Last day of Autumn Time Remedy
November- Valeriana officinalis Root
Poem
Sleeping in the Forest
By: Mary Oliver
I thought the earth
remembered me, she
took me back so tenderly, arranging
her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds. I slept
as never before, a stone
on the riverbed, nothing
between me and the white fire of the stars
but my thoughts, and they floated
light as moths among the branches
of the perfect trees. All night
I heard the small kingdoms breathing
around me, the insects, and the birds
who do their work in the darkness. All night
I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling
with a luminous doom. By morning
I had vanished at least a dozen times
into something better.
Hello folks,
I’m writing this sat at my kitchen table, looking out to a garden that’s showing the first signs of Winter. This morning I went for a walk. I’m still feeling the reverence for the beauty of my local Woods, gratitude, that I am so lucky to live in a green place & I have a body to perceive the brittle veins of leaves illuminated in silver tendrils, blades of grass shining golden beneath a cold-bright sun. We’ve had a proper frost here in the West of Yorkshire. Crisp & Crunchy. Cleansing. I want to breathe in deep breaths and be still. I want to drink in the last of these Autumn days, stopper them in a brown glass bottle so I can remember them, when Autumn is no longer Autumn and Winter no longer Winter.
On the walk this morning, I felt Winter & the Cailleach sinking beneath the noisy chatter of the surface mind. I felt that quiet place, beneath the lists of what to do & who to see & what Christmas presents to make & buy. The quiet place reminded me of the badger sett and the badger nestled deep within it. It reminded me how tired I am. How exhausted I feel at needing to look at screens & email people. These tasks feel like oil over water. They are slippery, hard to grasp, organisation feels hard to keep a hold on. The internal rhythm of this body is slowing down.
While the birds & the badgers & the squirrels slow down. Our culture surges faster. Hands & eyes meshed in a dance of gobble, gobble, gobble. Buy, buy, buy. This year, more than other years I feel a grief for the uncompromising tow of profit. This year is the first year I feel emotionally well enough & financially stable enough to properly take time, to actually rest. I’m on the outside looking in, for what feels like the first time in my life. Looking back at the countless years of working in pubs, in restaurants, in cafe’s. This year, I feel the sadness. I feel the imposition of violence: forcing the “soft animal of my body” to slog & to work, year upon year upon year. Being made a spectacle of. Being ogled and shouted at by drunken men in too small jumpers, pissed on Christmas do’s. Cleaning up after other people’s decadence. I feel as passionate about Capitalism’s enclosures on Rest as I do about the enclosures of Common Land. The two aren’t separate. One does not come without the other.
This week, I got ill. A proper cold. The sort where you can’t even think without your head hurting. On Monday, I laid on the sofa and I closed my eyes. I did absolutely nothing for several hours, other than listen to the sounds of the house creaking and the crackling of the fire. I didn’t read. I didn’t make. I just lay there. Very still & sniffling. Being forced to stop on Monday made me realise how little I’ve been prioritising rest. Real rest. I’ve remembered how important ‘doing nothing’ is for my emotional wellbeing. I know this. Particularly because I’m a meditator. I sit 10 day Vipassana retreats regularly and have for the last 6 years. Yet, somehow…in the thrum of living, when things get tough, when Bog Time creeps in— I forget.
In light of all I’ve just shared, I’ve decided to focus on a herb that relaxes the nerves & supports rest. This herb is usually used for insomnia or anxiety but, small amounts can be a helping hand to ease an overworked system into rest. We’ll be looking at Valerian. Given the time of year, you’ll not find this plant in flower, however you will be able to harvest it’s roots and dry them for decoctions, tinctures or herbal infusions.
Lore of Valerian
The Latin valere means “to be strong or healthy”. It’s no surprise this is the root for Valerian when scientific research now shows how vital rest & good sleep is for the functioning of our bodies.
Pliny the Elder aptly named Valerian herb 'Phu', a descriptive term to summarise Valerians scent. If you haven’t worked with Valerian, you’ll soon come to understand why Pliny named it as such. However, only the dried root smells 'phu', by phu I would say like old sweaty socks. And even here, it must be said, tastes differ: cats, rats and even trout apparently find it irresistible.
The Pied Piper probably didn't so much lure the rats and mice of Hamelin with his music, but with a secret stash of Valerian that he had hidden in his pockets. According to old angler folklore, treating bait with Valerian ensures a good catch. Valerian is related to Spikenard, the legendary anointing oil referenced in the bible before Jesus was crucified. The ancients called Valerian 'all-heal' and thought highly of its powers as a healing and magical herb. It also figured as a key ingredient of Theriac, the miracle panacea of the Middle Ages, which was used for a wide range of ills.
Folklore has it that if you put a little Valerian under the tongue and kiss the girl of your dreams, she will surely be smitten: a sketchy practice when considering consent! In English folklore, Valerian was believed to have aphrodisiac qualities and a young woman who carried a sprig of it was said never to lack lovers! It was also believed to possess the ability to increase psychic perception. I think this reckoning comes from it’s capacity to soothe the nervous system & therefore ease people into a deeper state of relaxation & sleep. I know when I have used Valerian in the past my dreams become very animated.
Properties
Respiratory
Valerian is anti-spasmodic & expectorant. It can be used for harsh dry, irritating, paroxysmal coughs, asthma & croup
Nervous system
Valerian is a well known sedative & nerve tonic. excellent for anxiety, nervous tension, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, nervous headaches and exhaustion.
It strengthens and calms the heart. The valepotriates are mainly responsible for it’s calming effects. It is useful in nervous palpitations
It is relaxing to smooth muscle and useful for stress related disorders such as muscle tension, colic, irritable bowel, period pain and headaches
Valerian is useful in the treatment of addiction (tobacco or tranquilizers) chronic aggression & ADD
Valerian was traditionally used as a treatment for epilepsy, hysteria, vertigo, convulsions, migraine, headaches and nerve problems. It was used in the First World War for Shell Shock & nerve stress caused by air raids
Circulatory
With its vasodilatory actions, valerian can be used to lower blood pressure
It increased blood flow through the heart, useful in angina
It calms nervous palpitations
Digestion
It is useful in the treatment of stress-related problems such as IBS, dyspepsia, intestinal colic, wind & bloating
Reproductive System
Valerian is anti-spasmodic, helpful for period pain and can be used for endometriosis and PMS
It can be used during the menopause for insomnia and mood swings
Cautions
Avoid prolonged use. Excessive use can cause head-aches, muscle spasm or palpitations.
All notes by Anne McIntyre ‘A Complete Herbal Tutor’
Recipes
You’ll find Valerian in the hedgerows whilst your walking and as I shared in the beginning you’ll want the root of the plant. Take a trowel and dig next to the roots, slowly and carefully easing out the roots. Be careful not to break or snap the plant. Once you’ve got them home, wash them & dry them. You can do the drying in the oven on a low heat. You want them to be very dry and brittle before you store them, otherwise they are likely to go mouldy.
Valerian Root Tea
Ingredients
1 tsp valerian root
16 oz water, fresh boiled
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
Steep valerian root for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove.
Use any fine tea strainer, tea infuser, or fillable tea bag.
Sweeten with honey and a dash of lemon juice.
Bronchial Relaxer Tea by Herbal Academy
Not only will the valerian root help to relax a deep spastic cough, but it’s also great at helping you to sleep so that you can fight the illness from the inside out.
Ingredients
1 part liqorice root
1 part valerian root
¼ part cinnamon chips
¼ part ginger root
Instructions
Combine herbs in a bowl and store in a sealed container when not in use.
To make a herbal infusion – pour boiling water over 4-6 Tablespoons herbal tea, filling the jar to the top.
Allow to steep covered for 30-45 minutes.
Strain herbs and enjoy! Be sure to take the time to breath in the steamy vapours of your medicinal tea while you are sipping it!
You can refrigerate your excess infusion and heat it up to drink later.
I hope you can get cosy and take some time for yourselves over the next month.
Best wishes,
Hannah-may
This is wonderful, thank you! I often drink valerian tea to help me sleep, but I had no idea how amazing it is in all these other ways.