solar plexus

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Of Will & Wishes - Working with Dandelion Medicine

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Everyone knows this weedy wonder.

Many are beginning to wake up to their healing benefits, despite the lawn cultivating culture that deems this plant public enemy #1 and a primary target of poisonous endocrine-disrupting herbicides.

I say, stop the war and let the weeds win.

There’s a big reward in that kind of surrender.

A reward of health, not just because we aren’t poisoning the soil and water (and ourselves) with chemicals, but because of the nutrient density and medicinal properties of many of the weeds.

It’s interesting that on a spiritual and energetic level, Dandelion affects the solar plexus center, the place of identity, will, and action. I say this because, we have the will to shift our relationship with plants we may not see the value of. We have the will to find the beauty and gifts in these plants.

Dandelion is also a plant of wishes. It is a rare individual who has not blown on a fluff of Dandelion seeds to make a wish. My wish is that we all understand the value and wisdom of the wild and weedy ones. Especially those who make decisions about using weed killer or not!

(You might be very happy to learn that NYC Parks Department stopped spraying herbicides, thanks to a group of elementary school kids’ dedication, wishes, and will!)

I’ve written about Dandelion a few times before.

This is one of the plants that I mark the seasons by, that I feel the turning of the wheel of the year with, that I incorporate into my life on a regular basis.

In the following video I’ll share a bit more about this plant’s magical attributes and we’ll go on a journey with them to our inner sun.

Enjoy the video! Please like, share, comment, and all that good stuff.

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The golden glow of Dandelion blossom dye (video)

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The temps are in the 50s here in Brooklyn and it’s feeling very spring-like.

Are you ready?

I think we all are!

But are you ready…

for Dandelion blossom season?

Every year in March or April (it varies) I seek out the big flushes of golden blossoms in fields and meadows so that I can:

and last year, I added this one on to the list:

  • make Dandelion blossom dye!

Dandelion blossoms impart a lovely yellow color to fabric. In this video I show you how simple it is to make dye from these sunny beauties.

Be sure to mordant your fabric beforehand to keep that color!

Dive deeper into the Magic & Medicine of Dandelion in INFUSE, a la carte, a month long immersion with this wonderful plant ally!

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Inner Sun Meditation With Dandelion

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We are within the darkest months of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Although our shared modern culture does not always honor it, this is a time of going within and rest. It is a time to reflect, to dream, to create inner landscapes and plant inner seeds to be birthed with the return of the light.

And though the daylight hours are less, the intensity of light seems concentrated as the Sun dips down closer to the horizon. Hat brims seem useless. It’s almost as if the Sun is lowering down to look us straight in the eye, to remind us that that giant star is always there for us, even in the midst of the approaching winter.

If you can get outside to greet the Sun at this time of year, I recommend it. Go on a walk to your favorite park, get to a hiking trail, find yourself at the edge of a river, or just open a window and let the sunlight stream in unfiltered. (I also lead plant walks in Prospect Park every month on the third Friday via MINKA Brooklyn. Come on out if you are in the area!)

Whether you can get outside or not, we all have a Sun within us to connect with. In this following meditation, we meet with the Dandelion flower, a rooted embodiment of the Sun. Journey to your innermost dreams and desires and let the seeds be carried on the wind to manifest your vision.

Dive deeper into the Magic & Medicine of Dandelion in INFUSE, a la carte, a month long immersion with this wonderful plant ally!

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

 
 

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

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 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 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

 

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.

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