I'm So Proud!

I just have to tell you about the work that my husband, Tim, has been doing lately! A few years ago, Tim started teaching himself how to make knives using the stock removal method. We were living in a rented duplex and he set up a tiny workshop in the basement. He made a couple of knives and they came out really well. When we moved out to our house, the first thing that Tim did was to build a forge off the garage. He built it out an old gas grill, which he converted. He has learned how to forge by researching his books, the Internet, his knife forums, and Blade magazine. He has just completed a couple of new knives, and I wanted you to see them. He also sold his first knife a couple of weeks ago! He had bartered some for equipment, but hadn't actually sold one. I'm so proud of him! These truly are beautiful, as well completely functional. You should see the tests he does on every blade! I think he likes testing the blades almost as much as making them. Here's some pics of Tim and his work. I hope you think his blades are as nice as I do!

Herbcraft...A few thoughts

Someone recently asked me what an herb really is? They were confused because I had talked about the healing properties of the plants in their kitchen garden, as well as those of a nearby tree. I consider them all to have herbal properties. I thought that I would write a bit about herbcraft.

What are herbs? Herbs are plants that provide medicine, therapeutic scents, healing energy and beautify our gardens. Herbs are also plants that can help us initiate healing and positive changes through magickal workings. Since the Industrial age began in the western world, herbs have been relegated to the background by "modern" cultures that are no longer living in harmony with the Earth.

A little history... Herbs have been used for thousands of years. From the first tribes' green witch/shamanic healers to the ancient Babylonians who, in approximately 3000BC, recorded on clay tablets medical treatments and from where their herbs were imported. Every culture on Earth has used herbs, since the earliest Babylonians, to China, Egypt and the Mayans. In written traditions, "herbals" became very popular in 16th century Europe. As science emerged, plants were demystified, dissected and classified. Herbals were no longer being written, in deference to the new age of science. It wasn't until 1931 that A Modern Herbal was written by Mrs. M.Grieve, which drew on both science and traditional information. This started the writing of modern herbals for an industrialized society, and the reintegration of herbs into health care practices in small communities.

Herbs today.... Most people now think of herbs as limited to the dozen or so culinary seasonings we grow in our gardens or get at the supermarket. Herbalists have always thought of herbs as any plant that is useful for healing and medicine. This includes familiar herbs such as rosemary and oregano, or other types of plants such as trees, like the white willow and cedar. Although these trees are not technically herbs, they have both magickal and medicinal properties. Herbal supplements are now found in every mass-market drugstore. Unfortunately, consumers do no look to their local herbalist or naturopath for advice and consultations. The major manufacturers of herbal supplements put a health claim on a bottle for consumers to determine their own medication needs. Herbalism is more complicated than that. Herbs aren't just like vitamins, they are medicine. People need to make informed choices. Today there are many herbal books on the market about making medicine, or using herbs in your magickal practice. Your best source of information is a trained herbalist or naturopathic physician.

I have alot of opinions about modern medicine and marketing, but I'll get off my soapbox for today!

A Trip to the Botanic Garden

To celebrate Beltane, my friend and I decided to go to Tower Hill Botanic Garden in W.Boyleston, MA. It took just over an hour to get there from my house. It's a very large place with beautiful nature trails, formal gardens and lawn, as well as an Orangerie. We had lunch there and then wandered around the grounds for a few hours. Here are some photos from our trip. I'll post more later.
Enjoy!

Blessed Beltane!

A little milk, a little honey to bless the garden!
A chant & some prayers to Goddess Bridget!
Something shiny for the faeries!
This is what my MayDay is made of!
What will you be doing today?

I wonder who this was?

On Easter morning, I went out to fill the bird feeder next to the house. I looked down and found these HUGE tracks on the new snow! They came out of the little critter trail out back, went along the side of the house and right next to the deck. We have considered all kinds of critters when trying to figure out who left these at our house. Because the tracks are about 4 inches long, and the stride between them is huge, we really aren't sure. I was really hoping it was a giant cat track, as that would mean we had been visited by the ever elusive, legendary mountain lion!

But after comparing tracks shown in my books and on-line, we've narrowed it down to some kind of canine track. That means that this was an enormous dog!Now, there aren't any dogs like this in the area, at least that we are aware of. We have coyote near here, but they usually aren't so big. There are no wolves here in Massachusetts. Perhaps it was a pet dog that got loose the night before, but I really doubt it. So this remains a mystery. And since I like a mystery, I that I would share it with you.

Earth Day Every Day!

Happy Birthday, Gaia!
Well, at least on the day your modern residents have chosen to celebrate your existence. Some of us celebrate your birthday on the Spring Equinox, but if adding a "special" day to the calendar has more folks paying attention to the issues that plague you, then I can't help but think it's a good thing. You need celebration, and a good polishing! We have let you get tarnished, in the name of our progress. However, there are some folks here who think that enough is enough. There are groups of us all over your great expanse working to make things right, and to try to let you breathe a little easier. Hopefully, alot of people will start to see that a little celebration, every day, is long overdue!
We do love you, Mom, really we do!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are some links to find out more information on what you can do to lessen your impact on the planet, what others are doing, and what is coming in the future.
Find at least one thing that you can do, every day, to help our Mother.
Reduce/Re-Use/Recycle

Treehugger.com
Visible Earth: Nasa images of our home planet
Sundance Channel's The Green
What is Earth Day?
National Wildlife Federation
The Nature conservancy: Carbon Impact Calculator
World Wildlife Fund: What are you doing for Earth Day?
Plants for a Future:Links
Kyoto Protocol
An Inconvenient Truth
Dean's Beans Coffee: 100% Organic & Fair Trade

Ginger is my friend

Ginger (Singiber officinalis) has been a lifesaver for me this past week. To be more specific, ginger candy. The IV steroid treatments I'm going thru leave a really bad metallic taste in my mouth after the IV has been running for about 30 minutes. It really tastes like I have been sucking on dirty quarter coins. Blehh! This has generally lasted about 24 hours, or just in time for my next treatment. I have found that citrus flavored things like juice and Starburst brand jelly beans help for a few minutes, but didn't do much for my stomach. Because I've been pretty out of it in general, I asked around a bit if anyone knew what might help. I should've thought of it myself because I use ginger in my tea formulas, but it never occurred to me to use it for this.
My friend, Kate, at TeaNoir, suggested the ginger and she was so right! it really helps the taste and the nausea I've been having immediately after the treatments. I'm sure that these would also help for anyone undergoing chemo treatments.

Kate said that ginger Altoids were really effective. Well, I couldn't find those, but I did get some ginger candy by these folks, GingerPeople. I liked these because they are individually wrapped so I can pop them into my purse. Of course, you could also get some bulk crystallized ginger at your local healthy grocer.

In my Throat & Cough Soother Organic Tea, I use powdered ginger as a circulatory stimulant and expectorant. It's good for cutting chills in the body if eaten in a meal, or taken as a tea when you are sick. Ginger oil or a poultice is also good to use in topical applications for rheumatic aches and pains. When massaged into the body, it brings blood to the area and increases circulation.

I think that I will have to take another look into cooking with fresh ginger root. I'm one of those people who always buy a piece of ginger, and then it sits in the back of my veggie bin in the fridge until it shrivels into nothing.

I haven't been able to think about eating anything fishy since I started the steroids. Once I get done with these treatments, I'm thinking shrimp, ginger and snow peas! I also found a recipe for Ginger and oatmeal muffins. Yum! If you have a good recipe with ginger, I'd love to see it! Post it in the comments!

Witches' Almanac

What if you could find a book, an almanac, that contained this year's planetary aspects, climatological info and planting times, moon phases, stories and lore about the natural world, and a list of all the special days that a witch might need to be aware of? This might be a real find, right?

Well, now you can!

The Witches' Almanac has been in production since 1971. I have been buying this annually since 1998. The yearly editions span from Spring Equinox to Spring Equinox, and generally become available during the preceding Winter.

Every year there is a different focus or theme. Last year, the focus was on the element of Air. This year, it is about Water.

From the website, http://www.thewitchesalmanac.com/index.html
"The 2007-2008 edition celebrates the element of Water. Its theme embraces the magic of Sacred Wells and Charms for Neptune’s Favors. We explore the water rites of Fiji, the tarot’s Death card, seashell charms, gypsies, freemasonry and much more. This issue also proudly boasts an interview with the late Elizabeth Pepper, founder of the Witches’ Almanac. Arcane symbols and intriguing graphic images are always a part of every issue."

I really like the astrological work in the Almanac. Each sign has an in depth look at when different planets and aspects will enter your sign, and then there are sections for each aspect of your life, including health, finance, spirituality, and love. This covers 2 full pages for each sign. There is also a handy list of the retrograde planetary motions, and what they may mean for you. For example, the next Mercury retrograde cycle is from June 16- July 10th.

Other articles in this year's Almanac include "Wine & Ritual Libation" with a recipe for Witches Sangria! There's a nice meditation on the spirals of a Nautilus, as well as the sacred geometry of a Nautilus shell. There are many other pages of interest relating to magick and lore, both fun and useful.

You can usually find the Witches' Almanac for sale at your local pagan or new Age shop, or you can order it directly from their website, listed above. This is a reference work I keep in my magickal toolbox every year. I find it helpful, and I love the beautiful & unusual graphics in every issue. I think you'll like it, too!

With a Little Luck

With A Little Luck By Paul McCartney

With A Little Luck, We Can Help It Out.
We Can Make This Whole Damn Thing Work Out.
With A Little Love, We Can Lay It Down.
Can't You Feel The Town Exploding?
There Is No End To What We Can Do Together.
There Is No End, There Is No End. The Willow
Turns His Back On Inclement Weather;
And If He Can Do It, We Can Do It, Just Me And You,

And A Little Luck, We Can Clear It Up.
We Can Bring It In For A Landing,
With A Little Luck, We Can Turn It On.
There Can Be No Misunderstanding.
There Is No End To What We Can Do Together.
There Is No End, There Is No End.
The Willow Turns His Back On Inclement Weather;
We Can Do It, Just Me And You.

With A Little Push, We Could Set It Off.
We Can Send It Rocketing Skywards.
With A Little Love, We Could Shake It Up.
Don't You Feel The Comet Exploding?
With A Little Luck. With A Little Luck.

With A Little Luck, A Little Luck, A Little Luck.
With A Little Luck. With A Little Luck.
With A Little Luck, A Little Luck, A Little Luck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for all your kind words & wishes.

Love,

tracyw

Hoppity Easter to You! Blessed Ostara!

Etsy's Earthpath Artisans Street Team!

I'd like to introduce the Earthpath Artisans Street Team of Etsy.com!
We're a group of people who walk similar alternative spiritual paths, focusing our beliefs in the world of Nature. Our team membership encompasses different Goddess-based traditions, as well as Taoism, Buddhism, and similar paths. Our shops reflect who we are as complete person, our talents and interests, not only our spirituality.

We have two dozen(and growing)wonderfully talented artisans on our team. Please take a few minutes to check out their shops on Etsy.com, linked below. Thanks for looking!

Ahna ~ Art Created
ArtisticJen
Dragon's Den
Ellen Shipley Hand Prints
FaerWear
Fools & Jewels
J Westerman, Maker of Things
M. Sotherden Art Glass
Pathworks by Axcelle
Plastic Pumpkin Designs
Silver Frog Designs
Souly Stones Jewelry
Art of Meredith Dillman
Triplelle Designs
Three Ravens ~ Xiane
Nature's Treasures ~ Pat Reeves
Her Royal Majesty Bags
Establish Balance Jewelry
Shakti Studios
Martinsville Emporium
Celtic Goddess Jewelry
Lunachick Designs
Liz Staley's Realm of Nerdiness
Summer Sea Herbs

Paris in the Springtime

Well, this afternoon I have to take my mother to the airport, as she is off to the "City of Lights", Paris, France. I am sitting here wishing that I could go, but I can't this trip. However, I did go to Paris a few years ago, and I wanted to share some of the photos I took.
Have you traveled out of the US? Let me know where you've been!

Gearing up!

With the new Spring energy in the air, I seem to finally be shaking off the Winter's doldrums. I've been having a hard time getting myself organized, and moving forward with ideas. sigh. But I seem to have gotten some wind in my sails, and am feeling refreshed! I'm hopeful now about getting some things done, both personal and professional, that have been sitting on the back burner for quite awhile.

I have been working on some new products to bring to market, and the end is in sight. I have a couple of new teas, some nice herbal pillows, a lot more flower essences, and some bath products. Of course, making all of these things is something I love to do! However, it's all the administrative stuff that goes with putting a new product out there that always seems to slow me down! Each new product has to have the proper packaging, the labels designed and printed, decent photos taken and edited, and the descriptions written. Decisions, decisions, decisions! Wish I could just wave my magic wand over the lot of it and have it be done! LOL!

I'm also going to be finally getting back to doing some crafting again.
I'm looking forward to playing with polymer clay for the first time, and also stretching my wings a bit with some more multi-media collage art projects.
I'll post some things here as I get them done.

So, what has Spring sprung free in you?

Spring! Spring! Spring! Spring!

I can't tell you how relieved I am that Spring has finally sprung! The vernal equinox is here! Not only does this day have equal hours of light and dark, but the moon is waxing again, having gone dark on the 18th. A fine day for crafting new hopes and setting things in motion!

Some of the more traditional things to do today would be to bless seeds that you will be planting later, and to color eggs. Even if you can't plant anything outside for awhile yet, blessing the seeds today will help the growth cycle to begin. You add potential to those seeds, and by doing so will have a stronger bond with the plants. We just got a foot of snow, and will probably get more in the next few weeks, but I will still be blessing plants and seeds today. Not only does it help my garden, it really helps me feel better! I'm so ready to Winter to be over, and doing these little rituals helps me focus ahead, and get out of the doldrums.

Dyeing eggs is an ancient tradition, practiced long before there were "Easter" eggs.Here are some natural dyes you can use to get beautiful colors. Just boil the material, to desired color strength, with your eggs:

• Orange~ Onion skins, one for a soft shade, many for a rusty color
• Pink~ Beet juice and vinegar, or pickled beet juice
• Light Blue~ vinegar and the outer leaves of red cabbage, then let cool overnight.
• Yellow~ Add tumeric to color the eggs a bright yellow

I also like to use this time of year to make a collage of hopes & dreams, for prosperity & abundance, or for anything that you want to see grow! Magickal collage-making is one of my favorite forms of ritual. Here's a link to a post I did about making a magickal collage, in case you missed it: http://summerseaherbs.blogspot.com/2007/01/making-collage-for-abundance.html

Well, I need to get outside in the sun now! Let me know what you will be doing to mark today's Equinox?

Blessings, tracyw

Spring is almost here!

OK, take two: I tried to post this earlier, but it all went away when I hit "publish". sigh. There are days that technology and I don't get along!

I have been laying low due to some bug that I came down with over the weekend. I spent most of the weekend in my recliner or in bed. This thing feels like having a hangover, but without having had any of the fun. Not fair! I missed my best friends' annual Irish celebration, too. I did get to watch Harry potter again, but I would rather be feeling well.
Since I was supposed to go to the N.E.flower show in Boston today, but can't, I thought that I would post some more of my spring flower photos for you.
I'll be going on Wed instead, when I'm feeling better. I didn't think I could deal with the drive or the crowds today.
I hope you enjoy the photos!

It's a good day to be Green!

Happy St.Patty's Day to You!

Ah, to be sure, it's a good day to be Green!

Even if you're only Irish on one day a year, you can do a lot to be Green! We all know about recycling, and how that helps the environment. Have you thought about how what you buy affects the planet?

You know that I'm going to say that buying organically-grown/ low-impact products is a great way to help the planet and keep yourself healthier.

Organic and green is not only about your food, but your homes, paper products and your home heating choices.

Recycling is the easiest thing for us to do to help reduce the waste we put on the planet. I learned that San Francisco leads the country's cities in recycling ~ a whopping 63% of all it's waste is recycled! That's amazing! Now what if we personally tried to do that? Here are some ideas to help reduce your personal environmnetal impact.

One way to make recycling easier is to buy grocery products with less packaging around them. Buying bulk from your local food co-op helps, as does buying fresh food from an organic farm stand during the vegetable growing season. Use reusable containers to put things into smaller packages, instead of buying multipacked products, such as fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese or pudding. Even if you have a small household, buying family pak sizes of meats will save on packaging waste. You can then freeze the items into serving size portions that fit your needs. I wash and re-use ziplock baggies, as well. Use dish towels and cloth napkins whenever you can. I usually only use paper towels for the cat messes. Buy unbleached paper products whenever possible.

If you live in a place where you can do it, then try composting your food waste. You can put everything except meat products into the compost pile. Composted coffee grounds and egg shells are really good for your garden, along with vegetable matter.

When it comes to your homes, there are so many "Eco-" products out there now, from carpets and flooring, to paint, glass and siding. Many of these products have come to be to serve the markets of health-conscious consumers, not just Eco-friendly. With asthma prevalent in our children these days, there is a new awareness of what our environmnets can contribute to wellness or illness. There are magazines and books dedicated to the subject. Just do an internet search and you will find a wealth of information. Flooring options have really boomed in recent years! Hardwood is beautiful, but unless it's sustainably managed, it's not always a "Green" choice. Bamboo flooring is good alternative, as bamboo is very fast growing, sustainable, and makes a very durable surface. Cotton/wool/silk/hemp carpets and rugs are available, as well. You can even buy carpets and pads that contain no chemicals. Particularly in the area of home renovation and building, being environmentally concious can have a big impact on your health and that of the planet. There are so many chemicals in building materials and products, it's scary.

Tim and I got a pellet stove to help heat our home this year, and it's a choice I can feel good about. The pellets are made from sawdust waste material. It helps us cut down on our propane usage, too. We are looking into ways to make our own pellets someday in the future.

Reduce~Reuse~Recycle! If we do it more, then we have less trash! I don't know about you, but we have to pay for the town trash bags we take to the dump. Is there something you can do, today, to help reduce your trash, even just a little bit?

Springtime allergies?

Ahh, Spring! The birds returning, the plants starting to peek through the soil, and the trees all in bloom! Ack, Wait a minute~did she say the trees are all in bloom? Uh oh!

Yes, I'm an herbalist with hay fever. The Goddess truly has a sense of humor!

Well, with Spring officially starting in a few days, I thought I would write about something that I know many people struggle with~Springtime allergies. I know, first hand, how horrible a beautiful breezy spring day can make you feel! That sounds odd, but when you figure in all the allergy symptoms of itchy eyes, draining or packed sinuses, sneezing and headache, you may wish for a Winter's day again!

While there are some days that even I break out the OTC allergy pills, most of the time I can deal with my allergies using herbs (of course!). There are two herbs that I find to be the most helpful for dealing with allergies. These are Nettles and Eyebright. A blend of both of these herbs, together in tincture form, is a great way to help you thru the season and to feel better. The key to doing this is to start NOW! It takes a few weeks for the full benefit of the herbs to work.

Eyebright, while mainly associated with optical health, is a great decongestant herb for sinusitis and other congestion.Here's Eyebright in flower:

Nettles is good for clearing mucous out of the body, specifically the respiratory system. You can find this blend, ready-made, by several herbal companies. I like the blend by HerbPharm (you can find this at many health food co-ops), and also the blend from Mountain Rose Herbs (scroll down their page to see the Nettle-Eyebright blend).

Here's what Nettle looks like in flower:

The other thing that is handy to have around for congestion is Peppermint or Eucalyptus essential oil. You can rub a drop of this onto your temples and under your nose to help break up sinus congestion, and clear your nasal passages.

I hope this helps you get ready to face this year's upcoming bloom.

Blessings,

tracyw

You never know!

It's funny, but I just never know what my customers will do with the herbs they buy from me. I always think that they will make a little tea or something. A little while ago, I sold some organic Red clover to a nice man in PA name Christian. Well, it turns out that he's an avid baker! He made some very yummy sounding biscuits with my clover and I wanted to share the recipe with you! There are also some other delectable recipes on his website, so please browse around while you are there.
http://www.biscuitbaker.com/clover_biscuits.html


I'm not much of a baker anymore, but I think that I may just have to try making these biscuits! I know that I will make them again once the fresh clover is up this Summer! MMMMMM!!
Have a great day,
tracyw

Creatures in the Night

For most of this past week, the motion detector flood light has come several times each night. Usually, it's the neighborhood cats. However, the other night we had a raccoon come and visit here. While they are very common critters here, it's the first time we've seen one since we moved here in 2005.

I put several bird feeders out back and this tends to draw all manner of animals. Mostly squirrels and mice. The weird thing about this raccoon is that it didn't even look under the bird feeders. It just walked across the yard and climbed the Oak tree right outside the kitchen window. It was about zero degrees outside that night, and there's no holes big enough in that tree to hide in. We watched for awhile, as he went up and up. We never saw him (seemed like a him) come down, and we haven't seen him since. I felt bad that a creature had to be out in such freezing weather. Last night the flood light came on about 5 times, and whatever it tripped the sensor was gone by the time I got to the window. Very odd. Makes me wonder what else is creeping around outside there while I'm nice and cozy inside.

We had installed that light after several rounds of finding the Police in our yard with dogs looking for someone. We live in a very rural and safe neighborhood, but there are allot of summer houses here, and they get broken into. Last Summer we had the electrician put sensor lights around the house. I feel much better here when I can see outside. Besides, I love to watch it snow at night.

Anyway, I've been thinking about what is walking around here at night, unseen. Just out there doing their animal things, surviving. what kind of critters do you have at night near your home?

Chicago trip : Part Three~ Art Institute of Chicago

On our last day in Chicago, we visited the world renowned Art Institute. I love Impressionist art, and the collection there is fabulous! There was an exhibit going on featuring the collection amassed by Vollard, an art dealer in Paris. We weren't allowed to take pictures of those paintings, but the collection brought back together from all over the world, was stunning. There were also beautiful collections of decorative art, and Asian artifacts.
Here's some photos from the things that caught my eye, including my favorite Renoir painting the Two Sisters. Some of these views are details of the art.

Hope you enjoy this little view into the Institute
~tracyw