A Language Lesson

Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, is one of my favorite herbs. One of the Ojibwe words for yarrow is ajidamoowaanow. The Anishnaabe often use different words for the same plant and this word is the one I use. Squirrel's Tail. Ajidamoo is the word for squirrel and waanow is tail. How cool is that?

The way the feathery leaves curl look like the tails of the fat squirrels that sit outside my window in the elm tree.

Traditionally yarrow has many uses. It is smoked ceremonially, often is a mixture of tobacco or red willow (Ossier) - kinnickkinnick. Dried flowers can also be lit and the smoke inhaled to break a fever or a bad headache. Of course the leaves can be used to stop bleeding.

I carry some with me all the time. A so called modern woman has hidden away in her briefcase a medicine bag with necessary herbs, another one with moxa, and a small case of acupunture needles. I have used every one of these on numerous occasions even using moxa on a co worker the other who sprained his hand lifting something.

Herbalists will understand.

Way Too Early

These days it seems I find myself awake at 2 or 3 am more often then not. Today was one of those days. No going back to sleep for me. So I got up and fixed a cup of tea and tried to decide what to do that didn't make too much noise. There are times when being in an apartment is no fun.

After my second cup of tea I headed off to my herb room and worked on few projects. Early in the morning things are quiet and still and I find I can really get more done that at 8 pm.

At 3 am my cat Gandhi decided that I needed to smudge the apartment. And he was very emphatic about it. When I moved in here I picked up a bag from the floor and threw it over the front door knob. And of course there it stays. It's a small leather bag with a bell attached to the strap. Whenever Gandhi feels that the energy is messed up int he apartment he will go over to the bag and flick it to ring the bell. At first I thought he was just playing with it. But I finally noticed that he would ring it once and then look intensely at us. If we didn't move he would flick it again.

One of the Elders was over one day and he proceeded to ring the bells. She finally figured out that he was trying to tell us to smudge the house. He rings it until I get up to get the sage and then he will go back and crawl up in his chair and go to sleep.

It's been quite a while since he's rung the bell and this morning he was adamant about it. So I got up and smudged hoping that my landlord wouldn't smell it. He lives upstairs.

Smudge smoke is now hanging in the apartment. Gandhi is asleep and all is well.

Go figure.