Health and Wellness with Allison

When Pluto was in retrograde (April 14 - September 21), transformational energies were working behind the scenes. But now, Pluto has moved in to direct (as of September 22) and our deep desires and hidden secrets are revealed to us . This is an auspicious time for personal transformation . Pluto helps us to see our need for change rather than being forced into the process by others. We encouraged to honestly ask ourselves: What in my life needs to change? And we are empowered to surrender, not to give up, but to Let Go of the old ways of doing things . Pluto represents the underworld and makes us confront our fears and the dark (not necessarily bad) side of ourselves. Sometimes what we fear the most can be our best medicine; so allow the Truth to surface! See your relationships (to people, money, and time) in a new light. Ask yourself: What relationships serve me, and which ones do not? Pluto can help you reclaim your personal power. Pluto represents Inner Earth - th

The New Moon is an auspicious time for purification. My personal ritual practice around the New Moon is to set an intention to Let Go of habits, behaviors, thoughts that no longer serve my higher purpose to create more space within me for my Higher Self/Spirit/Creator to shine brighter and take up more space in my life. For this New Moon, I created salt scrubs to symbolize the physical purification of this intention.   The New Moon is also a great time to start a project. I made an herbal body oil for emotional balance. The oil (made with dried and ground artemisia, white sage, rosemary, olive oil and love!) will sit on my windowsill for one week. The oil will soak up the sun and moon energy for healing and will be opened with the First Quarter Moon.  Salt Scrubs salt scrubs are very easy to make! you will need body salt (i recommend Dead Sea salt) and essential oil (I used Child of Eternity essential oil - a combination of 7 plants: artemisia, white sage, rosem

Mugwort ( artemisia douglasiana) guides a person in healing through their dreams. This Dream Sage herb relieves stress, depression and insomnia, curbs overeating, balances chemicals in the body, and enhances dreams. Mugwort is a powerful herb. It takes time to build a relationship with this plant and to understand its medicine. There are two ways that I take mugwort:  Burning some of the mugwort or Drinking a tea of mugwort with cinnamon. I find that the smoke affects my dreams more, and the tea makes me feel more relaxed. When I use mugwort to influence my dreams, I ask the plant a question before I light the bundle. Asking the plant a question before I go to bed, sets my intention and helps me to better understand my dream in the morning. When I burn mugwort, my dreams are very vivid, somewhat dark, and I wake up tired. (Drinking the tea calms my mind and relaxes my body and affects my dreams but in a subtler way). Mugwort helps me to heal through dreaming. The plant's med

My appreciation for Basil has grown to the next level! As an apprentice with Lucky Six Farms , I am learning how to work with plants and experiencing their healing properties (aromatherapy). And I have recently graduated to distilling herbs for hydrosol and essential oil - yay! This past week I helped distill artemisia californica (sage brush) and basil.  I am using  Basil hydrosol to alleviate my back pain and Basil essential oil to relax the very tight muscles in my jaw.   Before I explain the benefits of Basil hydrosol and essential oil and how to use it, let me tell you what hydrosol and essential oil is.  Hydrosol is "flower water." Hydrosol is extracted from all of the water soluable constituents in the botanical material (flowers and leaves). Hydrosol is much less concentrated than essential oil but has a variety of complex plant components that are never found in essential oil.   Hydrosols are great to use in baths, as facial toners, deodorant, and to

artemisia californica (california sage brush) is a plant for healing.  The Chumash used artemisia as medicine and in sacred ceremonies. The plant is native to Southern California and Mexico but is also found in Northern California along the coast. I first met artemisia while on a school assignment: I was to find a plant and talk with it. I actually found this amazing plant by walking straight into it! I expected to be scratched by doing so, but instead, was welcomed by a sweet minty smell and gentle embrace. A bush of  artemisia appears dry, but in fact the plant is very soft. I wrote later in my paper that I felt I had (re)met an old friend :) Yesterday was my first experience distilling artemisa with Master Medicine Woman Monica ;) from Lucky Six Farms , and I am so happy with the results! The essential oil and hydrosol capture the plant's healing properties and both are perfect additions to your aromatherapy collection. artemisia californica can help detoxify your body,

Basil has been used for centuries by many different cultures to ward of evil spirits, attract mates, and to heal migraines and chest infections. The word basil is derived from "basileum," the Greek name for king. And with its popularity in food dishes and many health benefits, Basil does reign!    You can use this herb in a variety of ways. You can eat the leaves, make a basil tea, use the leaves in a bath, or apply basil essential oil on the body.  The Benefits of Basil: Alleviates migraines and colds . Basil can help with throat and lung infections like bronchitis. Fights mental fatigue. Basil strengthens the mind and heart and improves memory and sharpens the mind. Anti-Depressent. Basil's uplifting aroma helps bring clarity to a confused mental state and lift one out of a depressed mood. The plant helps relieve anxiety and stress.  Relaxes muscles . Basil is anti-inflammartory, soothes the nervous system, and helps calm muscle s

Meditation and Breath Work for Grounding Growing your Roots Meditation To begin, sit comfortably in a seated position. You can sit on the floor cross legged, on a pillow, or in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Sit comfortably and tall with a straight spine. Allow your hands to relax on your knees or in your lap. The first part of the meditation is the Breath Work (Pranayama) a 4-4-4 breathing exercises. Inhale for a count of 4. Relax the belly and breath slowly and deeply from the pelvic floor, filling the belly and chest. Hold the breath for a count of 4. Notice the "in-between" state of the breath. Then slowly exhale for a count of 4 . As the chest falls, relax the shoulders. At the end of the exhale, draw the navel in towards the spine to push out (gently) the stale air in your body. Once then cycle is done, take a normal breath. Start the 4-4-4 breath count again and continue for 5 minutes. After you have completed the breath work, and feel more rela