• Jack Rabbit and the River Fair (A Fable )
  
• Visible Bugs
• Invisible Bugs
• HERBAL ALLIES
• Retail Store SALE
• View Our June Calendar of Events

Jack Rabbit and the River Fairy (A Fable)

"Every one hop into the car, we are going to the woods for a picnic," called Bunnie Rabbit to her large brood of children. Bunnie counted each of her children, twelve in all, as they juggled, jostled and squeezed into their places in the car. When all were secured in their seats, their father, Brother Realy Rabbit jumped in and drove his family to their favorite picnic spot near the Crooked River in the Xylon forest.

Upon arrival, eight-year-old Jack jumped out of the car and raced down to the river. He could hear the rushing water before he could see it and smelled the sharp, pungent aroma of Brook Mint as the leaves bruised under his feet. At the river's edge he found himself being attacked by a hungry swarm of mosquitoes. He flailed and swatted at them and finally in frustration he picked up a stone and threw it out over the water into the reeds and brush on the other side.

Suddenly he heard a high pitched screech of alarm and found himself being dive bombed by a river fairy. "Your rock almost destroyed my bower!" she scolded. Jack's ears drooped in contrite embarrassment as he apologized for his thoughtless act.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking because I'm being harassed by these pesky mosquitoes". They're ruining my fun. The River Fairy, like most fairies, was inclined to help the needy using her magic and her knowledge. She told Jack that the remedy was right under his feet. The Brook Mint (Mentha arvensis), also called Poleo, that grows near the river is the source of a volatile oil called pulegone, which can repel mosquitos. "Just pick a handful of leaves and rub them over the exposed areas of your body", she advised. Jack gratefully followed her advice and happily played, unbothered by mosquitoes, for the rest of the day.

Visible Bugs

Mosquitoes, fleas, flies, no-see-ums, spiders, ticks and ants are some of the biting bugs that threaten to disrupt our summer fun. The repellent effects of aromatic plants have been used for thousands of years, most often by hanging bunches of the bruised plants in the house. It is the aromatic essential oils in these plants that can repel insects by sticking to their antennae and throwing off their sense of direction. Poleo or Brook Mint is only one of many herbs that contain aromatic oils that have a repellant effect on mosquitoes and other biting bugs. Some others include Catnip, Peppermint, Pennyroyal, Lavender, Geranium, Citronella, Sage, Thyme and Rosemary.

Invisible Bugs

Sometimes it is the bugs that we can't see that pose the most threat to our wellbeing.  Our environment is full of unseen organisms like bacteria, parasites and fungal spores that are just waiting for an opportunity to take up residence in and on our bodies where they are not welcomed. They can be transmitted through the air, in water, on our skin, and on other surfaces like table tops or door handles and enter our bodies through wounds or other inflammations that break down our natural barriers to these pathogens.

Many of us are all too familiar with the threat to our digestive tract from unfriendly bacteria that reside in under cooked poultry or other meat and in vulnerable food left unrefrigerated.

Herbs like Wormwood (Artemesia abscinthia), Black Walnut Hulls (Juglans nigra), Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentate), Chapparo (Chapparo amargosa) and Clove Buds (Syzygium aromaticum) have been used historically to address the problem of unfriendly intestinal passengers.  The active chemicals in these plants are volatile oils (phenols and terpenes), which support a healthy environment in the intestines.

HERBAL ALLIES

June Calendar of Events

Thursday, June 4th
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Raven Tomkin
Energy Work

Friday, June 5th
3:00 - 5:00 pm
Daniel Pretends Eagle
Chair Massage

East meets West in my practice, which combines hands-on deep tissue work and myofascial release with energetic elements from my experience in Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Oriental medicine. My goal is to assist the client in finding the inherent physical, mental and spiritual balance that each of us uniquely possess. As a result, I've been able to help clients successfully manage chronic pain, recover from injury and experience deep and lasting relaxation.

Tuesday, June 9th
2:00 - 4:00 pm
THC Product Demo

Thursday, June 10th
Jacqui Croat
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Chair Massage

Thursday, June 11th
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Harp and Flute Music

Friday June 12th
12:00 - 2:00 pm
Debra Sherry - Homeopathic and nutritional advice and information specifically in relation to thyroid and adrenal health.

Tuesday, June 16th
4:00 - 6:00 pm
Pot Creek String Band

Wednesday, June 17th
12:00 - 4:00 pm
Sunny Redmond
Sound Healing and Cranial Sacral Adjustment

Thursday, June 18th
12:00 - 3:00 pm
Carol Weaver
Chair Massage

Thursday, June 25th
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Raven Tompkin
Energy Work

BUENA SALUD!

"Always laugh when you can, it's cheap medicine"
George Gordon Byron

5 Seconds for Valuable Info

Co-founder Tina Hahn gives you simple, easy-to-read tweets without a sales pitch. With 30 years of expertise under her belt, Tina knows her stuff! Sign up to receive her daily care tweets that take about 5 seconds to read.

Sign Up for Taosherbs on Twitter.