St. Nicholas was born in the 4th Century in Lycia, Asia Minor to very wealthy parents. Even as a child he was very religious. He was very young when he became a priest and he went on to become a bishop. Sadly, his parents died shortly after he was ordained. He inherited a great fortune, and he shared it generously with people in need. His giving was from the heart - he was not interested in credit or compensation. He often gave unanimously. He was dedicated to common people and emperors alike.

St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children, laborers, merchants, pawn brokers, and particularly sailors and those who work near water. 

There are many stories describing his generosity. A nobleman who had lost his fortune was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters so planned to sell them into slavery. St. Nicholas galloped by their castle in the dark of night and threw a bag of gold in the window. He did this three nights in a row, providing each daughter with a dowry. Eventually, it was discovered that he had been the generous benefactor. His fame as a gift giver spread through out many lands and he has been credited with the concepts of Father Christmas and Santa Claus.

The three bags of gold represent the three golden balls found on the signage outside pawn broker's shops.

In another more gruesome story, he saved three babies, often pictured beside him. During a famine, an inn keeper had no meat to feed his customers so he cut up three children and tossed them into a brine filled pickling tub. Thankfully, St. Nicholas walked in just in time to bless the boys and bring them back to life!

During that same famine, he convinced sailors on a ship filled with grain to unload some of their cargo to feed those who were starving. They were initially reluctant since the grain had been weighed and they wanted to deliver the entire shipment. He assured them that the cargo would weigh exactly the same amount when it was delivered. It did.

As you celebrate St. Nicholas Day, give a gift from the heart. It doesn't need to be expensive. It could be a kind word, a quote that would make someone feel valued, a thank you. Or is could be a poem, or a recipe! Here's my gift to you!

Golden Bishop's Tea

4 cups black or green tea
4 cups apricot nectar
Serve hot with a honey if desired and a sprig of rosemary 
and a sprinkling of nutmeg

Optional: 1 Tablespoon apricot brandy per cup

As you celebrate St. Nicholas Day, think gold! Decorate with golden wheat and tansy! Serve apricot or orange nut bread with Golden Bishop's Tea. Create your own golden delights! 

How’s it going? 
You’ve made your broom from the best possible broom making herbs, you have rubbed your handle with a non-poisonous levitation herb . . . but it you’re like many of us, staying seated upright can be a challenge! I’ll never forget my first attempt! I was twirling around in the sky like an autumn leaf in a windstorm. Fortunately, a more experienced rider shared a secret. 
Basil
You thought it was just for pesto, right? 
Drinking 1/2 cup of basil juice before taking off on your broomstick will keep you safely seated in an upright position. I’ve been told chewing celery seeds help too! Have fun!

As much as I love being a Pisces, the herbs of Venus, representing the zodiac signs of Libra, an air sign (September 23 - October 22) and Taurus, an earth sign (April 20 - May 20), include some of my favorite herbs!

During the pandemic, I made 12 collages featuring Taurus herbs for my oldest daughter. My biggest challenge was deciding which herbs to highlight, since there are an abundance of herbs ruled by Venus. Some signs have a more limited selection.

Other Libra herbs, herbs of Venus, include African violet, apple, apricot, aster, avocado, cardamon, cherry, coltsfoot, columbine, daffodil, daisy, foxglove, goldenrod, iris, lilac, and violet. There are many  more. 

Nicholas Culpeper (Oct. 18-1616 to January 10, 1654), a physician, botanist, herbalist and astrologer, is credited with identifying the planets and their zodiac sign affiliations. Each zodiac sign is ruled by a planet and  the herbs under that planet’s influence are  assigned to the corresponding zodiac  signs. 

Other than Earth, the planets discovered before the 1700 were given the names of Roman deities. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto came after the 1700s and were assigned to planet who previously shared plants with other signs. 

Signs and their planets are

• Aries, ruled by Mars
• Taurus, ruled by Venus
• Gemini, ruled by  Mercury
• Cancer, ruled by the  moon
• Leo, ruled by the sun
• Virgo, ruled by Mercury
• Libra, ruled by Venus
• Scorpio, ruled by Pluto. Ancient ruler was  Mars
• Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter
• Capricorn, ruled by Saturn
• Aquarius, ruled by Uranus. Ancient ruler was Saturn
• Pisces, ruled by Neptune. Ancient ruler was Jupiter

I’ll be including  more on the Zodiac herbs in my blog posts  and my e-book, Enhancing Your Life with Herbs, named after a course I’ve delivered numerous times over the last decade. I’ll be finalizing the illustrations and releasing  it by the end of October. Watch for it!

Phytolacca americana
Poisonous

Gender: Masculine
Element: Mars
Planet: Fire
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 Mabon, the Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, is a time to give thanks for the many blessings of harvest. We often think of drying  herbs, canning, preserving, making wines and robs, freezing and storing root vegetables in root cellars. One method of harvesting you may not have thought of is to make ink! Poke berries are ripe and ready now!

There is a jar in my 'fridge labeled POISON because the juice is a luscious magenta color, clove scented to preserve it, and it could be very tempting! This is the ink that was rumored to have been used to write the Declaration of Independence. Further research indicates that it was used for the draft, but the actual document was written with iron gall ink made from ferrous sulfate and ink extracted from the oak galls. 

In the spring, the immature leaves of the poke plant, said to be similar to turnip, collard or mustard greens, are cooked with bay leaves, Cajun spices, and a ham bone.  Unlike the other greens, poke is considered to be poisonous until 'thoroughly cooked", a process that requires boiling it for at least five minutes for three times and throwing out the water to replace it with new, uncontaminated water each time. After the final boiling, the instructions are to wring as much water out of the plant as humanly possible. Because the plant is poisonous, so you have to cook it. A lot.

I grew up in the mountains of West Virginia and knew people of considerable age (note - I was 12 at the time - anyone over 40 was of 'considerable age' in my perception) who ate poke annually, praising it for it's role in reducing or eliminating joint inflammation, arthritis, and numerous types of cancer.

Personally, I'm reluctant to cook plants that have been declared poisonous. I can go to the grocery store or farmer's market and buy plants that are safe . . . and edible.

NOTE: As I was "poking" - pun intended - fun at poke during one of my  “Enhancing Your Life with Herbs” classes, one of my participants mentioned that she grew up eating poke and they simply gathered and cooked the young plants in early spring. She convinced me to give it a try, but Gil, another participant, asked that I wait until my class was over!  Loved that class!!!

There are other ways to use poke. If anyone has put a hex on you, use hydrangea and poke to remove it. Call me. I'm not getting into all of that here.

And you  could  always write a song about poke, as Tony Joe White did in 1969. He wrote Polk Salad Annie.  He did a fabulous job and I adore his version, but I'm featuring Elvis because his use of crib notes is truly hilarious. So I apologize to you Tony. After all, Elvis is King! Enjoy!

​Monarda didyma
Scarlet Beebalm

Gender: Feminine
Element: Water
Planet: Mercury
​

The brilliant scarlet bee balm,  is a perennial herb and belongs to  the mint family, Lamiaceae. My fondest memories  are the patches that grew at Camp  Arcona, a much loved Girl Scout Camp in Mechanicsburg,  PA. Sadly, the camp was sold for real estate development. Our beloved camp  may be gone,  but our memories remain. When day camp began in June, the gorgeous crimson flowers were always there  to  greet us!
There are two reasons bergamot  has the folk name bee  balm. One is  bees are attracted to it, and another  is the leaves are soothing  when rubbed on a bee sting. 
The  flowers are edible and the petals add a tangy flavor, in  addition to a  splash of color, to garden salads and fruit salads. Add to corn muffins or corn bread for unexpected zest! They compliment sweet as well as savory.   Use your imagination and  make  this versatile herb a part of  your welcoming  summer ritual! 

Salvia comes from the Latin word “salvere”, to heal. 
Officinalis refers to having been used medicinally.

Gender: Masculine
Element: Air
Planet: Jupiter

Sage, salvia, is the largest genus of the mint family, Lamiaceae. 

Sage has numerous  powers. In addition to its healing properties, it is associated with wisdom, longevity and protection. It’s a delightful and healing tea, and the Thanksgiving turkey wouldn’t be the same without it. With the present concerns about the coronavirus, it seems a good time to focus  on sage’s clearing, cleansing, protective qualities. 

Instructions for creating your own smudging bundles from sage grown in your garden and here. The steps to the process are  in my  illustrated journal, above. After the sage was harvested and  wrapped it needed  to dry. That  process takes about 4 - 6 weeks.
 
​We smudge for a variety of reasons. One may be a general cleansing or  you may want to remove germs and bacteria.  You may want to clear  your space to become more open to creative ideas and beautiful thoughts. 

If you are smudging because someone had violated your  space or made your angry or uncomfortable,  it is imperative that you center  yourself and  come to a more positive frame of mind before you begin. It  you need support, find a friend or two to help you feel  positive and  loved.  You are clearing negative energy  and adding positive to replace it so keeping a positive frame of mind during  the ritual and following are vital. 

It  might be helpful  to find, or write a prayer or poem to express your intentions. When I was in Stone Harbor, my friend Lisa had a book with a beautiful prayer to  accompany  a smudging ritual.I hurriedly copied  it into my illustrated journal and will probably redo it on parchment, but for now, it gives you the words you need.  ​ I'm not  sure  who wrote it.   I looked on line and found several people acknowledged. Thank you to who ever wrote such  a lovely piece.  

​The next step is to gather your materials. If possible, use natural  materials. 

• Smudge Stick
• Candle, preferably lit with a wooden match
• Shell  to catch the embers, or you can  also  use a pottery dish

​Optional

• Feather  to direct the smoke - you can  also  use your hand
• Brass bell to wake  up the energy in each  room as you move  through the house

​

 
1. Light the candle and set your intention. You  may use  the prayer above or something you have written or found that expresses your personal perspective.  
2. Use the candle flame  to  light the sage. Once the sage has caught fire, blow it out and watch for glowing embers. When you see the smoke begin to roll off of the smudge stick, it is ready. 
3. Guide the smoke toward your heart, over  your head and around your body to  purify  yourself before you begin.
​4. Go the the lowest area you will be smudging. You will be working clockwise in each room. Use your feather, or your hand, to direct the smoke from the lowest part  of the room to the highest as you move in  a circle around  the room Be certain to direct smoke into the corners of the room.  Direct the smoke out the door or windows before you move on to the next room. 

5. KEEP THE SHELL CLOSE BY TO COLLECT BURNING EMBERS.  I tap the smudge stick on the shell when I begin in each room and usually another time or two as the leaves burn. 
​

6. After you have completed smudging each room extinguish the sage by rubbing it onto the shell or on sand or dirt. Check to see that there are no burning red embers.

DO NOT wet the sage. If you do, you won't be able to use the sage again. 

After the smoke clears and the negative energy has been released, fill the  space with love. You can say  prayers, meditate or journal about love, have dear friends over, read inspirational materials or do what ever feels best for you! 

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