How to begin identifying and using the natural plants around you to build your own personal Apothecary

 1. get this APP: https://www.picturethisai.com/ – it is AMAZING and will help you identify any plant or “weed” you find in your yard. 

2. Once you identify the plant, look it up here: https://pfaf.org/user/Default.aspx – you will get detailed, documented historical AND current information on edibility, medicinal & other uses, as well as tips on how to cultivate. 

3. I also, once I have the scientific name of the plant, cross reference information here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/, and here: https://www.researchgate.net/

Note: I have no affiliation with the sites and app I recommend here. 

I want to share with you how easy it is to begin working with the “weeds” around you. Sophia loves providing for us and I’ve found first hand that yards tend to have what their occupants need. For example, my yard abounds with plants I have used to remedy Asthma, birth control & Gall Bladder issues that I used personally to wean myself off medications. My Aunt’s yard, just down the road, contained the very plants needed to lower her blood pressure and provide pain relief for their aging joints – plants that were not in my yard. When you spend time noticing your property, your land gets to know you too, and “magically” provides the energetic help we need to heal ourselves. 

These plants love to partner with you! It helps them individuate and activate. 

You can even ask some plants to come to you; for example, as I grew in my understanding of stinging nettle and it’s many uses, I resolved to find some this year myself. Hubby and I were completely surprised this weekend to find a new patch of stinging nettle growing in our ditch where we both KNOW it was not for the last 7 years we have lived on this wonderful property. (he is a master gardener so he definitely knows every plant and weed on our land, he confirms we have never had nettle before) I was able to harvest it yesterday and it’s in my dehydrator as I type this. 

Ok, enough excited jabbering – I could talk for hours about wildcrafting and energetically connecting with our yards… I have a small circle of like minded friends, with whom I regularly alert on what I’m harvesting and when.. I will try to share the same timely info with this community. Luck and love to you ALL, my darlings!