Community Apothecary Tea At The Birdhouse

One of our core principles and practices has been hosting Sunday Tea's to talk about things that matter, to build relationships in sacred space and to nurture our community. It has been a part of our tradition for as long as I can remember. There is something about tea and its soul stirring grace that opens the heart and allows for deeper conversation and connection.

You are cordially invited to our Summer Tea Circle co-facilitated by The BirdHouse Community Apothecary, The Elegant Alchemist, and Mels Love Land, where we will journey with Tulsi, aka Holy Basil.

In this powerful, intense time, where much is being unearthed, questioned & dissolved, we offer The BirdHouse Tea Circle as a space of love and acceptance—so we can process, discover and rest in a safe container that is grounded in community. Tulsi is the perfect ally to anchor us in this space. 

Our prompt/question for this Summer Tea Circle is: 

What is my heart moving me to say/speak/do during these troubled times?

 Please join us on Sunday July 12, from Noon to 12:45pm by clicking this link

Co-creator of the The Birdhouse Garden - Bella has lovingly harvested and dried the Tulsi from the BirdHouse Garden for us to enjoy as our herbal tea.

You will be able to pick up your bag of Tulsi Tea and Herb Cookie at the BirdHouse on Saturday, July 11th, from 1 to 4 PM.

If you’re unable to stop by, no worries. We ask that you simply brew your favorite summertime tea, or pick up Tulsi at your local organic food store.

We hope to see you on Zoom at Noon on Sunday, July 12th.

There is no charge. Space is limited.

Click here to RSVP before 5 p.m. Friday, July 10, 2020

Remember. All the juicy stuff happens in beloved community, and our local community garden is alive and well to possibilities and health and wellness and joy. We hear your requests for a more just world, where everyone thrives and are at work co-creating ideas, connection and inspiration by creating an apothecary tuning into our plant allies with our community garden. Join us for a seasonal Tea Circle Gatherings via virtual sacred space.

ft. Tulsi aka Holy Basil

Holy Basil is also called Tulsi or Sacred Basil. It has long been an agent of change for our systems and is used to treat all kinds of conditions since the beginning of time. Historically used as medicine because of its widespread healing power. Holy Basil leaves are healing agents, with a rich nourishing impact and anti-inflammatory. It is used in many forms, for ritual of fire, to create a healing tea, in balms.

In our research online we found this delightful info on Tulsi 'it's usages were popularized by the Hindu belief system known as “The Incomparable One,” and is one of the most sacred plants. In Hindu mythology, Tulsi (Holy Basil) symbolizes the goddess Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, who is one of the religion’s most important deities. The herb has been valued for centuries because of its benefits for the mind, body, and spirit. Possessing health and spiritual benefits, Holy Basil has become a legendary part of Hindu culture over the last five thousand or so years, adorning houses and temples throughout the country and earning it revered names such as “The Elixir of Life” and “Mother Medicine of Nature.”'

“TULSI IS WIDELY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE PREEMINENT HERBS IN THE ANCIENT INDIAN SYSTEM OF MEDICINE KNOWN AS AYURVEDA.”

Chinese Medicine classifies Holy Basil as a rare and highly sought after “Shen tonic,” loosely translating to a herb that nourishes the spirit, which should come as no surprise given it’s supposed divine origins. And as effective as it is for treating common health ailments, perhaps Tulsi’s greatest benefit is the restorative effect it has on the nervous system. Tulsi (Holy Basil) is one of the power player herbs that balance the chakras by harmonizing and restoring the flow of body, mind, spirit.

“HOLY BASIL IS A PROFOUND HEALING PLANT WORKING ON A DEEP LEVEL TO BRING BALANCE AND HARMONY INTO ALL OUR SYSTEMS.”

Holy Basil embodies happiness, love, peace and allows for easy flow in and out of spiritual and physical journeys.

Into the Garden: Harvesting Holy Basil

This summer season is calling for us to consider the world we want to co-create together, what we are burning off into the light and grounding in our innate healing abilities. This herb will be the center piece of our Tea offering and we invite your thoughts, your heart, your blessings as we ground, connect, and allow our plant ally to support what is next.

Our earth has a 21st Century rhythm beating and we invite you to deepen your soul’s calling during this is time at The Birdhouse's community apothecary.

We will honor our dreams, create new affirmations, and get aligned with our highest selves and inter-relate to herbal plant medicine.

Have your journal, pen, & cup choice available and get ready to receive.

We are co-creating a neighborhood apothecary to promote community health and wellness with The Birdhouse. building a loving, art, storytelling, harmonic garden in cooperation with the land we love and each other. Sunday at Noon, to become a member of The Birdhouse. We look forward to this offering with Holy Basil. We, and when I say ‘We’ I mean Bella LeNestour harvested the Holy Basil and lovingly dried and prepared the herb from the garden, Sunday’s blend is pure Holy Basil harvested with love.

Herbalist, Roxanne Malcolm of Elegant Alchemy will be our guide for Holy Basil and we welcome one and all to discuss into evolving new community based ecosystems where everyone thrives and learn from each other and come into the garden as we build our apothecary.

We believe in earth magic, oneness and leading with love. We believe the heart is the master chakra and is the turnaround point in our energy system, we believe in the power of beloved community and coming together to co-create health and wellness. At the center of our being is our interconnection with all that is and we encourage you to dig deeper and as T.S. Eliot wrote '...go through the unremembered gate into the ... garden.' We are looking to interconnect on ideas and earth medicine. Please reach out with loving ideas, to learn more about the divine love and wisdom of a community garden.

lots of love,

Mel

-

Melanie Lutz is a writer, filmmaker and love activist living in Los Angeles, CA.

Next 100 Days fo Love | Day 23 | Shine ft. Virago

When you turn on the light darkness disappears. As we align with our inner light we experience the harmony of connection to all that is.

Next 100 Days of Love | Day 23 | Shine Baby Shine

Shine your light and watch the world ignite in possibilities.

Affirm It | Day 23

I move easily through my daily list of things to do.

May you develop a Cha Cha in your step and a Rumba in your heart carrying you through whatever might appear to darken your door.

Love, Mel

Activating Loving Movements of the Heart: MEL'S NEXT 100 DAYS OF LOVE

Electricity is what flows through our heart beat igniting our expansion 💖✨

Together we are stronger. An idea shared grows in power and scale. There is nothing more powerful than an agreement between two people. It is past time we operationalize and align our systems in loving principles. There have been sooooo many decisions co-created with fear. Enough. Truly, enough. Let's allow our loving to lead the way as It falls upon each of us to recognize and remember our inner power. To offer our loving in this moment and the next. This loving movement is where change and transformation and healing occurs. This beat of the heart is when we change, grow and expand. When we considers the possibility there is another way. A way for a shift, a choice. In this moment, where grace flourishes and we connect with each other and all that is. Any love movement begins with a choice. 'Are we going to see a situation as loving and recognize or is the situation a call for more love. When we say 'I choose love.' We remember we are powerful beyond measure to co-create our reality. We are open to receive inspiration and, empowered to take loving action,' In essence, a love movement is the embodiment and demonstration of earth medicine, that regardless of any unacceptable behaviors pervading our social systems, how we feel, we take loving action. We are here for each other, we are all connected, we are our neighbor.

We are in a major transformation. Many folks saw the video of tanks and troops marching through neighborhoods and attacking folks on their front porches wondering 'What is this? Are we in America or the Middle East? How is it possible that this is the way we honor our neighbors and care and support our communities. It is eye popping and is not the first time I've seen it, and it is BS. Grateful to how many folks are seeing this and recognizing it is not okay. This tank and troops is not a movie. It is real, it is an asleep at the wheel example of how far we've gone off track. WE DO NOT NEED TANKS ON OUR STREETS. This is an idol of fear and promotes the last thing the planet needs. Love rules our streets and when we say "Whose Streets" the response is 'our streets.' We collectively pay for, contribute to and own the streets and are stakeholders in what happens on them.

Mels' 'I am here for love' is a declaration and a prayer to remember the necessary work of our time to decode what we are witnessing with love. Every "I AM" statement is a way through, reflecting change, always evolving different one day to another.

Please consider the possibility there is another way. Please ask yourself what love would do. Please join me in stating what you stand for and how you want to participate in this great turning we are experiencing together where we let love lead the way. When you can love everyone, including yourself the world is a celebration of our interconnection to all that is.

Love, Mel

Melanie Lutz is a writer/filmmaker/love activist's in addition to her loving works, a docu-series based on her book, Mels Love Land: What if All Our Thoughts Were Loving? will be available end of 2020/2021 for all the collective lovers out there.