|
My 10
Favorite Things About Spring
by Doreen Shababy
What
a great time of year this is, Spring, so full of promise and wonder. I
found it difficult to narrow down what I like best about the season,
not the least of which is Cinco de Mayo (one of the anniversaries my
husband and I share, plus another great excuse to eat Mexican food).
Here are ten of my favorite springtime indicators… what are yours?
10. More Daylight
I live up north at approximately 48° latitude, which means the vernal
equinox is a much-celebrated event amongst the local gardeners, chicken
farmers, and bush hippies alike. Bright, beautiful, glorious spring!
Idaho panhandle winters tend toward mostly cloudy skies with
intermittent snow and rain, leaving a multitude of chuckholes and mud
whomps to deal with. Many a savvy mountain gal owns a pair of dress
Wellies for this muddy transition between winter and summer, but who
cares? The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and it’s finally
spring.
9. Buttercups, the
earliest wildflower
This time of year I take a special detour on my way home from town,
just to see if the buttercups have begun to bloom. It’s along a
crumbling stretch of the old highway, with south-facing cliffs
overlooking the lake and the shadowy Monarch Mountains on the other
side. Sometimes the cliffs “weep” with spring run-off, where, on a
verdant mossy bench, tiny yellow flowers constellate the lush
landscape. It is so worth taking the long way home.
8. Snakes, frogs, and
turtles
I’m very fortunate that I live where all the snakes are friendly and
non-poisonous. Our garden area has been home to a garter snake family
for at least ten years; I don’t know how long their actual lifespan is,
but the babies keep showing up each spring, with Big Mama toolin’
around and through and under the raised beds with the greatest of ease.
The snakes eat insects that might eat our veggies, so they are most
welcome. Out near the creek bottoms, the cacophony of frog song in the
evening is another welcome spring event, as is the appearance of
turtles basking on logs in the slow-flowing side-channel of the river;
I have to be careful not to drive my truck off the road craning my neck
to see them.
7. Baby animals,
including ducklings and goslings.
Click
here
to
read
the full article.
Back to Top
|
An
Interview
with Doreen Shababy Author of The
Wild & Weedy Apothecary
by
Llewellyn
1. Your new book, The
Wild
& Weedy Apothecary, is a compendium of uses for herbs. I
know about using herbs in my kitchen, but what else can I use them for?
One
thing I love about herbs is their variety, and growing them simply to
beautify your yard or patio is an excellent way to use them. Looking at
the colors and textures, inhaling the fabulous aromas, gives one a
feeling of vibrancy. Most common herbs are easy to grow, and a
well-established, locally-owned nursery should have an informed staff
to help you with growing requirements.
Since
herbs have been used externally on the hair and skin since time began,
there’s no reason to stop now. Whether you’re applying a chickweed
poultice to a yellow jacket sting, or pouring a sage leaf decoction
over your gloriously graying hair, herbs are a readily available
alternative to most over-the-counter preparations. They can sometimes
be a messy alternative, and more time-consuming, but they cause few
side effects (when used accordingly) and are certainly much more fun.
Herbs can take us in a slower, perhaps
more thoughtful direction. Most of the herbal remedies mentioned in The Wild & Weedy
Apothecary make
use of simple tea blends for symptoms such as sore throat or clogged
sinuses or menstrual cramps. Herb tea, and the preparation of it,
is a gentle, enjoyable way to nurture yourself and others, and perhaps
that is the very best medicine of all.
2.
Can all the herbs mentioned in your book be personally grown or easily
acquired? From where do you recommend readers procure their herbs?
Click here
to read
the full interview.
Back
to Top
|
The Hats We Wear in Tarot
by Janina Renée
Looking through a typical Tarot deck, you
find that human characters in the cards are distinguished by many
different kinds of headwear. Tied in with the symbolic conflation of
hat, head, and mind, headgear says something about different states of
consciousness. Tarot author Janina Renée explores the many meanings of
hats, crowns, and other headwear in the Tarot.
Read
More
5 Herbs for Healing
by Ellen Evert Hopman
Spring is a time for skinned knees, bug
bites, and other injuries as we (and the sleeping Earth) emerge from
our hibernation. There are many herbal remedies than can be used to
comfort and heal. Ellen Evert Hopman, author of The Druid Isle and Priestess of the Forest, details five such
herbs.
Read
More
Court Cards, Part IV: The Pages
of Tarot
by Barbara Moore
Learning the meanings of tarot cards is generally not that difficult;
even small children can learn to associate a meaning with a particular
card or describe what is happening (as far as illustrated Minor Arcana
are concerned) in an image. That said, the majority of taroists will
agree that the trouble lies in the Court Cards. In this fourth
installment in a series on the Court Cards, tarot expert Barbara Moore
delves into the Pages of the Tarot.
Read More
Back
to Top
|
|
|
