Breathing Easy Much Faster with New England Aster

September 2013 Volume 5 Issue 9 zine

Planting a Seed of Knowledge Breathing Easy for a Lifetime Much Faster of Herbal Wisdom with New England Aster

1 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown J Written and Illustrated by Kristine BrownJ Herbal Roots Zine is a monthly activity magazine created to teach kids about medicinal herbs. All writings and illustrations are created and owned by Kristine Brown and are subject to copyright laws. All rights reserved. Please do not distribute this packet outside of your immediate family or use any part of it for resale value. Libraries are welcome to print out a copy to place in a binder for their loan system.

Commercial and classroom rates are available. All information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition.

Text and Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Kristine Brown Herbal Roots zine 8801 State Route 162 Troy, Illinois 62294 [email protected] Herbal Roots zine ISSN 2166-4668 (online) http://herbalrootszine.com/ https://www.facebook.com/herbalrootszine

Note to Parents 3 Supply List 5 Calendar 6 Herb Spirits 7

All About...New England Aster 9

Scramble, Search and More 15 Herbal Botany 18 Herbal Lore 20 Songs and Poems 24 Herbal Recipes 25 Coloring Page 29 Herbal Crafts and More 30 Maze 33 Herbal Journal 34 Crossword Puzzle 36 Resource Page 38

2 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown Note to Parents Dear Parents, Congratulations on starting your child(ren) on their lifelong journey of herbal learning! Empowering children to take control of their health and well being through using natural herbal remedies is one of the most important things we can do for them. Each month we will focus on one plant and take your child(ren) on a journey of discovery. By the time they have worked through this issue they should have a good working knowledge of New England Aster. Of course for this to remain with them, they must be encouraged to use the plant as often as possible. In addition to this zine (which we recommend you print out a copy per child who will be using it), there are some supplies that will be needed to get the most out of this issue. We have created a master list of items in the next section to help you get started on collecting the items needed. In the back of this issue is a journal page for your child to keep notes on their activities using New England Aster. They should write down any recipes they create or any experiences they have with using California Poppy along with the date of when it was used. As they grow and use more herbs, these journal pages will be important for them to refer back to. We’ve included a monthly calendar of suggested activities to incorporate herbal learning into your daily activities. If you’re not sure how to incorporate Herbal Roots into your daily learning routine, use the calendar as a way to get started. Subscribers have found this to be a great starting point whether they are homeschoolers trying to fit Herbal Roots Zine and herbal learning into their daily school routine or public/private schoolers trying to fit a few minutes of herbal learning into their hectic after school routine. My hope is that this calendar will be a starting point to get kids exploring herbs on their own and learn to bring a bit of herbal joy into their everyday lives.

3 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown Note to Parents Be sure to check in with our blog! Every Monday we offer a giveaway. Your child(ren) can sign up for a chance to win all sorts of great items including wooden animals, clay pendants and herbal gift packages from grassroots companies such as Mountain Rose Herbs and many herbalists from around the country. For new subscribers, I’d like to suggest investing in a binder of some sort to put these monthly sheets in. One per child if possible so they can each have their own little herbal book. They’ll be pasting actual samples of the herbs in here along with keeping a journal of all their thoughts and explorations of each particular herb. That will create a wonderful memory to last through the schooling lifetime! They are building an herbal foundation of knowledge to be used for the rest of their lives. These are real herbs that can be found almost anywhere or grown very easily. Having this knowledge is very powerful and will stay with them for a lifetime! A great way to introduce Herbal Roots zine is to have them decorate a cover page for their own binder. You can also download a ready made binder cover on our website at: http://www.herbalrootszine.com/freebies/. You might also consider having them make a Herbarium if they haven’t already. Directions can be found on our website. Look for the tutorial in the articles section of our website! What’s new? Be sure to scope out our new label pages! Each month we’ll have a label sheet for the recipes that can be printed on sticky back paper. Choose from predesigned or basic so your child(ren) can decorate it the way they prefer it! You can also find them on our Freebie page. Most of all, have fun. Learn, explore, discover, taste and dream. The herbs are playful and we should be too. Until next month,

Peace and Herbs!

Ingredients New England Aster flowers and upper leaves, fresh and/or dried (fresh is needed for craft project) Grain alcohol Water New England Aster extract

Supplies Glass jar labels Knife Cutting board Strainer or muslin bag Tea cup Bowl Towel Plastic wrap Rolling pin Metal spatula Toothpick Parchment paper Baking sheet Oven Polymer clay glaze Paintbrush Optional: round magnets Polymer clay: white, cream, pale green or any color of choice Sharp knife or Round cookie cutter, slightly larger than the dimension of the flower

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 Check 6 7 What Harvest the Start an resource Giveaway is your some page for extract Monday* impression flowers lots of of NEA of NEA? and great today. articles on leaves to NEA.*** dry. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Know Poison Ivy Time for Giveaway someone’s Make got you a botany who’s feeling itching? Try Monday* sick? Make some NEA lesson! pendants! a NEA them some wash. See page NEA tea. 17. 15 16 17 18 19 Have 20 21 Tell a Review you been Review Giveaway friend how to journaling with the do a about your Monday* NEA’s steam NEA crossword story. today. exper- puzzle! iences? 22 23 24 25 26 27 It’s 28 Sing New Share Listen to time to say Giveaway England your Flora good-bye to Delaterre NEA. How Monday * Aster’s photos on talk about have your song. our Flickr NEA.*** thoughts page.** changed? 29 30

October issue is out today!

*Go online to Herbal Roots’ website at: http://herbalrootszine.com to see what’s new there! Every month I’ll be giving away a copy of Herbal Roots and many more goodies including plants, clay pendants and wooden critters made by local mama artists. **Have any pictures to share? Post them on our Flicker page at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/herbalrootszine. We’d love to see what you’ve been up to!

***See the resource section for links to great articles on this month’s herb!

6 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown Herb Spirits Visualizing herbal spirits can help you understand and remember the herb better. Before you read anything about New England Aster, take a few minutes to fill out this page with your thoughts and feelings. After you have learned all about New England Aster, fill out the second page with how you view New England Aster after learning about this herb. Compare your answers and see how your understanding and knowledge of New England Aster has changed and grown over the course of this issue. There are no right or wrong answers. Part 1: Fill out BEFORE you learn all about New England Aster.

Q What color is this Herbal Spirit?______

Q What body type?(long, lean, plump, wispy, stout, etc.)

______

Q Any particularly pronounced features? (eyes, ears,

feet, belly, fingers.....?)______

Q What personality? (fiery, calm, flighty, aggressive,

grounded...)______

Q Age? (baby, youth, crone...)______

Q Ethnicity? ______

Q Gender? Circle one: male, female, gender neutral

Q Herbal Spirit energy

Circle one: cooling, warming, drying, moistening

Q Element? Circle one: fire, water, earth, wood, metal, air

Part 2: Fill out AFTER you learn all about New England Aster.

Q What color is this Herbal Spirit? ______

Q What body type?(long, lean, plump, wispy, stout, etc.)

______

Q Any particularly pronounced features? (eyes, ears,

feet, belly, fingers.....?)______

Q What personality? (fiery, calm, flighty, aggressive,

grounded...)______

Q Age? (baby, youth, crone...)______

Q Ethnicity? ______

Q Gender? Circle one: male, female, gender neutral

Q Herbal Spirit energy

Circle one: cooling, warming, drying, moistening

Q Element? Circle one: fire, water, earth, wood, metal, air

Q Q Q How did your answers change?______

How did they stay the same?______

Did any of your changes surprise you?______

Why or why not?______

Often referred to as It-Brings-the-Fall by Native Americans, New England Aster has mostly disappeared from use by herbalists of this century though she is now making a comeback. Herbalists such as jim mcdonald, Sean Donahue, Kiva Rose, Lisa Rose Starner and myself have used this wonderful plant with great success. A perennial in the Aster family, New England Aster is known as Symphyotrichum novae-angliae in botanical terms and was formerly listed as Aster novae-angliae. Other asters that can be used interchangeably include Dieteria bigelovii, Aster tataricus and A. subspicatus. These flowers are late bloomers as their Native American name implies, they are always one of the last to bloom in the late summer and early fall before winter begins his dance with the plants, coaxing them into slumber. The flowers of New England Aster contain radiantly purple outer ray flowers and vivid yellow central disk flowers. They are generally sticky or resinous to the touch, containing lots of resin. If you are lucky enough to have some New England Asters growing in your area, seek some out and pick a few flowers and leaves for sampling. Smell it. New England is very aromatic, isn’t she? Chew a flower up. What do you taste? Bitter? Maybe with a mildly sweet aftertaste? How does it make your mouth feel?

9 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown All About New England Aster! Do you need a drink of water? Perhaps because of the bitterness, perhaps also because your mouth is becoming dry a bit from the flowers themselves. Traditionally the roots have been used but herbalists today generally use the flowers with the same or better effects than the roots. In my practice, I have only used the flowers and leaves, I couldn’t bear to dig up the plants and sacrifice some of the roots. Others may not have that problem as she can become a bit invasive in some areas. Medicinally, New England Aster is antispasmodic, aromatic, a calmative, carminative, decongestant, diaphoretic, expectorant, nervine, relaxant and stimulant. Let’s take a look at these actions a bit at a time... New England Aster has an affinity for the lungs. I reach for this plant any time I am having lung issues. Whether it’s asthma, allergy or anxiety related, New England Aster has the power to help me breathe again. Shortness of breath, trouble breathing or congestion are all relieved with just a few doses of the flower tincture. I have tried out New England Aster on many of my clients dealing with seasonal asthma, asthma and allergies with great success. As an antispasmodic, New England Aster is great for relieving coughs from bronchitis, colds and flus and combined with her decongestant, expectorant, relaxant and stimulant powers, she becomes a first rate herb to use for ridding the lungs of any congestion, stuck or not. Herbalist Lisa Rose Starner likes it for 10 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown All About New England Aster! “wet, damp, stuck asthma/allergy issues for relaxing and opening up the airways as a bronchiodilator.” For treating spasms, New England Aster seems to work better as a preventative than a treatment though in the middle of an acute situation I have found relief after repeating the dose several times. Sean Donahue has also mentioned this in his work with New England Aster as well: “I tend to use about 15 drops in acute situations - most effective when the is tightness around the airway that signals that an attack is imminent but spasms have not begun." Another interesting aspect to New England Aster is her cumulative effect on asthma sufferers. Over time, I and my clients have found that the asthmatic episodes are fewer and further between while the need for an inhaler becomes substantially less. jim mcdonald has also discovered this in his work: “In the numerous years that have followed, I have repeatedly (though of course not always) seen this... use of aster tincture offers a lasting (and seemingly cumulative) effect and can often lessen a person's dependence on their inhaler. I've on several occasions seen people who used their inhalers several times a day be able to reduce to once a day or less.” When you’re feeling very congested and stuffy from a respiratory illness, call on New England Aster’s decongestant and expectorant actions to help clear you up. This works best if the plant is used in a steam and it will almost immediately break up the congestion in the upper respiratory tract and help 11 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown All About New England Aster! you to expectorate the excess mucus. Dry New England Aster leaves and flowers (they will most likely turn to fluff but still be perfectly fine for use) during their blooming season to use for this during the off seasons. It may seem funny that a plant can be both a relaxant and a stimulant but New England Aster is. How is that? Let’s take a look at the lungs again, New England Aster’s favorite place to work on. When we have a chest cold, we may have lots of stuck mucus in our chest and have a spasmodic unproductive cough. New England Aster’s relaxant action will help to calm the lungs’ unproductive spasmodic cough while her stimulating action will help to stimulate the mucus to break up and come up easily. The stimulating action may then help the lungs to cough up the excess mucus while the relaxant properties will keep them from becoming spasmodic about it. These actions don’t just work on the lungs though. As a nervine and relaxant, New England Aster will help you to slow down and take the time to stop and smell the flowers. Though not as strong as a sedative, many people find using New England Aster in place of Valerian helpful for achieving a calm without the after effects that Valerian can bring. I personally find New England Aster to be that gentle nudge needed when I feel a panic attack coming on, enough to help my breathing return to normal and the tension to ease up allowing me to take deep breaths again. I have not found her to be overly relaxing to the point that I want to fall asleep though I imagine if she were taken at night right before bed, her relaxing effect might be enough to help slumber happen. While this action does partially play out on my lungs, it is also affecting my nervous system, calming it down so that I can relax and breathe.

12 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown All About New England Aster! Earlier I had you smell New England Aster and you most likely found her to be very aromatic. Usually this is a quality that is in the Mint family though other plants can carry this trait as well. Do you remember what this trait triggers in the body? Aromatics trigger the digestive system and are often referred to as carminatives and or digestives. Though I wouldn’t reach for New England Aster as my first choice as a carminative, she has been found useful for those feeling gassy and bloated to help relieve the gas from the body. During a feverish episode, New England Aster’s diaphoretic action can be useful for helping to lower a fever and support the body during fevers. jim mcdonald recommends a hot infusion of the dried plant with a squirt of the tincture added in. He also mentions that sore throats during these fevers seems to disappear but a normal sore throat without a fever will not be affected by the mixture. Topically, a wash made from an infusion of the flowers has been used for treating poison ivy, oak and sumac. I have recently been testing this action on myself and clients with good results. Instead of making a wash, we made spit poultices from the leaves and buds. The itching immediately disappeared and the rash did not spread. This plant combines well with Wild Cherry, Elecampane, Wild Lettuce, Mullein and Plantain.

13 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown All About New England Aster! Chide me not, laborious band, for the idle flowers I brought; Every aster in my hand goes home loaded with a thought. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Glossary

Antispasmodic - Relieves spasms in the body. Aromatic - Plants with high volatile oil levels which smell strongly, stimulating the digestive system. Calmative - Having a soothing effect. Carminative - Inducing the expulsion of gas from the stomach and intestines. Decongestant - Helps to relieve nasal congestion in the upper respiratory tract. Diaphoretic - Promotes sweating, helpful for relieving a fever through perspiration. Expectorant - Promotes and facilitates the discharge of mucus and fluids from the respiratory tract. Nervine - Having a beneficial effect on the nervous system Perennial - Plants that die back to the roots after a complete growing cycle and return from the roots the next growing season. Relaxant - Calming and soothing without being sedating Resinous - A thick, sticky substance that is secreted from a plant. Stimulant - Energizes a system of the body

14 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown Scramble , Search & More! M V E I L T A A T D U I O E N D C T I P T U S T R M L N P C S W N O E M A R R R Y S R M R N S M S R U R I O O P S N E N E I E V E C E M O I D A A T T R A O T T T E S A T S N L R C E L E N P S T S I N T T O I M E N A N C P S G S G N A T E C C S N T S C C A M U E C E S N O T S A U N S R V L L E O M U P G X A U S U I G E X A A E I O I D S I O S A R T M E N I N C T R X N E U S O S N I Y H L V H A A C I E A A T T I M E P M O R A P M W G R A Y X N W L R A U L L S C R M N A P A N S I S A E D S H R E E T R O S C S L T D T A M A T N A R O T C E P X E A N E M A Y O P E S A S T W L P P T M T I O C T S T T S A G R A M R T N N N C E E S O D I A P H O R E T I C O R A N T E E E L U O N I T C B A S L N N R O N C C L I L A S T A O A S D A R I E W G T P L G E O S C C M E C T T A F C L A E C C M S N A E A A E U R R C A L R I S E T A R P R C E I U U P R R N S S R E W O L F E C N C N R A G G R A O L E E O A M H T M G D N E A E T E M E R S A S A O T A N M R C T I A H O I T R S T A G N G A A A X N O C N A H E E E N N A M D E I S A D I P A E A E E E V I T A M L A C U T G E A I S I O V I I E L N I R E A I L G N A E A V O N M U H C I R T O Y H P M Y S L C E L A I X A H A T E T I E E E L A E U D H N S W E N O G G E A E O I I N R T E N A I G R G A S F I C T O W T R I N T A D E M S L A A L T E A T C E A L E G T V I C A T P A S W E L N P I O E R E C R E W H A

Allergies Calmative Lungs Roots Antispasmodic Decongestant Nervine Stimulant Aromatic Diaphoretic Perennial Sweet Asteraceae Drying Symphyotrichum novae-angliae Asthma Expectorant Relaxant Warming Bitter Flowers Resinous

M I S T A N C P I A D S O ______

T C N E A P R X O E T ______

C I H T P E A R I O D ______

C M I O T R A A ______

T N M A I L T U S ______

G T N N O A C T E S D E ______

E R N E I N V ______

E M V L I A T C A ______

E I V I M T R A A N C ______

X A T L N E A R ______

Put the actions in alphabetical order.

______

Circle the energetics of New England Aster.

Sweet Acrid Sour Bitter

Cooling Neutral Warming

Cold Drying Hot Moistening

How many words can you make out of New England Aster’s botanical name? Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

17 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown Herbal Botany Read through the information on New England Aster’s anatomy then label the words with their corresponding numbers. Color the picture when you are finished labeling it. New England Aster is a member of the Aster family, Asteraceae and is listed under the Aster subfamily in the Aster tribe. New England Aster is native to North America and a perennial. Plants grow from a single stem and occasionally branch out near the top. If they are pruned during the growing season, they will branch out more. Stems are hairy and grow from 2 1/2 to 6 feet (76 cm - 1.83 m) high. Leaves grow up to 4 inches long and 1 inch wide alternately up the stem. They have broad clasping bases and pointed tips. Flowers grow on individual stalks at the top of the main stem, in open, rounded clusters. The stalks of the flowers and the bracts at the base of each flower head are covered with gland tipped hairs. Each flower head is about 1 1/2 inches wide and contains both ray and disk flowers. There are typically 40 or more bright purple ray flowers which surround a central yellow disk flower cluster. The seeds are actually achenes which is a hardened fruit that surrounds the seed. Each achene is topped off with a ray of ‘fluff’ known as the pappus which enables the seed to be carried by the wind.

New England Aster Speaks, Will You Listen? nce upon a time, in the days before technology and high rises and paved roads, there lived many indiginous people of the land. These people lived Opeacefully among the other creatures who walked the Earth, having a deep respect for them. The people did not needlessly kill the animals, instead they only took the old and weak for themselves when they were in need of food, clothing and tools. The people honored these animals, asking for permission to use them so that they could live on and always giving offerings back and helping the herds to thrive in their area. The people and the animals flourished. In the same way, the people also had great respect for the plants that grew all around them, plants that they relied on for food, medicine, paint, clothing, shelters, containers and so much more. Again, they did not needlessly go about killing the plants or over harvesting them. They often harvested seed in the autumn to sprinkle on the ground in the spring to help spread the plants around. And so the people lived harmoniously. Now, it is often asked when we talk about the ancients before us, how did they know which plants could heal them and which plants could kill them? For now, in modern times, we often rely on books and our teachers to tell us these things until we get familiar enough with plants to start testing this out for ourselves. How then, did the first ones know? They couldn’t have possibly used trial and error for all those plants, could they? Would they?

Absolutely not!

20 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown Herbal Lore Back in the ancient days, people had the ability to sit and talk with the plants. Something we can still do today if we sit and try really hard to do. I shall share the secret with you on how to do this. Keep in mind, when the plants are talking to you, they are not going to call out your name: “Hey Janie! How are you today? Come and sit next to me awhile!” No, plants are a bit more subtle than that. But they do talk to you if you are willing to listen. Go and find a plant you are attracted to and go sit by it. Ask the plant to share its wisdom with you. Close your eyes and think about the plant. Sometimes it can be helpful to hold a sprig of the plant while you do this. At first when you do this, you may not get much. There are two reasons for this, one is that the plant may be shy and the other is that you may be unsure of your ability to listen to the plants. The more you sit with them and talk with them, the more you will start to hear. It is often just a thought that pops into your head, something strong and persistent. Over time, you may get these thoughts as soon as you walk up to a plant without even asking. Others will shout out at you as you pass them by, paying them no heed. Well, that’s just what it was like in the ancient times. And so, back to our story. Today, not everyone cares to listen to the plants. And back then, the same was true, not everyone cared to sit and listen to the plants. But, there was a little girl who was about 11 years old who lived in a teepee with her mother, father and younger brother who was about 7. Her younger brother often had problems breathing. When the weather grew colder and the air drier, he wheezed and struggled to breathe. Each year, his breathing worsened and the medicine man of the tribe

21 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown Herbal Lore could not find any plants to help out the little boy. So, the little girl decided it was time to help him out. She wandered into the prairie and called out to the plants, “Please great healers, someone here must have something to offer my brother. Who will help him breathe again?” And so she went, plant to plant, asking “Will you help my brother today?” but not getting any responses. Saddened she sat down next to a clump of flowers that had not yet begun to show their blossoms as it was mid- August and these plants did not usually begin their blooms until well into September. “Oh why won’t any of you help my brother?” she cried. “I would be delighted to help him,” she heard a voice say to her. “Who said that?!” the girl cried out excitedly. “It is I,” Aster said as the wind gently picked up, causing a stem of her plant to bend towards the girl and touch her. “But you are usually used to treat arrow wounds,” she replied. “Ahhhh, so you doubt my wisdom and abilities based on what I already do? Let me ask you, have you ever wanted to try to do something new only to have someone tell you couldn’t because you are too young or a girl or because your task was already selected for you?” “Why yes,” the little girl mused. “And how did that make you feel?” Aster asked her. As the little girl gazed at the plant in thought, it seemed as if some of Aster’s flowers had started to bud and bloom. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. The buds and blossoms remained.

22 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown Herbal Lore “Sad and discouraged sometimes and sometimes, it makes me determined to prove everybody wrong!” she said, sitting up straighter at the thought of being told she wasn’t big enough to do a task she wanted to do. “Well, then, why are you treating me so?” Wide eyed, the little girl apologized then smiled as Aster burst out in flower at that moment. “Pick my flowers, as many as you can, take care, they are rather sticky but that is good. Take them back and make a tea any time your brother needs help breathing.” “Oh, thank you beautiful one!” the girl cried out and jumping up, she pulled her lunch of dried fish out of her pocket. “For you,” she stated as she nestled the fish down among the stems of Aster. Then she solemnly harvested the flowers and took them home to her brother, forgetting to find another lunch in her hurry to try out the flowers. She found her mother starting dinner on the outdoor fire when she returned. She told her of her tale while she pulled the flowers from her pouch. They made a tea for her brother and gave it to him. For the first time in his life he was able to breathe without any struggle. The little girl shared her new knowledge with the medicine man who in turn used Aster for many other lung ailments with great success.

And the little girl continued to visit Aster and other plants, often giving them her lunches in exchange for their willingness to heal and share their medicine with her.

New England Aster, Come heal my allergies, and help me breathe again when asthma tries to win. Relieve my coughing, expectorate my lungs, and I’ll feel good again, when you are done.

When I am wheezing, Bronchitis got me down, my lungs are hurting so, to New England Aster I’ll go Sore throat with fever, Get some relief at last, For any lung ailment, This aster’s fast!

Flower Haiku inspired by jim mcdonald I eat a flower and absentmindedly start to watch the clouds

New England Aster Helps my breathing faster than many other herbs.

Ingredients Tools New England Aster flowers and Glass jar upper leaves labels Grain alcohol Knife Water Cutting board

Carefully chop up enough flowers and leaves to loosely fill your jar. Fill 3/4 full with grain alcohol then top off with water. Label your jar and let steep for 4 - 6 weeks. Shake once or twice daily while singing the New England Aster song to her.

General Dosage Adults: Children: 15 - 20 drops. Can be 2-6 5 drops. Can be repeated a few times every repeated a few times 20 minutes. every 20 minutes. 7-12 10 drops. Can be repeated a few times every 20 minutes.

New England Aster Tea Drinking the tea is especially helpful for those with respiratory infections trying to seek relief from feverish conditions. Those with sore throats and fevers may find relief from both with this tea.

Ingredients Tools Dried New England Aster Strainer or muslin bag flowers and leaves Tea cup New England Aster extract Boiling water

Add 2 teaspoons of broken up flowers and leaves to the tea strainer or muslin bag and steep in a cup of tea for 15 minutes. Strain off the flowers and leaves then add a dose of New England Aster extract (see the extract section for dosage). Drink while hot.

New England Aster Wash

A wash of New England Aster can be helpful

for soothing and healing the rash from Poison

Ivy as well as cuts and other rashes.

Begin by making a tea from the flowers and/or

leaves in a bowl. A handful of flowers and

leaves should be enough. Once it has steeped

and is cool enough to tolerate, submerge the

afflicted body part in the bowl. If it is on a

large portion of the body, soak a cloth in the

tea and place on the rash. Repeat as often as

needed.

Alternatively, a spit poultice makes a great

quick fix for these ailments as well. Simply

chew and spit out the flowers, buds and/or

leaves onto the affected area.

New England Aster Steam Steams are great for breaking up congestion and stuffiness and New England Aster works wonders for both.

Ingredients Tools Boiling water Bowl Dried New England Aster Towel flowers and leaves

You will need a helper for this one! Start by draping the towel over your head, holding it up on either side with your arms and hands. Have your helper add a handful of flowers and leaves to the bowl and set it in front of you. You should be high enough above the bowl that you can lean over comfortably and rest your elbows on either side of it while keeping your face far enough from the steam that you don’t burn yourself with it. When you are comfortable, have your helper pour boiling water slowly into the bowl until it is half full. Quickly lean over and cover the bowl with your face and towel (remember to remain high enough away from the bowl but close enough to capture the steam. Breathe in slowly and deeply and let the steam do its work!

New England Aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

Herb Pressing/Drawing Draw a picture of New England Aster here or place a few leaves in the box if you have her growing nearby. Decorate the frame.

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

30 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown Herbal Crafts and More! New England Aster Pendant There are many uses for this beautiful pendant. It can be strung on hemp string, a cord of leather or a metal chain to make a necklace, or on a small ball chain or smaller string for a decorate key ring or ornament. If you omit the hole, you can glue a magnet to the back of it to make pretty refrigerator magnets.

You will need: Fresh New England Aster flowers Polymer clay: white, cream, pale green or any color of choice Plastic wrap Rolling pin Sharp knife or Round cookie cutter, slightly larger than the dimension of the flower Toothpick Metal spatula Parchment paper Baking sheet Oven Polymer clay glaze Paintbrush Optional: round magnets

Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and set aside. Lay a piece of plastic wrap down on a work surface. Using the rolling pin, roll the polymer clay out until it is about 1/4” thick. Remove the flowers from the stems and place them right side up on the clay, allowing for space between each on to be cut out.

31 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown Herbal Crafts and More! Cover with another piece of plastic wrap and gently roll the rolling pin over the flowers to press them into the clay. Using the sharp knife or round cookie cutter, cut out around each flower to make individual pendants. Place the pendants on the parchment paper. If you will be using them as a pendant, poke a hole in the top of each with a toothpick, wiggling it in the hole to widen to the desired size for what you will be stringing it with. Make sure the hole goes completely through the pendant and is the same width on both sides.

Bake at 275° Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes or until pieces are hard. If they are over baked, they will start to burn. If you are small, have a big person help you with this step so that you don’t get burned. Let the pieces cool before handling them. Paint each piece with the glaze being careful not to clog the holes made for the pendants. After the glaze has dried string up the pendants or glue magnets onto the backs.

Find your way through the New England Aster flower!

Start

Finish

1 2 3 4

5 6

8 9

Antispasmodic Decongestant Relaxant Aromatic Diaphoretic Resinous Asteraceae Expectorant Roots Asthma Flowers Stimulant Calmative Nervine Symphyotrichum Carminative Perennial

Across 5 Calming and soothing without being sedating.

7 Promotes and facilitates the discharge of mucus and fluids from the respiratory tract. 11 Relieves spasms in the body. 14 Promotes sweating, helpful for relieving a fever through perspiration. 16 Plants that die back to the roots after a complete growing cycle and return from the roots the next growing season. 17 Inducing the expulsion of gas from the stomach and intestines.

Down 1 Part of plant most commonly used today for medicine.

2 Energizes a system of the body. 3 Helps to relieve nasal congestion in the upper respiratory tract. 4 A disorder that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.

6 Having a soothing effect. 8 A thick, sticky substance that is secreted from a plant. 9 Genus New England Aster belongs to. 10 Plants with high volatile oil levels which smell strongly, stimulating the digestive system.

12 Family New England Aster belongs to. 13 Having a beneficial effect on the nervous system.

15 Part of plant used historically for medicine.

37 Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown Reference & Resource Page This is a short list of some great resources for teaching kids more about herbs. For a more complete list, go to http://www.herbalrootszine.com/herbal-learning-resources/. Books For more reading about herbs, try these kid friendly books! Those highlighted in purple contain specific information about New England Aster. Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie Kelly Kindscher Northeastern Indian Medicinal Plants James Duke Shanleya’s Quest by Thomas Elpel (Not specifically about Aster but the Aster family)

Native Plants, Native Healing: Traditional Muskogee Way by Tis Mal Crow Song of the Seven Herbs by Walking Night Bear & Stan Padilla American Indian Healing Arts by E. Barrie Kavasch and Karen Baar An Herbal Summer by Tony(a) Lemos http://blazingstarherbalschool.typepad.com/ blazing_star_herbal_schoo/2009/07/back-from-the- printers.html Games Wildcraft! Available online at Learning Herbs: http://www.learningherbs.com/wildcraft.html Herbal Bingo game: http://www.herbalrootszine.com/Herbal_Bingo.pdf Wild Cards by Linda Runyon, Available at: http://www.ofthefield.com/html/learning_resources_4.html Shanleya’s Quest Card Game: http://hopspress.com/Books/Shanleya’s_Quest.htm

Internet Resources

Jim McDonald on New England Aster: http://www.herbcraft.org/aster.html Kiva Rose on Purple Sticky Aster: http://bearmedicineherbals.com/aster.html Edible Wild Food on the edible uses of New England Aster: http://www.ediblewildfood.com/new-england-aster.aspx Spiraea Herbs on New England Aster: http://herberowe.wordpress.com/?p=432

Herbs, beeswax, essential oils, Oils, lip balm tubes and more: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=113760 Herb Seeds and Plants: http://www.horizonherbs.com/ http://www.thymegarden.com/ http://www.richters.com/ http://www.botanicalinterests.com/

Lenore E. Mulets, Phyllis’ Field Friends: Flower Stories

Little purple aster, sitting on her stem, Peeping at the passers-by, beckoning to them, Staring o'er at goldenrod, by the pasture bars, Giving him a timid nod when he turns his stars. Little purple aster waits till very late, Till the flowers have faded from the garden gate; Then, when all is dreary, see her buds unfurled, Come to cheer a changeful and sombre autumn world.

Stay tuned...

Next month is all about Crampbark! http://herbalrootszine.com/