Angelica archangelica.  sweet name.

it is a warming bitter…something not easily found in plant medicine.  most bitters are cooling in nature…so if you are chilly person and have digestive issues, this could be a great herb to try.  it also can bring on menses, can be useful for anorexia as it stimulates digestion, is a diaphoretic (induces sweating/moves the excess heat out), and for some that feel herbs have more of a spiritual place in their lives, it can bring protection and angelic presence.

so, this morning, after i had my Rainbow Roast (i am again hooked on the stuff)…i also put on a pot with about a tablespoon or more of angelica root.  and i forgot about it.  when i remembered, the water was gone and the root was a little toasted.  but not burnt…so i figured it was meant to be, and i added more water and set it to a simmer.  20 minutes later i strained it and had a nice hot cup of tea.  i was so pleasantly surprised  by the angelica.  i smelled really good and tasted even better.  it tasted like a broth and i immediately thought it would be a great idea to add this to a bone soup recipe or just a stock for soups.

I drank the whole cup of tea within the half hour, enjoying each sip as much as the last.  no needing to gulp it down like last week.  but then a strange thing happened.  i started to feel uncomfortable.  more emotionally, or energetically, i guess you could say.  i felt i needed to ground myself because i felt too open, too light.  it is hard to explain.  but it reminded me of panic attacks i used to have in my early 20’s…like i was floating.  and back then, i used to think i was dying, because i assumed that being relaxed, open and floating upwards were feeling one would have if they were dying.  the post angelica experience wasn’t as traumatic as those attacks and i know better how to take care of myself now…so, i talked it out with a co-worker, i did some deep breathing and had some five flower flower essence. and i came down.  and it was good to remember what life was like then in my 20’s, to see how far i have come, to see also that i am still me in some quirky ways too.

so…maybe that isn’t the right herb for me, or maybe it is and in jsut need to temper it with other herbs, to balance its strong reaction i had.  see, i don’t think it was a bad thing, those feeling are good for me to process and go through…but maybe in a more gentle way.  or maybe before bed would be nice with some valerian and poppy and mugwort.

thanks for reading along…stop by next week and see what tea is next!