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Well I can't believe where the first quarter of the year has galloped off to... It is wonderful to find ourselves with longer and lighter days, the sun has a perceptible warmth to it now and it seems to awaken everything including the energy in us and our horses.
There are some excellent herbs that should be taken advantage of at this time of year. Nettles and Cleavers are both wonderful tonic herbs and I think it is no coincidence that nature provides these excellent tonics after the rest of winter. Both these herbs are rich in minerals and both are cleansing. Nettles will dry very well in the warmth of an airing cupboard for 5-7 days. Most animals prefer them dried or wilted. As to wilted, I find they still sting although not as ferociously, so I opt for drying. I also like to stash some away in an air tight container for the winter months when I need a pick me up. Cleavers can be offered as is. They are so easy to gather and horses love them. Note that both nettles and cleavers should be used before the flowers develop as they develop compounds that are irritating to the kidneys once they have flowers.
Shortly the hawthorn flowers and early leaves will be out. These are an excellent tonic, especially for the heart and circulatory system. An ideal herb for those that are susceptible to laminitis. The hazel tree leaves are also excellent for connective tissue so if you find your laminitic prone horse eating them do not be surprised or concerned.
Dandelion is another excellent tonic herb and although high in sugar, eaten in small amounts I have not found it to be a problem for laminitics as the sugars appear to be balanced by other components in the herb.
Fresh herbs cannot be beaten so make the most of them.
2008 - A Great New Year for our Horses
We wish all our customers a very Happy New Year. We do hope you had a good Christmas and that your horses are all weathering the winter well.
We have fingers and toes crossed for a more favourable summer both for the horses and for the plant harvests. Last year was a tough year for us in many ways as a result of the weather. This year we head into it with some snazzy new stock forcasting software written by Alan which has already proved its worth.
Due to very popular demand from our furry friends we will be introducing a bulk 10kg bag of the rosehips. This remarkable herb seems so very well suited to the well-being of our furry friends.
We have many other ideas and a lot of things on the drawing board for this year. We are constantly reviewing our business and looking to improve our service and product lines. We have some exciting new suppliers to assist in smoothing the availability of our herbs and for new products. Sourcing new products and suppliers is time consuming and can be frustrating at times, but it is very rewarding and gives us great peace of mind for the future as we find new reliable suppliers for our very popular items.
We look forward to supporting you and your horse and hope that 2008 is a successful year for us all.
Christmas and the new Look Website
First the important thought for the festive season. We are all hunting for those elusive special Christmas presents. More and more people are coming to realise that in today's wealthy and very commercial world most of us have everything we need. I think a wonderful alternative is to buy something that fully explores the spirit of Christmas while at the same time doing something wonderful and fulfilling for the giver and the receiver. Please take a moment out of your busy day to look at the website of Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary www.remussanctuary.co.uk Their shop has Christmas cards on sale and other items too http://www.remussanctuary.co.uk/testshop/index.htm or consider sponsoring one of the animals... http://www.remussanctuary.co.uk/sponsor.htm Yes, their animals are as endearing and as well cared for as they look.
Remus organise some wonderful animal events throughout the year, to coin that old phrase animals are not just for Christmas. Their work is inspiring and the results make for truly memorable experiences.
Then on to more mundane matters - we hope you like the new look website! The changes have been made to improve the look of the website and to address some of those things that we have had feedback about. We know change can be irritating in a world that bombards us with change all day and every day, but after several years service we felt the site needed a bit of an overhaul to bring it in line with modern requirements.
For those that like to pay online you will be well pleased to find that after a failed trial with a far more expensive payment package that the old Paypal payment facility will be servicing us again. Being an American service there are some products they do not allow their customers to trade in. Please contact us if there is something you used to order and it is no longer on our product list. Most of these products will still be stocked, but will not be able to be sold using our automatic on-line payment facility. It's inconvenient, it's annoying, but its the way of the 'modern' world and things to come I suspect. We will be trying various options to get around this problem, but ask for your understanding and patience.
It is indeed a sad day when herbs that have been common place and successful in their use are ousted from the public arena, probably because of their success, by heavy pressure from the scientific community and their corporate backers. It is also sad that the UK appears to no longer have any control over its trade, it being driven by the more narrow views of America and the EU.
As always if you have any problems using our website, then feedback would be very much appreciated.
Its hard to believe we are already in June, how time flies. Have you noticed that this Spring and Summer are bringing a strong awareness to everyone that our climate is no longer as familiar as it used to be. From snows falling in sunny beach paradise Plettenberg Bay in South Africa and frozen seas in Cape Town to us getting summer in April and the torrential rain ever since its certainly different! Hopefully that wasn't our entire summer.
In that vein, we find ourselves with a task list longer than our arm to move to a greener footprint. The encouraging thing for us is that there are so many things that are easy to do and cost little or nothing to move to a greener lifestyle. Actually we have found that to our surprise there are a lot of savings to be made.
There seems no end to the ways we affect the earth with our intensive demands on resources. Food is not what it used to be. Even if we eat organic and home grown, the soils are often depleted especially of useful minerals. Herbs can be an excellent source of minerals. Nettles, dandelion and the seaweeds spring to mind. They are not just good for us to drink and eat, but can be added to the compost or made into a fertilising tea for spraying or watering crops and soil. Next time you cut back those nettles add them to the compost heap for free minerals from nature. If you are not feeling that adventurous, but enjoy your tea we find a teapot and tea strainer invaluable for both fresh and dried herbal teas. Taking tea is a wonderful tradition and just the ritual process can revitalise and invigorate. Take a moment out to enjoy what nature has to offer.
Now is a great time to enjoy watching nature while relaxing with your cup of tea. Try the bumble bee website www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk for good ideas on bee friendly plants. We love our comfrey patch, its been flowering since February and at any one time there are always several species of Bumble out and about.
On the downside we are probably going to face problems with some of the harvests this year, the shortages will show up this coming winter. Hopefully there will not be too many.
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This is a subject close to our hearts. At the core of more sustainable and healthier living is stripping out the dross from our lives. The dross that costs us and the planet our precious time and resources.
Creator of National Downshifting Week is Tracey Smith. She is far from slow, she is dynamic, down to earth and very keen to encourage everyday people to enjoy the benefits of moving to a more sensible life style. A journalist and busy Mum she has a practical and focused approach to living a fulfilling life.
Her website www.downshiftingweek.com has plenty of hints and tips and good ideas. Finding at least one idea you can try should not be difficult. Change is not about donning a caftan and moving out to a renovation project in the country (although this can be fun too), it can be about modifying how we live in an urban environment just one step at a time. Its about your own quality of life, but its funny how improving our health and well-being can be so good for the environment too. They are closely linked and we have a unique and wonderful island and planet we need to take good care of.
On the website are ideas for companies, individuals, children and schools, so plenty of inspiration. If you miss out on the week, its never too late to start. Habits are like soft beds, easy to fall into and hard to get out of. Lets Spring clean our lives and our homes and with the energy the sunshine brings lets start some new and positive habits.
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Unseasonal Weather and our Role in it...
As the broadcaster Edward Murrow once said,
"The obscure we will always see sooner or later, but the obvious always seems to take a little longer".
Surely the changes that are happening on our planet are one such example. Daily we see examples of the changes, daffodils in January, uncharacteristic weather conditions, melting ice shelves, polar bears quite literally swimming for their lives and sadly not able to make the ever increasing distances, drowning a pointless lonely death.
The scientists debate, the politicians debate, but it is quite frankly up to the individual to vote with their feet. Not politically, but economically. The world has changed, the future will no longer be solely determined by the politicians, but now real and lasting change can be forced by the economic choice of what we do with our money. We find ourselves not just responsible for how we earn it, but also for how we choose to spend it. Quite a headache some days.
Sometimes what should be seen and assessed by common sense gets complicated and confused by scientific terminology and fancy talk.
Lets take a simple example. If paraben preservatives which are used extensively in cosmetics are found in 18 out of 20 breast cancers. Hey, I for one will not be buying those products, especially as there are alternatives. I am not waiting around for the scientists to agree. Didn't the tobacco industry argue for decades on the effects of cigarette smoke before coming to any conclusions?
If walking instead of taking the car for short trips is good exercise, good for my health and waistline and good for the air I breathe, I will walk, tempting though it is to be a couch potato.
Its up to the individual to cut the rubbish out of our lives and to buy smart for a great future. How do you spend your hard earned money?
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Winter has arrived and we have moved...
Well as many of you will know we have moved premises, please see our contact details if you need to make a note of our new address or phone number.
I know moving a household is considered one of the most stressful things one can do, but this was the first time we had moved a business. What a challenge it turned out to be. Despite loads of planning there were the usual unexpected problems, mainly where we had to depend on outside services to do their part. While there is a lot of work still to be done, this move is a positive one and will give us more space to continue to grow.
We would like to thank all our customers for their patience during this difficult time. It is very much appreciated. We are slowly finding our feet and should be getting back to 'normal'. Well as normal as one can be in this crazy world.
We hope you are well on your way to getting organised for a lovely Chirstmas and New Year which is now just weeks away. I was browsing through a Christmas advertising brochure for one of the large stores and realised that despite the very appealing presentation that there was nothing in the brochure that I actually needed or really wanted. Items advertised with all their layers of alluring packaging often end up as landfill or guiltily hidden, cluttering up the cupboard space. So if you are at your wits end on what to buy for friends or family who have everything why not visit some of the charity websites on our Links page and consider a gift sponsoring an animal at one of the Animal Sanctuaries. If you have everything you want this year why not suggest one of these for one of your presents. We have some nice Plants and Seeds sites and a very caring gift would be a consultation or course with one of the Therapists that are listed on our site. I thoroughly enjoyed the Thai massage offered by Dena when I attended the Indulgence Day during the summer at Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary, see her website www.animalaromatherapy.co.uk.
I think I realised with a shock how far we have come from just enjoying what today are considered simple old fashioned traditions when I heard about a local rugby team that had heaters and a TV showing a bonfire for their Guy Fawkes celebration. Why? Well, because to get permission to have a real bonfire had become so difficult. These days it seems reality is becoming stranger than fiction and we are allowing ourselves to lose touch with nature.
I remember with great fondness my Grandmother who at festive times used to bake her yummy ginger biscuits and give a batch to each of her children's families. Her Christmas puddings were sought after with plenty of coins to find. These simple gifts gave us great pleasure.
Why not make this the year you re-look at your Christmas and New Year plans. Take a walk in the woods in the fallen leaves and come home to hot cocoa or bring nature into your home with the wonderful essential oils in our range. These can make lovely gifts with a pretty burner. Choose rich Christmas scents like Frankincense and Myrrh or warming and uplifting scents to remind you of the sun and summer like sweet orange or rose.
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The leaves on our trees are changing to a spectacular red, together with the animals starting to grow thicker coats and the squirrels working away frantically. We have the new season's harvests coming in thick and fast. Gosh where does the time go.
We look forward to the cooler months as for us its a time to start in on the projects that don't get time during the busy summer.
Our website will be undergoing a number of changes. We are busy putting in a new credit card payment facility which we expect to be a big improvement. We have some ideas for new information pages, e.g. frequently asked questions. We are also looking at introducing some new dried herb products in the near future.
We are delighted to say that we have found a company supplying a range of internationally certified organic skin, hair, body, cosmetic, oral and nutritional products. We were looking for this for our own personal use, but are so impressed with the results and their ethics that we signed up as an independent representative. For example I have had teenage skin all my life, and used various well known brands of skin care, trying all the sensitive skin ranges. In the end I just assumed that my diet was letting me down. Well I now at long last have a skin that feels as good as I do. Changes I had thought due to ageing with dull tone, have disappeared. Then I tried their cosmetics. For my adult life I had just assumed that itchy eyes were as a result of putting any mascara on as I had tried many brands. It had become just something you lived with. I now know its not the case and as a contact lens wearer, that's a real improvement. I find some of the products take a bit of getting used to, but I have found it worth making the change for myself. Our Independent Representative website where you can read more about these products and buy them is www.cosmas.mionegroup.com There is some great information on the site too, with helpful information on topics like how to read a cosmetic label and a toxic ingredient directory. These can be found on www.cosmasmionegroup.com/education/index.aspx
Last, but not least we are going to be moving in October. The business has outgrown our new packing and storage facilities in the past year. We may need to be closed for a few days, but will notify all our customers before hand if we do need to do that.
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Summer News - and what a lot there is!
As I write this the clouds have come over and given the garden a liberal sprinkling of rain. What a welcome shower that was for the plants. Its been a sweltering hot spell here in Berkshire. A strong reminder to give some thought to what we do to our environment and what difference we can make in our daily lives to keep our planet from continuing to heat up. Try the Friends of the Earth website for a host of information www.foe.co.uk
We are amazed to look back and realise that our website has only been live for a year. What a long way we have come since we took that step into the electronic age.
We have had some ups and downs, and thank our customers for their patience as we take the steps necessary to install a new credit card handling facility. To our astonishment the American company that was supporting our credit card facility withdrew it unannounced. They took exception to us supplying Comfrey, which is perfectly legal not only in the UK and EU, but also in the USA. It is however on a list of products to be treated with caution somewhere in the depths of their documentation. We feel strongly that the right sub species of comfrey is a wonderful herb and this is precisely why we started COSMAS, to make available difficult to source high quality products. We were not going to be thwarted at the first hurdle. So you can look forward to a new, better credit card facility in the next few weeks.
We look forward to the coming year and its challenges with lots of ideas for new facilities on our website. Besides the new credit card facility we have plans to publish some useful e-books on our products and related issues. We have been amazed at how much we continue to learn in so many areas. We want to share that information and knowledge as a path to a better future for all of us and our planet. We plan to share some of the feedback from our customers who like us have found these products helpful. We have had some amusing feedback with kittys shredding the incoming parcel to get to their new catnip and other delightful stories.
We are also continuing to expand our product list. We will be developing some more focused products lines and also expanding our product base to provide a wider range of herbs for the herbal and natural therapy practitioners. The quality of our products is proving very popular and we have found ourselves supplying to universities for nutritional research projects, scientists for special projects and developers of commercial natural health products and cosmetics. While these highlight the quality of our products we will continue to place great emphasis on our one-to-one service for the individual customer.
We were recently involved with the Indulgence Day at the Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary. The weather was perfect and we had a fascinating day where visitors could tour the sanctuary and meet all the animals and appreciate the dedicated work that is being done. The animals are happy and contented and beautifully looked after. There were taster sessions on offer with different practitioners and demos and talks by practitioners who work with animals. There were plenty of refreshments and the children had go carts and a bouncy castle to enjoy as well as meeting the animals, ideal if Mum wanted to try out the various therapies. The day was enjoyed by the therapists and the customers alike and is set to be an annual even after the success of this first event. All funds from the day went to the sanctuary to help look after the animals. Please visit the sanctuary website, I like the sponsorships I think that they make lovely gifts with a real difference www.remussanctuary.org They also have regular open days when you can meet the animals and have a good day out.
Above was a demo of working with supportive tonic and detoxing herbs using self selection with Bay Bonnie, an elderly mare with chronic and painful arthritis in her knee. She was delighted to be asked her opinion on the herbs and choose her remedies. If you are an animal lover, enjoy complementary therapies or are just curious about trying some therapies or seeing how they are used with animals this is an enjoyable even to put in your diary for July next year. The exact date will be announced on our Events page. For professional advice on the use of essential oils, herbs and other natural products with animals please look at our Links page.
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Care of Mother and Newborn Day
Well Spring is truly sprung, if we had any doubts they were whisked away this weekend as we attended the Care of Mother and Newborn course run by Pauhla Whitaker (www.animoils.co.uk). Lambs were everywhere and the sun was out.
We had been attracted by the opportunity to see the lambs up close and maybe to bottle feed one of them. Learning anything academic would be a bonus. It was a small group with a variety of people from different backgrounds and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Alan bottle feeding
one of the lambs
We found it was a unique chance to see the cycle of life and death, health and illness, all play out in a multitude of ways all crammed into one day. It would take us years of working with individual animals to gain that kind of experience. Sheep are delightfully social creatures and all the complexities and emotions of family life were very much in evidence. From abandoned lambs to fostering, twins and singles, it was amazing to see the variety and how some things worked and some sadly didn’t.
Lambs in the fostering pen
There is a lot of common ground between mammals. You can see this in their behaviours and their choice of plant remedies. The course is conducted hands on amongst the sheep. We had a fun time working with hydrosols with the lambs. Yes, we did get the chance to bottle feed the orphans, which is very much a highlight. All this played out on an organic sheep farm in the Cotswolds. We came away with good notes and a wonderful experience. Both Alan and I enjoyed ourselves tremendously and would highly recommend it.
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Spring is sprung, the grass is riz...
At last the first signs of spring. Around here the first signs is the appearance of the crocuses and the spikes of the daffodil leaves with buds on the stems. The noticeable lengthening of the days is another welcome sign that spring is indeed on its way.
Spring is a season of renewal, all around us we are surrounded by lambs and other young enjoying the new season grass and the first feel of the warm sun on their backs. In keeping with the spirit of spring and renewal we have have some new items in our range. Wonderful sounding exotic names like Macadamia nut oil and Yangu oil. The African oils have been used by the local peoples for their healing and well being supporting qualities for centuries. Sustainably wild harvested these are an opportunity to try exciting new oils while participating in fair trade principles.
We are having a week of celebration of our wonderful natural products during The Natural Health Week from the 27th March till the 2nd April. During this time we will have a section of specials on some of our popular items. There is a category of 'Specials' on our Online Shop. Do pop into the shop and see what you are tempted to try, after all Spring is the time for new ideas and thoughts. Spend a little time on yourself and enjoy what nature has to offer. Get your skin and health into tip top shape to make the most of the summer. Try our green clay, it makes a super drawing face or body mask. Mix in a little of the kelp powder for its detoxing properties and high mineral content. See our recipe below for a basic detoxing and toning face mask... Our essential oils are wonderful quality and once you have used them you will never go back to off the shelf ones again. Frankincense, Rose Otto, Rose Absolute and Wild Carrot Seed are all good for skin toning and rejuvenation. For detoxing try Juniper or Lemon. Remember that essential oils are very strong and should be used in small quantities in beauty or luxury bath time products. Wonderful for making your own bath oils where you can customise the combinations for different moods and results. If you have a sensitive skin you should do a patch test first. It is very important that your essential oils are fresh. Some components can become highly irritant to the skin and body if they are old and have been exposed to heat or air over time. Always check the best before dates before using them and store them with lids on in a dark and cool place, out of the reach of inquisitive pets and children. Please refer to our Safety points and Product storage pages to get the most out of your herbs and oils.
Don't forget the animals. As the weather warms up those pesky fleas start to become active again. Your cat may enjoy a good roll and nibble of some catnip. Its a good idea to let them roll on it inside if you have local marauding cats who may come along and help themselves. Try a clean litter box, the floor or an old towel for rolling, it is dry and does vacuum up easily. While not a pest killer it does help to deter the pesky critters.
As our horses go through the transition to the richer grass some of them will change their herb preference. Try offering some of the detoxing and tonic herbs such as Rosehips, Dandelion, and Nettle. Horses and ponies with a tendency to laminitis may be keen on and benefit from the detoxing and tonic herbs along with hawthorn flower/leaf and the berries. These are a tonic to the cardio vascular system.
To indulge ourselves try making iced herbal teas, try growing some fresh mint in a pot for adding to long cool summer drinks. For a fizz with a difference, if you have a soda stream try making a concentrated herbal tea mix and mixing it with the soda water. If you like it sweet then try to use natural sweetners such as honey. For a change try sweetening it by including liquorice in the herbal tea.
Detoxing and toning face and neck mask (for one application - you get the best out of freshly made products)
2 level table spoons Green clay (add an extra spoonful if you want to do your neck as well)
1 level tea spoon Kelp powder
2 drops of Frankincense essential oil
1 drop of Wild Carrot Seed essential oil
enough water to mix to a workable paste
Apply to skin for 5-10 min for sensitive skin, otherwise for 15-20 min.
Don't forget to patch test if you have sensitive skin.
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So What did Happen in 2005?
We started 2005 with the questions…
– can we bring the world of plants and its medicines back into people’s lives in an easy to use way?
– can we do that with the very best products at an affordable price while still trading fairly?
– and can we do that while minimising our impact on the environment at every stage of the product life cycle?
The answer to those questions has been YES. I would like to share with you some of the changes and events that we feel contributed…
The largest and most exciting single achievement has to be the design, development and launch of our website in mid 2005. While we have had some teething problems, it has been well used and we hope it is providing a useful service.
We have learnt a great deal about the business we are in and the changing times we find ourselves facing now and in the future. We follow the ongoing saga of legal changes from the EU and aim to work within the endless cautious regulations that are daily business life to meet all our legal requirements.
We have met and built relationships with our excellent suppliers. We have had to replace some suppliers who were unable to meet the goals we set ourselves, but are pleased with the improvement that moving to different suppliers has brought. While changing suppliers is plenty of work having a supplier who is good to work with as well as having a good product is well worth it.
On the environmental side we have streamlined our use of energy and resources and have been amazed at how many simple changes can bring about considerable savings and benefits to the environment. For instance we have not yet had to buy boxes or the infamous bubble wrap. We have worked entirely with reused packaging while still maintaining the level of packing protection that we are looking for. It does make us chuckle when we get boxes from our suppliers which are obviously reused and we then use them again. Its catching on and people are changing in attitude and behaviour.
We have found that we have been able to do our marketing, correspondence and all administrative paper work with paper which is 100% recycled London waste.
Despite careful planning and buying we have had some product become too old to sell. Far from going to waste this has gone to the EMW Sanctuaries and been put to work helping the animals there.
We have attended a number of seminars and shows in the latter half of the year and had the pleasure of meeting some of our existing customers and introducing our products to potential customers. We feel it is important for people to smell, taste, touch and feel the products. We believe that they will sell themselves. We all have a fundamental instinct built into us that recognises plants as our support and medicine.
We have put our business and IT experience to work for us in streamlining the building of our processes and systems. These have been designed to meet recommended trading standards, organic processing standards and all sorts of recommended business practices and regulations. Over and above that we continue to enhance them aiming for our ambitious standards. The expertise we have had available has enabled us to do this without added large costs to the business.
Aiming for product quality and useful functional packaging we have not been lured and seduced by the glossy packaging and brochures that are both expensive and so often environmentally very unfriendly. We hope that our customers both understand why we have chosen this route and enjoy the way we have worked.
Interestingly we have managed to keep costs down with common sense and hard work. When we then did a market place review and compared quality and costs we were delighted to find that we were very competitive indeed, not only with the high quality producers, but also with some of the mass producers who’s products are a far cry from ours.
Last, but not least we have talked to our customers. We have had people buy bottles to use in Montessori lessons through to herbs and oils for helping rescued traumatised animals. It is marvellous to see people trying and succeeding with using plants in theirs and their animal’s lives.
Plants are our birthright and my goodness we need to make an effort to know them, use them and make the most of them lest we lose easy access to them. This can happen most easily if we consider the growing over regulation because of our ignorance and indifference or we could just as easily lose them to pollution and global warming or some other as yet unknown quantity.
So we look forward to 2006, where all things are once again possible....
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The trees have turned and we are surrounded by the brilliant colours of autumn. Always a reminder of the cycle of life as the leaves give one last dramatic display before falling back to earth to provide food and shelter for insects through the winter, being recycled through their bodies and in turn feeding the earth.
Let’s not be too tidy and too sterile and enjoy the sight of the birds ferreting through some leaves for insects. Perhaps use some of nature’s mulch on some of your flower beds. Some hollow stems left uncut provide a winter hideaway for ladybirds and other useful insects.
When pruning back this year, perhaps leave some stumps and keep some of the wood logs for the garden. These provide good homes and breeding places for lots of insects including some of the delightful bumble bees as well as adding interest to the beds and providing a lovely backdrop for spring’s bluebells.
Turning to our well-being as we enter the winter when our bodies seem to slow in time with the rhythm of nature. Rather than resent it, enjoy the season with all the good things it brings. Warm drinks of a variety of herbal teas can help ward off the chill of winter. Think of gluhwein in front of the evening fire or mulled cider after a walk in the brisk breeze. The scent of rosemary as you take the roast potatoes out of the oven.
There are super essential oils ideal for the burner in your home or making up into a luxurious bath soak using a natural plant oil base. Enjoy the warm and deeply relaxing aroma of exotic Ylang Ylang Complete or help recovery from the sniffles with Eucalyptus Radiata. Essential oils can be very helpful in lifting the spirits and banishing the winter blues. Rosemary is uplifting and good for headaches, a great way to wake up the mind in the morning. Citrus oils like Sweet Orange and Mandarin are charming and seem to carry the incredible brightness of the sunshine with them. For the wonderfully versatile lavender try the Lavender Vera grown wild and hand harvested at altitude in the Maritime French Alps in the shimmering heat of summer. Don’t forget to blow out that burner candle.
It is time to slow down a little and reflect. If you enjoy yoga or meditation, try this while using some of the essential oils in a burner or a couple of drops on a tissue nearby to enhance the experience. Frankincense is wonderful for slowing and relaxing the breathing. Frankincense has been used by the churches for centuries for creating a restful and reflective ambience.
Don’t let Christmas rush you off your feet this year. Do the Christmas shopping list early. If you are looking for something different then try these gift ideas…
If you are shopping for any books and use Amazon please remember to go via the EMW Sanctuaries website www.equinemarketwatch.org.uk and go to Amazon by clicking the Amazon button on their main page just below the top left corner. At no extra cost to yourself and for the extra click Amazon contribute to the welfare of the animals that EMW Sanctuaries rescue and rehabilitate.
If you are looking for a touching gift for a child that cannot have their own pony, but loves ponies and horses. Why not consider sponsoring a rescued pony for a year with EMW Sanctuaries?
For next years pin ups there are calendars for 2006 on EMW Sanctuaries website.
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Saturday 15th October saw us attending the Animal Instincts Seminar run by the TTouch group. It turned out to be an interesting day. Great to catch up with news and views over a cup of tea and a biscuit.
The talk on animal healing by Felicity Wilson was cancelled due to illness and was replaced by a fascinating talk by Toni on a wolfs fight for survival and recovery from breaking its neck. It was a moving account of what can be done with dedicated care and determination and has a happy ending.
Nick Thompson (homeopathic vet) gave a thought provoking and which ever side of the fence you are on. A gently controversial talk on vaccine's and nosodes and where we are today.
Cindy Engel gave a talk highlighting some of the wonderful ways that animals in the wild use plants successfully for their medication introducing many people to this idea for the first time.
For March this group are planning a seminar day, but this time with the specific focus on horses. Keep an eye on our Events and Shows page for dates and contact details.
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St Cosmas Day - Who was St Cosmas?
Monday 26 September is St Cosmas and St Damion Day. Who were they? Legend has it that they were two brothers born in Arabia, doctors and deeply religious. They lived in Syria during the fourth century. They were students of science and medicine. They were known as the penniless ones as their charity helping their fellow man knew no bounds. They were popular healers, sadly during the Diocletian persecutions of Christians they were put to death.
The legend goes on to say that the Roman Proconsul Lysias had them chained to each other and thrown into the sea. They were returned to shore by an angel. Then they were tied to a post to be burnt alive, but the flames of the fire flared up against the executioners. Then they tried to stone the brothers to death, but the stones fell wide of their target. Finally they were beheaded. They became holy martyrs and are named in the Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass.
Today they are the patron saints of those who would bring healing to others.
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Sunday 11th September saw us attending our first show. We had a busy day at the Natural Horse Gathering held in Wiltshire.
In preparation Saturday saw us driving down in torrential rain and thunderstorms. When we arrived we found the ground had drained very well and was firm with good grass coverage. Perfect for setting up our tent. We managed to get the roof on before more rain appeared and although damp got the job done.
Sunday and the day of the show was overcast, sun would have been nice, but gratefully we didn't have more than the occasional light drizzle. We were busy from the moment the gates opened at 10.00am until the end of the show at 5.00pm. The down side was not getting much spare time to have a good look around ourselves.
There were interesting demos and talks taking place during the day. We managed to see bits and pieces of some of them as our tent faced one of the demo areas. Dena Schwartz did a super demo on the use herbs and oils and the Ingraham method of self selection. The pony was very expressive and enjoyed the opportunity to try out the remedies. For anyone curious to know more Dena's website is www.animalaromatherapy.co.uk.
We very much appreciate the support and enthusiastic response that we had from the people we met. The dried herbs samples were generally very popular, and they are very close to what horses would seek out in nature, while some of the practitioners were interested in finding out more about the high quality organic essential oils.
It was good to put faces to names of some of our customers like Nicola Bebb, see her website www.holisticequine.co.uk and to introduce the herbs and oils to new people. The event was fun to attend and as exhibitors we found it well organised and a good venue. For next years Natural Horse Gathering event please keep an eye on the www.vowleyfarm.co.uk website.
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Welcome to the new website for COSMAS Organic Supplies Ltd.
We recognised your need as a therapist or seriously minded buyer to be able to easily find and buy organic and natural plant products at competitive prices. The idea was our inspiration and has become a reality. In the future we plan to expand our range with your needs in mind.You, the customer, have asked to buy the products you want from a business that has been set up and run in an environmentally responsible and supportive way. This is and can be done and we look forward to sharing the positive results with you.
You have asked for a website where the end price of your order is not a surprise or shock, we feature a 'show as you go' shopping trolley as an integral part of your ordering.In your honour we named the company after Cosmas the patron saint of amongst other things apothecaries, physicians, pharmacists, surgeons and midwives. Cosmas and his twin brother Damian brought care and healing to many. We felt this was a positive symbol of our commitment to providing essential oils, herbs and plant products for natural care and well-being.
The company logo represents the long and interwoven history this country and its people have had with trees and plants. It is also a symbol of reliability, strength and longevity. Like the small acorn we started meeting your requests and by meeting your requirements its taken us on a journey of growth.We welcome you into sharing the next exciting stage in meeting your requirements as we launch the website for your convenience. Please feel free to send comments or queries to enquiries@cosmasorganics.co.uk.
Note that the information that will be provided by this website is for general information only. We are not responsible for how it is used or applied. Please refer to our disclaimer and terms and conditions.
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