HERB CORNER
Patuxent River... ...continued from page 31
When people come to visit the Riverkeeper Headquarters — some intentionally, and so many having been guided by spirit — the word most often spoken is “peaceful”. There is an energy here that is deeply felt and maintained, offering solace to those who are in need as well as the joy of being in a place not overrun by noise. That exudes the sacredness of it. My first year being at the river (pre-Covid), I had started my day as usual, at the dock offering gratitude and healing prayers, and greeting the sun. I had begun to feel a cold coming on, and as is the custom I have developed, I went walking, greeting the relatives who were also starting their day — so many different birds, animals, plants, trees, and a few people also enjoying this time of day. As I walked, I was on the lookout for herbs that grow “wild”, asking if there was a helper that would share itself with me. Mullein was who I was hoping to find and did not. Returning to the house empty-handed, yet full of happiness and awe, I mentioned to my daughter Ayisah that I had not found any, and so I would reach out to several of my herbalist sisters to ask for some.
The next morning, Ayisah joined me on my walk. As we neared a field, my attention was drawn to two small mullein plants! We went over and asked if they would share a few leaves with me. Receiving a yes, I offered water and picked a few. The next morning as I passed the same field, I was drawn to the same spot and went over to see, to my surprise, many other plants a small distance from where the other two lived. I laughed as I listened to the guidance I was receiving, “Pick from this bounty and store it, for there is going to be a need for this medicine.” Soon I was finding more and more of it. A respiratory herb. That is how Spirit works! There are so many relatives who live amongst us that are taken for granted and seen just as a tree, a weed, and yes, also for the beauty that flowers present. There are berries and other fruits, veggies, and herbs that grow unnoticed along roadsides — dismissed as places to throw trash into instead — no respect for their right to live in a healthy environment, as most have been there long before humans. On my many walks, or sitting by the river, I have intentionally worked to develop a relationship and energy that is in harmony with my surroundings. I am not always successful, and yet I feel the appre - ciation for my efforts… I have had feathers appear in places where I just passed and were not there before. A kitten needed saving from a fox meal.
32—PATHWAYS—Spring 24
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