Freedom. That’s a big word which may be viewed from many angles. The particular angle in this musing is not political. It is personal. Intimate. It touches upon the freedom to be and love ourselves.

I subscribe to the belief that we are all born perfect. Just us being us. Then things happen along the way that we are forced into, introduced to and stumble upon such as our culture, family, history, media, myths and more. We become shrouded in these things that therein shape us. We are told to change, cover up, that somethings are good about us, others bad. We want what we don’t have–for this I reference the self, as in, “I have straight hair but wish I had curly hair” or “I wish I was more outgoing but I’m shy” sort-of-thing.

How can we be free of our-self, the self shrouded in culture-family-media, enough to let go and become our-self? I don’t have the answers but some guesses. We sit with plants and touch the earth with our bare hands. Play with clay. Laugh with the moon. Dance in our bare feet. We smile our smiles and recognize the glimmer of knowledge that we are all born so perfect that no one is perfect. We just are. We belong here just as the plants, insects and minerals. We belong to the Earth and have its permission to revel in it! We have the ability to take off our false skin and dance with the Earth!

Here is a haiku that came to me the other day after speaking with a friend:

She took off her shoes
Danced in the moonlight garden
Laughing with yarrow

Sometimes it’s hard being the bright stars we are. Sometimes we need protection and assistance on our journey. Sometimes we cannot get that from other people and need to turn to the language of plants. Sometimes we need to laugh and talk with plants.

And This Brings Us to Yarrow.

If you came across Yarrow it may quietly tell you to sit down next to it, very closely and touch its leaves. Achillea millefolium = the healing plant (like Achilles, the Grecian warrior) of “thousands of leaves.” The plant will ground you; quietly protect you with its shield-like umbels comprised of multitudes of flowers. These shields may protect and soothe the wounds gathered as you ventured down the road of life. Yarrow may help fortify your reserve so you may look back down those roads in order to reconcile the things that forced you to shape-shift from the perfect being you are.

Yarrow brings that which is down, up. Yarrow will lift you up with its safe, feathery leaves, support you with its stems and project you upwards towards the sky with its flowers. It assists with the transition from being mired in deep muck (e.g., trauma, heavy thoughts) to giving space to to truly see.

Excerpt from "Herb Yarrow" by Annie Adams Fields
"Teach the proud-hearted how to know
The sacred worth of Nature's grant,
The strength of bitterness, and the sweet
Humility of beauty's feet."

An Aromatherapy Blend: Protective Spritzer

Plants do not necessarily “make things go away,” but have the power to create shifts and transformations within us be that physical, emotional or spiritual. Realizing all three are connected. Following is a blend of essential oils you may consider using in a 2 ounce mist applicator or roller ball applicator to foster a protective, heart-centering and self-accepting vibe to help the transition back to yourself. Use the blend daily, up to 3x per day for 21 days. Check in with yourself, daily, to notice how you are feeling as shifts with plants are often subtle.

# of drops	Common Name	Latin Binomial
2	Cistus	Cistus ladanifer
5	Yarrow	Achillea millefolium
2	Rose	Rosa × damascena
10	Palmarosa	Cymbopogon martinii
10	Cypress	Cupressus sempervirens

Thank you for spending time with some poetry, Yarrow and me. Need more Yarrow in your life? Watch the below Plant Talk episode to spend more time with this healing and resilient plant.