Living in Community with Ticks and the Dis-Eases they Carry

Like many people who come to the country from the city, I have accepted ticks as an unpleasant reality of living here.  And, like everything that is unpleasant, there are lessons for me to learn from ticks, from the Tick Borne Illnesses (TBI) they carry, and from the land we share.  I believe that ticks carry their own Medicine; they are Forest Protectors, they are Creator’s way of cautioning humans about how we are treating Creation.
 
On a personal level, when we are living in balance with ourselves, we experience less suffering.  Letting go of attachments to “how things should be”, and accepting the here and how is essential.
 
While I do not live in fear of the spirochetes, I am mindful of their presence.  I have developed a protocol for my family based on my experience recovering from Lyme, my knowledge of herbal medicine and from supporting the treatment of my family and friends.
 
Keep them away by:
~ Spraying pant legs with ACV-based tick repellant
~ wearing tall boots
~Drinking Cistus
 
~Wear fewer clothes and you are more likely to feel them crawling
~Unshaven legs/body are more likely to sense them crawling
 
External response to a Tick Bite
~Remove the tick ASAP as gently as possible.
~Cleanse the bite with Tea Tree/Lavender EO blend or another anti-septic.
~Apply Plantain Leaf, Monarda Fistulosa, Echinacea poultice (fresh or dried) to the bite and change 2x/ day for 3-7 days.
~Apply Teasel Root, Propolis, and/or Echinacea Tincture to the bite several 2-3x/day.
 
The external protocol should be continued for at least 5 days and until there is no redness related to an infection in the area of the bite.
 
Internal Response to a Tick Bite
~Teasel Root tincture: take 5 drops 3x/day.
~Children: Echinacea Tincture:  Take 5 drops 3x/day.
~Adult: Sweet Annie (Artemesia Annua) and Tansy Tincture
~Reishi Mushroom and other mushrooms tincture: 5 drops 3x/day.  
 
 
The internal protocol should be continued for at least 5 days and longer depending on how long the tick was attached and what kinds of symptoms surface.
 
This protocol is NOT for everyone.  If any of these do not feel good for you, please do not use it.  Ask your body and the plant for permission to use it.  And listen.  If you have questions or concerns, please talk to an herbalist.  I am available for phone consultations about this protocol, including with help sourcing herbs.
 
If your symptoms worsen or persist longer than 10 days, you should consult a clinical herbalist or holistic practitioner with experience in treating Tick Borne Illnesses.

*  This post is for informational and empowerment purposes only.  It is not meant to diagnose or treat any condition.