“Marathon” or “Foeniculum Vulgare"

Back in 490 BC the Greeks and Persians were battling in a field of fennel, the plains of marathon.  Marathon meaning fennel.

Roman soldiers chewed Fennel for increased endurance.  Later on the Puritans called it “the meeting seed”.    Many of the congregation would chew fennel seeds to ward off sleepiness and hunger during long church services.

Fennel seeds are miraculous,  fragrant and tasty little pods of medicinal goodness and can be found in any grocery store in the spice section. Chewing 10 to 15  fennel seeds once or twice a day are helpful to the body in many ways.

Fennel  speeds up the digestive process.  This is especially good for those who suffer with Type 2 Diabetes.  Frequently people with type 2 Diabetes develop a slowing down of peristalsis, which is the muscle movement of the intestine in the digestive process to move waste down to be expelled.    This disorder is called Gastro Paresis.  Chewing fennel seeds will help alleviate this by acting as an antispasmodic and helping the digestive juices do their work.

Fennel helps alleviate indigestion, improves pancreatic function.  It is also used for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, nausea, diarrhea, coughs from colds or bronchitis.

These little seeds will enhance energy levels, act as a diuretic.

Fennel seeds are also good for suppressing appetite if taken before meals.  Chew 10 to 15 seeds before meals and you will feel full faster and eat less.

I chew the seeds and also make them into a tea form.

Fennel is one of my  most used “Kitchen Medicine Goto  items.  These are the basics on how to utilize this wonderful seed.

Fennel Tea ( Tisane) with Honey

Boil 2 or 3 cups of water

Crush 2 teaspoons of Fennel seed with a spoon and add to boiling water.  Turn off heat and steep for 5 to 10 minutes.

You can strain the seeds or leave them in the tea.  Add honey for taste.

This tastes good and is a great digestive aid.  Also good for colds and bronchitis.

This information is intended for your general knowledge only and not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment specific to medical conditions.  If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a chronic or serious illness, and /or have many sensitivities and allergies check with your doctor before using Fennel.

Riding the Wind, Flowing with Water

I can't believe it is October.

Summer was wonderful.  Green, lush and bountiful.  I harvested so much Jewelweed, Plantain, Dandelions, Red clover, Passion flower, Mint, Sage and, of course, Boneset.  This is the summer I learned to make soap.  And I honed my salve/ointment making skills.

I worked on several personal projects since the last time I wrote.  I taught some Reiki classes,  I gave some lectures on Kitchen Medicine.  I spent some time writing a few tutorials on healing with energy and plant medicine.

I began taking yoga classes which now feel absolutely necessary to me.  I even took up belly dancing again.  Nothing moves previously ignored muscles like belly dancing.

This summer was the official "coming out" of my ointments and salves.  I sold quite a few and actually have requests for more.  Amazing.  I love making them so much.  I chose three and focus my intent on them.  Plantain, Jewelweed and Cayenne.

In retrospect, I can see that "Expansion" was the theme of this summer.  Branching out and sharing what I have learned about healing and learning more.  There is no better teacher than connecting with others and stepping into previously unknown experiences.

I didn't sit down and plan all of this.  Everyday I just seemed to flow from one step to another.

This summer brought a lot of changes.  And it was not without challenges.  I still struggle with some issues relating to everyday life.   Personal dilemmas that are connected to the deep deep part of me.
Daily meditations and self treatment with Reiki aid my processing of these things.  And allow me to follow the patterns of the wind and water that appear to be moving me along.  Continue my growth and expansion while simultaneously processing my dilemmas.

This ability alone has taught me so much about how our healing practices aid us through life.  Things that used to shut me down for days now cause detours that I am slowly able  navigate through  with  no outright blockages.  I am so grateful for learning  (remembering) how to do this.

Many lessons I have learned in just a few short months.  The most recent lesson I learned today.

Yesterday I attended a really wonderful Healing Arts Fair in Fayetteville, WV.  I have attended a few in my lifetime in Virginia.  This was a special one for many reasons.  It was the first one held in this area.  And it was the first time I have ever participated,  It was amazing!

I gave Aura and Chakra Strengthening Treatments with Reiki and gave short tutorials about the importance of circulating life force throughout our etheric bodies.   I sold some of my ointments.  I met so many wonderful people.  I was amazed at how many people came.  I loved being part of it.
It was breathtaking to me.   Something I previously only dreamed of doing..I did.

My zeal caused me to overextend myself.  ...The pure delight of being part of something this huge and important to me overrode my good sense..  It was my own fault.  I was like a kid in a candy store.

It began at 11am.    I lost track all track of time after 2pm.   My friend and "Fen Shui" expert had to leave then.  She had taken the things I brought with me and made an amazing treatment area for me.  More on that another time.   Anyway after she left I just kept doing treatments.  I was so involved with it.  Until some alert sounded in me as I was finishing up what would be my last treatment of the day.

And when I gained some awareness of time and space I knew I had to stop, pack up and go home.  Drunk with energy work,  exhaustion from standing for hours, light headed from not eating or drinking enough...I took the time while grounding myself and drinking some water in my car before driving home to acknowledge that I learned a valuable lesson.  And I will heed it.  I knew intellectually that with energy work there has to be space in between treatments,  drink water, ground myself often and limit the treatments to a certain number of people per day.  But I never was in a situation exactly like that and I didn't monitor myself well enough.  Too much of a good thing will wear you out.

So today I am taking it easy.  I have no choice.  I am still feeling the effects of my venture.  I had many things I wanted to do today..but it's not happening.

Was it worth it?  ABSOLUTELY!  I am so grateful for yesterday at the Healing Arts Fair. What a blessing it was.   I will never forget it my whole life.  This summer has  shown me other doors that had been waiting to be opened by me that I couldn't see before.  I was too busy trying to bang on the ones that have shut in my face.
And I am definitely going to do this again.  With moderation and mindfulness.

So I say goodbye to Summer and welcome the Fall that arrived a couple of weeks ago.  I am thankful for all the things I experienced, the blessings I received and new wisdom I have acquired.

What is my next plan?  Right now I am going to take my puppy (who is no longer a puppy) for a walk in my little hollow.  Take some deep cleansing breaths of the cool air and admire the myriad of colors in the trees.  I will ground, center and revive myself.

I will "ride the wind", "flow with water" and confer with my Inner Guidance.   And see where it takes me.   Utilize the things I have learned and experience more lessons I need to learn.

The End of Winter

It's been a long, snowy and cold winter for most of us.  Here in the mountains of West Virginia it was.  Once again I seem to go into hibernation mode.

I haven't written for a long time because it appears that winter time is part of my deeply contemplative mode.  And contemplate I did.  In fact, there were times I didn't want to but the long cold days demanded it.

During this time I spent a lot of time with my growing puppy, Jackson.  I managed to stay connected with friends.  I helped my husband prepare for his long and bitter cold nights on top of Coal River Mountain.  And many hours were spent reading.

In March I traveled to Richmond to meet friends in Virginia for a concert.  It was wonderful yet strange.  I helped teach a couple of Reiki classes and my herbal classes resumed.   I meditated a lot and gave Reiki to myself, everyone around me and everything around me.

My husband and I made it though the winter without any illness.  A couple of times we had some beginning symptoms of a virus or cold.  Thankfully, using Reiki and plant medicine we were able to lose it quickly.  Surprisingly so.

The most important activity of the winter was continued emotional healing.  I was able to work through a large amount of anxieties and pain acquired during the incredibly difficult years of my life.  Things that were buried deeply inside me worked their way to the surface.  It wasn't fun and many times I tried to fight it.  However, I finally realized what was happening and stopped resisting.  I let it happen.  Although it was very painful at times it was a great experience in the long run.

I am able to see things from a wider perspective and it has given me a higher level of compassion for the human condition.  The situations people have to endure at times is heartbreaking.   And with this I learned to listen.  No longer trying to "fix things"; I finally got it that the most important act of compassion is to listen.  Allowing a wounded person to bear witness to their pain is sometimes the most compassionate action there is.  And maybe the most healing.   Bearing witness is acknowledging.   I learned that one of the most important steps of emotional and spiritual healing is to acknowledge and legitimize the pain.

Once the pain is on the table then the work of healing can begin.

That's what I learned this winter.  

Stormy Days

I woke up this morning with strange aching around my neck and the back of my head.  My heart center feels "lumpy and tender".  I sense a stream of something coming up through my second chakra...through my solar plexus..into my aching lumpy heart center.  It feels like frustration with a bit of impatience thrown in.  The least amount of effort seems to be too much.

As I attempt to pull my "Self" away from this hotbed  of misery long enough to observe and assess the situation; I notice this overwhelming stream of sadness coming over me and then I burst into tears.  So now I am aching and tearful and I have absolutely no reason why.

I have worked at processing my emotions for so long that I have condtioned myself not to rely on "triggering situations" to provide the reason.  I am stymied.    I don't have a clue as to why I feel so awful this morning.  I can't even identify any "triggering"  sensations or situations that precipitated this dilemma.


I will admit that they crying wave brought me a sense of inner relief but still I have no idea what caused the sobbing fit.  I do feel calmer and less frustrated and impatient.  But I do sense a mild and quiet sadness has settled in me a bit.  My neck and head are still aching.

I am trying to just sit with this and not resist.  To observe the patterns of the energy movement and my responses while giving myself  Reiki as a supportive compassionate action.   I will consciously circulate my energy to prevent blockages.  I will be kind to myself.

This storm will eventually pass and maybe I will learn something new about my "self".