Gaia's Gifts

Weaving the Wheel of the Year: Plant Medicines for Samhain Available until Oct 28!

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 04:08:00 +0000

A seasonal lesson on plant medicines to help us attune to, align with and navigate the natural energies of the Earth, the Plants and our own Spirits of the season of darkness, beginning with Samhain, All Hallows Eve, or Day of the Dead, on Oct 31. Includes information about the following plants: Marigold (tagetes), Elder(Sambucus) Medicinal Mushrooms (ganoderma et al), and Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa).
PDF lesson with plant information, seasonal energies, practices, journal questions and more delivered to your e mail by Oct 30.
Plus- A box with two herbal products to help you physically sense the energies and use the plant medicines to your benefit during this time delivered to your mailbox!

Previously only offered as a yearly program/subscription. Now you can get just the seasonal packages and lessons you want!

Orders must be placed by Oct 28 to ensure timely arrival of packages!

Available at Etsy and Poppyswap!

Sacred Earth & Plant Medicine Apprenticeship with Darcey Blue

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 17:32:00 +0000

Sacred Earth & Plant Medicine Apprenticeship
9 months ~ 200 hrs
Tucson, Arizona and Greater SW
Join Herbalist Darcey Blue to learn about botanical medicines, wildcrafting, medicine making, nature awareness and skills, sacred earth connection and ceremony. Deepen, reinforce, reconnect, and sanctify your work with the plants and the earth. This apprenticeship is appropriate for beginners to herbal
medicine, and will cover the basics of medicine making, plant identification, wildcrafting, & herbal energetics. This apprenticeship is also for those looking to deepen their connection with the plant medicines in a sacred and heart centered way. We will be grounded in love and respect for Gaia, the Earth- using nature awareness, nature skills, ceremony, shamanic awareness, seasonal lore, inner heart based wisdom and more. This apprenticeship will take you beyond "this herb for that condition" and set you on the path of sacred relationship with your plant medicines, with the Earth, and your own spirit. Apprentices meet one weekend per month for lessons, wildcrafting, ceremony and time in nature on camping trips to natural areas in the Southwest. In addition, we will meet on one evening per month for Ceremony and Check-In as a group. As an apprentice in the Sacred Earth & Herbal Medicine Program, you will work one on one with Darcey Blue, to create your own healing and health transformation and journey. Each apprentice will meet with Darcey for four personal sessions- which include herbal medicine, nutrition, and shamanic guidance.

Begins in Feb 2013! Space is limited. Apply to Darcey Blue with a letter of intent/purpose by Jan 15, 2013.
shamana.flora@gmail.com

Truth Tellling

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:46:00 +0000

Here I am…blogging again. For now. It has been so long since I had an urge to write anything here, but things are shifting. I’m not here to write detailed herbal monographs, or pontificate about nutrition (because really, I’m DONE with getting lambasted by the vegan camp), or even wax on about long therapeutic perspectives on this health condition or that. This is personal, this is authentic, and this is raw.

This summer has been intense, more intense than I anticipated. I worked so hard for a year, to drag myself out of a black hole, and move back to the home I love, and I accomplished it. No small thing. I was proud, ecstatic. Reunited with my home land plants, reunited with my true love, reconnected with a community of friendship that supports me in ways I could never imagine.

And then I hit the ground running in my new home- hoping to make my little herbal endeavor even better than it was before. And then I nose dived. Constant financial struggles, not enough to eat, sudden car failure leaving me stranded in the middle of the city on a loud street corner- it left me reeling. Feeling like, “WTF? Was I better off before I came home?” I peered over the edge of that same black hole and reeled. And then I got real. I no longer had excuses about wanting to be somewhere else. What was really going on in my little mind universe?

I asked myself some hard questions, and got back answers even harder to hear. Its not that don’t love plants, plant medicine, and helping others by sharing their medicines, but it’s a shift in perspective about what I am here to do. I’ve spent 10 yrs learning to be an herbalist, and crafting myself into what I thought an herbalist is- practitioner, writer, therapeutic expert, materia medica geek, physiology fanatic, nutrition nut…only to discover that is not where my true gifts and passions are.

I’ve discovered that my mind swirls and dances endlessly around recitation of facts, of organized written tomes on the umpteen details of every plant constitutent, therapeutic use and latin name. Its not that I don’t understand or can’t speak that language, but my mind detests it. I turn my nose up at research- at the tedium of hours in front of a book or a screen hunting for minute details. I thwart myself at every turn when I try to force my swirling, dancing, sensing mind into these boxes of knowledge. There are many gifted and talented herbal writers, educators, clinicians- they are gifted in their own way, and we are blessed to have the fruits of their knowledge and skills at communicating them. But I realized this is not me. This is not the way I was built to be in the world.

My mind loves to look at plants from new perspectives through the lens of a camera, it relishes scanning the landscape for patterns that indicate plant friends, or plant habitats, it runs wildly ecstatic when given the opportunity to engage in the sensual nature of wildcrafting a plant medicine from the earth- body moving, sweating, smelling, hands in dirt, sticky with resin, holding the life of the medicine in my hands, giving deep thanks and prayer and love to these amazing beings we call plants. It experiences, it feels, it senses….I love to create and concoct- blending the flavors and qualities of plant medicines into potions that soothe, heal and bring pleasure to the recipient. I experience the sensual pleasure of creating and sharing nourishing meals- relishing the taste of each morsel, each smooth drop of oil, and each aroma with my full being. I sit with plants and listen, listen, listen, for the soft quiet intuitive knowing of a plant communicating to me its love, its medicine, its nature- free from constituents, free from western knowledge of the way the world works, and enveloped and rooted in the magic of the natural world. The place where the heart hears what is being said. My mind is made to experience deeply, to sense exquisitely, and to translate what nature and plants intonate into images and understanding of a different kind. I am here to create and craft and birth beautiful and delicious sensual pleasures. I am here to dive deeply into the wild world, into the heart, and to show the way for others to follow if they wish- to experience, to sense, to taste, to FEEL the plants.

Of course it is important to understand logical, left brain pieces of plant knowledge…energetics, therapeutics, latin names, constituents- and to know how plants effect physiology, and I wouldn’t trade in all the knowledge I have gained in that world, and I’ll never stop helping the people that ask for the plant medicines to ease their pains, shift their process, and heal their bodies.

But as far as I’m concerned, I’ve been trying to keep up with the Joneses, forcing my brain to try to operate in ways and perform in methods that it just doesn’t embrace. I will no longer try to fit into that expectation I created of what an herbalist does. I will no longer force myself to recite facts and figures. I’ll not write extensive monographs. I’m not going to call myself a “Clinical” herbalist anymore.

I am in no way clinical- I want to leave the bounds of the indoors and take you out to smell wild minerals of the wet dirt, to fill your mouth with the spice of tree resin, to drum your heart into a rhythm that allows YOU to hear, feel, see, sense, experience the magic and sacredness of the natural world. I want to show you how to see with more than your eyes, see with your body, your heart, your sensual nature. I want to feed the senses and bodies of my clients with the holiness of the plant medicine- not just the extracts and constituents that help them feel better, but with the place where the earth wisdom, plant manifestation touches the spark of life within each heart and body.

This is my gift.

I’ve been spending weeks getting ready for the Traditions inWestern Herbalism Conference- where I’m scheduled to teach a class on tree medicines of the southwest- and have been busily crafting herbal medicines and foods to bring to the vendor market. I have been putting off tasks that include writing, recitation of plant facts, and time away from the sensual reality of the plant world. Instead coming up with ever new ideas for salves, and elixirs and teas and treats to EXPERIENCE the plants by. I find myself creating, bathing in the alchemy of plant medicine in the kitchen, running outside to snap yet another picture of each new marigold blossom that opens, to capture the sunlight behind the rain clouds, to express in some physical way my hearts joy at seeing my bean plants grow, flourish and climb- relishing in the same rain falling that nourishes me.

My dreams are filled with ideas to create opportunities and experiences for others to find themselves immersed the ecstasy of nature, and plant magic, the sensual pleasure of being alive, of moving their body with the Earth, with their inner rhythms, of connecting deeply with their own heart, wisdom, magic, senses - starting at the end of the month, offering for the first time, an opportunity for people to go deeper with the plants, with nature- at the Sacred Plant Medicine Retreat in Tucson, AZ. Sept 28- 30th. A short weekend of plant ceremony, journey, and sensate experience in the Sky Islands- a doorway to open this beautiful world that I see, the doorway to a deep connection with your sacred heart, sacred nature, and the magic of the wild. This work has been calling me for a long time…and I’ve been putting it off trying to be something I’m not. But no longer.

To be truthful I’m nervous about going to the conference- no longer wanting to wear this cape of “Clinical” herbalist and the trappings of writing long tomes, of reciting clinical facts about plants, teaching herbalism 101 (there are so many good teachers who can do that), and instead embracing the reality of who I am - Senser, feeler, experiencer, shamana, wildcrafter, concocter, alchemist, musician, singer of deep emotion, weaver of spirit/heart connection to the wild world. I’m sensitive, and raw and new right now. It’s hard to express all this newness, and truth, and letting go of what I thought I wanted to/tried to/should be. Still it is unfamiliar territory to let that go and embrace what is really who I am, and expose it to those who have been peers, colleagues, teachers, mentors, friends.

But I’ll be bringing my medicines to share- deep pink prickly pear love-collected under the hot sun of the desert with my love- and simmered with joy at the sheer beauty of its color- salves infused with the fragrant healing of the trees- tinctures crafted from the wild plants I love so much, and run to with abandon and ecstasy when seeing their shining green and flowering bodies growing- smudges of Juniper, the tree that first TALKED to me and my strongest ally, to help others create sacred space, luscious teas with spices and flowers and chocolate to open the heart, to awaken the senses. And I’ll be bringing my banjo for those moments when I need to get back to feeling, creating, expressing. And my drum to share the heartbeat of the Trees with those who venture out with me. And my heart- raw and authentic and feeling.

Medicinal Plants of the Southwest: Evening Primrose

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 20:53:00 +0000

Tree Medicines of the Southwest:Arizona Walnut (Juglans major)

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Climb up into an old grandfather Walnut tree in the Tanque Verde Wash in Tucson, AZ with Darcey Blue to learn about forgotten uses for this popular herbal medicine and wild edible plant!

Also- starting on Aug 8- Ogham Trees Circle: Journey to Tree Spirit, Wisdom and Divination - a Series of Classes and Journey Circle about the 20 Trees that make up the Ogham- an ancient Celtic Divination system. Circles are offered by donation and you can come to one or all!
Aug 8, 2012- 6:30 pm @ ISA's Grotto (19 E Toole Ave)

Find out more at Tucson Community Herbalism

Medicinal Plants of the Southwest: Ocotillo

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 19:39:00 +0000

Join me in the Desert in the early morning during monsoon rain season to visit the Ocotillo and learn about its healing properties! We'll also meet a few other desert friends while we are out soaking in the morning sunrays!

The Herbalist's Apothecary Membership

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 17:33:00 +0000

The Herbalist's Apothecary Membership

Do you want to use herbal medicine on a daily basis for wellness and health care, but don’t have time to make every medicine you might want to have on hand?

Would you like to start to learn about herbs and how to use them, but don’t know where to start, or don’t have access to a local teacher?

In this very special offering I’m offering a membership to a limited number of people who want to build their herbal apothecary from the bottom up and learn more about herbal medicines and plants. Stock your herbal apothecary with potent hand made medicines frequently used by herbalists all over the world, including tinctures, oils, teas, honeys, elixirs and more. The membership lasts for 12 months and begins on October 1, 2012!

Each month will feature one well loved and widely used plant and includes 2 of the following products:

4 oz tincture/elixir
4 oz salve or infused oil
4 oz bulk herb for infusions
4 oz infused vinegar
4 oz infused honey or electuary

This membership is the perfect match for herbalists, herb enthusiasts and herbal students who wish to rely on natural, herbal medicines as their primary health care and wants to begin to stock their pantry with a wide variety of standard and versatile plant medicines.

Membership Begins October 1, 2012!

Featured Plants of Each Month

October - Elder (Sambucus Nigra)
November - Medicinal Mushrooms
December - Alder (Alnus spp)
January - Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera)
February - Burdock (Arctium lappa)
March - Vervain (Verbena hastata)
April - Nettles (Urtica dioica)
May- Hawthorn (Crateageus spp)
June - Rose (Rosa spp)
July - St Johns Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
Aug- Cherry (Prunus serotina/P. virginiana)
Sept- Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Solstice Plant Friends and Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 04:04:00 +0000

Lone Star Butterfly Weed (Asclepias Tuberosa)

Blooming Bee Balm

monarda menthaefolia - aromatic fireworks

grandfather mullein

with frilly ruffles

Grape and Walnut are good friends....leading onward to another realm

beautiful ivy- beware, do not enter, boundaries, protection

pomegranite promises

bee balm medicine in progress

all in days work- bee balm elixir, cleavers tincture, brined grape leaves, rose vinegar

tulsi elixir from the garden

made with love

rosemary memories

Mead: Botanical Alchemy by Ananda Wilson

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 01:26:00 +0000

Mead:Botanical Perfume by Amrita Apothecary- Ananda Wilson

~ Harmony of Love, Lust, Relationship, and Devotion ~

I’ve long been a devotee of Ananda’s creations- her luscious creams that feed my senses and skin in a delicious and sensual way- her beautiful handcrafted and wild medicines and elixirs that are infused with deep love of wildness and wonder in the magic of nature- and her exquisite botanical perfumes and aromas that indulge the senses in every way. Everything I have received from Ananda over the last 10 years has always made me feel like a goddess, and is deeply treasured, but MEAD - her latest botanical aroma alchemy tops them all.

It is an exquisite elixir of beauty, of sensual presence, of romance and of physical desire. I find it hard to put words to describe the complexity and mystery of this perfume. It is a sweet flowering summer night- with wild romps through the fields with Fae- Earth, Flowers, Moonlight, Dewy leaves, and teasing laughter that beackons from beyond. A candlelight mystery with loving shadows dancing on the wall. It makes me feel like the most beautiful, sensual woman I can possibly be. Spices swirl around me like the temptation and promise of a soft kiss when first experienced- and develop into the warmth and softness of a sensual embrace- finally opening up into the gentle afterglow of deep, sweet pleasure. I feel like an exquisite sexy creature of the wild and my lover swoons closer, deeper and more sensually when I wear it.

MEAD is a sensual experience, not just an aroma, or a perfume. This creation is infused with the deepest magic of love that I know Ananda to express every time she comes in contact with her plant allies- be they aromatic oils, wild weeds, graceful tree teachers, or beautiful allies of the garden.

Get MEAD Botanical Perfume at Poppy Swap now!

Find out more about Ananda: Plant Goddess and Purveyor of Bliss at Plant Journeys

Blue Turtle Botanicals is Seeking an Online Store Manager

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 21:04:00 +0000

Blue Turtle Botanicals: Blue Turtle Botanicals is Seeking an Online Store ...: Blue Turtle Botanicals is seeking an online store manager for various online storefronts - including Etsy, Poppy Swap, and website sales. ...

Blue Turtle Botanicals is Seeking an Online Store Manager
Blue Turtle Botanicals is seeking an online store manager for various online storefronts - including Etsy, Poppy Swap, and website sales. Position is very part time, 5-10 hrs a week, and can be done from your own home/computer. You must have regular and reliable access to an efficient computer and web access. There is the potential for local (tucson, az) applicants to do more onsite in person store tasks (labeling product, filling orders, shipping orders, product photography, production). You will be working closely with a small herbal business owner, clinical herbalist and medicine maker, Darcey Blue, as she grows her product line and store front- and you must be reliable, a good communicator and excited about herbal medicine and herbal products!
Asking for a commitment of a year after an initial 90 day trial period to make sure it is a good fit.

Compensation:free products and/or Herbal Consultations based on hours worked.

Tasks to be performed:

Creating listings and templates for new products at multiple store fronts.
editing, cropping and uploading product pictures
Writing product descriptions
Making necessary changes and editing and relisting product descriptions as needed
Keeping track of when products go out of stock/sell out/don't sell
weekly communication with darcey about all store needs (phone and email)
online marketing of products via facebook, twitter, email on a weekly basis

Skills required:

Computer skills: facility and familiarity with web store applications, excel spreadsheets, word processing, photo editing (picasa, photoshop etc), email - you must be comfortable and confident in computer and web use with the ability to problem solve, troubleshoot in online web store applications
Basic herbal knowledge and familiarity with herbal products
attention to details and thouroughness
writing- grammatically correct and engaging
ability to describe products in an effective, honest and exciting way
absolute trustworthiness and confidentiality regarding business details, product/formulation, text copy and any other property of Blue Turtle Botanicals

To apply please send a letter of interest- including why you would be a good fit, why this excites you, your relavent experience and contact info for 2 personal references.

You may include a CV or resume documenting relavent experience.

Please send all materials to Darcey at shamana.flora@gmail.com
by June 20, 2012

Herbal Brews:Kombucha, Kefir, Sodas and More

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Sat, 05 May 2012 16:15:00 +0000

Herbal Kombucha, Water Kefir, Lactofermented herbal infusions & herbal sodas

By Darcey Blue French, Blue Turtle Botanicals
www.gaiasgifts.blogspot.com
www.blueturtlebotanicals.com

Water extraction of herbs
Minerals
Vitamins
Contact with tissues
Volume of medicine
Easy, safe
Whole plant medicine

Fermentation of water extracts
-increases nutritional value and bioavailability of nutrients
- preserves infusion for longer period of time
-introduces friendly flora for the digestive tract
-increases and synergizes herbal constituents not available in infusion by water alone.

Kombucha
Ingredients:
Tea (camellia sinensis) 6 -8 bags or 4 tbsp loose leaf
1 cup Sugar or maple syrup
Herbs of choice
1 SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast)
1 gallon Water (non chlorinated)
how to:
boil water, then remove from heat. Add tea, non aromatic herbs and sugar. Steep until cool. Strain. Pour into a gallon sized jar. Add scoby to the cooled tea & sugar. Cover with a cheesecloth or towel. Ferment for 3-4 weeks. Healthy SCOBY will not grow mold. Remove SCOBY and 1 cup of kombucha, set aside. Add several handfuls of any herbs you wish to flavor the brew with, and cover again, let brew for an additional 4-7 days. Strain and drink! (Prepare a new batch of tea to add the SCOBY to.)

Herbs that work well in kombucha brewing are non aromatic:
Elderberry, st johns wort, nettles, oatstraw, rosehips, dandelion, burdock

Herbs to add after primary fermentation:
Rose, tulsi, elder blossom, cinnamon, ginger, lemongrass, hibiscus, birch, schizandra, lemon balm, lemon or orange peel, fruits or juices

Favorite combos:
Nettle & St John’s Wort
Rose and Tulsi
Elder blossom and orange peel
Ginger and birch
Vanilla bean
Elderberry & cinnamon
Hibiscus, ginger & lemongrass

Water Kefir
Fast and easy! Less than a week brewing time.
Ingredients:
1 qt Non chlorinated water or coconut water
¼- ½ c water kefir grains. (purchase fresh or dried from www.kefirlady.com)
¼ c sugar
10 drops trace minerals

How to:
Dissolve sugar in water. Add kefir grains and minerals. (Kefir grains use minerals to build structure- it helps them grow, but you can do this without minerals as well.)

Cover loosely and let ferment 3-6 days. This will depend on your ambient room temp and how sweet you like your kefir. In cold weather it takes a full week. In warm weather 2-3 days is sufficient.

When bubbly, strain kefir grains from the water. (Coffee filter works well). Add grains to a fresh batch of sugar water/coconut water.

Add handfuls of herbs, fruits to the strained kefir. Let brew for a day or two.
Favorite combos:

Coconut water with pinapple and ginger
Rosehips
Elderberries
Hibiscus and schizandra w cardamom
Lemongrass & Goji
Orange Ginger
Rose Tulsi
Vanilla bean
Frozen berries

Herbal/Fruit Soda

This brew harvests the power of wild yeasts in the environment. It is slightly more troublesome with regards to mold and temperature.

Start with a GINGER BUG:
2 tsp fresh grated ginger root
2 tsp sugar
1 c water

Mix all ingredients in a clean jar. Cover loosely with cheese cloth or paper towel and rubberband.
Each day for 3-4 days add 2 tsp sugar and 2 tsp grated or ground ginger to the brew. It should start to bubble and fizz after a few days. If it grows mold, toss it out and start fresh.

You may continue to feed this culture daily or every other day to keep it going indefinitely, but it is sensitive to cold. Keep in a warm spot!

Soda How To:
1 cup herbs of choice
½ gallon water
1 c sugar
1 c ginger bug starter

Make a strong decoction or infusion with the herbs and water. Add sugar to the brew and dissolve.
Once the brew has cooled, transfer to a ½ gallon jar and add ginger bug.
Cover loosely with jar lid. Set aside in a warm spot for 3-4 days.
Once the soda is bubbly, tighten the lid down to increase the fizziness.
After another 3-4 days, strain herbs, and serve or bottle for later.

Favorite combos:

Nettle ginger
Birch, vanilla, ginger
Elderberry
Burdock, dandelion, cinnamon, ginger
Rosehip
Berries
Lemongrass and cardamom
Lemon balm
Hibiscus
Green tea

Lacto-fermented tea
This is just like making yogurt or pickles! Full of friendly flora! Use whey from raw milk or yogurt to culture a sweetened tea. Keep in a warm spot for several days until it gets fizzy!

To obtain whey from yogurt, pour 2 c live yogurt into a coffee filter, in a strainer, and place over a dish in the fridge. Leave overnight. Collect the liquid whey from the bowl for your ferment. Save the yogurt for dips, cooking, or just eating. Thick like Greek yogurt!

Ingredients:
1 qt water
½ c herbs or fruits of choice
½ sugar, maple or honey
1 c whey strained from yogurt or raw milk

How to:
Brew a strong tea or juice with your herbs and fruit. Add sugar. Cool. When at room temp add whey. Cap and keep in a warm spot for a few days. (oven with the light on, top of the fridge, by the stove).
When the ferment is slightly sour, and bubbly, it is ready. Strain herbs. Serve! If you let this sit too long it will become very sour. FYI.

Favorite lacto fermented brews:
Elder flower
Chamomile orange
Elderberry
Berries
Hibiscus
Ginger
Yarrow (bitter but good)
Dandelion, burdock, ginger
Apple cinnamon (use apple juice)

Blue Turtle Botanicals: 90 Degrees and Climbing

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:05:00 +0000

Blue Turtle Botanicals: 90 Degrees and Climbing: It's getting to be that time of year....the sun is beating down and the temperatures are climbing by the week, but night time temperatures are just perfect still, and I'm relishing the familiar rhythms of the desert cycles.

Waking early at dawn for a walk with the bird songs, and to spend time in the garden- enjoying evening walks in beautiful riparian canyons with friends- for ceremony, for drumming, for observing nighttime creatures like the scorpions and bats. Ocotillo flowers are exploding into passionate red pompoms of sweet nectar- attracting hummingbirds and bees, and wandering herbalists like me. Prickly Pear Cactus and Cholla Cactus are budding and flowering with their sexy, luscious and moist petaled flowers. Lizards are scampering and resting on shady stucco walls and under the shade of my squash plants -reminding me of the dreaming medicine they hold. What we dare to dream we can create- with the application of authentic heart feeling, directed will and focus, and a healthy dose of magic and real world action.

see more...... Blue Turtle Botanicals: 90 Degrees and Climbing:

Blue Turtle Botanicals: Everyday Nourishment Tele-Seminar May 5, 2012 with...

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:31:00 +0000

Blue Turtle Botanicals: Everyday Nourishment Tele-Seminar May 5, 2012 with Darcey Blue...:

Do you....
feel like you are running on empty?
feel unsatisfied after eating meals, and wonder whats missing?
feel that you want and need EASY ways to nourish yourself?
feel that you know how to take care of everyone but yourself?
want to learn about what herbs and foods are supportive to improve your vitality every day?
want to begin and maintain a simple and effective self nourishment routine?

I'm inviting you to join me for my free teleseminar-
Everyday Nourishment on May 5, 2012!

I'll be sharing with you the simple ways you can incorporate safe, natural herbal medicines, delicious nourishing foods, and natural self-care practices into your every day routine to boost your natural vitality, improve your energy level, and increase your satisfaction and enjoyment of living your life!

Mark your calendar now!
Date: May 5, 2012
Time: 1:00 pm PST (4pm EST)

Register here!

Blue Turtle Botanicals: Desert Gold: Californa Poppy (Escholtzia californi...

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:55:00 +0000

Find out why I love to use California Poppy more than Valerian for insomnia and pain.

Blue Turtle Botanicals: Desert Gold: Californa Poppy (Escholtzia californi...: The delicate golden blossoms of the California poppy blanket the desert hills in Mid February- shimmering in the warm sunlight and shiveri...

Personal Wellness Programs with Clinical Herbalist & Nutritionist, Darcey Blue

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 03:55:00 +0000

Spring Basket Giveaway and $75 off Personal Wellness Programs with Darcey Blue

* Do you have a health issue or wellness goal you’d like to address naturally?

* Do you long for support and accountability as you are making changes to your life and wellness plan?

* Do you need help planning a diet overhaul to deal with food allergies, weight loss, or chronic illness?

* Do you feel like your health is just not as good as it could be?

* Are you feeling less than vital and happy to be alive and in your body?

* Do you feel overwhelmed by daunting lists of diet, lifestyle and herbal suggestions given all at once?

* Are you ready to commit to yourself and your wellness and do whatever it takes to regain your vitality and spark for living?

"Darcey is an amazing intuitive herbalist who combines her vast knowledge and extensive study of plant medicine with an ancient knowing far beyond anything found in a book. I trust her to offer you a sound and soulful path toward wellness using natural plant based healing."~Latisha

I offer long term personal wellness programs with ongoing support and personal attention - just for you! In frequent, short sessions targeted specifically to your needs and where you are at right now we will address and meet your wellness goals, in small manageable and achievable bite sized chunks!

Big changes can’t be made overnight or without continuing support and accountability. I am here to give you the ongoing support and guidance you need over the long haul to make the changes you want in your health and well-being.

True health and vitality comes in a process of deepening awareness of self, acknowledging and meeting your deepest needs, and small daily steps over time toward life long wellness and vitality.

Your Personal Wellness Program will last between 3 and 9 months, depending on your goals and needs, and can include all your herbal formulas for the duration of your program. We will schedule your sessions for the duration of your program in advance, so you know exactly when we are meeting and we can schedule sessions at your convenience. We will meet in person, in Tucson, AZ or by phone for those at a distance.

"I appreciated that you had prepared for our phone consult and were ready with very meaty advice. I'm usually very nervous on the phone, but it was very pleasant and yet you really stuck to the topic. Not diluting down your time with chit chat. I also appreciated the beautiful write up you did as follow up and have it posted on the wall in front of my face in my work space so that I can remember to follow your advice. I thought it was going to be a pretty challenging case or at least take a good bit of time. Something I had worked on for months was almost completely healed up 3 weeks after talking to you." -Jamie

During the Programs you will receive:

ongoing support and guidance from me
check in and support e-mails between sessions
resources, handouts, recipes, exersizes and practices specific to your needs
personal herbal formulas- teas, tinctures, powders, salves, oils
nutritional/dietary suggestions and tasty, nourishing recipes with tips on how to incorporate changes
flower essences to support your emotional and spiritual self through the work
my full commitment to your vitality and well-being and process

"Darcey has always, ALWAYS, answered my plea for help in a timely manner and has totally tuned into what is going on in my life before deciding what would be best for me. When I take the time to tell her, she makes the time to listen and hear what I say… and what I don't say… I trust her skill and intuition explicitly." - Ruthie

Receive a FREE Intention Session Now!

We'll discuss your wellness goals and needs - and the ways I can support you in regaining your vitality and wellness over the next year through the wisdom of the plants and deep nourishment!

shamana.flora@gmail.com or call 520-429-2654

Contact me by March 21 to schedule a FREE Intention Session, and receive $75 off your Wellness Program when you sign up by April 1, 2012!

Limited to the first 6

people to register for a Wellness Program by April 1!

Spring Seasonal Herbal Baskets from Blue Turtle Botanicals - available for Pre-Order Now

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 06:23:00 +0000

Just in time for Spring rejuvenation and the increase in activity that spring brings to our lives- a package to support you in moving through the transition from winter to spring, and to carry you through the entire season. Darcey Blue is accepting pre-orders for a Spring Season Herbal Basket- which includes tea, tinctures, salve, flower essences and more! These products are handcrafted with organic and wildcrafted herbs, and super fresh as each basket is made to order! The herbs will come in a decorative gift basket, perfect for showcasing the herbal potions as a gift, or great for storage of your medicines while you use them throughout the season. The baskets will be shipped on April 15, 2012, and will include an informational card about the plants in the products, and recommendations for how to use each item- along with a practice and a recipe for tuning in with and supporting yourself in spring changes!

There are a limited quantity of these unique seasonal baskets available during each season-reserve yours early!

PRE-ORDER your basket today!

Viriditas Tea - 2 oz loose leaf tea

Mineral and vitamin rich greens, roots and fruits. Perfect for infusions daily to nourish, support and green up your body!

Liver Love Tincture – 1 oz

Protect and support healthy liver function to encourage proper digestion, elimination, hormone clearance and healthy flow of blood and vital energy in the body.

Vital Force Elixir – 1 oz

Replenish, rejuvenate and revive your body- supports the adrenals and endocrine system for healthy stress response, quality sleep, and hormone balance. Supports healthy happy peaceful mind and balanced energy all day long.

Salt of the Earth Tonic - 4 oz

A deeply nourishing vinegar based tonic infused with most mineral rich herbs available- including nettles and seaweed! Rounded out with the mineral boost of blackstrap molasses!

Chaparral Salve – 1 oz

A tried and true favorite - chaparral salve is made from the fragrant and potent leaves, blossoms and twigs of the desert shrub, Larrea tridentata, olive oil and desert sunshine. This potent healer is excellent on cuts and scrapes, rashes, wounds, burns, bites, stings, acne, cold sores/herpes, fungal skin issues, sun damage, growths.

Spring Transitions Flower Essence - ½ oz essence

A blend of flower and tree essences to ease, guide and carry you through the spring changes and challenges. Perfect addition to your daily infusion, water or bath in times of spring upheaval or change.

All this for just $99, including priority shipping right to your door by April 15, 2012!

Also, keep your eyes peeled for the pre-order announcement for Summer, Fall and Winter baskets later this year! Each season’s basket will be unique and seasonally timed with appropriate herbs and products to support your health and vitality!

Questions about ingredients should be sent to Darcey Blue- shamana.flora@gmail.com

PRE-ORDER your basket!

Tulsi Tree Respiratory Rescue Balm

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:33:00 +0000

Its that time when nasty respiratory junk is going around. Here is a quick recipe for a wonderful respiratory chest balm that I've made for folks with cold, stagnant, congested lungs that need stimulating to move the gunk out! I find it is best if used while taking demulcent teas like marshmallow, linden, mulberry leaf, sassafras leaf, or licorice root to keep things fluid and easy to expectorate.

Infused oils of:

1 pt Pine resin

2 pt Tulsi basil

1 pt Ginger root

1 pt Frankinsence

1 pt Myhrr

1/2 pt Lobelia

Beeswax: I use a ratio of about 1 pt wax to 8 pts oils 1:8. You may wish to use more if you want a harder salve.

Essential oils of :

Peppermint

Ginger

Tulsi basil

The Answer to my Prayers: Primal, Savory, Hearty Nut Loaf

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:58:00 +0000

Damn good. Nut Loaf.
Been dreaming about it for a few weeks....and as it goes, need is the mother of invention- or a hungry belly. My fridge is down to hummus, eggs and nuts...and preserved lemons. But I'd purchased the makings for this loaf a few weeks ago.

So- to work I got- and out came a hearty, savory, sweet, firm, chewy loaf- takes to hummus quite well...or your own toppings of choice- butter, nut butter, cheese and apples, sausage and brie- or what have you.
Its grain free- gluten free- dairy free- primal friendly- and very adaptable to your tastes.

Recipe for Darcey Blue's Savory Nut Loaf

2 c almond meal
2 c toasted walnuts
1.5 c toasted pecans
1/2 c dried fruit (cranberry, sultanas, raisins, apricots, even sun dried tomatoes should you choose)
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 c olive oil (or butter, or coconut oil)
lemon zest (or try orange zest)
4 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp water

toast your nuts, and cool. pulse coarsely in your food processor or blender- not to powder, just to small chunks.
Mix almond meal, nuts, fruit, salt, baking powder, and zest together in a large bowl. Beat eggs, oil and water together, and fold into the nut mixture.

Pour into your greased loaf pan, and bake at 375 degrees F for ~ 35 min. Let rest and cool for an hour or so before slicing into the loaf.

Store in the fridge, unsliced. Slice off a thick slab as needed to go with soup, hummus, fruit and cheese or what have you. Its great plain too.

other options- add pepitas and pine nuts, or acorns, or dried apricots, or sundried tomatoes, or olives, or cinnamon and clove, or rosemary and lemon peel and black pepper ..or ...or... the possibilities are endless....

perfect to serve with little tea.

Interested in finding out more about delicious, nourishing foods, herbal medicines, nature connection, opportunities for herbal/nourishment mentorship or creating a personalized natural wellness program with Darcey Blue- be sure to sign up for my newsletter- where you get all the details first, and specials just for newsletter subscribers!

Ashwaganda -Tasty Every Day Restorative Formulas

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:25:00 +0000

Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera) is by far one of the top herbs I have come to rely on in my work as a community clinical herbalist. I generally look very closely at an individuals health history, constitution and long term health goals before suggesting any herb or practice, but time and time again, I have found so many people, men and women of all ages, who immensely benefit from the rejuvenative and restorative properties of this root medicine. Ashwaganda comes to us from the Ayurvedic tradition in India where it is known as a "rasayana" or that which restores, transforms, conserves and revitalizes energy of the body.

In today's busy world how many of go walking around exhausted, half asleep, mentally foggy, in a constant state of adrenal stress, with sleep debt and often times not even on enough food/fuel. I've seen numerous clients and friends in this state, and even myself more often than not- so busy they can't find time to eat, stay up late to finish work, drive long distances under stress, have too many responsibilities and tasks to accomplish and too little help, feel exhausted, drained, experience a loss of libido, sleep poorly, and have stressful and extreme mood swings. Something is wrong with this picture. This isn't living.

First off, lifestyle changes and practices for managing stress, getting more sleep, eating properly all must be implemented to see positive and healthy changes in life. For me lately, that is looking like taking a real hard, long look at exactly what I am capable of myself as one person, setting myself very specific time limits on work hours, making regular dates with friends to get outside, hike, or camp, taking regular walks and yoga breaks, and asking for more help. Each of us as individuals have to go through the processes of shifting our life-long habits that do not serve us or promote health and vitality, sometimes its often just a matter of learning a different way of doing things.

But on top of these sorts of changes, which are absolutely essential, during the process of making changes, and moving through transitions and challenging times- I have found this Ashwaganda to be an indespensible ally to many many people, myself included. It supports people in evening out mood swings, restoring libido and sexual vitality, improves sleep quality, provides balanced energy throughout the day, without being overstimulating, provides nourishment to the blood (ashwaganda is extremely rich in iron) and the HPA axis (hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis- i.e. the endocrine system). People begin to notice effects when they start taking ashwaganda almost immediately, within a week or two. But the best results continue to show up as they continue taking ashwaganda for 3 - 6 months, or even longer. Consistenly people come back to me to tell me how much ashwaganda helps them.

Most commonly people are using the tincture of the root, or occasionally buying standarized capsules in a health food store, but I'd like to share the ways I like to use Ashwaganda myself and with my clients that don't involve taking a tincture! These are very nourishing and delicious ways to take ashwaganda, which isn't really the yummiest of herbs on its own.

Ashwaganda & Cinnamon Infused Milk
This is the most common way I reccommend Ashwaganda to people, and is truly a delight to enjoy! Ashwaganda was traditionally given in milk and so I like to use this method- using what has worked for hundreds if not thousands of years.

1 tsp ashwaganda powder
dash of cinnamon to taste
1 cardamom pod, cracked
8-10 oz milk (dairy, goat, almond, coconut)
1 tbsp honey
1 pinch of sea salt
1 tsp ghee or coconut oil
1 tbsp rose gulkand, or dried roses ( alternatively 1 tsp rose water) (OPTIONAL)

Warm the milk to just bubbling at the edges and add powders, herbs, oil and salt and mix thouroughly. Reduce heat and warm 3-5 min longer. Remove from heat, add honey, and whisk the whole pot vigourously until oil and honey are incorporated.

Serve hot and drink the roses, ashwaganda and cinnamon powder down with the milk. This is an excellent preparation for your morning wake up drink, after making love/sex, for an afternoon pick me up, or any time you need extra nourishment and sweetness. I suggest once or twice a day. If only, once you might wish to up the ashwaganda to 2 tsp.

Ashwaganda Electuary
1 pt Ashwaganda powder
1/8 pt cardamom seed powder
1/3 pt citrus peel powder (orange is my favorite)
2 pt Honey
(1/2 - 1 pt cacao powder) - optional

Mix powders together in a bowl and mix with enough honey to make a thick jam like paste. It will thicken with time, so err on the side of runny. Place this into a jar with a lid and store. You can take this electuary by the spoonful, mix into tea, mix into smoothies, spread on toast, breakfast cereal, rice or in stewed fruit. Take 1 - 3 tsp daily.

Ashwaganda Syrup
1 cup ashwaganda root, dried pieces
1.5 qts water
1 pinch sea salt
2 cups honey or sugar
2- 4 oz brandy or ashwaganda tincture (optional)

Simmer and cook ashwaganda root in water for about an hour. You want to simmer, not boil to death, but also evaporate some of the liquid as you are simmering, until you have about 16 oz of ashwaganda decoction. Simmering to reduce helps to concentrate the decoction. Strain the ashwaganda roots out of the decoction and reduce further if needed to 16 oz. to the strained decoction add the same volume of honey or sugar and mix thouroughly by stirring, or shaking a covered jar. Add 2-4 oz of brandy or ashwaganda tincture to preserve your syrup longer. If you do not add alcohol, store your syrup in the fridge and use within 2 months.

Take up to 2 tbsp 2-3 times a day.
This recipe is not appropriate for those with blood sugar issues, diabetes or insulin resistance! You may also find you want to add a pinch of cardamom, clove, or a vanilla bean to your syrup as it is cooling as well.

Restorative Nutritive Tea Blend
1 pt Ashwaganda root
2 pt nettles
1 pt cinnamon
1 pt tulsi basil
1/2 pt ginger
1/2 pt licorice root

Blend herbs well in a jar and store away from the light. Use 1 tbsp per pint, or 2-3 tbsp per quart of hot water. Steep tea for 1 hr or more, or alternatively, simmer gently, gently for 15 min, covered. This blend taken daily will replenish the body with nutrients and minerals, reduce stress, improve digestion and taste good too. This is lovely with a bit of honey taken in your thermos to work, school or on your daily errands. Up to 1 qt daily. It's been described to me as gingerbread love in a cup. Hey, that sounds pretty great huh?

If you don't have time to make your own ashwaganda preparation, I have a few special syrups left at PoppySwap which have Ashwaganda as a part of the formula. Parvati's Devotion- Herbal Syrup for the heart, romance and self-love. They have been a huge hit and I only have a couple left!

10 Nourishing and Herbal Self Indulgences for Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

1) **Nourishing and Nervine Herbal Infusions**- Deeply restore, rejuvenate, replenish and nourish your body and especially your nervous system with herbal infusions daily/weekly.
Nettles is always a good choice for nourishment, but consider any of the following herbal infusions.
Oats- to rebuild and replenish the nervous system
Linden- to soothe the heart, calm and relax, and sweeten the spirit
Red Clover- to nourish and replenish the female endocrine system
Tulsi Basil- to brighten your mood, bring back a sparkle to your eyes, and a smile to your lips
Roasted Dandelion Root with Cinnamon- tone up, stimulate and improve digestion, liver function, circulation and more

**2)Drink cacao**- It might seem obvious, to include chocolate on V-Day- but rather than sugar laden bon bons, brew yourself a deeply intoxicating cacao drink- to open and nourish your heart, induce a state of bliss and pleasure, and give yourself a love infusion of minerals and vitamins (magnesium & B vitamins) I like to use 1 oz raw cacao paste from Heartblood Cacao,mixed with 8 oz hot water, sweetened with a touch of honey and laced with cinnamon, nutmeg, rose water, orange peel, or hawthorn berry extract.

**3) Take an Herbal Infused Bath**- Taking a warm bath is a natural way to indulge yourself, but you can double the pleasure and magnify the benefits with the addition of herbal infusions in your bath water! And don't forget the pleasure of scenting your bath with sensual essential oils like rose, patchouli, ylang ylang, jasmine, vanilla, or vetiver. For a deeply healing herbal bath, brew up 1 gallon of strong tea (3-4 handufls of herb) of any of the following herbs, strain and add to your hot bath water.
Roses- to open and soothe the heart
Chamomile- to calm and soothe stress, anxiety, and tension
Lavender- to calm tension, relax emotional fragility, or soothe a bruised ego
Marigolds (Tagetes)- to induce euphoria, relaxation and happiness
Rosemary- to clear the mind, stimulate the body, soothe soreness/achiness, and increase creativity

**4) Give yourself a scented herbal massage**- Either schedule with your regular massage therapist, or give yourself a healing, nurturing massage with a lusciously scented and herbal infused oil. Oils that have been infused with the healing properties of herbs are deeply restorative, powerfully healing, and super pleasurable. My favorite oils to use are sesame, coconut or olive- and I like to infuse them with flowers and herbs that are both sweet smelling, skin healing and deep tissue replenishing. Sesame oil is highly absorbable and good for all types of skin, Coconut is best for folks with hot constitutions, warm skin with redness, or oily skin, and olive is good for those with dry skin or cooler constitutions. Good choices to infuse in your oils are: Roses, Lavender, Calendula, St Johns Wort, Comfrey, Ashwaganda, Gotu Kola, Chamomile, Rosemary, Marshmallow, Violet Leaf, Ginger, Birch, Patchouli, Plantain

**5) Take restorative and rejuvenating adaptogens daily** - There are a lot of reasons to take adaptogens- to help manage stress, to replenish and restore adrenal health, to balance hormones/endocrine system, to improve libido, to improve sleep, to support good immune function, for more mental clarity and daily emotional balance. Your choice of adaptogens may vary based on your needs but my favorites are below!
Ashwaganda- Try 1 tsp of powdered Ashwaganda in warm milk (almond or coconut works well), sweetened with honey, laced with cinnamon, and topped with ghee or coconut oil.
Schisandra- mix the ground up berries with honey for a delicious sweet-sour treat- spreadable on toast like jam, or mix into tea
Medicinal Mushrooms (Reishi, shitake, cordyceps, maitake etc)- Cook healing mushrooms into soups and broths, or make a syrup sweetened with honey or molasses.

**6) Make and Drink Herbal Infused Bone Broth** - Make yourself a big pot, and freeze the extra to have around and nourish yourself every day! Bone broth (or seaweed broth for vegetarians) is a really easy, and deeply nourishing tonic for everyone- it is full of minerals to build and restore bone health and nervous system health, gelatin and collagen for strong skin, hair and nails- and digestive system tissues. You can add your favorite immune herbs, adaptogens, fruits with bioflavanoids or medicinal roots to the stock as it is cooking to increase the nourishment factor. Organic, free range bones (chicken, beef, lamb, eggshells etc) Enough water to cover completely 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar Simmer bones in water with lemon on low for 24 -36 hours in a crock pot, or on the stove on low. Add any of the following herbs to boost its health supporting properties: Burdock root, shitake mushrooms, lovage root, garlic, onion, calendula, hawthorn berries, kelp, sage, nettles, dandelion greens, schisandra, ginger, turmeric etc

**7) Sit with a plant or a tree**- No matter what season or weather is happening around you, find a plant- inside or out, or a tree nearby, and spend 10-30 min sitting with the plant. Close your eyes, ground yourself by sending your roots down into the earth, focus on your heart- so full of life, so full of love, and open your heart to the plant you are with. Ask to share with the plant you are with, offer the plant a gift ( a song, a stone, a shiny object, a piece of fruit or chocolate, water, tobacco), and ask if the plant might have a gift- a lesson- a teaching for you. Sitting with plants always has been a remarkably powerful way for me to connect with nature, and the deep connection we all share as living beings on this earth. We can learn, feel ourselves, and feel the deep LOVE within the Earth for all her creations.

**8) Buy yourself an herbal pampering gift** - This could be decadent perfumes made with love and only pure essential oils, an indulgent face cream with luscious skin healing herbs, an intoxicating tea blend with flowers and spices, a rich, lathering cold processed soap infused with herbs, or a sweet smelling essential oil blend for diffusing in your living space. And USE it- daily, give yourself 60 seconds to 5 mins just for you and pamper yourself with your gift to yourself.

**9)Make herbal incense to sweeten your space**- Not as complicated as you might imagine- all you need is some charcoals for burning your incense on, a heat proof dish and some sweet smelling herbs. You can chop your herbs coarsely and use as a loose incense sprinkled on your hot coal, or you can finely powder your herbs in a grinder and mix with honey, dried fruits, and/or wine or mead into a thick dough which can be rolled into rounds or cones. I find a mixture of mugwort or salvia (to hold the burn), fragrant herbs and spices (roses, cinnamon, lavender, chamomile, mint, cloves, tulsi, rosemary etc), and resins (frankincense, pine sap, copal, myrrh) work best as a whole, but let your imagination guide you! You can add an element of magic and intention to your insence as well, by focusing your energy on your intention as you select and mix your herbs. Make a blend that speaks to you of self love, self honoring, your unique personality, or elements you want to welcome in. Burn your mixture daily during self care rituals, bath time, or bed time.

**10) Build an altar to your plant allies and yourself** - Clear a space for yourself to build/create an altar to yourself- the qualities you love about yourself, and the elements you would like to call into your life and your self expression- and/or to celebrate your plant allies and all the ways they serve you, gift to you, teach you, heal you and your deepening relationship with them. You can pick one plant or several. Put up pictures of yourself, pictures representing yourself, words you wish to reflect on, affirmations of self love and honor, pictures of your plant allies, potted plants, dried plant parts or flower arrangments, flower essences, tinctures, essential oils, candles, or little cups of tea! Spend some time daily or weekly at your altar in meditation, gratitude, or prayer. Honor yourself- beautiful, abundant, loving, wise, luscious, nourished- and honor your plants- friends, teachers, wisdom keepers, allies and healers.

The Daily Wild Zine and a Special Gift from Blue Turtle Botanicals

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:43:00 +0000

Friends, it is with GREAT Pleasure that I share this lovely little announcement with you! A dear sister in the Southwest, Meekah Sage, has created a wonderful little art zine- The Daily Wild zine. Its a beautiful tribute to rewilding, resacreding, living fully, sensory awareness, nature connection and so much much more!

I'm super honored to be featured in an interview in this month's issue on Love, Sex and Aphrodisiacs.

But there is more!

If you are one of the first 10 folks to order a paper copy directly from Meekah, you will get a special free package of Love Charm Herbal Aphrodisiac Tea from me! And everyone who orders a copy, paper or pdf, will get a special discount code to be used in my store at Poppy Swap!

You can order your copy now at the DailyWild Blog today!

May your month be as juicy and glorious and full of love as you can dream!

Valentine's Day Lovers Sale!

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:47:00 +0000

Its almost that time- that some people love to love and some people love to dread....valentines day.
But no matter your relationship status - you can participate in LOVE.
Love isn't just about having a partner, making love, or getting roses. Love is shared between good friends, family members, between humans and the great Earth Mama we walk upon. You can LOVE yourself! Self love is the most important kind of love there is- loving ourselves well, nourishing our spirits, our hearts and our bodies makes us available and able to share love with everyone in our lives.
In honor of the lovers in us all - that come in all shapes and forms- I'm offering a special Valentine's Day sale at PoppySwap!

Starting on February 1 through February 15- shop at my Poppy Swap store and use the discount code "love4u" for a 15% discount on your entire order! This is perfect timing for gifting to your loved ones or yourself- and a deeply nourishing and life affirming gift- rather than sprayed roses or unethically mined stones or precious metals. Though I am still a fan of fine chocolates!

And a little plug for my sweet dear love friend- Ananda- who has the most amazing perfumery talent. She has just created and listed some stunning lover's perfumes at Poppy Swap. You want to treat yourself or your lover to an especially indulgent and affirming gift....I highly reccommend Ananda's perfumes!

Also- stay tuned to http://dailywild.wordpress.com/d-a-i-l-y-w-i-l-d-z-i-n-e/, where my sweet sister Meekah Sage has created a rewilding zine for all us wild folk- and in February the issue is all about love- aphrodisiacs and more. Check it out for an article I shared all about herbal aphrodisiacs!

Spring Medicinal Plant Walk Schedule for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:27:00 +0000

Mark your calendars now friends- the dates for the spring 2012 medicinal plant walks have been set! register for one, or save money and register for 4 at once with a savings of $20!

Desert Valley Early Spring

February 18, 2012

9 am – 1 pm - $30

Foothills Late Spring

March 10, 2012 9 am– 1 pm - $30

Desert Valley Trees

April 21, 2012 9 am – 1 pm - $30

Mid-elevation Mountains

May 19, 2012 9 am– 1 pm - $30

Mountain Tree Walk

June 2, 2012 8 am– 2 pm - $40

Directions and location upon registration, but we'll be staying in the low desert exploring the washes and desert foothills!

Want to join in the plant walks every month?
Pre-Register for 4 walks for just $25 a piece! $100 total- join any plant walk scheduled in the next year!

4 Plant Walks- $100

Community Plant Medicine Sharing Circles in Tucson, AZ

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:50:00 +0000

I am super excited and proud to announce that I'm offering a new Community Plant Medicine Sharing Circle twice a month starting in Februrary in Tucson, AZ. All are welcome from beginner to expert- just please come prepared to share your experiences and thoughts and questions about the plant of the week! Bring your medicine creations to share! We are all teachers- and we are all students!
Offered by Spirit Guided Donation at The Power of 9 at Mondays at 6:30 pm

Feb 20 - Calendula

March 5 - Yarrow

March 19 - Nettles

RSVP to shamana.flora@gmail.com

http://www.meetup.com/The-Tucson-Life-Transformation-Group/events/48977422/

First Medicinal Plant Walk of 2012 - Feb. 18!

noreply@blogger.com (Darcey Blue) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:57:00 +0000

Spring is about to spring in the southwest deserts! Join Darcey Blue for the first of her monthly Medicinal Plant walks in the desert ecosystem- we will track plants through the seasons of the year in washes, desert mountains, alpine sky island mountains and more!

We will learn about plant identification, ecology, medicinal and edible uses, proper harvesting technique, preparations that are useful for each plant and so much more!

Feb 18, 2012
9 am - 1 pm
$30

RSVP and hold your spot in the plant walk today!
shamana.flora@gmail.com