usnea
The thing about writing
(or writing anything good)
Is that it involves a one way ticket
to the underworld.
Some days you don’t know if you’ll come back
And when you do, even if for a moment
You grab the pen
And you just begin.
I’m in a situation that I , personally, from my physical human eyes
See absolutely no way out of
It is this point - the point from what we see and what we believe -
Where all growth unfolds
Call it Trust - Magic - Belief
Belief in magic - Faith in self
And maybe if just enough sunlight hits me
for long enough
I might be able to find the word
HOPE
Moments of oxygen
Until swallowed back into the darkness
Where more of my old cells must perish
Or regenerate
Into something new
New enough to hold
that which I cannot yet see
There is no going back
At one point, there still was a chance
A slither of what was
Tempting me , sometimes taunting me ,
To stay
But I know I can’t stay
Like a holiday
They are special for a reason
And tis is the season
For everything new.
Photo of the day :
Usnea from a hike by Chief Mountain in Squamish Valley , BC
With a few clumps of tree resin (which smells so damn good and I wish you could scratch and sniff)
I have learned recently that usnea can only grow where the air is pure and unpolluted -
In a world of toxins, this helps me see the spaces it claims as home
even more magnificent
A reminder that much in this world (which is so medicinal and potent)
Is fragile
And that we mirror this sensitivity even if we deny it
As pollution creeps into our cells silently
Slowing us down
Deafening our ears
Muting our senses
Until we are one day wondering
When all our vibrancy left
Usnea can potentially be as strong as the antibiotic doxycycline
And although I am no doctor
When the ticks are infecting those we love
Faster than people will admit that LYME exists
And microbiomes become so unhappy they distend all your center
This is something worth exploring
Boiling this usnea in water
Pouring together into a large mason jar
Covering the other half of the jar with 100 proof alcohol
Shaking daily
Keep out of sunlight
Ready in 3-4 weeks as a daily tincture
Bless the Usnea
The hair of the trees
A constant reminder
That we need clean air to breathe
May she clean out our system
The way she blows in the breeze
And may this post bring healing
To those ready to unfreeze
Bless this Usnea
The perfect shade of green
May she rid ourselves of the (t)ick
And be blessed when she is seen
:)
*** A side note to always, always, always support your liver if attempting to rid yourself of something strong (through herbs or western medicine). I use glutathione or glutathione producing things like milk thistle, broccoli (especially sprouts), and Liver Love on top of lots of sweating and sauna if you can.
