Paloma’s Peppermint Jig

In my book, Paloma and Wings: an Herbal Comic, Paloma experiences the music of the herbs! The music below is the melody that came to her when she was with Peppermint. I play it on my harp. Enjoy this short video!

Paloma and Wings: An Herbal Comic – the Book is here!

Boxes of books!

Dear Friends,

I’m excited to announce that my new book, Paloma and Wings: An Herbal Comic — ten years in the making — is finally in print and available for purchase.

Here’s what the book is about:

“Paloma loves plants and herbal medicine making. Wings is a small dragon who follows Paloma on her herbal adventures. Enter the enchanted world of plants and discover their special relationship with us! A mix of comics and prose, this fun and informative book is for kids and kids at heart.”

I’m honored that these herbalists — from whom I’ve learned so much, and who I greatly admire and adore — have the following to say about it:

“Written and illustrated with children in mind, this thoroughly original and delightful book contains a wealth of information about plants, healing and nature. In a joyous and light manner Paloma and Wings guide children on a journey into the plant world with instructions on how to gather and harvest plants, make simple herbal recipes and remedies, and, perhaps most importantly, how to develop lasting relationships with plants and the natural world.”
ROSEMARY GLADSTAR, Herbalist and Author

The first section lays down foundations for working with plants, including safety and mindful harvesting considerations and practices

“Paloma and Wings: An Herbal Comic is a wonderful contribution to the herbal genre for children! Part comic book, part recipe book, and part herbal, this whimsical tome teaches children the wonders and usefulness of herbs through stories, songs, and down-to-earth facts. From how to help friends and family when they are sick to how to handle an insect sting, Paloma and Wings will empower children to help themselves and others with the natural healing power of the plants.”
—KRISTINE BROWN, RH (AHG), Author and Illustrator of Herbal Roots zine LLC herbalrootszine.org

Comics accompany each chapter.

“An enchanting, conscientious and deeply charming guide to the earth’s natural medicines and the wonder of the animate world. A delightful and intelligent read for the herbally curious child and those who are still young at heart.”
—ASIA SULER, Founder of One Willow Apothecaries and Author of Mirrors in the Earth: Reflections on Self Healing from the Living World

Chapters introduce plants and herbal ideas. Recipes and activities are sprinkled throughout the pages.

Full color, 120 pages long, perfect bound 8″x10.5″ book – $24

For December only you can add a copy of Wintergift CD by Debra Knodel and myself at a discounted price of $8 to your order of the book (more details about the CD below).

Purchase Your Book (or Book+CD)

Purchase Paloma and Wings Book $24 and (optional) Wintergift CD $8 -for shipping in the U. S.

Purchase Paloma and Wings Book $24 and (optional) Wintergift CD $8 – local pick up

If you wish your book signed , please indicate when you pay or leave a message with me here.  If you have any questions, contact me as well.

Note: To those of you living outside the U. S.
I haven’t been able to figure out yet what to charge for mailing outside of the US. However, if you’re interested in purchasing a book, please contact me and give me some of your shipping information (town/city, country, zip code). I’ll figure out what shipping costs would be and let you know.

Wintergift – mostly harp with some tracks with vocals – Debra Knodel and Jane Valencia

WINTERGIFT by Spookytree (Deb Knodel & Jane Valencia ) is a celebration of the beauty, magic, and mystery of winter, with some sweet surprises of who and what you might discover in a snowy landscape or by the hearth fire. This album is a compilation of our most beloved winter season tracks from across our albums, plus five brand new never-before-heard tracks. Cozy up by a warm fire, and enjoy a musical wander into enchantment!

Over an hour’s worth of music. You can preview the music here, but please come back to this page to make your purchase and get your discount.

Jane, the book, and Wings!

 

For Peace: another Love Letter

Recently I was deeply distressed and disheartened as a prominent voice on our island attempted to incite division and harm against a subset of our community. Vashon, this is not who we are.

Simply Woven – illustration excerpt by Jane Valencia

And honestly, this is not who any of us is. Let us all take a collective breath. Let’s regroup and reground in both the beautiful nature of the locality we call home and the best of our natures.  Let’s take some time and recall what we have loved most about our communities.

The ideas and updates we exchange in check out lines. The amazing nourishing foods and lovingly prepared dishes we offer at our potlucks along with servings of tales, witness, advice, and dreams. The events we birth, the good work we do, our unique character as a community and as intersections and rings of them. Our original inspirations and intentions whenever we  gather to start something new. Our support of one another when we’re ill or grieving or lost.  Our grit, grace, and gratitude.

Let’s remember how we came to be here in the first place, and why we’ve stayed.

We’re here on planet earth to live a life of love, and to find our way back to that soul ground no matter what. We are neurologically wired and genetically sourced to live as both unique-in-the universe expressions and as an exquisite  tapestry of earth community weaves. We are here to come together in difficult times, and share out onto a wide and colorful blanket an amazing array of gifts: Insights and reflection from our spread of backgrounds, perspectives, skills, expertise, artistry, imagination, hard-earned wisdom, intellect, and above all, our compassion and commitment to one another as we are.

Ideas reclining on a rug of possibilities – stamp art by Jane Valencia

We are not meant to arrive at a one-size fits all solution to a problem and deliver it, but to ponder the constellation of considerations and concerns and to listen carefully to what each one knows is important to say. From mutual respect and all ideas on the table, we can arrive at a true understanding — grand yet familiar, with wanderings alongside, away, and between — of how we may best serve one another.

From here we generate a network of strategies that leave no one out in the cold, nor vilify anyone. Which neither seeks to bully and coerce one another to change their minds when they have already said ‘no,’ nor aims to destroy livelihood as part of some perverse notion of “it’s good for you.” Which will not tarnish tolerance and respect with “… but not in your case.” Which strives to walk our talk in all we do and with everyone we meet — even when we don’t like them!

When we inevitably stumble or discover our blind spots, we do the necessary work of finding our way back to our core, our Sacred,  our integrity, our Source.  We reach out with humility and apologize from our very roots and heart, and mean it. We  commit to doing what we can to make things right.  We renew ourselves to a devotion that is more generous and strong, far-reaching and intimate, potent and wild than we previously understood.

Solar Earth – stamp art by Jane Valencia

This is the way to true community health and resilience.  We are vastly diverse and powerfully creative.  We are synergies and individual notes of exquisite beauty. Make no mistake: whoever and however and wherever we are, we all care.

Islanders, my family, my friends,  this is who we are.

Kinfolk and Kind.  This.

We have always been hearth to one another.  And for us collectively it’s been a very long and hard day.

My dears,  the fire is warm and the food though simple is delicious.  There’s a song and story to soothe our minds and call the wee birds who had flown away in fright back to the nest that is our hearts. Let us know ourselves:  we are home.

Love,
Jane

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”
Rumi

P. S. Please enjoy my short harp video, “Peace.”