Herbal Ally

__ HAWTHORN__
Daily I sit close, I wait for you to share your teachings, I close my eyes & feel my heart beat as one with the pulse of your rejuvenation  .. the gentle regular pulse, internal strength. Sensing patience, endurance with clarity & determination. An exquisite sense of balance overwhelms all thinking - peace & oneness, love & contentment pervade each & every cell . . anticipating all yet to unfurl .  A matrix of love - uniting all things - strengthening connectedness. Thank you Hawthorn, you share such valuable qualities.

Such beautiful vibrant red buds waiting to unfurl. A myriad of branches beautifully preparing for Spring's opening ceremony.

Elixir One: Cleaver Char :)

Today I had a pocket of free time. Instead of all the other things which needed doing I thought it was time to pop down to the bottom of the garden in search of the newly sprouting Cleavers recently discovered. Tea time . . anticipating making Cleavers Tea!! Armed with camera & accompanied by the dog we ventured down into the wild bare rough ground. Much to my surprise the Hemlock was prolific, looking most definitely like the poisonous  plant newly learned about. The Cleavers were also in abundance but not quite so much - yet - I'm sure last year there were far more Cleavers than anything else. After a thorough glance around the rough I soon noticed the specific structure of the Cleavers. Wonderful, I gently removed a few stalks & brought them up into the kitchen - explaining to them as we walked that they were going to be charred soon - mulled & served as a tonic tea to boost my Lymph. I thanked them for their goodness & contribution to sustaining life & balancing health. They seemed happy about their purpose. Infact they almost seemed to radiate - their structure becoming  sun like  - orbit of radiating light & warmth.
In the kitchen I steeped/washed them in a jug of cold water, changing the water 3 times. Tended to a few brown bits then popped a few of them into a little white china mug.  Cleaver Char . . aaaah delicious. Delicate & cleansing, purifying & energising.

just waiting to be washed

all clean :)

Sunshine radiance :) 

Mmmmmmm my 3rd brew :)  Will try drinking it for 7 days & see if there's any improved difference . Really enjoyed this little introduction to Herbal Teas.

Pathways - Elixir of Life :) - Gateways

Once upon a time it was said I shared Elixir of Life Transformative Teachings, Ascension Initiation, Energy Attunement, Soul Authenticity & Retrieval, Soul Whispering I mean the list could expand until we run out of descriptive words which basically all lead to the same destination :)  How we feel!! The language of living, language of love, language of the  management of our power within. The English language, amazing - yet our interpretation & use no matter how sophisticated or simple all basically lead our minds along the many corridors of reasoning .. meandering until we reach some illogical place deep within which makes prefect sense of things :)  Perhaps, much more than the language is able - maybe the true research & practicality of such descriptive language of such a words like Elixir truly will be found in the tinctures, medicines & tonics discovered in Herbal Medicines.  Always the trees, flowers & plants have shared an unspoken feel, a whispering - pulsating - energy which is just absorbed into the senses, igniting their essence within.  SOOOOO EXCITED - I am only beginning to consider what amazing adventures are to be found within my herbal cauldron, leaves, buds, flowers & using all together!! Gateways to unknown elsewheres . ..  only just commencing ..

First shoots Cleaver & Nettle

Sooooooo excited I have a carpet of Cleavers & Nettles :) The bottom of my garden is a vibrant green!! After all of the snow, becoming quite used to  everywhere being so white it was wonderful to see all that now remains is a whole load of green. Armed with my camera I headed off down into the bramble & rough. Much to my delight I recognised Cleavers straight away, then Nettles & there's another growth - equally as prolific - but not sure what it is. Looks much more fern leafed shaped.  I'm sure these are Cleavers & Nettle  .. if I'm wrong please will someone correct me before I make Cleaver & Nettle Tea :)

Then there's this other greenery growing, much more fern like shaped leaf , on long thin stalks too. Growns in a circle like a clump of weed you could pull out altogether.

Hotchpotch Herbs

Today I turned left at the end of my lane. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by so many pathways, trees & meadows. Here upon the North Downs - no matter the weather - the views are stunning. Hope you'll enjoy our walk  o'er vales & hills!!  First we walk though a wonderful rites of woodland passage way leading to the open North Downs :)

Today was a blustery day, the winds moves the clouds so quickly though so although it started off with rain clouds it quickly  changed to blue skies. It was lovely seeing some of our little herbal acquaintances :)

" You got a guest room? lol! I adore your countryside, Paules! Just enchanting:) Thank you for the 'walk" this morning:) Your first green plant might be lords and ladies, if so.. well you found another poisonous one I think! lol! Mark it with a question mark and keep an eye on it as it will develop lots of telling features"

Oh dear, so many poisonous plants :) I had no idea. Thank you Comfrey Cottage for your lovely words & kindness. Will take some more photos soon. :)

These are quite tall almost thistle like flowers, Think they were dried & would've snapped easily if I'd touched them. I left them to enjoy whatever life still remainth as they were quite beautiful & rather a lot of them about so I assume they weren't dead.

There's a whole area which just looks so Spring like because of its covering by these beautiful vibrant warming, happy, sunshine yellow flowers.  They're adorable not sure what they are but they certainly bring lots of bright cheerful colour against the otherwise bleak dead beige growth on that side of the Downs.

Think these are the remains of last seasons Sloe Berries, They're now shrivelled & dead but the branches look like the complex prickly Sloe bush.

These were beautiful decayed black seeds. The grass in parts still hasn't returned t its lush green. In other parts it has. Across the chalk land there is a stunning array of growth & decay nestling side by side.

Look carefully at these beautiful Hawthorns, looks as if they've naturally reseeded & are growing side by side. There is nothing protecting these little trees , totally explore - a 45 mile views sits ahead of them. Look at the way the wind has formed the biggest tree.  The smaller ones are sooo cute. It was amusingly lovely to see them all in order by height... smaller first.

 This lovely little shrub was covered/coated in the vivid yellow lichen kinda growth. Amazingly intricate & beautiful. Not sure if it is a lichen or something completely different.

This circle of fungi - I assume fungi of some sorts - is on the trunk of one of the trees  in the passage leading to the Downs.  I've zoomed in to show its perfect almost luminous presence. How strange!!

Always come back along the lovely tree lined passage, up to the bridle path, along a short road which will lead me within 5 mins straight to my  home. How lucky am I to be surrounded by such stunning trees & in such abundance.  Many of these trees have thorns but they can't all be Hawthorns as its a different structure. Many of them could be Sloe bushes, many I just don't know yet . .  but soon . .. .  watch this space :D 

"You really have an eye for taking interesting photos! Love the stair step windblown hawthorns, the seed heads, lichens and all the rest!That white crazy headed seed head is so cool! lol! Your descriptive words are as beautiful as your pictures. I feel like I was there with you! big hugs! "  Comfrey Cottage.  xoxoxox 

Thank you Dear Heart, lovely & kind words again. Glad you enjoyed our morning walk, just wait til Spring bursts from containment!! The vibrant flowers & gorgeous sunrise. Yes I have a guest room get your butt over the ocean you're more than welcome :)