ABCPsychic.com: Healing Earth

MEDICINE PLANTS OF THE GREAT BASIN
When one looks across the vast basin and range complex that makes up the Great Basin in Nevada, one sees dry lake beds turned into salt flats, lonely basalt formations, and hundreds of miles of vacuous desert. Here, the sky and the land meet on equal terms. The ranges, seventy or so, separate the basins, isolating them into districts of solitude. Basin and range, basin and range-they seem to go on forever. Some folks might say there is nothing out there, just vast stretches of barren ground and a few crows picking at road kill. A closer look at this region tells us something different.
As empty as this land appears, it is, without doubt, a medicinal metropolis teeming with life-giving plants. That's correct, many of those scrubby-looking plants that grow in the desert basins are really resident physicians in their own right! Early on, in the 1920s and 1930s, pharmaceutical companies used a lot of what are now called natural or homeopathic remedies. Before synthetic substitutes were found, many Great Basin plants were regularly used for pharmaceutic practice. Of course, long before Eli Lilly & Company set up shop on these northern shores, the Native Americans of the continent had been refining the healing properties of these medicine plants.The tribes of the Desert Culture had a heightened awareness of the specialness of their land. They did not see it as void and barren, but full of life. Their intimacy with the sacred was keen and their knowledge of it acute. Each animal had its own unique spirit and power, as did each plant. In the Great Basin, where life is so sparse, every life form's purpose is precious and necessary. For example, if a wood gatherer received a deep splinter in an arm or finger, the sap of the Pinon tree would be heated to a semi-liquid Prickly poppy form, cooled enough to avoid burning the skin, then applied as a warm bandage covering the splinter. When the pitch patch had completely hardened it was pulled off, removing the splinter with the patch.
A widely used medicine plant of the Desert Culture was the wild oat, a marvelous plant often referred to as a pesky weed. Not so! The cream-colored liquid that forms in the grain (halfway through seed maturity) contains powerful properties that reduce stress, depression, and spasms. A tincture made from these grains is a surefire remedy for the blues. Cover one part plant completely with two parts Everclear or some other high octane ethanol (i.e. one cup seeds to two cups liquid) .Contain the mixture in a bottle and let it set for a week, then squeeze whatever else you can out of the plant, strain, and bottle the tincture. Eye-dropper bottles work well for this.

The Prickly Poppy
The Poppy is not a flower you would pick to put in a bouquet for your sweetheart. Its thistle-like character might cause a sticky situation if you did. It's not a bad idea to wear gloves when harvesting this plant, unless you are immune to pain. What you want to col lect and dry are the seed pods and the leaves. Once both are dried, the leaves and the seeds from within the pods can be made into a tea
that can be used externally for sunburn or skin abrasions, similar to the Aloe Vera plant. The seeds can be crushed and added to lanolin by melting the lanolin in the
hot sun with the crushed seeds mixed in, or using a low, slow burner. The product
will thicken as it cools, becoming a soft salve that can also be applied externally for skin disorders. For salve, use one part seeds to one part lanolin (i.e. three ounces seeds to three ounces of lanolin). For tea, add one part leaves to eighteen parts liquid, and slow boil for twenty minutes.

Two other wonderful medicine plants found in the Great Basin are Sage and Sagebrush. Although the two are synonymous in many folks minds, they actually belong to two different families with unique healing properties. Sagebrush is a curious purifier and disinfectant, which has many uses. The leaves can be gathered, dried, then made into an external tea for cleansing, or used as a first aid wash. Powdered leaves can be used in place of talcum, absorbing excess moisture, and preventing rashes. Inhaling sagebrush from incense, smudge sticks,
or in steam or sweat baths is the way sagebrush is used internally. Sage, on the
other hand, is a different plant. Like sagebrush, it is also a purifier, but it has an added histamine effect when taken internally. Aromatically, sage is a delight to the senses, and sweeter than its Wormwood cousin. In a tea it can be used as a gargle or as a topical . analgesic wash. Sage kills germs. I would not use wild sage at Thanksgiving in the turkey dressing. It's pretty gamy (blech) ! Also, do not drink sage tea if you are nursing a child, due to its drying properties.

The Agave, or century plant, is found in the southrn Great Basin. Its leaves and roots make a tea that is helpful to folks with gas or indigestion. Agave is also a diuretic. The Yucca plant, which is sometimes mistaken for the Agave, can also be found in the southern basin area. Its uses are practical, as an ingredient in soap and shampoo for example, but its medical applications are questionable. Traditionally, the root of the Yucca has been used to help with joint inflammation, but on a long-term basis, the tea does more harm than good by preventing vitamin and mineral absorption. Despite first impressions, the Great Basin is a medicine chest full of remedies. There are over seventy-five significant healing plants, and others that are effective but not as concentrated in their constituents. Consequently, next time you find yourself driving through the Great Basin, blankly gazing out the window at hundreds of miles of sage- brush and sand, remember that what you are looking at is nature's free clinic with no lines, no papers to fill out, and no ridiculous medical bills.

BLUE VIOLET
The Dainty Flower with the Power
In many parts of the country, blue violets (Vi-o-let) also referred to as sweet violets because of their sweet, delicious scent are the sign that spring has finally arrived. Back when folks turned to their backyards for medicine, blue violets were among the first plants they picked as part of their "spring tonic." The flowers and the leaves are high in vitamin C, while the leaves also contain large amounts of vitamin A. A half-cup of fresh violet greens I will give you above and beyond your daily dose of beta-carotene, and that it's equal to four oranges. A Spring Tonic As
a spring tonic of violet flowers and leaves courses through your body, you should expect some well movement in various areas. First and foremost, violet leaves and flowers are a blood purifier. This means that whatever has been stuck in your liver over the winter can break free and find its way out of your body. There are three ways that this can take place: through the pores of your skin, through urine and through the bowels. Violet has been known to work on all three, sometimes all at once. As with any spring tonic, don't overuse the remedy or you'll spend a great deal of time in the bathroom! , Cough Remedy One of the most common holdovers from winter is the cough. And blue violet has the ability to soothe, sedate and expectorate that cough in the sweetest of ways. I'm talking about the taste. Yes, friends, instead of a yucky tasting herb, here's a medicinal that can make you look forward to its tasty tingle on your tongue. And best yet, it's safe to give to kids. The tea is made by pouring 8 ounces of boiling distilled water over 2 heaping teaspoons of fresh leaves or 1 heaping teaspoon of dried leaves. Cover and let it steep for 15 minutes, then strain, add honey if you wish, and enjoy. The tea minus the honey also makes a great anti-inflammatory gargle for sore throats. But don't spit out the tea when you finish gar gling. Swallow the tea and enjoy the sweet taste. A Delightful Blue Syrup Although the tea works well, many old time and modern day herbalists think that the syrup is better. As with the tea, the syrup can be given to children. The only prerequisite is that violet syrup must be made from fresh petals and leaves.
Here's how to make it: Combine 2-1/2 cups of fresh violet flowers torn into small, "thumbnail" pieces and 1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh violet leaves in an earthenware or china container that can hold three cups of water. Do NOT use metal or plastic containers. Pour 3 cups of boiling distilled water over the herb. Secure it with a tight fitting lid and allow it to steep for 24 hours. Stir the liquid every hour or so to stimulate the release of the herb's healing ingredients. After 24 hours, strain the liquid through several layers of clean muslin. You should have a lovely blue colored tea. Pour it into a glass or stainless steel saucepan. Warm slowly on very low heat. Do not boil! As it heats, gradually add 6 cups of raw, unfiltered honey, stirring constantly. Store the mixture in amber or blue bottles in the refrigerator. To increase the syrup's life span, add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger. It should keep for up to two months. The dose is 1 to 2 tablespoons as needed. This syrup has been used for centuries to treat sore throats, whooping cough, chronic dry coughs, dryness of the upper chest and asthma associated with dryness. If a cough persists for longer than one week or becomes worse, discontinue use of the syrup and see a doctor. Before You Go Picking Blue Violets ..If you are picking blue violets in someone's yard, make sure that you pick the right plant. The yellow species can create bowel discomfort and diarrhea. And make sure the herb hasn't been sprayed with pesticides. If it has, don't pick it. Eating too many fresh violet flowers and/ or leaves can make you nauseous and have a laxative effect. How many is too many? That's up to your body. The old adage "You'll know when you've had enough" is the best advice.

Welcome! Thank you for your visit.
The natural healing herbs have been with us for ages, and can be very powerful by engaging and supporting our body's needs. We need to pay attention to what helps us keep in balance, especially in these times of high stress living, immune breakdown, and pollution.
The subject of this page is very important to me. I know from personal experience the value of nutritious natural food, and herbs is beyond measure. This subject may be the fine line between life and death for many people. Eleven years ago my oldest son "Dan" was diagnosed with cancer in more than 90% of his blood cells, with less than a week to live. A Team of medical specialists offered experimental chemo that had never been given to a human before. However Dan's body organs and function had to be in perfect condition or the doctors would not attempt this treatment. My son was twenty nine years old. At that time Dan was unaware of a toxic waste dump in a fenced area next to his shop. Dan had never had a sick day in his life before this time. He is now forty one years old. The doctors attribute his survival to a healthy body before cancer.

When my children were young I always cooked
Three meals a day, and evening snacks. Prepared
from "scratch" natural foods. with fresh herbs.
I also grew a small organic garden.
My family will not eat pre-cooked, instant or
microwave food. Some say they are picky eaters.
That is a good thing.

The Pure Foods Campaign has a massive link library on subjects including mad cow disease, irraditation of foods, genetically altered foods, foods grown in toxic sludge, etc., and ideas on what you can do about it.