Meet Calendula – The Plant Mentor I Never Knew I Needed

What has big ideas, a sketchbook full of plans…and a long-standing habit of not quite finishing things?

Hello, it’s me.

So the fact that this Calendula journal actually exists is…frankly, impressive.

But before we dive into my not-so-subtle sales pitch, let me tell you all about Calendula and how it is she came to be my personal plant mentor.

Calendula – the Uplifter as I have renamed her, is a herbaceous plant that shines brightly in golden oranges and yellows. During the day she hangs out with her fellow Golden Gals, lapping up the sun and passing on her happy vibes onto anyone in her vicinity. Don’t think her frivolous though as she has a knack for spotting trouble, and acts like the garden ‘Bouncer’ steering unwelcome guests like aphids onto her turf instead of the veggie patch. Her protective nature doesn’t stop there – for her true pals Bee and Butterfly, she offers unlimited love, nectar and pollen for many months.

Calendula’s extraordinary kindness is far reaching as she is a healing plant willing to share her parts for the itchy, scratchy and often supremely irritated humans. Oh, and she is also edible!

But let’s focus on her medicinal qualities…

Don’t Let the Daisy Fool You

Despite her bold presence in the garden, Calendula is, in fact, super gentle. Unlike other herbs or synthetic ingredients, her plant magic isn’t a Wham, Bam, Go! You’re fixed! kind of healer. She is very much the Tortoise in this story, preferring a gentle, daily approach to healing.

So what does she ‘fix’?

Since her first mention in the Greek physician Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica around the first century (yes, 2000 years ago), Calendula has been used to treat anything from ‘lung bleeding’, intestinal issues, to small cuts and wounds.

I don’t think any of us wants to delve into ‘lung bleeding’, so let me tell you about the conditions that we now use her for.

Soft as newborn skin: Calendula’s Everyday Magic

Walk down any baby section in your local pharmacy or supermarket and you will come across a wide variety of creams and lotions for nappy rash, cradle cap, dermatitis, sunburn, and even minor cuts and scrapes. Before you head to the comments, I am not listing all of these ailments to put you off babies, but merely to show you the common theme – namely skin. Because our lovely uplifting flowering plant, Calendula works skin miracles including my own, (just don’t call me baby or put me in the corner).

So how does she work her magic?

Without pretending to understand all of the science behind it: here are a few highlights.

• Calendula is rich in plant antioxidants like flavonoids and carotenoids that support skin repair, hydration and a healthy skin barrier making it ideal for nappy rash, eczema or irritations.
  
• Because she encourages new tissue growth and collagen production, Calendula helps small scratches, chafing and mild rashes to heal faster.
  
• Thanks to her gentle antifungal and antimicrobial properties she helps protect irritated or broken skin against infection.
  
• Her petals contain anti-inflammatory properties, which help protect skin from everyday environmental stress that can leave it looking red and sensitive.
  
• Being a true (natural) caregiver, she delivers real soothing without the need for harsh synthetic ingredients and plays especially well in clean plant based formulas with natural oils, butters and waxes.
  
• Finally, she is gentle enough for daily use, with the caveat that you actually have to use her every day for the magic to happen. She is not a one hit wonder!

I know this to be true because I have been road testing Calendula’s skin healing properties for myself.

I suffer from seasonal allergies that play havoc with my immune system. In addition to sneezing, wheezing and rubbing my eyeballs to nothing every time trees and grasses kick off, I also get ‘shower itch’.

It is a real thing – its proper name is Aquagenic Pruritus, and it makes showering unbearable during warmer months.

Imagine after a long, hot day, you’ve just showered and towelled off, only to be ambushed by an unseen army of needle-like pricks pushing up through your skin. My shower itch can last anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes per session, usually with lots of burning, expletives and on the worst days, tears.

I am a grown woman – imagine a child or baby having to deal with this ridiculous condition!

As I have had some success creating a barrier with thick body creams, I thought I would try Weleda’s Calendula Baby Lotion while I was writing my Calendula 30 Day Digital Journal. I have to admit, I am very impressed so far. Although I haven’t been slathering myself religiously every day, there has been a noticeable reduction to the intensity of my shower itch. My burning now lasts less than 10 minutes and is localised to my lower legs and upper arms only, which is quite frankly, AMAZING!

Watch this space though as my local Plane trees have yet to unleash their full chaos.

But back to my fabulous plant mentor & healer.

More Than Just a Pretty Flower

Because Calendula has featured forever in our lives, not only as a pretty addition to our gardens, but as medicine and as a tasty cooking ingredient, she has cultivated a lot of symbolism.

In addition to gentle healing, Calendula also represents

• Joy
• Cheerfulness
• Endurance
• Determination / Persistence
• Confidence
• Radiance

These characteristics are easy to understand when you learn more about Calendula.

Hint – she’s a bit of an overachiever in the garden.

The Journal I Nearly Didn’t Finish

Which is why she ended up being a journal.

A 30 day digital one to be precise, that is now available in my Etsy store. I think you will like it. It’s designed to mirror and appreciate who you currently are. Not fix you, not upgrade you, not turn you into a better version of yourself.

This isn’t another ‘Hey you! No one likes broken, so I’m going to fix you in 30 days and the Gods will reward you with rainbow bunnies for life’ journal.

If you want a rainbow bunny, I suppose I could try to energetically send you the one from my dream last night, but I warn you, it’s not as friendly as it looks, and it hates cuddles. Thanks, Liam Neeson!

Instead, why not spend 30 days seeing yourself through Calendula? With journal prompts that dig a little deeper than most, some tapping exercises and a few plant facts and stories along the way.

After 4 months of research, writing, rewriting, editing and doing the artwork, I have come to know this orange daisy-like teacher and myself better…without it costing the earth or leaving you feeling like a failure. And so will you.

Here is what each of the 30 days looks like:

Each day is built around the same simple structure:

• A botanical or other fact about Calendula.
• A short observation about recognisable human behaviour.
• Journal prompts, and
• A Magic Dust Tapping affirmation – no experience is needed as I provide a step by step guide.

The journal also includes, Calendula symbolism and associations pages (if you want to collect your own facts), a 30-day calendar, an affirmations tracker, and a bonus Everyday Noticing Notebook (also digital).

The Everyday Noticing Notebook is a bonus gift for jotting down those little ‘oh, that’s interesting’ moments about yourself and your world, so you’re never stuck staring at a journal prompt wondering what to write.

Just to note, this is a digital product, which means you will receive a PDF journal that you can use on your iPad or desktop, either in apps like GoodNotes (which I use) or any other note-taking app.

Before you head off to buy this, know that this journal is perfect for everyone including those who have tried and failed to get into journalling. I only started doing my version of Morning Pages a couple of years ago after I set myself a 30 day challenge of pulling a daily card from Arwen Lynch’s oracle deck ‘Secrets of the Mystic Grove’ and answering her journal prompts. That exercise changed my attitude towards journalling forever, and I would love that for you, too – which I made this journal for you (and me).

Here’s what 30 days with our lovely Calendula can offer you:

• Feel gently supported to build a journalling habit, even if you’ve ‘failed at it’ before
• See yourself more clearly and kindly, instead of trying to ‘fix’ or upgrade yourself
• Learn some bite sized facts about Calendula that will entertain family and friends
• Enjoy a small daily ritual that digs deep, but still feels doable
• Spend 30 days in the company of a bright, encouraging plant mentor instead of your inner critic

If Calendula’s calling, you can start your 30 days with her today – click here to get the 30 Day Calendula Digital Journal in my Etsy store – I hope she works her magic on you too.