WWP Beltane Swap Round 19 (Signups 4-1-10 to 4-7-10, Sendouts 4-26-10)

[hawkeyes_girl]

Yeah, I'm not sure where the cotton balls fit in but heck, I'll try anything once!

Does anyone use wild plant harvesting? I am itching to get one of those guides for recognizing dangerous and edible wild plants.

[spazgirl1981]

Lydia... I second Wulf on the Scott Cunningham herbal books (I think there are two) also his book on oils is very nice. 

I love this thread... I get so many great book suggestions and such!!!

I have all my materials and all my ideas... now I just need to make them physical. I'm getting started.

[Wulf]

Does anyone use wild plant harvesting? I am itching to get one of those guides for recognizing dangerous and edible wild plants.

Funny you should ask - I just posted this yesterday about eating nettles: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=344356.msg4005225#msg4005225

As for books, my favourite is Euell Gibbons' Stalking the Wild Asparagus. There have been lots since then, with better illustrations and more encyclopedic information, but nobody has ever made wild plants seem so delicious as Gibbons! I'm curious to hear what wild plants other people eat. You don't have to be in the country, either: a lot of edible greens, flowers and fruit grow everywhere in cities. For instance, I collect ginko nuts from trees outside the shop where I work. In the fall the foul smelling yellow fruit (think baby vomit ) drops to the ground and if you get to them before the squirrels, there are very tasty (quite unlike the fruit!) little nuts inside, kind of like a cross between peanuts and pistachios.

Wulf

[LunaKitten]

I also agree with Wulf, I love Scott Cunningham's books. I have found them very accurate, and as Wulf stated, easy to use. As for eating wild herbs, I haven't eaten much out of the wild besides a ton of berries, including the itty bitty wild strawberries (OOOhh they are so good for jam, though it takes a TON of them lol), some wild onions, wild garlic, nuts, and I gather burdock and nettles for spellwork, but I haven't eaten them. I did make some dandelion wine a few years back, and can I just say.... EEEEEEEEEEEW. LoL Maybe it was just cause it was my first attempt but it was AWFUL!!
In craft news, I have my medium started, and I am going out this weekend to get supplies for my small. It really looks like the medium is going to be a large and the small is going to be a medium, but I hope my partner doesn't mind hehehe. I really suck  at making smalls! hahah
The little man and I have a spring cold going on. Yucky. So the whole house now smells like eucalyptus to help. I hope we are somewhat decent this afternoon because we need to go to the library to exchange our books. We go every two days lol. I LOVE having the library be a 3 minute walk from our house!! It is so excellent. He picked a little viola out of the yard on Monday to take it to the Librarian for a thank you. She was tickled pink and wore it in her hair, so he told her she was "Pitty!!" (pretty), and I think she pretty much melted on the spot lol. He's such a little flirt!

[hawkeyes_girl]

That's awesome.

I know I borrow too much from the library when I had to go to another branch (where I have never gone to before) and they scanned my card, squinted and looked up at me and said "I know who you are- I fill the orders for requests that you send from other libraries".    I'm becoming notorious!

[Ladyblades]

Does anyone use wild plant harvesting? I am itching to get one of those guides for recognizing dangerous and edible wild plants.

I use wild plants often. I know the plants I use on sight so I don't need a book but Peterson's and Bradford Angier have written excellent field guides to wild plants for most geographical locations. I prefer a field guide over a general reference. I use one for mushroom hunting because I'm still new at it.

[lydiaharper]

Thanks for the book suggestions. 

I have another question to keep everyone busy.  How did you come to connect with your specific Gods and Goddesses? Did you find them or did they find you? What are some different ways to connect with the different deities and find who is right for you?

Lydia

[MamanTattoo]

I didn't came up with any god or goddess for now.
I have a feeling for Demeter... but I'm not 100% sure....
I guess if you do some research one of them will *pop* as the right one for you...Can take days as it can takes years...
If you really really want to have a matron or patron, ask yourself what are your strength, abilities, and what are the things you want to improve in your life...There are so many deities, one will fit someday !

That said, I'm done with one more item and an extra for the kiddo
Now I only need to find that last special supply and wait on money to send, yay!

[Ladyblades]

I have another question to keep everyone busy.  How did you come to connect with your specific Gods and Goddesses? Did you find them or did they find you? What are some different ways to connect with the different deities and find who is right for you?

All of my dieties found me - sometimes in meditation, sometimes in "ah ha" moments. I have no idea how to help others find deities but I know that mine give me VERY OBVIOUS signs of what I need to do to correct a problem that I have asked for help on. Be aware of things that appear to you in threes within a day or two. (ex: I was feeling really stressed and I was shown things on Buddism.)

[MamanTattoo]

I'm almost done should send by thuesday... If I find that last supply I've been looking for... I'm starting to be hopeless!

Another Random question: An easy one I think.... What is the element you connect the most with, and why???