What the Bee Knows:
The Happy Herbs
By Tiffany Lazic
Depression. Ten percent of individuals in countries like the US, the UK, and Canada will experience it. Characterized by feelings of deep sadness, negative thought patterns, apathy, and disruptive eating and sleeping patterns, depression can interfere with all aspects of life, including the ability to function at work and interpersonal relationships. “Having the blues” can feel more like “having the grays” with all the color, lightness, and joy drained out of life.
There are several types of depression. Although the experience can feel the same, there are different contributing factors. Two main delineations encompass most cases of depression: clinical depression and situational depression.
Situational depression can result out of a reaction to a devastating life event, such as death of a loved one, job loss, or divorce. It occurs as a natural response to a life challenge indicating that we are in the grips of the grieving process.
Clinical depression can be initially triggered by a life event, but continues long after the apparent resolution of the challenge. In the case of job loss, the depression continues even after employment has been retained. If there is no identifiable life event that can be attributed to depression, this can also be an indication of clinical depression. It arises from nothing external and nothing seems to contribute to relief of the symptoms.
Depression is not a modern phenomenon. Melancholia was the ancient term, dating back to the fifth century BCE, to describe symptoms of sadness or dejection of the mind, characterized by fears and despondencies. Before the advent of modern pharmaceuticals the ancients turned to other means to balance the dispirited person. In the natural world there were many options that evidently alleviated the depressive symptoms.
All herbs have many different benefits and can be used to address a variety of issues. Each herb also has its own kind of personality. Working with herbs can become like meeting up with familiar friends. You know who to turn to for exactly what you need in that moment. Following the trail of the pollen gathering bee can lead us to many of these friends who support us in a variety of ways to ease anxiety, provide confidence, and lift the spirit.
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma and
Monarda fistulosa)
Bee balm, which is also sometimes referred to as wild bergamot, is a pungent herb that blooms red, pink, or purple flowers sprouting from the top of the plant like a wonderful, wild hairdo. Confusingly, there is also a fruit-bearing tree, the bergamot orange, named for the Italian city of Bergamo. Wild bergamot is part of the mint family and not connected with the tree at all.
Bee balm, well-known for attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, is strongly antiseptic and was used in days of old as a mouthwash. The Blackfoot tribe drank a hot concoction made of bee balm and shared this warming drink with American patriots who were loath to drink British tea after the Boston Tea Party. This became known as oswego tea. As all parts of the above ground herb are edible, it provides a colorful and cheery addition to cooked foods and salads.
As with many herbs, bee balm can be used to alleviate numerous physical symptoms and disorders, from gastrointestinal to menstrual to bronchial. It has, as a healing theme, the sense of soothing that which has flared up and become inflamed. It is gentle, calming, and uplifting, bringing a lightness of energy. There is something so joyful about bee balm. Named very aptly, it is like a balm for the soul. It encourages releasing that which agitates us and reconnects us to that which fosters enjoyment of life. Bee balm is the eternal optimist that helps us see past the challenge to the ease.
Bee Balm Tincture
Fill a Mason jar with fresh leaves and flowers, and cover with either alcohol (80 proof vodka is recommended) or glycerin. For alcohol, shake the jar every day for ten days. For glycerin, allow to steep for four to six weeks, ensuring there are no air pockets. After the required time frame, strain the leaves and flowers from the liquid, and store. The tincture can be used several times daily. Alcohol-based tinctures last for years, however, glycerites have a shelf life of one to two years.
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Borage is an annual herb that grows quickly from seed to plant, offering up beautiful sky blue, star-shaped flowers, giving borage its alternate name, starflower. It also goes by the names bee bread or bee plant. It does well in temperate growing zones, flowering from June to September. Both leaves and flowers can be used medicinally. You want to harvest the leaves when the plant is coming into flower, but handle with care. Prickly hairs cover the leaves and stems, so gloves are recommended when harvesting.
There is some thought that the name borage derives from a corruption of cor and ago, Latin for “I bring the heart,” or from barrach, the Gaelic name for the plant, which translates as “man of courage.” This association between borage and the fortitude of the heart is reflected in the Scottish saying “I borage bring courage.” And the Romans are said to have made an elixir created from borage, which was used to raise confidence.
Borage has a light, cucumber-y taste that is cleansing and refreshing. Its leaves and flowers can be served as a tea, helping with stress and depression. Its sleep-inducing properties alleviate fatigue and exhaustion, and offer adrenal support. Caution must be exercised if using seeds, including borage seed oil, as they contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can cause liver damage.
Borage’s personality is like Gimli the Dwarf in The Lord of the Rings: strong, determined, and courageous with a sharp sense of humor. It serves to bolster us in trying times and gives us vitality.
Borage Tea
Pour a cup of boiling water over 1⁄4 cup of chopped leaves and flowers. Steep for 10 minutes. Strain and serve.
Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
Heather is a small perennial shrub that bears tiny purple or white bell-shaped flowers that flower from July to September. Flowering stems are best collected in the fall. It has been long associated with the Scottish moors, evoking visions of an endless purple expanse. Heather grows well in temperate zones and likes a lot of sunlight, but it has a strong and hardy nature. It grows well in dry soil, and seems able to resist the cold—an important factor for thriving in the Highlands.
Purple heather is said to bring joy and is a traditional housewarming gift to bring blessings to a new household. With a delicate scent and calming effects, it was used in the Highlands to make heather mattresses, laying the flowering tops of the branches toward the head of the bed. Less common than the purple variety, white heather was thought to bring luck and to grow in places where fairies rested.
There is a beautiful delicacy to heather, which belies the strength and hardiness that lies at its core. Heather’s healing energy gives a message that one can walk a challenging path with a lightness of step, and it helps us bring to mind that there may be magic around the corner. Heather is the innocent who connects us to the beauty in the world.
Heather Sachet
Simply place several handfuls of dried heather flowers into a small fabric bag with a drawstring and close. Alternately, cut fabric with an uplifting or soothing pattern into a rectangle. The size is a matter of personal choice. Fold the fabric in half, pattern-side out, and sew up the two sides, leaving the top open. Turn the sachet inside out so that the pattern is now on the outside, and fill with heather flowers. Sew along the top, taking care to fully close your calming sachet.
Lavender (Lavendula officinalis)
What heather is to the Highlands, lavender is to France. It is a beautiful, hardy shrub with flowers that range in color from dark to light purple and white, including the shade that it gives its name. The gorgeous image of purple lavender fields in Provence is often enough to prompt the olfactory response of its familiar scent. As with heather, it prefers sunny places and does well in dry soil. It flowers from June to September and is best harvested just before the flowers open.
Lavender has long been known for its calming benefits. The delicate scent from its flowers are used in everything from soaps to perfumes and potpourris. As well as alleviating symptoms of depression, lavender can soothe in times of restlessness or agitation. It is used to relieve migraines, which from a psychosomatic perspective are linked to repressed anger and negative thoughts, both of which contribute to depression.
Lavender’s healing energy is like being enfolded in the comforting arms of a beloved grandmother. It offers respite from negativity and hardship. It is the soft sanctuary that restores us to be able to enter into the fray once again.
Lavender Cookies
1⁄2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lavender flowers, certified organic or wildcrafted
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat eggs, vanilla, and lavender flowers into the mixture. Combine flour and baking powder separately, then stir into mixture until well-blended. Drop teaspoon-sized balls onto ungreased cookie tray, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown.
Rosemary (Rosmarimus officinalis)
Three herbs are said to connect with feminine cycles. At one end of the spectrum there is the youth of thyme that refreshes. At the other end of the spectrum there is the ageless wisdom of sage. Bridging them is rosemary, the herb that centers.
Rosemary is a hardy evergreen that produces blue, pink, or white flowers in the late spring and mild weather. Its long, thin leaves are best known for culinary purposes, used both to flavor meat dishes and as an addition to vegetables and salad dressings. Though it has a sharp, pungent smell, rosemary tends to calm and restore.
Rosemary is a stimulant that can alleviate muscle pain, improve memory, and boost the immune system. Its healing energy is like the encouraging mother, helping us to connect with that which is best in ourselves. Rosemary awakens and invigorates, guiding us to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and letting us know that we have what it takes within ourselves to reach that point.
Rosemary Dressing
1 clove minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1⁄2 cup virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper (optional)
Place all ingredients, except for olive oil and salt/pepper, in a bowl, and whisk until blended. Slowly add the olive oil. If you choose, add salt and pepper to taste.
White Sage (Salvia apiana)
Entering the world of the sages is like stepping into a vast smorgasbord of possibility, making it virtually impossible to describe briefly. Garden or kitchen sage (Salvia officinalis) is a common culinary herb that has been well known and well used for centuries, but there is a seemingly endless variety of sage available, including the clary sages and the chia sages. Not every sage is ingestible. Some, such as Russian sage, are far better suited to use for their beautiful scent.
The Latin salvia means “to heal” or “to save.” It gives us the words salve and salvation, both of which offer a sense of the sage’s power to support health, both in body and in spirit. It is a stimulant known for relieving conditions of a weak digestion, as well as reducing fevers and calming nervous conditions. White sage, in particular, has come to be associated with use in ceremony and for purification. Known as bee sage, it helps to bring a sense of centeredness and sacredness of purpose when burned in a smudge stick.
All sages, as the name would imply, have the personality of the elder who guides us with heart and objectivity. Sage helps us to rise above what may be keeping us stuck to see the big picture, and to know in our hearts that “this too shall pass.”
Sage Smudge
Bundle several branches of fresh white sage together with a length of twine. Wrap the twine several times around the base, leaving a short piece of the twine as a tail. Continue to wrap up to the top, and back down again, knotting the remaining twine with the tail to secure the wrapping. Hang your bundle in a cool, shaded location. When it is dry, it is ready to use.
Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
Thyme, like sage, is an herb of tremendous variety, the most familiar of which is the culinary plant, garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris). It is low-lying and shrub-like with flowering tops that should be collected between June and August.
Thyme, with its youthful association, reduces tiredness, bringing courage and strength, particularly if one feels drained after a long illness or challenge. Wild thyme, which is much favored by honeybees, has a wonderfully uplifting lemon scent that dispels the heaviness of depression.
All thymes have the personality of determination and energy often associated with youth. Not the innocence of heather, instead thyme is the seeker who encourages us to continue on, opening us to explore the mysterious, and providing balance to energy stores so we do not feel overwhelmed by our experiences and adventures.
Thyme Bath
Add several springs of thyme to your bath to bring energy levels to a healthy, balanced flow.
A Balance of Options
When dealing with issues of mental and emotional health, it is very important to be discerning about one’s options for treatment. The bee knows the many herbs that bring feelings of peace and calm. However, there are many instances where it is also important to consider seeking professional help, particularly if one is dealing with clinical depression. If one is taking prescribed medication, it is also important to check for possible negative interactions between the herbal and pharmaceutical approaches.
Regardless of whether we use herbs for ingesting, as in foods and teas, or whether we are introducing them into our environment as in sachets and baths, the bee leads us to those happy herbs that bring sweetness back into our lives. The bee teaches us to savor the nectar offered by nature, and to see life as an expansive field waiting to be explored with joy and wonder. And the bee knows that it is through our experiences, as we travel up hill and down dale, that we gather all we need to create the stuff of potent healing and nourishment.
For Further Study
Culpeper, Nicholas. Culpeper’s Complete Herbal: A Book of Natural Remedies for Ancient Ills. London: Wordsworth Editions, 1995.
Grieve, M. A. Modern Herbal: The Medicinal, Culinary, Cosmetic, and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folk-lore of Herbs, Grasses, Fungi, Shrubs, & Trees with All Their Modern Scientific Uses. New York: Dover Publications, 1971.
Hoffman, David. Holistic Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies. London: Thorsons, 2002.
Hopman, Ellen Evert. Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore. Los Angeles: Pendraig Publishing, 2011.
Paine, Angela. The Healing Power of Celtic Plants: Their History, Their Use, and the Scientific Evidence That They Work. Winchester, UK: O Books, 2006.
Tiffany Lazic is a Spiritual Psychotherapist with over sixteen years experience in individual, couples, and group therapy. As the owner of The Hive and Grove Centre for Holistic Wellness, she created and teaches two self-development programs, Patterns of Conscious Living Program and Spiritual Language of the Divine Program, as well as teaching in the Transformational Arts College of Spiritual and Holistic Training’s Spiritual Directorship and Divine Connections Training Programs. An international presenter and keynote speaker, Tiffany has conducted workshops for many conferences and organizations in Canada and the UK, including the 2013 Energy Psychology Conference. She is a member of the Sisterhood of Avalon where she serves on the Board of Trustees and in the Avalonian Thealogical Seminary. She is the local coordinator for Kitchener’s Red Tent Temple. Tiffany is the author of The Great Work: Self-Knowledge and Healing Through the Wheel of the Year (Llewellyn, 2015).