Protected: Salt River wild horse preservation begins in 2018

By Ashlee DeMartino, 3TV/CBS 5

“We are a little slow on the draw, here, but hats off to Simone and our good friends at Salt River Wild Horse Management Group, job well done.” ~ R.T.

The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group celebrated with champagne. (Source: 3TV/CBS 5)

SALT RIVER, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) – With champagne in hand, the volunteers with the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group chanted and cheered on Monday.

“We are not just celebrating New Year’s today, we are celebrating that we preserved a true piece of Arizona history,” said Simone Netherlands from the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group.

The Salt River wild horses are officially protected.

“They are protected from harassment, from shooting. They are protected from someone causing them any injury and protected from slaughter,” said Netherlands.

If anyone…

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Healthy Lungs: Health Benefits of Chapparel

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

There’s good news for sufferers of upper respiratory ailments. Chaparral is a flowering plant found in the deserts of southwest North America that may provide relief via its natural, organic compounds. Native Americans have historically appreciated chaparral for lung detox and addressing respiratory problems such as symptoms of bronchitis, cold, and congestion.

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NM Memorial Means to Murder Wild Horses

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Unedited Report from The Taos News

“A Senate Joint Memorial wants the U.S. Department of Interior to better manage a growing wild horse population even if that means euthanasia and unrestricted sales to people who might haul the animals off to meat-packing plants in Mexico…”

The memorial is sponsored by Sen. Pat Wood, a Republican from Broadview, New Mexico, who represents Curry, Quay and Union counties.

New Mexico’s Wild Horse’s Fate?

More than 50,000 wild horses now roam public lands, and too few people exist to adopt them all, according to a legislative analysis of the bill.

The memorial asks the federal government to “follow the federal Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and utilize all of the management tools provided in that act, including unrestricted sales and euthanasia, to achieve ecologically sustainable wild horse and burro populations. Additionally, this memorial encourages Congress to restore funding to that department to…

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What Is Orris Root?

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Iris pallida

Also, Known As

Dalmatian Iris
Orris Root
Sweet Iris

The term orris root is used to denote the roots of a number of species, including Iris germanica, Iris pallida and Iris florentina. They have a very sweet fragrance, which is more distinct in some bearded irises compared to others. The aroma of the flowers of a particular species known as Iris pallida is considered to be the best. In fact, it is difficult for one to miss the characteristic fragrance of this flower, which blooms during spring. Just take a sniff of the aroma and you will surely admit that its smell is akin to that of grape soda.

The flowers of Iris pallida measure about four inches in diameter and appear in the later part of spring. Every branched stem of this plant bears anything between two and six attractive pale bluish-purple blooms.

Native to Croatia, this…

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Blue Flag: Wild Irisis

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Iris versicolor

Also, Known As:

Blue Flag
Blue Iris
Flag Lily
Fleur-de-lis
Flower-de-luce
Iris
Liver Lily
Poison Flag
Snake Lily
Water Flag
Wild Iris

Blue flag (botanical name, Iris versicolor) is also known as wild iris and it prevails nearly all over the West. The appearance of the blue flag is similar to that of the common iris, having elongated lance-shaped leaves and decorated with a pale lavender or bluish-purple bloom just a bit lesser in size compared to the garden varieties. In effect, the blue flag is considered to be an affable plant which prefers to grow in clusters rather than growing in isolation. It is said that there is nothing more beautiful compared to walking across a complete meadow with a blue flag in bloom during the period between late June and early July.

The leaves of blue flag are slender, lance-shaped and have two levels of sword-shaped…

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Symbolism of Violet: February Birth Flower

Good Witches Homestead

The violet has a charming and long history of mythology. Greek myth states that Zeus fell in love with Io. Zeus was afraid that Hera, his wife, would discover him and Io, so he made Io into a white heifer. Zeus created the sweet-scented flower that we know as the violet for Io to eat while she was a heifer. Hera placed an insect pest on Io as the white heifer, so she roamed all over the land trying to free herself from the pest. Zeus finally caught the heifer and put his hand on her, and she turned back into Io. She gave birth to their child, who founded many nations.

Another Greek myth states that Persephone, a young lady, was walking in a field of violets when Hades saw her and fell in love with her. Hades took her to his kingdom of death and the world became…

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Taking up the Path of the Bard III: Practice makes Perfect

The Druid's Garden

“You have so much talent” or “I’m talented enough” are powerful statements, statements I hear on a regular basis from those who long for a creative practice. The idea of talent can cause an incredible amount of inaction, of people not feeling they are “good enough” to even try. I see this, in particular, with the visual arts. But the first time you put pen to paper, if you aren’t Picasso or Monet, you might as well forget about it. This larger cultural ideal, of course, seems at odds with the druid tradition where Eisteddfod and the channeling of Awen are central to our spiritual life. In the druid tradition, creativity isn’t about producing something of commercial value or high quality, its about the channeling of creativity for spiritual purposes. But for those coming out of mainstream Western culture with all of the cultural baggage, this can be difficult to…

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The Medicinal Properties and Health Benefits of Violets.

Good Witches Homestead

Violets have been known throughout history as a healing herb. An example that was proven by research was that Viola odorata contains phenolic glycosides, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, mucilage, and tannins among other things. These compounds work in several ways to cure ailments.

Violets have been known throughout history as a healing herb. Hippocrates, in the ancient times, classified the violet as a “moist” plant, which is best used for treating liver disorders as well as bad tempers. In the 16th century, the English used syrups made from violets for their laxative properties. Violet remedies were also used for pleurisy, epilepsy, and jaundice. Culpepper, a 17th-century herbalist states that “All the violets are cold and moist while they are fresh and green, and are used to cool any heat or distemperature of the body.” He personally recommends the use of violet concoctions to treat various skin and eye disorders, as well…

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The Energies of February

Good Witches Homestead

The start of February is the midpoint between the December solstice and the March equinox, an occasion traditionally marked by the Celtic fire festival Imbolc, a celebration that honours the slowly returning light in the northern hemisphere. The corresponding festival for those in the southern hemisphere is Lammas, which traditionally celebrates the gathering in of the first fruits of the year’s harvest and serves as a reminder to conserve inner resources for the approaching autumn/winter season. So where ever you may be in the world, the beginning of February is a good time to pause, breath and connect with nature in gratitude for the season’s offerings.

On January 31st we had a powerful full moon lunar eclipse that will most likely already have provided you with illumination on some of the themes likely to be resonating for you in February’s energy flow.

Not only was this event a super moon…

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Primrose: The Flower of February

Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: primrose
GENUS: Primula
SPECIES, HYBRIDS, CULTIVARS:
P. denticulata-lavender, purple, or white flowers; grows to 12 inches. P. japonica ‘Millar Crimson’-flowers whorled around 24-inch stem; blooms May-June. P. polyanthus-best known; colors are red, pink, blue, gold, and white, all with small yellow eyes.
FAMILY: Primulaceae
BLOOMS: spring
TYPE: perennial
DESCRIPTION: Primroses form an attractive rosette of crinkly, light green leaves. The flowers are generally brightly colored and occur in tight bundles on individual stems above the leaves.
CULTIVATION: Needing partial shade, primroses thrive in well-drained, rich soil. They are indigenous to cool, moist meadows and woodland environments Duplicating these conditions as closely as possible will create the best growing conditions for primroses. The soil should not be allowed to dry completely. To retain vigorously blooming plants, divide clumps every four to five years. Seeds should be sown in midsummer for bloom the following spring.