Your Guide to Ethical Wildcrafting

Hey Plant Lover!

Whether you are a seasoned wildcrafter or you’ve never harvested wild plants for food or medicine before, there’s something that’s vital for all of us to consider. That’s the impact our choices have on the life we share this planet with.

Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash

Birds, insects, microorganisms, furry creatures – like us, they depend on the plants for their survival.

And then of course there are the plants themselves. There are close to 400,000 vascular plants on Earth. And nearly 2,000 are discovered or newly studied each year, many of which are on the brink of extinction. It’s estimated that 1 in 5 plants on Earth are threatened with extinction.

So why are plants and other life forms disappearing?

There are a variety of causes, the most visible being habitat destruction and loss. This comes in many forms. Fragmentation of forests from clear cutting, pollution of water by agricultural and industrial runoff, widespread pesticide and herbicide use, sprawling commercial and housing development.

These are but symptoms of a greater issue. At the root, the loss of life on this planet is an ideological problem:

We see ourselves as separate from nature.

By “we” I mean those in the developed world, plagued by colonialism, capitalism, consumerism, racism.

These lenses have clouded our vision of the truth.

The truth is that we depend on all of life to work in concert. That each one of us – animal (including humans), plant, fungi, mineral – are an integral part of the whole. And that our human neuroses – fear of scarcity, fear of other, fear of death – have put us into this stupor of forgetfulness and destruction. We blindly take from the Earth what we think we need without thanks, and without reciprocity. This isn’t need, but greed.

If there’s anything the COVID pandemic is showing us, it is that our destructive habits impact every one of us. The predominating culture looks at the gifts of the Earth as commodities to be extracted, bought, and sold. Clean healthy water is a human right, a right for all living beings. Yet we have dreamed up that it has a monetary value. This dream is killing the beauty of life on this planet. It is time to shift this dream.

There is abundance, joy, pleasure, and enough for all when we reciprocate with the Earth. This has been a basic fact of life for all earth-based cultures on this planet. People who have not lost this sense of belonging to the Earth (and not the f*ed up flipside idea of Earth belonging to us) live this truth. I look forward to the day where more of us not just understand this but embody and live it.

One small way to begin to live our belonging is to live in reciprocity with the healing plants.

I’ve created a guide to Ethical Wildcrafting with this at its core. It’s adapted from my book, Northeast Medicinal Plants and is inspired by Robin Wall Kimmerer’s words in her book, Braiding Sweetgrass.

Sign up to receive it in your inbox here, or click the image below to get your copy – It will arrive in three easily digestible parts.

I’m delivering it in installments so that you can slow down to take in the information and practice it.

By signing up you’ll also learn additional ways to connect with healing plants and receive information about my new offering, INFUSE – a monthly immersion to deepen your relationship with healing plants. You can always unsubscribe at any time.

I invite you to comment below or email me liz (at) gatheringground (dot) nyc to share your experiences with connecting with the healing plants.

References and Further Reading:

How Many Plant Species Are There in the World? Scientists now have an answer

The Real Cure for Covid is Renewing Our Fractured Relationship With the Planet

**Legacy Lost: **A Brief History of Colonization and the Loss of Northeastern Old-Growth Forests

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Additional Guides to Ethical Wildcrafting From Fellow Herbalists:

Forest Medicine by fellow Timber Press author, Scott Kloos

Herbal Remedies Advice by Rosalee de la Forêt

Learning Herbs by Devon Young

Sierra Botanica by Rachel Berry

Green Is in the Heart

This is the 4th post I’m sharing on the Communication of Color, particularly through the lens of the plant realm. You can find the previous posts here:

The Power of Red in Times of Disruption

Orange ya glad? How Orange Stimulates Joy

Yellow Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair

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Hello!

How are you doing?

By my count it’s day 72 of the “quarantine”* (or whatever you’d like to call it).

It’s also the 10th week of distance learning for my 7 year old, and his teachers are trying to keep it fresh. One of the teachers recently sprung an impromptu dance party on the class. She played “Groove Is in the Heart,” one of my favorite 90s hits by Deee-Lite. Maybe you know it (if not, or if you want to take a trip down memory lane, the video is below). Well, it took me back and got me moving, my heart pumping. And it got me thinking about the heart and about this week’s post about the color Green.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Green is in the heart, according to the chakra system. The fourth chakra (Sanskrit: anahata for “unhurt,” “unbeaten,” or “unstruck”) lives at the heart center, the place where love, compassion, and caring are expressed. This is also where past hurts, jealousy, and relationship wounds live. When there is wounding in our hearts, we may have difficulty empathizing, we may find it difficult to be kind with ourselves and with others. There might be a lot of negative self talk or limits set around our perceived ability to express love. We may feel that the “grass is greener” on the other side, in other words we may be green with envy.

As Kermit says, it ain’t easy being green. Maybe that’s because many of us are living in our heads, cut off from our hearts. It’s always the right time to work on healing our hearts to nurture self love so that we can create a compassionate, loving society. I always look to the Earth for inspiration and guidance for healing. It’s a lovely synchronicity that Earth and Heart are anagrams in the English language.

The first thing I do when I feel disconnected from my heart is tap into the energy of the Earth. I bring awareness to my heart and then I let that awareness dive down through my body and into the soil. I let it continue to travel down through all of the layers of this magnificent planet right down to the core. The core is the heart (cuore, Italian for “heart”) and our Great Mother’s heart beats out the electromagnetic field to nurture us with her energy, and to shield us from the powerful rays of the Sun. Tap into that energy of fierce love and protection when your heart is aching and see what happens.

There are a lot of beautiful treasures from the Earth (aka, stones) to sit with when you are needing a boost of heart energy. You can call on their energy if you don’t have them on hand. Do your best to obtain them from a sustainable source if you seek to sit with them physically. Here are a few that resonate with the heart: green calcite, malachite, moss agate, tree agate, green garnet, fuchsite, fluorite, and chrysocolla. Pink is another heart centered color and stones that feature pink also light up the heart, including rose quartz, pink calcite, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, and ruby in zoisite (which also features green). I find it interesting that pink and green vibrate on a similar frequency - my dad and son are both color blind (deuteranopic) and sometimes have trouble differentiating colors in the pink-green color range, depending on the value.

And of course, the plants! Just being outside communing with the green ones is enough to restore some balance to the heart. If I’m feeling a little stuck or fatigued, simply looking out my apartment window at the lushly leafed-out trees gives me a little boost of heart energy and refreshes my spirit. Houseplants could do the same.

There are so many beautiful herbs that resonate with the heart, some more specifically than others. Many of them feature the colors green, pink, or red prominently. Green often indicates nourishing and cleansing, while red and pink speak to the blood and the heart, both physically and energetically. Here are just a few lovely green allies that soothe the heart.

Hawthorn (Crataegus species)

She’s a fiercely protective tree whose leaves, flowers, and fruit are most often employed for healing the physical and energetic heart. The berries help break down fat in the blood and digestive tract, and the fruit, leaves, and flowers lower blood cholesterol, regulate the heart rate, and balance blood pressure Her sharp thorns are also a signature for her protective nature and her action on the heart.

Beach rose (Rosa rugosa)

Rose (Rosa species)

Swoon! Rose has my heart all a-flutter. We know her well for her love-invoking abilities, her renown as a romance enhancer, her transportive perfume. Rose is also a protector of the heart being antioxidant and cooling to the blood. Her thorns – technically prickles – like the thorns of Hawthorn, are another signature of her cardio-protective properties.

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

The flowers of most cherry species have a gentle soporific quality and the bark of P. serotina in particular is used traditionally to induce sleep, often where there is a cough that keeps one up at night. Like Hawthorn, black cherry regulates the heart’s rhythm and helps lower blood pressure.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)

This gorgeous bitter mint is well known for its heart regulating properties. It’s even right there in the species name, cardiaca. Motherwort alleviates hypertension and heart palpitations while soothing the nervous system. One of the signatures of this plant is the way the leaves grow in a rhythmic or syncopated pattern up the stem. (Thank you Julia Graves for sharing that signature)

My favorite perch, in Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)

Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)

One of my favorite trees, Eastern White Pine soothes the heart’s rhythm and brings peace to the nerves. Like Motherwort, the signature is in the syncopated pattern of the whorled branches. Simple spending time with this tree offers a reassurance that everything is going to be okay.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Deeply nourishing and restorative Stinging Nettle is like the magnet in our heart’s compass leading us to our True North. Rich in chlorophyll, plant proteins, and other compounds that balance our bodies in just about all of the ways, this plant is a great foundational herb. It has been relied upon for millennia for its life-sustaining properties, notably by ascetic monks living in caves, like Milarepa, who turned green from consuming so much of the stuff.

Unfurling heart-shaped leaves of Violet (Viola sororia)

Violet (Viola species)

This forest-edge-dwelling cutie emerges in spring to wake our hearts up to the season of new beginnings. Drinking the leaves daily for a few consecutive weeks helps to cleanse the blood and nourish the body. Heart-shaped leaves tip us off to this plant’s ability to ease a grieving heart.

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*The quarantine, La Quarantena, a term coined by Venetians during the Black Death is derived from the 40 days (quaranta giorni) of isolation of a ship’s crew and cargo to prevent the spread of disease. Our quaranta giorni has now reached settantadue and will likely continue a few more settimana before we shift to a new stage of coming out of our bubbles.

In next week’s post we’ll move on up the rainbow body to the color Blue. Stay tuned…

Yellow Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair

This is the third post in a series I’m sharing about colorful signatures in the plant realm. Here they are in order so far:

The Power of Red in Times of Disruption

Orange ya glad? How Orange Stimulates Joy

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Photo by Natalia Luchanko on Unsplash

Yellow is the colour of my true love's hair

In the morning when we rise
In the morning when we rise
That's the time, that's the time

I love the best

I wonder if Donovan was secretly singing about Dandelion, because that’s who I picture as my true love when I hear this song.

Dandelion blossoms in spring

Like the rays of the golden sun, yellow brings things to life. Yellow is the epitome of cheery. Yellow boosts our confidence and our energy.

Our bodies’ sun lies in the solar plexus, the 3rd chakra (sanskrit: manipurna meaning “city of jewels”). This is the center of identity, self-expression, and will. Our sun is how we show up, in every sense. How do we rise to the occasion? It’s also the place where we create boundaries; it’s where I end and you begin.

To restore the energy of an imbalanced solar plexus, add a little yellow to your life.

You can sit with yellow stones with an intention to boost your confidence or turn down those negative self-talk voices. Here are a few you might want to try: citrine, yellow calcite, yellow sapphire, golden healer, tiger’s eye, and pyrite.

The plants that balance our solar plexus are plentiful. Many of them have yellow flowers, and sometimes roots.

Black-eyed Susan bloom

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia species)

With gorgeously golden rays and a deep dark center, Black-eyed Susan flower essence brings our shadow to the light, allowing us to process what is at the recesses of our psyches with love and compassion. Medicinally, this beauty is akin to its relative, Echinacea, being a detoxifier and stimulant to the immune system. It is sometimes utilized in formulations for Lyme Disease, a condition that can rock a person to their core (aka, the solar plexus center).

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

One of my favorite plant allies. Dandelion is a rooted grounded reflection of the sun above, with radiant golden blooms. Dandelion blossoms used topically are a mild pain reliever and make a great massage oil for the solar plexus. The root is well known for its liver-supportive effects. (The liver and gallbladder are also located in the solar plexus region - yellow is a signature for these organs).

Goldenrod and Bull Thistle

Goldenrod (Solidago species)

As the light of the day begins to wane, Goldenrod shines the way into the darker months. Like Dandelion, Goldenrod makes a lovely massage oil for the solar plexus. It’s also a great ally for disorders of the urinary tract (yellow) and for treating candidiasis.

Saint John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Delicate golden blossoms that bleed red when you squeeze them speak to the ability of Saint John’s Wort to balance both the root (red) and solar plexus (yellow). Lots of caveats to working with this one. If you want to work with this plant but feel it’s contraindicated for you, you can work with the flower essence or the oil, topically applied to the solar plexus region.

Sunflower

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Towering above reaching toward the sky with its tall stalks, yet facing downward as if looking down upon us humble creatures below, Sunflower is a reminder of the fruitful relationship between the Earth and the Sun. Its abundant seeds are nourishing and cleansing, its fragrant petals infused in oil and blended with the other golden blossoms mentioned here, again, make an excellent solar plexus massage oil. The flower buds orient to the sun and the flower essence helps us do the same, bestowing a more shining expression of our truest selves.

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These are just some of my favorite plants that prominently feature yellow. Do you have a favorite yellow ally? Share in the comments below!

Photo by Dmitry Grigoriev on Unsplash

Orange ya glad? How Orange Stimulates Joy

This is the second post in a series I’m sharing about colorful signatures in the plant realm. Here’s the first, The Power of Red in Times of Disruption.

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(Knock knock. Who’s there? Banana. Banana who? Knock knock. Who’s there? Banana. Banana who? Knock knock. Who’s there? Banana. Banana who? Knock knock. Who’s there? Orange. Orange who? Orange ya glad I didn’t say banana?)

Oh I just couldn’t help myself. It’s one of the few jokes I know and like to tell my 7 year old. And it’s one of the first things that comes to find when I hear the word “Orange.” It kind of makes sense when I think on it, as Orange is the color of Joy.

What does Orange bring to mind for you?

Or rather, how does Orange make you feel?

Orange is rich and vibrant. Orange stirs emotions and encourages creativity. In the chakra system, Orange is the color of the sacral chakra (sanskrit: Svadisthana) where pleasure, sexuality, and abundance rule.

If we are feeling uninspired or not seeing the beauty in the world, Orange lifts us up and restores a sense of vitality.

We can work with color in a variety of ways to shift our mood, from the clothes we wear to the colors we paint our walls.

Some stones or crystals we can work with to stimulate our joy and vibrancy center are: orange calcite, sunstone, amber, carnelian, or fire agate.

Orange Yarrow (Achillea species)

There are a number of plants that enliven our sacral centers as well. And many of them feature Orange as a prominent color.

Calendula

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Vibrant orange blooms of Calendula are well known for their benefits for the skin, and they are also greatly beneficial to the digestive system, as well as the reproductive organs. Calendula blossoms in tea (infusion) or tincture form can be a warming balm to menstrual cramps in cases of cold stagnation in the uterus. It’s also been used as a remedy for candidiasis. Emotionally speaking, Calendula uplifts mood and brings joy to our hearts. According to Flower Essence Services, the flower essence invokes in us a healing warmth and receptivity.

California poppy by cogdogblog.

California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

Beautifully delicate Cali Poppy, its grace and elegance are entrancing. As an herb, this plant eases the nervous system, instilling calm and bringing pain relief. According to Isha Lerner, Power of Flowers essences, California Poppy flower essence “is a magical golden cup flower that enchants the soul, offering imagination and a vibrant appreciation for nature's invisible forces.  It can help with the clearing of addictions and drug abuse.” Addictions and abuse often stem from imbalances in the sacral energy center.

Saffron (Crocus sativus)

Saffron makes me think of a big delicious pan of paella, which like this herb, is said to be an aphrodisiac. The “herb” is actually the orange stamens from Autumn Crocus – separating them out is a delicate and labor-intensive process. Aside from being a potent antioxidant, Saffron is purported to improve mood, ease premenstrual symptoms, and stimulate amorous feelings. If you are looking for a more accessible herb, Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) could act as a substitute.

Damiana (Turnera diffusa)

The flower of Damiana isn’t entirely orange, more a bright yellow with a concentrated almost orange center. But it’s certainly known for its sacral center stimulating properties. Drinking a Damiana infusion or taking the tincture stimulates circulation to the pelvic region. It’s also relaxing to the nervous system, lowering inhibitions. It’s these two qualities that have given this herb its reputation as an aphrodisiac. (Another way to express the botanical name is Turnera aphrodisiaca.)

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Colorwise perhaps this is a bit of a stretch. Admittedly, the color of the Ginger rhizome is more a beige than orange, and its flower is a vibrant magenta-fuschia. But there’s no doubt that ginger is stimulating and warming to the womb-space, easing cold stagnation in the case of menstrual cramps, and invoking a general sense of invigoration and enlivenment to the whole being.

Tuliptree bloom

Tuliptree, aka, Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)

When I look at the flower of Tuliptree I see a bright orange flame flickering up from its base. At the base of the orange bleeds in yellow and the whole flame emerges into a field of green. The message I receive from the flower is that it brings the energy of the sacral and solar plexus centers up into the heart, encouraging us to express ourselves in a heart-centered way from our core. This flame also speaks to the use of this plant (the root bark primarily) in treating intermittent fever, particularly in case of malaria.

Butterfly weed

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

This plant is at risk in the Northeast, so I suggest working with the flower essence, which affords us ease in our vulnerability, allowing us to be open in relationships and un-self-consciously express our creativity.

Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)

Last but not least, we have the color’s namesake. Eating oranges in the winter months brings a certain level of vitality and sunshine to our lives when things are otherwise fairly colorless and dark. What I love about orange is the scent, and it’s the essential oils I use most often. Diffusing Sweet Orange oil or just taking a sniff of it straight from the bottle stirs my sense of creativity and a feeling that everything is just ducky.

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Photo by Jennifer Aldrich on Unsplash

Some are silver

While these plants don’t quite feature any orange, they do have a link with the sacral chakra. The giveaway is under their leaves. When you flip them over, they have a silvery white underside. This is their link with the moon, and in our bodies, the moon is seated at the sacral center. The moon is ruler of emotions, the tides of the body, and intuition.

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

If you know me, you know this is one plant I won’t ever stop talking about. Mugwort is magical on many levels. It brings flow to the body, mind, and spirit. And as far as the sacral center goes, Mugwort brings flow to creativity and to the physical space of the uterus, stimulating and regulating healthy menstrual cycles for those with a lack of circulation to that area of the body.

Raspberry (Rubus species)

Raspberry leaf is a well known remedy for the moons of women’s (womben’s, wimmin’s, womyn’s) bodies. Taken during pregnancy it helps prepare the uterus for childbirth, and taken after birth helps tone and restore the uterus and reduce heavy bleeding. It’s a regulator of hormones as well, particularly progesterone.

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How does Orange make you feel? Leave a reply in the comments below!

Next week, I’ll be sharing about… you guessed it, Yellow! Stay tuned.

The Power of Red in Times of Disruption

Do you have a favorite color? Or, like me, do you feel drawn to a particular color depending on the day, season, or mood?

Right now, the color that is calling to me is RED. It’s shouting to me, really, which is what Red can do sometimes. It’s really no surprise, given a moment to think on it, why Red has come into my awareness at this time. Read on, dear one, to find out why…

How does RED make you feel?

Red is anything but subtle. Red is seductive and provocative, grabbing our attention like a siren. Red is about extreme emotions. We can be red in the face with anger, blushing red with embarrassment, or feeling red hot for a lover.

Red pumps through our veins, through our hearts. Red is the foundation, the great equalizer. Our red blood reminds us that we are alive, we are mortal, and we are kin.

Red is the color of the root chakra (sanskrit: muladhara). The root is quite literally the seat of our sense of security. It is primal and reassuring. Spending time with Red in this sense, tells us that everything is going to be okay. It allows us to let go of our fears, our fear-based impulses, and encourages us to act from a grounded place and from the heart. Like the roots of a tree enmeshed in soil, our consciousness can be rooted in the solid ground of our Mother Earth. Slowing down to feel her pulse from groundedness, our own hearts are awakened and we remember: She provides us with all that we need. And knowing this we know not to fear for lack of having needs met. The abundance of the Earth is with us always.

Simply meditating on the color red or wearing it can bring about these feelings of security and courage (from Old French, corage, feeling from the heart). Sitting with or holding stones like carnelian, bloodstone, jasper, or garnet can invoke these feelings.

And of course, I must tell you about the herbs! Yes, there are medicinal plants that can help us feel more rooted, juicy, and abundant, too. And in the Divine Wisdom of the Universe, these plants feature red as a predominant color. Plants featuring red flowers, fruit, roots, or bark also have a physical influence on the blood, too. Here are just a few examples.

Rose (Rosa species)

One of my absolute favorites in the world of medicinal plants. Rose is ubiquitous for a reason. Rose is powerful! Energetically, she is cooling, drying, and anti-inflammatory. Read here for more on this amazing ally.

Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Have you ever had Hibiscus tea? Jamaican Sorrel? That is some beautifully red stuff right there. Like Rose, Hibiscus is has a great effect on the blood. It’s cooling (refrigerant), antioxidant, and balances blood pressure and blood sugar, too. Hibiscus helps regulate menstruation, reducing excessive flow. According to David Frawley and Vasant Lad in their book The Yoga of Herbs, “Hibiscus flowers are sacred to Ganesh, the elephant god, the god of wisdom who destroys all obstacles and grants the realization of all goals, who dwells in the first or root chakra.”

Wild geranium

Wild Geranium (Geranium species)

The ethereal pink blossoms of Wild Geranium pull me in to a trance. Medicinally, the roots and leaves stanch bleeding internally and externally and check excessive discharges (like diarrhea). Energetically, the flower essence helps us release old stories, old trauma, and old insecurities allowing us to operate from a more empowered place.

Red Root (Ceanothus americanus)

If that name doesn’t say it all?! Red Root is warming and stimulating and gets things moving. It is typically used to improve lymphatic and blood flow in thick, heavy, cold, sluggish conditions. A tincture of the fresh root is preferred for this purpose. However, the dried root in a decoction (simmered “tea”) mixed with other warming roots and barks (ginger, cinnamon, clove, etc). makes a really great chai-inspired blend to stimulate the root and sacral chakras. It’s a delicious way to stoke creativity and the feeling that we live in an abundant universe. Precautions: Do not use red root if you are taking blood thinning or blood clotting medications or are pregnant.

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

Talk about abundance! Red Clover enriches the soil with nitrogen, improving the fertility of the Earth. It does the same for humans (increase fertility, that is), while also gently cleansing the blood. Its triple leaflet is symbolic of the magic number 3, the triskelion, the holy trinity. There is a sense of stability, wholeness, and completion in three: past/present/future, beginning/middle/end, birth/life/death, etc. I also associate red clover with Taurus, the most grounded and earthiest of signs. Precautions: Do not use red clover if you are taking blood thinning medication and discontinue use at least 2 weeks prior to scheduled surgery. There is some thinking that red clover is contraindicated for those with estrogen-sensitive breast cancer.

Bloodroot

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

I look forward every year to seeing this ephemeral beauty blooming in the woods. Its blooms are white, yet its root exudes a blood red sap when cut. Bloodroot flower essence helps us resolve deep-rooted traumas passed down through our family line. Certainly a very important remedy for our times. Only partner with this plant energetically or as a flower essence as it is endangered. To learn more about preserving wild spaces and species like bloodroot, check out United Plant Savers.

Trillium grandiflorum

Trillium (Trillium species)

Here’s that magic number 3 again: three petals, three sepals, and three leaves. Trillium is another beautiful native plant that is endangered due to habitat loss and disturbance. The flower essence couldn’t be a more spot on root-chakra remedy. According to Flower Essence Services, this remedy fosters a “secure sense of personal welfare and financial well-being; ability to serve and give to others” while balancing out “distortions in survival chakra, fear due to materialistic emphasis, greed for possessions and power; poverty consciousness that leads to overly-materialistic focus.”

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How does the color red make you feel? Is there a plant featuring red in its flowers, fruit, or bark that helps you feel especially courageous or rooted? Leave it in the comments below!