how lucky am i to have two grand old holly trees in my very own front yard? how old, well i live in a queen anne victorian built in 1892 on an old orchard tract...in east oakland.

today was sunny after the needed glorious rain. i decided to make an urban flower essence. in honor of the coming season. this is holly flower time, just before the red winter berry.

pictured below are:

  holly berries                 holly flowers           holly magic making on a pedestal,
                                                                                         on my front stoop

we are in between fall and winter...
i honored the acorn for fall with the reminder to harvest. soon i will be decking the halls with holly.

on my adventure into the world wide web i found this useful story:

"The triad image of father, mother, and child also prevail as we await the rebirth of the Sun King, but let us not forget the harbinger of the holly, the Holly King. Just as the Oak is the tree of the associated with the Sun King, so the holly tree, or kerm oak, is the tree of the Holly King. The two are oppositional twins one to another. To put the perspective of the twinned trees in perspective with their Celtic mythic origins, we look to the Druids. The Druid's place called Gwynvyd was /is a place where man communed with that which created. It was a void where all evil was abolished, and which could not be destroyed. A Rainbow River flowed into the entrance of Gwynvyd, and to enter it, one had to cross over a bridge, which was bounded on one side by an oak, and a holly on the other." (© Kimberly Moore)

        elderberry brandy              elderberry decoction           elderberry cloth filter
        
                            

why elderberry?
another cold and flu herb ally. elderberries strengthen cell walls, helping to prevent virus' injecting their selves into your cells which multiply and cause illness.

elderberry cordial and brandy are tasty elixirs to help in the prevention of illness.

elderberry brandy

1 cup fresh elderberry
1 cups brandy
1 cup honey
or
1 cup fresh elderberry 
2 cups brandy

add all ingredients together in a jar, let sit for a month, drink a tablespoon every day all winter long.

elderberry cordial

1 cup fresh elderberry
3 cups water
1 tblsp dry cinnamon powder 
1 tblsp ginger (i used dry powder but you could use an inch or 2 of fresh)
1/2 tsp cloves (whole dry)
1/2 tsp star anise 
1 cup honey
2 cups brandy

add fresh elderberries and water to a pot (pictured above i used my clay pot)
bring to boil, then turn heat down to simmer for 20 minutes
after 20 minutes add cinnamon, cloves and star anise to pot
simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, creating a *decoction
after 30 minutes add honey
simmer for 5 minutes, stirring thoroughly to incorporate the honey
remove from heat
strain through cloth (pictured above i used my v sieve/colander and an old sheet)
add brandy
jar and enjoy 1tblsp every day all winter long.
this is a wellness warming elixir, best warmed up.
*decoction: (herbs boiled down, reducing the liquid to make a strong tea/elixir)

what you will have is about
40% decotion
40% brandy
20% honey

strengthen your cells all winter long with elderberries, delicious.

yes, garlic.

powerful fragrant potent ally, garlic.
i could google the history of garlic, but you can do that for yourself.
instead i'll share my personal story.

i found the medicinal use of garlic when i worked at a hardware store. i worked with a mexican mom of two, who had deep old roots in mexican herbalism. she was kind and generous with her knowledge of old ways, as she called it. we would talk a lot about herbs between the nuts and bolts of our job.

this is an ode to her remedios (remedies).

when you are
warm to the touch with a hot ear

a clove of garlic slightly warmed up
just enough to loosen the oils
wrapped in a cotton ball and stuck in the bothered ear may help.
the idea is to keep it in until you taste garlic, which is about 2 hours.

i do this a couple times for three days. my experience is, garlic smell with much, improvement.

the garlic odor is the magic behind the herb.

i like to eat garlic too. especially during the first signs of sickness. it is important not to cook the medicinal properties out of your garlic. the idea is to preserve all of the garlic's healing properties. these powerful actions include antimicrobial, antibiotic and antiviral.

here are easy ways to enjoy garlic:

honey has natural healing qualities! not only is it soothing but it is also antibacterial.

garlic; crushed, minced, sliced or chopped.

honey plus garlic equals a tasty spoonful, taken when there are signs of a cold.
i make a big jar of honey garlic and let it infuse and meld together. i eat it straight, add it to raw sauces, just off the heat veggies, on corn bread, rice, quinoa and whatever else might taste good.

garlic olive oil is also pretty useful too. chop up some garlic, add it to some of your favorite olive oil and voila you've got another tasty way to support your immune system.

november 2nd
the celebration of death,
holding space for the realization
that after death is birth.

life has a cycle, death and birth.
to understand death is to give importance to life.
making death a beautiful necessary part of life.

like the autumn leaves changing color
falling from the limbs of trees fulfilling their cycle
turning energy inward, pulling inward
toward the the center and into the roots.
laying a deeper stronger foundation
for the coming year
in preparation for new life.