Wild Things:Dandelion Walnut Pesto

Dandelion Walnut Pesto
2 good handfuls of fresh dandelion greens (washed)
1 c olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 c toasted walnuts
salt and pepper to taste

blend in a food processor, serve! YUMMY!

Into the Mystic...

Misty spring mornings conjure images of Avalon. It hangs low over the newly budding land and drips along the banks of the river. It called me out to the bridge, a new place I've not yet been. 

 The bark on the trees glows in the moisture like freshly wet silk. 

 Striking features are illuminated. 

And dew quenches baby leaves.

A bridge between worlds, I walk into the mist with no expectations. I hear the rippling water and hazy breath of the forest. The smells floating are of watermint and cress.

I open my pores to the humid touch. 

And gaze quietly at the heron.

Aspen

 Populus tremuloides: Quaking Aspen.

A shimmer in the lace of the woods. Stark not-quite-white bark reaching tall, slender as paintbrushes. Hues of dull apple green tint the air suggesting ghosts of winter. Fruits hang in servitude. Claw shaped buds once sticky with resin crack open in silent celebration of solar rays. Catkins dust pollen generously like confectioner's sugar.

 Tribal marks in the landscape, streaking vernal pools and river bends. Songbirds take solace in the graceful, knobby arms. Powdery thin skin breathing in the sky, breathing out spring. Sturdy cracked ankles and fallen twigs. A beaver feast, beaver home. Canopy for forest flowers.

 Child of the great Willow family, traits like cousin Gilead. Pain soothing oils mark faint stains on old clothes. Bark tea sipped by Grandma, rocking in her chair in the humid twilight. Bright eyed child running wild, too wild; binds strong fomentation along a fractured wrist. Aspen whispers in April. Quakes in May. Shimmies in summer. Autumn's yellow skirt is too short.

 Trembling in visitations with breezes, shaking off nerves and fears. Warm ground holds steady. Papery hearts tickle with sound. Bitter thoughts warding off facades of humans. Innocent soils shared, enough is plenty.

 Great roots holding hands. Waters cleaned, turtles hide. Rich in history, stories of thaw, freeze, and burn. Morels play in May while ancient cultures multiply in microscopic millions. Fairies weave tapestries of mycelia and set them out to catch raindrops. Leprechauns tell jokes under thunderclouds. Fast in the wind fly cottony seeds, carrying with them a biodegradable future. Small wishes of mayflies copulate.

 Bent beauty, leaning ways, graceful unison. Spring fever cured and summer whims commence. Aspen reaches inside for strength, determining each color to paint the skyline. From all four winds of the continent, she dazzles the land. Hold her tusks as the animal of wisdom and courage. Travelling native, you quiver elegance.

Beltane Invocation

I'm calling you, wild

I'm coaxing you out of your snow-shell 

with my breath and green eyes

and longing for your leafy taste.


Demulcent rivers, swell.


Shocking bright eyelashes on trees, blink.

Dirt from the bear is shaken off, 


exchanged for bird seed and carrion.


Breaking skies, pussy willows, tease.


Kingfisher rattles and steals. 


The field is alive with change. 

I wrap hope around my neck and walk long walks


with friends


who find nettles. 


I eat the pollen laden alder catkins


inviting in every nuance.


The herons are feasting in the low waters


where phragmites glows like giant wheat


hiding eggs.

Stomp loud little bunny, wake her up


Shine hot bright sun, melt her heart


Cry in trills and thrills little peepers


sing her back

the Life Force formula webcast!

Just a heads up to those interested in Ayurveda.  Floracopeia is offering a FREE webcast next week called the Life Force Formula. 


Its totally free, and offered at 3 different times of the day so you can choose the time that works best for you.  Wednesday April 13th 10:00am, 3:00pm, 6:00pm (Pacific Standard Time)


It looks like a great offering and I'll be listening in as well!  
Sign up for the FREE webcast  Life Force Formula from Floracopeia

Tea of the Month Club!

Now Available

Tea of the Month Club!

You can join the Tea of the Month Club at any time through Poppy Swap- the online marketplace for herbalists (and believe me, if you haven't checked it out, you should go there right NOW to see what you are missing)- or my Etsy Store and choose from either a 6 or 12 month purchase.

With either option, you make one easy payment- and for the next 6 or 12 months you get a fresh tin of a new variety of tea sent directly to you (or your designated recipient- this makes a wonderful gift for tea lovers,) with nothing more to do!  Easy!

If you would like to join the Tea of the Month Club directly (bypassing Etsy or Poppyswap), please use the Paypal buttons below.  If you prefer to make payments on your Tea of the Month Club purchase, either monthly, or quarterly, rather than one large purchase, you can make those selections on payment plans below as well!

No catch, no reordering -  just freshly blended, medicinal strength and delicious herbal tea blends straight from me to you.  The selections will be seasonally appropriate and will include some of our favorite blends currently available (like Faery Nectar, Artemis Elixir, Banish the Blues, and Belly Bliss) along with new varieties as they are available (look for teas for the Cross Quarter days, Elements and more!)

The best part about this is you can join the Tea of the Month club at ANY TIME through Poppy Swap, Etsy, or using the Paypal links below!  There is no registration deadline, no limits on how many members, and no worries for you. 

A New Offering- Floralia Botanical Photography

After years and years of taking photographs of beautiful flowers and plants, both macro, botanical and artistic, I've decided to open a venue to share these photographs with the world. 
FLORALIA

Floralia is both a tribute to the plant world in all their glory, a way to honor and appreciate the healing powers of the plants without harvesting leaf nor bud, and something I love dearly.  I've spent countless hours wandering deserts, forests, rivers, and valleys taking pictures of plants, and find that some of my deepest healing and connection with the plants comes in these times, seeing them through the artistic lens of the camera. 
Some plants hide and don't take photographs well when they aren't ready, and others will shine forth brightly, practically begging to be photographed, and shot after shot will turn out perfectly composed.    I hope that you will find something beautiful that speaks to your wild and green heart at Floralia, and know that it supports me both in my work, and my pleasure. 

Currently offering 8 x 10 prints of a select number of botanical photographs and photographic art (a photographic image that has been edited software to enhance and create something new and exciting- a revealing of the inner nature of the plant, the moment, or an emotion). 

In the future I will be offering small sized prints, some larger sizes, note cards and more.  If you are looking for a specific plant or size photo please contact me. I have thousands of plants in photograph which I can print to order for you. 
Here's a small taste of what you will find at Floralia.   
 Please stop by and check out everything I have to offer currently.  New pieces are added regularly!