The Essential Herbal - November December 2024

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We got to work very early on this issue so that we could take care of some stuff around the farm.  As we worried about filling it up, it grew and grew until we had more pages than we normally do - and they're all great!  This issue finishes 23 years of publishing, and there have been a very few issues that almost magically publish themselves.  It happens when we are stretched too thin due to circumstances beyond our control (AKA life) and are considering surrendering and being late. Miraculously, it comes together and *POOF* we slide in under the wire.  In fact, just as I was starting to stress over a cover, Carolina appeared with this stunner!  Once again, we are reminded just how wonderful our contributors are, and how they make the magazine what it is.  Thanks, everyone!  We are so grateful.

Here it is:
 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Cover, Carolina Gonzalez
“Nightfall” is original artwork that takes us into the next season.  Warming and mysterious, the darkness awaits outside the circle of light.

Crossword Puzzle – Here Come Holidays

Field Notes from the Editor, Tina Sams
The Notes were written a little early because of some activity here on the farm.  A week later, Helene crashed through the South East of the US.  Everything can change so quickly!

Chinese Star Anise, Jackie Johnson, ND   
The lure and lore of this delicious and beautiful seedpod!         

Gifting Your Herbs This Holiday, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh 
A fun and varied selection of herb-crafting for gift-giving.

What Does AHG Membership Mean? Ruth Glass & Sabrena Gwin
Gather your herbies and learn together.

Perfectly Persimmon, Alicia Allen 
10 ways to serve persimmon that you probably never considered.  Pancakes, Barbecue Sauce, Salad Dressing, and more!

Theme Gardens, Kathy Musser
Would you like a little inspiration for a new garden?  Themes can be a lot of fun.

A Year of Foraging - October, Rebekah Bailey 
Wander through the woods with Rebekah (between her new college courses) and find nuts, mushrooms, and fruit!

Winter Skin Salve, Connie Byers 
Completely natural ingredients come together to give you a moisturizing, soothing salve to combat the cold, dry winds of winter.

Grief and Herbs, Amy Jeanroy 
Some help for wandering through the wilderness of grief, both herbal, and  self-nourishing, and a wonderful tea to help.

Hot Tea Toddies, Susanna Reppert Brill
A trio of variations from the basic (provided) hot tea toddy recipe.  An uncommon yet fascinating herbal winter beverage that could become your new tradition!

Word Search  - What’s In This Issue?

Peanut Butter Dog Cookies,
Rose’s Hot & Spicy Apple Chutney,
and Canned, Spiced Apple Rings, Marci Tsohonis
Three delicious treats for man and beast from Marci’s kitchen.  Apples for us, peanut butter for the pup.

Sage Advice, Kristine Brown, RH(AHG)
Sage offers us so much!  Mind, Body, and Spirit are all fed by this herb.

Blossoms & Oatmeal Facial, Tina Sams
Take care of that face with this soothing and firming facial treatment. 

Excerpts from “Herbal Medicine for Modern Life”, Ruth A. Blanding
A couple of great excerpts from this book releasing in November.  Ruth talks about why we should try herbal remedies, and then provides some herbal COVID help.

Meet Our Contributors
Learn a little about each of those who made this issue possible!

Puzzle Solutions

For the Next Issue, ideas for writers and what to look forward to.

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In the olden days before the internet...

             
                               (photo from Wikipedia - but I did this job at one time)

The other day I was talking to a friend about an old gripe.  It's about people who were in business before the internet learned to either come up with original products OR do something to make them their own.  We'd learn enough about them to change the recipe, change the packaging, call it something different - something that made it our own.  We realize that is just not an actual concept for people who weren't around back in the olden days.  It's even starting to slide over to older people, and why not?  Why should we keep coming up with ideas that we can only hang onto until the first time we promote them?

We talked about a reel that's been going on where a kid asks an old guy how he figured out things before.  I personally mumbled about the Dewey Decimal System under my breath, but the old guy said, "We didn't!"

                 

You know, that's a fact.  You may have called friends who might have an idea.  In college I learned to call people who were renowned in specific fields on the phone while my knees knocked, and ask questions - which were almost always answered kindly.

Tonight a recipe landed in my email for gnocchi made with purple sweet potatoes, and it took me back to a great example.  

                                  Get the recipe at The Spiced Chickpea

                         

Our very first herb conference, we went to SC for an IHA gathering, and Tom DeBaggio was one of the speakers.  His talk was about handing down knowledge and how easily it could slip away.  He described watching his own father trying to duplicate the gnocchi recipe from his childhood.  Grandmother was gone, and there wasn't a written recipe.  His father tried several different batches and just couldn't get it.  I believe that it eventually brought him to tears, and that really made an impression on Tom, perhaps leading him to become a writer.  

                            

I realized that this is where we are now.  This is reality now.  We can find anything at the touch of a key.  In fact we can find 100's of gnocchi recipes!  Lessons on forming them, along with pasta making tutorials abound.  There is nothing we can't learn if we want to!  This is great!

But this is my fear (and suddenly I'm hearing parents when they started letting us use calculators for homework...), do we actually learn, or do we copy?  I think it's important to understand the ingredients, why they work together, what purpose each of them serves, and how to improvise and change from the original (or 10,000th).  If everyone just makes the same thing, eventually we'll only need one person doing each item.  We can have a huge factory for every soap, every herbal tea, every shoe, every comb, every scarf...  You get the idea.  What we put into our work is what makes it special.  Part of it is also about pride and KNOWLEDGE.  Eventually the originators will be gone.  30 more years, I figure, unless in the next deadline AI turns this post into a giant joke.  Then what?  Challenge yourself now.  Be the future.

EXTRA! - September October '24 Essential Herbal

 What is the Extra?

In between regular issues that come out every other month, we put out some extra content that is only available to subscribers, and it arrives automatically. 
Originally, the Extra was going to just be a great seasonal recipe or remedy, maybe a puzzle, or a little video.  That never happened.  Instead, the Extra is almost always a jam-packed mini-magazine.  The time may come when we have to do something less once or twice, but for now we are pretty amazed with what we keep sending!
We did put together the first 2 years (and soon we'll have another 2!) and you can check that out along with the table of contents HERE.

 Back to the subject...
The current Extra!

What did we pack into this 11 page missive?  I'm so glad you asked!

🍁Crossword puzzle featuring autumnal herbalism
🍁Favorite Herbs to Have Around for Winter, Tina Sams
🍁A Year of Foraging, October, Rebekah Bailey
      🍃Spicebush Dusted Shortbread
      🍃Pawpaw Ice Cream are included
🍁Yarrow Melt and Pour Soap, Alicia Grosso
🍁Spooky Herbs Wordfind Puzzle
🍁Growing Herbs from Cuttings, Kathy Musser
🍁Honey Mustard Chicken and Roasted Potatoes, Kathy Musser

A little something for everyone!  We get so much feedback about the Extra, subscribers love it.  The only way to get it yourself though, is to subscribe.

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September October 2024 - The Essential Herbal

This summer has provided lots of opportunities to rekindle friendships and meet new ones.  It's been a lot of fun and has held more than its fair share of challenges, too. 
I didn't realize how behind everything was until the last herb faire (actually tea festival) of the year was done, and I had a minute to look around.  We won't talk about the things that still need unpacking though.  Laundry is done, dishes are done, and we're working away on the Nov/Dec issue now!  So, seems like time to get the current issue posted.

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This issue is really full and fun.  Check it out...

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Crossword Puzzle -Harvest Time  
Words to ease into the seasonal change that’s coming

Field Notes from the Editor, Tina Sams
What I did on my summer stay-cation.

Book Excerpt - A Shamanic Herbal, Matthew Wood
This section on gravel root is a good sample of the whole book

10 Creative Uses for Old Spices & Herbs, Jessicka Nebesni
Freshly dried herbs are ready to be shelved, so what to do with the old?

Anise Hyssop for the Win, Alicia Allen
Muffins, scones, appetizer, and 2 pasta dishes shine with a little anise hyssop

Word Find
Based on the articles in this issue

Osha Honey, Connie Byers
How to make this traditional medicine from the Rocky Mountains

A Year of Foraging - August, Rebekah Bailey
The plants, berries and shrooms from August in the Midwest

The Adoration of Apple, Kristine Brown, RH(AHG)
Take them for granted at your own risk; apple is an unassuming ally

Fall Harvest Mocktails, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh
5 delicious mocktails – a little fancy, and alcohol free

Herbs for Sleeping Well, Amy Jeanroy
Seasonal changes, school, and more or less light can all make sleeping tough

Herbal First Aid Kit Suggestions, Jackie Johnson
It is never a bad time to have everything you need at the ready

Himalayan Salt Soap, Marci Tsohonis
Salt soap is a little different, and reminds us of that feeling of taking a shower after a day at the beach.

Yarrow & Chamomile Bitters, From the Big Book of Herbal Medicine,Tina Sams 

Meet Our Contributors 

Kathy’s Clips, Kathy Musser
Potpourri making instructions

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Jul/Aug Extra from Essential Herbal

 Our latest "subscriber only" extra content went out yesterday.  

Inside, you'll find Rebekah's latest foraging adventures (Utah, this time), witch hazel toner, a yarrow remedy in honor of yarrow being herb of the year, a charming conversation between a group who all shared parts of the same plant, and our usual word puzzles! 

Subscribe today and get it!

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The Savorys - Winter and Summer

 From the Jan/Feb 2015 issue of The Essential Herbal 
The following article was written in response to the IHA Herb of the Year® as we try to do each year.  For instance, we're aiming to include something about yarrow in each issue this year for the same reason.  We find that we learn so much about these herbs when we really look at them individually!
Right now, Herb Society of America is honoring Savory as their herb of the month, and so I pulled this article out to share!

Seasonal Savorys

Savory Saturea ssp.

 

There are two types of Savory, Winter (Satureia montana) and Summer (Satureja hortensis).   They are from the Lamiaceae, or Mint family.  Winter Savory is a semi-evergreen perennial and blooms in winter.  Summer Savory is an annual.  Although Winter Savory has a sharp flavor and Summer Savory is more sweet, they are used interchangeably as a seasoning. The name itself has come to mean a specific type of food, full of flavor and depth.  The piney and peppery Winter Savory is (in my mind) more responsible for that.  Folklore has it that Winter Savory decreases the sex drive, while Summer Savory enhances it, so you may want to keep that in mind while flavoring those side dishes. 

 

 

Savory is known as "the bean herb."  In fact the German word for the herb is Bohenkraut - which means bean herb and that might be due to its ability to help with bloating, and flatulence.  It can be made into a tea as well as used as a seasoning, and helps with colic, stomach upsets, diarrhea, and indigestion, and because it contains tannins as well as possessing antibiotic properties, it helps with sore throats.  It is also mildly expectorant.  It can help relieve abdominal cramping.

 

On the west coast, varieties of Savory (as well as several other herbs) may go by the nickname Yerba Buena.  Satureja douglasii and Satureja viminea are two of these that are made into teas and sipped as "the good herb."  However, depending on location, there are several mints and quite a few other plants that also go by that moniker.

 

It can be made into a mild salve to help with insect stings and rashes.  To do that, one would simply steep the Savory in a fat or oil, strain, and combine with enough beeswax to make it the proper feel.

 

 

Winter Savory was used in knot gardens during the Tudor era in England, and often beehives were located near them so that the honey would be flavored with the herb.

 

Both Winter and Summer Savory grow easily and quickly from seed.  They aren't fussy, but Summer Savory might grow so quickly that it falls over, so be sure to cut it often and use it! 

If you don't get around to using it right away, Savory dries beautifully.

 

Savory contains essential oil  Commercially it is used in soaps and toothpastes. As with all essential oils, this one will cause skin irritation if used without proper dilution.  It should not be taken internally.

 

All in all, not a bad little herb to have around.

 

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book review: A Shamanic Herbal by Matthew Wood

 This is one of those very rare books that I savor like fine chocolate.  I don't want to read a lot at one sitting, because each herb (for instance) description or tale requires some introspection.  To read too quickly, I couldn't absorb it properly.  It deserves the time.

Physically, the book feels good.  Nice size (over 400 pages), easy to hold at 9" x 6" - and print that I can easily read.  The paper is non-glare, which I also appreciate.

Very often when people are attempting to convey experiences that are mystical or beyond the mundane, they employ a sort of language that I find ambiguous and confusing. Although that can be good in works of fiction, it is less than helpful when sharing information.

The GOOD news is that Matthew's voice is very clear, leaving out innuendo.  By speaking this way, he makes it easy to read about faeries, spirit, clairvoyance, and the like and takes the reader along willingly.  He talks it through and I find that to be unusual and wonderful.

The first half of the book describes the things that got his attention along the way and led to learning from so many teachers himself (not all human) to have a confidence and familiarity in that information.  I need to reread it to really get all of it - and I wanted to get this post up since the book is out!

The second half of the book is different kinds of medicine and the animals that help share their magic.  The animals are described in their realm and how they interact with us, each other, their enemies, surroundings, or qualities specific to them. These clarify their role in medicine.  Each animal has a number of herbs that relate to them, and we are allowed a peek into the way Matthew considers how to choose a plant for a situation.  

It's fascinating and the book is generous, opening doors for us to wander through.  Eye-opening.  If you want to learn what shamanism means and how it relates to herbalism, you will learn it here.

Stay tuned, subscribers!  I will get a chance to talk with the author about this book at the upcoming Black Walnut Botanical Conference, and I'll share it in the Sept/Oct issue, along with an excerpt from the book.  

But don't wait for me - get this book!

Matthew Wood has been a practicing herbalist for more than 40 years. An internationally known author and lecturer in the field, he holds a master of science degree in herbal medicine from the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine and is the author of several books, including The Earthwise Herbal and The Book of Herbal Wisdom. He runs an online school, the Matthew Wood Institute of Herbalism, and lives in Spring Valley, Wisconsin.

https://www.matthewwoodinstituteofherbalism.com/

 

A Shamanic Herbal: Plant Teachers and Animal Medicines by Matthew Wood

ISBN: 9798888500200, July 2024 Also available as an ebook 

Paperback: $29.99, 416 pages, 6 x 9. Imprint: Healing Arts Press

Mimosa Season!

 The little mimosa grove in the lot next to the house is flowering.  I can stand on the deck and see exactly when it's time to go out and pluck the blossoms.  It's easy to see when storms knock down branches, so that I can get out there and peel the bark before it gets too dry.

A lush St John's Wort plant popped up in the middle of the grove!

Several years ago while writing one of my books, there were a lot of remedies using mimosa tincture, and several tea blends using mimosa.  It's one of my top 10 favorite herbs  I talked to a representative of a large herb house about carrying mimosa, but it didn't seem likely. That's when I asked my brother in law about putting in a grove.  I went around the property with some hot pink marking tape, and chose a dozen young trees.  He cleared the spot for them and put them in.  The following spring they took off and even gave me lots of flowers and bark.  At a certain point they'll get too big to ensure that I can manage the flowers and keep them from becoming seeds. I'll cut them down and let them start over. 

First little crop of this year.

 Mimosa is a very good friend of mine.

Latin Name: Albizia julibrissin
Nicknames: Tree of Happiness, silk tree, albizzia
Family: Leguminosae

Qualities: cooling, moistening
Therapeutic Actions:
Flowers: carminative, digestive, sedative and tonic, cheering and lightening.
Bark: anodyne, carminative, diuretic, grounding, sedative, stimulant, tonic, vermifuge and vulnerary

The flowers are heady and their effect is a little spacey for me.  Perhaps because that's where I tend to "live" anyway?  The bark keeps me anchored while still helping to chase the blues away. 
Mimosa is good medicine for anxiety, depression, grief, sleep problems (insomnia), sore throat, blue or unstable moods, SAD, and nervous stomachs (flatulence).

This was probably one of the first batches of the flowers and bark together - for me.

One of my very favorite preparations is what I call the Holy Grail.  It is a blended tincture with half of a bark/flower tincture and half holy basil.  Both can be purchased separately.  The blend takes whatever I'm struggling to deal with and sets it off to the side.  Instead of my head being buried in a dark cloud, the cloud moves off and I can look at it objectively,

While picking flowers the other day, a branch broke off.  I immediately stripped the bark and added it to the basket.  The branch looks like a bone, and the bark is fresh and cooling with light sap.

without feeling it so intensely.  The holy basil helps, and supports my body as it deals with the stress of the situation. Many people include rose in a formula if dealing specifically with grief or heartbreak.

Mimosa bark can be chopped fine and included in tea blends.  It has a mild, pleasant taste that blends well with almost anything.  I use young bark that hasn't gotten a hard outer bark yet, so it's basically all inner bark.  The outer paper bark falls away.  This makes it more easily steeped along with more fragile herbs.

The bark was torn into thin strips while wet.  I later broke them into 2" pieces.

If you have this tree growing around you, I hope you get the opportunity to try some of the fresh flowers in tea, and experience the intoxicating fragrance.  If you find a fallen branch (or since everyone seems to consider them invasive, cut one) peel the bark.  Feel the silky, smooth, moist inner bark.  It will dry pretty quickly, and you can chop it into the size you'd like.  You'll be glad you did!