Herbal Allies To Quench our thirst in the high summer heat.

It is August. It is a Leo new moon. I’m currently taking some time to go inward to process what has happened over the last six months, sorting through the memories captured from summer travel, to recalibrate and get ready for this last month of summer. Although we are at the end of a heatwave here in the Midwest of the United States, signs of the impending seasonal shift is sharing itself across our woodlands & prairies.

There were a lot of things on my summer to do list that did not get completed and I’m working to let that go. Putting down the self imposed burden I’ve been lugging around. Composting the “shoulds” and perceived “failures” as fertile ground for the seeds of my high summer dreams and beginning of fall plans. Alongside my worry, I’m embracing more opportunities to give into summer joy, evening walks, splashing in the waters, and late night giggles in bed. Grateful, grateful, grateful. But along with this gratitude, there’s more.

In the stillness of my heart, I’ve felt entirely overwhelmed holding my joy & the reality of the ongoing conflict destroying families, now spreading across the Middle East. I find it hard to straddle my personal experience of contentment with the pain and anguish I feel for families, children, and human kind. A helplessness and lack of hope I've never felt before. Maybe it is my INFJ nature, but there truly isn’t a moment that goes by that I’m not holding concurrently, my privilege to provide a safe childhood for my children and the unending pain that I feel for innocent lives and havoc being unleashed. The heaviness of this reality and oppressive heat of August in this world’s changing climate has left me feeling quite stuck. I’m not good at pretending I don’t feel something. I cannot just “keep calm and carry on” at the least I must stand as a witness.

And so, I turn to the wisdom of the plants. When elder wisdom feels hard to come by in our society and my thirst for real guidance is growing with each passing day, I look no further than our garden because it is a something within reach. I hope sharing my reflections & this recipe with you is also a balm.

As if parenting isn’t challenging enough, trying to guide our children through this world with growing tensions, Tulsi, also know as Holy or Sacred Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) has proved itself a true ally and is growing rampant in our herbal gardens. Holy Basil, a sacred herb in Ayurvedic medicine is native to South Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It grows well here in the midwest summers. With its nervine, heart opening, and antidepressant actions, Holy Basil supports reducing anxiety and decreasing feelings of overwhelm, protecting our bodies systems from stress. Tulsi is antibacterial, antiviral, adaptogenic, neuroprotective, among so many more herbal actions.

Bringing balance to the mind, body and heart, restoring our bodies to an equilibrium and boosting our immune system. It is constituents support heart health & brain function, calming the mind and grounding the body. “It can be used in instances of situational depression” (Winston & Maimes, 2007)*. An uplifting herb, bringing light in dark times and the safety to open our hearts. We’ve been harvesting the leaves and flowering tops to dry and use fresh in recipes like the Peach and Tulsi Sorbet from my book Our Kindred Home.

*Source: There is so much more to learn about the wonders of this botanical beauty. One of my favorite resources for learning more about plants and their uses are the thorough Monographs and Intensive from Herbal Academy’s The Herbarium.

We’ve been sharing in one of my favorite childhood rituals, the children & I have been making this simple & easy Holy Basil Lemonade.

Holy Basil Lemonade

Yields: 4 to 5 servings

1/2 cup organic honey, maple sugar or cane sugar

3 1/2 cup water

½ cup holy basil, chopped

1 cup organic lemon juice, from about 4-5 lemons.

To make

Combine 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup holy basil in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, turn off heat. Add the sweetener of your choice, stirring until dissolved. Allow to cool. Strain.

Meanwhile, juice about 4 lemons or enough to yield one cup of lemon juice. Mix together 1 cup lemon juice, 3/4 cup of the holy basil simple syrup and 3 cups of cold water. Serve lemonade over ice and garnish with a leaf of basil.

Enjoy!

How are you nourishing your heart during this Leo season? Along with long walks and loving each other and this land, music has been a balm for my soul. Sharing my playlist on Spotify.

In gratitude & connection, Alyson. xx.