Sayoc Kali - Minnesota (www.Sayoc-MN.com)
Warriors and The Weed 2
by Rudy Rogers
Posted: July 12th, 2012
As we touched on last time, warriors and weeds (wild herbs) have been going together for as long as there have been men
and women willing to pick up the stone, sword, or staff in defense of their kith and kin.
Some weeds, we shall call herbs from here on out, have been utilized not only as a nutritional aid, but to help in
performance enhancement, and even synthesized into poisons to assist in hunting and fishing for the tribe.
But many wild plants are also very beneficial to us in an emergency, such as Yarrow (Achillea m.) and Plantain
(Plantago m.). We can call them two of our strongest allies amongst the "plant people". Becasue they are always there
for us. We just have to get re-aquainted with them.
As promised, below, I have included some recipes and rendering techniques that I have used as well as recommended
dosages. ,But before I share some wild-crafting foraging guidelines need to be mentioned first:
THESE RECIPES ARE INTENDED FOR INFORMATIONAL/EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY
Only harvest plants that you have 110% positively identified
Only harvest from areas where you have permission and are not contaminated or polluted
Do not over-harvest; be sure to gather from healthy populations and with gratitude in mind.
Only ingest small amounts at first; if you choose to do so it is at your own risk Studio-Ryu, LLC and its associates assume no liability for your failure to practice safe "re-wilding" and/or foraging techniques.
Okay now with all that legal-ese out of the way, here are a few plant rendering techniques and terminology:
Infusion - basically a tea; fresh or dried plant material may be used
Decoction - a very strong tea, used for tougher plant parts like bark, roots, and stalks
Tincture - the plant material in alcohol, usually brandy, scotch, or vodka 40proof or higher. The plant material is packed into a closed container or jar with the alcoholic mentstrum (liquid) for up to 6 weeks. Dosages can be diluted in a little water.
Infused-oil - the plant material in fixed plant-based oil such as olive oil, almond, sunflower, etc'¦The Plant material is packed into a bone-dry closed container or jar with the oil menstrum (liquid) for up to 6 weeks. It should be kept in a cool dark place during this process, and stored in the refrigerator to avoid rancidity for long term storage.
Dosages
There have been no studies evaluating the use of yarrow (internally) in children. Talk to your doctor before giving yarrow to a child.
The following are recommended adult doses for yarrow:
Tea: Steep 1 - 2 tsp. dried herb in 1 cup boiling water, strain and cool. Drink 3 times per day.
Capsules (dry powdered plant material in cased in digestible capsules): 2 - 4 g, 3 times per day.
Extractt(1:1, 25% ethanol): 1 - 4 mL (20 - 120 drops) 3 times per day.
Tincture (1:5; 40% ethanol): 2 - 4 mL (40 -120 drops) 3 times per day.[3]
Recipes:
An aromatic tea: 1 tsp. dried herb add 1 cup boiling water, steep for 10 min. sweeten to taste. Take at bedtime.
Yarrow Multi-Use Salve1 part Yarrow (Achillea M.) infused olive oil
1 part beeswax
Yarrow acts both as a sunscreen and an insect repellent. This salve could be coupled with the plantain too and makes a good Neosporin substitute...cheaper too.
Plantain Multi-Use Salve
1 part Plantian (Plantago) infused olive oil
1 part beeswax
Yarrow & Plantain Multi-Use Salve
1/2 part Yarrow (Achillea M.) infused olive oil
1/2 part Plantian (Plantago) infused olive oil
1 part beeswax
After allowing the olive oil to be infused with the herb, approximately 6 weeks in a bone-dry container kept in a cool dark place, heat over medium heat until wax is melted. Pour into carry container.
To learn more here are VIDEO links to >>
[VIDEO] Urban-Abo Wild-Crafting: Making Herbal-Oils - The Basics
and
[VIDEO] Urban-Abo Wild-Crafting Multi-Purpose Herbal Salve: Yarrow &Plantain
As versatile and beneficial as this herb is, care should be taken when using it. Pregnant women should not take yarrow, because its ability to relax the smooth muscle of the uterus could cause miscarriage.
At least one study found that yarrow was associated with reduced fetal weight in rats. Other studies have shown an increase in the percentage of abnormal sperm among male rats treated with yarrow extract. No studies have evaluated yarrow's use in breastfeeding women. If you are nursing, talk to your doctor before taking yarrow. [3]
Large or frequent doses taken over a long period may cause the skin to be more sensitive to sunlight. Yet, conversely this plant has been used as an effective treatment for sunburns as well as a very effective sunscreen. But some plants posses the power of duality; they can cause what the cure with improper or overuse.
So as you can see, Yarrow is a very beneficial plant that has been aiding both warrior and non-warrior alike for a long, long time. Be sure to take a moment to get outside and look down from time to time you just may see an ally. This warrior-plant has been beneath our feet and supporting us for millennia. If you have questions or if you live in the Twin-Cities Metro area and would like to arrange a plant-walk with me to help you identify some of our most common medicinal and edible plants and herbs feel free to contact me at rudyryu@gmail.com, also please visit my web site www.TheUrbanAbo.com for more information
Citation
[1] http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/yarrow.shtml
[tt] Did you know that there is a lot of Filipino Martial art movement and choreography in the movie Troy. In fact, a long time resident from Minneapolis as well as friend and student of Rick Faye, and Greg Nelson, David Leitch acted as Brad Pitt's double in the blockbuster film. Check out David Leitch's IMBD filmography here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500610/
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achillea_millefolium
[3] http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/yarrow-000282.htm