Flexibility without Snapping

With the sun hidden behind clouds that threatened rain, it was a perfect gardening day.  In fact, as the breeze kicked up, I could swear there was a hint of autumn in the air.  I gathered my gear and headed out to the garden.

My first stop was Vitex agnus-castus, more commonly known as Chaste tree.  She’s about 10 years old now and just finished with a fabulous display of fragrant, purple flowers that are a favorite stop for bees and butterflies.  My idea was to hard prune for a second round of blossoms, to feed the pollinators before cooler weather arrives. 

She’s about 8 ft. tall now so while pruning, I bent the branches to clip off spent flowerheads.  During this time, I began to recognize the “feminine” nature of this plant.  In herbalism, Vitex is considered women’s medicine.  It is helpful for a range of hormone related issues including PMS symptoms, uterine fibroids, infertility, endometriosis, PCOS symptoms, and menopause. 

In this midst of this pondering, I became aware that I had the branches pulled to almost a 45 degree angle.  What flexibility without snapping or breaking!  I was WOWED and then came the insight that as women, this superpower of flexibility helps us navigate life stressors… which can then affect hormone function!

There is something called “The Doctrine of Signatures”, which some call pseudoscience but which others, like  Paracelsus (1493–1541) (and myself, The Eve, 1959 – Present) who wrote that "nature marks each growth ... according to its curative benefit".

I just love being in nature, watching, learning and remembering.  I love it so much that our yard is certified as a “Jersey Friendly Yard” New Jersey Native Plants, Landscaping Design by the Barnegat Bay Partnership and am waiting for certification from The National Wildlife Federation https://certifiedwildlifehabitat.nwf.org/  I’d encourage you to support your local environment by checking out these websites and then tweaking your environment.

In celebration of Vitex, during the month of August I’ll donate $5 of my session fee to Barnegat Bay Partnership in support of their wonderful, informative programs. 

“Enjoy Creating Your Day!”

This information is not a substitute for medical advice.  Vitex may interact with medications, especially hormonal therapies.  It is generally safe for long-term use, although individual responses can vary.