pizza topping in the backyard. Something is missing. The words of Leonard Cohen sing with me; ‘I could not feel, so I tried to touch’. And what if, in our touching, we objectified the very thing we wished to understand by abandoning the very part of ourselves that experiences knowing. So that we might only ever look, without seeing. And walk, without landing. What does sage have to tell me about community? And this untamed oregano, what does he know of cooperation and sacrifice? My mind starts wondering about the compatibility of flavour. These herbs companion to tomato and to one another so harmoniously; do these flavours translate to a cooperative temperament in their growth cycles of life too, or only when on the sourdough? In Honourable Harvest, I take a few branches from the base of the parsley to allow more growth, and thin out the the thyme & oregano so more air flow and light can penetrate the clumps. I pinch the stems of the basil taking from lots of different spots as an invitation for the smaller leaves below to reach into the space. I never knew pizza could be the base of such an inquisition. All hail Lord Pizza. By Rachel Maree, Herbalist

SALVIA OFFICINALIS _ SAGE _ SALVATRIX ::: SAVIOUR SAGE Nomenclature Salvia officinalis - The Saviour Sage Salvia is named after the Latin word, salvus, meaning wellness, and officinalis denoting a medicinal & culinary herb. Salvia officinalis is the common garden sage, and has a rich documented use throughout our ancient European history. It was once known as Salvia salvatrix, meaning the Saviour Sage, and this herb has a rich history as a natural herbal medicine. Common Names - Sage: meaning Salvus - wellness or Salvere - to save - Save: To keep and store safe - Herbe sacree: Sacred herb - Sauge: French for sage - Salbei: German for garden sage - Lilifagus: Norse for 3 lobed sage - Asfaqs: Arabic For compassion History Salvia’s history of use is literally biblical, being an agent of herbal medicine even in stories of Joseph, Mary & Jesus, some 2000 years ago. It seems that wherever you are at in life, it might be a little healthier and longer with the presence of some form of Salvia plant alongside you. Sages worldwide can often be used ubiquitously for culinary, spiritually & ritualistic purposes, though alter medicinally in components especially when it comes to the artemisias. Ancient France once grew crops of sage for trade with Chinese teas at 4 pounds of tea for 1 pound of sage. It was featured in old Roman pharmacopoeias as a healing herb, and many rulers across England & Europe sanctioned the mandatory cultivation of sage in royal gardens. Sage also has a history of use in Ayurvedic medicine. “Dioscorides (a Greek physician) maketh but one kind of Sage, but… now are there found more kinds, the which, though they differ one from another much in roughness and smoothness, in greatness and smallness, and in diversity of colours, yet in my judgement do agree in one virtue and property.” ~ William Turner (1551) Distribution & Physiology Sage is a Mediterranean plant at heart, growing from the lands of Italy & the Middle East by birth, and now cultivated throughout the world as the most common sage. By the hands of Romans or monks from the Middle Ages carried as food, ornaments and medicine, it has naturalised in southern & central Europe, thriving in a climate that is dry and cool. This Salvia will not grow readily in wet or clay ridden soil, preferring the full sun of temperate conditions with low humidity. If these conditions are met, you will be blessed to witness a small shrub of around 60cm with oblong leaves rich in volatile and pungent oils. The leaves don a fine white pubescence, giving the leaf a silvery blue appearance. The flowers are delicate and small, as is the way of the Lamiaceae, former Labiatae. Lamiaceae : Mint family : Labiatae The mint family has perhaps the largest amount of medicinal herbs. It has over 150 genus’ and 3500 species in the world. To ID a Lamiaceae you are looking for a square stalk and simple opposite leaves. If it’s aromatic, it’s almost surely mint family (stinging nettle & lemon verbena can be confused for the mint family however so watch out. If the plant is in flower, you will be looking at a pattern of 5 united petals; lobed 2 up 3 down; embraced by a whorl of 5 united sepals (leaf like protective enclosure for the petals); 4 stamens inside the flower; 2 longer than the others. Some of the other Lamiaceae herbs are the basil, rosemary, lavender, marjoram, thyme, and mints. They are generally rich in volatile oils which mean they are spicy & stimulating > warm the body, open the pores, promote sweating! Doctrine of Signatures The energetic architecture of the universe is a language communicating the individuated being within the cosmic Self. When it comes to herbal medicine, over the lifetimes, an association between the valid knowledge of the natural world has been interpreted by our ancestors into a translation of its use. It is a way to "acquaint all sorts of people with the very Pith and Marrow of Herbarism” (William Coles). The way that a plant looks can tell us about the disease or organ or even type of person it is a medicine for. “The idea is that the shape, colour, appearance, environmental niche, taste, smell, etc., of a plant or medicinal agent will display the tell-tale signs, marks, or configurations indicating how that agent may be used in medicine.” (Matthew Wood). Let’s start with with habitat; the environment is functional medicine. Sage grows in full sun, so it will bring dryness and warmth to the body. It likes to dry out before watering. This means it is a herb for treating dryness and working with the liquid balance. It doesn’t grow just anywhere, and is a little picky with it’s conditions, so it isn’t for everyday herbal use. The colour of sage is silvery white; white is a very purifying colour. The texture is a coating of sticky, fine hairs on its leaf. This can speak to the treatment of hair itself such as the skin or places in the body with fine hair-like structures, like the lungs and digestive tract. The stickiness suggests it will unstick clots in the body. Let’s look at it’s smell. Aroma and is one of the first impressions we experience of our environment. Aromatic & pungent, which is also how sage tastes. Aromatics can deeply penetrate, and suggest a downward flow on fluids. They are also purifying, and move wind (gas). The active principles of most aromatic herbs are highly antiseptic or germicidal and contain valuable antibiotic principles. This taste will stimulate the liver as a natural medicine. Planetary Influences All plants have a connection with the planets. The etymology of the word plant comes from plantare - ‘to drive with the feet’ or perhaps from planta - ‘sole of the foot’. Planet derives from the Latin term planeta ‘to wander’. Together, a wandering sole of the foot. And they both share the same root word pele - ‘to spread’. Using the system of the zodiacs and planets is a way of understanding the energetics of a plant, and when used in synergy with astrological timings, can enhance the effects of the herbal medicine. These astrological herbal medicine systems date back into ancient Egypt and beyond, a time when the bodies of stars, our and bodies, were not seem so separately. Officinalis is said to be under the rulings of Jupiter and the Moon. Lunar herbs can have a connection with night time, dreaming, intuition, spirits and the colours white or silver. The moon rules fluids in the body of animals, plants, and even our planet. Fluids are always wandering in circulation, and in the body are excreted as saliva, sweat, reproductive fluids, and urine. Jupiter is expansive and amplifies energy, giving off more than it receives. Herbs under its guidance support prosperity, good fortune and longevity. Together we see a picture of a natural medicinal herb working with the cleansing of emotions, builds spiritual energy, is involved in the movement of fluids, and essentially a longevity tonic. Magick The magickal properties of sage translate across most all salvias. Not only is sage thought to extend the life (what is more magickal than this!?) but a cleansing & purifying aroma diffuses from its leaves. When burnt as smudge, this cleanses the energetic body from density, bad luck, sickness, and evil spirits. Sacred white sage is said to activate old memories in the DNA and bring them forward for ancestral healing. However Salvia apiana is severely endangered in the wild, and common sage or other local dried aromatic salvias can be used in place. The protective qualities of sage mean it can be a plant used for offerings in fire ceremonies, on altar spaces and incorporated into spell casting. A prosperity ritual: Take 3 sage leaves from a fresh bush, close down your eyes, and imagine your life with greater abundance, greater giving and generosity. Then say.. “Sage imbue me with your power, draw prosperity and abundance to me at all hours. So Mote It Be” … placing the sage leaves inside your purse or wallet and carry it around with you for 3 days. Offer these leaves back to the garden, or burn then offering gratitude back to the plant spirit. Energetics - Pungent : uplifting, cleansing & breaking up of canker - Bitter : acts on the digestive organs (liver & gallbladder), detoxifying in large doses, nourishing in small - Astringent : drying fluids, knitting tissues together where it has been opened - Oily : nutritive food for cells, works on digestion - Slightly warming : stimulating & uplifting This makes Sage is acting on the tissues states of relaxation (no tone - fluids can’t be held in) , atrophy (wasting), and depression (cold & slow). Constituents Fixed and volatile oils (thujone, camphor & eucalyptol), tannins, bitters, resin, vitamin K (very high), vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, folic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese. Actions & Uses “Sage is good for the head and brain, it quickeneth the senses and memory, strengtheneth the sinews, restoreth health to those that have palsy, and taketh away shakey tremblings of members.” ~ Gerard’s Herbal (1597) The main organ systems sage works on are the nervous, immune, digestive and respiratory systems. Sage regulates essentially all fluids in the body. Something that should be noted however is that the properties of sage do change with the way it is prepared. - A hot tea - enhances the aromatics & warning stimulation to internal secretions - A cool tea - decreases secretions in the body such as those of lactation, sweating, salivation, and mucous in the throat & lungs - A luke-warm tea - enhances the astringency & bacteriostatic nature (stops bacteria growing), making it ideal for treating a sore throat Mind Sage makes a wise elder. It improves mood & cognition in animals, humans & even those with dementia. Parts of the essential oil inhibit acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme targeted by Alzheimer's drugs. Notably sage has been used to clear and sharpen the mind when there is mental lethargy, or poor memory. It would be very appropriate to use sage when there is a head cold alongside a flu or fever. Immune system Sage inhibits the growth of certain harmful bacteria. An echinacea & sage spray at 15% strength reduces a sore throat within 2 hours for those with pharyngitis, which makes it as successful as sprays containing lidocaine or chlorhexidine, some pharmaceutical alternatives. It is active against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae - all UTI’s - as well as Staphylococcus aureus - making it especially useful in infectious diseases. It can be used as a douche for vaginal candida infections, otherwise internally as teas & tinctures. As a smudge it protects against infections. Sage essential oil is somewhat antiviral against influenza, and effectively used through a herbal medicine inhalant to thin the mucous and improve air flow. Tincture of sage can be used for treating an ear infection internally as 30 drops hourly. Sage can be incorporated into a cream for the topical treatment of the herpes virus’ as it is somewhat active against Herpes Simplex 1 & 2. Integumentary system (skin) & Musculoskeletal Sage benefits the skin and promotes tissue repair when there are wounds, bites, sore muscles or chronic infections as a natural medicine healer. This plant has the ability to strengthen sinews, skin and tendons. It does this through building fat whilst reducing the loss of fluids. So someone with tight or malnourished tendons would benefit from sage. Sage is indicated for withered and dry skin. Sage dries up secretions, thus is can aid in stopping excess sweating (also lactation & menstruation thus is not indicated during pregnancy or breastfeeding). German health authorities endorse sage as a treatment for sweating with weak oestrogenic properties useful for menopausal women with night sweats & hot flushes. Sage is known to help grow hair when there is sparsity, with a doctrine of signatures for white fine hair on the leaves. It can also treat dandruff, so a hair rinse is very appropriate. Digestive system Digestion starts in the mouth, and sage shines in throat sprays, lozenges, and through oral use. It can help treat red inflamed gums and sore throats as well as excess salivation. Sage’s antibacterial properties justify its use within gastroenteritis treatments or minor GI infections. Separate to the work on bacteria, it can reduce intestinal cramping and stimulate digestive enzymes through its action on the gallbladder, even mopping up phlegm in the gut. It is indicated for weak digestion, sluggish appetite, bloating, issues of the mucosa lining, parasites and chronic diarrhoea. When it comes to cooking, it can be combined with beans to help reduce any gassy side effects. Cooking sage renders the fats in food to be more digestible due to the bitters & oils. These flavours stimulate the gallbladder to increase bile production and actually digest fast. This also stimulates the metabolism to move things through the bowel, up-taking more fats from the churning chyme and ultimately improve lipid levels in the body all the way to the cells. This then benefits hormones and steroids in the body both in production & transportation. What a full power natural medicine! Cardiovascular (heart) & Circulatory system Sage is a key tonic herb for building qi in the blood. It tonifies the blood, building strength internally. When the veins are blue or black and the extremities are cold, then sage can be helpful. It moves blood stagnation and warms & stimulates a depressed state. This means it can remove coagulation in the blood or clotting by thinning the blood, this improves the function of the heart. Again we see this pattern of moving stagnation but it does so here incrementally and therefore not risking stroke by releasing large clots. Sage is indicated for weak vein health, in line with the dry malnourished pattern we see repeating. It can also raise blood pressure naturally. Nervous system A randomised double blind trial of 36 people with CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) showed that a mix of astragalus and salvia root significantly decreased fatigue scores. It can be used to treat nervous tension, like that in epilepsy or tremors and for insomnia before bed as a cup of tea but this is in a homeopathic style dosing without much repetition as prolonged used can cause the same symptoms. For some people it can cause excitation however. As Matthew Wood explains, “Sage can preserve the nervous system when it is under profound assault by viral, bacterial and febrile diseases.” If an illness is accompanied with drowsiness and lethargy, it is indicated. Respiratory system Sage is commonly seen in protocols for the ENT (ear-nose-throat), especially when symptoms also descend into the lungs. It promotes expectoration and resolves phlegm in the lungs. This combines its antimicrobial actions, with its anti-inflammatory actions. A sore throat that is dry & ticklish would be an indication for sage, especially with mucous not moving out of the lungs. There may be a dry, unproductive cough. At this point, there have been 6 identified anti-inflammatory compounds in sage, which may make it a useful herb in the treatment of asthma - opening the alveoli, thinning any mucous present, and improving air flow. It would also be useful when there is upper chest aches and pains alongside a respiratory condition. Kidneys & Bladder As it astringes tissue to not lose fluids, it can be used when there is increased urine secretion and when there are UTIs as a natural medicine. Endocrine (hormonal) systems Sage can restore function of the adrenal cortex which cascades into hormonal axis’. It can treat uterine blood deficiency and bring balance to delayed or scanty periods with cramping. Sage can balance out both excess and depleted sexual desire in both men and women. For women, especially useful when there is dryness in her sexual organs or too much spotting of white discharge. It can be used to dry up breast milk when a mother is ready to stop lactating, the same reason why it is not appropriate during breastfeeding. It may even be useful in treating breast cysts (think cankor, fluid, inflammation). For a man, if he too easily ejaculates, a pattern of leaking fluids, then sage can be used to strengthen the tissues from loss of fluids. Sage is especially great for post-menopausal women transitioning function away from the ovaries; look for an accompaniment of dryness. Other Sage ale was a principle brew of beer in the Middle Ages and considered a way to sophisticate beer, being wholesome and medicinal. It is pleasant tasting although quite bitter and especially inebriating. All aerials of the plant are used to amplify these effects including seeds & flowers, allowing an effect of insane exhilaration of spirits, followed up by a severe headache. This is likely due to the thujone content, a volatile oil also found in wormwood used to brew absinthe. Dosage Tincture fresh in flower: 1:2 or dry 1:5 50% ethanol. 30-60 drops/day. Dry herb: 1-3g infused in water 3 times a day Cautions It is not recommend to dose for more than 3 weeks as it can be too drying a herbal medicine, and take breaks every 5 days due to the thujone content. Not to be used at all when breastfeeding unless it is desirable to dry up the milk. As it is stimulating, it can cause too much excitation in some people especially if in an activated state of fever or with epilepsy (nervous excitation). Caution also during pregnancy to not be used. It can help morning sickness, and can prevent early delivery of the baby but must be used under guidance, other texts say it can bring on labour so it is not recommended. The Sage Person A heavy headed character, who is dull and low in their spirits. If not feeble children or the elderly with greying or thinning hair, they might just be malnourished and lacking robustness. They would be prone to respiratory and throat infections, perhaps they have a dry cough that lingers and their voice may be quiet and suppressed. They have a weak immunity going on. They are likely clammy to the touch and sweat easily, although their skin could be soft or dry. Their hands and feet perspire and are cold to the touch. Their tendons might be notably weak, tight and dry or perhaps not even visible. Their digestive fire is weak, and they are prone to wind tension in the form of gas or bloating. Their personalities are watery and sensitive, of the phlegmatic and melancholic humour. In The Garden “Why should a man die whilst sage grows in his garden?” ~ Old Proverb Sage is being used in bioremediation or phytoremediation, meaning the healing of the soil with plants as medicine. Both clary sage (S. sclarea) and common sage (S. officinalis) are accumulators of heavy metals, with significant tolerance to the ions of lead, zinc, cadmium and copper and may be useful in reclaiming heavy metal build up from the soil around smelting plants. Sage will attract pollinator bees which can be great for a garden. Recipes Sage Gargle : 2 teaspoon dry sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cup of water - bring to the boil, add herbs, steep for 15 minutes, gargle every hour all day without swallowing. Sage Honey : 1/4 cup dry sage, 200ml honey. Gently heart honey in a saucepan and add sage, stirring for 10 minutes. Pour into a jar and let it sit for 2 to 3 weeks. Scoop out of the jar and reheat to liquify and strain sage out with a fine mesh. Store in a dark cupboard for 1 year. Use 1 tsp. honey in 1 cup hot water with fresh lemon, or straight off the spoon. Externally, apply a thin layer to wounds before gauzing and bandaging & change daily. Decoction for flus : 28g dry sage, a pinch cayenne, 3 cups water, one lemon juice, honey to taste. Bring herbs & water to boil and reduce liquid by half. Add honey & lemon & store in fridge, drinking as often as required. Respiratory Steam : 56g dry eucalyptus leaf, 28g dry sage, 28g dry juniper berries, 4L water. Boil herbs in the water, remove from heat and steam face with a towel to cover. Breathe steam. Repeat as many times as necessary until there is little smell left. Can replace the herbs with 30 drops of each essential oil or use the liquid lukewarm as a wound wash. Sage Vinegar : 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 heaped handful fresh sage leaves or 2 tbsp. dried, 2 cups water boiled. Pack a bowl full of sage (shredded if fresh) and cover in boiling water. Steep for 20 minutes, strain and pour into vinegar jar. You can buy our products here.

Can you see that you are squeezed between rocks? If you open the door, you enter a tunnel. Now what guides you? I’ve been sitting with the question of where plant medicine fits into our current culture. I’ve been working with these herbal allies since I graduated school, and needed to free myself from the uniform. They always offered me guidance, clarity, and a sense of home inside my well-worn body. ‘My’ trauma story, and cellular fear state has now been turned into a spacious, peaceful super power by the side of these plant teachers. I have been consciously eating neurognostic herbs, also known as entheogens, for over 10 years, well before it was spoken of in the media outside of racially driven fear mongering B.S (let’s be frank). But now, things are exploding. Things are changing, as they do, and our ideals around the placement of the past must also. So where does the entheogenic apothecary fit into the book now? How can we utilise plant medicine as herbal medicine? Is it the new non-denominational church? A spiritual hack main-lining the God of many faces? Is it a bypass to one’s own spiritual development, a Sunday cheat-code to ‘do the work for you’ in the moment, and leave you alone and lonely between discourses? Is it medicine for the sick? A map home for lost souls? Initiations into adulthood? Rites of passage for the young? A repair mechanism for brain damaged & addiction burned synapses? A nervous system reboot & repair? A trauma counsellor to teach how to feel & re-inhabit the body? A miracle worker? A death mentor? WHAT ARE YOU!!! These things I see. But seeing does not make it only so. What I actually see happening in these shamanic spaces, is the mind that reigns over the body, being taken beyond its own container, through a rapid detox of its own self-limiting beliefs, into true alignment with the nature of reality. Direct perception of life; with as little filters as the eye can blink into being. From here, spirit enters the body, or begins to come home, allowing the body to self heal in the wave-yet-broken into being. But to drop into the containment of the universe, outside of form, means that the old set and setting tune we sing, is so incredibly relevant to the outcome. You cannot hold yourself in hands descended from heaven, if you are in the hands of a 4 walled building. You cannot remember yourself as soil born, without giving yourself over to the Earth in your moment of mania. Space. Spaciousness. Outside time. This is where we heal. This is where we remember how to breath. Not all people are made of the resiliency that trauma etches into you. Not all people have been chiselled from the walls pressed in on them. These self-initiatory experiences take you to the very brink of you, they break you, and you reassemble. My concern is that these natural medicines live on the edges, not at the doorstep. Herbal medicine that is every day medicine grows readily in the backyard. Can we bring fringe-dweller plant medicine into the veggie gardens, dilute the potency and have positive outcomes? I don’t know.. What I do know is that you need to have the calling sickness to arrive here. And the way information is spreading around psychedelic plant medicine can make it accessible in ways that it has not been for some time, or ever on this level. The call comes from within. Discomfort is a part of this process. Have you slept on the floor before? Have you kneeled on the wood? Have you gone without a blanket? Have you even skipped a meal before? Have you stopped for more than 10 minutes and just focused on being breathed? These things are so simply necessary. Maybe check that you know how to swim before jumping overboard. That being said.. plant medicine has a way of shaking you up, whether you’re ready or not. And can you ever truly be ready to go through your own death simulation? I just think you wouldn’t sign up for a marathon, if you didn’t try a jog around the block first, or stretch beforehand. Muscles can be strained from too fast an expansion. All life has responsibility embedded into it. Something expands, and something else contracts. Which one are you?

ANGELICA ARCHANGELICA _ ANGELICA _ ARCHANGEL ::: HOLY GHOST ROOT Nomenclature Angelica archangelica / Officinalis Angelica is named after the Grecian word arkhangelos, after the Archangel Michael, who legend says taught the people of the plant’s medicine. Angelica is said to flower on his feast day on May 8th in Europe (Spring time). This refers to Norwegian Angelica which we will focus on, however the Canadian Angelica atropurpurea can be used interchangeably as a herbal medicine. Common Names Archangel : Norwegian angelica, a greater angel (A. archangelica) Holy Ghost Root : after Archangel Michael Dong Quai: Chinese Angelica, female ginseng (A. sinensus/polymorpha) Masterwort : American Angelica, great or high angelica, a master medicine (A. atropurpurea) Wild Angelica: A. sylvestris, Europe & Central Asia The Angelica Tree (Xanthoxylum Americanum), Prickly Ash, is not related History Angelica’s use dates back many thousands of years worldwide as herbal medicine. We see Angelica species being used medicinally in Northern Europe, North America and East Asia, with some patterns to their use across the genus. The Saami of Norway have a documented history of their use of Angelica to preserve Reindeer milk. There, they say that Angelica stands are indicative of old Sami settlements and that people have actually brought the plants with them and spread them where they wanted to have them. This is a further indication of the potential that Angelica was managed by the Sami in a relationship of reciprocity with the natural medicine world. "They used the entire plant. But it was harvested at different times. The root for example was supposed to be picked during spring. If you consider how people working with plants today would describe where the power is, it is obvious that you pick the roots either in spring or autumn when the power has returned to the root. I mean, nobody told the Sami this, but it was such knowledge which they had. They had learnt that it [the root] was at its strongest at that time. Simply that people living in nature all the time, they will see where the power in a plant is. And they will follow that power in the plant at all times.” (Greta Huuva, interview, April 10, 2014). Distribution & Physiology Angelica is a biennial herb (meaning it drops seed after about 2 years or more). It grows 1-3m tall, has thick & fleshy yellow/brown roots and green-purple stalks. It likes rich soil, partial shade, cool Winters, and not too hot Summers. It likes to grow near running water, perhaps under a large tree. It will grow for about 3 years, dropping seed being the final part of its maturation process, and can reach up to 3m tall, usually less. The seeds are said to not be viable after a few months so must be sowed quickly or left to self seed. It has aromatic leaves & roots akin to musk or juniper, quite a different smell to its parsley/celery/coriander cousins. A. archangelica is native to Scandinavia, Iceland & Greenland. A. atropurpurea grows in the deep North of America, A. sylvestris is native to Central Asia. A. sinensus is from China. Apiaceae : Parsley family : Umbelliferae Key features of this family are the compound umbels & hollow stems. The flower clusters all originate from a single point at the end of the stalk, like an umbrella (umbel). At the end of the flower stem is another umbel. They can be confused with members of the Buckwheat family. They usually have pinnate leaves. The parsley family homes 434 genera and 3700 species. Their medicine is rich with spicy, aromatic volatile oils. Spices from the family include anise, celery, coriander, caraway, cumin, dill, fennel, and parsley. Edible roots include angelica, carrots, and parsnips. Poisons include hemlock and water hemlock, two of the deadliest plants on earth, which can be mistaken for wild carrots. The umbels tell us to pay attention and identify the plant correctly. Spicy oils warm and stimulate the body, opening pores, which means they are plants that accommodate use alongside the early stages of fever. Volatile oils move into the air, decongesting stagnation and protecting against microbes. Aromatic plants expel gas & offer carminative effects to tension, sometimes stimulating the downward flow of fluids in the body (eg: digestion & menstruation). This brings with it warnings during pregnancy. Doctrine of Signatures The energetic architecture of the universe is a language communicating the individuated being within the cosmic Self. When it comes to herbal medicine, over the lifetimes, an association between the valid knowledge of the natural world has been interpreted by our ancestors into a translation of its use as natural medicine. It is a way to "acquaint all sorts of people with the very Pith and Marrow of Herbalism” (William Coles). The way that a plant looks can tell us about the disease or organ or even type of person it is a medicine for. “The idea is that the shape, colour, appearance, environmental niche, taste, smell, etc., of a plant or medicinal agent will display the tell-tale signs, marks, or configurations indicating how that agent may be used in medicine.” (Matthew Wood). Let’s look at Angelica… + Deep green-red/purple stalks + Yellow/green/white flowers in an umbrella like formation + Large oblong fruits + Yellow/Brown fleshy root + Pleasant aromatic odour in the whole plant + Growing in extreme cold + Prefers damp/wetter regions but can handle some dry heat Let’s start with habitat; the environment is functional medicine. Where does Angelica like to grow? Plants in cold, wet regions offer medicine to this tissue state. A medicine for cold/damp conditions. She can cleanse swampy parts of the body. Where is there a build of dampness in the body? Uterus, Digestive tract, Lungs. Next let’s look at its colour. Colour speaks to energetics. Bright green almost purple stalks, green-yellow flowers and yellow-brown roots. Flower first: Green-yellow is associated with bile, and therefore the Liver & Gallbladder, the assimilation of fats & digestion as a whole. In TCM yellow-orange-brown tones speak to the Earth element, the Spleen & Stomach. As the Earth element is deeply rooted by nature, Earth & stillness itself, when we see yellow toned roots, we know this medicine is grounding, will improve our digestive capacity, will improve the quality of our blood, our Qi, and represents self nurture in a basic sense, coming home to stillness and the Earth. Intensely green stalks or leaves speak to a plant high in minerals that cleanse the blood & liver. We’re beginning to see a plant that works on the whole digestive tract, warming & moving. Purple tipped stems might speak to its indication for purple fingers (poor circulation) or bruises. Or yellow veins on the arms, with a heavy liver load. Next let’s look at its texture & shape. To some extent, shape is function, and shape can speak to organ affinity & action on that organ. Angelica has purple hollow stalks, a signature for the blood vessels and moving blood stagnation. This is a signature for the specific indication of purple veins on the forearms - stagnant blood. We also see airy roots, growing in damp conditions, giving rise to ‘airing out the wet’. Lastly, let's look at its smell. Aroma is one of the first impressions we experience of our environment. Aromatic & pungent. Aromatics can deeply penetrate, and suggest a downward flow on fluids as a natural medicine. They are also purifying, and move wind (gas). The active principles of most aromatic herbs are highly antiseptic or germicidal and contain valuable antibiotic principles useful in herbalism. Next let’s look at its taste. Taste is an extension of smell, with more detail. She is sweet and aromatic at first, then slightly bitter & warming after. Yellow & bitter = Liver, to cleanse, Yellow & sweet = Spleen, to boost blood. Lastly let’s look at Spirit Signatures; does it resemble an animal or is a preferred animal medicine? This is a powerful imprint of plant & animal connection. This is especially important in First Nations American Herbalism. Angelica has the signature of the Bear, which eats herbs in the Summer & Spring time. Bears are master herbalists & foragers. They love brown, furry roots, high in oils, that are spicy and warming in Spring. These remedies act on the adrenal cortex, to fatten up, or strengthen the parasympathetic to relax and dream. To allow your to hibernate through Winter and re-emerge strong in the Spring. So there’s some magic to her yet. Angelica’s doctrine is a herb to clean & strengthen the blood from the spleen, improve the digestion especially when it comes to the liver & fats, and push damp stagnant fluids down & out of the body. Planetary Influences Under the influence of Sun - Radiant, Fire element, Warming & expanding, Yang
. “The Sun indicates the presence and function of oxygen within the body. Difficult aspects with the Sun may affect the health of the body’s vital fluids.” (Culpepper) Many diseases arrive due to low self-esteem, and harsh self judgement. People that live in a constant state of self-criticism, self-doubt, or any level of self-hatred, can greatly benefit of solar herbs. Through working with solar herbs, the inner seed within one's spirit is more easily broth into manifestation. We are better able to recognise our role, and what we are here to do in this life. Energetics Warming & drying Pungent, Oily, Sweet & Bitter For the Atrophy or Cold/Depression tissue states, bringing oils, oxygen and Qi (life force) Meridian / organ systems: Stomach/Spleen, Liver/Gallbladder Magick
 She is associated with the deities of Sun Gods such as Ra, or the Archangel Michael. An inner angel of light, warming and stirring. “Angelica aligns you to walk with your guardian angel” (Julia Graves). Traditionally one might wear Angelica around the neck for precaution against psychic attacks or epidemic contagions. For the Lapps or the Sámi/Saami people of Northern Scandinavia, Archangelica is a shamanic herb for journeying in the dreaming. The large red/purple hollow stalks are also signatures for a wise man’s or woman’s staff to journey to another dimension. If you are sensitive, you can burn the dry herb, breathe it in, and it is said to have effects similar to cannabis. Constituents Volatile oils, resin, wax, bitters, furanocoumarins, flavonoids, sugars, organic acids, phytosterols Actions & Uses Digestion; Cholagogue. Choleretic. Increases digestive capacity by increasing cortisol & raising blood sugar. 
Specifically for liver insufficiently (bitter flavour) to increase the production of bile, secretion of bile from the gallbladder, metabolism of fats and therefore nutritive value of food. Can be used to treat anaemia. Aids in thickening up a malnourished person, for treating atrophy and wasting, anorexia or a poor appetite. Although moistening due to it's oils, it actually is drying to dampness. Aids in removing winds in the digestive tract (Vata digestion), bloating or someone with an accumulation of fluids, intestinal gas & diarrhoea and is one of the most important digestive herbs. If there is excess activity in the stomach, it can calm heartburn, and any nausea or vomiting relating to this. Angelica makes fluids more active by breaking up concentrations of water/phlegm/blood. This is how it is good for heavy souled people with excess kapha. Nervous System / Emotions; Calmative herb. Nervine. Calms nervous excitation & relaxes the thinking apparatus of the mind. Small doses are relaxing, whilst large doses can cause depression of the central nervous system. Balances excess in the sympathetic (nervous; shuts down digestion) & parasympathetic branches (gastrointestinal excess; hot digestion with dampness inside), of the autonomic nervous system. Angelica connects the mind with the spirit. If someone is cut off from the spiritual world not believing, not being able to pray, or no longer making sense of life. Angelica relaxes an intense mind. For the emotionally empty or hollow person to stimulate the imagination. Matthew Wood speaks to stimulating the imagination a lot in healing. That we are yearning for medicine that inspires us, and that modern medicine prescriptions are devoid of creativity. If a herb does not stimulate the creative mind, how can we become the new? Angelica opens the sphincter of the mind. Lungs; Expectorant. Anti-catarrhal. Antiseptic. Antiviral. Drys up excess catarrh, or catarrhal deafness especially in the feeble or elderly. For clearing up dampness in the lungs, bronchitis, coughs or colds. For lung congestion accompanied with dullness of the mind or a pale complexion. For chills associated with the flu or seasonal allergic asthma. Bladder; Diuretic. Increases urination Heart & Blood; Circulatory stimulant. Strengthens the heart & warms the peripheral circulation. It can therefore treat headaches, vertigo, and fatigue by improving blood flow. It is indicated for cold hands/feet, purple fingers/toes or easy bruising. If there is poor circulation (cold & pale) or blood stagnation (purple pooling). For either high or low blood pressure. Sex organs; Hormonal normaliser. Antispasmodic. Chinese Angelica is a female tonic and highly estrogenic, but European & North American Angelica is not. The way that it works on the liver & blood however has a similar effect on women’s hormones through a different mechanism. By warming & moving the blood, it is used for restoring uterine & female reproductive balance. For women with excess bleeding or amenorrhea. Weakness or cramping during menses. Especially for middle aged women with full figures with cysts, blood stagnation or excess bleeding. Or for a man with prostate problems. Fever; Warming Diaphoretic. Can be used for the beginnings stages of fever to warm the body, increase circulation, increase sweating. The North American peoples use Angelica ‘on the rocks' in sweat lodges, vaporised to open the skin, bring the circulation to the surface, and open the mind. Sweat lodges teach that perspiring flushes the fluids. Musculoskeletal; Antispasmodic. Anti-inflammatory. For arthritic joints, gout, or stiffness associated with the cold, the oils lubricate & rebuild. Oily plants are nutritive in effect. For calming muscular cramps, spasms, nerve problems or epilepsy through working on the nervous system & cells. For treating atrophy we use herbs with fixed oils which increase cellular membrane nutrition, aiding in the transfer of hormones through the body. This also gives you great skin! By rebuilding fatty tissues around nerves swathes & cartilage, nervous tension to the body is decreased. Other For treating lipoma (benign fatty tumors) To stop alcohol or tobacco cravings (reducing nervous tension & the bitter flavours block the taste buds) An additive to the traditional Absinthe brew, a Swiss herbal medicine wormwood liquor with prophylactic effects. In the Garden "If you have space for only one plant in the garden, plant the Angelica” (Harald Tietze) The Angelica Person The woman's spirit herb. Maiden medicine. 
Stephen Buhner talks of Angelica being a female role model, for a maiden becoming a woman. Especially a girl in her Saturn returns or late 20's, who has lacked a strong female role model to guide her into her mature feminine. For a woman having trouble establishing her own identity or wanting to break free from society’s role models. The Angelica person may be thin, malnourished and pale needing to gain mass with poor circulation, or they might also be large, stout bear-like person with blood stagnation & fluid retention. By strengthening one’s self image, with the tone of balance, this naturally grounds the superfluous elements of certain personalities. When this person presents, Angelica is the plant medicine to call on. She holds the teachings & healings of this state. Warnings Angelica should not be used during pregnancy. The furanocoumarins can cause photosensitivity and irritate the skin in sensitive people, so limit sunbathing. According to Canadian First Nations people, the root can be prepared into a deathly poison (could be a misidentification for a cousin apiaceae Cicuta virosa which is poisonous). The roots are poisonous if not dried properly. Dosing The roots must be dried first, and quite soon after harvest to avoid the oils turning rancid. Likewise the seeds also lose potency if not frozen. A decoction of the root creates a more bitter medicine, whereas a tincture increased the relaxing effects. Extracts should be made from dried root. Tincture: 
Dry Root 1-3 drops 1-3 x day (Matthew Wood)
 Dry Root 1:5 30-60 drops 4x daily (Buhner)
 Seed 10-30 drops 4x daily (Buhner)

BORAGO OFFICINALIS _ BORAGE _ STARFLOWER ::: HERB OF GRACE

 Nomenclature Borago officinalis Borage denotes the latin term Borrago (Arabian origin meaning 'father of sweat' or 'father of toughness'. Common Names Starflower : referring to its appearance Cool Tankard : meaning a cool, tall, beer mug Herb of Gladness Burra: Latin for wool Barrach: Celtic for man of courage Bugloss Burrage History Borage is a herbal medicine used since ancient times. You may be familiar with the folk-lore saying “I, Borage bring always courage,” which speaks to its application for a run down character, in need of great courage to face the stress & responsibilities they carry. 
“It comforts the heart, cheers melancholy and revives the fainting spirit” (Salmon’s Household Companion, 1710). In ancient times, Borage was drunk as an ale to ‘revive the hypochondriac and cheer the hard student’ (Evelyn’s Acetaria). It is mentioned as one of the four cordial flowers in Salmon’s Household Companion of 1710, giving the cup a refreshing & peculiar flavour which cannot be imitated. Nowadays, it is frequently used in British herbalism, and not so much in the Southern Hemisphere herbalism. Did we forget about our starflower? The properties of borage are still somewhat unknown, so a lot of the following information is gathered from modern day traditional herbalists and their use of the plant medicine as a natural healer. Distribution & Physiology Borage is an annual herb (meaning it drops seed and respawns each year), with delicious honey bearing flowers. It likes ordinary soil, that is not too wet or clay ridden. And will grow to 1.5 feet tall, sprawling a square metre. It is closely related to comfrey, with roots as a Mediterranean European herb now cultivated in North America. Boraginaceae : Borage family : forget me not family Borage can be identified by its rough & hairy skin, with flat teardrop shaped burrs that stick to your clothes. The black anthers stick out from the middle of the flower. The flowers curl like a scorpion tail, a Bi-sexual. With 2000 species in this family, the Boraginaceae are generally used with some good success externally as a wound poultice, as an astringent to heal open tissue lesions, or internally as mild mucilaginous emollients (which means to soften the skin, or soothe a temper). Many of the borages have mildly toxic alkaloids in them, so they are not advised for sustained use. Doctrine of Signatures The energetic architecture of the universe is a language communicating the individuated being within the cosmic Self. When it comes to herbal medicine, over the lifetimes, an association between the valid knowledge of the natural world has been interpreted by our ancestors into a translation of its use. It is a way to "acquaint all sorts of people with the very Pith and Marrow of Herbarism” (William Coles). The way that a plant looks can tell us about the disease or organ or even type of person it is a medicine for. “The idea is that the shape, colour, appearance, environmental niche, taste, smell, etc., of a plant or medicinal agent will display the tell-tale signs, marks, or configurations indicating how that agent may be used in medicine.” (Matthew Wood). Borage’s doctrine is that of the 5 sided blue/purple star flower opening side ways, and turning downwards, courage for the downcast heart. Five petals opens the head and limbs. A star from the heavens (the flower) endowing grace into the roughness of life (the leaf). Borage is suggested to be for the heart, for qualms, and for faintness. Blue is the colour of an antispasmodic (to relieve tension). The large leaves suggests it works with the lungs or skin, a large surface. The fine hairs on the leaves resemble the hair like tissues of the mucosa of the lung or intestines. Planetary Influences Under the influence of Venus - cooling, emotional healer Energetics Cooling & moist. Sweet & salty. For the Atrophy or Stagnation tissue states (bringing moisture. Meridian / organ systems: Nervous system & the Kidneys, Gallbladder Taste is mildly like a fresh cucumber. Magick Borage is “A masculine herb, working with the air element, mental powers/wisdom/psychic powers/vision. Carry fresh blossoms to strengthen your courage, or place one in your buttonhole for protection when walking outdoors. A tea of borage induces psychic powers” (Scott Cunningham). Constituents Leaves, flowers & seeds are high (30%) in gamma-linolenic acid (anti-inflammatory)
 which sit he richest known source. Also essential oil (same as cucumber), potassium, calcium, saline mucilage, vitamin A, B, C, silica, iron, magnesium, resin and tannins. Actions Anti-inflammatory, nutritive tonic, mucilaginous, expectorant, diaphoretic, calmative, antidepressant, diuretic, galactagogue Uses Nervous System Nervine, nutritive tonic, diffusive & calmative herb. Borage is a deep acting nervine. It is an extremely important remedy for severe nervous exhaustion and low spirits. It is restorative for the adrenal glands after long periods of stress, a nutrient to rebalance them. Nutritive tonics are rich in micronutrients, great for states of debility, depression, or depletion. Borages helps to create connection & space for both depletion & excess. Examples of use would be or chronic fatigue syndrome, especially for recovery from long term substance dependencies, during menopause, or for extremely depleting lifestyles (shift worker, high adrenal roles etc.). It shines as a natural medicine for nervous system repair. Hormones Nervine & galactagogue herb. It is believed to work higher up the endocrine cascade rather than immediately on the adrenals themselves, such as the hypothalamus and pituitary which are temperature, emotional & metabolism regulatory endocrine glands. Bernard Jensen recommends it for thyroid issues. Traditionally it was used to increase lactation, galactagogues tend to also be nervines (the nervous system must be nourished to produce milk). So we see it’s role emerging on hormones here through glands. Hormones act as messengers between cells & tissues in the body. The liver is the general of the organs, and can greatly control hormone levels by expelling them in bile, activating or inactivating them. Borage also works on the liver & biliary system itself. The fats in borage exercise liver metabolism, and enable the fat soluble hormones to travel around the body. Borage can be used in an endometriosis protocol showing significant hormonal activity. Applying oils to the skin is a great way to absorb them into your blood. It can be used for menopausal symptoms of temperament and temperature as well as recovery from long term steroidal use. Mental & Emotional Nervine, antidepressant, calmative & diuretic herb. It has calming & antidepressant effects which modern research is showing can be used for ADD (attention deficit disorder). This validates the use for the melancholic or lunatic persons in the 1500’s. It’s saline consistency promotes the kidneys, purifies the blood, removes toxicity and is said to defend the heart against such toxins and poisons of the emotional nature. It will revive the spirit of a person from woes. Borage is known for treating melancholic persons especially with matters of the heart. It’s mentioned for heart palpitations, but rather than from cardiac issues themselves, it is more suited for hyperthyroid stimulation resulting in cardiac disturbance. Again we see it indicated for a state where the emotions are ruling the physical, working with the nervous system as a gateway into other organ systems. The 4 temperaments of Greco-Roman medicine were known as the humours. Melancholic, Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Sanguine and Choleric. Borage works with the melancholic person.

“Melancholic individuals tend to be analytical and detail-oriented, and they are deep thinkers and feelers. They are introverted and try to avoid being singled out in a crowd. A melancholic personality leads to self-reliant individuals who are thoughtful, reserved, and often anxious. They often strive for perfection within themselves and their surroundings, which leads to tidy and detail oriented behaviour.” Digestion Mucilaginous herb. This means its content soothes the inflamed lining of the tissues including that of the mouth & stomach. It contains fixed oils that increase the digestion & metabolism of fats by provoking the gallbladder to release bile & lubricate the colon. Borage is used to treat jaundice and indigestion. Lungs Mucilaginous & expectorant herb. Used as a syrup for coughing, wheezing, asthma, shortness of breath, or colds. Borage is used in conditions with chronic catarrh (mucous in the nose & throat). The mucilaginous nature of the borage family is moistening to the tissues of the respiratory system. Fever Diaphoretic herb. The father of sweat. 
It is a cooling plant, that removes heat from infections such as microbes, virus, or fever and has been used for contagious fevers, chicken pox, scarlet fever. It is said to have a strengthening nature by improving resistance to chills and fevers, essentially stimulating the sweat pores to tone immunity. Wounds Anti-inflammatory & mucilaginous herb. Used externally on sores, cute and ulcers especially as a hot poultice for arthritis and gout. It can be made into an eye wash for inflamed eyes as well. An oil or compress can be applied topically to varicose veins. Borage can soothe and cool the skin.

The Borage Person
The borage person may be a menopausal woman who is overworked and totally exhausted. A teacher. Someone run to death with responsibilities and commitments. Perhaps they run themselves down with impossible standards and self criticism. For the nervous system it’s the same feeling. Someone downcast, overworked, heavy hearted, or weighed down. Borage is this person’s medicine. Companion Herb Generally combines well with Avena sativa (oats). For nervous exhaustion, to tone the entire nervous from the hypothalamus down, use vervain, followed by borage followed by lycopus (bugleweed) Combine with passiflora postpartum for nervous exhaustion. In the Garden Plant borage with herbs or veggies to improve their taste by using the older leaves as mulch to add trace minerals (Pt, Calcium & Vit. C) to the soil. Borage adds a lot of nutrients to a compost bin. It can improve the growing time of strawberries and tomatoes (repels some veggie eating worms). The beautiful borage flowers attract bees and wasps, which help pollination and keeps pests away. Warnings Borage is not TGA approved for consumption as a herbal medicine in Australia due to the pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the leaves that have hepatotoxicity at large doses. However it has been and continues to be used throughout N. America & Europe as a traditional herb. Long term use it not advised, nor is use during pregnancy (it softens the uterine tissue so can be used intentionally) or for nursing mothers (will enhance milk production). Long term use is not advised. The hair from the borage family may irritate the skin of some people so use a soft cloth between when used as a poultice. It is not restricted as a food, which all natural medicines are anyway. Dosing As a herbal medicine, It is best to use the fresh pressed herb to prevent the drying of nutrients. Culpepper liked fresh flowering herb at the end of season, used as a syrup to increase the moistening & cooling effects, and did not recommend using dry herb. It can be infused or tinctured best cold, rather than warm. One can use young fresh leaves in salads, add 2 handfuls to soups, garnish the flowers on salads & drinks, or make borage iced tea with lemon & honey in the summer. Tincture or Flower essence: 1-3 drops/1-3/day Decoction: 1-3 cups/day with 2 tsp. fresh plant

READ PART ONE first to set the scene.. So now to confront all of my ‘stuff’. You know, just all the things that keep me embodied as an I in this ego-centric matrix. Thankfully, a voice in my head was all ‘Just let it go man…’ and like that every fear and attachment I had carefully constructed was dumped. Ditched. Made irrelevant by merely saying so. Is coping with life really as simple as saying “No thanks?” Well in this space it was, what with a finely tuned fungal BS detector in my psyche. The realm of ‘my shit’ was quick and cruisy. The system was this: if it stressed me out, and couldn’t prove it was moment apropos, I just threw it into the black void that I was slowly fermenting in. See, gone. Next concern? Turns out most of what I fear has little relevance to now. Funny that future-projection anxiety trying to fuck with ma zen. So now it seems I am surely decaying into a black wormhole, and without fears and hopes to attach to, my Ego grows squeamish with identify issues. Beyond my stuff, is something way scarier, THE UNKNOWN. I kind of want my stuff back! There was no thing to bounce off to prove I was a thing, and I got to be a thing. My brewing in this dark womb was coming close to a birthing. But into what? Mushrooms eat wormholes, and the worms that dare to tunnel them. “Holy fucking shit, Holy fucking shit,” said my brain.. Seems to be my I’m-tripping-really-hard plant medicine mantra that slightly dissipates an impending existential breakdown. 

“Por favour Abuelita, mas solar, mucho solar.” I became desperate for light. Let me bounce off something. Give my sweet duality. Felicity would listen to my concerns, she would hear my suffering, and not give me light. She refused to enable my clinging. I would ask again, every few moments. My sentences growing weaker, realising how futile it was. My hope was my suffering. Better to give up. “Por favour Abuelita, mas aqua, esta necesito agua.” Finally Felicity lit a candle and it was instant relief. Something, a thing, in a sea of nothing. She motioned to the water and blew out the candle before I could move. To my woes, Felicity would merely say “Cantar, Cantar! En ingles esta bien.” And I would reply “…Cantar…” She was asking me to sing, and I would just speak the word ‘sing’. [ Later in the night I understood things beyond language, and sung my little heart out. ]

 In that brief moment I was able to glance over at the Brugmansia watching me from the alter, and became convinced I was actually tripping on her. Somehow the notion that I actually ate the Brugmansia helped me to toughen up. “You knew this day was coming, when the trumpet would seduce you. Now don’t let her swindle you with her nonsensical charm.” I remembered Gabon, and surviving my initiation ceremony. But that induced a shaking fit that almost became possession trance, so I quickly forgot about that. I don’t know if Felicity would be up for holding space for that. I need some grounding here, please send me a root herb as a plant teacher right now. Enter Eboka man. Within moments the room took on the momentum of an Iboga plant medicine journey. A disassociated intensity. As I died in my own suffering, Iboga was cracking jokes. In that moment, it saved me from going insane. And so my reality became this surreal cosmic joke, and Murphy’s law made it that everything that could go wrong, would. But what else was to be expected when you eat tropanes, even if you only dreamed of that? Insanity was kind of funny! I believe it was at this point I was offered more mushrooms. These remained the fungi that weren't feasible. Thus began the next phase of the plant medicine journey. The plant realm. Felicity would sometimes pass me the Ruta (Rue) to grasp & shake. In that smell, I felt the essence of the universe condensed into purification meets putrefaction. It was was dense & pungent that it was kind of offensive and yet alluring all at once. I have a strong call to dieta with Rue now as a herbal medicine. I become emotionally stirred, energetically attuned, and physically grounded. This took me down a poison path interacting with other ethereal plants like the artemisias, valerian, & yarrow.. What an interesting aspect to life they live in. “Angles, it’s all mathematical geometrical aspects of perception,” I assured myself. Finally Felicity lit a candle for good after realising I was huddled in the corner of the room shaking cold. I felt like I’d let her down. I tried to transmit an SOS message through my gaze. “I know I’m not strong, I come from a weak people! Take pity on me, please.” She heeded my call & allured me to bed by patting the blankets. I kept asking, “Are you sure?,” but could only take a few steps before darting back to my corner, my sanctuary. I think it helped me to feel an edge over there. It also was where the Brugmansia was, strangely. I eventually laid down and Felicity tucked me in. With my new found candle friend lighting the altar, I was able to prove I hadn’t eaten the Tree Datura, it was sitting right there on the table. It was pulsating such an intense & entangled energy I couldn’t actually even look at it, merely glance from my peripheries, the only safe angle. I didn’t want to get sucked back into it’s reality. This is why we keep you at the edges GateKeeper… That tiny light helped to place myself in the space, and allow me to travel more deeply. With my consent to soften now. I passed beyond the physical realms of the plants. Soon finding their energy was holding me back, keeping me embodied & physical. I entered this weirdly religious realm and began shouting out “Jesus! Jesus!,” as I jumped out of bed and ran to the picture of the creepy-anemic-porcelain baby, all the while looking to Felicity for confirmation. She gets it.. If I have one regret, it’s that I didn’t call for hey-soos instead. Soon hanging out with God's sons' consciousness was a burden. “You’re holding me back Jesus!” Ditched in my growing pile of expendables. I was now traveling through the universe at light speed. Well maybe not light speed but really really fast for a monkey. Perhaps more accurately the universe was travelling through me. If I looked at any fraction of light with more bias than another, my body would grow heavy with attachment. Oh no, I soon realised I had to do the most stereotypical thing a Jippie could do and sit on the floor meditating in lotus position. It was the only way! I left behind an old thought pattern of mine that night. No longer did I believe “Meditate or die,” more accurately, “Meditate or suffer for eternity”. Death was an false sense of security. Passing through the bardos now, I couldn’t afford to even tilt my head slightly to one side, or my shoulder would cling to energy. I had to allow life to pass through me entirely without judgment or attachment. I remained this way for many hours barely able to blink, my 3 eyes blasted open. I was both me in the first person, me as a bird’s eye view, and me as the universe passing through me as the first person all at once as I watched like a bird watching a universe pass through a person. The only things I could take with me there that night were Trust & Presence. Eventually all else was left behind.

 Only trust & presence will come with you. In the early hours of the morning I crawled to bed. Murphy’s law still ruling, I couldn’t open my door, and made the most noise I possibly could, disturbing the neighbourhood dogs and any sense of serenity in the area. “That’s what happens when you eat Brugmansia”, I reminded myself. I lay in bed til 5am unable to turn my eyes off, tears streaming down my face. 
Now that’s how you sit with plant medicine. Reborn as..

The day I arrived in this mountain village of northern Oaxaca (Mexico) it started raining. This meant that even though it was out-of-season, fresh hongos popped up, mushrooms. If it weren’t for this, the options were old miel mushrooms, honey preserved from last season. There are 2 main mushrooms the Mazatec work with; Derrumbe (Psilocybe caerulescens ‘the Landslide Mushroom’ which is considered stronger) and San Isidro (Psilocybe cubensis ‘Gold Tops’, not as strong as Derrumbe). I’d be eating cubes. Lots of cubes. Psilocybe cubensis are like the workhouse mushroom, good to get you back to work, for the average complaints of life. They can be eaten as a natural medicine for many forms of healing. Sierra Mazatec cloud forest I sat down in the journey room at 8pm, which was a simple, private room with an alter table, 2 plastic chairs, and a bed and toilet attached. The altar had this strange picture of a baby, like an American baby Jesus from the 80’s… I placed my offerings on the table; a beeswax candle, a white candle, copal, cacao beans, and a white 4-layered Brugmansia flower. I’d soon feel the choice of my flower selection.. Felicity, my Abuelit (grandmother) curandera, lit the copal and blessed the mushrooms in the smoke. She dropped a towering handful of mushrooms in my hands, I counted 20, and repeated the process for herself with 6 mushrooms. They stacked up like a pyramid rising out of my two hands, cupping them together to not fall. They were ridiculously delicious. She then rubbed green tobacco powder on my wrists, ankles, neck, face and chest, for protection and said some prayers. That was the end of Catholicism and Spanish. “Ahora solo Mazateco,” Felicity was very stern about that;’ Now, only Mazatec’. It felt like a strong part of her, an ancient part of her. As I munged down mushrooms I thought to myself, “Ahhhhh, so this is a lot of mushrooms…” Nom Nom Nom. “Never eaten this many mushrooms before….” Within 10 minutes I felt a peaceful heaviness overcome me. Down down down to mushroom town… I never had any fear. I don’t know what it is about mushrooms, I just really like them I guess. But then again, I’d never eaten a fresh pile that required 2 hands to hold. The ceremony alter; the plants tobacco, copal (as resin), and rue were used throughout. Cacao was eaten to ground, pity I couldn't formulate formations of hands&mouths&cacaos to partake in that one. The candles were blown out, and I realised the room had blackout curtains. It was 100% dark. This is how the Mazatec travel, in the void. So in this empty womb of space, to the sound of an ancient language, I lost myself with only song to guide me. Felicity hypnotised me with her Mazatec music. I felt the medicine of the landscape downloading into my being. I could feel the song as it hit my skin, then like crossing an osmotic vibrational membrane that was ‘me’, dissolve into my awareness. It carried messages of the mountain land. For the first part of the journey I tripped on the concept of water. I felt the land hungry, the roots diving deeper into the soil searching. I became a tendril hunting for water. I became the cactus, fine tuned and perceptive. The H2o hunter, the water watchman. I became the mushroom. I’m a kinaesthetic learner, so these lessons weren’t so much visions as feeling states. It were as if my nervous system would entrain with a certain conceptual experience, and a process of calibration & understanding would play out. I could linger here for eternity, or move through it. That was in my hands, and how I played with my consciousness. The next lesson was about energy […man]. Energetic exchanges more precisely. I was shown the cost of every interaction between life. A universal budget analysis of sorts. It left me with a sobering cerebral weight of realising how taxing living actually is. Consumption at all moments. Life eating itself to survive. There’s no exit strategy it seems. Buckle in. “Deep within the soil, symbiotic relation. Mycorrhizal communication based on nutrient exchanging. A neural network that’s interconnected, to all the cellular information.” [arcana] I became fixated on the notion of nutrient exchanging. With allegiance to my Hippie heart, I was sure I could generate energy from my heart to liberate myself from the notion that life is a fixed system of rotating chaos. I had to prove I could create energy from nothing to outwit the mushroom teacher. Muahahaha, then I would be the Sensei! Alas, twas I the wit. And it turns out mushrooms are smarter than me. Certainly mushrooms hijacking my consciousness are super duper way smarter than the little young grasshopper that I am. So I CAN generate heart energy, *cosmic high five*, but it takes energy. To beat a heart. On a less dense note, it requires not that much energy, so by residing in the heart chambers I was able to kind of sleep in a restorative state, which became a welcome respite from the relentless hunger of life that was this section of what turned out to be the start of a 9 hour trip. And so with this knowledge I was forced to forgive humanity for being so very, very messed up & make-me-feel-sick-consumptive. I saw underneath all of this madness a desperate need to survive at all costs. Lost in the getting. The taking. The needing. Check-mated by the selfish gene. It became apparent once more that man’s fear & bias to turn away from death and favour towards the light, clinging to hope & delusion, is a root cause of competition & isolation. What are you giving? And where are you drawing that energy from? In this realm of giving & taking but mostly taking, the land felt angry. For exporting our waste to the ocean & skies. For growing fat with stores of unused energy reserves, so stuck in attachment that we rather lock our rotting bodies up & make sure nothing eats us, than give ourselves up. Than give ourselves over to the life that is living us anyway. This first section of the trip was a trance of the land. The content was heavy in ways, but I was wrapped in a bubble of curiosity and sedation. I knew I heard the mountains calling me from so far away, and I was here to witness their teachings, to embody what they know. The mushrooms were still coming on though. To go deeper, I would need to unhook a few hindrances, and I as being invited to go wayyyyyy deeper by these natural medicine teachers. READ PART TWO to continue the journey.