Hooray for workers rights! Universal health care! Anti-biased policing policies! And all the cross-pollinating happening between individuals and organizations on May Day and everyday, across communities and across borders! May we all channel the powerful energy of spring into fabulous projects, good medicine, and gorgeous art!
In this Update
-Report Backs
-Dandelioness Herbals Remedies: Green Tech, Fabulous To Go, Activist Self-Care Kit, &
Spring Tonic
-Recent/Spring Dandelioness Herbals Blog Posts: Penquins, Self-Care, Creating
Herbal/Emotional Support at Marches and Demonstrations
-Upcoming Teaching /Events: Decolonizing Herbalism, Empowering Herbalists (aka
Intro the Herbalism for Social Justice), Herbalists Without Borders, and more!
REPORT BACKS
I was so happy to part of the Migrant Justice/Vermont contingent at the Not One More! Stop the Deportations march and rally in Boston, MA on April 17th, protesting the Obama administration's deportation of over 2 million of our community members and loved ones. 19 community members – both undocumented and documented -participated in a civil disobedience and were arrested, while throngs of supports marched for hours. Those locked up at the detention center also showed their support through the bars/windows. There are videos of this event posted here, and photos posted here.
I was also really glad to attend the annual Reproductive Justice conference in early April. I attended fabulous workshops: The Revolution Starts with Me!: Recipes, Remedies, Rituals, & Resources for Activist Self Care with Adaku Utah and Nicole Clark (check out their websites, SouLar Bliss and Nicole Clark Consulting), The Politics of Adoption: Race, Identity, and Our Families' Lives about transracial and transnational adoption (check out Land of Gazillion Adoptees), and a workshop on supporting kids and caregivers, co-facilitated by a co-author of the book: Don't Leave Your Friends Behind: Concrete Ways to Support Families in Social Justice Movements and Communities.
...also at this conference Wake Robin Botanicals and Dandelioness Herbals unveiled their latest three fabulous collaborations, which are now available at…
-Activist Self-Care Kit: Supporting Change Makers for the Long Haul Dandelioness Herbals, Wake Robin Botanicals, and Mandala Botanicals have teamed up to offer the following three herbals: Speak Truth! Throat Spray, Sacred Basil Glycerite, & Solidarity Salve
-Green Tech: Herbal Support Kit for Students, Activists/Organizers, & Writers
Many of us feel the demands of long hours using technologies that can be draining or wearing on our bodies, both physically and energetically. These remedies support us to not only function, but to thrive while we meet demands and deadlines feeling focused and collected:
Sharp Thoughts Herbal Tea, Stay Ready! nourishing elixir, Ache Relief Salve, and Calendula Violet Eye Serum.
-Fabulousness To Go: Helping our real fabulous nature shine through with Brilliant Lip Shimmer, Fancy Glitter Crème, Fabulous Transformation Flower Essence, Fabulousness In A Bottle. This basket contains all kinds of flower-mermaid-unicorn-rainbow-hippocamp-and-kitten magic.
-Also NEW: Spring Tonic - a blend of fresh roots, leaf, and sap that provides nourishing support during the transition from winter to spring.
RECENT/SPRING DANDELIONESS HERBALS BLOG POSTS
-Arnica drops and Lavender Spray: Creating Herbal/Emotional Support at Marches and Demonstrations
-Hope! Because Sometimes We Need Some Help: another Wake Robin Botanicals and Dandelioness Herbals collaboration penguins, poetry, & dance routines
-The Sweet Truth About Bitters
-The Dandelions Are Here!! the whole plant is medicinal - flower, leaf, root, and sap!
-St. Patrick's Solidarity Mexico/Ireland solidarity!
-In Case of (emotional) Emergency: self-care form to fill out to fill out when you’re feeling grounded, supported, calm, inspired, etc. to read when you’re not.
UPCOMING EVENTS
-Sandra Lory of Mandala Botanicals and I will be teaching 'Decolonizing Herbalism, Empowering Herbalists' (aka Intro the Herbalism for Social Justice) at the following event, as well as presenting in the evening about Herbalists Without Borders projects:
URBAN MOONSHINE HERBAL CONFERENCE
Sat May 24th 2014, Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VT
Inspiring day of herbal classes, walks, talks, & connections, followed by an evening including fresh dinner fare, music, cocktails, dancing, & festivities! We are enthused to offer classes from wonderful teachers: 7 Song, Mary Bove, Guido Mase, Larken Bunce, Betzy Bancroft, Jeff Carpenter, Melanie Carpenter, Sandra Lory, Brendan Kelly, Megan Godfrey, Leyla Bringas, Mary Niles, and many more to be announced! One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism's community herbal clinics. More info to come here. Facebook event page here.
-The Plainfield Farmer’s Market will be starting up in a few weeks, so you can visit the Dandelioness Herbals booth to taste remedies, purchase products, and chat.
-Interested in growing medicinal herbs for community health projects? Members of Herbalists Without Borders are coordinating the growing of medicinal plants to distribute via community health projects near and far. Interested in growing herbs for teas, salves, etc? Please be in touch.
-I’m excited about hosting herbal medicine making days for community empowerment during the growing season, when the plants are most vital. Learn to harvest in a good way, learn/share medicine-making skills, create remedies for community health projects, and create a kit to take back to our homes/communities. All experience levels welcome. If you have questions or ideas for venues, please be in touch.
Take care,
dana
dandelion778 (at) yahoo (dot) com
Please visit the Dandelioness Herbals Facebook page for info about upcoming events, photos of medicinal herbs, blog posts, links to good projects/resources, and more!
Til next time...
Images from the top:
Migrant Justice represents! * Activist Self-Care Kit: Supporting Change Makers for the Long Haul
Participants of the civil disobedience at the Not One More Deportation! Boston Rally * As we march by the detention center, dandelion stays rooted beside us, embodying persistence and resistance, sending forth its seeds across borders and prison walls.
They send their love and support through the glass and prison bars. To our comrades, brothers, fathers, cousins, husbands, grandsons, friends: you are not forgotten! * Green Tech: Herbal Support Kit for Students, Activists/Organizers, & Writers
Basket full of dandelion blossoms
Celebrating after the rally! We Did It Before, We'll Do It Again! Power to the People! * Dandelion roots * Fabulousness To Go: Helping our real fabulous nature shine through