Identifying Artemesia

After I wrote the post on how to make moxa, I came across some of my photos of different species of Artemesia. I hope these are helpful for those looking to make moxa or identify artemesia in their neighborhood. These photos were taken in the Bastyr University garden last summer.

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How to Make Moxa

Moxabustion is a Traditional Asian Medical technique of smoking/smudging the body with the prepared wool of Artemesia/Mugwort.  It is most commonly used during acupuncture treatment but can is also very effective as it’s own therapy. Traditionally, the medicine was developed from whatever species of the plant was growing regionally. I’m not sure why but it [...]

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Universal Guidelines for Herbal Medicine Collection

Imagine you are downsizing a 9,000 sq ft home; a home you have lived in for decades and that has had space for every imaginable souvenir or sentimental favor. Who would you think of when you come across the shockingly extensive and rare collection of Advanced Chinese Medical Texts that you picked up when traveling [...]

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Fair Trading with Nettles

There are a lot of cliches to inform us on the laws of nature. When it comes to Nettles two come to mind: “You don’t get something for nothing” and ” What you see is what you get.” Every spring in the Northwest, streams of people start coming in to the clinic complaining of hayfever [...]

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radiance, synergy, and sword ferns

If you got faults, defects or shortcomings, You know, like arthritis, rheumatism or migraines, Whatever part of your body it is, I want you to lay it on your radio, let the vibes flow through. -P Funk This weekend, I attended a workshop led by a prominent aromatherapist. His background is as a hair stylist [...]

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Plentitude ~ Recipes and Love for Stinging Nettle

Last year at this time my little piece of land was being hit by yet another snow flurry.  The many feet of snow that had fallen in December was slowly decreasing yet the whole ground was still blanketed in a thick covering of snow turned ice. Down the valley, towards the Sound the weather was [...]

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It’s our NETTLEVERSARY!

This month’s gathering we returned to the season that first brought us together. A lot has transpired during the last year. We have all been gifted in profound ways and we have all continued to work with the herbs, learn from the planet and provide for each other. It is hard to believe the incredible [...]

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Lessons Learned ~ The Art Of Ethical Wildcrafting

I was listening to an interview with Paul Bergner the other day and in it he discussed briefly ethical harvesting.  He’s a very emotional speaker and I love how often he gets choked up when discussing various plant encounters. His words on the subject were touching and inspiring. However, there was one aspect of the subject that [...]

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Verdant Healing ~ The Evocative Nature Of Plants

The snow level has fallen and the mountains, now colored black and white, threaten to begin blanketing the river valley with the same frozen rain that will cover them through the winter and into summer. Smoke from the moxa Ellen made wafts out of the bamboo box it burns in and the room is doused [...]

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Devil’s Club ~ November Gathering

This month our gathering fell on November 1st, the day after Halloween and the day before lunar Samhain.  Here, in the Pacific Northwest, there are still yellow leaves clinging to trees, the weather is cool but not yet cold, and the recent rains have made the water in the rivers run high and brown. Samhain [...]

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