hot springs everywhere are the womb of our mother earth. clean water warmed by her interior...the heart from deep within. a very intimate and safely vulnerable space.
a much needed time away from the chaos that has been surrounding the minutes of the days passing. i don't understand the capacity that some people have for destruction. the tearing down that can happen within one person, between two people. or three, or four. the anger. the fighting. it's all destructive. why not maintain some sort of peaceful departure? betrayal is hard to overcome. it allows so much insecurity to well up. trust is gone. creating jealousy and suspicion. like a domino effect, one angry reaction after another, knocking the next one over just to get to the next. it is exhausting defending one's deserving of respect. i give up my defenses. i do not want to be right. i do not want to hear why someone else is right. i'd rather put my energy into experiencing joy. and i hope for the same for everyone else.
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here is my joy:
long-flowered four o'clock, mirabilis longiflora
mirabilis, means "wonderful" in latin. the flowers open in the afternoon, not because of the time, but due to the drop in temperatures. contains over 350 species. mirabilis is a native plant, with the exception of mirabilis JALAPA, with origins from Peru.
native medicinal uses: Native Americans have used Colorado four o’clock (Mirabilis multiflora) for dyes and medicinal properties, both in prehistoric times and modern day. The Navajos boil the flowers to make a light brown or purple color for dying wool. The Hopis used the roots of older plants to make a blood-strengthening tea for pregnant women. Teas were also made to treat colic, eye infections, muscle soreness, body swellings, rheumatism and indigestion. The Acoma and Laguna pueblo tribes dried the leaves for smoking material, and some say the plant has a sedative property (web source: http://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/htm/four-o-clock/)
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copper globe mallow, narrow leaf globe mallow, yerba del negro, sphaeralcea angustifolia
high in mucilage with extraordinary soothing properties, the mallow leaf can be brewed as a cold infusion for sore throats, or as a refreshing beverage on hot summer days. combines well will cold infused ocotillo flower tea. warm teas used for coughs, upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation, bloody stools, influenza, and externally used as an eyewash. also externally, the soothing properties are beneficially used as a poultice or a powder on sores, snakebites, open wounds, hot swollen places, and arthritics joints. root tea can be taken to sooth broken bones, headaches, internal injuries and bleeding. it is often combined with other plants of soothing properties to make it more palatable. (book source: western medicinal plants and herbs by steven foster and christopher hobbs)
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other pretties to make note: still learning identifications
wild morning glory
mealy sage
river wading
baths
