This week marked the transition into the next phase of the Medicine Club Yearly Round, our annual journey through medicine making and medicine taking. We have now moved into the taking of simple formulas. One plant medicine at a time.
Later on, as the winter progresses, we will work with plant alchemy, or the combining of simple formulas in order to create more complex, synergistic medicine compounds.
Also, the blog now changes from it's field guide-esque format into a journal of the effects of the various plant medicines we work with. As we come back into plant harvesting in the spring, then the blog will transform again into a more descriptive piece about the ecology of the plants in question.
Please note that each class will still contain a review on the ecology of the plants. It just seems redundant to go over this stuff again in the blog, when it is already cataloged on this site. California Poppy is an exception, because we made the medicine last year, before the blog came into being. I can say, however, with a strong sense of certainty that we will work with this plant again in the late spring and I will provide a detailed write up of all the ecological facts about this plant at that time.
I will add that the medicine was made from the whole plant; roots, leaves, flowers and all. It was made in a one to one ratio with brandy as the base. It was allowed to sit for 8 weeks until the plant material was strained off. At the time, I made two quarts of the medicine. It then sat for a year and a half until we worked with it last week.
California Poppy is a feel good plant. It is solar in nature, that is, it has a sunny disposition. It can make you a bit lethargic and many people report feeling "slow" the next day. It has a long history of use to calm anxiety. I find it hard to be worried about much when working with this plant.
It induces a "hang loose" sort of an attitude. I in low doses that it elevates the mood and that in high doses, it downright alters ones mood, inducing laughter and that happy feeling.
Here is what the class had to report after ingesting two droppers full of plant medicine in a glass of water. They were then asked to meditate or doodle, whichever was more conducive to silence and concentration for 15 minutes. We then journaled our experiences for the next ten minutes. Then I polled the class with the question, "How do you feel?" These were the responses:
"A queer feeling has come over me, as if I were an elf or a faerie."
"This feels delicious"
"Lower eyelids, swinging necks, cracking smiles to the miles."
"Lil' dizzy, lil' goofy"
"Happy."
"Sluggish."
"I'm not stoned, but my floatation devise seems to be."
"Ribbed for pleasure, studded for serotonergic responses."
"Like a honey bee on the moon"
To add to the overall jocularity of the evening, at one point I left the attic to use the restroom. While I was away, the whole class had switched seats and had hung up the new "Herbs Crow" sign that I had got for the space at Portland Saturday Market..
It was pretty hilarious to come back up and see all the different faces, sitting in different places. And Eric was wearing the old macrame Owl, which was just downright hilarious under the given circumstances.
I look forward to the medicine working season. It is a great was to work through the winter and it is a great way to deepen our connection with the plant's and their medicines.
See you all soon!
