August Workshop - Saturday 21st 2010

The next available workshop will take place on Saturday 21st August at my consulting rooms in Weston-super-Mare. This one is Shamanic Healing focusing on Crystal and Colour Healing.  £35 including eBook and certificate with CPD points.  Maximum of 6 participants. 

 See http://www.adayofenlightenment.com  for further details and online booking

  Prickly Lettuce - Lactuca virosa

Earlier this year I found this plant growing in one of my large garden tubs.  I thought that the young leaves indicated a dandelion which I cultivate for my own use.  It soon became clear that it was not a dandelion as it is now about 6' high and there are spines around each leaf and down the central rib on the back of the leaves.  I've always found plants and trees growing in my garden that I did not put there.  I consider these to be gifts from the birds.  It took me a while but I have now identified it as the wild or prickly lettuce. The plant can be eaten as a salad, although it has something of a bitter taste.  It's presence in some ancient deposits has been linked more to its soporific properties which might suggest ritual use.  It is said to contain a weaker version of the narcotic properties of the opium poppy. The Ancient Greeks believed it's pungent juice to be a remedy against eye ulcers and Pythagoreans called the lettuce eunuch because it caused urination and relaxed sexual desire. So that may put some off from using it!  The Navajo used this plant as a ceremonial emetic.

Free Festival of Light
          Saturday 25th September 2010

ALL OF LIFE IS FLOWINGNESS

All of life is flowingness

And in this flowing, there is meaning and law.

I cannot lose, what is my own;

I need not seek, what is my own,

For what belongs to me, will come.

Whatever goes does not belong to me.

Only what I am has power.

I now give up all personal struggle and ambition,

Knowing that all that is rightfully mine

Will then be drawn to me.

So, I now let go,

And trust my Highest Self and the Universe,

To run my life for me

And to always show me the way.

 Anon

I was looking on You Tube for foraging information, there is a great website called Eat Weeds and I was looking at some of their videos. I came across several by Frank Cook and I was amazed by this man who was also an herbalist. A slim white 6'3" American with dreadlocks.  I looked for more information on him because he was so knowledgeable and was totally shocked to find that he had died in November last year and only in his forties.  If you are into foraging and culinary and medicinal herbs have a look.  You will also find out how he passed and what he went through in his final days, this really touched me very deeply.