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Cave Poetry
Razor sharp is the air this morning.
Indicative of a true winter's day, the sky is solemn and brooding.
All warmth is withheld, and joy must be sought created, or remembered.
I take solace in welcoming the cave time.
In the darkness is fertile possibility.
In the silence comes the ancestral answers.
In the smell of the heady, dank earth,
we are granted the chance to take back our body.
In our cave time we adorn!
We draw red ochre on the walls
of our igneous hideouts
We butter our lips with roses and fat.
Smoke curls through time
Scenting our blankets and cloaks.
Libations in blood colored liquids are poured
Invoking dreams and visions.
The light comes to us from within our forest bodies,
our bellies of love and water,
our breasts of milk and sweetness,
our minds of flowers and kaleidoscope minerals.
The Goddesses visit us in our cavern.
They give us gifts of dances and beauty and order.
They command from us our greatness, our fearless femininity.
As the world outside our cave
turns to ice
and incubates the seeds
We gestate our creative forces
and conjure powerful destinations
We render ghee from butter,
we render love from pain
we render forgiveness from anger
and we turn our inner blossoms
into seeds with wings
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Dearest Reader
Thank you for coming along these plant journeys. I know that even though you're here, reading something I have typed, this is really *your* journey. Your way of reconnecting to the earth beneath your feet, to the trees in your own forest, and to the senses tingling and talking throughout your body.
I'm incredibly grateful to be somehow a part of that for you.
I give gratitude for you and your divine nature.
There are a few changes around here in an effort to serve you better, if you are a reader, patron, or ally, please be sure to read this thoroughly.
As you may know it has been an extraordinary year for me.
I'm entering my second year of offering my Pleasure Medicine Apothecary Membership/Home study course (the Lady's Slipper Ring) and I have grown and learned a lot from the journey.
I have made an impressive collection of herbals through the process, which I am very proud of. Below is my Botanical Aromatherapy Perfume Archive for the year (Oct 2011 - Oct 2012) It now rests on my abundance/gratitude altar.
What I've noticed, is that there are two groups that I serve, and while there is quite a bit of overlap, there is also some divide.
Some of you come for this:
and some of you come for this:
And sometimes I just want to talk about this:
or this:
Does that make sense?
So, to serve you better, take these actions:
1) If you want to connect mostly about plants, nature, and earth based musings, please continue to be a part of this blog, and the Plant Journeys facebook page. You will still receive Apothecary offerings and updates on a semi-regular basis, but it will remain primarily a plants, life, and food-based forum for me.
2) If you're mostly here for my Artisan Herbals, Lady's Slipper Ring annual membership, pain killer salve, elixirs and products, or because you're into beautiful apothecary musings and sexy pictures of red wine and freshly poured magic potions, then the NEW Amrita Apothecary facebook Page is the click to like to stay connected to all of my creative endeavors and product offerings. In the future - THIS is where I will be posting first come first serve offerings such as night owl discounts, early bird specials, and OOAK leftovers from special projects. So, if you love my products, this is the place to be. If you're not interested in hearing about my offerings, this is not the place to be.
In this way, I sincerely hope to continue serving you in the ways more specific to the reasons you visit me, and in the ways that connect you with nature and your body most directly.
In gratitude and beauty blessings,
Ananda
PS - Thank you to everyone who has enrolled in this year's Ladys' Slipper Ring! I am diving deep to upgrade the home study content, going far into the forest to dig you rich roots, and working tirelessly on ideas for your coming herbal treasures. It's going to be a delicious ride.
If any of you were hoping to come along, it's not (but almost!) too late! I have TWO SPACES LEFT - but they will only be here until November 12, when I will lock the doors on the program until September 2013.
For more information, go HERE
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BLACK FOREST CHAI
An intense herbal brew for your days hiding in the Cave.
Into a pot on the stove or wood stove, add 2 to 3 quarts filtered or well water.
Add:
~ 1, One inch sized root of Osha, dried.
~ One tablespoon Smoked black tea, such as Lapsang Souchong, or a roasted Mate
~ 1 tablespoon Licorice root
~ 1 tablespoon Cardamom seeds
~ 1-2 tablespoons Ginger, fresh minced
~ 1-2 Springs freshly gathered conifer twigs with needles (spruce, fir, or pine)
~ 1 handful fresh Black Birch twigs cut into 1 inch bits
~ 5-10 Juniper berries
~ One inch piece dried mushroom (chaga, reishi, or shitake) if desired
~ grated Nutmeg to taste
~ Black Peppercorns as desired
~ 1 Handful of your favorite nuts; walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts work well)
Directions: Gently simmer all ingredients for 30-45 minutes (longer will make it stronger). When ready, ladle out cupfuls as you desire, into your favorite mug. Add cream and honey and herbal elixirs as desired. Enjoy.
xo
Credits:
Inspirations for Black Forest Chai come from the following:
My Sweet Friend, Herbalist Darcey Blue, who successfully got me addicted to smoked tea.
Kiva Rose's Wild Woodlands Morning Brew Recipe mmm
And of course, my body, who says - "Give me quiet, give me tea."
And I must obey.
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