Don’t Trash That Weed! CLEAVERS FOR LYMPH!
The weeds that surround us are actually trying to heal us and save our lives. Plants ARE the regenerative energy of Mother Earth herself.
Plants intrinsically understand the cycles of the seasons; their own life cycles mirror the way Nature recycles life through time. There’s the sprouting and budding of Spring; the flowering and harvesting of Summer and Fall; and the fallow Winter of deep regeneration beneath the ground.
Yet for some mysterious reason, most people do not seem to notice, respect, or learn from the infinite wisdom of the wild.
There is a wisdom to this bell curve that establishes and reestablishes life in living color throughout all time. Plants are our ancestors, and generously erupt with all that is good and wholesome, sacred and pure. Only when we start paying attention to how life works in Nature, can we live truly sustainable and self-empowered lives.
i moved here a year ago, and noticed that the north wall of the yard had medicinal weeds growing wild - mostly Cleavers. So i cultivated her. I also invited the sparse Milk Thistle stand to spread and blend right in - and even in her pre-Spring infancy, she’s already looking better this year.
If you pick a sprig of Cleavers, you will get a whole bunch. Not only do they stick to each other; they will stick on your clothes - which is how you know Cleavers is who you have.
CLEAVERS KNOWS LYMPH. Winter and Spring are wetter months, and our human bodies can be prone to that same kind of “wetness” inside. Examples are candida, yeast, and mold. Our bodies cleanse out these toxins by way of lymph fluids - which thicken when there is a toxic assault on the body cells. Lymph is our sewer system. Cleavers gets lymph flowing again, so the body can self-cleanse and regulate; self-regulation and cell repair IS our natural healthy state.
So what do you do?
*Pick the fresh Cleavers, have it in salads, steamed greens, and “herbal” tea.
*Dry the bunch (or pile) on a well ventilated screen and then pack it airtight in a glass jar - or at least heavy plastic - where it will keep at least a year. Then when you are ready, tincture it - soak it in alcohol (vodka has no taste or smell) in an airtight glass jar in the cool dark for a couple months. Then strain and bottle it, and Voila! All you need is a few drops in your water or tea several times a day.
NB: Always label and date your medicine.
NB2: These are general guidelines. It’s always better to contact an herbalist and asses together what the best medicinal plants are at any given time. General guidelines do not consider your individual constitution.
PLANTS SURVIVED AND THRIVED BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW TO ADAPT TO A CHANGING WORLD, AND THEY TEACH AND REMIND US OF THIS VITAL AND CONNECTED SKILL.
If you are afraid to harvest, find an herbalist, herb walk or an apothecary to help you begin. And, if you simply cannot find weeds anywhere but the side of the road or downstream from big industry, call an apothecary.
i shop for bulk herbs that i can’t find or grow myself at Lhasa Karnak in Berkeley; if you have a local co-op, this is an excellent place to start. Please don’t go to a big corporation. Shop from us. We are real people doing real medicine for real people since time began. Find us. Nature speaks through us, and we are literally sprouting like weeds!
Yolanda Pritamhari
www.quietmind.com
Bodywork; Home Herbalism; Frequency Therapy
Green Blessings on your way!
small pile of Cleavers from the full stand shown above