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The Artwork of Leah Bearce Guérin

The Artwork of Leah Bearce Guérin

From the Artist's Website: http://www.leahguerin.com and visit her blog at: http://www.leahguerin.com/blog/

As a potter, I am attempting to create functional and unique artwork for the home. Each piece is either, thrown on the potters wheel and altered or hand built from slabs of clay.

In my current work I am focused on the form and utilizing it as a starting point for surface embellishment. I treat the ceramic form like a canvas being layered with decorative colors and patterns.

I find inspiration from the constant movement and colors found in nature as well as from textile prints. I strive for a balance between the purposeful way I apply the multi-color glazes within the pattern and controlling how the glazes soften and flow together during the process of firing.

I work slowly and methodically, because this balance between the form and its decoration is difficult to achieve. I don’t want to create an arena of competition between the two, but to create a dialogue about movement and the graceful intermingling of the form and its surface.

I hand make every glaze from non-toxic and lead free ingredients. Once the work is fired the glazed surface is dishwasher and microwave safe.

Please contact us for more information about our ceramics

A Letter from a Wise Woman Friend

A Letter from a Wise Woman Friend

Hi Susun and Justine,

I hope on your mountainside you have had better luck with rain than we have here in my Milwaukee home. We have a rather severe drought throughout the state. I have so much enjoyed Susun's wood's walks--I save them to re-read, especially as many plants she discusses grow here, too.

I've noticed so many changes, though. Plants like Sweet Melilot, Mullein, Yarrow, have been affected, because there are far fewer of them-- especially strange to me-- as I always thought these plants didn't mind sun and dry soil.

Elder, that grew in abundance, set back from roadsides where soil was a bit damp were hardly to be found this spring/summer. We had large patches of May Apple in our woods--very sparse this year. I miss their charming green umbrellas trooping through the woods.

The same goes for Red Clover--sparse, but White Clover did well. There was far less Motherwort, Catnip and Horehound. Catnip and Horehound grew almost everywhere--hardly to be found this summer--and again seemed strange to me as I always thought they, too, loved sun and dry soil. Very little Bittersweet--but I know they prefer damp soil, so not surprised to see so few of them.

Roadsides, meadows and fields have produced great numbers of Teasel, and Thistles--they even seem to crowd out stalwarts like Milkweed. Teasels look pretty in spring--they are a beautiful light green--but now they are brown/black-- Not even nice for dried arrangements. Thistles are 3-6 feet tall--we have several kinds. After they flower, the heads are full of cottony clumps--not too attractive, either--but I think seeds are good food for wild birds.

I am grateful for lovely Queen Anne's Lace. Drought has not affected her, nor Chicory. The white flowers of Queen Anne's Lace grow where Chicory grows--they provide beauty and make up for the losses of other favorites.

Especially Queen Anne's Lace. She is covering otherwise barren places with her lovely doilies--and when mowed down, flowers anew, but on shorter stalks, looking like snowflakes scattered in the grass.

Along with her grow Bird's Foot trefoil. I have never seen this cheerful little plant is such abundance--it is growing everywhere--and it always makes me smile. When mowed--it comes roaring back. So I am grateful for this threesome, who give us hope by their example--resilience as well as beauty.

Susun, an added note for you--when we spent summers in Maine years ago--I made jam from Chokecherries, the red and the deep purple. They grew in great abundance along the roadsides. Country people, seeing me picking them, often stopped to tell me their mothers and grandmothers used to make jelly from them. Wild apple trees often grew nearby--I picked them green and added them to the Chokecherries for natural pectin. I cooked them together, strained them, and added sugar as needed to the juice--and cooked them to a soft jelly or syrup-- the flavor was wonderful. Sadly, tent caterpillars loved the Chokecherry trees, and killed off many of them--as they have done here in WI.

Right now, we have an abundance of wild grape vines--there's a spot where I found vines loaded with clusters of baby green clusters in late Spring--I'm planning to check them out this week-- I'm hoping for ripening clusters, so I can look forward to making wild grape syrup.

Driving down our rural--and highway roads,  I was happy to see that Goldenrod is making a most welcome appearance, seemingly everywhere. Another stalwart that seems happy to grow almost anywhere. I noticed a few different kinds--the dramatic, large yellow plumes of the tall Goldenrod dance in the breezes. Smaller, branched Goldenrod  and yet another with smaller, more delicate plumes add interest to what might be monotonous greenery.Some Goldenrod flowers are deep yellow, others are lighter. Together, they weave a tapestry to bring us joy as Summer moves towards Autumn.....

Blessings,

M.S.

 

A Message from Archangel Michael

The low vibrational frequency energy of the world’s trouble spots and how it can affect you.  

Archangel Michael thru Sue Stothard

8/15/2012

So many of you spend too much of your time dwelling on the negatives in your world. This is encouraged by your media which reports on the negative and dark aspects of people’s lives because it is sensational and deemed more newsworthy than good news.

The media encourage you to view at almost first-hand the violence, pain, hatred and negative emotions that are contained within all of the world’s ‘trouble spots’.

Spending time listening to, taking on board and dwelling on all that is negative in the world that you see and hear about is absorbed by you on many levels. The immediate impact on you is that it lowers your own energetic vibrational frequency. Your lowered frequency then leaves you prey to your own negative thoughts and emotions, as well as low frequency energies such as viruses, bacteria.

Your constantly repeated negative thoughts and emotions about any and all issues then create larger negative thought forms which add to and reinforce those already existing within the band of energy surrounding the earth which is called the morphogenic resonance.

The world’s trouble spots are all situated in places where the land is already contaminated by the energy of corrupted ley lines as well as by their history.  So it is that in these places a great deal of negativity already existed and this is no accident. The earth energies in such places are dark and negative because of the history of violence, anger, hatred, war and dark negative emotions. The land itself is literally soaked in it all after lifetime after lifetime of absorbing the results of the deeds and the emotions of all of the people who have and do live their lives involved in conflict.

The ancient vibrations of conflict and violent death, as well as all of the emotions from all of the people involved leave an energetic imprint which is held deep within the earth and in the water. Normal life in such places is almost impossible. The people who live in these places are contaminated by all of the dark energies so that their frequency is lowered.

Much healing and restoration work has been done and is continually going on in these places for the people, the land and the earth energies as well as for the wildlife and the nature kingdom. This occurs through the agency of the members of The Family Of White Light who are currently incarnated here and the disincarnate ones [angels]. There is still a great deal of work still to be done to clear the emotions and violence energetically.

For those of you wishing to be of help my words to you are please do not dwell on the negatives so much. Be aware of what is happening and let it go! This sounds harsh and uncaring but unless you can actually do something yourself to stop it all then do not get involved, because all you do by thinking about it and talking about it is to add to the negative thought forms and reinforce it all.

What should you do instead? Begin with yourself and always look for the positive in any situation in life. ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ is a song to be applauded and echoes my sentiments. Look for the good and positive in everyone you meet and try not to think, talk or behave negatively towards others in any way. By doing this as much as you can you maintain or improve your own energetic frequency and at the same time put positive thought forms into the morphogenic resonance. The higher frequency thought forms of people with a positive attitude and the emotions of love, happiness and laughter in their hearts can change the world!

A recent example is the spirit of your recent Olympic Games. So much love, light and happiness was generated by the spectators that all taking part and watching were uplifted regardless of country or race. Many athletes were so positively uplifted by the outpouring of positive energies by the crowds that they outperformed their own and everyone else’s expectations. Such is the power of the energy of love.

Michael.

www.unfoldingenlightenment.com

 

Baby-Empowered Birthing Education!

Baby-Empowered Birthing Education!

bebechildbirth.com

As you prepare to greet your precious addition, you likely have many questions about what’s happening in your body and what childbirth will be like. You may wonder what your little one is experiencing inside you or how can you use your time during pregnancy to develop a strong and lasting bond with your baby. What can you do to help your child have the best start in life? What kind of birth experience will be best for you and for your baby? How can you prepare for the birth you’ve always wanted?

A BEBE childbirth education class can help you answer your questions and realize  the birth of your dreams!

Learn more at: http://bebechildbirth.com/

STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM!

STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM!
Herbal Allies to Help you Avoid Catching the Flu!

by Susun S. Weed

Winter is when we are most likely to catch a cold or the flu. With Susun Weed’s help, you can prepare yourself with herbs and home remedies to avoid infection and to build a strong immune system.

Ms. Weed prefers safe antibacterial herbs such as echinacea, usnea, or poke root, which not only kill infection, but also help us keep our immune systems strong. These herbs have an extensive history of countering resistant bacteria and strengthening the body's natural defenses. She also recommends medicinal mushrooms, garlic, and ginseng to help you during the winter season. And, she reminds us that our thoughts affect our health too!

Echinacea root is the all-American immune system strengthener. It triggers production of white blood cells, interferon, leukocytes, T-cells, and B-lymphocytes, as well as directly inhibiting the growth of most bacteria and viruses. Peter Holmes, author of Energetics of Western Herbs, cites it as being effective against anthrax. Echinacea tincture is my first choice for countering infection. (Capsules and pills of Echinacea, if used for lengthy periods, may be counter-productive.) A dose of the tincture is one drop for every pound of body weight. I take this several times a week as a preventative; several times daily when there is active infection.

Usnea, a common lichen, is especially rich in a powerful antibacterial bitter called usnic acid (also usinic acid). I use the tincture of Usnea barbata (a dose is 1-2 dropperfuls), but other lichens show similar immune-enhancing and tonifying properties. There are no side effects reported from use of even large amounts of usnea tincture.

Poke root tincture (Phytolacca americana) kicks the immune system into gear incredibly fast. I’ve seen chronic infection of many years’ standing resolve after only one dose, and acute infection subside in a matter of hours. Poke’s effect seems to be focused on the lymphatic and glandular tissues of the throat and chest, making it the perfect counter to inhaled anthrax, which attacks the lymph nodes around the lungs. Poke is a specific against pneumonia and a protector of the lungs. It contains an antibacterial alkaloid and a special antiviral protein. It magnifies the effects of Echinacea and they work wonderfully well together.

Poke root is powerful medicine - in fact, a potential poison - and the dose is very small. One drop of poke tincture may be taken daily for no more than three months as a counter to possible infection. Alkaloids in poke root tincture can accumulate in the kidneys, making extended use risky. Caution: You can feel spacey and out of your body when taking poke, especially at higher doses. The first few times, take it after dinner and stay home so you can judge your reaction.

Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus) is widely considered the single most effective immune tonic and adaptogen in the herbal realm. Safe and inexpensive, it helps the immune system respond quickly to infection and mitigates the effects of stress. Astragalus root is also an excellent ally for building powerful immunity. Both, or either, may be taken daily for extended periods with no ill effects. I throw several pieces of these roots in every pot of soup I cook.

Ginseng root (Panax quinquefolius or Panax ginseng) is another exceptional ally for the immune system, especially when there is physical or emotional stress. In any form (tincture, tea, extract) it nourishes production of interferon, phagocytes, antibodies, and killer T-cells. So long as you need ginseng, there’s no overdose; if you take it when you don’t need it however, it may produce an unpleasant, jittery, speedy sensation.

Garlic has been used to prevent infection for thousands of years; and it still works! No need to upset your stomach (and loved ones) by eating it raw; cooked garlic retains its antibacterial powers, so long as you eat enough of it. During plague times, healers in some areas wore a "bird's beak:" a stiff cone was made of paper or bark, stuffed with garlic and spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg), and tied on over the nose to help prevent contagion. That's a little cumbersome for modern times, but inhaling the aroma of a cup of spicy tea (there are many blends available, or make your own) could help you avoid catching contagious disease.

Medicinal mushrooms are not only immune system tonics, they possess antibacterial properties which make them ideal for preventing anthrax infection, according to expert Paul Stametes. A tincture or strong infusion of any shelf fungus with pores can be used, he says. If you prefer to buy your mushrooms, rather than hunt for them, look for reishii (Ganoderma lucidum) or shiitake (Lentinus edodes). Both are adaptogenic, revitalizing, regenerative, and able to directly suppress infection. Side effects, even from large doses, are rare.

But herbs and medicinal foods alone are not enough. What we think, and what we consume, are also important parts of building strong immunity. Candace Pert, visiting professor of neuroscience at Rutgers University, has proven that every cell of the body participates in the immune system through an integrated network of chemical, electrical, and hormonal signals. The immune system is a network, she says, which resonates with the vibrations that surround it. It is as affected by emotions as by bacteria, as impacted by thoughts as by drugs.

Long-standing low-level depression, smoldering anger that is never expressed, bitterness and vengeance projected into the future are all known to depress immune functioning. Prayer, affirmations, positive thinking - no matter what you call it, talking lovingly to yourself builds powerful immunity. One of the fiercest old women I know, healer Margo Geiger, taught me to not only think good thoughts but also to unthink immune system stressing phrases like: "This is killing me," or "I’m dying to . . ." ("Let’s live for it!" she’d say.)

Specialized cells which eliminate bacterial and viral infections are made as needed by the immune system. Richly supply your immune system with nutrients, and it easily counters infection, building healthy white blood cells to kill anthrax and other germs. Starve your immune system and it will falter, leaving your lymph nodes and other tissues open to infection and destruction.

My favorite foods for nourishing the immune system include beets, carrots, garlic, medicinal mushrooms, seaweeds, and dark leafy greens (including nettle infusion). For rapid results, try miso soup with seaweed and wild mushrooms. Try Immune A Go Go Soup from Susun Weed's book Breast Cancer? Breast Health!

Carotenes strengthen and activate all parts of the immune system, especially the thymus (the "master gland of immunity"). A half-cup of dandelion greens, two cups of nettle infusion, a small baked sweet potato, or two large cooked carrots or beets is a "dose;" but ten times that much can be consumed safely. Repeated doses provide a cumulative effect starting about a week after you begin.

Selenium is a trace mineral with special abilities for building a healthy immune system. Best sources are organic garlic, medicinal mushrooms, and astragalus. Zinc helps build energetic white blood cells (which eliminate bacterial infections). Best sources are Echinacea, nettles, and seaweed.

The B-vitamin complex, especially B6 (pyridoxine), is critical to immune system health. Best sources are potato skins, broccoli, prunes, and lentils.

Virtually all drugs depress the immune system. This includes caffeine and nicotine, alcohol, prescribed drugs, "recreational" drugs, and vitamin/mineral supplements. For a healthy immune system, eat nourishing food and forgo the pills.

Both light and dark are necessary for a strong immune system. For optimum immune system strength, sleep in a totally dark room at night, and spend at least 15 minutes a day outside without glasses or contacts. Full spectrum sunlight is needed to trigger the production of important immune system components.

Exercise is an excellent way to tonify the immune system. A number of clinical trials have shown regular exercise to be strongly linked to heightened immunity. The emphasis is on regular. It is better to walk one mile four times a week for a month than to jog 16 miles once a month.

In Summary: Strengthen you immune system with a good diet, adequate sleep, regular physical activity, emotional well-being, and a few of the recommended herbal allies of your choice. Always remember to use herbs and herbal preparations simply and safely. Avoid immune compromising substances such as coffee, tobacco and medications. With a strengthened immune system you will not only enjoy better health, but you will be less likely to be susceptible to infection and possible death from bacterial and/or viral invasions. Faith in your body's ability to protect itself will continue to bolster and reinforce the immune system as your mental well-being improves. Enjoy the upward spiral of health as you follow the path of the Wise Woman Way.

 

Susun Weed’s books:
	Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year  Author: Susun S. Weed. Simple, safe remedies for pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and newborns. Includes herbs for fertility and birth control. Foreword by Jeannine Parvati Baker. 196 pages, index, illustrations.  Retails for $11.95  Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com
	Healing Wise  Author: Susun S. Weed. Superb herbal in the feminine-intuitive mode. Complete instructions for using common plants for food, beauty, medicine, and longevity. Introduction by Jean Houston. 312 pages, index, illustrations. Retails for $17.95  Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com
	NEW Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way  Author: Susun S. Weed. The best book on menopause is now better. Completely revised with 100 new pages. All the remedies women know and trust plus hundreds of new ones. New sections on thyroid health, fibromyalgia, hairy problems, male menopause, and herbs for women taking hormones. Recommended by Susan Love MD and Christiane Northrup MD. Introduction by Juliette de Bairacli Levy. 304 pages, index, illustrations. Retails for $16.95  Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com For excerpts visit: www.menopause-metamorphosis.com
	Breast Cancer? Breast Health!  Author: Susun S. Weed. Foods, exercises, and attitudes to keep your breasts healthy. Supportive complimentary medicines to ease side-effects of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or tamoxifen. Foreword by Christiane Northrup, M.D. 380 pages, index, illustrations. Retails for $21.95  Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com
	Down There: Sexual and Reproductive Health the Wise Woman Way Publication date: June 21, 2011  Author: Susun S. Weed Simple, successful, strategies cover the entire range of options -- from mainstream to radical -- to help you choose the best, and the safest, ways to optimize sexual and reproductive health. Foreword: Aviva Romm, MD, midwife, 484 pages, Index, illustrations. Retails for $29.95 Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com
For Wholesale orders see our terms letter or contact us at: Ash Tree Publishing PO Box 64 Woodstock, NY 12498 ~ Phone/Fax: 1-845-246-8081 Website: wisewomanbookshop.com ~ E-mail: susunweed@herbshealing.com Susun Weed, green witch and wise woman, is an extraordinary teacher with a joyous spirit, a powerful presence, and an encyclopedic knowledge of herbs and health. She is the voice of the Wise Woman Way, where common weeds, simple ceremony, and compassionate listening support and nourish health/wholeness/holiness. She has opened hearts to the magic and medicine of the green nations for three decades. Ms. Weed's four herbal medicine books focus on women's health topics including: menopause, childbearing, and breast health. Visit her site www.susunweed.com for information on her workshops, apprenticeships, correspondence courses and more! Browse the publishing site online at wisewomanbookshop.com to learn more about her alternative health books. Venture into the NEW Menopause sitewww.menopause-metamorphosis.com to learn all about the Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way.

What Are Mushrooms?

What Are Mushrooms? History, Identification, Cultivation, Edible and Medicinal Uses

David Fischer & Ken Mudge

September 28 - September 30

For more info and to register click here.

Paul Stamets, among others, has done a great deal to generate public interest about mycology. His colleagues David Fischer and Ken Mudge are experts on mushroom identification and cultivation, respectively. They will involve you in a fascinating, down-to-earth experience about these most publically accessible aspects of mycology and leave you hungry for more. 

The workshop will have two complementary themes. After an evening together, on Saturday morning David, a master of identification, will take half the group exploring in the woods. While many mushrooms can be cultivated, some of the very finest—chanterelles, lobster mushrooms, boletes and many more—cannot, while other, such as morels, don't behave well as cultivators. David will show us how to conclusively identify and safely enjoy the truly worthwhile ones. He'll also reveal some of the remarkable ecological aspects of the Fungi Kingdom's most conspicuous citizens.

Ken, a master of cultivation, will share the hands-on art of log cultivation of shiitake and oyster mushrooms. In Asia, shiitake, enoke, nameko, the ear fungus, the white jelly fungus, lion’s mane, and other species are widely cultivated and the world-wide demand for edible mushrooms far exceeds what can be collected from the wild. Small scale cultivation of edible mushroom species in your home, garden, or woodlot is becoming popular. Ken is also one of our nation's foremost forest farming experts, so he'll share how permaculture principles apply to sustainable forest management and how to raise forest crops likes ginseng, ramps, and paw paws. You'll leave this workshop not only with knowledge of how to do it, but with an inoculated log to take home so you can grow your own. 

Saturday afternoon we'll switch groups. Both of these gentle men could fill a month, so our time together on Saturday evening and Sunday morning will be rich in what they have to share, but responsive to what you want to know. 

As we descend into the Sixth Major Extinction on Earth, our biosphere is eroding the life-support systems that have allowed mammals to prosper. What can we do? Fungi, particularly the inherently adaptable mushrooms, offer powerful, practical solutions that can be practiced now. Like people, habitats have immune systems, and our close evolutionary relationship to fungi can lead to greater sustainability and better health. Join us for a fun-packed, educationally intense retreat that requires no previous knowledge, though experienced mycologists may benefit more than anyone.

David W. Fischer maintains the popular web site, AmericanMushrooms.com, and is an internationally known expert on the identification, biology, and ecology of wild fungi. He literally wrote 'the' book on Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America, now in its eighth printing after 20 years. He's also coauthor of the encyclopedic Mushrooms of Northeastern North America and he has been featured on NPR's popular Science Friday program. An increasingly outspoken advocate of environmental sustainability and climate-change mitigation, he's also the founder of GlobalEcologist.org.

 

Ken Mudge is an associate professor of horticulture at Cornell, where he teaches plant propagation, grafting, and the agroforestry practice called forest farming. The only course of its kind in the US, it led to his receiving Cornell’s Innovative Teaching award. His specialties are American ginseng, forest cultivation of shiitake and other mushrooms, and he's currently writing a book on Forest Farming with permaculturist Steve Gabriel. 

 

The Art of Ragen Mendenhall

The Art of Ragen Mendenhall

Ragen Mendenhall creates beautiful and ethereal visionary artworks

Her soulful paintings reflect vibrant interpretations of the human experience. Often they feature beautiful women merging with nature, animals and elaborate decoration, incorporating elements of the Art Nouveau style as well as traditional realism.
 

Surrealistic and dreamlike, The primary focus within Ragen's artwork emphasizes dynamic human emotion and celebrates the connection of soul to body, alluding to the presence of an unseen spirit beyond the shell of the physical world.

Visit Ragen at http://www.ragensart.com/

Natural Health and Healing in the Wise Woman Tradition

 

Natural Health and Healing in the Wise Woman Tradition

 

 

c. 2002 Susun S Weed

The Wise Woman tradition is invisible. Without healers, without diseases, without cures, without certificates, without guarantees, it exists. It has no rules, no right answers, no promise of life eternal. The Wise Woman tradition is a spiral of uniqueness, everchanging, like a woman, steeped in and rising out of the blood mysteries, the wisdom of womb-ones, the knowledge of those who hold their blood inside. 

The Wise Woman tradition honors the ordinary and avoids the exotic, works simply and steers clear of complication, accepts failure, chaos, and the eternal void with humor instead of fear and dread. The Wise Woman tradition is compassionate and heart- centered. It honors the Earth. It is local and ecological and urges us to use our dooryard weeds instead of the latest miracle herb from far away.

This is in marked contrast to other traditions of healing. In the Scientific tradition the doctor is highly visible and the patient is reduced to a body part or a disease designation. In the Heroic or Holistic tradition, the healer is the one who knows the right way to do things and the patient must follow the rules in order to get well. Most so-called alternative medicine comes from Heroic traditions, which emphasize fasting, purification, colonic cleansing, rigid dietary rules, and the use of rare botanicals in complicated formulae. Metaphysical healing also is applied that way: It views illness as a failure rather than a natural and potentially constructive process.

The Wise Woman Tradition reminds us that wellness and illness are not polarities. They are part of the continuum of life. We are constantly renewing ourselves, cell by cell, second by second, every minute of our lives. Problems, by their very nature, can facilitate deep spiritual and symbolic renewal, leading us naturally into expanded, more complete ways of thinking about and experiencing ourselves.

The Wise Woman Tradition encourages us to work towards good health from the inside out. And to remember that our healing choices influence not only ourselves but the entire planet.

 

 

Month One * Waiting * Arctium lappa
In the darkness, there is waiting. Underneath, the roots hold firm. Dare you reach down? To dig deep, deeper, yet deeper, until you grow weary, fingernails broken, anointed by your own sweat? If you do, if you persevere, you will reach her. Your fingertips will caress her cool rough black skin. Honor her power, ask for her help. You will hear her answer, feel her as she gives away to you, as she allows you to take her out of the earth. With your hands and cool water, softly coax the dirt away; sharpen your knife. Cut thin slices, stopping where the root grows dense and begins to yearn upward as leaf. Fill a glass jar: once with slices, then with room temperature apple cider vinegar. Watch it through six weeks of Change, and, just as the light returns at Solstice, eat and drink your potion if you wish to build strength in your liver, your life, your kidneys, your stamina, your intestines, your immune system, and your skin. 

Month Two * Sensing * Betula nigra
Who created the belief that we're dirty and must be cleansed to be healthy? Wise women don't clean. They say life is a spiral of nourishment. They say each cell is made in perfect health/ wholeness/holiness when optimum nourishment is available. Instead of "cleansing" -- which can create a damaged self-image -- the wise woman nourishes, increasing self worth and health.
Even when it comes to housework, I don't clean. Instead, I nourish spaciousness. My ally? A brew of sweet birch. I break a handful of twigs (with unopened buds) into a quart jar, fill it with boiling water, and cap it tightly. The next morning, I pour off (and drink) the wintergreen- flavored tea, leaving the twigs in the jar. I pour another quart of boiling water over the (same) twigs. And so on, up to thirty times. After the third or fourth brewing, try some of the liquid as a grease-cutter in the oven. Amazingly, the birch tea gets stronger the more often you use the twigs.

 

Month Three * Emerging * Sprouts
Have you watched the sprouts in the garden? Try it this year. Watch carefully to see what comes to eat the tender seed leaves as they first emerge, heralding the coming true leaves. Are you surprised that nothing eats the sprouts? Even the insects wait until the true leaves begin to grow before settling in for a feast. The plant is at its most vulnerable when it sprouts, so it protects itself with phytochemicals that are carcinogenic and sometimes outright poisonous. Take a cue from Nature: Avoid sprouts (unless they're cooked, which neutralizes the phytochemicals). Need another reason to avoid this fake food? It isn't grown in the earth. It would make sense to eat sprouts if aboard a spaceship bound for Mars, but my spaceship is planet Earth. So, for optimum nutrition and glowing health, I choose foods that have their roots firmly in Her.

 

Month Four * Growing * Plantago 
Plantain, the plain plant, grows invisibly underfoot in parks, playgrounds, driveways, lawns, even paths through open woods throughout the temperate regions of the Earth. She is lying in wait for you, waiting for you to recognize her virtues and befriend her. All parts are useful: especially seeds, roots, and leaves. The leaves are renowned for their ability to ease stings, itches, sprains, itches, skin irritations (including eczema) and itchy bites. I use the fresh leaves, quickly chewed and applied directly. Children call her the "bandaid plant." Those allergic to bees and wasps swear that a timely application of plantain leaves will save them from adverse reactions to stings. For winter use, I make an ointment by pouring room temperature olive oil over a jarful of coarsely chopped plantain leaves; let it sit for six weeks (no sun!); strain, and melt with beeswax. It is unsurpassed for soothing diaper rash, dry lips, bruises, and -- you guessed it -- itches!

 

Month Five * Enduring * Symphytum 
Is she an evil witch or a tender healer? (of bones, tendons, ligaments, lungs, throat, vagina, guts, and skin? Like the women she has long been associated with, comfrey has a mixed reputation. I use lots of comfrey leaf, brewed as a strong infusion (put one ounce dry herb in a quart jar, add boiling water to top, cap tightly, steep overnight); but I rarely use comfrey root -- if for no other reason than that comfrey will colonize the garden if her roots are disturbed. The healing agents in comfrey are concentrated in the petiole, or leaf stalk, and the flower stalk. Cultivated comfrey has sterile flowers, so I harvest while it's flowering, cutting leaf and flower stalks near the ground and hanging them individually in a dark, well-ventilated place to dry. As I write this in the Catskill winter, a steaming cup, enlivened with a pinch of mint sits by my elbow. Oh comfrey the comforting, you cunning witch, how I adore you!

 

Month Six * Flowering * Hibiscus
One of my favorite daily practices is to find and eat some wild food, no matter where I am, city or country, home or far away. I like to nourish all that is wild and natural, real and earthy in me. Sometimes I have to resort to dried wild seaweed, but most of the time I can find fresh wild plants. If I'm lucky, I get to eat flowers. In tropical regions, the many-colored hibiscus blossoms offer themselves abundantly. At home, the closely related weedy mallows have much smaller flowers, but are just as delicious, as are the wild (and cultivated) hollyhocks, with their large, tasty, magnificent blooms, and the late-blooming Rose of Sharon, the northern hibiscus. What hussies these flowers are, sticking their tongues out, oozing with nectar, fragrant, and dusted with fairy glitter! What healer they are as well (leaves, too) with their ability to soothe and cool and provide generous amounts of antioxidants ( vitamins C, A, and rare minerals).

 

Month Seven * Conceiving * Tillia 
Known by numerous names, linden (basswood, lime blossom, tillia) is a worldwide favorite for strengthening the immune system and preventing/treating colds and flu. Children are partial to its delicate flowery taste, and it always seems to bring a smile to the lips of adults. At the corner of my house the linden tree leans away from the pond. Her branches sweep down to the roof, aiding our efforts when we want to free her nodding blossoms into our baskets. It was once the custom in France to let out the schools when the linden bloomed, so the agile children could harvest the healing flowers of the tree that buzzes. (The nectar is so sweet that every bee wishes to partake, and they visit in such multitudes that a linden tree in bloom actually buzzes!)

 

Month Eight * Ripening * Avena 
Cultivation of grain is one of the greatest of the women's mysteries; and oats is one of the oldest of the cultivated grains. Hear us Demeter, you who are called Goddess Mother. The oat seed is sown, and soon green shoots carpet the fields. Oh, oat grass, soother of souls and frayed nerves, hear our pleas, comfort us. Growing steadily, the stalk at last yearns skyward, carrying the oat flower into the fertile winds. When pollinated, she will return to gravity, dangling her new crop of oat seeds, oatmeal to us. Oh, Ceres, she of fullness, ripe with milk, it is your body that we feed on, that we nourish ourselves with. We offer you our flowing blood, our sensuous undulating bellies, the ripple in our walk that so mimics yours. You who are beautiful in all ages, help us remember that our beauty also changes with the season.

 

Month Nine * Scattering * Daucus carota
Most common weeds hide uncommonly-helpful abilities under their rough ways. Beautiful when summer warms her delicate blossoms, the rest of the year Queen Ann's lace is not much to look at. In the autumn, when the seeds are fully matured, but not yet brown, we harvest them to use as a contraceptive. Related to dill, caraway, cumin, fennel, and anise -- all aromatic plants whose seeds are widely used -- and the common carrot, parsnip, parsley, and celery, Queen Anne's lace claims also relationship with one of the most famous plants of antiquity: It even appeared on a coin. Why? It was a highly effective contraceptive! To use: take a full teaspoonful each day, mixed in with food, but not cooked, for as long as you desire to be without child.

 

Month Ten * Withdrawing * Ulmus fulva
Slippery elm is a graceful tree found near streams and in wet areas throughout eastern North America (from Quebec to Florida and west to the Dakotas and Texas). I have been intrigued with this tree since I first met her. Her inner bark is a superb source of nutrients and a universal antidote for poisons (even bacterial food poisoning). Whenever there are symptoms of gastro- intestinal distress, I think first of slippery elm. Careful harvesters take only branches; the bark of the trunk is not used. After drying, the inner bark is powdered and then mixed with milk or honey before being fed (in tiny amounts, or from a baby's bottle if needed) to the womoon (or animal) in need. Slippery elm quickly stops violent diarrhea and allays even convulsive vomiting. It nourishes and restores life to the intestinal tract.

 

Month Eleven * Resting * Taraxacum
It seems always to surprise women that I prefer my dandelion greens in the fall. What is it about the cold nights that brings out the sweetness in her greens? Is it that the bitter is gone to the root? That the leaves are storing sweetness toward next springs blooms? Whatever it is, I think the leaves taste their best in the weeks just before and just after the first killing frosts of the autumn. Hidden over the summer by the bigger plants, dandelion steps back into the spotlight (and the sunlight) as the nights chill and lengthen. Cooked or chopped into salads, the greens provide outrageous amounts of carotenes (vitamin A), minerals, and immune-enhancing nutrients. I think of her as a fall tonic. And as I eat her I envision my roots storing up extra for the cold months ahead.

 

Month Twelve * Dreaming * Papaver
Scarlet poppies bloom behind closed lids. Scarlet petals fall slowly, lazily, easily away, revealing the mystery within: a crowned box of seeds. Scarlet poppies open, draw us in. Rattle, rattle, rattle. . . come closer, she rattles. Her rattle is a drone, is a drum, is the rhythm of peace, is the sound of the sea, of the earth, and of perfect peace. Rattle, rattle rattle, scattering scarlet poppy seeds. Scattering your thoughts to the wind. To the wind that feels so good, so good against your closed eyes, so warm, so comforting, so full of dreams. Scarlet poppies of blood drip in rhythm from your womb, a rhythm so good, so warm, so comforting, so full of peace. A pulsating rhythm of blood, of poppies, of dreams. Scarlet dreams, deep dreaming, deep inside, where scarlet petals fall away, revealing the crowned mystery within. You are the goddess, you are the poppy, you are the dream.

 

Susun Weed’s books:
	Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year  Author: Susun S. Weed. Simple, safe remedies for pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and newborns. Includes herbs for fertility and birth control. Foreword by Jeannine Parvati Baker. 196 pages, index, illustrations.  Retails for $11.95  Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com
	Healing Wise  Author: Susun S. Weed. Superb herbal in the feminine-intuitive mode. Complete instructions for using common plants for food, beauty, medicine, and longevity. Introduction by Jean Houston. 312 pages, index, illustrations. Retails for $17.95  Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com
	NEW Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way  Author: Susun S. Weed. The best book on menopause is now better. Completely revised with 100 new pages. All the remedies women know and trust plus hundreds of new ones. New sections on thyroid health, fibromyalgia, hairy problems, male menopause, and herbs for women taking hormones. Recommended by Susan Love MD and Christiane Northrup MD. Introduction by Juliette de Bairacli Levy. 304 pages, index, illustrations.  Retails for $16.95  Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com For excerpts visit: www.menopause-metamorphosis.com
	Breast Cancer? Breast Health!  Author: Susun S. Weed. Foods, exercises, and attitudes to keep your breasts healthy. Supportive complimentary medicines to ease side-effects of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or tamoxifen. Foreword by Christiane Northrup, M.D. 380 pages, index, illustrations. Retails for $21.95  Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com
	Down There:  Sexual and Reproductive Health the Wise Woman Way Forthcoming Release Publication date: June 21, 2011 Author: Susun S. Weed Simple, successful, strategies cover the entire range of options -- from mainstream to radical -- to help you choose the best, and the safest, ways to optimize sexual and reproductive health. Foreword: Aviva Romm, MD, midwife, 484 pages, Index, illustrations Retails for $29.95 Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com

 

The Bladder by Susun Weed

The Bladder
by Susun Weed
mentor at the Wise Woman University
Excerpt from "Down There Sexual and Reproductive Health" 

I am the holding tank. I am the lowest point. It all flows down to me. The blood goes round and round, and the liver decides what stays and what goes. What goes, goes to the kidneys. And when the kidneys are done with what goes round, it goes down to me. It all comes down to me.

It goes round and it comes down and I hold it in until it is time. Then I let it go, so it can go round somewhere else, back into the flow of nourishment and change.

I am part of it all, but I am apart; I am touched by it all, but not taken. I am the container, not the contents. I offer short-term storage, no interest, no credit, just in and out, here and gone. I have no plans, no memories, no desires. Fill me. Empty me. Again. And again.

I am your bladder. I am your servant. But I can only hold so much.

Your rage trickles down to me. It burns me; it irritates me. Your fear of life seeps into me. It annoys me; it compresses me.

Grudges precipitate and settle into me. Your suspicious nature grabs hold of me. It tears at me; it agitates me. Controlling me doesn't give you control over your life. Trust the process; surrender to the flow.

I am your bladder. It all comes down to me. It all goes round and round, and it comes out here.

 

Healthy Bladder

The urinary bladder is an elastic, muscular, thin-tissued storage place for urine, which is produced by the kidneys. Urine travels to the bladder via thin, foot-long tubes called ureters. The tube from the bladder to the outside is the urethra. An adult's bladder can hold at least 1000ml before bursting.

The bladder has an inner layer of protective, collagen-rich mucus, a middle-layer of smooth muscle (the detrusor - "thrust out" - muscle), and an outer layer of connective tissues which unites the bladder, ureters and urethra.

At the base of the bladder, smooth muscles form an internal sphincter that involuntarily releases urine. Below that, skeletal muscles - which are under conscious control - form the external urethral sphincter, giving us a choice in when we void. The average human bladder is emptied every 2-5 hours during the day.

When the bladder is about half full, stretch receptors send an impulse to the sacral spinal nerves, which send a message to the brain, causing the detrusor muscle to contract, the internal sphincter to relax, and alerting us to our need to go. If we don't void, the urge disappears within a minute, then recurs at intervals. The tighter the stretch, the more frequent the messages to let go.

Although women's bladders are somewhat constrained in size by the uterus, which lies behind it, there is little difference in the capacity, or functioning, of healthy men's and women's bladders.

But the bladderís proximity to the ovaries and uterus in women, and the prostate gland in men, give a subtle, hormonally-mediated twist to bladder problems. A woman's shorter urethra (4cm versus his 20cm) makes bladder infections more common for her; more women than men are incontinent; and prostate problems interfere with bladder functioning in many men as they age.

 

Bladder Problems

There are many problems that can bother the bladder, from infections to retention (can't go) to incontinence (can't not go). If the muscles of the pelvic floor are weak, urine leaks (stress incontinence); if they are very lax, the bladder prolapses down into the vagina. As men age, the growth of the prostrate can press on the bladder, preventing it from fully emptying and increasing the frequency of urination. And some men have paruresis or "shy" bladder, while women are more bothered by an overactive bladder or urge incontinence which bothers many women as well. Exercising the pelvic floor muscles is the best medicine for anyone with these problems.

If bacteria move from the anus into the bladder the result is a urinary tract infection (UTI) or cystitis, which can range from acute episodes to chronic urgency and pelvic pain.Bacteria - including gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Mycoplasma genitalium - can inflame the urethra (urethritis) and cause pain. Herbs are very effective in soothing inflammation and in clearing infections of all sorts, though drugs may be required.

Symptoms of cystitis include frequent intense urges to urinate, often with burning pain, tenderness, incontinence, and bloody, cloudy, or strong-smelling urine. When treated promptly, cystitis is not threatening. Left untreated, however, the bacteria can move up the ureters and into the kidneys, causing fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, back pain on one side, and eventual kidney damage. Interstitial cystitis is an ulcerated condition of the bladder which mimics cystitis, but gets worse, or fails to respond to treatments that relieve cystitis. Interstitial cystitis may be related to fibromyalgia.

And cancer can grow in the bladder or kidneys.

 

Bladder Star - Comfrey

An herb that can improve muscle tone in the bladder, ease irritation in the bladder lining and ureters, heal all surfaces, counter inflammation, and create resilient health throughout the urinary system is a true bladder star. That's comfrey - Symphytum.

I don't use Symphytum officinale, which is often cited, and is associated with alkaloid-overdose of the liver. Instead, I use the comfrey from my garden, Symphytum uplandica x, also called "Russian" or "blue" comfrey. In fact, I've never seen anyone growing officinale, which is a small plant with yellow flowers. I strongly suspect that all the comfrey for sale in the United States in uplandica.

The allantoin in comfrey is a superb healer of mucus surfaces, such as those lining the bladder and ureters. It gives almost immediate relief to those with interstitial cystitis and works to counter urge incontinence and overactive bladders. Comfrey's anti-inflammatory action relieves urethritis and prostate swelling, too.

The astringent tannins in comfrey help tone and tighten the bladder and pelvic floor muscles, countering stress incontinence. Comfrey also relaxes the detrusor muscle.

The lavish amounts of minerals, vitamins, and protein found in comfrey allow the body to engage in any repairs that are needed and may counter bladder cancer.

A sitz bath of the leaves or roots works well for those reluctant to consume comfrey. But, for best results, comfrey leaf infusion, a cup or two a day, gets my vote.

Artwork by Kerry O. Furlani