You either love or hate the Peace is Patriotic bumper sticker. I love it! To me, peace is the ultimate patriotic act because you love your country, the land, and her people, enough for them to be safe and happy. I don’t believe in the “you have to have war to have peace” paradigm. What you need to have is true sustainability, less consumerism, and a true belief in justice and equality for all (not just Americans).
We can sugar coat it all we want, but it is domination over “resources” that keeps the war machine going. It is corporations like Monsanto, Bayer, Nestle, Exxon, and others that are linked to big governments like our own that continue to spread their agendas of drilling and mining resources and controlling water and food supplies, while selling us pesticides to kill the pests and pharmaceuticals to subdue the rest. It’s a paradigm we all participate in and one that must be evolved if we truly care about our future generations, our water, land, or air.
This 4th of July post doesn’t sound too patriotic. And that’s the point. We’re shifting this reality one breath at a time, one word at a time, one cup of tea at a time.
With that I leave you with a recipe that I hope will encourage you to think beyond the confines of what it means to be an “American.” Maybe it will bring you a deeper sense of what it is to be Human. Perhaps you will go even further and ponder what it’s like to be a Being, one with all other beings on Earth, united in peace and compassion.
Patriotic Peace Tea
1 teaspoon Red Rose petals (organic or unsprayed)- open your heart to allow compassion to come in
1 teaspoon wild Yarrow flowers- bring out your peaceful warrior spirit
1 teaspoon Borage flowers- to release grief and restore strength
Steep all flowers in 8 ounces of hot water for 15 minutes. Set herbs to the side and sip the tea in a quiet, relaxing environment. Observe how it feels to go within. Remember this sense of peace when you interact with others today and everyday.
To read more about Rose opening your heart, Yarrow awakening your warrior spirit, and 14 of my other favorite herbs , check out my book, Plant Songs: Reflections on Herbal Medicine. I think you’ll enjoy it!
With love,
Jessica
when energy flows, wellness grows
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