"Linden, linden
Heal my heart
You can give me a brand new start."
(Margaret's linden song)

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The Soothing Linden (and friends) Conference was incredible.
It is all recorded.
You didn't miss anything.
Get it here.
 

From linden seed chocolate to okra ice cream,
We slipped into soothing herbs
And came out beautified
Face masks!
Hair gel!
No spots!
As well as healed inside and out.

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Fantastic, creative presentations.
Thought-provoking live-zoom sessions.
Physical and meta-physical facts and lore.

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I learned about a substance in plantain
Aucubin.

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Aucubin becomes antibacterial when oxidized.
It is destroyed by heat.
One can activate aucubin by chewing or crushing
Or even juicing
Fresh plantain leaves.
That's cool.

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Dr Duke says slippery purslane is the absolute best source of magnesium.
And the only plant source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Making it a superior way to walk away from depression
Among other things.

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I had no idea that linden is sacred.

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Actually, many authors say
Linden is a "sacred herb."
Huh?
Linden IS a sacred herb.
No need for quote marks.
Those quote marks seem to me to say
"Not really."
"Just kidding."

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Linden is a sacred herb.
No quote marks needed.
Really.
Not kidding.

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In one of my favorite books "The Meaning of Trees,"
Fred Hageneder says:

<The "grandmother" of medicine is the linden, the "soothing tree". >
Arrrrgh.
What's with the quote marks?
Linden IS the grandmother of medicine.
Not the "grandmother."
No quote marks needed.

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Isn't "grandmother" a way to say something like
"Foolish people mistakenly believe that linden is a grandmother,
So I will repeat this superstition, but use quote marks to let you know
I'm too smart to believe such things."

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The Grandmother of medicine is Linden.
That's clear without quote marks.
Clear that I do believe.
Do you?

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And why oh why oh why?
Why are there quotes around "soothing tree"??
It's not like Fred is quoting someone else.
That's where quotes marks are needed.
Is he surreptitiously telling us it isn't soothing?
Isn't a tree?
He doesn't think it is soothing?
He doesn't think it is a tree?

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What would you think if it were
The "Soothing" Linden Conference?
I'd think it's not really soothing if that word is in quotes.

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Fred retells a fascinating linden story.
One I've never heard.
It concerns Philyra.
Whose name means love, attraction.
Who became the linden tree.
In Greek mythology.

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It happens like this:
Philyra, a sea nymph,
the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, the Titan rulers of the sea,
Loves her uncle,
Cronus (or Kronos), son of Uranus and Gaia.
Cronus kills his father.
Then his own son, Zeus
Chops him up —
Since he can't be killed —
And stores the pieces in darkest Tartarus.

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Philyra more than loves Cronus.
Philyra lusts for him.

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Philyra and Chronus do the deed.
She gets pregnant.
But Rhea, the wife of Chronus
Is on to them.

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She catches them out.

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Cronus, god of time and destruction,
Flees the scene
As a stallion
Hoping to distract his wife.
Gallop, gallop.

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This causes the child of Chronus and Philyra to be born
Half human
And half horse.
Ooops.

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The child of Cronus and Philyra = the centaur Chiron.
"The wisest and most just of the centaurs."
(According to the AI who just replied to my query about him.)

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This totally freaks Philyra.
She does not want to be the mother of a monster.
I guess not.
Imagine giving birth to a centaur.
Ouch.
How do you nurse that baby?
Swaddle it?
Change its diapers?!!!
Horror.

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Philyra prays to be anything other than this baby's mother.
She begs the gods to transform her.
Hearing her plea,
Kindly Zeus turns her into a tree. 
The linden tree
Ta da.

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Fred finishes this story with this lovely statement
(with appropriate use of quote marks)
< And since the true healer is love, the closeness of Phylira's name with Greek philein, "to love", might not be accidental.>

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How different it would read if he wrote
The "true" healer is love.
He got that one right.
The true healer is love.
Linden is love.

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Linden, linden,
Heal my heart.
Mother of medicine
Love me.

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I smell fairies at my feet.
Grandmother of soothing
Ease me.

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Linden, linden,
Heal my heart.
Let me rest in your womanly embrace.

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Linden flowers sure smell sweet.
We will partake of that sweet
At the Soothing Linden Conference.

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Let's become bees and get drunk on linden.
See your tomorrow at noon
When Sarah Ellen and I share a live zoom call with you.
Bring your questions.
Bring your stories.
Bring your love.

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The Soothing Linden (and sisters) Conference is in beauty.
You are beauty, mother linden.
I breathe with you grandmother linden.
Our hearts beat as one with the earth's heartbeat.
You surround me with your green blessings linden.
Heal my heart.
Bind my wounds.
Sew me together.
Cast a net around me.
Soothe me.
Gratitude
Joy