Introducing…the Galactagogue!
My favorite word in the English language is “Galactagogue”.
Perhaps this word conjures up the image of a wild space monster gleefully gobbling up galaxies…or perhaps you see a celestial superhero who pierces through all spacetime and saves all life, bellowing an eternal roar of cosmic triumph!!
(Well, this last image isn’t too far off.)
Galactagogue = A food, drink, or herb which promotes the flow of breastmilk.
Galactagogues include whole grains, especially oatmeal, dark, leafy greens, fennel, fenugreek, chickpeas, nuts and seeds, ginger, papaya, and spices like cumin seeds, anise seeds, fennel seeds, and turmeric.
Why do I love this word so much?
The suffix “gogue” means “Teach” or “Learn” but also means “medicine” and “to promote flow”.
“Lacto” as in “Lactation” or "Lactose" obviously means milk.
And the root “Gala” in Greek also means “Milk”. MILK!
Therefore "Galaxy" means Milk! MILK!!
Milk…
the first substance we all take in…
the energy, the food, that gives us life. Just try to take a breast out of a hungry baby's mouth and see how meaningful and necessary this delicious beverage really is.
Milk. Galaxy. Our Galaxy, the Milky Way, holds us, holds our solar system and billions of others.
A Galaxy is the home, the birthplace of everything. It IS the source of all Life. Just as a mother’s milk is the source of all life. In ways, the Galaxy is the ultimate Mother, swirling, creating, producing, and allowing all her precious babies, solar systems, stars, planets, and dreams to suckle at the breast of her ever loving, ever nurturing, ever providing celestial tit!
Just sayin…
image by Jennifer Taranto/PicsArt