Articles
The Body in Summer

Summer Thyme Blooms:
The Theraputic Attributes of Herbs for Summer
by Barbara Tanner Douglass

Ah, Summer, arriving chock full of those “lazy, crazy, hazy days.” From Midsummer Night’s Eve through the Autumnal Equinox we all become kids again, playing hard and throwing caution to the wind, living life at our physical peak. How wondrous Mother Earth is to provide us with many nutritious herbs that we may move through the season with ease.

Summer encompasses the signs of Cancer (June 21-July 21), Leo (July 22-August 22) and Virgo (August 23-September 22). Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum) are two building herbs with high mineral content to provide us with nutrients to live with grace through the summer heat and stress.

I have seen zodiac/herb correspondences that list honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and chickweed (Stellaria media) as herbs good for the Cancer cycle or those with planets in Cancer. Honeysuckle might help us stop whining and take responsibility for our feelings. It is great for the entire respiratory system and Chinese herbalists consider it the primary respiratory herb. Mother Nature fortified honeysuckle flowers with 20 antiseptic compounds, so it is good to take on less than clean summer outings. Chickweed is great for the extra weight Cancerians may carry. The leaves are also used for skin irritations and the mineral-rich roots cool fevers. It may be growing in the lawn and can be eaten raw in salads or steamed. When harvesting herbs in the wild, be very clear that you are harvesting the correct herb. Many plants look alike.

Leo herbs include St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) and bay laurel (Laurus nobilus). When plagues ravaged Europe, the nobility (and who is more noble than a Leo?) left the cities, retreating to the laurel-lined walkways on their villas and estates. They trusted that laurel leaves would protect them from plague toxins. A building herb with antiseptic and antibacterial properties, bay laurel was effective. Today, many cooks know to place a bay laurel leaf in flour jars to deter mealy bugs. Leos love knowing that Julius Caesar and other Roman statesmen earned garlands of bay laurel for their heads after giving impressive speeches in the Senate.

St. John’s wort is good for insect bites and viruses and is helpful with mild depression, making it an appropriate herb at summer’s end; there may be a bit of sadness as Autumn beckons. St. John’s wort may increase sun sensitivity, so those using it would do well to apply plenty of sunscreen. People taking prescription drugs must read about St. John’s wort before taking it.

Virgo herbs include dill (Anethum graveolens) and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Dill works wonders for digestion, bad breath and colic. During late August and September, we find that what we sent out into the world during late March and April now returns to us some find that the return is hard to digest. Dill is most helpful when eating crow. Licorice is useful as a building herb for myriad concerns, from adrenals to heartburn, even baldness. Licorice represents the balancing and analytical aspects of Virgo, offering widespread and balanced assistance within the body and self. Those with blood sugar concerns would find it helpful to research licorice before ingesting it.

Herbs, Sun and Fun
Summer brings beach excursions and celebrations from Fourth of July to Labor Day. Sunburn happens and black tea (Camellia sinensis) is great for red bodies. Placing wet tea bags on sensitive areas or making a gallon of tea and pouring it into tepid bath water may ease pain and speed healing. Aloe (Aloe vera) is helpful for all burns and, short of carrying a few leaves from a plant, a tube of aloe gel works wonders on burns, especially when applied often. Avoiding sunburn altogether is best. Green tea (Camellia sinensis) helps desensitize skin to the sun’s rays. Repeated use is important as drinking one cup of tea while sitting in the sun won’t help much. I’d use both sunscreen and green tea.

Those living in the Southwest use a lot of yucca (Yucca baccata). A day-long outdoor adventure in Arizona finds natives taking 8-12 yucca capsules in one day to beat the heat. A tube of aloe gel applied to the skin also helps prevent body dehydration. For high activity in such climes or high humidity climates, capsules of capsicum or cayenne pepper (Capsicum annua) or ginger (Zingiber officinale) can give bodies more energy during the heat. Increased energy in the incredible heat is one reason Mexican foods are highly spiced.

Protection from insect bites – “Ay, there’s the rub.” Two indispensable products are Tei Fu® and Black Ointment®, available in health food stores. Tei Fu® is a tiny bottle with a blend of essential oils, easy to slip in pocket, purse or backpack. Applied immediately and directly to a bite, itching ceases. Black Ointment® is in a plastic container and draws toxins out of wounds and bites. Two gnat bites created egg sized bumps and, within 24 hours of frequent ointment application, both lumps were reduced to the size of a tiny pea.

Protection from insects: Repelling the insects is more fun than dealing with bites. To avoid flies, basil (Ocimum basilicum) leaves may be crushed and wiped over arms and exposed areas of skin. Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) will reject some critters when applied externally. Keeping up with daily intake of B vitamins seems to deter mosquitoes. Essential oil of clove in a carrier oil repels various insects, but is not suitable for tiny kids or pregnant women. A citronella-scented geranium plant has little effect on a garden, deck or terrace area, though it is highly touted. It helps to crush some leaves to release more oils and wipe them on the back of chairs and edges of the table for a stronger effect in the picnic area.

Protection from plants: Jewel weed (Impatiens capensis) is a great friend. It grows near poison ivy and is the antidote. A handful of leaves, crushed and wiped quickly on the skin of affected or suspected areas, makes for a more pleasant day in the wilds. A friend once felt stinging on her bare legs in a wooded area. She retraced her steps but found no poison ivy. She crushed a handful of jewel weed, just in case and upon application, the stinging stopped immediately. No welts or irritation emerged.

Protection from relatives: Family reunions may bring stress and some choose to take catnip tea or a valerian capsule before attending, in case Uncle Fred or Aunt Wilhemina are in rare form. Any lemon herb is helpful, and essential oil of lemon may ease anxiety and assist blood pressure and a sense of well being. Because it might increase sun sensitivity, it may be better to keep the oil on a cotton ball in a handkerchief in a pocket, rather than applying it to the skin. All essential citrus oils are irritating to the skin and need to be placed in a carrier oil, such as sweet almond oil, or in aloe vera gel before applying to the skin. A general rule is to add about 15 drops to a tablespoonful of oil. Another nice attribute of lemon oil is its antibacterial property.

To add joy to the reunion table, an herbal bouquet with a pair of scissors nearby allows the crowd to add herbs of their choice to salads. It is interesting that many herbs are at their peak in early Cancer, the most domestic sign of the zodiac.

Fire Element Season:
Circulatory, Small Intestine, Endocrine

The Fire Element is in full swing as summer begins and continues until the beginning of August. All the rigid energy of the Wood Element Spring season now burns up – easy to see with the increased activity and heat that summer brings. In this season, our hearts are wide open and we are at the zenith of physical activity, stepping out to share our self. The circulatory system, small intestine and endocrine system, the various fires within the body, all cleanse and rebuild now.

The circulatory system utilizes capsicum, hawthorn berries (Crataegus sp.) and butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeates), all important herbs for this system. Capsicum or cayenne pepper assists the whole system, especially heart and capillaries. Cayenne is hot and some people eat food when taking more than two capsules at once. For the brave, it may be used on food or in cooking. Others find capsicum capsules a godsend to put heat into the body without burning the mouth. Hawthorn builds heart muscle and, not surprisingly, has fair amounts of magnesium, calcium and selenium. Butcher’s broom is the herb of choice to support veins. Valerian is beneficial for blood pressure and arrhythmia. While building circulation, affirmations such as “The love of the universe flows easily through me now” or “Love easily flows through me and out to the world” assist the system. More information on the Fire Element season can be found in my article on Spring.

The small intestine is the most scrambled organ of the body as it weaves back and forth deep in our midsection. We digest protein here and, due to its shape, it is an amazing trap for undigested food. Marshmallow (Althea officinale) and pepsin is a great combination to cleanse and rebuild the small intestine. Many people use this combination beyond the Fire Element season, as the small intestine takes many moons to cleanse. The cleansing nature of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) also benefits the small intestine and thyme antioxidants make it a great herb for cooking. The small intestine might like to hear, “I easily digest and absorb the life and ideas I choose. My life nourishes me in fabulous ways.”

The endocrine system governs many body functions. Alfalfa is a great building herb for the pineal and pituitary glands. Rose hips (Rosa rugosa) assist the thymus. Kelp (Fucus versiculosus) strengthens the thyroid, though those with blood pressure concerns would be wise to read about kelp before using it. Parsley is superb to build and support the adrenals and the added blessing is that this nutrient rich herb acts as a diuretic as well. Handfuls are great in salads and taboule is a great cooling and parsley-rich summer dish. Reproductive glands were covered in my Winter article. Here is a point to remember when using building herbs. When we build our body and self with herbs, at a certain point the organ or system finally has enough energy that it begins to cleanse itself on its own.

Earth Element Season:
Spleen, Pancreas, Stomach

As the fire of summer burns out, the ashes left behind become the earth. One attribute of ashes is their alkaline nature. The acid soil of eastern North America needs alkaline amendments. An alkaline body is a healthy body – another reason to eat alkaline veggies. If you have chosen to grow some herbs this year, a few harvesting tips are at the bottom of the sidebar at the right. I find the herbs grown on the plot of earth we share work to assist my body and self better than herbs grown elsewhere, as they are the most attuned to me. I have tested herbs and oils grown at perfect high altitudes, in pure air and still find the herbs grown here test the strongest for me. How could it be otherwise? We love each other.

Moving into the Earth Element season, the body moves from the circulatory system focus to cleansing the organ that works with the blood. The spleen now activates and various blood cleaners assist the spleen to cleanse and rebuild. Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a great blood purifier and may be harvested during the summer and stored in glass jars until the Earth Element season. Fresh blossoms add great color and taste to salads and muffins. A European friend makes red clover blossom sandwiches for her children as an after school treat. Clover is best picked in pesticide free areas, well away from the road. Red clover is widely available in capsule, extract and bulk form. It also contains genistein, which inhibits blood from nourishing tumors, a rather comforting thought.

The stomach is assisted by digestion building herbs including ginger, papaya (Carica papaya) safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and peppermint. Digestion aiding peppermint inspires and flavors after dinner mints. Pancreas herbs are many. Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) or blueberry leaf (Vaccinium sp.) may build and cleanse to help lower blood sugar, and yarrow (Achillea millefolium), garlic (Allium sativum), juniper berries (Juniperis sp.) and uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) are great pancreatic support. A building and cleansing herb combination to raise blood sugar includes licorice, safflower, dandelion and horseradish (Cochlearia armoracia).

With the Earth Element Season, we have come full circle. For more complete coverage of the Earth Element Season herbs, please refer my article on Autumn. Herbs mentioned there, Echinacea purpurea and E. angustifolia, are great blood and lymph cleaners, good for short term use. Information recently appearing in various newspapers and magazines would deter those with compromised immune systems from using the echinaceas at all. For short term use, it is a great herb. Those with compromised immune systems might choose the Peruvian herb anamu (Mercura hembra) to enhance their immune systems. The leaves also assist the structural system, including joints.

Postscript
I find it interesting and entertaining to watch the organized public relations campaign to stop people from taking charge of their own health. Articles seem to be appearing with great frequency that hold many cautions about herbs. The large problem with the public using herbs is that they are using them in an allopathic fashion – to treat a disease or condition. A second problem is that herb companies are legally prohibited by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from listing on products the herb uses, cautions, even suggested amounts to take. Herbs are considered foods and not any help with health by the FDA. Also, people are not taking the initiative and reading about the herbs they take in books available in health food stores. I enjoy reading these articles and notice who is quoted, what profession they are in and what they stand to lose if people are reading about herbs and taking charge of their health.

The purpose of this series on health herbs has been to assist people in working with herbs in an easy, harmonious, healthy and preventive mode, moving naturally with the seasons and the body as it cleanses and rebuilds, as our ancestors did. Love, great gratitude and praise are extended to those who have helped achieve this purpose: the Creator and Mother Nature for providing the herbs; Mother Earth for nurturing them and allowing them to grow on her; the wondrous healthy presence of the herbs that have taught me so much; Sandra and David, for providing the space, love, encouragement and brilliant editing of this information; my late husband, Howard, who lovingly assisted with the art; you who read this digest, in all of your radiant presence. Thank you so much. From your comments, letters and phone calls, the purpose has been met. Many blessings to you on your path.

© 2004 Barbara ET Douglass
All Rights Reserved

[Note: The information given here does not directly or indirectly constitute medical advice. Any disease problems should be directed to a qualified health care practitioner. Neither the author nor the publishers assume any liability for your personal choices or actions.]