It’s been a quiet few weeks here at home as we avoided going out into the unusual amount of snow that fell on the Pacific Northwest. Some reports said the 20” we received was the most this region has seen in 70 years!
While beautiful and other worldly in its ability to morph the landscape into something totally unrecognizable, I am glad it’s melting away. Thankfully, the flower bulbs in the garden seem unfazed and continue stubbornly to push upward!
So, our rainy grey skies have returned, and I do love these long cloudy days at the end of winter filled with quiet forest walks. Tea brewing, weaving projects, and snoozing comfortably under a blanket on the couch are also favorite pastimes during the rains.
However, this is the time of year I begin to feel the lack of sun. The lack of light is something that affects most of here in the PNW. I like to turn to a favorite herb of mine during these moody months, St. John’s Wort.
Tierra says of it in The Herbs of Life, “This pretty yellow flowering plant has several beneficial uses. Internally it is a pain-relieving sedative used in treating anxiety, nervous tension and neuralgia. It is also antidepressant and can be used in the treatment of chronic depressive illness, anxiety and restlessness, lightening the mood and inducing a certain euphoria. Although it must be taken for several months before its full effects can be realized, its benefits can be felt within a few weeks.”
( Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)])
I love the flavor of St. John’s Wort and take it in tincture form as well as tea. It is one of my favorite herbs, with a sunny and courageous energy to it. To me it tastes bitter and yet heavy with a flavor full of buttery notes. It also imparts a stunning deep red color when tinctured, a property that makes it a wonderful plant for dyeing with as well.
I wanted to highlight its unique flavor in this blend so I kept it simple and paired it with another favorite, Nettle:
A Light in Grey Places
Nettle - .50 ounces
St. John’s Wort - .50 ounces
Lemon Peel Granules - .20 ounces
Mix the herbs together well and enjoy a cup each day for a few weeks to see if you feel a difference!
