Diary of a Land Healer: March/April

by The Druid’s Garden

Mid-March – Crocus in the Snow

The landscape waits, with bated breath, for the warmth to finally arrive. The last two months have been unseasonably cold, and the longer that time passes, more anticipation is present in the air. The plants and buds swell, but are unwilling to come out while the temperatures still go into the teens at night. At Imbolc, Punxsutawney Phil, our local divination oracle, predicted six weeks of winter, but in truth, winter has turned from 6 weeks more, to 12 weeks more, and now almost to 18. Just two days ago, the weather broke, and it seems that spring is finally in the air. Here at the homestead, we are all growing weary. Each morning, my cat Acorn runs to the door, ready to go outside and explore. When I open the door for her, a breath of cold air hits her face and…

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Healing Properties of Labradorite

By Ashley Leavy

A Crystal Message about the Healing Properties of Labradorite: “You have the ability to achieve (or exceed!) your life goals by following your soul path and listening to your inner guidance.”

Common Healing Properties of Labradorite:

Enhances protection
Dispels negative energies
Helps you to form personal boundaries
Facilitates past life ascension or regression
Assists astral travel
Aids you in accessing the Akashic records and other esoteric knowledge
Balances the energy of the physical body with the etheric body
Increases conscious awareness
Facilitates intuitive development and psychic powers
Dispels fears
Increases faith
Strengthens trust
Facilitates mystical experiences
Stimulates the imagination and creativity
Removes illusion
Aids in acts of magic
Reveals the truth in any situation
Connects you with the Divine energy of the universe
Brings companionship
Treats symptoms of the common cold
Relieves arthritis pain
Regulates hormones
Can lower blood pressure by assisting with stress reduction

Colors: Light or dark gray with flashes of blue, yellow, green, gold, orange, pink, or purple

Associated Chakras: Third Eye (6th), Crown (7th)

Zodiac Signs: Scorpio, Gemini, Aquarius

Elements: Water, Air

Companion Flowers: Hemerocallis (Daylily)

Companion Essential Oil: Neroli (Orange Blossom)

Companion Stone: Rainbow Moonstone

Common Origins: Madagascar, Canada, Finland

Notes: The flash of color displayed in this stone is known as Labradoresence.

Wanna’ Get Science-y? Click Here to get information about the chemical composition, hardness, streak, etc. of this crystal from one of my favorite sites!

Mimosa Manager Cathy Douglas had this to share:

Labradorite has a lot in common with Moonstone: both are feldspars sharing the same basic makeup (Ca, Na)(Al, Si)4O8), and both show a distinctive, often-bluish inner shine that results when light reflects back from the inner planes of feldspar. But its darker color gives Labradorite a highly spiritual quality, so that people going through spiritual awakening or development often find themselves irresistibly attracted to it.

Safety note: Please don’t use Labradorite to make elixirs, since it contains aluminum.

Ashley Leavy is the founder & Educational Director at Love & Light School of Crystal Therapy

Crystals For Kids

By Nicole Piper

Sol Path Tarot and Crystal Reiki: https://www.facebook.com/solpathtarot/

On a recent trip to one of my favorite crystal shops, I had my boys in tow, ages 7 and 9. I did my usual thing where I grab a basket and start ransacking the crystals bins, and my kids asked if they could get something. That’s when it occurred to me that my house was full of crystals, like, I have crystals spread out on all flat surfaces of my home – but they were all mine. None of them were technically chosen or cared for by my kids, and I thought, why not? I preach the benefits of crystals all the time; I’m missing this huge opportunity to get my kids involved in this from a young age so that it’s second nature to them as they are growing up. So, I told them, yes, they could each choose one thing. It was sort of an experiment for me to see what they would choose and to figure out why they were drawn to that particular crystal, and the result was, as I expected and much to my delight, they both chose crystals that had properties pertaining to problems/issues they were currently experiencing.

My youngest suffers from night terrors, and he chose a Brown Striped Jasper sphere. Brown Striped Jasper happens to be known as “the supreme nurturer” stone, promoting tranquility and support during stressful times. It’s also effective at banishing nightmares. My oldest chose a huge chunk of Snowflake Obsidian, which helps keep you centered and focused and is a very effective grounding stone. He happens to suffer from flightiness and has difficulty maintaining attention and focus, especially in regard to school work.

It was so amazing to see them drawn to these stones that could help them, with no prompting on my part. I really believe that most kids are very “in tune” with themselves and with the energies of these stones. A lot of them haven’t been blocked by stress or anxiety or worry like us adults, therefore they can easily pick up the energy of crystals and have a sense of what to use them for. If you are thinking of getting your kids into crystals, maybe let them choose for themselves and then see which properties of those crystals may have called to them!

New Moon In Aries ~ What Needs To Change?

Dear all,

So all of you know by now that the New Moon time is a time to start fresh, but did you know that this energy will be tripled this Sunday?!

The New Moon happens on the same day when Mercury goes direct, it makes a powerful and a rare connection to Uranus, a planet of sudden change, and all three (+ the Sun) are in the sign of new beginnings!

If you have been feeling stuck in any area of your life, now is the time when things will finally start to move and maybe even faster than you’d want them to.

The strong Fire Element will provide the unstoppable energy of renewed excitement and passion, so if that’s what you had needed — you can look forward to it!

You can help it along by actively looking at what is it that you want to changewhile you hold Moldavite, Pietersite, or Blue Tourmaline (listed in order of intensity).

For some this change might be sudden or unexpected and if that is you, you can work with the smoky Quartz and Black Agate to feel more grounded.

The energy this whole weekend is quite supportive of any long-term transformation you want to make, so you can already start doing whatever you feel will move things along.

This is a great time to check out my “Awaken the Queen Within” program, which supports all your goals on a vibrational level so everything becomes easier to do http://crystalcosmopolitan.com/awaken-queen-within-program/

And I have a quick question for those you who are local:

I am putting together a schedule of crystal workshops for the rest of the year, some of them ones I’ve offered before and some new ones.

What topics would you like to see featured?

As always,

stay happy and healthy!

Brana Mijatovic, Ph.D.

http://crystalcosmopolitan.com/

http://www.universalenergywaves.com/

Honey Bees; Heros of Our Planet

By Crooked Bear Creek Organics

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Have you ever had the opportunity to observe the busy work of a tiny honey bee as it meanders from flower to flower on a clear, sunny day? There’s something truly captivating about honey bees that draw us deeper into their world. We see honey bees frequently in books, movies, and television, where they are often associated with making hives filled with delicious, golden honey. You might recall reading about a hungry bear character in search of the honey bee’s golden treasures in various children’s stories. Honey bees are known for their production of honey and beeswax, as well as the large role they play in the pollination of plants and flowers. Honey bees can also be considered super-organisms due to their complex social systems and dynamic, tight-knit interactions with one another and their environments.

Bee Species

There are actually seven recognized species of honey bee within the genus Apis…

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Indefinitely Wild; Foraging Wild Strawberries

By Good Witches Homestead

Good Witches Homestead

Once abundant, wild strawberries provided helpful medicine to Native Americans and early settlers.

Picture it; An abandoned field of wild strawberries, ripe and shimmering under a bright June sun. The field is isolated, bounded on three sides by leafy, benevolent hardwoods. A light breeze moves gently through the leaves and sparse grasses.

A Berry in History

I’m not alone, of course, in my love of this summertime fruit. The wild strawberry {Fragaria virginiana, or F. vesca} held a special place in the lives of several Native American tribes – in their mythology, diets, and medicine – which they shared with early settlers.

In Medicinal and Other Uses of North American Plants, Charlotte Erichsen-Brown reveals some uses of the wild strawberry plant through the eyes of early Europeans, whose research was likely based on what they learned from these native tribes as well as their own observations. From…

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IPM For The Herb Garden

By Crooked Bear Creek Organics

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Designed as an alternative to the rampant use of insecticides in agriculture, Integrated Pest Management has proven to be an effective means of promoting healthy growth in the backyard garden as well. Learn more about how you can implement this technique in your herb plot.

Even under the best of care, your herb garden may be affected by pests or disease at some point. It can be difficult to choose the right moment and method to deal with these problems that arise, but implementing an Integrated Pest Management {IPM} strategy can help get your garden on the right track. With its multipronged approach of prevention, observation, identification, and control {if necessary}, IPM can have a significant impact in any garden, large or small, and will reward you with healthy, thriving plants with minimal impact to the environment.

The concept of IPM was first explored by American scientists and agriculturalists after…

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Companion Planting with Herbs

By Crooked Bear Creek Organics

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Boost your garden this season with the right pairings of plants.

Companion planting is a fantastic addition to any garden. By specific plants next to certain fruits, flowers, and vegetables, you can boost their health and increase their production. Of course, knowing what pairings work best is key, especially when it comes to herbs.

How It Works

Companion planting improves growth in a number of ways. To start, some plants serve to repel unwanted pests while providing shelter and safety for beneficial insects. Others encourage pollination, which is especially needed for those fruits and vegetables that don’t have noticeable flowers. Species with bright shades of blue, white, or yellow and/or with high concentrations of nectar can attract bees to these lesser-flowered plants. Larkspur, sunflowers, sweet peas, cosmos, zinnias, and mints all do well in vegetable gardens {though the mint does spread quickly}. Companion planting is a wonderful tool for organic…

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The Common Backyard Plant That Treats Breast Cancer & Repairs Wounds

Greetings!

On Sunday, April 22nd, I’ll be leading the Wild Medicinal Mushroom Workshop at Una Biologicals in Pittsburgh. This is a 2-hour class that will focus on the medicinal properties and health benefits associated with various local wild fungi. Participants will learn the steps involved in making mushroom decoctions and tinctures, and everyone will receive starting materials to create a personalized medicinal mushroom extraction!

Space for this class is limited, and if you’re interested in attending, you can pre-register by following this link: Wild Medicinal Mushroom Workshop

Moving forward, let’s talk about Stinging Nettle.

Some people love it, and some people dislike it, though there’s no denying Stinging Nettle’s potential role in treating serious illnesses.

Last year, I filmed a video in which I discussed this plant’s ability to treat type 2 diabetes, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and allergies.

Since then, many more scientific studies have been published on Stinging Nettle’s therapeutic qualities.

For example, in the past two years, three studies have documented Stinging Nettle’s ability to treat breast cancer. Another recent study discovered that Stinging Nettle can significantly enhance the wound-healing process. And one more recent study evaluated the best way to make an infusion (i.e. “tea”) from Stinging Nettle in order to extract the maximum amount of vitamin C (which itself is associated with numerous health benefits).

After personally digging into the research on Stinging Nettle, I felt the need to share the latest information with you. If you’re interested in optimizing your personal health utilizing locally sourced, wild edible plants… check out this brand new video!

Thanks for reading and watching, and perhaps I’ll see you at the Wild Medicinal Mushroom Workshop on April 22nd!

-Adam Haritan

The Power of Pungent Herbs

By Crooked Bear Creek Organics

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Energetically warming herbs and spices can help us spark a little fire in the body by improving digestion, boosting circulation, moving out congestion, and more. Not only that, they’re readily available in our pantries, lending themselves to some tasty medicine.

When it comes to herbal flavors and actions, many of our most potent and memorable herbs are “pungent.” Think of those foods you use in cooking to add a kick to your dishes – ingredients like garlic, onions, horseradish, ginger, cayenne pepper, black pepper, mustard, and turmeric. These all add a whopping dose of spice and flavor, but they also play an important role in herbal medicine, providing warmth and reviving bodily systems.

Heating Up The Body

Pungent herbs are particularly popular during the colder months because they boost circulation, warm our bones, enhance digestion {of those harder -to- digest starchy storage crops and meats of winter}, stimulate the senses, help move…

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