Another wonderful newsletter. I was thinking about one of my earliest herb teachers, Jeannine Parvati Baker, a Gemini Sun with her quicksilver wit. It was always an interesting interaction for both of us. She told me that I was her slowest student to finish her Hygieia College (4 years). Slow but steady student with quick-as-lightning teacher.
I'm feeling a bit befuddled by all the rapid changes and hectic pace of this season but finding my place in the midst of it all. I appreciate the information on the Gemini plants. I've been adding Dill to almost everything lately and craving Parsley as well. 🌿💚
That's Gemini for you, rapid change, hectic pace. I lived with a Gemini once and just couldn't keep up. A whirl-a-gig life. Slow but steady is much more sustainable (IMO).
I look forward to these articles and workbooks, and I've saved each one so far. That was a good choice because I recently had vision problems again and have been told to rest my eyes more. It's challenging to work and read as much as I'd like while resting my eyes. However, I've been without vision once and don't want to experience that again if I can help it. I need to remember to use NaturalReader (a screen reader) more often. Like some of us prefer handwriting, reading, instead of listening, comes naturally to me. It's hard to change.
Completely relatable, Penny! I am learning to be a better listener as my vision wanes or needs more TLC to function. I appreciate the option to listen to these newsletter articles with Thyme, Place & Story. Thanks, Susan!
I'm having eye trouble too, Penny, but only on the computer monitor (seeing double). I'm also trying to "rest" the eyes more. Like you, I don't want to lose this gift! Hope you're able to deal with the issue. The Zodiacs are all online here, if that's any help. https://susanwittigalbert.substack.com/s/growing-green
Thanks for the tip to NaturalReader. I'll take a good look. I use text-to-speech on my Fire tablet--love it. But Amazon has discontinued this app in the later Fire models, so I may not have that forever.
Perfect name for your AI helper, given your knowledge and books concerning herbs. Hildegard was a fascinating woman who accomplished so much in her long life. Have read her autobiography, now interested in the more recent books using her recommendations on cooking with plants. We planted Stevia plants last summer and have begun to experiment with dried leaves crushed in baked goods. Just planted in our largest raised bed several rows of leeks, celery, and carrots. Thanks for the tips on Hildegard!
Thanks for the website tip. I actually have two CD’s of her music. My favorite is titled “Feather on the Breath of God” with women singing. Great for meditation or soothing walks to slow your whirling mind.
I was thinking last night: when I studied Hildegard earlier (1970s), there was so little available about her--none of her music, as I remember, and none of the interpretive material. Now, there's even a society: https://www.hildegard-society.org/p/home.html Clearly, many people are interested. (Noticing the comments on the FAQ page)
I love that you named your AI bot Hildi! I highly recommend the book Hildegard of Bingen's medicine by Strehlow and Hertzia for anyone interested in how she worked with herbs!
On my first visit to St Placid Priory, they put me in the Hildegard room. Just another sign from spirit that I was on the right track. 💚
Yes, that's a good book, also Simeon, Garden Book (fairly comprehensive, but not as medieval-oriented--good idea to check samples on Amazon). She was a remarkably gifted woman--I love her music. Imagining her as a bot-helper on this publication opens another dimension for me, and perhaps for readers who know her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6qFCYRQKVA
I forgot to comment on what you wrote about being in conversation with the garden.
As I recovered from alcohol addiction, burnout, and a PTSD flare up in my new home. I couldn't see the garden at all. Last year when I began studying herbalism, a conversation indeed opened up. Now I notice that many of the weeds which came last year have not returned and new ones (many more varieties) have shown up!
They definitely anticipate what myself and my family and friends will need in terms of medicine and know I can understand their language a bit now.
"Weeds" can be wonderful--and I'm grateful for Google Lens: helps me ID weeds that might prefer to live on incognito. :) I'm often surprised when I look them up and learn about their medicinal properties. And I appreciate learning what's local. Even if they're not garden-preferred, they're part of the biodiverse lifescape I live in. And yes, each has its own way of communicating!
As always, what a wonderful cornucopia of information you offer here, Susan! Thank you.
A note on licorice: like many other genera in the pea or bean family, Glycyrrhizas have cooperative relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which live in nodules in their roots, pulling nitrogen out of the air and transforming it into a form that plants can use. Which means that planting licorice, or here in the West, our native wild licorice, Glycyrrhiza lepidota, improves soils naturally.
And I'm tickled that you've named your Chat-bot for this work Hildi, for Hildegard of Bingen. So appropriate!
Thank you for the licorice idea--also helpful that it doesn't need much water. Our primary nitrogen-fixing plant here in TX: mesquite, which is often surrounded by a ruffle of green grass, when all around is brown. Some nice symbiosis going on there.
Hildi is an interesting partner--I'll have more to say about that toward the end of the week.
I'e seen that with mesquite in the Chihuahuan Desert. "Nature red in tooth and claw" from intense competition is a Victorian idea; today's research shows that plant communities in particular are all about symbioses and not so much about competition.
I’m a student of Hildegard and her teachings of how we are inter-connected with the world around us - good guidance for living in the 1200’s or 2000’s. Thanks for sharing the image of her!
Yes, she's a wonderful example of that medieval mindset: everything was all part of one cosmic whole--an idea that we're just beginning to circle back around to. Thanks for this, Lisa!
Another wonderful newsletter. I was thinking about one of my earliest herb teachers, Jeannine Parvati Baker, a Gemini Sun with her quicksilver wit. It was always an interesting interaction for both of us. She told me that I was her slowest student to finish her Hygieia College (4 years). Slow but steady student with quick-as-lightning teacher.
I'm feeling a bit befuddled by all the rapid changes and hectic pace of this season but finding my place in the midst of it all. I appreciate the information on the Gemini plants. I've been adding Dill to almost everything lately and craving Parsley as well. 🌿💚
That's Gemini for you, rapid change, hectic pace. I lived with a Gemini once and just couldn't keep up. A whirl-a-gig life. Slow but steady is much more sustainable (IMO).
I look forward to these articles and workbooks, and I've saved each one so far. That was a good choice because I recently had vision problems again and have been told to rest my eyes more. It's challenging to work and read as much as I'd like while resting my eyes. However, I've been without vision once and don't want to experience that again if I can help it. I need to remember to use NaturalReader (a screen reader) more often. Like some of us prefer handwriting, reading, instead of listening, comes naturally to me. It's hard to change.
Completely relatable, Penny! I am learning to be a better listener as my vision wanes or needs more TLC to function. I appreciate the option to listen to these newsletter articles with Thyme, Place & Story. Thanks, Susan!
I'm having eye trouble too, Penny, but only on the computer monitor (seeing double). I'm also trying to "rest" the eyes more. Like you, I don't want to lose this gift! Hope you're able to deal with the issue. The Zodiacs are all online here, if that's any help. https://susanwittigalbert.substack.com/s/growing-green
Thanks for the tip to NaturalReader. I'll take a good look. I use text-to-speech on my Fire tablet--love it. But Amazon has discontinued this app in the later Fire models, so I may not have that forever.
Perfect name for your AI helper, given your knowledge and books concerning herbs. Hildegard was a fascinating woman who accomplished so much in her long life. Have read her autobiography, now interested in the more recent books using her recommendations on cooking with plants. We planted Stevia plants last summer and have begun to experiment with dried leaves crushed in baked goods. Just planted in our largest raised bed several rows of leeks, celery, and carrots. Thanks for the tips on Hildegard!
Thanks for the website tip. I actually have two CD’s of her music. My favorite is titled “Feather on the Breath of God” with women singing. Great for meditation or soothing walks to slow your whirling mind.
Yes, lovely! Ethereal.
I was thinking last night: when I studied Hildegard earlier (1970s), there was so little available about her--none of her music, as I remember, and none of the interpretive material. Now, there's even a society: https://www.hildegard-society.org/p/home.html Clearly, many people are interested. (Noticing the comments on the FAQ page)
I love that you named your AI bot Hildi! I highly recommend the book Hildegard of Bingen's medicine by Strehlow and Hertzia for anyone interested in how she worked with herbs!
On my first visit to St Placid Priory, they put me in the Hildegard room. Just another sign from spirit that I was on the right track. 💚
I am loving this newsletter! Nice job Hildi!
Yes, that's a good book, also Simeon, Garden Book (fairly comprehensive, but not as medieval-oriented--good idea to check samples on Amazon). She was a remarkably gifted woman--I love her music. Imagining her as a bot-helper on this publication opens another dimension for me, and perhaps for readers who know her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6qFCYRQKVA
Oh yes! I love her music, too. It's so moving.
I forgot to comment on what you wrote about being in conversation with the garden.
As I recovered from alcohol addiction, burnout, and a PTSD flare up in my new home. I couldn't see the garden at all. Last year when I began studying herbalism, a conversation indeed opened up. Now I notice that many of the weeds which came last year have not returned and new ones (many more varieties) have shown up!
They definitely anticipate what myself and my family and friends will need in terms of medicine and know I can understand their language a bit now.
"Weeds" can be wonderful--and I'm grateful for Google Lens: helps me ID weeds that might prefer to live on incognito. :) I'm often surprised when I look them up and learn about their medicinal properties. And I appreciate learning what's local. Even if they're not garden-preferred, they're part of the biodiverse lifescape I live in. And yes, each has its own way of communicating!
As always, what a wonderful cornucopia of information you offer here, Susan! Thank you.
A note on licorice: like many other genera in the pea or bean family, Glycyrrhizas have cooperative relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which live in nodules in their roots, pulling nitrogen out of the air and transforming it into a form that plants can use. Which means that planting licorice, or here in the West, our native wild licorice, Glycyrrhiza lepidota, improves soils naturally.
And I'm tickled that you've named your Chat-bot for this work Hildi, for Hildegard of Bingen. So appropriate!
Thank you for the licorice idea--also helpful that it doesn't need much water. Our primary nitrogen-fixing plant here in TX: mesquite, which is often surrounded by a ruffle of green grass, when all around is brown. Some nice symbiosis going on there.
Hildi is an interesting partner--I'll have more to say about that toward the end of the week.
I'e seen that with mesquite in the Chihuahuan Desert. "Nature red in tooth and claw" from intense competition is a Victorian idea; today's research shows that plant communities in particular are all about symbioses and not so much about competition.
I’m a student of Hildegard and her teachings of how we are inter-connected with the world around us - good guidance for living in the 1200’s or 2000’s. Thanks for sharing the image of her!
Yes, she's a wonderful example of that medieval mindset: everything was all part of one cosmic whole--an idea that we're just beginning to circle back around to. Thanks for this, Lisa!