My Summer Solstice Celebration Dish :-)

I made deviled eggs to celebrate the Summer Solstice this year. They were so easy! This is truthfully the first year I've done anything more than a ritual at my own altar or outside. I still haven't had the fun of participating in a celebration with a bunch of others but one day:).

Here is the book my recipe came from.


I love this cookbook! It's full of fairly easy recipes that correlate to different holidays and aspirations. It makes a meal that much more special when you infuse it with a little magic;).

Clayton College Masters of Natural Health

I'm SO excited to say that I've started back up my program! It's been YEARS, lol. Life has been so full and so demanding and so challenging. And for a long while, I wasn't able to get back to my studies. But now finally I am!

My concentration is in herbalogy but technically, I'm still towards the beginning of my classes and taking my foundation courses. So when I stopped I was just finishing up my 1st herbalogy course and was preparing to start my homeopathy 101 course.

The course is based on the book "Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicine". I love this book!

It's so easy to read and I'm of course, learning a lot.

I can't describe adequately either the feeling of being actively involved in this kind of study again. It feels so fulfilling! I can easily say that I don't know what I'm going to do with my master's. I don't know what it realistically is going to prepare me for or how I'm going to really be able to use it. But I want it. I really really want it. And so I guess for right now, that's going to be enough:).

I've been toying with the idea of sticking around in my current location for a while longer than I had originally planned and applying to a fancy school of public service for yet another masters. Two years is going to pass by regardless-so maybe it's worth it to make it two years that culminate towards something rather than not. I'm thinking about it:).

Pomegranate Raspberry Green Tea

It's been a long while since I've had the taste for this tea. And again, I know it's not quite what you'd expect from an herbalist. I figure though, well I've come to terms with is more apt, that proclaiming myself a green witch doesn't have to be a limitation. It doesn't have to mean "I only do this and not that." I love all things green. I appreciate all the ways the planet nurtures and nourishes me. I try to be thankful for all the gifts that the Universe provides me.

And that includes Stash Pomegranate Raspberry Green Tea ;-). I steeped it for 15 mins, much longer than suggested. I always do and I always cover it. Any tea I'm making-it's hard to break the habit and I'm not convinced it's a habit that needs breaking. Accept maybe in the case of Chamomile:-).

I added the wonderful local honey I've been feasting on for the past few months. And the cup is lovely. Absolutely lovely. Absolutely perfect. It's kept me from eating more chocolate chips by satiating completely that (sometimes) nuisance of a sweet tooth of mine:).

I'm grateful for Stash today and truly grateful for sweet tea.

Solixir

I found a new favorite beverage today at Whole Foods. It's called Solixir and it's stock full of really good herbs. And it tastes pretty good too.

Reading the label with lovelies like elderberry and nettles just made my heart sing. It's $1.99 for a 12 oz (I think can) which is not too bad at all.

I think I'm going to add it to my treat menu-things I buy when I'm treating myself:). On this page, you can find all the botanicals that they use. Their choices are fabulous...perfeot modern green witchy herbs...Solixir's Botanicals

There's a Goddess In You Workshop Description

Hey All! This is a workshop I'm hoping to give here in LR in the next month or so. LR seems to be a town just now opening to things of this nature. It'd be good for them and soooo good for me too:). Do check it out! Be forewarned though, it's rather long:).

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There's A Goddess Within You!

 

Are you wondering what this means?

 

The Goddess within you is that part of a woman that is her wholeness – her completeness. 

 

It's what brings her sometimes fragmented world together.

 

It's what helps her remain herself amidst a world of influences.

 

It's what helps her find her strength, her wisdom, and her ability to be all that she is -

Be that for her family, her work, her community and

especially for herself

 

 

So how are you going to discover the Goddess Within You? 

Come to this workshop and be inspired!

 

In this hands-on, super fun workshop we'll learn through five modes how to embrace that beauty within us. 

 

Through playing and learning together, we'll awaken in ourselves our natural ability to be all that “WOMAN” means, something that we may have lost along our way.   

 

So what can you expect? 

Day 1

(12pm - 3pm)

Exploring the Goddess Within through Dance and Beauty!

 

Using the Rhythms of Salsa, a dance rooted in African culture,

we will learn to reconnect with our bodies and their natural rhythmic flows. 

Salsa is all about embracing the sensuality and grace of your femininity within the dance.

 

But before we learn how to move on the floor, we'll learn how to enhance our natural beauty with mineral makeup!

Using  Etniq Mineral Cosmetics, we will all become makeup artist extraordinaires!  Each lady in attendance will walk away knowing what her best colors are along with expert techniques to create any type of look she wants.  We'll also come to understand why we adorn ourselves with makeup and how to do this holistically and with continued love for self! 

 

If time permits, we'll also delve into the world of homemade natural beauty products by touching on which household items are best bets for natural skin care and what exactly fruits and vegetables can do from the outside in!

 

Day 2

(12pm - 3pm)

Exploring the Goddess Within through Hearth and Home!

 

The three topics we will cover in Day 2 are Green Cleaning Solutions, Growing your own Garden Pharmacy, and Cooking Healthfully and Easily!

 

I'll first teach you the reasons why green cleaning is important, from an outer and an inner perspective.  Then we'll have fun empowering ourselves by making a few tried and true all-natural, effective cleaners. 

 

Next up is the garden.  You don't have to have a green thumb to embrace the goddess wisdom within you about good herbs and plants you can grow.  We'll learn which herbs are easiest to grow and how to use them everyday for your nutritional ABCs to cures for common complaints.  Since it's summer, we'll also dabble in some vegetable growing!

 

Last but not least, a true goddess knows how to nourish with ease using simple and delicious foods.  This is something many of us, though eager to embrace, still have problems with.  This section will put an end to these problems, showing us what simple foods to choose and the easiest, most nutritional ways to prepare them.  The goddess within is all about balance and sometimes we need quick and easy:).  

 

And remember, everything we do will be about hands-on learning!

 

At the end of this two day workshop, I promise you will have met the goddess within you and you'll embrace her with ease and love!

 

Come play, learn, and remember with us!   

 

 

                            Who is Leah Patterson?

Leah Patterson has worked many years in the field of holistic health and wellness.  Her titles include herbalist, holistic esthetician and makeup artist, wellness instructor and workshop facilitator, holistic non-profit organization co-founder and CEO, holistic bath, body, and skin care formulator, and wellness small business owner to name some.  She is tirelessly devoted to helping others embrace a holistic lifestyle and never stops learning herself.  She conducts these workshops as much for herself as she does for her participants and truly enjoys the collaborative, supportive bonds that develop.  She says to everyone “Come join us!”

 

 

 

A Cup of Tension Tamers

Mmmm, I know that celestial seasons tension tamers isn't what you'd picture a green witch choosing. but you know what, i'm a green witch in modern times without my own forest to go frolic in.

And I need taming. And why deny that celestial seasonings has done something good. something right in providing the masses with tea that is good. IN saying that it makes me want to google celestial seasonings really quick and see if in fact the world's public opinion agrees with me. and to make sure they haven't commited any heinous crimes against nature.

but as for right now? right now, i'm going to enjoy my cup of tea. i'm going to take it in for every good thing it can bring. i'm going to imagine i saw every single herb that is blessing me with soothing tonight and thanked each one. I'm going to let myself drift away to the dream of the place where I learned to slow down and be.

Thank you Robin:).

Appreciating Coffee

Today I've been thinking about my recent love of Coffee. I used to feel at odds with coffee, feeling like a true herbalist wouldn't appreciate coffee or resort to it over a warming brew of herbal tea. These past few days, as I've examined how I'd finally given in to this slightly guilty pleasure, I realized that I've been thinking of coffee with a preconceived lens.

Yes, sure when I think of coffee in the modern day way, it's one of our many drugs of escapism and "cope-ism". Sure, it doesn't lend itself to calming the spirit and enlivening the soul.

From A Nite at Starbucks

But truly, when I drink coffee, especially when I'm able to sit down and enjoy a cup as I'm doing now, with a peaceful frame of mind and a short list of things I want to get done, it feels so good and so welcomed.

I have an ADD brain and so maybe that's why coffee feels so good to me. Maybe that's why I finally decided to let go of denying myself it once I realized, that with all the fixings, I loved it. Maybe creating calm and focus is exactly what it does for me and is exactly why I need it.

:).

I'm just glad that this green witch finally remembered that coffee beans come from mother nature too:).

Enjoy your coffee!

Guilt-free now.

Finding My Inspiration Again

It's been a few months since I've been able to write. It hasn't been because I haven't wanted to. It's mostly been because I haven't known what to write about. February and March were all about transition for me. I was finding myself again. In the little things, I happily found myself again.

I mean the little things like taking the time to make a cup of tea, even if with a presealed tea bag. Then figuring out how to make even more time for tea with my favorite tea strainer. Then marveling at the beautiful design of my personal french press and savoring the taste of sweet, simple coffee beans, cream(er), and a nice dollop of evaporated cane sugar.

Lately I've been personally musing about what next path to take in my life. I was bent on graduate school for a spell. And now teaching seems to be the draw.

What plant allies have been around to help? My old staples. The clover that is so prevalent here in the yard. The Nettles that never stays far from my thoughts-always popping up in this reading or that. The dandelion and burdock which i can always rely on. The red raspberry that never fails to curb any upset. And my good essential oil friend lavender, which deadens any redness and clears up any acne quickly.

I'm hoping to welcome more plant interaction into my life this spring. I want it to happen organically, naturally, with no stress and no premeditation.

Great green blessings!

Wish me luck:)

Interview with Arin Murphy-Hiscock

I'm super happy to present the first part of my interview with Arin Murphy-Hiscock. She is the woman who wrote "The Way of the Green Witch." Now I have to state again, I really love this book. I know it got some not so great reviews on Amazon, but I have to beg to differ. For me, it was perfect for my needs. It got me reinspired. It was simple, not too heavy, not too doctrine-filled and it encouraged my own tendencies in creating my own practice - not just following things blindly that are the supposed "right" way to do things.

I really loved in the interview how she reinforced my notions about her. She sounds to be very much a practical, "feeling through her own spirituality" green witch. She said some very profound things that resonated with me - namely that being a green witch isn't really about "integrating" it into your life because it truly is more of a "way" of life. That makes total sense to me. That is so very true. And that doesn't have to be a dramatic, scary, "woo woo" thing. It can be quite normal even:).

Anyhoo, please do check out the interview when you have a chance. I'll be posting the second part probably in a week or so. Enjoy!

Interview with Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Beautiful Goddess Paintings

I was surfing today and found this artist with these beautiful Goddess paintings.

I love to see woman portrayed in such grandeur and mystic beauty. It always encourages me and reminds me to embrace my inner Goddess and live as her as fully as I can.

My favorite is Queen's Ransom. I hope you enjoy them too!

Karl Bang's Art **scroll down the page**

Rituals

I'm reading Eat Pray Love these days, which is a fabulous book. I didn't realize at all that I would learn so much from it. It's rejuvenated my understanding of meditation for instance, and has made me want to actively practice again. Her insights into her own struggles and how she's approached God (my Universe) and her own divinity have held such gems of truth in my own seemingly (at times) chaotic path.

One of the concepts she touches upon just briefly is ritual. Of course as a Green Witch ritual is a big part of my life. I find comfort in all sorts of rituals but this is something I had to grow into. It's interesting but a few years ago, I just wouldn't allow myself any time for ritual. SO even if I somehow managed to settle down for one - my mind was in such a flurry of thought and "busyness" that I couldn't fully be present for the ritual really at all.

How Elizabeth describe ritual is as an act that allows you to deal with and pass off to your soul things that you yourself can't quite understand or can't quite fix on your own. This is a loose paraphrase but that is the gist of what I understood her to say.

Thinking of ritual in this way gave me a flash of energy to continue my practice. It's interesting the way things happen with me lately. It seems like I'll feel the urge to do something, not quite being sure why. I'll begin it anyway and then a few weeks later will happen upon some gem of wisdom that unravels why this practice or activity has come into my life.

I'm liking this. It means to me that I'm listening to my inner voice and so on the path of least resistance, no matter how unsure it may seem in the moment:).

Here's Eat, Pray, Love's amazon link in case you want to see what other people thought as well. It's definitely at your library (one of my favorite places) and of course amazon is always glad to send you one:).

Grounding

Well, it's been a really trying couple of weeks! Because of that, I've been really getting in touch with grounding exercises and meditations. I'm a woman that appreciates simplicity and the bustle of my overactive mind truly needs it in order to accomplish something as still and balanced as grounding.

So, one of my favorite grounding mini-meditations has been imagining a single long root coming from my tailbone reaching far to the center of the earth. There in the center I imagine a great glowing, dense swirl of life force energy. A warm, nurturing, motherly comforting energy.

I actually imagine that my long "tap root" goes down to a level of earth right above the energy swirl and spreads out into smaller (but equally as strong) root divisions. They spread out in an area right around the energy swirl and receive it's energy through the warmth of the earth the roots are in (it is warm because of the energy swirl) and from the swirl itself.

I imagine pulling up balancing, grounding, supportive energy from the energy swirl into my body and imagine with every breath in my connection to that energy and the earth grows stronger and stronger. I grow more and more centered and calm and unaffected by whatever is stressing me out.

When I breath out, I release all the stress with the mental picture of it being contained in an encasing of carbon dioxide. In this meditation, the carbon dioxide appears as a greenish ball or gust of air that contains the worry, the unhealthy thoughts, etc.

I also imagine that the plants, as representatives of mother earth, take this negative energy and transmute it into positivity (since plants breathe in CO2), which helps me to remember that all seemingly negative things are good with the right perspective.

This always works for me. Enough deep breaths and enough conscious thoughts and I can propel myself to a much better place.

I hope it might work for you if you find you need some grounding sometime:).

Peppermint

It's been wonderful to drink Peppermint every morning and evening. I feel like it is doing such a good thing for my psyche - keeping me calm yet energized, focused yet relaxed. Also, my digestive system has been a lot happier too. I haven't had the usual stomach quirls that I've come to know. That's a nice relief.

And for me it feels so good when healing comes as an aftereffect of something that warms your spirit just in and of itself. Lovely indeed:).

On an excursion to Trader Joe's today I bought a chai tea mix amongst other things. I'm excited about it because chai is such a wonderful tea blend. And Trader Joe's is indeed very natural and just full of the herbs.

When I settle down in Little Rock, I'll probably experiment with making my own Chai from scratch. I've done it before and it is delish!

I'm looking forward to planting again. I'm also looking forward to starting back up my Clayton studies. So many things to look forward too:).

The Green Witch Crafts (as a verb)!

I've lately developed a love for crocheting. I used to be a fairly frequent knitter and just recently decided to try crocheting. I've been trying to make some fingerless gloves to no avail, lol and in the frustration of not getting it right, went looking for some other easy patterns.

Look what I found! These little critters in this picture are supposedly very easy to make and most of them are crocheted! I think they are the cutest creations and talk about embracing a simpler world and life!

I'm going to really challenge myself to make at least a few of these. They would be great gifts for all the babes I know and have yet to know. I think even friends would enjoy these little wonders, especially because I handmade them.

Imagine one with a few handpacked tea bags in it's wee little grasp. Would that be the cutest thing! In recent years, I've really gotten into the idea of giving gifts that I can handmake because 1, I think they mean a lot to people 2, it's sometimes a lot more affordable for me and 3, it's kinda fun when you can make the time for it.

You can click on the picture for the link to all the patterns. If you make one, share it with me!

Happy Birthday to Me!

And happy wonderful beautiful day of Hope for all the world! Yes Obama in office means that much to me:).

There are some other things that I want to write about but before I headed out to have a birthday drink with friends, I wanted to be sure that I blessed my space with my birthday wishes!

Much Love, Much Peace, Many Green Blessings, and so much HOPE!

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Added later this evening:

Alrighty, my bday drink plans got postponed til the weekend. That's ultimately ok, a bit of a bummer, but a bummer I can deal with:).

The silver lining is I get to write a little here:).

So the thing that's caught my interest and gotten me excited to remember today is garden planning. I guess technically it's the season for it. I remember when I was facilitating the BUGS Organic Garden series at the Garfield Park Conservatory (I used to be a program coordinator there), those classes started in January and planning the garden was a big part of what was learned.

I don't have any big spaces to plan out but it is at the least a good time to be thinking about what I want to do on a balcony:).

I've decided tentatively that I want to have a few big pots that will serve as my different "gardens". I'm going to be living in an apartment this summer with an outdoor space that other people walk through to get to their apartments so I'll have to be clever with how I use the space. Hanging plants and wall fixtures I'm thinking will have to work in with the pots on the ground. My different gardens are below.

Magickal/Healing Garden
I know I'd like to have a pot devoted to this. My staples will be here - Peppermint, Lavender, Lemon Balm, maybe some Cronewort, Rosemary, Thyme - all or some of these.

Love Garden
I need to do some research here to figure out what I'll put in this pot. I might even experiment with having this as an indoor garden. I think that would be lovely for the home! Miniature roses would definitely be a part though at the least!


And My dream garden to plant is a Moon Garden. I don't know if I'll be able to do this this year because again I don't really have the space for it. But it would be lovely. There are some beautiful plants that bloom only in the evening. There are a number of beautiful silvery plants that sparkle lovely in the moonlight as well. I think it would be wonderful if everyone woman could have a moon garden to retreat to.

Here are some resources I've found online for planning one and a good list of night blomers as well.

Planning a Moon Garden

Moon Garden Ideas

Night Bloomers

Happy Good night!

How Politics Make me Feel about Holistic Health In the Mainstream

I had a very interesting conversation this afternoon with my coworker. I'm the assistant director at a non-profit fundraising office and we were talking about how excited and reinspired we both were now that Obama has been elected into office. We both in fact ended up in our office because of the inspiration we felt from working on the Obama campaign.

The most interesting part of our convo was about how we truly believe that the way is being paved for alternative medicine to become a part of our mainstream. She has aspirations in midwifery. I of course want to work with people in preventive medicine through basic herbal and nutritional food cultivation.

Just like green jobs in renewable energy are receiving a huge boost and are becoming the "next big thing", I really feel as though the alternative medicine will be next in line for a push to the mainstream. As a rule, so many more people are knowledgeable about the benefits of living a more natural lifestyle. Also, at the very least, it's common knowledge that our current healthcare system is highly inadequate by itself to handle our society's ailments.
More people are comfortable with the idea of alternative medicine and more people want to explore something else that is more affordable, more reliable, and less dangerous that what our conventional system can provide. This has been happening consistently over the course of the last 10 years and now I'm a firm believer that the time is near. A president like Obama can clearly see the value in alternatives.

I was so excited to know that healthcare was a major concern of his. I'm just gushing with excitement to see what types of changes he ushers in and what more options, professional wise and personal wise, we'll have within the fields of alternative medicine! We can do some truly awesome things and institute major societally pivotal changes in how we take care of people and encourage them to take care of themselves. I for one am happy to relight my fire and passion for the respect and help we "green folk" need in order to spearhead this! Yay for Change!

Bought Bulk Herbs Today!

This is a momentous occasion for me because it's been so long since I've made my tea from bulk herbs. I went through a period of withdrawing from all the things that made me "different" from others. It was admittedly a bit of a time of self-denial but it had it's purposes and looking back I don't think I would change it now.

The great thing is that in a sure and steady way, I've been re-embracing the ways of living that I've cherished, the things that make me feel really "as myself". The things that make me feel "true to myself".

So buying bulk tea today, even though it was from Whole Foods and even though Frontier Herbs is not necessarily buying from a local, small "close to the earth" farm that I've gotten to know personally, it's still a step in the direction I want to take. They are still herbs I can connect with on a whole other level than drinking from prepacked tea bags. Drinking my peppermint tea this evening still feels way more divine that even my Trader Joe peppermint tea bags ever did.

I'm happy tonight:).

(I bought Licorice Root and Burdock Root to help with continuing my detox and digestive and eliminatory system toning and Peppermint because it's my favorite cool down and focus tea.)

Traveling Loose Tea Cup

I am very happy today!

In my trip back home to Little Rock, I was able to go into storage and find my Teazer Loose Tea Traveling Mug. Now I bought this mug maybe 4 years ago or so when I only drank loose tea. I was always on the go however and really, really, really wanted something that I could drink my loose tea blends in while walking to the train, etc.

So I scoured the internet and found this Mug - at the time I think it was $24.99 or something crazy like that:). It was totally worth it for me because there was nothing else like it that I'd seen.

Now, with a quick search today, I found that you can purchase the very same mug for just $16.99 and it even comes in different colors now. How snazzy! Check it out on amazon below!

If you are an avid tea drinker (which as a green witch, you must be!) then you should definitely buy one! It's made me so happy walking around town:).

Clayton College Masters of Natural Health

I'm determined to finish this program. I started it quite a few years ago - like 7:). I think I'm finally ready to give it a good go of finishing it. I"m pretty sure Clayton will allow me to continue - they've always been seriously sweet about it. I know that I want the herbology concentration and I know that I want the master's and I know I have the discipline to do it.

All these things I know:).

Now it's just about setting out to do it. Mid-February is when I'm planning to seriously buckle it down to a schedule. Wish me luck!

Clayton College, Masters of Natural Health

Deciding to Buy the Aerogarden

I'm still getting used to the weather down south and so the fact that it's still possible to be planting right now is really intriguing to me. I could technically start an indoor garden right now and transfer it outside in a few weeks because the weather probably wont get to freezing in that time period.

I've been toying back and forth with the idea of getting this: http://www.aerogrow.com/index.php.

It's an Aerogarden - a pretty nifty contraption in which you can grow a good number of herbs on the kitchen counter top without having to worry about proper lighting and such. I first read about it 2 years or so ago and thought that it was pretty interesting. Two years later, I'm still thinking the same thing so I figure, why not make the splurge. It might take me a bit of time to save the money to purchase it, BUT at least now it's officially on the wish list.

:).

Ideas for Summer Programs

I've been toying around with the idea of doing a small summer program this year, wherever I happen to end up. I used to teach classes for adults but I've always wanted to do something for kids as well. I want to work with teenagers and help them learn to use herbs in therapeutic ways.

Of course it would be great if they walked away as budding herbalists, but even exposing them to these concepts would float my boat:).

I've promised myself that I"m going to flesh out the idea, stay small with it, and focus on how fun it could be.

We'll see what happens!

Happy New Year!

It's been a few months since I've had the occasion to write but with the New Year upon me and the hope and promise of a new feel for life, I'm reinspired:).

Green Witch wise, I've been heralding the benefits of Horsetail and Traditional Medicinals Detox Tea. I know it's not the most green witchery-esque thing to do to drink pre-packaged herbs but at the least, Trad Meds is a brand I really trust. And I'm trying to get better about taking my horsetail on a regular basis. I know I need the iron and the silica. And the Detox is awesomely good for me. Awesomely indeed.

I've been feeling the urge to begin my Clayton studies again. I've always felt the urge. It's more about feeling as though I can do something about it I suppose. I feel like this year I can. That is a goal indeed.

And I've been thinking alot about putting together a little summer program for some group of kids here on using herbs - perhaps doing the remedies in pots idea. I'm excited about big ideas:).

Well I'm glad to be wanting to share my green witchy self again. Ah, me becoming more of me again is always a nice feeling.