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Archive for February, 2012

Zen Kitty Speaks – Book Review

Posted in Zen Kitty on 28 February, 2012| 12 Comments »

Contrary to popular belief, we zen kitties do enjoy books, especially lying on them while the humans are attempting to read. Though they get grumpy about it, we are actually doing them a great service as most books tend to fill their minds with yet more concepts and ideas. Our presence can be just the thing to jolt them back into the present moment of awareness.

Perusing my library

Recently however I allowed them to continue their evening reading unmolested as I was pleasantly surprised to find them enjoying this book.

Written by Eckhart Tolle it’s a celebration of the simplicity, love and simple reminders to be where you are now that we animals so selflessly gift to our human friends.

There are a few too many dogs in it for my liking but the author obviously knows what he is talking about, quite unusual for a human I must say.

I recommend everyone read it and feel suitably humbled in the presence of their animal companions.

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Giveaway Winners!

Posted in Misc on 23 February, 2012| 13 Comments »

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway and left such beautiful comments. It really warmed my heart to read them.

My husband has pulled a couple of names from the hat and the winners are as follows:

The rose blend goes to Maggie and the print to Jen. If you could both email me your postal addresses at whisperingearth@gmail.com I will get them out to you in the next few days.

Despite being generally very lucky, I am the kind of person who never wins anything so I thought I would try to avoid too much disappointment by offering everyone who wished to win the print a postcard version of it instead. I am only just getting postcards made up now so there may be a short delay in getting them to you but if you email me at the above address I’ll send you one out when they are ready. I’m sorry I can’t offer everyone some rose blend as well but my budget can’t quite stretch that far!

I’ll leave you with a few photos of the awakening spring buds here on the South Downs.

The fresh growth of elder gives me such a thrill, truly one of my favourite plant allies, in so many ways.

And the small but gloriously fat buds of the wayfaring tree are so lovely at this time of year.

All of nature rejoices when spring is in the air!

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Another Year, Another Giveaway!

Posted in Misc on 14 February, 2012| 50 Comments »

It’s hard to believe it but somehow another year has rolled around and Whispering Earth celebrates its second birthday today. So once again I would like to mark the occasion with a brief retrospective of my highlights from the year past and another little giveaway. I couldn’t decide which of them to offer so I have settled on two small gifts, both seasonal in their own way.

Firstly, as it is Valentine’s day, I will be giving away a 20ml dropper bottle of organic rose otto essential oil blended with organic jojoba at 2.5%. This can be used as an addition to massage blends or face oils or rubbed into the neck as perfume. However I most recommend you use a few drops massaged over the heart area in a gentle circular motion as a meditative and nurturing way to relax, encourage deep breathing and open your heart. As you may know, rose otto is the most expensive essential oil in the world and 500 roses go into making just the amount that is found in this blend. Therefore it is so important to use rose, or any oil, with the awareness of how precious it is and with every drop valued as a gift from nature.

As the snow is only just beginning to melt here I thought I would offer an A4 sized print of my Winter Solstice picture as an alternative for those who would prefer it. It was painted last winter when the snow lay thick on the ground and we were unable to get to work for several days.

To enter the giveaway just leave a comment below this post with your name and the item you would like to win. I will pull two names from the hat in a weeks time. As both items are light I am happy to send them abroad.

Now I shall turn back, briefly, and remember the highlights of a year spent in nature; connecting, observing, harvesting, writing and rejoicing in the many gifts and subtle lessons she brings.

Last February I was enjoying playing with cinnamon and reading inspiring books by the fire.

In March I was dreaming of violets and exploring the new growth of elder through Goethean observation.

April saw me celebrating spring flowers and enjoying ground ivy.

In May I was making hawthorn flower remedies and loving the abundant cowslips.

June arrived to find me making salves, ointments and balms and talking about milk thistle.

In July I was happy in the company of Motherwort and enjoying simple summer teas.

August saw me making up poultices and compresses and celebrating the wildlife in my garden.

During September I spoke about two old favourites of mine, Yarrow and Calendula.

By the time October rolled around I was ready for some nourishing herbal soups and a bit of philosophising.

November came and I was in the mood for storytelling as well as sharing some tips on making breast massage oils.

And then December and a series of cream making posts beginning with this one.  Also a round up of my year spent with Hawthorn.

Finally, my blogging year ended in January with thoughts on interbeing and some pictures of my Dad’s marvellous mushrooms!

I do so hope you have enjoyed at least a few of the posts I have shared over the year and I hope this next year will be just as magical.

I would like to round up by sharing a poem that I love with you. Part celebration of the natural world and part love poem, it stirs a sigh and a smile from the vast unknown.

Canal Bank Walk  by Patrick Kavanagh

Leafy-with-love banks and the green waters of the canal
Pouring redemption for me, that I do
The will of God, wallow in the habitual, the banal,
Grow with nature again as before I grew.
The bright stick trapped, the breeze adding a third
Party to the couple kissing on an old seat,
And a bird gathering materials for the nest for the Word
Eloquently new and abandoned to its delirious beat.
O unworn world enrapture me, encapture me in a web
Of fabulous grass and eternal voices by a beech,
Feed the gaping need of my senses, give me ad lib
To pray unselfconsciously with overflowing speech
For this soul needs to be honoured with a new dress woven
From green and blue things and arguments that cannot be proven.

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Valentine’s Delights

Posted in Avena, Cardamom, Recipes, Rose, Teas on 11 February, 2012| 16 Comments »

Three of my all time favourite herbs are most definitely herbs of love and, with Valentine’s day just around the corner, I thought it an auspicious time to share a little more about them.

They are Avena, Rose and Cardamom, all famed for their aphrodisiac properties, but all quite different, though they do work in some similar ways.

Avena – Oats are one of the best remedies we have for building and restoring the nervous system and this makes them a wonderful love tonic as they strengthen our reserves helping to make us more resilient and energised. Although we tend to think of aphrodisiac herbs as stimulating rather than relaxing, these kind of nerve tonic herbs act to energise us in a more roundabout way, by releasing the stresses that caused our problems in the first place and getting us strong and vital once more. So many arguments are caused by being frazzled and over-sensitive, making regular doses of Avena a great relationship soother.

Rose – What need I say about the rose, the ultimate symbol of love? It is gently moving, gently stimulating, relaxing, aromatic and uplifting. It also opens the heart to allow greater self love and acceptance, something which enables us to partake more fully in any relationship, romantic or otherwise.

Cardamom – Cardamom is one of the most balanced of the spices and for me this makes it the true spice of love. It is both slightly stimulating, like most spices, as well as calming and centring. As I mentioned above, it is often a combination of stress and resulting fatigue that stops us from giving time and attention to our beloveds, so balancing herbs, like all those mentioned here, are exactly what the love doctor ordered.

All these herbs help us to feel loved in order to feel loving. They work at the meeting point of relaxation and stimulation, of uplifting and of soothing. Essentially they work from a place of balance from which all things can flower, not just love for a partner, but love for ourselves, for the wider context of people and other sentient beings and in the knowledge that there is no real difference anyway. After all, love is just love and when it is in our hearts, all will benefit from its radiance.

Here are just a few of the ways you can combine these herbs to make some deliciously delectable treats, for Valentine’s or any other day.

Tea – A simple tea of cardamom (gently crushed in a pestle and mortar), rose petals and oatstraw makes a lovely soothing and heart opening blend for drinking anytime. To make an extra special tea, add some Ashwagandha root which is a traditional adaptogen and aphrodisiac of Ayurvedic medicine. To make the tea gently simmer about half a tablespoon of ashwagandha root in a pan for about 15 mins. Turn off the heat and add the other 3 herbs leaving to steep for another 15 mins before straining and serving with a little honey. Ashwagandha can be a little bitter in flavour so the addition of the honey makes it more deliciously balanced.

Ashwagandha root and rose buds

Bath – A lovely romantic bath can be made by mixing rose petals and rolled oats with a drop or two of cardamom essential oil and tying up in a small square of muslin. Tie this around the taps as the bath is running, making sure you squeeze out all the creaminess of the oats as you go.

Honey – Infuse rose petals and cardamon seeds in honey for a delicious aromatic treat.

Massage Oil – Cardamom and rose are both divine as essential oils and a beautifully romantic massage oil can be made by combining them both with a base oil such as almond, olive or jojoba. To 50 ml base oil add 5 -10 drops each of rose and cardamom oils.

And last but not least…

The Flapjacks of Love – 
Combining oats, rose, cardamom and other delicious ingredients into a sticky sweet treat that is sure to delight anyone you serve them to.

Ingredients:
250 g rolled oats
125 g coconut oil
75 g muscovado sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
Small handful of broken up walnut or pecan pieces
1 tsp rose petals (dried is fine)
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground ashwagandha root (optional)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 180C and grease a baking tray ready. Mix all the ingredients well in a mixing bowl, I find it easier to melt the coconut oil first. Transfer to the baking tray and spread evenly. Cook for about 25 minutes until golden brown then remove from the oven and score into rectangles. Allow to cool thoroughly giving the coconut plenty of time to set. Enjoy with some cardamom, rose and avena tea and a small smile of satisfaction.

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A Song of Ice and Fire

Posted in Photos, Winter on 5 February, 2012| 22 Comments »

Well Imbolc arrived a few days ago, heralding the beginnings of spring… and bought with it the winter.

Last week we had the first really cold days of the season and today we woke up to a blanket of snow.

The perfect weather for a stroll down the lane, marvelling at how different everything looks after the snow comes.

The few colours to be seen in the starkly beautiful landscape are that much more present and vibrant in contrast with their surroundings.

Icicles hang from the branches, frozen in time, mid-drip.

And teasels bow their heads under the weight of the snow.

The Helichrysum, or curry plant, in the garden looked particularly beautiful, its silvery leaves caught between ice and morning light.

I love the way this weather highlights different aspects of the trees, making me see their forms in a new and inspiring way. Branches of oak and willow looked particularly lovely, their forms intensified by snowlines.

We saw tracks of rabbits, pheasants and foxes alongside our own great stomp-prints.

Can you see the little rabbits out on the lane?

 Some were understandably less enthused at venturing out of their burrows.

Whilst others were very happy to come inside, warm their claws and discover new treats on the kitchen floor.

Whilst we are warming up by the fire, I spare a thought for all the other creatures who will find it difficult to gather enough food today and make sure there is plenty of seed out for the birds.

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Cream Update!

Posted in Misc on 1 February, 2012| 1 Comment »

Many apologies! When publishing the cream recipe last night I doubled the fat portion to make 200ml of cream and forgot to double the water part ingredients. If you receive these posts via email the quantities for the waters will be wrong. I have updated the post now so please check the recipe on the blog for correct amounts.

What can I say, I obviously haven’t been taking my rosemary of late.

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