If you’ve been out walking this week, you’ve probably noticed these delicate purple flowers popping up on small vines in the grass. This is Common Vetch (Vicia sativa), and she is officially our Plant of the Week. Why she’s showing up now Vetch is a winter annual, meaning she’s been hanging out in the soil all winter, just waiting for these early spring temperatures to hit. You’ll find her trailing along the ground or using those curly little tendrils to climb up anything nearby—fence lines, tall grass, or even your garden tools. What to look for: Check out those leaves in the photo. See how they end in those tiny "hooks"? Those are tendrils. The flowers are classic pea-shaped, usually a deep magenta or purple, and they usually sit in pairs right against the stem. The "Land's Medicine" (Nutritive & Topical) Historically, Vetch is one of our oldest human allies—we've been working with her for over 9,000 years! Nutritious spring Tonic: After a long winter of eating heavy, dried foods, our ancestors used the first shoots of Vetch as a "spring tonic." Because she fixes nitrogen in the soil, she’s a powerhouse of protein, iron, and calcium. A tea made from the leaves was traditionally used to "wake up" the blood and clear out winter stagnation. Healing Poultice: If you have skin irritations, eczema, or a mystery sting while out in the field, Vetch is your go-to. Crushing the leaves and flowers into a poultice helps "take the heat out" of an infection and acts as a gentle antiseptic. She heals our "outer soil" (our skin) just as she heals the earth. In Hoodoo and folk magic, we look at the Doctrine of Signatures—the physical way a plant grows tells us its spirit. Look at those tendrils; they grab and they hold. Because of that "grip," Vetch is powerful for binding and stability. If you need a project to finally "take hold" and climb, or if you want to keep a household tight and faithful, Vetch is your ally. She’s all about networking and making sure the foundation is solid before reaching for the sun.

What's up Guild. I know it's been a minute since I've been in here! There's been a lot of personal things going on that I had to give my absolute attention to. Yet I appreciate you all's patience with me. We still have to do our fourth week Meetup which will be this week on Sunday. Yet, I think that Arabia, mountain or Stone mountain would be a good place for our field trip! What do you guys think? Also, I just finished and published my hood medicine book and everyone that is a member in here will be receiving the ebook in their email this week. It's online for $10 for the ebook. If you want a physical copy I can give you guys a discount of $35. It'll be signed as well. I get my physical copies in a few days.

🌱 Known as Narcissus This is a hardy perennial growing from a bulb, featuring long, flat, strap-like green leaves. The iconic flowers have a central trumpet-shaped corona surrounded by a ring of six floral leaves (the perianth). They are most commonly bright yellow, though varieties with white or orange exist. 🌐Where it can be found Native to northern Europe, they are now widely naturalized across North America, especially around old homesteads, woodland edges, meadows, and roadsides. They thrive in well-drained soil and partial to full sun. 🌷Time it grows & Season it flowers The foliage begins to emerge in late winter. It is one of the earliest bloomers, flowering from late February through April, depending on the zone. The plant dies back completely by early summer, storing its energy in the bulb. Edible & Medicinal Properties ⚠️Toxicity Warning: DO NOT INGEST. All parts of the daffodil, but especially the bulb, contain toxic alkaloids like lycorine. Ingestion causes severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, convulsions, and can be fatal. Even the sap can cause a skin reaction known as "daffodil itch" among florists. Historical Medicinal Use: In the past, herbalists utilized the bulb's toxicity in highly controlled, minute doses as a powerful emetic (to induce vomiting and clear the stomach) or as an antispasmodic. Pliny the Elder and early Greek physicians documented its use. Externally, mashed bulbs and roots were occasionally used as poultices to draw out splinters, soothe burns, or treat joint pain, though this risks skin irritation. Modern Medicine: The ethnobotanical history of the daffodil led to a massive modern breakthrough. Certain Narcissus species are heavily cultivated today to extract galantamine, a compound used worldwide as a primary treatment to slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. ✨Hoodoo & Magical Properties Because it pushes through the cold earth before almost anything else, the daffodil is a premier plant for "spring magic," uncrossing, and fresh starts.

What's up guild? I hope you've been enjoying your week! I just dropped the plant of the week, which is the daffodil! It's known to be toxic, yet it has been used for medicine. If you haven't already, go check that post out and get in the discussion! Amongst other things, I am looking forward to seeing you guys this weekend for our first meetup! The weather for sunday looks dramatically different (45 degrees )in comparison to how the week has been (60-70s) . I would like to propose a shift of our meetup from sunday to Saturday @ 2pm . I hope this works for everyone! I was hoping it would stay warm . If this doesn't work for you all, we can assume our original day of sunday...though it will be colder (I don't mind). Let me know down 👇🏾 below. If you have any one in mind that would like to join, they can either join the guild or donate $20 for the last day of the course/ meet ! This will be our first official meet as a guild and I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you guys and just know that this would not be the last we will be doing camping outings and other experiences to make this a fun and educational year for the guild members! See you soon! --- Tristian

Thanks for being apart of the guild! Here is a link to the PDF form of my newest book Hood Medicine Vol1. I've sent you each individual messages in your chat box as well with the link! Guild members can also get the physical signed copy for discount of $30 dollars! let me know if your interested! Also please give me any feedback on the book ! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wuXqKWonokTNAJneS-Jhb5ldgNNY26eU/view?usp=sharing