spider medicine

[Pupak Haghighi-Brinch]

We had the sun with us all weekend long, a grace and a blessing on the camp. The food prepared and offered by Kath and Stewart were scrumptious; real nourishment for body and soul. The gathering of people (and other non-humans) were soulful, warm, sometimes intrusive (like all the spiders who bit me all over), always helpful. It was a time of community, nourishment, connections, sunshine, sauna, learning & teaching, challenges, resonance, growth and letting go.

The challenge for me was sleeping in the Libra cold. As I laid in the freezing tent I kept thinking of all those people sleeping in the igloos, thinking to myself, if they can make it in the ice, I could last till morning over this green bed of fresh clover. I learned an essential lesson: adequate covering. How I wished I had a bear skin to cover me all night.

I chose to camp a second night, perhaps because I knew it was a challenge. Though at the time, I thought the challenge was the cold, until I found out the real challenge is knowing what to do with hundreds of spider bites. I wish I knew the herbal lore of the place to find the remedy to help me sleep.

In the Council of All Beings the spider medicine spoke to me. She told me to remember the vision, and to trust. And the Bee told me to listen to the Great Spirit ... so I must listen and understand what all these bites are about.

Transition? maybe. Maybe this is a way the spirit of the camp was talking to me ... well besides the bites, i have red cheeks from the sun, a dozed new relations with people transitioning here in the UK, hundreds of seeds we exchanged, and perhaps a thousand surprises waiting in the web we spun this weekend. Maybe this is my spider medicine.

[Pupak Haghighi-Brinch]

Mari, thank you for remembering my question and for your mindfullness to answer. I shall remember plantain, aloe vera, calendula, lavendar oil, comfery, and will try to use them. I almost went to hospital the other night, but a friend told me he has anti-histamin cream and I didn't go. Everyone I know tells me that there are no spiders in this country that bite. So the bites might very well be from insects.

with thanks again,

healing spirit to you.

Pupak

[Mari Shackell]

Pupak - in answer to your question to me about how to treat insect bites with locally available natural remedies, this is what I've managed to find out. The remedies are: first wash the bites with soap and lots of water to prevent infection. Native or naturalised plants which you can apply externally are plantain leaves (plantago major; P. lanceolata) -use fresh leaves mashed, aloe vera - use the gel inside the leaves, calendula - use fresh flowers directly as a rub or infusion, lavender oil, which can be applied directly to the skin, comfrey - use fresh leaves crushed or infused, or a used wet tea bag. Of these remedies, the only ones available on site would have been the tea bags and plantain.
These remedies are appropriate only for mild or uncomplicated cases of insect bites. Should there be any severe or unusual reaction, professional medical help should be sought as a matter of urgency.
I am surprised that you report that it was spiders which bit you as I have never heard of this in this country. It might have been midges instead, but the remedies are the same.
Hope your bites are getting better now and glad that these and the cold nights did not stop you enjoying your time at camp.
Best wishes
Mari
(Transition Whitstable, Kent)