“ Inherent in the suit of pentacles is the power to manifest ideas into prosperity. In a similar vein, House of Pentacles exists as a direct economic intervention in the lives of Black trans people.”
Joie Lou Shakur | House of Pentacles Founder
Practice In The Time of Covid-19 from Kifu Faruq
We are not slowing down. We are practicing being intentional with our time. The Spring Equinox is upon us. A day with equal light and darkness as our planet leans closer to the sun. Being in right relationship with the planet means moving as she/they/he moves. She/they/he are blooming and preparing to bloom. So should we.
Herbal Antiviral Support
Make a batch of thieves oil. This recipe originated during the black plague when a group of thieves robbed the bodies of folks who died from the black plague but did not get sick themselves. This is how nature works. Out of disaster, survival protocols emerge. I’ve modified it to include herbs that I’ve personally used to fight the flu.
Thieves Oil Recipe:
- Thyme essential oil
- Clove essential oil
- Cinnamon essential oil
- Eucalyptus essential oil
- Lavender essential oil
- Tea Tree essential oil
- Red Thyme essential oil
Decide how much you want to make and add each oil in equal parts. These mostly come in 1 or 2 oz bottles. I only make 1oz of thieves oil at a time. Shake or mix all of these oils together. If you only have two or three that’s ok, use what you have. You can also crowdsource and/or cost-share these oils.
This antiviral powerhouse of herbs can be used several ways:
- Place the thieves oil and olive oil in an oil burner
- Use the thieves oil in a vaporizer
- Add the thieves oil in a pot of water on your stove and just let it simmer all day
- Place drops of the thieves oil on a handkerchief( 2-4) that you can wear around your neck when you leave the house
- Place drops of the thieves oil in your laundry detergent, dish detergent and the soap that you wash your body with. You can also put it in your hair grease and lotion.
- Add the oil to aloe vera for a natural hand sanitizer
These oils are all highly scented so use them sparingly. Use between 2-8 drops, less is more. We know that some members of our community can’t tolerate the scent of these highly potent herbs. If you live collectively make sure you get consent from everyone you live with before enacting these protocols. Practice developing lower scent protocols.
Garden
This is prep time for gardening in the South! Use this extra time at home to prepare your seedlings. Annuals (vegetables like tomatoes, squash, peppers, cucumbers) survive better if you start them as seeds indoors and let them grow into seedlings (the seed breaks open and sprouts leaves). You can then take the seedlings and place them outside in your backyard, frontyard, porch or container garden.
Greens (kale, collards, chard, lettuce) can be planted straight from seeds and will quickly sprout into leaves you can eat. You can also plant herbs in your windowsill or in large and small pots on your porch, patio, etc. Practice only growing what you will use, what you will cook.
Since we are practicing creating new worlds, take special care to purchase non-GMO seeds. Purchase or create compost and only use organic soil or soil from your own yard. Don’t use pesticides or miracle grow. Perfection is a tool of white supremacy culture. Learning by making mistakes is the goal.