Ethical Wild Harvest

Along the Yellowstone River: May 2014

Since I have been talking a lot about local plants I find growing wild, I thought it was probably my responsibility to make a post about the ethical harvesting of such plants.  Even though the plants I find along the river do not belong to any human, they are a living part of our world and come under the protection of the Others nature spirits, fairies, divas, elves... however you wish to address them.  One cannot simply go in an snatch up a plant or part of a plant and expect it to simply be alright.  Perhaps the Others won't find ways to fill your life with torment like the old stories say, but they will be offended and it will impact your future dealings with them negatively.

Before you even start thinking about harvesting a wild plant, you need to know a bit about where it grows.  Is the area maintained?  Will any human care if you harvest from the area?  Have any chemicals been sprayed on the area in an attempt to control weeds or insects?  Once you determine that the area is a good harvest location by human standards, then start thinking about how to harvest while maintaining a respectful relationship with nature.  Of course, we like to say in witchcraft that there are no set rules, but in all aspects of life good manners should be the first and foremost.  Following are my own personal guidelines.

1. Before harvesting from a plant, use your energy to communicate with the plant and obtain permission.  A plant that is struggling will tell you "no."  Respect that. 
2. Harvest no more than 30% of the plant.  The idea is to work with and borrow from the plant, not to destroy it.
3. Leave an offering to show your gratitude.  Many older books suggest a dime buried near the roots of the plant, but The Changeling (age 14) insists that a quarter is more appropriate if leaving money.  A sip of milk or honey water at the plant base is also appropriate and appreciated. 
4. Overall, just listen to your intuition and respect your position.  When out in nature, you are a guest.   

Also, if you find an unexpected treasure and believe it to be a gift, it is appropriate to leave a gift in return.  I carry small lengths of biodegradable ribbon in my pocket for this purpose.  Although it would be very rare indeed if the Others physically took your gift, they will know it was left for them and will accept the spirit in which you gave it. 

Lessons for a Magical Mama

 

There is nothing like a cantankerous child to ruin a magical moment.  You have slipped out for a nature walk, young one in tow, and just when you found what you thought you were looking for the child in the stroller turns into a banshee.  It only takes one wild yell to chase off every living being in the area and completely destroy your newly found center.  Yep, that is exactly what happened to me today. 

Superman and I had Miss Busy down by the river and in all fairness, we should have known better.  It was past naptime, but it was such a beautiful day- how could we resist?!  All was pretty well at first and she happily rode down the path perched on her daddy's shoulders.  It was when I paused and exclaimed, "Wild Sage!" Prairie sage/Wild sage is native to this region and can be used like white sage. More about the in a herbology post, this is a parenting ramble.    Things started going downhill.  Of course, this is one of the local plants I have been on the lookout for and I was all ready to harvest a bit.  By the time I had procured permission and left a small gift, all hell had broken loose.  We left quickly with a screaming little girl and one small branch of sage.

I have to admit that I was really disappointed to walk away from the potential smudge sticks just waiting beside the trail.  I had already envisioned the beautiful sage tied into pretty little bundles, drying in my pantry.  It was tempting to let my failed harvest become a sore spot in the day, but when I scrolled through the days photos on my camera I knew that no time had been wasted.  Not only do I now know where to find sage I'll go long before naptime in the future and arm myself with snacks, but we also enjoyed a beautiful walk, found an abandoned birds nest, picked out a campsite for later in the season, and made a few memories. 

Also, the older children have taught me just how fleeting the baby stage really is.  It will not be long before Miss Busy is no longer available to join me on daily walks.  She will have school and friends and activities clamoring for the moments that are currently all mine.  Then I will have all the time I need to gather herbs, commune with nature, and just be...but I will miss her. 

What A Weed!

Broad Leaf Plantain: Photo by the UofA Cooperative Extension Service
(This is one variety of Plantain, do some research to find what verities grow in your area.)

 

The other day while walking I found a few exciting plants growing along the river.  Going right along with my "discovery" of alfalfa was plantain.  A beautiful pairing if not in just their grand usefulness, but also in their colloquial names.  Where alfalfa has been known as "the father of herbs," plantain is know by the Navaho as "the mother of herbs."  A common little plant, found all across the North American continent often conspicuously in the middle of a perfect yard, the leaves and seeds of the plantain both contain some serious healing properties. 

When I first learned about plantain several years ago, I was living in the rural South and learned to use the leaves in the old backwoods tradition.  To ease the pain and swelling of a insect bite or sting pop a fresh plucked leaf into your mouth, chew it up into a bright green blob, and then slap that sucker onto the affected area.  It may sound a bit nasty and seem primitive, but it really works.  Plantain leaf is a well know antidote for skin aliments of all kinds ranging from snakebites to burns and abrasions.  When used as a poultice it is also known to promote the healing of wounds, sooth the itchy rash caused by poison ivy, and prevent infection.  Incorporated into a salve, it is an excellent all purpose ointment. 

My recent plantain find moved me to do further research on the usefulness of this plant and I was pleasantly surprised.  The seeds that grow in a tubal spray from the center of the plant, the arching growth top-center of the photograph, contain a mucinous sap that is used extensively for internal healing.  One of the most exciting being for the maintenance of healthy cholesterol levels.  The seeds themselves are used similarly to psyllium in treating irritation of the bowls.  One source also suggested that plantain root can be chewed to ease the pain of a toothache. 

Since many of these uses for plantain are new to me, there is very little I can do other than relate the findings of my research.  As I continue to explore and learn about this herb, I will share more of my personal findings.  For now, I can assure you that in skincare it sits right among slippery elm and aloe in my estimations. 

Magically, I can find no mentions of plantain in a context that does not support or refer to it's known medicinal properties.  Perhaps in healing this humble, intrusive weed finds it's own magic. 

Hay is For Horses

Alfalfa Plant: Photo by the UofA Cooperative Extension Service

 

 



...every child  knows that!  Furthermore, growing up rural, just about every child knew that good  hay generally meant alfalfa.  It is high in vitamin C, protein, chlorophyll, and calcium to name a few.  Equine folks will swear that it is the number one choice for feeding horses and, in fact, the word alfalfa comes from the Persian word asparti which means "horse fodder."

On my river walk the other day, alfalfa was one of the plants I was excited to find growing nearby.  My first reaction was nostalgia as I picked a handful to pop into my mouth and transport myself back to childhood.  Ahh. One of those moments to get lost in time.   AHEM!  Back to the adult world...a baby fussing in the stroller does that. Beyond my childhood memories of idyllic alfalfa fields, there is a very real reason to get excited about this plant.  It is chock full of good things and is very useful to maintaining good health. 

In spite of the fact that the Arabs refer to alfalfa as "the father of herbs," I consider it more of a woman's plant.  It is high in calcium which is essential to women of childbearing age.  Has naturally occurring fluoride to help maintain teeth and bone structure (something that many women struggle with as they age).  Is full of vitamin K that helps battle the  morning sickness that many of us suffer with in the early stages of pregnancy.  Finally, because of it's high nutritional content, alfalfa is also used to boost lactation. 

Besides all of the lady specific uses I have mentioned, alfalfa is also good for numerous other herbal and nutritional applications.  It is revered by vegetarians as an excellent source of B-12 vitamins.  It is also an acid reducer and is used for various stomach and blood ailments.  Several years ago, when I was struggling with some allergy and asthma problems, I used alfalfa in my concoction of herbs to manage symptoms affecting my breathing. 

With all the benefits of alfalfa and its delicate flavor, it would be tempting to ask why we don't just set out a bowl full of it to eat like spinach.  Unfortunately, alfalfa is too fibrous to be digested comfortably by the human system.  The best sources of alfalfa are in the form of sprouts and dried leaves infused as a tea.  Adding it to an already healthy diet could be very beneficial for any of us. 

Any witch would be remiss not to explore the magical properties of an herb, but magically, there is very little said about alfalfa.  The only information I found on this front was in The Master Book of Herbalism by Paul Beyerl where it is mentioned that alfalfa has been used as a ward against money anxieties and is considered by some as a herb of protection.