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Mullein
Latin Name: Verbascum thapsus Family: Scrophulariaceae I still laugh out loud thinking about the Leaves and Roots customer back in the 90s who legally changed her name to “Verbascum” after a long love affair with the plant ally Mullein. We all lovingly called her Verbie for short, and really, who could blame her? This roadside “weed” is abundant in temperate climates and brings such profound medicine with a gentle strength, no wonder she adopted its moniker as her own in homage. . Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a prolific plant of European origin that grows abundantly in disturbed soils, roadsides, and meadows throughout most of the temperate United States. This biennial plant is…
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[ Recipe! ] Mint Chocolate Lip Balm
Salves, ointments, and balms, all these different options can leave one feeling confused when it comes time to pick a topical remedy to treat a skin disorder. Which one is the right choice for you? Relax, there is no reason to feel confused any longer, the truth is they are all the same thing. Salves, or ointments as some prefer to call them, are topical remedies used to treat all manner of skin disorders from chapped lips, bug bites and cuts and scrapes to more serious issues like hives, rashes and eczema. And, because the skin is porous, salves can also be applied topically to treat internal issue like sore…
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Are Flower Essences Safe for Our Furry Friends?
Flower essences are a beautiful and safe method of healing that have an important place in every herbalist’s apothecary. They’re easy to understand, simple to make, safe to use, and incredibly affordable. One of my favorite aspects of teaching about flower essences is how safe they are to use! Because flower essences are made using 3 steps of dilution, there are no contraindications – the worst that can happen is nothing! They’re so safe that you can use them with your animal friends. Indeed that’s one of my favorite ways of using them, as a cat mama! When I brought my first cat home, he was covered in fleas. I…
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Autumnal Equinox – Friday, September 22, 2017
On Friday September 22, 2017, the Sun will enter Libra, crossing the equator and marking the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the Vernal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. The name ‘equinox’ comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). On the equinox, day and night are equal in length, caused by Earth’s tilt on its axis and ceaseless orbit around the sun. We have an equinox twice a year – spring and fall – when the tilt of the Earth’s axis and Earth’s orbit around the sun combine in such a way that the axis is inclined neither away from nor toward the sun. Here in Florida, when Autumn Equinox arrives, we observe in nature that the…
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Ten Year Anniversary of the Bodhi Garden
Happy 10th Birthday, Bodhi Tree! In 2020, The Florida School of Holistic Living home base relocated to Altamonte Springs, FL. We are no longer stewards of the Bodhi Tree Garden, but the history of our time in the garden remains alive on this page. In the summer of 2007, the board of the Florida School of Holistic Living gathered to consider how we could contribute in a more meaningful way to the Thornton Avenue neighborhood to which we had just moved our school. Staring at an eroded patch of sand on the property, and desiring for more green space with which to teach our students about plants, we began to…
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Herbal Support for Insomia
Written by Lisa Ray. — It is an interesting coincidence that I am writing this on Sunday night since typically this was the night of the week where sleep used to elude me. Typically on Sunday night, I would get 2-4 hours of sleep, sometimes none at all. It was frustrating, staring at the ceiling desperately needing sleep, endlessly tossing/turning…exhausted. What a horrible way to start out a busy work week! The cycle of sleep deprivation would continue through the rest of the week where only massive intakes of caffeine and sugar would allow me to “make it through the day”. This self-medicating process would begin a Catch 22 cycle…
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An Introduction to Permaculture
Written by our friends at Orlando Permaculture — The term permaculture comes from the words “permanent” and “culture. “ However, many people have different definitions for permaculture and rightly so. The reason for this is that permaculture can be a mix of things. It is a way to design creative strategies as well as long-term solutions. It involves processes based upon the observations and patterns of nature. Permaculture can even be an approach to navigate your everyday inner world. Just as diverse and varied our natural systems around the world, so are the applications of permaculture. It is a way of thinking that’s ahead of its time, but also connects…
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Relaxing Summertime Herbal Tea Blend Recipe
Now that summer is coming to an end, the kids are getting ready to go back to school and the family is beginning to settle into their new routines for the upcoming school year, now is a good time to carve out some “me time” in your new routine. A delicious hot cup of a relaxing herbal tea blend while soaking in a warm scented herbal bath sounds just divine to me, don’t you agree? Heres a recipe for one of my favorite relaxing herbal tea blends. Relaxing Herbal Tea Blend Recipe Step 1: Place equal parts of the following herbs in a jar with a tight fitting…
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Chaya
I cringe when I hear the word “superfood” uttered in a mixed crowd. Between GOOP and Dr Oz, health and nutrition fads fill up my Facebook feed daily, and they fade into distant memory as quickly as they come. But many years ago, on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, I was introduced to a plant that may among the few that truly qualify for this acclaimed title! That plant was Chaya (Cnidoscolus chayamansa or C. aconitifolius) , a hearty cactus-like tree that produces edible leaves. Multiple types of Chaya can now be found on permaculture farms throughout the tropics. Chaya is used throughout Central America as a food staple, especially…
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Answer the call of the Plants – Community Herbalist Program
Have you been called by the plants into service? … amazed and transformed by the wisdom of the plants …. desire to share their teachings with others? Our Community Herbalist Program can help be the guide on your continuing path with the plants. The Community Herbalist Program is an nine-month journey into the world of professional herbalism. We deeply explore the herbs in our Materia Medica, and the herbs in the wild around us through research, presentations, and plant walks. We guide our family and the community, supervised by professional herbalists, to grow more confident in our sharing of this wisdom with others. Community Herbalist Program includes rich, guided hands-on study,…
Learn Herbalism in Florida and Globally
