Poison Hemlock — The Plant We Love To Hate

Poison hemlock gets an incredibly bad rap these days.

It’s weedy. It’s aggressive. And it’s lethally toxic.

Here in the United States, poison hemlock grows in almost every single state. Because many of us will inevitably encounter a naturalized population of poison hemlock, it’s important that we learn its key features and its effects on the human body.

The trend these days is to write scathing articles about poison hemlock where personal feelings eclipse objective information. Today, however, I’ll offer something different.

In a new video, I don’t get too angry talking about poison hemlock, but I instead try to remain fairly neutral when discussing its attributes.

If you’re interested in learning more about one of the most toxic plants in the world, check out the brand new video!

Last year, I stumbled upon a pileated woodpecker nest for the first time. Exactly one year later, I encountered a second site in a different location. To read about my recent experience, and to view more photographs of the nest, check out the latest Instagram post!Click to view post

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

-Adam Haritan

Where has the Goddess Gone?

Who are You?

Sacred Trees in the Americas: Juneberry Tree (Amelanchier spp., Serviceberry, Shadbush, Sasakatoon) Medicine, Magic, and Divination — The Druid’s Garden

Juneberry Tree in Abundance We are now at the time when it is at peak throughout the Eastern US and thus,it is a great time to learn about this wonderful tree. Juneberry, also known as Amelanchier, Serviceberry, Saskatoon, or Shadbush is a grouping of 20 deciduous small trees or large shrubs. Juneberry is a delightful understory […]
Sacred Trees in the Americas: Juneberry Tree (Amelanchier spp., Serviceberry, Shadbush, Sasakatoon) Medicine, Magic, and Divination — The Druid’s Garden

HOW TO RECLAIM POWER FROM YOUR SHADOW SELF

I often make mention of the shadow self here on my blog, and it’s the basis of a full module of training in my Pro Crystal Healer program, due to the immensely painful effect it has on our lives.

That being said, the shadow can be misunderstood or misrepresented as our inner villain, but it’s more closely defined as our wounded self, or wounded warrior.

It is a keeper of all the darker aspects and archetypes of our humanity.

It’s also a big part of what makes us human.

You could think of your shadow as your lower frequency or “lower vibe” self.

It’s the pain, the doubts, the sorrows, the fears, the regrets, the shames, the violence, the hatred, the envy, and the resentments we carry with us through life, and it’s largely formed in our childhood (though we continue to add to it as adults).

Some people in the spiritual community try to inauthentically bypass their shadow selves, through forced positivity, spiritual superiority, or an imposed “love and light” sentimentality.

But the honest truth is that most human beings seek to bypass the shadow. That’s actually a part of the shadow self’s defense system – it wants to be in control, but it does not want to be exposed.

Read complete article at: Krista Mitchell ~ How To Reclaim Power From Your Shadow Self

Solar Eclipse in Gemini Lunar Report | Entering the Blessing Moon

The first solar eclipse of the year takes place on the 10th of June in the sign of Gemini. A solar eclipse is an extra powerful new moon because the moon crosses in front of the sun, darkening it’s light. This solar eclipse is an annular solar eclipse, so not all of the sun will be darkened. Instead we will see a ring of light around the sun.

Solar energy represents the masculine, which is perfectly aligned and supporting the lunar feminine energy. The moon is in between the earth and sun in an exact alignment for a portal to open.

A solar eclipse gives us an important opportunity for a major rebirth. Solar eclipses impact the next 6 months, opening up opportunities to help us accelerate our progress. There are many new possibilities and timelines ahead. You are being asked to make conscious decisions to align to and step into the path that you truly desire.

A solar eclipse opens a portal and creates a threshold for you to cross.

You might feel yourself shifting in major ways this month. Embrace the new you and allow the old you to stay in the past. Remember that it might take some time for things to manifest into physical form. Continue to do the work, trust your intuition and allow the new frequencies to lift you up.

Read complete article at: Spirit de la Lune ~ Solar Eclipse in Gemini Lunar Report | Entering the Blessing Moon

Camellia sinensis – Herb of the Month

The Herb Society of America Blog

By Maryann Readal

Camellia_sinensis_Bois_Cheri by Pancrat via Wikipedia Commons Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, after water. Countless books have been written about tea, which is the leaf product of this herbal shrub, Camellia sinensis. The history of C. sinensis and its product goes back almost 5,000 years, and it is believed to be one of the oldest plants cultivated by humans. C. sinensis is truly a plant that has been responsible for wars, influenced social customs worldwide, inspired religious practices, and, of course, has lifted many troubled and tired spirits with its medicinal properties.

Camellia sinensis is an evergreen shrub or small tree that is usually trimmed to about six feet when cultivated for its leaves. It thrives in acidic, rich soil where rainfall is adequate throughout the year, and grows in dappled shade to full sun. It is winter hardy in zones 7-9 when grown as a landscape shrub…

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Sacred Actions: Living the Wheel of the Year Through Earth-Centered Sustainable Practices

The Druid's Garden

Sacred Actions book!

I’m really excited to announce that my new book through REDFeather / Shiffer Publishing is now availableo! The Book is titled Sacred Actions: Living the Wheel of the Year Through Earth-Centered Sustainable Practices. I wanted to give you an introduction to the book and the concepts behind the book. If you’ve been reading the blog for any length of time, you’ll see a great deal of familiarity: my explorations and writing on this blog shaped this book, although the book goes well beyond the blog. In a nutshell, Sacred Actions presents a hybridization of nature spirituality, sustainable living, and permaculture practices and ethics. I can’t wait to introduce it to you in today’s post!

Order in the US or UK from the Publisher (available now). Pre-order from Amazon (US) or Amazon (UK). Pre-Order in Australia from Booktopia.

As I’ve written on this blog before…

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Herbal Hacks, Part 4: Herbs for the Home

The Herb Society of America Blog

This is our last installment of reader-submitted herbal hacks – herbs for the home. We hope they’ve inspired you to use herbs in new and creative ways. Enjoy!

bees-insects-pollen-lavender-flowers-garden_Creative commons via Pxfuel

When your “Italian herbs” (whether store-bought or home-mixed) reach the end of their tasty usefulness, place them in the coffee grinder and pulverize. Then, mix equal parts herbs and baking soda and strew over your wool carpet. Let sit for one hour or overnight, then vacuum. It is surprisingly deodorizing and refreshing! – Lisa de Vries

20210503_162231 Got a big patch of lemon balm in the garden? Freshen up your sink disposal after trimming the lemon balm leaves to use in salads! Stuff the stems down the drain and whirr away for lemony freshness. – Peg Deppe

I drop lavender essential oil on wool dryer balls for a fresh fragrance on my laundry. – Cynthia Wheeler

I fill large tea bags with lavender…

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Druid Tree Workings: Exercises for Deepening Tree Relationships

The Druid's Garden

A wonderful tree to get to know!

Trees are wonderful and amazing beings, true teachers, friends, and wonderful introductory guides to nature’s mysteries. Sometimes though, we don’t realize what a powerful impact different trees have had on our lives. As one step towards cultivating a deep relationship with trees, this week I offer a series of exercises that can help you explore your memories of trees and see what existing connections you may already have.

These exercises and meditations can help you develop relationships with trees or deepen relationships that you’ve already started. You can do them either as meditations or as freewriting activities. Discursive meditation or journey work would be appropriate if you wanted to use these as meditation tools. In a discursive meditation, you might meditate on the question or theme given (in each exercise) and work through your thoughts. In a journey meditation, you would use the…

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