Wild Mountain Thyme - 

A moon full of wild food

We'll all go together

To pick wild mountain thyme

All around the purple heather

Will you go? Lassie, will you go?

What grows around your home is your healer. This has been known for so long. Beneath our feet as we stretch out our toes into meadowgrass, there is an abundance of wild food that meets our nutritional needs and is living in harmony with us, right beside us. From ground elder, hawthorn and meadowsweet, to kelp sea lettuce, we are surrounded by food and herbal medicines. How wonderful that we can remember this and explore the healing medicines and nutrition all around us. Each year, we have a moon full of wild food, where we go to river, field, wood and sea to hunt for our food. 

We have just moved to a new little village in the middle of North Norfolk just two years ago. We have connected with the village by finding a fallen tree in the nearby woods and making it the village maypole each year; welcoming local people and offering music and dance. On May day, we crept around the village at dawn with wild flower baskets delivering them secretly to our neighbours. We did meet an old woman from the village who caught us and we offered her a basket of flowers. She cried with joy all the way home. And so in this way, of connecting deeply with the land and peole around us, we have been finding where all the medicines and foods grow around us.

This year, we enjoyed making these treasures:

Medicinal tinctures: 

The first dew facial wash on May day- lifting the early morning dew from the flowers and grasses on the first day of May is a traditional self blessing and deep connection to the earth and the magic of beauty. 

Roses; we are all love, in the purest sense. Roses are a reminder of this as they resonate such a potent scent and image of beauty. Dog roses of white and pink with sunbeams in the middle offer such delight. Traditionally they are themselves offering love, healing luck inner beauty in their essence - Roses in your bath, rose water to wash your face, made simply with roses and spring water, rose water with some brandy for a tincture, add some water and crystals for a wonderful aura or room spray. Rose hips in honey, or as a tea can help ease and lift a cough.

Marigolds; maidens of the sun, calendula flowers are anti-viral, anti-anflammatary and so treat infections, skin problems and are wonderful for healing the skin of insect bites, and skin conditions, as well as cuts and bruises. Marigold and beeswax balm- can be made by making Marigold sun oil- putting marigolds in a glass jar with almond oil, or some such light carrier oil and leaving in the sun for a few days, shaking every few hours. You can then add beeswax over heat until it is a lovely thick golden balm, a gift from the sun. The petals look lovely as cake decorations. I like to wear them in my hair too! It adds a little sunshine to your day.

Meadowsweet, rosehip, elderberry, echinacea- these can all be made into medicines/ syrups that last the whole year by adding them to vegetable glycerin or honey and leaving them for a few days and then removing the herb, they can also be boiled up with the herbs before removed and of course dried for teas.

Meadowsweet- this flower always reminds me of the lady dancing in the wind with her sweet scent-the natural aspirin, good for indigestion, diarrhoea, rheumatism, cystitis and much more.

Elderflower and elderberry-the wise elder tree is great for healing and preventing colds, flus, constipation. Its a lovely syrup, especially with a few cloves and a bit of echinacea syrup.
Rowan berries- the mountain ash, tree of protection is used to protect the home as a tree or dried berries above the hearth and door and is used to treat urinary difficulties, indigestion.

Hedgerow jam- combining nature's medicinal cupboard; the hedgerow, into a jam is a great way to boost immunity and enjoy the lush pleasures of late summer's bounty: boiling apples, blackberries, hawthorn berries, rose hips and rowan berries into a jam by mixing it with water and honey. 

Wild Food

Wild Garlic/ Ransoms-This grows by the river banks in early spring, around the spring equinox- 21st March is a good time to harvest. We found a lovely spot by the river a cycle ride away, where the banks were made of wild garlic swaying in the breeze. The children could float their little wooden boats down stream and under bridges. 

It is delicious cooked with onions and stock in a simple soup, or added to any meal. It makes a great pasta sauce/ pesto with tomatoes or parmesan and ground almonds or pine nuts or chopped with olive oil in fresh bread.

Wild garlic is said to be even more medicianl than cultivated garlic, it is cardio-protective, good for your circulatory system, good for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and supporting our immune systems. 


Nettles-I am constantly asking my husband who tends to the garden so well, to leave some nettles. My son makes rope and seed butter from them, and we enjoy the tea, soup and use as a spinach to add to stews, soups, and meals. They are lovely with boiled potatoes and butter! If something grows so abundantly near so many people it  must be there to offer us some guidance. 

The new spring leaves are the tastiest and full of the most nutrients. Nettles have so much vitamin A and C and are great to detoxify and cleanse the body. They have often been used to prevent colds and winter associated illness'.

Spring green salad- On our usual monday morning walk, we gathered all the spring greens we could find in the wild places of our village. The children were amazed to find that most of the plants that they suggested, could be eaten, and despite some of the bitter tastes, they tried them all. So we made a salad of young dandelion leaves, lion's tooth, (filled with iron and calcium and vitamin A) wood sorrel which my 6 six year old daughter has nibbled on the lemony leaves since being a baby, ground elder- traditionally used to ease swelling and pain, and rich with vitamin C , iron, calcium, copper and manganese. We added daisies, also rich in vitamin C and an anti-inflammatory, meadow sweet, wild strawberries, prickly wild lettuce, dead nettles. We enjoyed half of our collection by adding flour and milk and eggs and making fritters with them and the rest we ate raw. 

Cleaver juice- another wild food rich in vitamin C, once we stopped from throwing it at each other, as the sticky sprawling plant sticks so well to clothes and hair and is loved as a game by children, we harvested a good stash. You can mix this with water and honey and wizz it and sieve it or make a tea with honey. This is great when making seasonal transitions like winter to spring, it is said to help the lymphatic system.

Pineapple weed- a chammomile that grows in abundance in many places, has similar calming properties to the well known roman chammoimile, you can put this in oil for a herb oil and dry it to make tea with to ease head and tummy aches. We found a whole field at the entrance to our local woods.

Samphire- If you are living in Norfolk, you are probably well aware that Samphire is a Norfolk treasure. Taking your shoes off, and probably most of your clothes, and wandering around the Norfolk creeks like an imp in the thick mud searching the little slender asparagus like looking plants is an experience in itself. Boiling up Sampire and enjoying them with a thick slice of bread and butter is a real treat too! It is also rich in minerals and vitamins and has immune stimulant characteristics. The creeks are one of the best spots for wild swimming too!

Seaweed- Sea lettuce, kelp, bladder wrack, dulse and kelp are the sea weeds that we used this year, although there are hundreds of edible sea weeds and there are no posionous seaweeds that can be picked on foot in the uk. They are highly nutritious and full of minerals, nutrients, protein, fibre, vitamin K and folic acid. They are seen as superfoods, although have been used for thousands of years. There is so much washed up on the shores. We were joined by a local seal who followed us in the water as we gathered buckets full.

We made a lovely tapenade with dulse, tonatoe and olives, great for dipping in oat cakes/ crackers. We also made a pasta sauce made with the same ingredients witn sea lettuce and bladder wrack and lasjhings of tomatoes. Delicious!

The tide goes out and supper is ready! 

Spirals of Light: Winter Advent Spiral and Solstice

SPIRALS OF LIGHT:

WINTER ADVENT SPIRAL AND SOLSTICE

Advent is a time to celebrate the light and new life within the earth, in us and each other in this time of darkness. During the ceremony of an advent spiral, we come together in the mood of wonder and quiet confidence and bring the light from within us to share with one another in the deep stillness. As Steiner describes it:

"nature sinks into the earth at winter and at night...the human soul must be turning in its inner core that is to say in its inner self to find in it even greater cosmic force that will enable it to renew itself; this force is the force of the universe."

We watch as each child, supported by our intention, follows the spiral with the plants, crystals, like sparkling stars, animals and humans that support her/ him on their inner journey to light through an experience that is beyond words.

"In the advent garden dark the night below
Earth is waiting, waiting, waiting for the stars to glow."

There are four weeks of advent, each week representing a different kingdom of the earth and honoured by us with the spiral of life:

"The first light of advent is the light of stones; the light of crystals, sea shells and bones
The second light of advent is the light of plants; plants that reach up to the sun and in the breezes they dance
The third light of advent is the light of beasts; the light of hope we see in the greatest and the least
The fourth light of advent is the light of humankind; the light of love, of thought; to give and understand"

As we approach the solstice, we celebrate the fourth light of humankind and acknowledge each others grace and wisdom; our unique pathways that lead us to ignite our soul.

"May wisdom flow through me, may love glow within me, may strength penetrate me, that in me may arise a helper of mankind, a servant of holy things; selfless and true."

The fourth week is celebrating our love for ourselves and one another. Some ideas to think of for this week:

*Make a conscious effort to speak the truth in love!
*Seek love without judgement- yourself and others
*Encourage someone today
*Be patient toady
*Be hospitable in your home
*Tell someone what you are grateful to them for

And take this time to nourish yourself and your family and enjoy each others company and the effort and love you give one another at this time of year!

As we come to the Winter Solstice we celebrate the return of the sun; the seed of the earth is planted. The shortest day and the longest night. The Goddess gives birth to the sun king, the divine child, who rises again, Like King Arthur awaking from his mountain sleep when his people need him, or as Christians see it, the Son is born again from Mother Mary from God.
The light is ignited and the soul of the earth is born once more.

Fire festivals have always been celebrated at this time of year. Along with the summer solstice, its counterpart, the winter solstice is the oldest celebrated festival. Many ancient structures such as Stone Henge, and NewGrange were built to acknowledge the importance of this festival of light.

We decorate our homes and advent spirals with evergreens in gratitude for nature who will be green again.

So love to you all and may you shine on through the winter in your own perfect ways!

Acknowledging Emotions

Acknowledging Emotions

Inspired by 'Siblings Without Rivalry' Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

 

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget the way you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

Offering something positive when siblings are unhappy with one another, especially for what seems like no rational reason, can bring challenges to the harmony of family life. 

I wanted to offer a few bits of wisdom that I have learnt so far to help with this transition and indeed to help ease all other relationships too. Three things that have been helpful to me are: acknowledgement of feelings, giving children in fantasy what they don't have in reality and helping them use creative expression to release feelings.

Acknowledging feelings

Whatever we may think about how others feel and react is something that we have every right to think, but it is not always helpful or beneficial in easing the relationships between siblings. One of the most healing way of guiding them through these challenges they face is by acknowledging their feelings.

When you train in Humanistic Counselling, you learn that one of the most important part of the session is to show you are listening and empathising by paraphrasing and repeating part of what the client says. They feel listened to and feel they have empathy. Likewise, children generally want the same; to be listened to and empathised with. This is great, because you don't have to agree with them. They might be getting annoyed with their sister because they are just around, but you can create a calmness and a positive response whilst being authentic and helpful.

A common feeling in siblings when a new a baby arrives is that all your time as a mother is spent with them, especially considering the intensely beautiful relationship surrounding nursing. If your child expresses this, it is so easy to say 'but I just spent all morning with you doing....' but no matter how accurate this may seem to you, it is not how they are feeling and this is what needs to be acknowledged. Perhaps saying ' So you feel that I spent too much time with baby....' is giving them that acknowledgement. This way you are putting his/ her feelings into words.

Of course it helps if we are mindful of what we are saying and use our intuition and knowledge of our children; children often have hidden and unknown fears and also say things they don't exactly mean- as we all do. For instance, they may say they 'hate' their sister/ brother but if you repeat this to them it may not be satisfying, and may anger them more. Trying to find a more understanding way of acknowledging their feelings like 'Sometimes he/ she makes you mad and sometimes you enjoy playing with them', or whatever is more accurate, may be more helpful.

Giving children in fantasy what they don't have in reality

Children of different ages play very differently. They have different 'play needs'.

A common argument between siblings can be about property and different styles of play. For instance, the younger child may knock down buildings instead of building them with wooden blocks, etc. and this might upset the older child. It is so easy to want to explain this to the older child, but what they really want is for you to understand 'their' needs. If we say what we think they wish, such as ' you wish they would build instead of knocking down', then they feel as if they are being listened to.

Helping them use creative expression to release feelings

Children are often physical with how they feel. It is important to stop hurtful behaviour and we want to encourage our children to express themselves in positive and helpful ways that still encourage a sense of release. If a child wants to or does physically hurt someone, we can encourage them to use other ways to express their anger: you can tell them that we don't hurt others and then ask them to show their feelings with their doll, ask them to draw a picture of how they feel ( Art therapy is very releasing), or they can be encouraged to write down their feelings in a letter (which may or may not need to be sent) or in a journal.

Bach flower remedies also can work with children, as they work with their emotions on a deep level.

And Lastly...

An obvious note that is worth remembering is that it is good to avoid unfavourable comparisons and better to just describe what you see or feel at that moment and with that child.

Equality- If the younger child complains of having less food, instead of saying ' I gave you the same', you could acknowledge their feelings by saying ' are you still hungry would you like seconds?'

Likewise when your child asks you 'who do you love the best' it is easy to say 'I love you both the same', but you can acknowledge their feelings more when you personalise it, for instance 'I love you because you are thoughtful and bring me my favourite flowers from the garden, and you have a perfect smile that makes my heart fill with joy and there is not another one quite like you'.

Parents don't always have to be 'right', a wise and powerful parent can accept when their children offer them glimpses of knowledge and shows gratitude for it. Sometimes children are best left to work their relationship through themselves, with a close ear from you.

We all have times when we wish we could have handled things better, but it's worth remembering that there have probably been many more times when we have handled things wonderfully! And we grow ourselves through our mistakes and triumphs.

Love and Light to you all

 

We are stardust, we are golden

“So great a sweetness flows into my breast

We must laugh and we must sing

We are blest by everything

Everything we look upon is blest.”

W.B. Yeats

A friend of mine described how she lay at night whilst challenges of motherhood floated around her and she felt the saint within her. I considered this and found it a very useful idea in viewing myself as a mother and how to be with my family. Over the last few weeks I have remembered to consider my saintly essence, the one that yes we all certainly have! No matter how many regrets, frustrations, and dreams of doing something completely different we may have in one day!

For me, the saint is my higher self; the part of you that is all knowing and has the perfect knowledge to guide you on your way on. The wise woman who is the past, present and future,  triple goddess: maiden, mother and crone. The part of us that has come from our mothers, grandmothers and ancestral women through time and holds universal truths.

So where is this saint? We may think as we bend down to pick up another piece of food that our child has dropped on the floor, not perhaps feeling very glamorous or indeed saintly. I think the answer is that it is with us in every moment. It is our awareness. It is not there cleaning the house immaculately, it is in the moment we lovingly fold our children's clothes; it does not prepare a perfect meal, it is in the moment we lovingly offer the meals we prepare, it does not always prepare a busy, fun packed day, it is in the moment that we look into their eyes and theirs meet yours and all you feel is love. And in all other moments of pure joy.

Sometimes the saint in our children welcomes the saint in us too. As my baby wakes for the third time in the last half hour and I go to her to settle her to sleep, I realise I am biting my nails thinking about all the things that I am going to do when I go downstairs that night. She takes my hand and holds it. In the soft tenderness of her gentle grasp, I remember that these moments are the most beautiful ones: lying with her in her presence as we are bonded with the closeness, the milk and the warmth I offer her, the reminder she gives me that the truth is love.
 

 

Sometimes the saint in us guides us to do nothing, but show compassion. Our children are whole people who experience a roller coaster of emotions, as we all do and sometimes their behaviours are irrational and unpredictable and we find them hard to witness. We don't always have to react. I am finding that sometimes what feels like the best mothering is simply being there with love and compassion; listening, holding, watching, preparing a sort of aura of love for them to wreak chaos within and yet always be protected.

Sometimes the saint in us just listens... listens to constant demands, upset, without getting pulled into other people's emotions. It thinks, what is needed here? Most of the time, I have found that when my child is out of sorts they just need to be shown some love, some time, be played with. It reminds us of what is truly important. Those simple moments with our children can really feed their soul.

So, rather than feel like there should be this or that which we should be doing, I have come to the conclusion that if we feel out of balance as parents, bringing our awareness into the situation is what is needed. And, more than anything, it helps to remember what we have done that day that we feel good about. For what we think about manifests, so more goodness will the follow. And know that the saint within us will always guide us on our way.

I thank your wisdom friends as we journey together through the beautiful path of motherhood.

We were all forged in the living heart of stars and the light reigns within us. We are stardust. We are golden.

 

The Warrior Within

 

 

 I have had many conversations with parents whose children are expressing behaviours that are warrior like. I wanted to share ideas from reading around the topic, talking with other parents and my own experiences. I would love to hear your ideas and view points too- please feel free to comment!

 

 Guns and swords

 When my son first started talking about weapons, despite being brought up in a peaceful loving home without exposure to television or computers, I was concerned. However, having read and thought about the issue, and observed various behaviours of different children, I have come to a very different conclusion.

 

 

Parenting with awareness and holding awareness of the moment.

Five and six year olds are still very young and if they explore their warrior side then they need a loving anchor to come back to. By letting our children express their warrior sides in a non-judgemental way, we are enabling them to experience the freedom and wholeness of who they truly are. Being authentic is what a lot of adults spend their whole lives trying to be. We all have a shadow side: we all feel angry, frustrated. We need the drama to have authentic feelings. The little rebellions and refusals are part of children finding their freedom, finding themselves.

 

If we can hold the space with love and positive intention then we can create a safe place for our children to experiment with their emotions in a safe place. We can model sharing, politeness and good manners.

 

 Providing guidance and boundaries

 Only play shoot players- This means that the children have to interact and form a relationship if they are playing with one another and it also means that children will be aware of other peoples wishes. With sword/ stick play there is physical interaction via the stick, so children will learn to negotiate, express their feelings and listen to how others feel regarding stick play.

 

So, how can we help our children and ourselves as parents with our little warriors

 

 Structure

Providing rhythm, repetition and a mixture of structured activities- such as crafts, baking, painting, wood work- and unstructured play can help children to feel balanced emotionally. Having a quiet/ rest time can be helpful. An afternoon sleep can be beneficial even for five year olds, but if this is not possible then a time in the day when your child knows it is a quiet time can be helpful. This can be matched with plenty of time outside, interacting with the natural world as much as possible.

 

 Physical activity

 

 Children under 7 are in the most physically active time of their life. They need to move around using all their senses, being in their whole body. Having plenty of opportunity for children to be active is important.

Learning physical skills such as supervised woodwork, fire making and foraging can feed the warrior side and ensure plenty of physical activity.

 

 Yoga

 

 As I am sure you all know, yoga can reduce tantrums, help sleep, improve digestion, raise self esteem, aid listening skills and self expression. We have a yoga time in the mornings and sometimes my son joins in, flicks through our childrens' yoga book and copies poses, sometimes he and his baby sister crawl all over me as I do yoga or just make a den in the corner of the room, but the space that is created at yoga time is there and is often used as this.

 

The warrior pose is a favourite. The pose is strong and focused, but of course not violent in any way. Some poses are particularly good for developing patience, creating calmness and assisting emotional balance.

 

 Meditation

 

 Unlike adults, children live in the present moment very well. However, I have found that bringing children's awareness to a certain experience can be nourishing. Watching a frog's movements, sitting with a flower and imagining what it is like for that flower, tree hugging, working with angel cards and crystals are all things that children may enjoy doing and bring a sense of peace into their days.

We sometimes play a children's nature meditation CD where they go on a magical journey under water, in a rainbow or in a hot air balloon trip, again this just guides them to a peaceful safe place.

 

 Stories

 

 Stories are a powerful and important part of young children's lives. If we can be our children's personal story teller , we can transport them to magical places and yet help them develop awareness of various understandings specific to them. A young child may find it difficult to empathise with their younger sibling or any other child when they have hurt them , but they seem to be able to understand social situations in stories very clearly, especially when there is an injustice and a villain and a hero.

'The Children Of The Forest' Elsa Beskow, is a wonderful story and has a clear message about playing with make shift weapons too.

 

'Young Lancelot' by Robert San Souci is a good story to read with boys who are using weapons and destruction in their play. You don't need to elaborate, there is a very clear message the children will learn in a magical way.

 

 After reading 'Young Lancelot' we worked with a St. George and the dragon story. At the end of the story we had a little ceremony. My son and I had dyed white silk with home-grown marigolds and onions and created a cape for him. My husband made a sword with a crystal embedded and we presented the cloak and sword to him and knighted him saying ' May you have a kind heart that will honour and protect' .

 

Reading to children stories of worthy heroes and having faith in the innate goodness of humans and surrounding them with truth and goodness will nourish them while they explore other aspects of their soul.

 

 Their play is their own story

 

 A friend reminded me recently that there is a innocence to children's play that adults do not always see. When children are banging stick guns at one another, we are witness to this though adults eyes and ears. We have an understanding of the danger of weapons and an awareness of the damage they have done. Children rarely hurt one another when playing they are just storytelling, playing out what's inside them and needs to be expressed.

 

 

                   

Welcome Earth Mothers

Welcome

'Our blossoming dreams bloom on the earth,

Our nurtured inner beauty blesses those we touch

We are wild and powerful

We are Earth Mothers'

 

Dear beautiful mothers,

 

I have met so many wonderful mothers, on my journey through motherhood: each one with their unique serenity; stories and wisdom and lots of honesty that moves us all forward.

 

In order to celebrate our journeys, we have Earth Mothers, a place where we can read and share our paths and insights.

 

We are creating a diary for 2016 which will include entries from various Earth Mothers: poems, art work, photography, anecdotes, original aphorisms, recipes, appreciation of the Earth festivals and much more.

 

This blog is designed for us to share each others journeys as women, as mothers as ourselves.

 

Love and Light to all you Earth Mothers