The Luminous Spirit

  What all do you need to know about purple deadnettle? Latin Name: Lamium purpureum                      Family: Lamiaceae Growing zone: 4-8 mostly found on roadsides and disturbed ground. It can stand full sun to part shade. Identification: Annual that is pollinated by bees and it is a hermaphrodite. It likes light sandy - clay soil. Prefers well draining moist soil. Single stem that grows ½” to 2 ½” tall. In my yard where it is growing has reached every bit of 8 inches tall. Mostly shade and heavily fertilized. The stem: is square and can be a green to a reddish purple with tiny hair like fuzz on it. Lower 3rd of the stem has no leaves on it. Leaves: Young leaves are scalloped and wrinkly Underside is very hairy which makes them unappealing to most that are trying to consume. The leaves are reddish purple and as they age they become more green. They are densely crowded and each pair of leaves rotate 90 degrees from the...

 W hat to know about Mullein Photo above: Common Mullein in the first year Latin Name: Verbascum thapsus                                             Family: Scrophulariaceae Growing zone : 3-9 and prefers partial sun and dry soil.  It is very hard to transplant because of its long taproot. In the spring you can find saplings from the previous years plants near the brown stalks that were once the flowers. You can gather the seeds and plant them in the fall. Identification:   Leaves : are soft and fuzzy like a teddy bear or velvet. They grow low to the ground in the first year and only foliage. First year they stay pretty small so on average no more than about 6-10 inches in circumference. The leaves are oblong and have a rounded point at the tip. They are silvery green gray in color. The l...

  I am so new to this.  Wanting to know what herbalism is and why it chose me so that I can figure out where to go from here. So herbalism and being a Wiccan kind of go hand in hand but even if you're not Wiccan or pagan or anything of the sorts it really goes hand in hand with the self sustainability of homesteading. So it was a calling that made me, well me.  So what is herbalism?  Herbalism is a way of life. It is being able to forage wild herbs and make your own medicine. To heal yourself from the inside out and help others heal themselves.  What herbalism is not.  Not a replacement for your health care practitioner.  Sometimes you just really need to go see a doctor. Yes, nature can help with so many things and our bodies need that. But there are definitely times where seeking medical attention from a professional is best.  What is herbalism and why did it choose me? This is a loaded question. As a small child I was always drawn to nature. Th...