Calendula — Calendula officinalis

Reflection upon consuming the tea

Calendula flowers are yellow, brilliant bright yellow, with a sticky resinous green, the tea is a deep yellow which speaks to the solar plexus, the seat of power and the sunshine that is inside each of us, the capacity for warmth and movement, the life transformation of fire. It smells resinous, it smells like movement, it smells sweet, it smells of nourishment. Bitter, sweet, astringent, but also resinous, it is coating in its nature. Tastes a bit nutty and sweet, there is substance and nourishment but it is locally drying to the tissues. A bitter tonic, and a bit uncomfortable, a squeeze of resolving any stuck waters, of water accumulations, lymphatic drainage. The digestion is stimulated, secretions flow, makes the head feel a bit full. Increases circulation, feels warming, tingles in the superficial waters of the body, movement and clearing of any metabolic wastes that are lingering in stagnant pools of the fluids of my body. As these stagnant waters are regulated smoother free flow of energy to the mind is possible, it is pressure at first but as it moves and clears I feel clearer in the end, more aware from the descent and processing of turbid yin that accumulates above in the mind, then fresh new intention may be brought forth into focus and clarity. A strong cup is damn bitter. The initial taste does have that drying and astringent quality, but after a short time the digestive secretions nearly completely cover this up. There is local drying, but there is more of a local coating of its protective vulnerary resinous nature, while tonifying the tissues underneath, regulating the inflammation, and cleaning up any metabolic wastes. This is exactly the perfect remedy for engaging with a leaky gut situation. In leaky gut there is dryness, heat, inflammation, hyperactivity where the self meets the outside world. It is a war of self with everything that we are in contact with, what hostile earth/soil/foundation to exist within. There must be a radical change, to be able to stand in one's power, to be fully embodied, aware, present, content, stable, solid and unified in one's body, in one’s vessel, to be able to meet and process in a good rhythm, to be able to meet the unfolding moment by being able to engage and consume and process life’s experiences. And only in this place is it safe to be in the body. Calendula deeply helps to bring tone back to weak atrophied tissues that have been absent from a place from long term heat, from dry weakness and fear, to calm inflammation but not just to cease it, there is a fundamental reason why this inflammation exists in the first place. It moistens and lubricates with the bitter nature on a short-term basis, it coats and heals those tissues with resins and astringent qualities. It then regulates the immune system, and the metabolic waste products that exist when there is constant systemic inflammation that stems from the true root, being the leaky gut cascade resulting from the fast paced modern world, stress, antibiotics, and toxic foods. When there is constant inflammation in the digestive system there are constant toxins and wastes that are brought into the lymphatics, into the waters of the body, into the place where all nutrition and all cellular processes take place. Every cell in the entire body is submerged in this fluid medium that allows the coming and going of the shen, of life and consciousness, and that allows for the exchange and maintenance of the being. When these waters become toxic no process may flow smoothly. Calendula deeply helps to clean up these polluted waters. I strongly feel the tingling cleansing lymphatic effects of calendula, I begin to sweat, I can feel the movements of the waters, the mind becomes clear, there's a slight comfortable squeezing as the liver is kicked into action as metabolic cleanup takes place.

(see Leaky Gut blog post for further reflections on Calendula)

Reflection upon consuming the tincture

Resinous, sticky, pungent, warming. It coats the mouth. Strongly moves the waters of the body. It is also bitter, not so bad though. Feels achey. Stronger stimulation of the solar plexus, of the vital force from the inside to the outside, deep core activation and warmth, stokes the deep internal fires, the lifeforce energy circulates and pushes fluids up and out like a fountain. Fuels the stomach fire while simultaneously the pungent nature regulates the fluids. The ST fire of transformation, SP to transform dampness, and the LU to distribute nutrition and fluids though the extracellular fluids. This is how the immune system functions too, the wei qi. This would be great for that stagnant lingering depression due to residual gunk impairing the smooth flow of energy inside the fluids of the body, far more so than the infusion. I feel it is less about direct contact and tissue healing/local inflammation modulation, it stimulates immune function. I feel the inflammation modulation impact is more delivered in tea, as well as the soothing sweet nutrition of mucilaginous coating. I feel movement and clarity in my mind, but it isn’t subtle, strongly clears dampness. It feels warm and drying. I wouldn’t want to take this regularly, it’s strong, quite draining in its nature.

Infusion taken at the end of a common cold with a bit of lingering unresolved fluid accumulation

I perceive an immediate sensation of fullness and heaviness, sinking down and in. Then the tingles begin and they do not end, the waterways of the body feel movement that is consistent and steady but not excessively forceful, yet strongly moving any stagnation in my waterways. I feel extra pressure in certain places, likely where these fluids are still stuck at the end of my cold, in my ears and sinuses, the back of my head, the base of the neck, the pressure is steady and uncomfortable but is still very welcome, a good ache. Calendula tastes bitter and it lingers, there is an immediate heaviness and numbness over the entire body. It is also sweet and resinous, it smells sweet and it reminds me of food and of burdock, but these resins feel pungent. It is also a bit nutty and thick and mineral-like, nutritious and substantial. It dries the mouth but it is a mixture of gentle astringency plus a coating of resins that are tacky and sticky and they coat the teeth. I am uncertain of my temperature, it seems to fluctuate, the skin begins to sweat and the tingles increase, the skin becomes itchy and uncomfortable. I also strongly feel this medicine in my belly, there it feels very heavy and full with a slight pressure, not quite cramping but it seems to add tone, possibly through the resins that are coating my digestive system. As it settles I feel a consistent gentle warmth in my core, yet slightly cool in the periphery, I am sweaty with a foggy mind. The warmth and central fire distributes outwardly and regulates, while adding tone to the belly. I shift into parasympathetic with the bitter taste that moves and clears while these resins add a bit of heat. The brilliant yellow flowers glow in the sunlight, they are a little blast of sunshine to help keep the channels clear and to regulate all of the passageways to ensure that source qi is able to flow smoothly and that the waterways are able to bring energy in and keep these passageways clear to be able to shed wastes, to be able to be clear to respond without stagnations of any sort getting in the way.