It's spring! I've been saying that since spring started a month or so ago. But now, it's really spring: the trees are turning the air yellow with what we call Texas snow. The main culprit in my neighborhood is oak, as that's what we have the most of, but I think pine trees make more pollen per tree... And it's medicinal.
Pine trees at home
We are blessed with four pine trees here, more than any lot in our neighborhood. With it being in season, it's time to harvest the sneezy yellow powder and make medicine!
Pine catkins on the tree
Harvest is taken of the catkins that are open and actively pollinating. There's so many of these male reproductive organs on each tree that my harvest of anything I can reach with a ladder is miniscule to the trees; I can harvest at will with no concern for damage! True, inspiring, natural abundance.
Pine catkins in a jar
I also put out a call to my neighbors on Facebook to ask if they have pine trees I can harvest in exchange for a part of the medicine. These catkins will be tinctured, with a few being eaten on the spot. Sweet and piney are the gonads of the pine.
Ootheca on a pine branch
My cleavers tincture is coming up ready, and it's time to tincture pine pollen. I wonder if that's going to be a regular pattern. We'll see in coming years 💚 There's a nationwide shortage on everclear, my usual tincturing solution, but 100 proof vodka is cheap. I got 1.5L of vodka for the same price as 750mL of everclear, which usually dilutes with water to just under 1.5L. Good value, and I think I'll actually just switch to that from now on. The bottles are smaller and likely in better supply. With people in crisis, they're buying up a lot of resources lately. It's hard to even make medicine.
The lesson here for me is to focus on abundance. For $15 and a little time, I'll be making enough androgenic tincture for me and a handful of others, while not damaging the environment at all. If we were able to up the harvest to that 30% threshold, the medicine we'd be able to make is astounding. And that's discounting the pine needle cough syrup we can make with the same trees. Or the medicines we can make with the resinous sap that naturally flows from wounds in the tree that we don't even need to cause.
We live in, and are an important part of, an abundant world. We just need to open our eyes to it. This little harvest was very grounding for me, and I've got my eye on a few more trees. I'm gonna go ask my neighbors if I can harvest them.
Y'all enjoy your abundance.
All action for the good of all
Nate