Author: Paula Cas

I write fiction, non-fiction, verbiage for all our websites, and have been publishing my fan fiction on my various sites for many years. https://paulacas.com I am a Spiritual Medium and use Tarot cards as one my primary tools in doing readings. For 30 plus years have been doing readings in settings from my living room to truck stops. I tell you what Spirit wants you know for your betterment, not what you think you need to know. I’ve worked on computers since before there was such a creature as Windows. A Mountain Maryland native, but have spent years spent living in Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Arizona. My husband, Oro Cas, and I spent 10 years driving tractor-trailer across the 48 contiguous states. Oro Cas and I produced and hosted Internet Radio shows on BlogTalk Radio, video productions on KDCL Media and Oro Expeditions YouTube Channels.

Herbs for Visionary Work at the Winter Solstice

The Druid's Garden

Plants are our medicine, our teachers, our friends, and help us connect deeply to spirit in a wide variety of ways including through spiritual work. Long before recorded history, our ancient ancestors used plants of all kinds. Ötzi, the ancient ancestor who was preserved in ice and who lived between 3400 and 3100 BCE, was found with multiple kinds of plants and mushrooms, including birch polypore (a medicinal mushroom) and the tinder fungus, a mushroom often used for transporting coals starting fires. I love plants, and I love the ancestral connections and assistance that they can provide. In more recent history, we can look to a variety of cultures that use plants in ways that help alter or expand consciousness.

What better time to do some deep visionary work than at the winter solstice, when the world is plunged in darkness? It is in these dark times that we…

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Foraging Wild Mushrooms — Online Course Is Now Open For Enrollment!

Greetings!

The winter mushroom season is almost upon us, and at the request of those eager to pursue educational opportunities during the winter months, I’ve decided to open the doors to Foraging Wild Mushrooms for the next 7 days.

This 4-season online course is designed to help you safely, successfully, and confidently forage wild mushrooms from the forest, from the field, and even from your own backyard.

Whether you’re interested in foraging for food, for medicine, for study, or just for fun, Foraging Wild Mushrooms covers the most important lessons to get you started.

In addition to over 70 step-by-step exclusive and instructional videos included within the course, you’ll also receive:

Supplemental handouts covering mushroom anatomy, terminology, and biology that you can download and print for easy viewing.
A 42-page guide to medicinal mushrooms that summarizes the latest research on the most popular medicinal fungi with over 75 peer-reviewed references.
Immediate and lifetime access to all materials.

Additionally, a portion of all proceeds derived from course sales will be donated to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy — a nonprofit organization whose mission it is to protect and restore exceptional places and forests for the benefit of present and future generations.

Since 1932, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has protected more than a quarter-million acres of natural places. To express gratitude, and to ensure that these and many more wild places exist for generations to come, I find it imperative to support organizations that in turn directly support the land.

Therefore, a portion of all proceeds derived from this enrollment period will be donated to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy for use in land conservation.

Please note that enrollment for Foraging Wild Mushrooms is open for one week only — from today until Monday, December 21st. After that, enrollment will be closed for the season.

To learn more about the course, check out this video which gives an overview of what you can expect.

Thanks for your continued support, and I hope to see you in there!
—Adam Haritan

Christmas Herbs of Trinidad, Part I

The Herb Society of America Blog

By Amy Forsberg

Trinidad_tobago-es I was visiting my mother just a few weeks before Christmas in 2017. She had recently moved to a wonderful small family-run assisted living home. The owner, Ann Abdul, asked me if I’d like to taste some “sorrel drink” she had made for the holiday season. I had no idea what that was. It looked Christmassy–a brilliant ruby red. I took a sip, and the most delicious taste filled my mouth. It was a rich, complex, and unfamiliar burst of flavors. But it tasted like Christmas, too—it was sweet, and I thought I could detect cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla. But it also tasted a bit like lemonade with a pronounced citrusy tartness. I loved it, and I had to know more!

Ann and her family are from Trinidad, and over the next two years, I learned so much from her about Trinidad cuisine and culture. The island…

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New Moon in Capricorn Lunar Energy Report | Entering the Wolf Moon Cycle

This is our final new moon of the year and it is opening a very eventful new cycle for us. This new moon brings with it great opportunities for change and transformation. Not only is this a new moon, it is also a Solar Eclipse!

During this cycle we will see the Winter Solstice and on the same day, the Great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn that will shift humanity into a new stage of evolution.

You might not be able to see the eclipse, but you will feel it. You won’t want to forget setting an intention on the new moon!

The moon turns new on the 14th of December in the sign of Sagittarius and Capricorn. It spends a bit of time in each for this new moon eclipse.

Read original article at: Spirit de la Lune ~ New Moon in Capricorn Lunar Energy Report

Cinnamon – Herb of the Month

The Herb Society of America Blog

By Maryann Readal

Cinnamon is the name for several plant species in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is a small tropical evergreen tree with aromatic leaves and bark. The spice, cinnamon, is the bark of the tree which has been shaved, rolled, and dried into the familiar tubes called “quills.”

cinnamon_1 Creative Commons The two most common cinnamon species are “true” or Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) and cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum aromaticum). “True” cinnamon is grown in Sri Lanka. Cassia cinnamon is grown in Southeast Asia and is the one found in the spice section of your grocery store. The two cinnamons differ in taste and color, with the “true” cinnamon having a more subtle, delicate flavor and a lighter color. It is also more expensive. The picture is a good illustration of the difference between the two cinnamons. The cinnamon on the left is the coarser cassia cinnamon. The…

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How To Work With Alchemy Crystal For Transformation

Alchemy was the ancient predecessor of our modern science of chemistry, and was practiced in secret for thousands of years in ancient China, Egypt and Greece, right up to medieval France and England.In crystal healing the approach to alchemy is figurative, meaning turning lead (our wounds, shadow selves, illness) to gold (light, consciousness, health).When we do energy clearings with crystals, we are transmuting lower, harmful frequencies into higher frequencies of light and harmony.It’s a form of energy alchemy – as we heal and grow, we transform. Whether or not life is prolonged can be debated, but it is certainly enriched.If you’re looking to create significant change in your life, yourself, or your world, you can work with alchemy stones to help initiate or effect powerful inner and outer transformation.

Find out which crystals are the alchemy stones + how to work with them!

Eclipse season, which generally invites more change + upheaval, is capping off what has already been a dramatically challenging year.

But there’s no need to worry or fear, there are spiritual ways you can navigate this eclipse season with alignment and mastery.

In this video I guide you through a transformational crystal healing practice with quartz, labradorite, and smoky quartz, to help you attune to higher frequencies, come into alignment with divine cosmic energy, and walk your path of mastery with wisdom and grace.

Recommended Crystal Healing Practices for December

We’ve made it to the last month of 2020, but while the Decembers of years passed may have invited reflection and celebration, the vibe of this December feels more to me like one of continued uncertainty, exhaustion, and trepidatious curiosity of what 2021 may bring.

If it holds true that we are indeed in a holographic Universe, and that our thoughts, intentions, and energy are what help to co-create our reality, then how we are aligned and empowered matters more than ever.

The thing is, when it comes to shifting our energy during fraught or fearful times, we usually need some help.

How do we stay connected with our light, and in alignment with our soul’s highest guidance + radiance in these times?

I’ve been guided to share the crystal practices and guidance below to help us do just that.

Continue reading →

Herbal Hacks, Part 2: Crafts, Health, and Beauty

The Herb Society of America Blog

From the calming characteristics of lavender to the practice of pressing plants, our readers find all sorts of ways to add a bit of herbiness to their crafty arts and relaxing rituals. Please enjoy our next installment of reader-submitted herbal hacks–herbs for crafts, health, and beauty.

four-assorted-color-petal-flowers_Columbine flowers via Pikrepo

I place a little crystal bowl of lavender buds on my bedside table. It helps me relax and get a good night’s sleep. – Janice Cox

Spray your pillow at night with lavender water for a relaxing sleep. – Kim Labash

If you are unfortunate enough to have an allergic reaction to poison ivy while working in your yard, did you know that jewelweed can help with the itchiness? It usually grows nearby. Just break off a stalk and rub the liquid onto the rash. – Janice Waite

I love pressing herbs and flowers in a phone book or microwave press. I use the…

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6 Trees You Can Easily Identify By Smell

As winter approaches, tree identification can pose many problems to those of us who typically rely on flowers, fruits, and foliage for clues.

Fortunately, trees don’t completely disappear during the coldest months, and although their winter outfits may conceal several diagnostic features, dormant trees still offer us a few critical pieces of information.

Take smell, for instance.

Many trees produce unique aromas and odors that can be detected when we scratch their fresh twigs. These aromas will oftentimes lead us to a positive identification when other features fail to do so.

In a brand new video, I discuss six trees that you can easily identify by smell. If you’re interested in improving your winter tree identification skills, check it out!

Unlike deciduous trees in my neck of the woods, many creatures do not go dormant during the winter season. I recently encountered this semi-aquatic animal while I was exploring the bank of a swift stream. Are you familiar with this carnivore? Check out the most recent Instagram post to learn more.Click to view post

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

-Adam Haritan

My Adventures in Making Corn Husk Paper

The Herb Society of America Blog

By Angela Magnan

Corn husks for papermaking After watching a video online about making paper from corn husks, I thought it would be fun to try. I had never made paper before, but the video made it look easy. Don’t they always?! I first made some using the husks from six ears. After it didn’t really go well, I bought a book with more detail and tried again.

But like many DIY projects that I try for the first time, or even the second, making paper out of corn husks reminded me that watching a video is no substitute for a detailed book, which in turn is no substitute for experience. It also reminded me that when trying something new, I should perhaps follow the directions.

Corn husks and stalks are some of the many plant materials commonly found in home gardens that can be made into paper. Grass and leaf fibers are some…

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