949 West 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2T1 Office: 604-261-7204
Category: Earth Spirit
News from the Earth Spirit Council: Paganism, circle dance, labyrinths, if approved updates from Environment and Gardening teams. This category is used for the monthly Earth Spirit e-newsletter.
And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
― Kahlil Gibran
September offers many opportunities for our members and friends to participate in circle dance, ritual and labyrinth walking.
Start off the month off with our 1st Tuesday Earth Spirit Circle which will feature picking herbs for tea and sharing our stories about tea. (Tuesday, September 4 6-7pm).
Sacred Circle Dance returns after a semi-hiatus over the summer. The regular 1st Tuesday and 2nd Mondays will start up again (and this year, we’ll stick to the 2nd Monday schedule even on holidays in October and November.) As well, Mairy and Mary enjoyed introducing new folk to circle dance over the summer, so are going to continue to offer a gentle circle dance every 4th Monday 7 – 8:30 pm. These gatherings are especially for those who are new to circle dance or want some extra practice. We practice four dances each time and we repeat each dance three times. So it’s easy on the brain and the body.
In September and October, we’re planning outdoor Sunday afternoon events on the labyrinth with herbal tea and various activities. Come on Sunday September 16th and celebrate the autumnal equinox with us. These events are family-friendly. Bring your kids if you like.
Last but not least, the first session of Paganism 101 will be on Tuesday, September 28th. Louise Bunn who co-wrote the curriculum will be the lead facilitator.
Can you pitch in?
We always appreciate offers of help from spontaneous help with putting the chairs or such back in place or being part of a planning team to put together a ritual. Contact us if you’re interested by email or in person.
In a Globe and Mail article in 2000, Unitarianism was described as a “Pick and Choose” religion. Some people liked that descriptions; others not. Taking that theme, we invite you to “pick and choose” herbs from our labyrinth garden to make your own special blend of herbal tea. Here are some possible ingredients from the labyrinth and garden grounds. Sandy and Mary would love to talk with you more about this and introduce you to our gardens.
Maybe you’ve never thought to make lavender tea but its floral taste is amazing. A delicious cup of herbal tea you can make from lavender flowers that is sweet and fragrant in taste and is perfect for calming your mind, particularly recommended to reduce tension and alleviate headache.
Lavender grows well in full sun, in well drained soil.
Lemon verbena leaves are used to make tea. Consumption of its tea improves digestion, joint pain and helps in asthma.
Refreshing and sour, this lemon flavored plant is easy to grow. It needs full sun to thrive and doesn’t tolerate severe winters. Below 14 F (-10 C) the plant dies. It’s more suitable for subtropical and tropical climate, although you can grow lemon verbena in cold climate, but in containers.
3. Mint
Mint is a most favorite tea herb and popular among herbal tea lovers, it’s also one of the easiest plants to grow. Mint tea fights with digestive disorders, abdominal pain and stomach cramps. Besides this, it stimulates the appetite, reduces flatulence and is very refreshing in flavor. Mint is very robust plant and can even get out of hand in the garden if you don’t care to stop it. It grows in moist soil in full to partial sun.
We have several kinds including apple mint, peppermint and pineapple mint. And if you’d like some to take home, we will happily share a cutting or two.
Lemon balm plant is closely related to mint, but has a distinct lemon flavor. It gives flavor to herbal teas and ice creams and appears to be a useful fragrant herb in the kitchens.
Lemon balm grows well in dry soil and partial shade. If grown outside it dies in winter but regrow again in spring. Lemon balm spreads vigorously if grown in garden beds so it’s better to grow it in a confined space or in a container.
5. Ginger (not in UCV garden)
Ginger tea is popular, especially n (South and East Asia. Its roots and leaves can be used to make tea. Use of ginger tea is praised in ancient Chinese medicines and Ayurveda, it’s an antioxidant and contains antibacterial properties. It cures diseases like cold, flu, nausea and improves digestion and appetite.
Ginger is such an easy to grow and forget it plant that you’ll definitely like to grow. It is hardy in USDA zones 9 – 12 and grows best in filtered sunlight and moist soil in a spot that is less windy.
6. Thyme
Thyme is an effective herbal tea ingredient that calms stomach problems and sore throat. Use its leaves to prepare tea, if there are flowers, add them too.
Thyme grows well in full sun but also tolerate partial sun and is an ideal herb that is very low maintenance.
We have a couple of varieties. Thyme corresponds to the West Direction so look in that direction.
7. Chamomile (not in UCV garden)
Beautiful daisy like flowers that smells mildly fruity like an apple, chamomile is a useful medicinal tea herb. It’s traditionally used to induce calm and sleep. You can prepare its tea with small white and yellow flowers rather than the leaves. There are two kinds of chamomile (German and Roman), Roman chamomile offers strong flavored tea.
Chamomile likes sandy soil and lots of sun and it needs a lot of water during the summer. It’s hardy under USDA Zones 4 – 9.
8. Jasmine (not in UCV garden)
Jasmine flowers are suitable to make tea, for this you need to pick some fresh flowers. Dry and mix them with green tea, you can also steep them alone to make jasmine tea.
Jasmine vine thrives in full sun and needs a trellis or a support to climb. It’s not suitable for harsh winter climates, so if you want to grow it, grow it in container that can be moved inside.
9. Stevia
Stevia leaves are sweet and can be steeped to make tea. It’s a safe and natural sweetener, used in place of sugar in an infusion and good for diabetics.
Stevia grows in USDA Zones 9 to 11, it doesn’t tolerate cold. Still, you can grow it in more colder zones in a pot so that it can be brought inside when winter comes.
10. Marjoram
This culinary herb has a fruity and sour flavor with a hint of mint. Marjoram tea cures various digestion and stomach problems including poor appetite, liver disease, gallstones, intestinal gas, and stomach cramps.
It grows well in full sun but can tolerate light shade, it needs loose and well drained soil.
11. Cilantro (not in UCV garden)
Commonly used for cooking, cilantro is also suitable for tea. Its tea resembles aroma similar to Lady Gray tea. Mix honey in it to soothe the acidity and constipation. It also clears toxins from the body and prevents indigestion.
It grows in both the sun and partial shade and is an ideal herb for pots. Cilantro grows diversely as annual herb in almost any climate, it can be grown under USDA Zones 3 – 11.
Rosemary tea improves digestion, promotes cognitive function and acts as an antioxidant, protecting the body from heart disease and cancer. Rosemary plant prefers full sun, light and well drained soil.
At the south entrance to the labyrinth we have a rosemary plant. You can snip some to take home any time.
13. Fennel
Fennel seeds are used to prepare its tea. Fennel tea is very beneficial for digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, bloating and flatulence. Fennel grows in USDA zones 4 to 10 in moist and fertile soil in full to partial sun.
You can also snip the leaves to add to tea.
14. St. John’s wort (not in UCV garden)
It is a very effective remedy against nervous disorders: insomnia, depression, anxiety etc. However, it also has some side effects.
It grows very easily without special care. It can be grown on the ground or in pots.
To learn how to grow St John’s wort read this.
15. Sage
The antiseptic tonic of sage enables to provide an effective remedy for ailments as varied as: mouth ulcer and sore throat. Sage tea also helps in depression and Alzheimer. Take 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves and 1 tablespoon dried sage leaves and steep it for 3 – 5 minutes in boiling water. Strain it and mix honey in it for taste. Your sage tea is ready.
It can be grown either in the ground or in pots. If grown in pots it’s important to water sage regularly.
We have golden sage, “ordinary” sage and pineapple sage. We’ll be adding purple sage soon.
16. Viola tricolor (not in UCV garden)
Often referred as wild pansy, it’s a common European flower that grows wild as a short lived perennial. Viola tricolor is known for its medicinal properties. It contains flavonoids, saponins, anthocyanins, carotenoids that helps in fighting myriads of human diseases like cancer, various skin diseases, allergies and sore throat. You can use whole plant to make tea.
Also called as heartsease, viola tricolor grows in partial shade in slightly acidic to neutral soil. It’s hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9
17. Basil
Basil especially holy basil or ‘tulsi’ is best to make basil tea, you can also add honey and ginger in it. Other varieties of basil are also used. Basil is stress reliever and if used with honey and ginger it helps in asthma and cough, cold and influenza. Consumption of basil tea lowers the blood sugar level and helps in heart diseases. Basil tea is also a good cure of mouth problems and bad breath.
Holy Basil loves warm exhibition, it’s a tropical plant, hardy in USDA Zones 10, 11 and grows best when temperature stays around 70 – 86 F (20 – 30 C).
18. Catnip (not in UCV garden)
Mildly sedative and calming, catnip tea is excellent treat after an exhausting day. It helps in digestive disorder like diarrhea, relieves headache and insomnia and if you’re going through nicotine withdrawal, it alleviates the stress. Both the leaves and flowers are used to prepare tea.
If you know how to save your catnip plant from cats for your use growing it is easy. It’s hardy in USDA Zones 3 – 8 and prefers well drained soil that is sandy, although catnip grows in variety of soil types. Keep your plant in full to partial sun.
19. Lemon Grass (not in UCV garden)
Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) is used to make herbal tea, in soups and other dishes. This lemony scented tea herb also repels pests like white flies away from garden.
Grow lemongrass in warm and sunny spot and do regular watering. Lemongrass is hardy in USDA Zones 9 – 11, however if you like to grow it in colder climate you can grow it in a pot and bring that indoors or in a greenhouse in winter.
Additions welcome
We invite anyone who has herb plants to share, to add them to the labyrinth. We especially would like more thyme and succulent or drought-resistant groundcovers for the courtyard labyrinth — hens and chicks etc.
Your Windowsill Herb Garden
Here’s a video showing you how to grow herbs in a jar of water.
Among the activities the kids did who attended our first annual Hogwarts’ Summer Camp was a course in Herbology. All four houses made an echinacea tincture using plants from our garden, apple cider vinegar and mason jars. It’s “cooking” as we speak.
They also learned about medicinal “magical” uses of many of the herbs, flowers, and “weeds” in the garden. They made a salve from plantain leaves and calendula flowers using olive oil and beeswax.
Huge success overall. From the first day on, the kids were planning the second annual camp!
Those of us who tend a veggie plot on the north side of Hewett Hall are enjoying the produce–and enjoying sharing the abundance with others.
Two of our young families took over a plot (38″ square). Here are Jeonga, Goan and Haram with their first vegetable garden. They’re amazed at what’s come up including the tomato plant they didn’t plant! I love introducing people to gardening.
Photos: Mary Bennett with Goan and Haram in front of their plot.
Jeonga, Goan and Haram all pointing to their favorite vegetable
There is (at least) one more plot available for one of our families. Just send me a note or approach me on Sunday about it if your family would like to garden at UCV. It’s not too late to plant spinach–and some plants bought as starters!
Yesterday I’d harvested a lot of leaf lettuce–some to give away and some to make a salad for the annual Environment team potluck and yearly planning.
I’d created a bowl full and put out with some parsley and green onions and zucchini for people to take.
Just as I was getting ready to go into the sanctuary for the service, Pat came out and said: Mary, there are no flowers at the front of the church. Can I take the lettuce?
I thought it was one of the most beautiful displays ever!
It’s fun to play in the gardens.
The next gardeners work party is Wed. Aug 22. Join us 10-12 noon and then for a potluck including harvested veggies.
After the service, I then approached Wanda who had just joined the Connect and Engage team and was getting an orientation and gave her a zucchini: We give a zucchini to anyone who joins a committee for the first time, I joked.
There’s more hens and chicks and lavender in the inner courtyard. The garden path is bursting forth with Rudbeckia/black-eyes Susans (which I could have picked if anyone had asked for flower;. but they didn’t–they asked for lettuce!)
This month you could plan a one-day spiritual retreat at UCV.
Come by 11 am for circle dancing; stay for contemplative collage; and then participate in Patrick’s Rhythm Meditation workshop 7 – 9 pm. Third Thursdays always include the first two events, and several people attend both.
First there was GLAD with an hour of circle dance because Darlene and Mary wanted to dance more–and share circle dance more.
Then Laurie and Mary added “contemplative collage” from 2-4pm. So, of course, a few people found they liked both events so some of us brought lunch or bought sushi from across the street. And Mairy who’d joined the GLAD team often stayed for lunch and then gardened.
So by July 2018 (three years after GLAD began), there are a few of us who spend most of the day at UCV with focused but flexible activities.
We danced all nine of the World Circle Dance Day link up dances from 2016, 2017 and 2018. All nine within just over an hour.
GLAD (Gathering for Labyrinth, Art and Dance) includes art and labyrinth walking as well as circle dance.
All welcome to all or any of these events:
11am – 1 pm GLAD
1-2pm – informal lunch with whoever’s there
We placed our rainbow rocks in the inner courtyard labyrinth. Two corners down. Two to go! #prepareforpride
2-4pm – collage with Laurie and sometimes Mary (in the summer Mary tends to stop to say “hi” and then go outside to tend the gardens
Beautiful centre to celebrate World Circle Dance Day. Wild Women cards from Elizabeth MacLeod by way of Karen B.
Thanks to Keith Wilkinson for these photos of the labyrinths taken Sunday, June 10, 2018.
Courtyard Labyrinth Sunday morning.We often paint rocks at GLAD, Gathering for Labyrinth, Art and Dance.Start from the doors that open from Hewett Centre. Walk on the grey to the centre and back..Penguins on the labyrinth!Feel free to pick calendula. It just makes it come back with more flowers. It’s name relates to calendar as it grows year-round.Look carefully. You might find a strawberry ready for plucking. Do it!Lambs Ears. Part of the mint family. Not an edible but does well with herbs that are. Drought-resistant.Rock with 3-circuit labyrinth painted on it. Take a rock. Leave a rock. We’re OK with that.
In July, 2018, we joined with circle dancers around the world to dance three “link-up” dances–one choreographed by Bernard Wosien, the founder of sacred circle dance; a traditional Greek dance and one choreographed by Gwen Peterdi, who organizes the Mexico Circle Dance event.
Many UCV folk went to Burnaby Mountain for the Unitarian Service near the Watch House on Burnaby Mountain. It was great to be welcomed by Will George and the keepers of the Watch House and have five of the lower mainland ministers share leadership of the service. People attended from all four congregations, plus a couple from Nanaimo Unitarian Fellowship
Photo from the Metro Vancouver Unitarian Community facebook page.
Summer is a time for adventures and if you’re on a stay-cation or visiting Vancouver from elsewhere, we invite you to these gatherings especially for those who want to try out sacred circle dance, either for the first time or because you’d like to learn or practice some of the basic steps.
Mary Bennett and Mairy Beam have collectively been circle dancing for over 30 years and they each bring their own story to why it’s become an important part of their spiritual lives.
Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Among the activities the kids did who attended our first annual Hogwarts’ Summer Camp was a course in Herbology. All four houses made an echinacea tincture using plants from our garden, apple cider vinegar and mason jars. It’s “cooking” as we speak.
Two of our young families took over a plot (38″ square). Here are Jeonga, Goan and Haram with their first vegetable garden. They’re amazed at what’s come up including the tomato plant they didn’t plant! I love introducing people to gardening.
It’s fun to play in the gardens.
Summer is a time for adventures and if you’re on a stay-cation or visiting Vancouver from elsewhere, we invite you to these gatherings especially for those who want to try out sacred circle dance, either for the first time or because you’d like to learn or practice some of the basic steps.
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