I have been busy getting my new labels designed and one of the first formulas to get the makeover is my
Holy Mama formula. It was made specifically with mothers in mind (but is not just for mothers).
The primary ingredient is Holy Rama Basil (Tulsi), which is an Indian Tea Basil with a nice spicy smell and taste- In aryuvedic medicine,
Tulsi is an adaptogen- one of our new favorite words, to help go with the flow and react positively to new situations- Improv in a bottle, I guess. We all need to constantly adapt to new situations in this busy world we live in, so why not do it deliciously.
Motherwort, is in the formula as well. It has been used as a heart tonic in and also is a slight sedative which helps alleviate anxiety, panic attacks and muscle spasms It has been used as a heart tonic across many cultures around the world, and is used in Chinese medicine to reduce blood pressure temporarily.
In Maude Grieve's Herbal Motherwort is considered an herb for "women's hysteria", and I always say that if we were following Herstory instead of History we may not have as much hysteria in the first place!
Wood Betony is described by Matthew Wood in
The Book of Herbal Wisdom,
" Wood Betony in a remedy which helps establish rootedness, connectedness, earthiness, and groundedness. It is a plant for people who are cut off from the earth or their bodies. It strengthens the solar plexus it strengthens the stomach and the rest of the nervous system, including the brain. Through this general strengthening property, Wood Betony enhances the actions of diverse organs--lungs, liver, gallbladder, intestines, kidneys, and uterus. By strengthening the solar plexus is one of the most significant nerve centers in the body. It is the switchboard for digestive functioning and gut-level instincts and reactions. As such, it is a terribly important center, and any medicine which acts upon it is liable to be constantly needed. So closely is Wood Betony associated with the solar plexus, that it is impossible to separate the two. It serves as an archetypal medicine plant illustrating this nerve center."
I have been talking about the relationship of Wood Betony to the Solar Plexus, since doing research about it for the Holy Mama formula, but I am trying to update my notes, and have been reading up on all the herbs in my formulas. It is amazing that you can read things over and get so much more out of it if you wait long enough. I love that about getting wise... especially when I have great mentors. To continue with another quote from the
The Book of Herbal Wisdom:
"The Solar plexus is located at the lower end of the stomach, near the pyloric sphincter, just below the end of the sternum. We often feel it when we have a strong emotion or instinct which causes a "thump" in the belly. The solar plexus is "the brain of the stomach," coordinating the visceral functions associated with digestion and nutrition, but at the same time it is the instinctive brain or "gut level instinct" center, giving hunches and "body language" about different situations."
Basically, it sounds like if you are making decisions that go against your gut feelings, or you are not paying attention to them or even if you have gut problems,
stachys herb is for you.
At The 2010 Breitenbush Herbal Conference many of the herbalists emphasized how strengthening the nervous system starting with food and nutrition will in turn help the digestive system. If the gut is in constant emergency mode, it can not do it's job. According to Matthew Wood, It helps lots of conditions, and in the book, he describes using it to treat old people, an unconscious kid, and a woman who was obsessed with the fact that she had been abducted by UFO's. Calling all Space Cadets!
Wood Betony is one of my favorite herbs, and I associate it with my mother. (when my mom died we opened all the windows and doors and had her nice quilt folded over a rocking chair, and a blue moth was flittering around the room and around each person there, then landed on the quilt for a few minutes and then flew off. We all noticed it and saw it as a sign that nature was doing it's thing of coming and going and we were blessed to have her with us for the short 54 years of her life. Flash forward about 12 years, and I was in the field one day and noticed the same kind of moth was flitting about the Wood Betony row, which was looking exceptional. I took that as a hint that I should harvest. I now always think of her with this herb.
**I call it holy mama, as a call to the universe, but it is not intended for pregnant women, although I have read that many midwives used it to improve contractions. If used wisely and with intent...**
