Pixie's Pocket Spotlight: Sister Health Honey

Image by Modern Scribe Photography

Now, you might find yourself asking 'Sister Health...Honey?? Why, what could she mean by that?' I know a lot of people do. They get to thinking that health is something delivered by pills or white coat people who speak a little Latin.

Well, phooey! Health is nutrition! Health is wholeness, comfort, and vitality.

Health is a spoonful of honey every morning on your yogurt, or in a cup of tea at night! This is just a mellow, easy way of adding herbal allies into a daily diet...plus it is honey. I mean, really, the only way to make this whole thing better is to make it into a cordial with a nice brandy, but I can't sell you that without having to pay off a lot of local and federal law enforcement. But I digress.

So what is Sister Health Honey? I start off with local, raw, unprocessed mountain wildflower honey and gently infuse it the following herbs, all powdered very fine, and all certified organic.

Raspberry Leaf: This sister ally is full of Vitamins C and E, as well as some A and B, phosphorous, potassium, and calcium. It serves as a gentle astringent, which soothes inflammation, and tightens skin and muscle tissue, thereby acting as a uterine tonic to help reduce painful cramps.

Chaste Tree Seeds:(aka Vitex) This is a tonic herb for the female reproductive system, and it can be very effective in defusing that terrible PMS temper. The compounds in it work on the pituitary gland and opiate receptors.

Nettles: This ally is a strong diuretic (Can you say "bye bye, bloating?") and it is high in iron, helps stop excessive bleeding, and serves as a kidney and blood cleanser

Motherwort: Ah, she holds you close to her bosom while you cry. She also nurtures you with Vitamin A, serves as a uterine tonic, regulates menstruation, and eases gas and cramping pains.

Chamomile: Sweet for both flavor and for encouraging relaxation, she can really help take the edge off of pain and stress. It also serves as a cramp-soother and mild sedative.


This honey is NOT strained - so stir before you eat! The herbs are ground very fine, so they are generally unobtrusive and flavor the honey quite well.  Try adding a spoonful to hot water or milk for a sweet treat, or smear on toast with some almond butter for a restorative snack during your moontime.

I find THIS honey to be most effective when taken by the spoonful - preferably drizzling onto your tongue while you lay in a bathtub of bubbles with lovely young things fanning you with palm leaves - but that's just my personal preference. *grin* Don't let your moontime bog you down - nurture yourself!

Swamp Pixie is now a Mountain Mama!

Hello, my friends, one and all...

I hope you don't mind my absence. I do tend to come and go like the crazy clouds pooling over the mountains outside. Yes, mountains! The Swamp Pixie has pulled her roots up and climbed a couple thousand feet in elevation over the past month. Whoo! What a change this has been...a welcome one, but one full of so many possibilities that my head is still spinning!

The first big thing I noticed was that I couldn't find a single violet leaf in my new yard, nor a single clump of chickweed! That set me reeling...but then again, there is that spot on the corner of the house where the water is pooling and eroding the clay hillside in a rivulet. I bet with just a little terraforming, that place could be a mini-swamp for some of my moisture-loving sweet girls to set their toes in.

And while my familiar and favorite herbal allies are nowhere to be seen, there are so many new allies to be made! I am situated on a Carolina clay mountain hillside, right off the Pisgah National Forest. I have identified a whole bunch of the new plants to learn to love...

Pokeweed: A familiar one from home, but not like this! The whole slope of the hill out of the window at my side is covered in big, fat, luscious purple-black berries! The bushes reach taller than I can (which isn't very hard to do) and hide all of the little finches my dear Akasha cat has been chirping at since we got here.

Thistle: Giant, amazingly intimidating, magnificent thistle! The purple flowers tower over the tall grasses and sway in the breeze...I can almost hear bagpipes and rolling drums when I see them dancing. Oh, and a note to you...do NOT chase giant thistledown and attempt to catch it gleefully, no matter HOW much it makes your yard look magical. It bites back, and in fact, large clumps of it will kill a cow that ingests it. Thistle is even illegal in many states for that very reason. Ouch.

English Plantain: I can't believe I had to come to the mountains to learn about this "weed."I've been shooting 'grass rockets' at my friends since I had the dexterity enough to twist the stem around itself.Nor does it have a small, red, banana-like fruit attached to it. Plantain, eh? No wonder I was so confused.It seems though, that plantain is a good healer for wounds and burns when used fresh. Let's see what else it can do.

Red Clover: Oh, this makes me dance a happy dance! Just about the time we left Virginia, I ran out of the last bit of my red clover. Now I arrive here in Carolina and the happy, bee-laden purple flower heads are everywhere I turn! Every time I walk the yard, I grab one or two to take inside to dry. We'll have to talk about her all on her own here soon.

I know there are more allies, so many more, for me to learn about and build relationships with here in the Pisgah. And I am becoming more and more astounded by the amount of healers and wise folks around me. I will be learning a lot, and sharing my knowledge with others. Be ready to read, my friends!