Intense commitment. Laser focus. These are all good things, right?

Well yeah, but what about when that single minded purpose throws up blinders? What about when it causes you to lose touch with what really matters?

I just got one of those ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ moments.

The text came in around 5 p.m.

Sheila’s reading poetry at RG Wine Bar tonight. She wants us to come.

I stared at my phone in disbelief. Tonight?!?

At that moment I was tied up in knots. You could practically see the clouds of stress and angst emanating from my ears as I wrestled with the technological and writing challenges of my new web site.

I’d gotten much less done today than I’d hoped.

We’ve got a deadline here! I’d told myself just a few minutes earlier. I have to keep my nose to grindstone. I’d resigned myself to an evening at the computer.

See, that’s my M.O – I’m used to just powering through. Forget about silly things like bodily needs and fresh air, just pump it out.

This worked pretty well in my younger years. Lately I’m noticing some serious flaws with the power out production mode.

But, crap. I get a lot of distractions in my life. Friends, family, parties, activities – so many people and things constantly beckon for my attention. If I allowed

myself to take a break and be in the moment every time something new popped up I’d never get anything done.

At least that’s how it seems.

But, this was different. My sister-in-law Sheila struggled with breast cancer for the past year, and I knew our attendance and support would mean so much to

her. It would honor her resilience and tenacity.

This was more than an obligation (although it was feeling that way right now.) Deep down I knew this trumped my workaholic needs.

What time? I texted back.

Seven.

Ugh, oh well.

At 6:15 I was finally getting on a roll with the writing. But – time to set the work aside and get ready to go.

“I know this is important to Sheila,” I complained to my husband as I changed my clothes, “but couldn’t she have given us a little more notice? I’ve got so much going on – I just don’t have time for this!”

“I’m sure she thought the same thing when she found out she had breast cancer,” he responded.

Ouch.

Out Of My Own Head

I thought this decision to  step away from the work was all about giving my energy and support to others.

What I hadn’t realized though is how much I needed to experience this particular event.

As soon as we walked into the wine bar my heart twisted.

I saw M., who has been fighting breast cancer for about seven years.

I don’t know M. all that well; I am close with some of her close friends, including Irene, the current owner of Moonrise Herbs. Seeing M. always reminds me of the fragility of life, the power of resilience and, of course, of my own blessings.

She was in her 30s when she got the diagnosis, her youngest child still breastfeeding.

A long time proponent of wholesome eating and alternative health, I know that M. tried just about every holistic treatment available to beat back her aggressive cancer, along with all the conventional ones. She is determined to be here as long as possible for her two young children.

I also know that she’s almost won the battle a few times, only to have the disease pop back up.

A friend had recently told me that once again, for the third time, more tumors had arrived, and that M.’s prognosis isn’t looking good.

I don’t know about you – but this kind of information is so hard for me to hold and carry. After sending out a brief prayer for her and her family, I released M. from my thoughts and went about my self-absorbed business.

On this night, there she was surrounded by friends and loved ones, and I could see an almost other-worldly glow around her.

It turned out this reading was to celebrate the release of her book of poetry. She’d been encouraged to publish before it was too late.

Already all my turmoil and angst over my own project was starting to look a bit petty.

I took a sip of my Pinot Noir, along with a few deep breaths and allowed myself to feel the spirit in the room. The worries and silly tech details began to slowly slip away.

Sheila stood and read a long piece prompted by a Ralph Waldo Emerson poem – about the hard nut of winter, using it as a metaphor for her cancer journey.

Oof. Punch to the solar plexus. I scrambled in my purse for a tissue.

Soon M. stepped to the ‘podium’. In a shaking voice she began to read.

All the ambient sound ceased, the room grew quieter than a church.

Powerful, raw, like an open wound her words spilled into the room. Telling us of her anguish at the thought of leaving her children behind, the irony of finding herself, a lifelong pacifist, having to do battle with this invader, the loneliness and fear of lying passive, feeling toxic chemicals drip into her body.

Listening, I could feel her profound sense of loss when her breast is removed. The rage about a childhood spent in a place she never new was infused with a killing poison, spreading disease that ravages an entire family and community. The sad release of watching the last strands of her hair float away in the wind.

Some poems were only a few lines, others stretched down the page, but each word evoked the untenable anguish of a young woman not ready to leave this life. Of a mother wishing she could stay longer. Of a healer wondering why she must turn to more poisons to remove the disease that wants to eat her alive.

And there I sat, nose streaming, grateful for the full pack of tissues I’d tucked into my purse. Perched on a bar stool next to a glass of wine – some big picture perspective abruptly thrown into my awareness.

Talk about a wake up call.

It’s not the first time I’ve needed to back away from the work in order to gather the clarity to do the work. And to open my mind to a new awareness about what the greater purpose may be.

And unfortunately, it probably won’t be the last that I’ve had to be dragged away kicking and screaming before I realized that it’s exactly what I need.

The Take Away

I didn’t write this to force you to dive for your own box of Kleenex – or to plunge you into a depression for the rest of the day.

This is some gentle encouragement to embrace your blessings and love where you’re at.

Not a one of us knows when or if we’ll be next in line for a dreaded diagnosis – or when we will have to support a loved one who is staring down the grim reaper.

The evening was a potent reminder to me, and I wanted to share some of these essential but crucial life lessons with you.

None of them are news flashes. You’ve heard it before. But all of them are easy to forget as we get caught up in the day-to-day busyness of our 21^st century lives.

Since others have said these things so much better than I ever could, I thought I’d borrow some words for this part.

• Life is what happens when we’re busy making other plans – John Lennon
• Don’t sweat the small stuff – and it’s all small stuff  (Richard Carlson)
• If you’ve think you’ve got it bad, there’s always someone worse off.
• If the work isn’t flowing, step away, take a break, do some breathing, touch the earth , have a good cry– whatever it takes.
• Each and every moment is a precious gift to be honored and appreciated.
• Life is short, make the most of it.
• Enjoy yourself – it’s later than you think (don’t know who wrote this, but it’s a great song. I need the recording!)

Let’s face it. We need constant reminders of these basic truths. It’s crucial for our inner and outer wellness.

Listening to M. and the other women read their poetry of survival  brought it all home to me in a visceral way.

I hope this story can do that for you too. 

Photo Credit: Per Ola Wiberg

What do you think? Are you able to incorporate awareness of these essential truths into your daily life? How do you make the most of the precious moments you’ve been given? Do you have another insight or quote to share with us? Give it to us in the comments below!

Also known as chaste tree berry, vitex produces beautiful flowers and deep blue berries

Headaches, bloating, moodiness, breast tenderness – if you’re a women you’ve experienced at least one of these symptoms, and chances are it’s been related to PMS, perimenopause or menopause.

Or, perhaps for you it’s acne (or some other skin weirdness), backaches, cramping, sudden cravings for apple fritters (or cheetos), or uncontrollable urges to burst into tears at inopportune moments.

A woman’s hormones can grab a stranglehold on both her emotions and physical well being at any age. But those years known as ‘perimenopause’ can be the most challenging.

At least when we’re younger and cycling regularly we kind of know what to expect:  Grumpy and emotional during the week before. Must have chocolate in the house for those first few days. Feeling sexy a week after the period ends….it’s different for each of us, but every woman has their own personal cyclical symptoms.

And then we hit perimenopause and it all starts to get a little crazy on us.

Whoa….wait a second, the grumpiness lasted two weeks and just went away with no period. What the….?

Yeah, welcome to the perimenopausal phase of life. Joyfully lasting a decade or more, hormones gone haywire keep us guessing (and crying) year after year.

The good news is that all of this can be managed (to a degree) with mindful health and lifestyle choices. From the foods we eat, to the activities we engage in – we can gain a modicum of control over an uncontrollable fit of nature.

For me, medicinal herbs are one of my first go-to measures whenever anything gets out of balance. And today I want to introduce one you might have heard of:  Vitex.

You may know this popular plant as chaste tree berry – so named for its legendary as an ‘anti-aphrodisiac” by monks during the Middle Ages. It was also called ‘monk’s pepper’, and whether it achieved its purpose in suppressing the sex drives of men of the cloth remains in question.

Some modern research suggests that vitex actually stimulates the female libido. Most experts today don’t claim vitex to have any noticeable action on sex drive.

What it does do for women is enhance certain hormones and inhibit others. Taken regularly this herb has a powerful effect on the endocrine glands.

So whether you’re battling the PMS blues, or – like me – alternating between hot flashes and menstrual cramps, vitex just may provide the relief you crave.

But it’s not a quick fix. Like many herbs, vitex doesn’t act like ibuprofen, providing nearly instant relief of symptoms. This  herb has been shown to be most effective as a slow-acting tonic. Vitex (or chaste tree) offers a gentle and indirect normalization of the hormones of the reproductive system.

Most women notice results after taking it daily for two or three months. And then of course you have to keep taking it (for at least a year) to experience continued enjoyment of its effects (AKA relief of those freaky symptoms that plague you!)

Why Is Vitex Up Next For Me?

If you read this blog regularly, you know that I pinned a lot of hope on the plant Maca to relieve my sudden onset of hot flashes and night sweats. I wrote about it a few weeks ago, and in order to tell if it was working or not, I resolved to stick to Maca, and Maca only, for at least two weeks.

And the good news is in! Maca is incredible.

The several-times-a-day hot flashes have subsided, the night sweats are giving me a much-needed break, and I’m even noticing some increased lubrication down there in that crucial area! So – Woot Woot for Maca! I didn’t even have to give up wine – something I was dreading.

Now, it’s totally possible I will be revisited with more hot flashy fun as my menopause progresses, but for now I’m cheering. And drinking those Maca smoothies (or taking the capsules) every single day.

But, now that the dryness and hot and cold episodes have subsided, it’s hello pelvic cramping!

It’s been almost three  months since my last moon (an unheard of turn of events for me – but that’s perimonepause!) About a month ago I battled PMS-style cramps for more than two weeks. But instead of my period we moved right on to aforementioned hot flash city.

Now – here it is again. The cramping, the mood swings, all the symptoms of an impending period – except the actual period. Based on my research, I think of all the menopause herbs, vitex might just be the one to bring some semblance of balance here.

I’ve known about this herb for years of course – and recommended it to many women. But somehow I never got on the program myself. I can be my own non-compliant patient that way. I need enough pain to push me into actually following a therapeutic protocol.

Or motivation, or discipline – something.

Now that I’ve read up for this article and refreshed my memory on the many medicinal and magical powers of this little bitter berry, I’ve got my motivation back!

I hadn’t realized till now that the vitex bush is native to the Greek islands where it was considered sacred to the goddess Hera, protecter of married woman & mothers. I wonder if those ancient Greek women sailed through their menopause and barely felt a cramp because of this plant ally growing in their midst?

Dried chaste tree (vitex) berries can be ground into a powder and made into tea, tincture or capsules

I also discovered that for some women vitex works even better for hot flashes than black cohosh – an herb much better known to treat that particular annoyance.

With its myriad of  benefits, vitex just jumped up and waved at me, wanting to be picked as my next remedy in this personal menopausal herbs experiment.

An Ally For A Variety Of  Symptoms

Vitex promotes the rebalancing of hormone signals between the brain and the ovaries. It increases ratio of progesterone to estrogen, while reducing prolactin -  which is one of the reasons why it can be a panacea for PMS.

Some researchers theorize that vitex specifically influences luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) – both of which are higher during menopause.

This sends a message to the hypothalamus and pituitary glands to normalize hormone secretion, thus reducing those ‘hormones gone haywire’ crazy-making symptoms.

Because of its ability to increase progesterone levels while decreasing estrogen, vitex is a gentler alternative to try before resorting to pharmaceutical-grade progesterone supplements or creams.

Additionally, this plant is known to relieve chronic menstrual cramping, can reduce or eliminate endometriosis and uterine fibroids, and lessen the severity of breast tenderness and lumps. Stick with vitex and you’re likely to experience relief from bloating and water retention, migraines and depression related to PMS, and hormonal acne. Even skin issues caused by allergies can respond to vitex.

If you’re menopausal and struggling with digestive drama such as constipation, vitex can be your rescuer here as well. For some women the muscular movements of the digestive tract slow during this time, and vitex addresses such hormone-related sluggishness.

As if all that weren’t enough, it’s also reputed to protect against osteporosis and even some reproductive cancers. Used regularly it can restore lubrication to dry vaginal tissues

How To Take Vitex

The medicinal part of the vitex plant –as its other common name implies – is the berry. But this ain’t no sweet and yummy berry, and I won’t be adding it to my morning smoothie. Vitex is as bitter as they come.

And I know myself – if I try to drink the one recommended cup of vitex tea a day I will end up discovering a nearly full cup of forgotten tea, with only a sip or two taken out of it. I could choke down a cup of the cool tea but I think I shall resort to other means.

I’m starting off with some capsules, but that’s going to get expensive so I’ll be making up a big ole’ batch of the tincture with the dried berries. Another alternative would be to make up my own caps with the dried and freshly powdered berries – but that is freaking tedious and I don’t watch enough movies to pass the time while I laboriously make up my own capsules.

Where To Get It & How Much Do You Need

Gaia Herbs makes a high quality vitex capsule

Health food stores carry a variety of vitex supplements from capsules to tincture. And you can purchase the dried berries in bulk from any good herb shop. Since you need to stick with vitex for a while to get results, it’s best to order or buy it in the largest quantity you can afford.

You can order vitex berries by the pound at Moonrise Herbs, or Mountain Rose – or stock up on large bottles of tincture or capsules.

If you’re the green thumb sort, and you have some space in your yard, why not plant a vitex bush or two? Then you can dry you own berries and powder them up for tinctures or capsules. It’s an attractive shrub with large leaves and small black berries. Check your favorite nursery supplier for Vitex agnus-castus.

Once you’ve got your stash of vitex, follow these guidelines for dosage:

Take 20-30 drops (about one full dropperful) of the tincture 1-2 times per day, or 3-6 capsules twice per day. If you’re willing to brave the tea you’ll want to slug down at least one cup each day made with the powdered berries. Use a heaping teaspoon per cup.

If you don’t notice any change in symptoms after a couple of months on your vitex protocol, don’t give up! Increase your dosage to the maximum recommended. Remember this is a slow-acting therapy and, to use an annoying cliché – patience is a virtue!

Vitex plant photo credit: Tatters

How about you? Have you tried vitex for PMS or perimenopausal symptoms? What’s your favorite way to take it? Please share in comments – your input is so valued – by me and all the other readers!

Dancing around the Maypole is a favorite Beltane ritual.

Last week I noticed the first deep pink rose unfurling its petals in our front garden. Mmmm! I paused in my hurried walk up the driveway to take a deep whiff.

Each evening the daylight lingers a few more minutes, ebbing into twilights that seem endless. New spring wildflowers are popping out each day along the trails, greeting me as I jog by.

All of this tells me, it’s almost Beltane!

What the heck is Beltane you ask?

It’s the ancient Pagan/Celtic word for the celebration that occurs exactly halfway between spring equinox and summer solstice – and it’s happening right now, on May Day.

I’ve been writing about the Pagan Wheel of the Year on this blog for a while – following the changing seasons (AKA the turning of the sacred wheel) – and I couldn’t let my favorite celebration pass without a nod.

Every season has its beauty, its unique offering. But this peak of spring has always stood out as my absolute favorite time of year. The hope and promise of the brand new plants emerging from the fecund soil, new leaves unfurling by the hour, the softening temperatures and lingering light.

This is a time of mornings moist with fresh, new flowers and rustling with the song of baby birds.

The bite of the cold rains has left, but the cloying heat of summer has yet to settle.

Altogether, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere it’s hard not to love this season of May Day or Beltane.

What Is Beltane All About?

Back in the days when it wasn’t just an eco-groovy trend to grow your own food – when it was your only option (aside from hunting and gathering of course) – Beltane was the season of crop sowing. The earth had warmed and loosened enough to accept the seeds that would transform into nourishment for the entire clan.

But Mother Nature, being the fickle Goddess she is, would sometimes foil the best laid plans of vigilant farmers. Drought, rains, late frosts, blights – so many aberrations could come about to ruin the crops, causing the people to go hungry.

Beltane celebrations honored and paid tribute to the Gods and Goddesses of fertility, of plants and the Earth that nourishes.

Because it’s a celebration of fertility, of fecundity, of the sweetness of sex, the people honored the spirits by setting aside all sexual taboos for the evening. Springtime is mating season for many of nature’s creatures – and humans are not left out!

Fertile thoughts of love and romance dance on the wings of the dragonflies, in the blossoming flowers, in the impossible green of the rain-soaked blades of grass.

Beltane means it’s time to let go and have some fun!

It might mean plunging your hands into the soil and planting some seeds or flower starts, or it could mean doing a happy dance (clothing optional) on whatever plot of grass you can find.

Discover a piece of Nature this week if you can and feel that spirit of new life surging through your own self.

I’ve written about Beltane before, and researched some of the rituals that made this pagan holiday so delightful. Read on if you’re intrigued by the magic of Beltane.

Beltane Lore And History

Many of us have fond memories of filling baskets with fresh flowers and leaving them on the neighbors’ door on the first day of May, or of dancing around a maypole adorned with brightly colored ribbons.

These are ancient traditions of the Beltane holiday that have carried on to this day. Children love to take part in such rituals.

The spirit of Beltane can be conveyed by a child’s unrestrained expression of bliss. It is the sheer joy of running through fields, picking flowers, swallowing the sunlight, delighting in the fragrance of spring, dancing in the fresh dew covered grass.

Beltane means “fire of Bel” or “bright fire” – the “bale-fire”. Bel or Beli  was a Celtic Sun God, known as the bright and shinning one. Bel is the father, protector, and the husband of the Mother Goddess.

The Beltane festivities celebrated the sacred marriage between the god and the goddess. They welcomed the return of vitality, of passion

For the ancient Celts of the British Isles, the Beltane Festival was one of rapturous gaiety as it joyfully heralded the arrival of summer. Fires were an important part of the festivities, giant ritual blazes were built to insure that the warmth of the Sun’s light would continue to promote the fecundity of the earth.

Flowers are an essential symbol of Beltane, they not only signal the victory of Summer over Winter, but the blossoming of sensuality in all of nature and the bounty it will bring.

Although, modern celebrations of May Day usually occur on May 1, in olden times Beltane began at sundown on April 30. Lore has it that as darkness fell on Beltane Eve, couples would slip away from the fire to spend the night together in the surrounding woods.

Older married couples were allowed to remove their wedding rings for this one night. They would emerge in the dawn light, rumpled but happy, and bathe their faces in the first morning dew of May.

Women would braid flowers into their hair. Men and women alike would decorate their bodies to ready themselves for the dance around the maypole and to continue with the Beltane revelry.

The phallic maypole symbolized the interweaving of the male and female energies to bring fertility to all unions.

The pole was draped with ribbons and flowers, and the traditional circular dance alternated male and female dancers, weaving in and out in a maze movement, plaiting ribbons as they go.

The dance became a spiral with the men moving clockwise and the women moving counter-clockwise in a rehearsed movement. In the end the ribbons wound tightly around the pole in a latticed pattern, and it was thought that the better the pattern, the better the harvest would be that fall.

This period between May 1st and Summer Solstice, and especially Beltane itself, has always been considered a time when it is easiest to spy the fairies frolicking in the woodlands and garden. It was common practice to leave food or a bowl of milk as an offering for the fairies on Beltane Eve.

And speaking of fairies – and of fun activities with kids – if you like flowers, herbs and fairies, you might want to check out the latest amazing offering from LearningHerbs.com. They’ve put together a sweet series of books, Herb Fairies, that teach kids all about the healing power of plants.

Herb Fairies would make a great May gift for a favorite child in your life. It’s so much more than a few books – it’s an entire learning system. Check it out here. (This is what is known as an “affiliate link” -  which means Learning Herbs will share a little piece of their profit with Wellness The Natural Way should you decide to invest in Herb Fairies after clicking through from here. A great way to support this blog!)

It’s fun to celebrate the magic of Beltane by bringing green branches and fresh flowers into your home. Go outside right now and find some!

Happy Spring!

All photos by Sarah O’Leary

Ciel whips up a fresh batch of rose cream.

I’m incredibly enamored with this exotic rose cream that my sister Lisa made and gave me for Christmas. Just opening the jar and inhaling the heady scent improves my day, and I can literally feel my facial cells drinking up the creamy goodness when I smooth on a few dabs after showering or washing my face.

I swear I can hear them cheering.

My daughter Ciel (remember her concern with wrinkles) loved it so much that she made up her own batch so she’d have several month’s supply. And I got to be a beneficiary of that. After all she owes more for all those years of nurturing. So now I have two jars!

The Healing Rose

Essential oil of rose is more than just a cell-rejuvenator, it is used by aromatherapists to treat couperose skin and varicose veins.

It goes deeper than that though – way deeper. But you knew that didn’t you? What other plant as been sung, painted or written about by so many artists?

The fragrance of the rose is known in aromatherapy to open the heart. Ever so gently the rose will calm depression, fear and anxiety and it can even give a boost to our confidence.

No wonder I love this cream so much!

I don’t know about you, but as my estrogen levels start their inevitable plummet my skin – especially my face – feels more parched than ever before.

My skin is drinking this stuff up. It’s my new love. Move over Dr. Haushka and Origins!

Soon my two jars will run dry and I’ll have to make up a fresh batch, but meanwhile I thought I’d share this amazing recipe – so those of you who enjoy concocting your own skincare goodies can get in on the fun.

Even if you’re not crazy about making your own skincare products – your wallet may motivate you to do so.

A cream like this would run upwards of $50 an ounce in department stores or upscale natural bodycare boutiques. When you make your own, you’ll end up with ten times that much for an equal investment.

As with the eye serum I wrote about earlier – the ingredients can get a bit pricey. But if you go in on this with some girlfriends and make it up together, you’ll all go home with a few jars of yummy cream – enough to moisturize for months.

By the way, this cream soothes and invigorates all skin types – so invite your daughters or friends of any age. It’s not specifically a wrinkle cream, although the rich oils will work their magic to minimize those pesky fine lines.

But, umm – unlike the eye serum, making a cream is not a quick snap.

Creams and lotions require a bit more finesse and a careful eye, as well as some essential equipment such as a blender. I wrote a lengthy description of the process here – read up if you want more background on the tricks of the trade.

Delightful rose cream. Alkanet root gives it a rosey pink hue.

Lisa’s (and Ciel’s) cream is a delightful rose pink color. To me, the unusual color makes slathering the stuff on even more fun and appealing. But it does add an extra step of work to achieve this natural color, which comes from alkanet oil.

Lisa says that the cream is fine without the alkanet oil. It will still smell and feel like you’ve gone to dance with the rose goddesses.

Alkanet is an herb that makes a deep red natural dye. It’s wonderful for lip balms, cheek tints or other products that benefit from some natural color. The amount of alkanet used can vary this color action from a light shell-pink to a rich burgundy.

To turn your cream pink, you need to first make up some alkanet oil. It’s not that hard. We call this an infused herbal oil.

How To Make Alkanet Oil

Take one ounce of dried alkanet root (see resources below for where to get it) and grind it up in a clean coffee grinder or blender. Put it into a glass jar that has a tight fitting lid.

Pour  your choice of oil over the ground herbs, enough to cover then completely (but don’t fill the whole jar unless the herbs fill the jar.) Put the lid on and shake it all up. It will turn red almost immediately.

What oil to use? Lisa used sunflower oil, but any light oil would work. Kukui, hazelnut and macadamia are also sweet choices for skincare products.

Let the alkanet soak in the oil for at least an hour, or up to one week, shaking it each day. Then strain the herbs out through a fine mesh strainer with a piece of cheesecloth draped over. (Or just place the cheese cloth over another jar or a measuring cup and have a friend hold the edges while you pour the oil through.)

Press on the herbs with a wooden spoon, or wrap them up in a ball in the cheese cloth and squeeze and wring to extract every last drop of ruby red oil.

You will probably have some extra left over after making your rose cream – be sure to label it so that months from now when you find this bottle of red oil you don’t go, ‘what the heck is this??’ and throw it out.

Let’s Make Some Cream

Okay – so now that you’ve got your alkanet oil made (or decided to skip this step), you’re ready to get into the cream.

First, you’ll need to gather together your ingredients.  If you don’t have a health food or herb store nearby I suggest ordering high quality body oils, herbs, beeswax and essential oils from Moonrise Herbs or Mountain Rose Herbs.

Lisa’s Exotic Rose Cream – Ingredients

1 cup rosewater
2 ounces rose hip seed oil
2 ounces macadamia nut oil
1 ounce jojoba oil
1 ounce alkanet oil (or add an extra ounce of any of the oils above)
½ ounce beeswax (about 2 tablespoons, those beeswax granules work great for this)
800 IU vitamin E (either as Vitamin E oil, or take two 400 IU gelcaps, poke them with a pin a squeeze the oil out. Don’t get too hung up on how many IU you are using, just use ½ to a teaspoon of good quality VE oil.)
20 drops rose essential oil (Now don’t get all cheapy here and use fragrance or perfume oil. It’s NOT the same thing! Spring for the real stuff – it’s where so many of the therapeutic benefits come in.)

(The recipe is adapted from the book Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, one of my favorites and highly recommended!)

Equipment You’ll Need

Blender
Rubber spatula
Chopstick or small wooden spoon
Makeshift double boiler (such as pyrex measuring cup and small saucepan)
Another measuring cup (or something with a pour spout)
Small jars (for the final product)

What To Do

Once your cream is blended, pour into jars before it thickens.

The process of making a cream or lotion is similar to making mayonnaise. You are emulsifying oils with water – so it’s a delicate operation.

I described the method in full detail in “How To Make A Fabulous Face Cream Or Lotion.”

Here’s a short synopsis:

Place oils (not rose essential oil though) and beeswax in your double boiler set up and heat gently till beeswax is melted. Cool slightly and pour into blender. Slowly drizzle the rosewater in through the hole in the top of the blender cap while the blender is turned to high. The mixture will begin to emulsify into a cream and may need some light stirs with our chopstick or wooden spoon to mix in stray drops of water.

Add the essential oil at the end and just whiz briefly, then stir. Voila. You have a thick, beautiful cream!

But be sure to hop over to the other post, and read the long version of this procedure. Making creams is not for the faint of heart. But the results – oh so very sweet!

How about you? Do you have a favorite wrinkle cream or other natural facial cream that you adore? What about a recipe? Take it away in the comment section!

Maca is native to the high mountains of Peru, and the dried, powdered root can be purchased in health food stores.

They’re coming every few hours today.

Energy Surges, Power Flushes – oh hell, let’s call them what they are:  Hot Flashes.

I am officially menopausal.

(Wait! Even if you’re not worried about anything remotely menopausal – read on (or at least skip ahead!).

Because this is some good stuff, and not just for those of us dealing with menopause and/or perimenopause.

As I said in the last menopause post, this all started a few years ago – just some intermittent night sweats. I’d wake up every night for a week or so. Then they’d go away for a couple of months and I’d conveniently forget about it.

(Sort of. It kind of bubbled there in the back of my mind like a witch’s cauldron. And I knew I should get on making some hormone balancing tinctures. But did I? Of course not!)

Now I’m kicking myself for not being more proactive when this was all just an inkling, a little nudge. Because suddenly I’m getting it.

So that’s what everyone was talking about.

The Joys Of Hormone Hell

It’s still mostly at night. But now instead of once or twice, I wake up every hour or two.

Panicked. With sweat springing out over my whole body, worries and fears bouncing around my head. Sheets kicked off, I lie there, waiting for the cool air from the open window to dry the sweat.

Then I’m cold. Covers back on….till the next one.

And now they’ve crept into the daytime. I usually run pretty cold, and this is a damp chilly climate. So I sit here at the computer layered up in a couple of shirts and a sweater, heater blasting behind me.

Oops! Excuse me a sec – gotta peel off the sweater and shirt and breathe a couple of moments!

Yeah, it’s like that. I need to buy one of those old fashioned hand fans for these fun little episodes.

Then, the sweat dries and I’m shivering again. Instead of hot flashes, these are almost like hot/cold flashes. Leave it to me to have a weird variation of an old standby symptom.

Of course hot flashes are just one way our bodies signal this shift into a new life phase. The other manifestations are myriad – and none of them are fun.

I kind of picture my body system as its own persona, like a little leprechaun but without the funny outfit. It’s like it’s waving at me frantically yelling, “Hello there?! Hormones are haywire here! What are you going to do about it??”

You don’t have to be 50 to experience symptoms related to changing hormones. It can start as early as your late 30s – earlier if you’ve had surgery.

Some of you are nodding. You get it.

But WTF to do about it all?

Enter Stage Left (with a big drumroll):  Maca!!

Oh Maca, Maca, Maca – where have you been all my life? How the hell did I miss out on your magic?

Okay, I’m being a little over-zealous here – considering that I’ve only been taking the stuff for a few days and I don’t yet know if it’s going to cool down those flashes, much less up my libido as promised.

But everything I’m learning about this plant (which isn’t really an herb at all, but in fact a food) is getting me all excited (almost hot and bothered, but no!)

Like – it’s been used for centuries in Peru to increase stamina and energy, stimulate sexual vitality and fertility, that it also will regulate metabolism and nourish a stressed adrenal system.

Who can’t use all of these things? (Well, I can do without the increased fertility – but I guess I don’t have to worry about that anymore.)

I’d heard about using Maca (Lepidium meyenii, or L. peruvianium) for menopausal symptoms – but I’d kind of forgotten all about this Peruvian healer – and didn’t even mention it in my list of helpful herbs in my last post.

But many of you reminded me of the nutritive healing plant in the comments, and so I hied myself down to my favorite herb store (Moonrise Herbs but of course), and picked some up – and started reading up on this panacea.

The awesome thing about Maca is that is really is a food – related to radishes and turnips – and in Peru they cook it up like turnips and eat it for dinner.

Maca doesn’t contain any hormones itself, instead it’s like food for the endocrine system, It tells your glands to produce the exact amount of hormones your body needs.

Pretty cool. This makes it totally different than other recommended herbal aids for menopause, such as black cohosh and dong quai.

Another theory is that Maca may actually act on our hormone receptors, and encourage our bodies to use hormones more effectively.

Whatever the reason – if it works to cool the intensity of these hot flashes, give me energy, restore my sadly overworked adrenals, and helps the fuzzy thinking and mood swings – well I’m all about it.

Bring it on. Frankly, I wish I’d started taking this stuff years ago.

The unique action of Maca means that it works for everyone – no matter what stage of life. In fact, some preliminary studies are showing it to increase sexual vigor in men too. (Move over Viagra!)

So – even if you’re years away from menopause (or your gender precludes you from this particular delight, or you’re done with it), if you like to feel good, I suggest you take a look at this plant panacea.

Eat It!

Since it’s actually a food, one of the best ways to get Maca into your body is as – well, a food. Lots of people love it in smoothies and protein drinks, others like to stir it into yogurt.

I’ve been mixing it into a morning protein drink and it tastes great that way, but when I tried the yogurt method – umm, not so much.  I kinda like my yogurt flavor just the way it is.

Another way to use Maca as food is to bake with it – just substitute a few tablespoons of flour with Maca powder.

In addition to cooking it up as a vegetable, Peruvians  drink Maca in a smoothie or what they call a licuado. If you travel down there you might find stands selling these Maca licuados, which they make with actual boiled Maca roots.

Can’t make it to Peru quite yet? Scroll down for some recipes for making your own Maca goodies.

I Hate The Flavor! Are There Other Ways To Take Maca?

Since the stuff is so sexy, dozens of companies have jumped on the manufacturing bandwagon, and Maca is pretty easy to find. Many people like to take the capsules – available in varying dosages – while others prefer the ease of a liquid extract.

Herb Pharm makes an excellent Maca extract, and the company’s founder Ed Smith (known as ‘Herbal Ed’) is almost single handedly responsible for Maca’s popularity in North America. He loves the stuff! Which just goes to show it’s not just for women.

Herb Pharm guarantees their products are formulated with Maca from high mountains of Peru. In fact they personally visit the growing area to approve the plant matter they purchase. That’s the stuff! In addition to the liquid extract, they sell some potent capsules – filled with ‘gelatinized’ Maca, a steam cooking process which apparently makes it even more potent.

How Much Should You Take?

The casual recommendation is about a tablespoon of the powder per day (which is what I’m going for.) An Oregon-based naturapathic physician reported good results when patients took two grams (2000 mg) per day. Most capsules out there are about 500 mg per cap.

If you’d rather use the tincture or liquid extract, expect one dropperful to be equal to about 500 mg. (Of course this will vary depending on the brand of maca you are using. If you stick with a high quality company this should fit.)

I did see some caution about taking too much (nothing really serious, just some not-so-pleasant side effects), so I wouldn’t recommend exceeding about 2500 milligrams per day.

Where To Find Maca

Check your local health food store or herb shop – but make sure they offer a high quality product. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for when it comes to medicinal plants.

You can order Maca liquid extract and the bulk powder at Moonrise Herbs, or the extract and capsules directly from Herb Pharm.

The cheapest form of Maca is the bulk powder. Try these two delicious recipes to get energized and symptom-free with magical maca!

Moonrise Herbs' yummy Maca balls

Moonrise Herbs’ Maca Balls

WET INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Honey (or agave syrup, barley malt or other sweetener)
1 1/4 Cups Peanut Butter (or any Nut Butter)

DRY INGREDIENTS:
4 oz Maca Powder
1 oz Spirulina powder
1/4 oz Cinnamon powder
2 oz Cranberries, whole
1 oz Bee Pollen

BLENDED DRY INGREDIENTS: (They use a vita mixer, but a blender will do)
2 oz Walnuts
2 oz Sunflower seeds
2 oz Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 oz Flax Seeds
2 oz. Lycii Berries

Mix all ingredients together and roll into balls then roll each one in shredded coconut. Makes 25 good-sized balls.

Big thanks to Moonrise Herbs for sharing the recipe for these yummy treats. Don’t want to purchase all the ingredients? Or maybe you’re thinking, “What? I don’t even have time to heat up a burrito, much less make Maca balls!” All is not lost! 

They will ship some of their famous Maca balls out to you ASAP (North America only though – sorry!) Although these treats aren’t listed on their web site, give Moonrise Herbs a call at (707) 822-5296 to get some of this goodness.

My Favorite Morning Shake

I like this protein shake for breakfast – but you could drink it any time of day – even as a snack. It’s filling, healthy, and not too carb-y. And now with the addition of Maca – it really packs a punch!

1 cup+ Cran-water* or your favorite juice
1 small piece ginger, peeled and cut into small bits
1 cup frozen berries
½ banana
1 Tablespoon coconut oil (the “good” fat – trust me!)
1 scoop whey powder (or protein powder of your choice)
Dash of cinnamon
1 Tablespoon maca powder

Throw it all in the blender and whiz it up. Makes one smoothie that will give your daily dose of Maca

*What the heck is cran-water? Make it by mixing ¼ cup unsweetened cranberry juice in 1 quart of water. Save it in the fridge to make smoothies – or just to drink! Alternatively, you could just use your favorite juice if you like a sweeter shake and don’t mind the carbs.

I have high hopes about Maca. I’ve got myself a big ole’ bag of the powder for making smoothies/shakes. Plus I have a backup bottle of capsules for those days that a smoothie is just not on the agenda.

There are so many other herbs I could experiment with to deal with my new hot flash-y life. But I’m going to use the “Simpler’s Method” and stick with only Maca for a full two weeks and see if I notice any improvement. Otherwise, I’ll never know what works and what doesn’t.

Whether it eliminates the flashes and sweats, only calms them – or doesn’t do a damn thing – I’ll be trying out some more herbal therapies (and other treatments). So – check back for the Maca report and for more info on goodies to minimize menopause madness!

What’s your take? Tried Maca and love it? Hate it? Got another remedy for hot flashes that you swear by? Do share in the comments below!

All photos by Sarah O’Leary

Now that spring is finally here, many of us are thinking again of cleansing and detoxing our systems. It just goes with the energy of spring – that’s why many cultures practice fasting and internal cleanses around this time of year.

Maybe you’re not up for a fast or cleansing diet right now – or maybe you took care of that back in January. You can still benefit from gently cleansing the liver with an herbal supplement.

Our poor livers have a tough job filtering out all the toxins that are constantly coming in – and not just from what we eat and drink. In our modern world pollution is everywhere, from car exhaust to radiation, and our livers have to do the job of processing these and (hopefully) maintaining a healthy homeostasis despite the onslaught.

Hands down - the most recognized herb for supporting and cleansing the liver is milk thistle. So today I thought I’d post an article I wrote years ago for our local newspaper, the Arcata Eye.

Here’s the updated and slightly edited version:

Some Thistles Are Friends

When we think of thistles, we usually imagine prickly, unfriendly plants to avoid. Yet the artichoke is a thistle that satisfies the palate with its succulent flavor, and we find it in grocery stores as a spring delicacy.

So not all thistles were put on this planet solely to stave off human interference in their habitat.

Another example of a friendly thistle is the distinctive milk thistle plant. Peppering the roadsides and fields throughout North America, parts of Europe and North Africa, this plant can grow up to three feet tall. Although it is said to thrive under rocky conditions, I notice it seems to like it quite well in our damp moist climate on the North Coast of California.

Deep green, glossy and thick, milk thistle’s giant leaves are mottled with white streaks and edged with sharp prickles. A brilliant purple spiky flower head crowns the striking plant.

Although considered a weed, this plant adds an attractive and unusual look to the garden, and it’s easy to keep in check because it only spreads by reseeding.

Where’s the ‘Milk’?

The botanical name for milk thistle is Silybum marianum. The name ‘marianum’  refers to an old legend that tells how the leaf veins of the milk thistle turned white after it had been touched by a drop of the Virgin Mary’s breast milk. In Germany the plant is often depicted in religious symbols with the Holy Virgin.

I can only imagine some medieval priest or bishop thinking this one up, to convince his flock of the power of God over nature. It must have worked, because references to the Virgin Mary’s breast milk and this plant are are all over the old herbal texts.

The steamed leaves (with spines removed!) are quite tasty. In centuries past the young stalks were considered to be “one of the best boiling salads that is eaten, surpassing the finest cabbage.” Personally I don’t think the comparison to cabbage is saying much, but I guess back in the 18^th century cabbage was  more of a delicacy than it is today.

Milk thistle’s primary use today is to support and detoxify the liver. The shiny dark brown seeds can be ground and sprinkled on food. They add a nutty though slightly bitter flavor, and this is a great way to get the medicinal benefits of the seeds.

All parts of the plant have been used as both food and medicine for more than 2000 years -  with virtually no reports of toxicity, aside from a mild laxative effect in some patients. Modern herbalists use only the seeds for therapeutic benefits.

Milk thistle has been intensively studied over the last thirty years; in fact it is one of the most researched plants in herbal medicine. Extensive laboratory and clinical data have confirmed the beneficial action of milk thistle on the liver. Entire books have been written on this one plant and its amazing liver regenerating powers.

In some parts of Europe they use it in hospitals to antidote the toxicity caused by ingestion of the deadly death cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides.)

Milk thistle seed preparations have also been found to be effective in the treatment of hepatitis, cirrhosis and jaundice, and in protecting liver cells against toxins such as industrial solvents, and prolonged drug therapy.

Regular use of milk thistle has been shown to improve digestive problems, appetite, and overall well being. It is often used preventatively to counteract the potential detrimental effects of environmental toxins, alcohol and drugs. This herb can safely be used for relatively long periods of time.

Sometimes milk thistle preparations are sold as Silymarin, because this is the compound within the plant believed to have the potent liver regenerative effect. Silymarin is not a single component, but a complex of chemicals found within the milk thistle seed.

Photo: Sarah O'Leary

Where To Find Milk Thistle

You could go out and harvest your own milk thistle seeds, but it would be quite a job if you wanted to collect them in any quantity. Wear thick gloves and clothing to protect yourself from the sharp prickles. Mature seeds, which have the highest level of silymarin, are found in seed heads showing abundant silvery white fluff. Cut off seed heads with scissors and place into a basket, then remove seed from pods and hairs. Screen out debris and your seeds are ready for consumption.

Or, if sifting through thistly seed heads isn’t really your thing, you can opt to purchase milk thistle seeds. You can buy milk thistle seeds dried, in capsules, in liquid extract form, freeze-dried, standardized – you name it, they probably sell it that way.

The best way I know to use the whole seeds is to grind them and sprinkle them over your food as mentioned above. The beneficial compounds in the plant are not very water soluble, so milk thistle tea is not all that effective.

You’ll find many versions of milk thistle or silymarin at your favorite health food store – or you can order from Moonrise Herbs or Mountain Rose Herbs.

I think of milk thistle as an ally to help my liver do its job. I like to go on little regimens and take it for a month or so at a time, a few times a year, especially in the spring.

Time for a milk thistle regimen!

Have you tried milk thistle before? Willing to give it a go for a spring detox? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Photo Credit:  terriam

This post was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday.

Mid-life symptoms can feel frustrating, but we can still have some fun and put on a flower head wreath like my friend Jenky here.

Why didn’t anyone ever tell me that (peri)menopause would resemble a bout of PMS that lasts for years?

Well, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but as my estrogen levels start their inevitable plummet I’m finding I experience low-level menstrual cramps for weeks, often accompanied by the slight headache and sluggish depression that, in years past, I associated with the days before my period.

And speaking of my period – what happened? It arrived like clockwork every 26 days for more than 30 years.

But now “my little friend” comes knocking at all sorts of odd hours. It will surprise me as early as two weeks after my last cycle began, or make me wait a couple of months before its next visit (that’s when those PMS symptoms really have a heyday!)

I’m one of the lucky ones, I know. I was able to plan my activities around my expected cycles for all those decades, and – unlike some of my friends – I didn’t start with the perimenopausal symptoms until well into my 40s. And even now at 50 those symptoms don’t upset my daily life too much.

Well, at least until the last few months.

From PMS To Night Sweats

Take last night. All day I schlepped around complaining to myself about my low back pain and wondering how long my menses was going to wait this time. Then, instead of a restful sleep, I bolted awake every two hours, shoving the covers aside while sweat poured down my face.

I have fallen victim to the dreaded night sweats.

It’s weird because this hot flash/night sweat symptom only affects me at night. (Not that I’m complaining! Hot flashes, you can continue stay away during the day, thank you!)

But they are powerful enough to tell me that despite my best intentions and most health conscious practices, I am definitely headed down menopause lane.

And judging from the frequency that this topic comes up in conversation with my midlife women friends, I’m not the only one struggling to just feel normal.

Again – I’m lucky. My night time sweating episodes only last 10 minutes or so and don’t require me to change the sheets or go take a cooling shower in the middle of the night.

But still.

It’s time to do something about it. (And I guess it can’t be booting my husband out of bed. (Sleeping with him is like sleeping next to a giant hot water bottle, the man is a living furnace.)

I’ve been a little lazy about this whole “change of life” thing thus far. Since my symptoms were minor, I had not yet plunged full bore into researching the optimum nutritional and herbal therapies for lowered estrogen levels.

So What’s The Menopause Remedy?

During my years at Moonrise Herbs I spent hours helping women find the right herbs for their specific package of symptoms. Some found the teas, tinctures and supplements to be enough, especially when combined with some dietary modifications.

Others needed to turn it up and seek out stronger therapies, such as topical hormones, bioidentical hormone therapy – or going for the full on Hormone Replacement Therapy.

Most wanted to avoid that though – and that’s why they’d made their way into an herb shop, even if they’d never stepped foot in one before.

Here’s the frustrating part:  There are no quick fixes when it comes to relieving menopausal symptoms by natural means. By most accounts it can take six weeks to several months to bring the body into some semblance of homeostasis.

But, I guess that beats 10 years – that’s the average time the transition takes, from the earliest perimenopausal symptoms until the day a woman can proudly claim the title of Crone (12 months after her very last period.)

We’ve Only Just Begun

This is Part One of a “Menopause Series.” Over the next weeks and months, I’ll share some of the best natural menopause remedies I know of, along with case studies and stories about what works and what hasn’t worked so well – both for me and for women I’ve worked with.

And here’s where you come in.

To make this series the most useful for you, my dearest readers, I need to know what menopause symptoms plague you (or scare you with their imminence) the most. What would be most useful for you to learn about in future menopause articles?

You can tell me in the comment section below, or shoot me an email. You’ll find my email address on the “About” section of this blog.

For now here’s five tips on general lifestyle adjustments and natural remedies that may help to reduce the intensity of your overall symptoms. In future installments I’ll get more specific about each.

 Minimize Your Menopause Misery

1)   Nutrition (Foods & Substances To Add Or Avoid)

Now more than ever, it’s important to pay attention to what you are putting into your body. For example, much as I hate to admit it I’ve noticed that those night sweats ramp up when I’ve had a little too much wine.

Well, guess what? Alcohol (especially red wine) is on that ‘Avoid’ or ‘Reduce’ list for a healthy symptom-free menopause. (In my case it has to be ‘reduce’ – I love my wine!) I definitely notice a difference, though, when I forgo that second or third glass.

You might notice that it’s  caffeine that brings on the hot flashes, mood swings, or other unpleasant notifications that your estrogen supply is winding down. Start paying attention to your own triggers – then you can make the necessary decisions about how much you choose to consume.

The usual no-no’s can wreak even more havoc in your body during this time, especially too much salt, junk food, sugar and refined flours, and nicotine.

And then there’s all that hot stuff. It’s best to steer clear of cayenne and hot and spicy sauces – especially if you are dealing with hot flashes.

Replace some of these substances with sprouted seeds and legumes. They are packed with essential fatty acids, enzymes and lots of other goodness. Buy the sprouts at a health food store, or sprout them at home.

And bring on the fresh leafy green veggies  and other vegetables. Eat as much and as often as you can.

Foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids will help keep the moisture in your skin, hair and (I’d say most importantly) the vaginal tissues. Such foods include walnuts, salmon, trout and flax seeds.

2)   Some Helpful Herbs

Some of the plants that get rave reviews for moderating hormones include:  chaste tree berry (often called vitex), black cohosh (specifically for hot flashes), motherwort, dong quai, red clover, licorice and panax ginseng.

You also want herbs that regulate liver function, act as natural diuretics, alleviate stress and support the adrenal system. Supporting all of these system makes for an easier transition through the menopausal years.

Consistency is the key here. You must make a commitment to drink your tea (or take your herbal supplement) several times a day.

Herbs can be taken as teas, liquid extracts, or even in capsules. Many herbalists recommend combining several different liquid extracts (that can get expensive), and there are plenty of combinations already formulated and readily available for purchase.

You have to experiment to find the right combo for your particular symptom pattern and constitution.

I’ll go into specific herbs and how they work in more depth – including references to entire books on the subject – in future posts.

3)   Movement

Ah, there it is again. No matter what your phase of life, exercise is going to improve things. This couldn’t be more true than during the menopausal years.

The good news is it doesn’t have to be sweating it out in spandex at the gym. Yoga, dance and good old walking can make a huge difference in how you feel during ‘the change.’

However, to prevent osteoporosis the exercise must be weight bearing. Now, you don’t have to do a weight lifting class or hire a personal trainer (although that is certainly an excellent way to avoid future broken hips).

Weight bearing exercise just means anything that combines use of the muscles with gravity’s pull on the bones.

So, while swimming doesn’t quite make the grade on this one, uphill walking or hiking and even gardening does. Ditto for dancing, yoga and Pilates.

4)   Supportive Supplements

Although it is always preferable to get your nutrients from food sources, supplements are a valuable addition. Vitamin E and Evening Primrose Oil are two that are on every menopause relief list.

Omega-3 fatty acids are another important nutrient worth supplementing with. In addition to increasing those needed moisture levels, they have been shown to minimize bone mass decline. Fish oil is a great source of Omega-3s, as is flax seed oil.

A good B-complex supplement can do wonders to stabilize stress levels and balance blood sugar, and Vitamin C can reduce hot flashes. Additional nutrients to consider are: calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D, silica and boron.

5)   Inner Attention

Menopause is not just a physical transition. Many of us find ourselves facing huge changes both in our inner and outer lives. Children leave the nest, marriages sometimes implode, buried feelings begin to bubble up and overflow in disturbing ways. And that’s just the beginning.

My friend Jackie Walker recently wrote this in an online conversation on the subject: I started noticing I was getting hot flushes, and I realised they were connected to anger, and if I released the anger, they stopped! And, anger in women is deemed ‘unseemly’ so there’s an awful lot of unexpressed or unfelt anger lying dormant and unconscious.

The truth is, most of us women spend decades giving emotional sustenance to others and only short shrift to ourselves. Once we get to perimenopause if we don’t turn some of this love and attention to our own needs, we can get slammed with hot flashes and other unpleasant symptoms.

How exactly to do this could be the subject of an entire book. (And Jackie is a great resource for help in getting rid of anger.) 

Taking some time to nurture and get to know yourself and your needs during this phase of life is essential. Meditation, walking in nature and journaling are three of my favorites – and any of these would be a great place to start.

Some of us might need to take it a little further with therapy or coaching – or maybe by joining a women’s circle.

The good news is, despite the tempest brewing inside of us, wiser women who have reached the other side tell us this is our time of power. It is a time of great transformation and a portal to a new relationship with our creativity.

This above information barely pokes the surface of a deep well. Future posts in the series will delve further into how to handle these physical and emotional changes as our hormones start to wreak some serious havoc.

So tell me – which of the topics above would you be most interested in learning more about? Or is there another menopause related issue or natural therapy you’d love me to write on? Let me know in the comments below or send me an email.

But Spring Equinox crept up on me this year! I thought it was closer to the New Moon (this Thursday.) But guess what? Today is the first day of Spring! (In the northern hemisphere of course – sorry to all of you down under who are now welcoming in the colder weather.)

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the Vernal Equinox officially occurred Tuesday, March 20 at 1:14 a.m. EDT. (Wait! Does that mean it was last night her in California?? Hmm, I guess so.)

This winter has been so mild in many part of the world, it seems just downright weird that it’s already spring. But it’s quite possible that Winter might not have fully released her hold yet. We’ll hold our breath and see about that snow! We got some around here on the surrounding mountain tops, and I have a feeling we’re in for more.

But – the daylight lasting longer each evening, and the sunrise arriving earlier each morning, tells us that Spring has indeed arrived,  and that sunny, warm summer days await.

Want to know a little more about how people celebrated the Equinox in times of yore? Read on. Below is a (slightly edited) article I wrote several years back for our local newspaper.

Have you noticed how much earlier the sun is coming up? This morning at around five thirty, the eastern sky already glowed a red gold, reminding me how quickly we are approaching the first official day of Spring!

The signs of nature’s awakening are everywhere. How can we not feel the magic when the frogs are croaking their love songs from the puddles outside the window? When tiny robins strut and peck their way through the yards, and the garden and grassy fields sprout with tiny shoots and buds? Spring is already bursting forth in glorious splendor, like a sweet aria sung at the top of Mother Nature’s lungs. It lures us to shuck our coats and jackets, don shorts and T-shirts, and frolic outside in the (almost) balmy breezes.

Also known as the Vernal Equinox, this day marks the third celebration day (or Sabat) in the Pagan Wheel of the Year. As I’ve noted in previous posts, Pagans celebrate the cyclic flow of the year at eight points during the year’s cycle, beginning at the Winter Solstice and traveling through the Equinoxes and four “cross-quarter” days.

It seems like we barely finished celebrating Imbolc (also called Candlemas or Groundhog’s Day) and here we are welcoming the Equinox. Of course these eight holidays span many more religions as well, and versions of them have been celebrated in Ancient Rome as well as in the Pre-Columbian Americas.

Here in the northern hemisphere, the Spring Equinox has always been a time of great joy and celebration. Even today, when we have electric lights and packaged foods, there is a sense of renewal at this time of year, when the days noticeably lengthen and we can feel the growing warmth of the sun.

In ancient times, this season was vitally important. Crops could be planted, animals gave birth, the sun warmed the frozen earth, and winter food stores no longer needed to be rationed.

Because of the importance of spring to human survival, there has always been religious mythology, both Christian and Pagan, to explain the change of seasons. The tales usually revolve around a god or goddess descending into the underworld or some sort of crypt, where they spend three days before returning.

Some think that the theory of the three days stems from lunar cycles. While we now take note the new moon on a single day, it actually is hidden from our view on the day before and after as well, giving three nights of darkness.

Northern European Pagans (along with many other cultures) celebrated Equinox with great fanfare and elaborate ritual. The Celts of Britain lit giant bonfires to scare away the evil spirits of cold and darkness, thus freeing the sun god to bring light and warmth back to the earth. In many parts of the world, bonfire and candle burning still survive as a springtime tradition.

The Pagan Spring Equinox celebration is referred to as Ostara, or Oestre, or sometimes Eostre. These are all variations of the name of a Germanic lunar goddess. We can clearly see where the name of our modern Christian holiday, Easter, comes from.

The Easter celebration shares many components with Spring Equinox celebrations of old. Strangely, the early Christians decided that this holiday would not be celebrated on the Spring Equinox itself, but rather on the first Sunday after the first full moon, after the Equinox. That’s why the actual date of Easter varies, from around March 23^rd to April 20th.

This year, since the Equinox falls right before the new moon, Easter is about two weeks later on April 8. Pagans and Christians alike celebrate these holidays with symbols of spring such as eggs, baskets, seeds, birds and rabbits.

Ostara was, and still is, celebrated as a fertility festival honoring the birth of spring and the reawakening of life from the earth. The people rejoice as the goddess awakens and blankets the earth with fertility. The god stretches, matures, and delights in nature’s abundance.

Part of this celebration includes decorating hard-boiled eggs in honor of the fertility goddess. The egg is an important symbol of spring, with its golden sun-like yolk representing the sun god and the outer white casing associated with the white goddess. As a whole, the egg holds the power of new life and symbolizes rebirth. Eggs are dyed with natural substances such as onion skins, and celebrants sometimes eat them as part of their ritual.

Seeds are like eggs. While eggs contain the promise of new animal life, seeds hold the potential of a new plant.  A seed ritual is a powerful way to acknowledge and celebrate the Spring Equinox. Such a ritual can be as simple as planting a few seeds in a small pot, while meditating on your intention for the coming months. What do you want to nurture and grow in yourself or in the world?

Or you can plan an elaborate gathering including song, prayers and dance, with each person stating their intention for the new season as they plant their seed into the earth. There are many variations, but the point is in acknowledging how the changing seasons of nature affects our inner landscapes as human beings.

So during the coming week, have some fun with spring celebrations. Boil up some eggs and dye or paint them with your favorite colors and symbols. Place them in a beautiful basket to decorate your table. If you have used natural food-based dyes you can even eat the eggs with your children or some friends.

Most importantly, remember to go outside, take a walk in the warm sunshine or the soft spring rain, and breathe in this new life burgeoning all around.

Not so with my beautiful daughter, Ciel. At 28 she’s already experimented with a plethora of skincare products, starting  with Bonne Bell back in adolescence and progressing through the many offerings of the corporate beauty care industry.

I’d wring my hands and ply her with herbal versions of her pimple creams – but to no avail.

Today I’m smiling though, because all those hours spent watching me play around with herbal concoctions during her childhood somehow sunk in. Now she is natural all the way – and starting to surpass me in her creativity with making natural beauty care products!

She will of course age much more gracefully than I, retaining dewy fresh, wrinkle-free skin as she approaches the half century mark.

Recently she came over and we enjoyed a home spa day together – making eye serum, giving ourselves hot oil treatments for our hair, and making a divine coconut body cream.

Today I’ll tell you about how easy peasy it is to make your own eye treatment. The hair oil and body cream will have to wait for a future post.

Ciel laments those teenaged afternoons spent laying out in the sun sans protection, chasing a tan, and worries that the miniscule fine lines that have appeared in the corners of her eyes are going to bloom into full fledged wrinkles by the time she’s 30. Ah, what price is beauty? A double-edged sword. I think those women who are blessed with lots of it, worry the most about losing it.

But I digress.

Since those fine lines appeared a few years ago (and they are pretty darn fine!), Ciel has dipped and dabbled in many an expensive eye cream. And we all know how pricey these little jars of goop can be!

Serious wrinkles, wouldn't you say??

Money’s been tight lately, and since she is now a fan of DIY skincare, Ciel began researching recipes for homemade eye creams. It turns out that although the ingredients do include some precious and expensive oils, one can make an eye cream (or in this case an eye serum) for pennies per application. After all you only need a drop or two each time.

Eye Cream Versus Eye Serum

So what the heck’s the difference between an eye cream and an eye serum? Nothing it turns out, as far as the benefits go.

A ‘serum’ (at least in this case) is basically a blend of essential oils in carrier oils; whereas a cream would be those same oils whipped up with water and beeswax and suspended into a cream.

The one problem with using a serum is that you can’t use it in the morning if you like to apply eye makeup. Makeup will not stick to oil, in fact that is how you remove eye makeup. So – this serum is meant for night time use – or for those of us who rarely apply eye makeup.

Regular use of an eye serum or cream can slow or prevent the formation of wrinkles around the eyes, work to plump the tissue, and even minimize those yucky shadows and the gross “baggy eye” look.

For more recipes and tips on eye treatments, check out my post Ten Easy Recipes For Home Facial Treatments where you’ll find a “Cucumber De-Puffer, and a potato treatment for bags under the eyes.

There’s a secret method to applying eye serums and creams. And I know it to be the gospel truth because not only was taught to me by a Dr. Hauschka skincare expert who did a training for us at Moonrise years ago – but I also read about it in Tina Fey’s book. And she learned it from some hot shot model or movie star. So not only is this method promoted by one of the finest natural skincare companies in the world – it is a secret of the beautiful, rich and famous.

Here’s the secret:  Use your ring fingers to apply the cream/serum, and just gently pat it into your skin.

The reason is that you will apply a lot less pressure with your ring fingers which are naturally weaker. Many of us have a tendency to pull on our skin when applying creams and lotions. But, you want to be oh so gentle with your delicate, aging skin. And the skin around our eyes is even more tender, you can actually promote wrinkles if you treat it too roughly.

Ready To Make Your Own Fabulous Eye Serum?

Just a few ingredients

A delicate operation

Especially dropping in the essential oils, one drop at a time.

My favorite thing about making an eye serum over a cream is it’s so freakin’ easy! You can do this in a matter of minutes, and then have a stash of serum that will last several months for longer. Here’s the recipe we used. Er, I guess it’s not a recipe exactly. But you should be able to follow these instructions fairly easily.

Ciel’s Magic Eye Serum

Carrier oils:  Jojoba oil, rose hip seed oil, grape seed oil.
Essential oils:  Carrot seed, rose absolute or rose otto

1/8 to 1/2 oz size amber bottles (with droppers or dropper tip dispensers). Maybe you only need one.

Remove lids from bottles and fill almost to the top with a mixture of the three carrier oils above. You could use equal parts of each, or use more of the ones you particularly like or are cheaper. Rose hip seed oil is fairly expensive, and is excellent for repairing scar tissue and for rosacea. It’s high in Vitamin A which assists in cell regeneration and increases collagen and elastin. Good stuff.

Jojoba oil is excellent for facial skin and mimics the oils we naturally secrete on our skin. Grape seed oil is the least greasy of the oils and is good for decreasing under-eye wrinkles.

Once your bottles are almost full of carrier oil, add the essential oils one drop at a time. You’ll need about 4-6 drops of combined essential oil for each 1/4 ounce bottle. Carrot seed is especially effective for fine lines and wrinkles, rose is an all around skin healer and will of course make your serum smell divine. It helps with puffiness and broken capillaries. It’s also a cell rejuvenator and excellent for all skin types.

And voila! You are now the proud owner of an eye serum that could rival those found in the ritziest of department stores.

Ta-Da!

An optional essential oil addition would be blue chamomile oil. This deep blue oil is well-known for its ability to reduce puffiness. In fact, I think I’m going to run and add a few drops to my serum right now. The only downside is that it has its own strong and distinctive smell. Not unpleasant, personally I like it. But it will probably overpower the delicate rose fragrance.

Now these particular essential oils are on the high end. A small bottle of high quality oil could run you upwards of 20 bucks. But you only need a few drops in each bottle of serum. Your essential oils can be used in a variety of other medicinal and cosmetic applications – and they last for years and years!

So – if you don’t currently own any of these oils, your initial outlay for serum ingredients will cost as much or more as one little jar of high end eye cream. But you will continue to benefit from all of these ingredients for a long time to come.

You can purchase all of the oils in question at either of my two favorite herbal outlets:  Moonrise Herbs and Mountain Rose Herbs.

Just place a drop of serum on the tip your ring finger (always the ring finger – remember!) and rub the other ring finger in that drop. Then dab the precious serum all around the delicate eye area. Best to keep the serum out of your eyeballs – but the irritation will be minimal should your fingers slip.

So that’s it – beautiful eyes and dewy skin can be yours – the natural way!

What about you? Have you made an eye cream or serum before? What are your favorite ingredients?

One day I took off for a long hike in the woods. As I trekked along, marveling at the surreal splendor of the Northern California landscape, I brushed my hand against a trailside plant and ZAP! Shrieking loudly, I snatched my hand away.

“I’ve been bitten my a man-eating plant!” I told my hiking companion. Indeed, my hand burned and itched and I could see little welts rising.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have wished for gloves so I could collect some of the nutritious leaves.

Many Healing Properties

Despite its potent sting, the nettle plant has been revered by healers for centuries. The fresh leaves are eaten as a spring green (cooked of course), and a tea made from the fresh or dried leaves acts as a cleansing, iron-rich tonic. In my part of the world herbalists have been collecting nettles for over a month already, since the first tender shoots began to show.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioioca) is native to Europe, but today is has spread nearly everywhere on the planet. Here in the Northern Hemisphere you can find nettles growing all over the place in early spring – usually in moist places such as along creeks or in shaded areas.

This is the time to collect some nettles! But don’t forget your gloves and scissors – unless you enjoy being stung.

The reason I thought nettle’s was a man eating plant on that day so long ago is because of the tiny hairs that grow on the stems and undersides of the leaves. These hairs (which protect the plant from predators presumably) release formic acid when touched or brushed against. Formic acid creates a burning and stinging sensation on human skin, and the unpleasant reaction can last for quite a while before it begins to subside.

So, why go to all that trouble to harvest a stinging plant?

Packed With Minerals, Vitamins And Nutrients

Nettle is incredibly rich in iron, calcium, chlorophyll, Vitaman C, and a slew of other minerals and nutrients. It has a gentle cleansing action on the body. This plant has been used to reduce fatigue and exhaustion, support weight loss, lessen menopausal symptoms, and strengthen the kidneys. It also supports healthy prostate function, especially when combined with saw palmetto.

This plant is a time-tested ally for pregnant women and nursing mothers. It not only provides optimum nourishment to build a healthy fetus, it improves the quality and quantity of breast milk.

Menopausal women also have a friend in nettle. With its rich stores of minerals, especially calcium, regular use of nettles calms and steadies the nerves and strengthens bones (helping to prevent osteoporosis.)

Regular use of nettles can boost energy levels, ease depression and mood swings, and support healthy functioning of the adrenal system. Nettles are also highly regarded for their ability to balance blood sugar levels, enhance sexual performance and enjoyment, promote healthy hair growth, and alleviate chronic skin conditions such as eczema.

You can see why this plant is a favorite of herbalists the world over!

A Beauty Treatment Too

A well-known folk use of nettles is as a hair rinse. Many writers have waxed poetic over this plant’s ability to grow thicker, healthier and darker hair. You can make a simple nettle hair rinse by combining four tsp. nettle leaves and 1/2 cup boiling water. Place the nettles in a glass bowl and pour in the boiling water. Let it infuse for 10-15 minutes. Once it is lukewarm, slowly pour over your freshly shampooed, still damp hair. Massage your scalp and hair as you pour. No need to rinse.

Nettles have more recently been proven effective in the treatment of allergies and hay fever. Fresh or freeze dried nettles can relieve symptoms such as sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, and a copious runny nose.

Although some people claim that plain dried nettles work to treat their allergy symptoms, the studies indicate that freeze dried or fresh leaves are more effective. If you try it I recommend the freeze dried. Eating or drinking so many fresh nettles might be too cleansing (if you get my drift.)

And I’m just scratching the surface here. Entire books (or at least chapters) have been written about the useful and healing powers of this humble plant.  Historically it was used as a diuretic, a natural dye, to treat rheumatism and joint stiffness and the strong, fibrous stems made rope, cloth and sails.

Perhaps the most bizarre use of this plant is to flog oneself with branches of the stinging leaves – to increase circulation and relieve pain in stiff joints and muscles. Some people still swear by this remedy for arthritis and rheumatism – but personally I think I’d pass.

Now that you know about all of its healing and nutritional benefits, it doesn’t seem so strange to consider eating a plant that can sting.

A Delightful Culinary Surprise

Once nettles have been cooked, they lose their sting and actually have a delectable flavor. Okay, it is perhaps an acquired taste, but since they can be prepared in countless ways, almost anyone can enjoy the nutritional benefits of nettles.

You can use them for anything you would use spinach for. Nettles just need to be cooked for longer. Nettle soup is a favorite, and that can be very simple and healthy as described here, or super rich with butter and cream (like a cream of spinach affair.) My husband Tim makes it often. He just sautées onions and garlic, adds diced steamed potatoes, boiled nettles, and milk. Then he throws the whole thing in the blender

Our newest favorite though is Nettle Shepherd’s Pie. Tim made this last month with our first nettle harvest. Scroll down for the recipe he used – but of course one of the greatest things about this sort of recipe is you can tweak it to fit your own tastes, dietary preferences, or what happens to be in your fridge. For example, you could used mashed cauliflower for the topping instead of potatoes. Don’t forget the nettles though!

It’s Easy To Collect Your Own Nettles

So now you’re all excited and ready to go out and harvest your own nettles? Just get out the gloves, a pair of scissors and a paper bag. A super safe way to go is to wear long rubber cleaning gloves. That way those sneaky nettles won’t brush against your arms raising their welts.

Be sure to choose plants that are growing away from the roadside where they are probably contaminated with car exhaust. And take care that you have identified the plant correctly (um, an easy way to do this is to touch it.) Cut only the tops of young plants. If the plant is flowering, it is no longer young or tasty.

Once you get the nettles home, put your rubber gloves back on and wash them thoroughly, trimming off the thick stems. If you’re not ready to prepare your culinary masterpiece quite yet, you can store them in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Or if you’re thinking about a future of blood-building nettle tea, you can hang nettles to dry, upside down, in bunches, well away from heat and light.

So next time you come across this “man eating plant,” don’t shrink away. Instead, take note of the spot to visit next year with your gloves and scissors.

Tim's nettle shepherd's pie. Yum!

Tim’s Nettle Shepherd’s Pie

1 medium onion
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
5 cloves garlic
1 cup shitake mushrooms or other mushrooms (optional)
4-8 tablespoons broth
Pinch of thyme
1/2 to 1 grocery bag fresh nettles, washed and stems removed. (They cook way down)
4 medium potatoes (red potatoes are great)
1/4-1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup milk or half and half
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375

Steam nettles for 20 minutes or until quite soft and mushy.

In separate skillet, sautee carrots, onions, garlic, celery, and optional mushrooms in vegetable broth or chicken north (or a tablespoon of coconut oil) Add nettles to mixture along with a pinch of thyme.

Peel and chop potatoes into quarters or eighths. Steam until soft. Place in bowl and mash in your favorite way. Here’s how Tim does it: add 1/2 stick butter and 1/2 cup milk or half and half. Add salt and pepper and mash until creamy.

Layer the nettle mixture in the bottom of an 8X8 glass baking dish or pie pan. Spread mashed potatoes over top. Brush the top of potatoes with milk, using a pastry brush. Bake about 45 minutes or until crispy brown. Serve hot.

How about you? Have you ever tried nettles? What’s your favorite way to prepare them and what do you use them for?

This post was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday at Mind Body and Sole