Book Review: Backyard Medicine

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Backyard Medicine, by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal, is an absolutely gorgeous combination of information and full-color photographs.  It's also my go-to book for in-depth info on easy to find (and easy to grow) medicinal herbs.  Backyard Medicine is very readable, and the bulk of the book is made up of a short chapter on each of fifty plants, including photos, description, historical and present-day uses, mythological or folk beliefs about the herb, the authors' personal experience, and instructions for suggested preparations.  There's also a brief how-to for basic preparations (decoctions, herbal honeys, etc) in the beginning of the book.  Backyard Medicine focuses specifically on common wildflowers, like dandelion, mullein, and yarrow, which makes it particularly useful.  A portable trade paperback with lovely paper quality, it's a joy to use and to page through, making plans for the summer.

Why I Love Valentine's Day

"Offering to Venus," by J. W. Godward

I'm not sure if I know anyone else who really loves Valentine's Day.  Those without a significant other feel left out of all the hoopla, and those who are attached are either nonplussed or stressed about the holiday.  For me, it's a stepping stone that helps me through the dourest part of the winter.

New England seems to be tailor-made for Christmas.  We have crisp, cold days and snowfalls that paint the branches of our bare trees white.  Our evergreens look as though they've been drizzled with icing.  Our landscapes sparkle in undulating drifts of white or blue or pink, depending on the hour.  Indoors, we deck the halls with garlands and swags, and we dress ourselves in our cheeriest berry red or forest green.  On New Year's, we might even wear sparkles.

Then, we seem to remember that our states started out as Puritan colonies.  We revert to greys and browns, and occasionally navy blue.  The landscape is still beautiful, but the roadsides grow dull with dirty snow, and even a fresh snowfall might not be quite so cheerful without the contrast of vibrant greens and reds.

"Pink Rose," by Jonathan E. Russell

We wouldn't dream of wearing pastels before Easter, but Valentine's Day, that dear Hallmark Holiday, gives us permission to break out the bold pinks and purples, and to give red another go.  All the gaudy advertising (with its pressures to make sure our partners receive the most expressive card, the sweetest chocolates, the biggest bouquet) is packed full of these colors.  And flowers!  Cut flowers may be the most frivolous indulgence on earth, but in mid-February, I can't help but be happy for the sight of them.  So, while I've never been one for big, expensive gestures on Valentine's, I revel in the brilliant hues that it throws my way.

I think Valentine's Day should be a day of frivolity.  Pink hearts and Victorian cupids aren't the symbols of fully realized love or devotion.  They're the symbols of fresh affection, of new found delight in each other's company.  So if you've someone to celebrate with, forget expensive celebrations and do something silly and fun.  If you're on your own, celebrate your own company with an at-home spa treatment.  Either way, consider celebrating Valentine's like the kids do:  Give a little platonic love to everyone you meet.  One year I signed and sealed a whole basketfull of cheesy kiddie Valentines and handed them out to everyone I saw that day.  People were delighted.  When I handed out the last few cards of the night at the local pub, I had one friend give me a big hug and break into tears.  I'll never forget that, and I'll never forget what it taught me:  Even a seemingly insignificant gesture - so long as it's made out of love and kindness - is worth making.

PS:  Next year, I'm hoping to have Glitter Dragons Valentine's to hand out...

On Healing, Being Healed, and Healers

"Human Element" by Jonathan E. Russell

Healing, to me, is a process by which a person (or animal or plant) returns to whole-ness. This is often literal, for example in the case of a scrape: As the scrape heals over, my skin becomes whole again. Or it might be more figurative: If my digestion isn’t functioning properly, I can’t fully take advantage of the nutrients in my food, so my body won’t work as well as it might. If I can remedy this and heal my digestive system, than I can more fully appreciate my body’s abilities, as well as activities that I might not have had the energy for before. As I heal, my life becomes fuller and my body reaches (closer to its) potential. I think it’s important to remember, here, that wholeness and perfection aren’t the same thing. A body will never be “perfect” (whatever that means), because it is always dealing with stressors (cuts, bug bites, toxins, germs, etc). But so long as that body is wholly functioning, it can deal with most stressors in a healthy way.

It follows that being healed would be a process of supporting the body and giving any tools it would find helpful in dealing with a particular stressor. If I have a cut, that might mean a comfrey poultice. If the stressor is lack of nutrition, that might mean revamping my diet and adding herbal and/or vitamin supplements. If I have the flu, it might mean rest, controlling the fever, and taking echinacea and/or golden seal to help my body fight off the virus. These are all things that I might do for myself or in combination with another’s help.

A healer might just be one who heals. But since healing is a function of the body itself that would make calling someone a healer equivalent to calling them a breather. We use the word “healer” to describe a person’s activity - often their profession or calling. So, I would say a healer is someone who encourages/promotes/assists healing in others - and, hopefully, in themselves!

(This is part of an essay originally written in response to a question on Rosemary Gladstar's Science and Art of Herbalism course.)

News from Looseleaf

The Christmas season was a blast here at Looseleaf.  Thank you so much to everyone who placed orders!  I had a ton of great phrases and quiz answers to create from, and enjoyed every sentence of it.

There's a new presentation format available now:  a softcover handbound with a Japanese stab binding.  These booklets are 5" by 7", and are available on Looseleaf's etsy site.  The covers are handmade, recycled paper and the inside pages are the same 100% cotton paper that I use for framed Looseleaf stories.

One of my New Year's projects is to update the official Looseleaf site, and I want to include an FAQ.  Please let me know if you have any questions about Looseleaf or about ordering Looseleaf stories.  Thank you in advance for your help!

Book Review: The Angel Makers, by Jessica Gregson

December sure is flying by!  I've been having a blast writing stories for Looseleaf, not to mention taking care of the usual holiday preparations.  But I wanted to make a quick stop here and point out a great novel that was just released this month.

The Angel Makers is the story of a small village in Hungary during the early 1900s.  Sari is the daughter of an herbalist, and when he dies she partners up with the village midwife.  When the men of the village go off to war, the women experience unexpected freedoms.  Then the men return, and Sari's fiance becomes abusive.   Without, she feels, any other recourse, she poisons him.  But when the rumor spreads, the other women of the village want help with their husbands too...
This book is based on a true story.  You can read more about that here.

When I first read the back of this book, I thought it sounded pretty nightmarish, but it's actually a very human story.  Author Jessica Gregson does a wonderful job of developing memorable characters and a distinct sense of place but her greatest achievement in this book is managing to neither vilify nor justify Sari's actions.  This book is a wonderful read and ideal for discussion.

PS:  You can click on the cover image to find this book at an indie bookstore near you.

Perfect Health

"Mother Earth," by Jonathan E. Russell

I feel in perfect health whenever the ocean breeze catches me by surprise - especially in Ireland, where that breeze has traveled over thousands of miles of ocean, and there’s something especially clear about it. I feel in perfect health whenever I’m really, honestly laughing. I feel in perfect health the first many times I smell dirt in the spring (after all that crisp, almost-scentless winter air). I feel in perfect health when I act spontaneously. I feel in perfect health when I first catch sight of a good friend. I feel in perfect health when I fall asleep easily after a long day of fresh air. I felt in perfect health every day I can remember waking up in my grandmother’s house by the ocean (where we spent summers during my childhood, where we spent long days outside, and where we didn’t worry about money or schoolwork or logistics).

I feel that perfect health has both a sense of connection and flow: Connection to the moment, to the environment I’m in, to the people around me. Flow, because in all these times I feel that I can respond fluently to the situation, whether that means physically (being fit and balanced enough to jump down to that rock that’s closer to the waves), mentally (to take part in the banter and make my friend laugh in turn), emotionally (to run with the conversation wherever it’s going), or logistically (to give up the day’s plans for something better).

In most of these situations, being outdoors in the environment figures strongly, too - I know that being near the ocean or at least in a beautiful setting helps me stay in the moment and feel physically stronger. I also feel more nourished (physically and mentally) by the patterns/sounds/smells/textures in nature (light through tree leaves, mountains on the horizon, running water) than by all of the square angles in contemporary architecture and the humming from appliances and gadgets.

(This was originally written in response to a question on Rosemary Gladstar's Science and Art of Herbalism course.)

Mother Nature's Easel: Some Thoughts on Jonathan E. Russell's Art

Mother Nature's Wild West, by Jonathan Russell

 When I first started VaguelyBohemian.com, part of the impetus was that I know so many cool people - many of them with nontraditional careers or callings like acting, dancing, juggling, writing, and art.  Now that I've got a few blogs under my belt, and a website design that doesn't make my head spin, I think it's about time to start paying some virtual visits.

Mother Earth, by Jon Russell

Jon and I were already dating by the time I saw his artwork, so you can guess how relieved I was that I loved it.  His style reminds me of stained-glass windows, and I once had a dream about a room completely surrounded by stained-glass versions of Jon's work.  I think it's both the shapes Jon uses - which remind me of cut glass - and the gradients of color.  I have "Mother Earth" here at home, and, on those rare occasions when I'm up early, I love to watch this painting as the sun rises:  first just the white edges seem to glow, and slowly, the colors light up too.  It's almost like watching the sunrise itself.

Waterfall, by Jonathan Russell

"Mother Earth" is part of a series Jon's been playing with for a long time, where he incorporates the female form into a landscape.  I love the premise for these, and I also love the execution:  While the lines and colors of the paintings are dynamic, there's also a certain simplicity:  Here are the lines of the body; here are the lines of the landscape.  They're beautiful as they are, without added sentimentality or (I can personally vouch) without being idealized.

Jon's Elements series is newer, dating from just the last couple of years.  Most of these pieces are quite abstract - a sort of on-canvas distillation of fire, or water, or ice - but they still contain those dynamic lines and glowing gradients.

Fire, by Jonathan Russell

Like his other work, they also have a wonderful ability to make me look more deeply at the natural world.  When I look away from some artwork, I wish things were different - that I had perfectly-flowing hair, for example.  When I look away from Jon's work, I'm even more intrigued and impressed by the world that is:  I wonder what it is that makes fire fiery.  I peer at the landscape and try to see the shape of a person lying down in the hills.  I look at the trees and admire the tones and colors of the light coming through their leaves.  Jon's art doesn't just make my life richer by brightening up my walls: It also stimulates my imagination and my observations.

Artist Jonathan Russell

I hope you'll check out Jon's website and, if you're so inclined, "like" his Facebook page.  You'll be able to see more of his paintings and keep up on new developments.  Jon's work is currently on exhibit at The Gallery at Phoenix Books here in Vermont, so if you're in the area, you can even see his work in person!