Everyday Herbs in Spiritual Life: A Guide to Many Practices

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Thanking and Blessing—The Sacred Art:

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By Jay Marshall, PhD

For the

Green Hearts

and Healers

who nourish us all.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1.   HEALING HERBALS

A Touch of Scent

Growing an Herbal Heart

Purification and Protection: Smudging

Purification and Protection: Scents of Protection

Purification and Protection: Garlic Wreath

Cards for Celebration

Cards for Solace

Treatments from Trees

Pillow of Peace and Protection

2.   OF AESTHETICS, SPIRIT, AND VIRTUE

A Wreath of Pure Beauty

Sachets of Courage

Bathing Balm

Soap for the Spirit

A Light of Life

3.   FEEDING THE SPIRIT, GIVING THANKS

Easter Carnival (Rustic) Pie and Pepper Biscuits

Herbal Easter Eggs

Herbal Easter Basket

Herbal Christmas Decorations

Herbal Christmas Tree Centerpiece

Herbs on a Cone

Hanukkah Candles

Valentine’s Day Heart for the Heart

Valentine’s Day Card

Ramadan Beverage

Pots of Herbs

Interfaith Manna from Heaven

Ritual Cleansing for Meals

Daily Havdalah Spice Box

Egyptian-Style Thanksgiving Garland

Pots of Potpourri

4.   CIRCLE OF LIFE

Herbal Memorial: Lustral Water

Herbal Memorial: Egyptian Floral Bouquet

Bereavement Bouquet

Egyptian Herbal Oil

Marriage Blessing: Marjoram Marriage Garlands

Marriage Blessing: Flower Blessing Rings

Egyptian Wedding Bouquet

Tea for Two

Promise of Pomanders

Herbal Newlywed Blessings

Baby Blessings and Milk Biscuits

5.   COSMIC HERBALS

A Cosmic Herbal Garden

Protective Herbs for the Cosmic Garden

Heaven and Earth

Cosmic Labyrinth

Cosmic Community Centerpieces

Lavender Birds of Peace

6.   REFLECTION AND MEDITATION

Retreat, Respite, Rose

Herbs of Meditation

Totality Tea

Art of Herbal Reflection: Driftwood Herbals

Art of Herbal Reflection: Herbal Ball

Art of Herbal Reflection: The Art of Knowing

Seeds of Success

Mesopotamian Meditation Incense

7.   THE PRACTICAL REALM

Planning and Designing an Herb Garden

Choosing and Obtaining Herbs for Your Garden

Preparing the Soil

Caring for Plants

Harvesting and Preserving Herbs

Appendix: Sources for Herbs, Seeds, and Herbal Supplies

Glossary and Index of Herbs and Flowers

Index of Activities

Credits

LISTS OF HERBS

Herbs for Healing

Herbs for Aesthetics, Spirit, and Virtue

Herbs for Feeding the Spirit and Giving Thanks

Herbs and Flowers for Circle of Life

Cosmic Herbs, Flowers, and Fruits

Herbs and Flowers for Reflection and Meditation

About the Author

Copyright

Also Available

About SkyLight Paths

FOREWORD

I have been a long-time admirer of Michael Caduto’s writings. He is a fellow Vermonter, a superb storyteller, and he writes of things dear to my heart. In Everyday Herbs in Spiritual Life, Michael offers a special gift to all of us who love plants and yearn for a deeper connection with the world around us. It is both a practical and spiritual guide to the use of herbs and how they can influence and affect our lives in the most positive ways.

There are endless books about herbs these days. The subject has become quite popular. There are books on herb gardening, herbal healing, on the culinary wonders of herbs, on traditional uses and folklore, and on clinical and scientific research. The mind and senses can wander almost endlessly through this wonderful maze of written information about these humble but very powerful plants. But there are few books that explore our deeper spiritual relationship to plants and fewer books that do so in such a practical and easily accessible manner.

That is what makes this book stand out among the plethora of herb books on my shelf and why I appreciate the author and his writings so much. This is a book that enters into the spiritual nature of our life on earth and how we as a species have developed in relationship to plants. Caduto has perfected the skill of weaving wisdom through the medium of stories. He takes us on a journey around the globe, collecting tales and traditions of herbal practices that people have used to help connect them to Spirit, or God in all of God’s many radiant forms, and to the earth as well. We visit the spiritual traditions and herbal practices of Islam and Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism, Christianity and indigenous First Nations people, among others. We learn how these cultures used plants in their everyday practices to enhance or deepen their connection to the spirit worlds or the world of spirit/God/Goddess. The stories, poems, and remembrances included herein are woven together into a beautiful tapestry of green wisdom that throughout history has anchored humankind to the earth and lifted us to the heavens.

Even more than just a book of history and folklore, Caduto instructs us with gentle guidance and simple steps on how to reclaim these traditions in our own lives. Throughout the book are many activities and projects that involve us with the green world and that are designed to bring more value into our lives. These activities are not only meaningful, but delightfully fun as well. They can be done with children, with elders, with neighbors and the neighborhood to bring deeper meaning and awareness to family events and celebrations. There are herbal activities to enhance meals, holidays, weddings, and births, and for grief and renewal—simple ceremonies that bring more life and significance to these events.

There is an ancient power and beauty embedded in plants and our relationship to them that serves to connect us both to our roots (our physical body) and to our spirit (our soul or spiritual self). Perhaps it is because plants themselves are so deeply rooted in the earth and reach upward to the heavens. Perhaps it is because they are so ancient, arriving on this earth long before we arrived as a species. Our life has evolved in relationship to our botanical friends. We depend on them for our very breath (they create and breathe out the oxygen we need to survive), our food, our medicine, and, yes, even for their spiritual guidance.

The teachings here in this wonderful book are designed to enter your heart and enrich your life. They are simple but profound; easy and accessible, rooted in history, passed down through the ages, designed to become part of your traditions, celebrations, and ceremonies. Plants sing to us in our gardens, reach out to us in the woodlands. They become part of us as food, spices, tea—and fill our lives with beauty. What would a world without plants be? They serve as medicine and manna not only for the body but spirit as well. Everyday Herbs in Spiritual Life is a feast for the spirit and will serve in the most beautiful way to bring herbs back into the sacred practice of everyday living.

Rosemary Gladstar, cofounder,

Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center

and Botanical Sanctuary

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Everyday Herbs in Spiritual Life was a joy to write. Ever since I worked on a small farm as a teenager, and later took my first undergraduate courses in agriculture and field botany, I have been passionate about plants. I love nothing more than to lead a group through an herb garden, or along a trail through the woodlands and meadows to interpret the facts, folklore, and fascinating lives of herbs all around us.

Within the pages of this book, I tried to convey the sense of a field experience. Fortunately, the writing took place while the snow blew past my window and plants slumbered, or I would never have been able to pull my wife, Marie Levesque Caduto, out of our garden long enough for her to sit down and read the manuscript. Marie offered many comments and suggestions and helped make certain that the activities work the way they should.

Holistic and eclectic, this book required expert readers from diverse backgrounds and interests. John Forti, Curator of Historic Landscapes at Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, gave generously of his time in the midst of a hectic schedule, reviewing the manuscript for accuracy and clarity. Many scholars offered their expertise about information concerning the various spiritual traditions, including Rabbi Mike Comins, Sanjeev Joshi, Girish Shirhatti, Mu Soeng, Sohaib N. Sultan, and Mark Ogilbee.

Maura D. Shaw, Ana Hernández, and Susan F. Jones all helped to shape the original concept of Everyday Herbs. In addition, Maura generously offered suggestions for activities, including one of my favorites, Herbal Newlywed Blessings. Rosemary Gladstar—author, renowned herbalist, and founder of the Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center—kindly agreed to write the thoughtful foreword.

The neat, attractive volume you now hold was crafted by the wonderfully talented and patient staff of SkyLight Paths Publishing, who carry forth the good work of publisher Stuart M. Matlins. Every writer’s spurts of creative growth need to be pruned, and both the editorial and design teams of SkyLight Paths are among the best gardeners of books. Project editors Mark Ogilbee; Lauren Seidman; and Sarah McBride; as well as Emily Wichland, vice president of editorial and production; gently weeded and shaped the manuscript into a book. Jenny Buono, Tim Holtz, and Kristi Menter, book and cover designers, crafted an elegant and accessible layout that artfully weaves together the many elements herein.

My deepest gratitude to the many friends and colleagues who have shared indigenous plant wisdom with me through the years. I hope this book honors the old ways, speaks well to others, and helps to keep the herbal traditions alive and growing.

INTRODUCTION

There is no creation

that does not have a radiance,

be it greenness or seed,

blossom or beauty.

It could not be creation

without it.

—Hildegard of Bingen, twelfth century

The history of humankind is recorded in flowers and leaves—in roots, seeds, and shoots. With tools of wood and ropes of bark, we harvested and crafted our way through the ages, relying on the bounty of our green providers for survival, health, and spiritual enrichment. Over time, we formed intimate bonds with certain plants that are no less connected or profound than our relationships with the world of flesh and bone. We draw our very breath from plants and glean from them the essence of life. Healing balms and savory spices strengthen our bodies and feed our souls.

Early Christian mystics, such as Hildegard of Bingen and Meister Eckhart, illuminate our common bond with nature. Hildegard (1098–1179) was an author, artist, composer, and founder of a Benedictine convent in the German Rhineland that had strong Celtic roots. Both she and Meister Eckhart (1260–1328), who was born in the village of Erfurt in Thuringia (in modern-day Germany), were renowned mystics during a period of significant spiritual awakening within the Christian Church.

Consider the divine spirit in the human soul.

This spirit is not easily satisfied.

It storms the firmament and scales the heavens

trying to reach the spirit that drives the heavens.

Because of this energy,

everything in the world grows green,

flourishes,

and bursts into leaf.

—Meister Eckhart, thirteenth century

Indigenous creation stories often tell of how people are made from plants. In the creation story of the Lacondon Maya from southern Mexico and northern Guatemala, the Creator and the Maker fashion the first people from cornmeal. Abenaki tradition in northeastern North America holds that the first people were made from stone, but they had cold, uncaring hearts. When these beings began to destroy Earth, the Creator took back the breath of life and turned them into mountains. Then a new people were carved from an ash tree; they stepped alive from its wood with hearts growing and green. To this day, special plants are used by the Abenaki to connect with the Creator. Those first people remembered always to give thanks for the gifts of creation, using tobacco—a powerful herb—as an incense offering. Sage, the herb of wisdom and virtue, is burned and used to cleanse a place, to purify an individual, or to bless a gathering of people.

Herbs are surrounded by mystery, and they possess the power to heal both body and spirit. The roots of the word herb, however, are mundane, coming from the Middle English herbe and the Latin herba, meaning vegetation. But there is nothing commonplace about the role herbs play in spiritual ceremonies and celebrations in many faiths. A bitter herb called maror is eaten during the Jewish Seder meal that is shared on the eve of Passover. Its bitter taste, which evokes the hardships endured during the Israelites’ time of slavery in Egypt, also elicits compassion among those who witness the pain of others. As with all dualities, the experience of suffering and mercy forms a circle.

In the Judaic tradition, Proverbs (15:17) tells of how caring and compassion trump wealth when the latter is accompanied by ill will:

Better a dish of herbs

when love is there,

than a fattened ox

and hatred to go with it.

In one moving passage from the Song of Songs (4:12–14), Israel is symbolized by a woman and a garden, whose virtues are extolled in the power of herbs:

She is a garden enclosed,

my sister, my promised bride;

a garden enclosed,

a sealed fountain.

Your shoots form an orchard

of pomegranate trees,

the rarest of essences are yours:

spikenard and saffron,

calamus and cinnamon,

with all incense-bearing trees;

myrrh and aloes,

with the subtlest odors.