Herbs & Their Elemental Correspondences

Earth

Alfalfa, Barley, Buckwheat, Corn, Cotton, Cyrpess, Fern, Honeysuckly, Magnolia, Mugwort, Oats, Patchouly, Pea, Potato, Rye, Sage, Tulip, Vervain, Wheat

Air

Acacia, Almond, Aspen, Bittersweet, Bodhi, Brazil Nut, Broom, Caraway, Clover, Dandelion, Goldenrod, Hazel, Hops, Lavendar, Maple, Marjoram, Meadowsweet, Mistletoe, Mulberry, Pecan, Pine, Rice Senna

Fire

Allspice, Ash, Bay, Carnation, Cedar, Cimmamon, Clove, Cumin, Dill, Dragon’s Blood, Flax, Frankincense, Ginger, Holly, Juniper, Lovage, Mandrake, Mrigold, Oak, Orange, Pepper, Rosemary, Sunflower, Tea, Thistle, Walnut

Water

Aloe, Apple, Apricot, Birch, Blackberry, Chamomile, Cherry, Comfrey, Daffodil, Daisy, Elder, Foxglove, Heather, Hellebore, Iris, Irish Moss, Jasmine, Lemon, Lilac, Lily, Myrrh, Orris, Peach, Plum, Poppy, Raspberry, Rose, Sandalwood, Stawberry, Tansy, Thyme, Vanilla, Violet, Willow, Yew

HERBAL COMBINATIONS for ILLNESSES

Healing herbs are often used in combinations when combatting an illness. Herbs are combined to give the benefits needed from each, some to give a boost to others, some to boost the body with healing energies. Below are some of the more popular herbal combinations. The herbs can be taken singly for these illnesses as well, although the suggested combinations are best. Don’t fret if you don’t have all of the suggested herbs for any given combination – use what you have, and add the rest as soon as you can. These combinations can usually be in any form you choose – teas, tinctures, capsules, etc. You will want to use equal parts of each herb, or use more of the herb most needed, with equal parts of the booster herbs.

Remember that in any herbal healing undertaken, diet is also very important. These combinations are not meant to be used in the place of a doctor’s advice. Also realize that you should not take herbs continually over a long period of time on a daily basis, as your body may build an immunity to the herb itself, or you may experience side effects. The exception to this would be when treating a chronic illness, but even then, there should be time off for your body from the herbs on a regular schedule. Herbs are medicine, and should always be treated as such.

Often, when taking antibiotic herbs, or prescription antibiotics, the natural bacteria in our digestive system is destroyed, making digestion difficult (and sometimes causing constipation) for several days to several weeks. To combat this, eat fresh real yogurt daily (not the stuff with lots of sugar and flavors, and make sure it has active cultures), or take acidophilus or probiotic capsules, to restore the natural digestive bacteria. This can also help to alleviate vaginal yeast infections in women.

When using an herb or herbal combination to combat an illness or strengthen various systems in the body, it is best to start with a small amount, and then wait a few hours to be sure you are not going to have an adverse reaction, before continuing with the therapy. Stop any ingestion of herbs at the first sign of any adverse reaction.

This is of course not a complete list, this is only to give you a general idea of what may be needed for common ailments. My book has more information on additional illnesses, and there are plenty of naturopathic doctors available, including myself, to answer questions about other ailments. This listing is not meant to diagnose, only to inform. Your body and medical history may dictate that you need very different combinations from these to treat your specific ailments.

ACNE

Herbs Used: Evening Primrose Oil, Raspberry Leaf, Nettle, Dandelion, Lemon Grass Recipe for Acne Help Bring to a simmer in a non-metallic pan 2 quarts water, 3 tablespoons Witchhazel bark, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground cloves; let simmer for 5 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup chopped fresh thyme, 1 cup fresh chopped peppermint leaves, and 1/2 cup fresh chopped marjoram. Simmer 5 more minutes, set aside until cold. Mix 1/2 cup of the simmered mixture with 2 teaspoons cider vinegar, 2 ounces grain alcohol(vodka is best), 4 drops lemon oil, and enough water to make one pint. Apply with cotton to acne prone areas after washing. A good aloe moisturizer afterwards is recommended.

ALLERGIES

Herbs used: Blessed Thistle, Scullcap, Goldenseal, Cayenne, Marshmallow, Lobelia, Burdock.

Other uses: Colds, Hay Fever, Upper respiratory infections

ANEMIA

Herbs Used: Red Beet, Yellow Dock, Lobelia, Burdock, Nettle, Mullein

Other uses: Energy, Fatigue, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease

ARTERIOSCLEROSIS

Herbs Used: Cayenne, Garlic, Hawthorne, Parsley

Other Uses: Blood Pressure, Heart

ARTHRITIS

Herbs Used: Yucca, Comfrey, Alfalfa, Yarrow, Cayenne, Lobelia, Burdock, Chaparral, Black Cohosh, Cat’s Claw, Lemon Grass

Other uses: Bursitis, Rheumatism, Gout, Blood Cleanser

CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME

Herbs Used: For the acute phase of CFS, a combination of Echinacea, goldenseal, and licorice. If this combination is needed for more than seven days, add potassium-rich foods and/or herbs to your diet. For the chronic phase, a combination of goldenseal, astragulus, licorice, ginseng, and evening primrose oil. One month on, one month off is the recommended usage frame.

Other Uses: The combination of herbs for the chronic phase is being studied for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.

COLDS

Herbs used: Chamomile, Slippery Elm, Cayenne, Goldenseal, Myrrh, Peppermint, Sage, Lemon Grass, Rose Hips, Garlic

Other uses: Bronchitis, Ear infections, Fevers, Flu, Tonsillitis

COLIC

Herbs Used: Alfalfa, Peppermint, Fennel, Catnip

Other uses: Digestive disorders, Heartburn, Appetite

CONSTIPATION

Herbs Used: Aloe Vera, Slippery Elm, Barberry

Other uses: Cleansing, Colon

COUGHS

Herbs Used: Elecampane, Wild Cherry Bark, Licorice, Comfrey Root, Lobelia

Other uses: Hay fever, Sore throats

DRUG WITHDRAWAL

Herbs Used: Chamomile, Ginseng, Licorice, Cayenne, Gotu Kola Other uses: Endurance, Energy, Memory

EARACHES

Herbs Used: Oil of Mullein, Garlic Oil, or Lobelia Extract drops directly into the ear.

ENERGY

Herbs Used: Cayenne, Ginseng, Gotu Kola Also add: Bee pollen, bee propolis, royal jelly

Other uses: Endurance, Fatigue, Memory

EYE PROBLEMS

Herbs Used: Goldenseal, Bayberry, Eyebright Other uses: Eyewash, Allergies, Hay fever, Cataracts

FEMALE PROBLEMS

Herbs Used: Black Cohosh, Ginger, Raspberry Leaf, Blessed Thistle, Dong Quai

Other uses: Hormonal balance, Vaginal problems, Uterine infections

FLU

Herbs Used: Ginger, Cayenne, Goldenseal, Licorice

Other uses: Nausea, Motion sickness

FRACTURES

Herbs Used: Comfrey, Horsetail, Alfalfa, Slippery Elm

Other uses: Fingernails, Hair, Joints, Teeth

GALL BLADDER (TO CLEANSE)

Before bed, mix together the juice of 2 lemons, 4 ounces olive oil, 6 ounces Coke Classic; drink. Upon rising, take 10 ounces of magnesium citrate (available in drug stores). Do not eat until you have had your first bowel movement. Bowel movements will continue sporadically for several hours, so do this on a day you are at home!

GUM DISEASE

Herbs Used: Goldenseal, Myrrh (both internally and as a mouthwash)

HEART

Herbs Used: Hawthorne, Cayenne, Garlic Other uses: Arteriosclerosis, Cholesterol, Circulation

HEARTBURN

Herbs Used: Anise seed, Fennel seed, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Lavendar

IMMUNE SUPPORT

Herbs Used: pau d’arco(taheebo), Echinacea, Burdock, Spirulina, Kelp, Cat’s Claw

INFECTIONS

Herbs Used: Echinacea, Goldenseal, Cayenne, Myrrh

Other uses: Colds, Earaches, Fevers, Flu, Measles, Mumps

INSECTS, REPELLING

For repelling insects on skin: Mix 1 teaspoon each of essential oils of pennyroyal, citronella, eucalyptus, rosemary, and tansy. Shake oils in 1 cup of vegetable or olive oil. Store away from light in a sealed container. Use by rubbing a small amount between the palms of your hands, and then apply to any exposed skin. Avoid applying to the face to prevent eye contact. Reapply as necessary. Discontinue using if a rash develops(some people are sensitive to pennyroyal oil. Test on a small area first). Also safe for animal use. DO NOT INCLUDE THE PENNYROYAL OIL IF PREGNANT OR NURSING!!

INSOMNIA

Herbs Used: Valerian, Scullcap, Hops

Other uses: Headaches, Stress, Hyperactivity

KIDNEYS

Herbs Used: Juniper, Uva Ursi, Marshmallow, Ginger, Goldenseal, Dandelion

Other uses: Bladder, Urinary problems

LIVER

Herbs Used: Dandelion, Parsley, Horsetail, Blessed (or Milk) Thistle, Chamomile, Lobelia, Wild Yam, Ginger, Sassafras, Kelp

Other uses: Cleansing, Kidneys, Spleen, Gall Bladder

LUNGS

Herbs Used: Comfrey, Fenugreek, Marshmallow, Mullein, Chickweed

Other uses: Asthma, Bronchitis, Coughs, Hay Fever, Pneumonia

MEMORY

Herbs Used: Gingko Biloba, Gotu Kola, Ginseng

Other Uses: Energy, Circulation, Tinnitus

MENOPAUSE

Herbs Used: Black Cohosh, Licorice, False Unicorn, Ginseng, Squaw Vine, Blessed Thistle

Other uses: Hormone imbalance, Menstrual problems, Hot flashes, Uterine problems

MENSTRUAL CRAMPS

Herbs Used: Cramp Bark, Ginger root, Raspberry Leaf, Yellow Dock, Vitex, Wild Yam

MIGRAINES

Herbs Used: Fenugreek, Thyme, Lobelia, Wood Betony, Feverfew Other uses: Fever, Flu, Headache

MORNING SICKNESS

Herbs Used: Wild Yam, Dandelion, Ginger, Vitex

NERVES

Herbs Used: Black Cohosh, Cayenne, Valerian, Ginger, St. Johnswort, Hops, Wood Betony

Other uses: Headaches, Anxiety, Stress

POISON IVY/OAK

Herbs Used: Burdock, Mullein, Yellow Dock (bathing in a peppermint tea bath will relieve the itching as well as aid in drying up the oak/ivy)

Other uses, Itching, Insect Bites

PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME

Herbs Used: Evening Primrose Oil, Dong Quai, Vitex

Other uses: Menstrual regulation, Painful breasts

PROSTATE

Herbs Used: Black Cohosh, Licorice, Kelp, Gotu Kola, Ginger, Cayenne, Juniper, Uva Ursi, Taheebo, Saw Palmetto, Cat’s Claw

Other uses: Bladder, Liver, Spleen

REDUCING WEIGHT

Herbs Used: Chickweed, Licorice, Safflower, Echinacea, Black Walnut, Hawthorn, Papaya, Fennel, Dandelion

Other uses: Energy, Cleanser

SEXUAL DESIRE

Stimulant:

Damiana, Ginseng, Saw Palmetto, Gotu Kola

Depressant:

Hops, Scullcap, Valerian

SKIN

Herbs Used: Horsetail, Sage, Rosemary

Other uses: Hair, Nails

SORE THROAT

Herbs Used: Marshamallow, Fenugreek

Alternate: Cayenne, Ginger mixed with honey and lemon

STOP SMOKING

Herbs Used: Hops, Scullcap, Slippery Elm, Valerian, Lobelia Other uses: Cough, Nerves, Stress

THYROID

Herbs Used: Irish Moss, Kelp, Parsley, Black Walnut, Sarsaparilla

Other uses: Fatigue, Glands, Lymphatic System

TUMORS

Herbs Used: Chaparral, Red Clover, Taheebo (Pau d’arco) Other uses: Cleansing, Blood Disorders

ULCERS

Herbs Used: Cayenne, Goldenseal, Myrrh, Marshmallow, Calendula

Other uses: Indigestion, Heartburn

YEAST INFECTION

Herbs Used: Cayenne, Garlic, White Oak Bark, Marshmallow, Mullein (all mixed together and used as a bolus)

Other uses: Leuchorea, Vagina

Herbs During Pregnancy

These are herbs that will help the mother and baby in the early development stages.

Black Haw – used in the early stages of pregnancy to help prevent miscarriage

Blessed Thistle – used in the latter stages of pregnancy as a liver tonic and builder, as well as a stimulant of blood flow to the mammaries, and used to increase milk production; also reduces hemorrhaging during childbirth

Burdock Root – has a high concentration of vitamins and minerals and is a liver booster

Chamomile – lifts the spirits and calms the nerves, used for digestive disorders during pregnancy, is combined with ginger to help morning sickness, and has a high calcium content as well as an anti-inflammatory aid

Dandelion – greens and root – a high source of vitamins and minerals, aids digestion, nourishes and tones the system, diuretic, useful for fatigue and exhaustion, liver booster

Ginger Root – used for morning sickness and digestive problems, safe during pregnancy for treating colds, sore throats, and congestion

Kelp – high in vitamins and minerals, aids thyroid

Nettle Leaf – rich in many vitamins and minerals, especially iron, so it is very useful for those suffering from chronic fatigue and exhaustion due to low iron, aids in enriching and stimulating flow of milk; good for use throughout all stages of the pregnancy

Red Raspberry Leaf – tones and nourishes the uterine muscles, rich in vitamins and minerals, enriches and increases milk flow, restores the system after childbirth; good for the entire pregnancy

Sprulina – high in vitamins and nutrients

Bee Products – – royal jelly, propolis, bee pollen, raw honey – many nutritional benefits Always remember to eat a very healthy diet when pregnant and/or nursing!

HERBS AND PREGNANCY

The following is help for those trying to get pregnant, already pregnant, or about to experience the blessed event. Once again, please seek the assistance of a qualified person before taking these herbs. Use at your own risk.

Fertility

The first place to start is at the beginning. Below are some things that will help to improve your fertility when the decision is made to go from a couple to a family.

First, you need to check with a physician to determine where the infertility problem lies. Many things can affect fertility for both the man and the woman. A few tests will go a long way to preventing a lot of hair-pulling and finger-pointing. If sperm count is low, a quick solution is to wear boxers instead of briefs. Sperm needs to be cooler than the body temperature to form properly.

Uterine fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, stress, age – all have a factor in fertility for women, and these situations need to be addressed and treated before embarking on an herbal treatment for fertility. You should not be in such a hurry to get pregnant that you put yourself or your fetus in any kind of danger.

Fertility Tonic

2 parts ho shou wu
1 part astragalus root
1 part dong quai root (substitute ginseng for men)
2 parts false unicorn root
3 parts wild yam root
1 part vitex berries
1 part squaw vine
1 part cinnamon

The tonic may be used in tincture (3/4 teaspoon daily), capsule (3 capsules twice per day), or tea (one cup three times per day) form. Use daily for up to 3 months. During this time, change your lifestyle to include plenty of exercise, rest, and above all, a healthy diet. Take a multivitamin every day, as well as bee pollen. Your life is a direct reflection of what is going on in your body, both male and female. Take stock and change what you should to aid in overcoming the infertility. And remember – sometimes trying too hard can make it difficult to conceive!

Basic Herbal Fumigation

Burning specific herbs provides magickal and spiritual antiseptic effects. These herbs include: aloes wood, benzoin resin, bloodroot, cajeput, cinnamon, cloves, dragon’s blood resin, eucalyptus, frankincense, garlic, harmel (Syrian rue), juniper, mastic, mugwort, myrrh, onions, rosemary, sage(especially white sage), Saint John’s Wort, sandalwood, thyme, wormwood and yarrow. Burn them alone or in any combination.

Many of these plants also radiate a protective aura: maintaining them as a presence, particularly as living plants but also as direct amulets, can only be beneficial. Whatever else these plants do (any many, such as frankincense, dragon’s bood and wormwood are extremely versatile magickally), they alway radiate a cleansing, purifying aura. Although certain methods of our intensify their cleansing effect, those effects are constant: the more these herbs are used, the more consistent their cleansing power.

A Bright, Bright Sun Shiny Sunday To Everyone!

I hope everyone is have a super duper day! I think most of you have figured out by now, we take the weekends off sometimes. I think it really figures on what mood we are in, whether we want to work or not, lol!

If you haven’t noticed the graphic has changed and so has the front page. Also I am getting ready to dump a whole lot of information over here from our old Yuku group. I noticed the other day when I was over there our boards are starting to disappear. In other words, Yuku is tired of us using them as a storage unit. Well I can’t really blame them but then again I can, it’s our info. But we have lots of great herbal info that I don’t want to lose. I don’t know where it came from and I have never seen anything else like it on the net. So it is a must that it get moves. I figured today would be a perfect day. No daily posts that ya’ll are trying to read. Ya’ll are just browsing around and hopefully I won’t interfere with you too much. If I do I apologize now. It just took us forever to acquire the info that we have and I am not fixing to lose it.

So have a little patience, I am going to try to move this as fast as possible. I hope you have a super fantastic Sunday. Rest, relax and well, don’t think about tomorrow being Monday. Hmm, tomorrow’s Presidents’ Day I hope you have the day off and extra long vacation, all right!

Anyway, off to work I go, see you tomorrow.

Luv & Hugs,

Lady A

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for February 14th

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Why is it that the things we love can cause us so much pain, and perhaps without realizing it? Why is it that we find so much to worry about in all the “what ifs” that cross our minds with such persistence? What makes fatigue follow us through the hours and drain away precious strength that we need to help us in our daily routine?

All the things that plague is daily have one common cause – fear. To some, fear is a constant companion. We may call it by many other names such as necessity, time, busyness, demands, but all of these can be forms of fear.

Fear produces the most mental, physical, and spiritual fatigue that has ever overtaken humans. It rushes us so that we have accidents. It drains us of strength to resist illness. It tells us we cannot produce enough to meet the demands upon us. And it builds within our minds such dire images so that we cannot face the simplest.

Fear has one antidote. It is not to stop worrying and take it easy, but it is faith. Adverse conditions cannot break us in the face of faith. Faith allows us to look fear in the eyes with such confidence that it loses its power over us.

English divine, Frederick William Robertson, wrote, “To believe is strong. Doubt cramps energy. Belief is power.”

__________________________________________

Available online! ‘Cherokee Feast of Days’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com

Elder’s Meditation of the Day
By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – February 14

“Sometimes, life is very simple, but it is we two-leggeds, we who are thought to be smart that make it complicated.”

–Larry P. Aitkin, CHIPPEWA

Sometimes it may take years for us to find out what we are really after-it is to be happy. The Elders say, lead a simple life. This doesn’t necessarily mean poor, it means simple. There are some things that makes life complicated such as needing control, needing power or being resentful or angry. These things make complications happen. We need to walk in balance in every area of our lives.

Great Spirit, let me lead a simple life.

February 14 – Daily Feast

February 14 – Daily Feast

Our wounds need time to heal. And when it seems the healing has done its work, protection from further hurt is necessary, because our scars are on the surface. Physical wounds are bad enough, but when they come from mental cruelty and unfair treatment, pain returns again and again to reopen what no one should have to bear. It seems almost a sacrilege to ask someone so deeply hurt to forgive those who caused it. Yet unforgiveness causes damage almost as devastating as physical wounds, or more so. There is great stress on bearing grudges and the abused do not need any new pain or new problems. Forgiveness does not set the abusive free, but the abused.

~ I was living peaceably and satisfied when people began to speak bad of me. ~

GERONIMO

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days’, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

The Daily Motivator for Feb. 14th – Highest expectations

Highest expectations

If you’ve been disappointed, it’s tempting to lower your expectations so you won’t be disappointed again. But that’s not how it works.

In reality, when you expect less you’ll be disappointed more. The lower you aim, the less fulfilling your life will be.

You deserve a life that’s full and rich, so set your expectations high. And see each disappointment as an opportunity to set those expectations even higher.

In one way, disappointment is a good thing because it means you are making an attempt. The key to fulfillment is to keep making those attempts, to keep raising your expectations, and to work your way forward.

A strong sense of purpose is what will keep you going. By continuing to expect the best of yourself you can move quickly away from each disappointment.

When you fail to reach your expectations, raise those expectations even higher. Make it meaningful enough and you’ll make it happen.

— Ralph Marston

Daily Motivator

Daily OM for February 14th – A Gift of the Heart

A Gift of the Heart
Letting People Know You Love Them

by Madisyn Taylor

If you love someone, let them know.

It’s easy to take our feelings for granted and to assume that the people we care about know how we feel about them. But while those we love are often quite cognizant of our feelings, saying “I love you“ is a gift we should give to our loved ones whenever we can. Letting people know you love them is an important part of nurturing any kind of loving relationship. Few people tire of being told they are loved, and saying “I love you“ can make a world of difference in someone’s life, take a relationship to a new level, or reaffirm and strengthen a steady bond. Everyone needs to hear the words “I love you.“ Three simple words – I – Love – You. When you declare your love for someone you admit to them that you care for them in the most significant way.

It can be difficult to express your love using words, particularly if you grew up around people that never expressed their affection verbally. But you should never be afraid to say “I love you“ or worry that doing so will thrust you into a position of excessive vulnerability. It is important to share your feelings with those that matter to you. Part of the fulfillment that comes with loving someone is telling them that you love them. Besides, love exists to be expressed, not withheld.

If you love someone, let them know. Don’t be afraid of the strength of your emotions or worry that your loved one won’t feel the same way. Besides, the words “I love you“ are often best said to another without expectation of a return investment. As each one of us is filled with an abundance of love, there is never any worry that you’ll run out of love if your expression of love isn’t said back to you. Saying “I love you“ is a gift of the heart sent directly via words to the heart of a recipient. Even though it may not always look that way, love from the heart is an offering that is always unconditional and given without strings attached. That is the true essence of the gift of “I love you.”

The Daily OM

Secret Fantasy Sex Magick

Gather together your lover, a red candle, two pieces of paper with pens to write, three drops of honeysuckle oil, and a half cup of olive oil. Your should do this spell with your love as a way for both of you to become closer in your relationship.
After dark, begin with your lover by lighting the candle and dedicating it to the fire of your love:

Glowing flame burning bright

Be the fire of love tonight.

Now it’s time for each of you to write down your fantasies about each other. Let your imagination run wild. The idea is to bring the ideal and real together into not only one glorious and magnificent night, but a lifetime of them.

Add the honeysuckle oil to the olive oil. As you do so, say:

Sweet flower of divine love

Empower this oil with your passion.

As you and your lover rub the oil all over each other’s bodies, describe your most wild fantasies as you wrote them out on the pieces of paper. It’s up to you and your lover as to whether you want to act on them. Allow the candle to safely burn down.

Checkers Sex Magick

This sex magick spell provides a playful way to set your love life on fire.

You will need a checkers game, two pens and two sheets of paper, and your favorite scented oil.

At 9:06 p.m., being the game of checkers, only with a few added touches. First write down a love/sex wish that you have on the sheet of paper, and have your lover do the same on the other sheet of paper. Fold the sheets of paper, and give yours to your lover, and take his or her sheet of folded paper. Don’t open the papers yet. No peeking! Each of you need to be wearing six items of clothing. Socks and shoes are two items each. Aptly clothed, play checkers. When one of you jumps and takes the other one’s game piece, that person also gets to take off one of your items of clothing. Before taking off the item of clothing, repeat together:
“More kisses, so much more delight sweetheart make love with me tonight!”

Continue until you are both sky clad and wanting each other. Now anoint each other with the scented oil. The person who wins gets their love/sex wish fulfilled first. Then the person who loses get their love/sex wish fulfilled, so it’s a win-win kind of night!

Moon Love Potion

This love potion will attract the gifts of the fairies as well as fill you with moonlight, starlight and divine delight.

You will need three handfuls of dried barley grain, hot water, a teapot, roasted barley tea, and a cup. Barley tea is great for getting your body in shape. It’s refreshing and cooling, and encourages harmony.

After dark, go outdoors and sprinkle two handfuls of the dried barley grain on the ground, one handful outside your front door and one handful outside your back door. Barley attracts fairy favors and gifts. As you sprinkle the barley in small clockwise circles, chant:

“Love, love, love, moon circles for the blessed fae.”

Go back indoors and heat the water. Pour boiling water into the teapot filled with a handful of roasted barley. Let the tea steep for about ten minutes. Pour a cup of tea, and slowly sip it. Before each sip, repeat:

“Love, love, love potion fill me with moonlight love, love, love potion fill me with starlight love, love, love potion fill me with divine delight So be it! Blessed be!”

Return any leftover tea to the earth. As you do say:

“Love, love, love blessed fae, Blessed be!”

The Myth of Cupid and Psyche (The Divine Love Story)

The Myth of Cupid and Psyche

The Divine Love Story or Myth of Cupid and Psyche

By N.S. Gill, About.com

The great Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, was born from the foam near the island of Cyprus, for which reason she is referred to as “the Cyprian.” Aphrodite was a jealous goddess, but she was also passionate. Not only did she love the men and gods in her life, but her sons and grandchildren, as well. Sometimes her possessive instincts led her too far. When her son Cupid found a human to love — one whose beauty rivaled hers — Aphrodite did all in her power to thwart the marriage.

How Cupid and Psyche Met

Psyche was worshiped for her beauty in her homeland. This drove Aphrodite mad, so she sent a plague and let it be known the only way the land could get back to normal was to sacrifice Psyche. The king, who was Psyche’s father, tied Psyche up and left her to her death at the hands of some presumed fearsome monster. You may note that this isn’t the first time in Greek mythology that this happened. The great Greek hero Perseus found his bride, Andromeda, tied up as prey for a sea monster. Andromeda was sacrificed to appease Poseidon who had ravaged the country of Ethiopia, which was ruled by her father, after Queen Cassiopeia had boasted about her own beauty. In the case of Psyche, it was Aphrodite’s son Cupid who released and married the princess.

The Mystery About Cupid

Unfortunately for the young couple, Cupid and Psyche, Aphrodite was not the only one trying to foul things up. Psyche had two sisters who were as jealous as Aphrodite.

Cupid was a wonderful lover and husband to Psyche, but there was one odd thing about their relationship: He made sure Psyche never saw what he looked like. Psyche didn’t mind. She had a fulfilling night life in the dark with her husband, and during the day, she had all the luxuries she could ever want.

When the sisters learned about the luscious, extravagant lifestyle of their lucky, beautiful sister, they urged Psyche to pry into the area of his life that Psyche’s husband kept hidden from her.

Cupid was a god, and gorgeous as he had to have been with Aphrodite for a mother, but for reasons known best to him, he didn’t want his mortal wife to see his form. Psyche’s sister didn’t know he was a god, although they may have suspected it. However, they did know that Psyche’s life was much happier than theirs. Knowing their sister well, they preyed on her insecurities and persuaded Psyche that her husband was a hideous monster.

Psyche assured her sisters they were wrong, but since she’d never seen him, even she started having doubts. Psyche decided to satisfy the girls’ curiosity, so that night she took a candle to her sleeping husband in order to look at him.

Cupid Deserts Psyche

Cupid’s angelic form was exquisite, so Psyche stood there gawking at her husband with her candle melting. While Psyche dawdled, ogling, a bit of wax dripped on her husband. Her rudely awakened, irate, disobeyed, injured husband-angel-god flew away.

“See, I told you she was a no good human,” said mother Aphrodite to her convalescing son Cupid. “Now you’ll have to be content among the gods.”

Cupid might have gone along with the de facto divorce, but Psyche couldn’t. Impelled by love of her gorgeous husband, she implored her mother-in-law to give her another chance. Aphrodite agreed, but ungraciously, saying, “I cannot conceive that any serving-wench as hideous as yourself could find any means to attract lovers save by making herself their drudge; wherefore now I myself will make trial of your worth.”

The Epic Trials of Psyche

But Aphrodite had no intention of playing fair. She devised 4 tasks (not 3 as is conventional in mythic hero quests; this is a feminine story), each task more exacting than the last. Psyche passed the first 3 challenges with flying colors:

sort a huge mount of barley, millet, poppy seeds, lentils, and beans. Ants (pismires) help her sort the grains within the time allotted.
gather a hank of the wool of the shining golden sheep. A reed tells her how to accomplish this task without being killed by the vicious animals.
fill a crystal vessel with the water of the spring that feeds the Styx and Cocytus. An eagle helps her out.

But the last task was too much for Psyche:

4. Aphrodite asked Psyche to bring her back a box of Persephone’s beauty cream.

Going to the Underworld was a challenge for the bravest of the Greek mythical heroes. Demigod Hercules could go to the Underworld without much bother, but even Theseus had trouble and had to be rescued by Hercules. Psyche barely batted an eye when Aphrodite told her she would have to go to the most dangerous region known to mortals. That part was easy, especially after the tower told her how to find the entryway to the Underworld, how get around Charon and Cerberus, and how to behave before the Underworld queen.

The part of the fourth task that was too much for Psyche was the temptation to make herself more beautiful. If the perfect beauty of the perfect goddess Aphrodite needed this Underworld beauty cream, Psyche reasoned, how much more would it help an imperfect mortal woman? Thus, Psyche retrieved the box successfully, but then she opened it and fell into a deathlike sleep, as Aphrodite had secretly predicted.

“And by and by shee opened the boxe where she could perceive no beauty nor any thing else, save onely an infernall and deadly sleepe, which immediatly invaded all her members as soone as the boxe was uncovered, in such sort that she fell downe upon the ground, and lay there as a sleeping corps.” William Adlington Translation (1566)

Reunion and Happy Ending to the Myth of Cupid and Psyche

At this point, divine intervention was called for if the story were to have an ending that made anyone really happy. With Zeus’ connivance, Cupid brought his wife to Olympus where, at Zeus’s command, she was given nectar and ambrosia so she would become immortal.

“Incontinently after Jupiter commanded Mercury to bring up Psyches, the spouse of Cupid, into the Pallace of heaven. And then he tooke a pot of immortality, and said, Hold Psyches, and drinke, to the end thou maist be immortall, and that Cupid may be thine everlasting husband.“

On Olympus, in the presence of the other gods, Aphrodite reluctantly reconciled with her pregnant daughter-in-law, who was about to give birth to a grandchild Aphrodite would (obviously) dote on, Pleasure.

Another Story of Cupid and Psyche

C.S. Lewis took Apuleius’ version of this myth and turned it on its ear in Till We Have Faces. The tender love story is gone. Instead of having the story seen through the eyes of Psyche, it’s seen through her sister Orval’s perspective. Instead of the refined Aphrodite of the Roman story, the mother goddess in C.S. Lewis’ version is a far more weighty, chthonic Earth-Mother-Goddess power.

More on C.S. Lewis and the re-telling of the Cupid and Psyche myth: A Great Gulf Fixed: The Problem of Obsessive Love in C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces

About the Origins and History of Valentine’s Day

By N.S. Gill, About.com

The origins of Valentine’s Day may be a bit disappointing. Valentine’s Day is probably named for a saint. Its transformation into a love-fest seems to have been catalyzed by a single Englishman in the 14th century — well beyond the termination date for bawdy Roman fertility festivals, like the Lupercalia.

Chaucer first linked the February holiday of Valentine’s Day, a martyred saint’s day, with romance, and even then, not really romance, but birds mating. Then, after some centuries of an increasingly popular association between Valentine’s Day and romance came the development of cheap-to-mail paper Valentine’s Day cards and the birth of an American holiday in the mid-19th century.

It may not be fair to say that Valentine’s Day has its origin in antiquity, but there were romantic spring holidays (Gamelion and Lupercalia) and a St. Valentine or 2.

Valentine’s Day Saint #1:

There may have been a real Valentine, a 3d-century priest who defied Emperor Claudius II’s ban against wartime marriages. According to legend, Valentine performed secret marriages until he was discovered, put to death, and buried on the Flaminian Way. [See Oruch for why this doesn’t work historically.]

Valentine’s Day Saint #2:

There’s another legend in which a Valentine, persecuted for helping Christians, restored the eyesight of his jailer’s blind daughter, and then maintained a secret correspondence with her to which he signed his name “your Valentine.”

Another Derivation of Valentine:

Even more speculative is the notion that Valentine’s name was originally “Galantine,” signifying “gallant,” a word with more obvious associations with courtship. The shift in consonant to “v” is explained as the way medieval French peasants pronounced the letter “g.”

Valentine was a popular name among the Romans, with emperors named Valens and Valentinian.

Christianization of Lupercalia:

Another theory is that Pope Gelasius I replaced the pagan festival of Lupercalia with the Christian Feast of the Purification, which was celebrated on February 14, 40 days after Epiphany. This is based on Bede who wrote about pagan customs in February, and not specifically Lupercalia. Oruch says it wasn’t until the 16th century that the pagan ceremony of Lupercalia was said to be behind Candlemas (February 2).

February’s Special Holidays:

Imbolc, Oimelc, Brigit’s Day, The Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, Ground Hog’s Day, and Candlemas are all holidays that occur in the first half of February. Some believe the Christian holidays are simply renamed pagan ones.

References for Origins of Valentine’s Day:

“The Fashioning of a Modern Holiday: St. Valentine’s Day, 1840-1870,” by Leigh Eric Schmidt; Winterthur Portfolio Vol. 28, No. 4 (Winter, 1993), pp. 209-245.
“St. Valentine, Chaucer, and Spring in February,” by Jack B. Oruch Speculum, Vol. 56, No. 3. (Jul., 1981), pp. 534-565.

About.com

WOTC Cartoon of the Day – ‘Some People, lol!’

A Little Humor for Your Day – ‘Your Getting Old When…’

Your Getting Old When. . .

You know you’re getting older when…
Everything that works hurts, and what doesn’t hurt doesn’t work.
You feel like the morning after, and you haven’t been anywhere.
Your little black book only contains names ending in M.D.
Your children are beginning to look middle-aged.
Your mind makes contracts your body can’t keep.
You look forward to a dull evening.
Your knees buckle and your belt won’t.
Your back goes out more than you do.
You sink your teeth into a steak, and they stay there.
You know all the answers, but nobody asks the questions.

AhaJokes.com

SInce It’s Valentine’s – Test Your Kissing Knowledge Quiz!

Test Your Kissing Knowledge!

Care2 Healthy Living Guest Blogger

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, here is some kissing trivia, compliments of Marc Liechtung, DMD, principal in New York-based Manhattan Dental Arts, a practice that specializes in cosmetic and restorative dentistry. Test your kissing knowledge, and start smooching your loved one!

The Questions:

1. True or False? Kissing can cause cavities.

2. True or False? You burn 5 calories in a one-minute kiss.

3. True or False? The average woman will kiss 25 guys before she’s married.

4. The average person will spend, overall, approximately ____ kissing in their lifetime:

A) 2 days

B) 2 weeks

C) 2 months

5. 50% of all people have their first kiss before the age of…

A) 14

B) 16

C) 18

6. True or False? Only 60% of people in the world engage in kisses on the lips.

7. True or False? The record for kissing the most people in the shortest time is held by Alfred Wolfram, who kissed 800 people in 8 hours.

8. What was the first film to show a couple kissing?

A) Casablanca (1942)

B) Romeo and Juliette (1968)

C) The Kiss (1896)

9. True or False? In all countries, anyone over the age of 14 can kiss, with consent.

10. According to legend, any person who kisses the Blarney Stone in Ireland will be endowed with the gift of:

A) great kissing

B) soft lips

C) gab

______________________________________

The Answers:

1. True or False? Kissing can cause cavities.

True. If you kiss someone who may have bad bacteria in his/her mouth, their saliva could pass the bacteria on to you, thereby causing cavities. On the other hand, according to Dr. Liechtung, others believe that kissing may actually prevent cavities since saliva is the body’s natural way of cleaning the mouth.

2. True or False? You burn 5 calories in a one-minute kiss.

False. The average one-minute kiss burns 26 calories. Kiss those calories goodbye!

3. True or False? The average woman will kiss 25 guys before she’s married.

Answer:

False. Start your engines! The average woman will kiss 79 guys before she’s married.

4. The average person will spend approximately this much time kissing in their lifetime:

A) 2 days

B) 2 weeks

C) 2 months

Answer:

B) The average person will spend an estimated two entire weeks of their life kissing. That’s 20,160 minutes kissing in a lifetime.

5. 50% of all people have their first kiss before the age of…

A) 14

B) 16

C) 18

Answer:

A) 14

6. True or False? Only 60% of people in the world engage in kisses on the lips.

False. Ninety percent of people in the world engage in kisses on the lips. People in other cultures, such as Eskimos, rub noses.

7. True or False? The record for kissing is held by Alfred Wolfram, who kissed 800 people in 8 hours.

False. In September 1990 Alfred Wolfram kissed 8,001 people in 8 hours – over 16 people a minute – at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.

8. What was the first film to show a couple kissing?

A) Casablanca (1942)

B) Romeo and Juliette (1968)

C) The Kiss (1896)

Answer:

C) John C. Rice kissed May Irwin in 1896 and became the first couple to be recorded kissing in the film The Kiss.

9. True or False? In all countries, anyone over the age of 14 can kiss, with consent.

Answer:

False. In December 2007, South Africa Banned Kissing involving anyone under the age of 16, regardless of consent.

10. Any person who kisses the Blarney Stone will be endowed with the gift of:

A) great kissing

B) soft lips

C) gab (great speaking skills and flattery)

Answer:

C) According to legend, any person who kisses the Blarney Stone in the Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland, will be endowed with the gift of gab.

———————

To keep your mouth kissable, Dr. Liechtung suggests daily brushing and an annual visit to your dentist for a check-up. For additional information please go to www.ManhattanDentalArts.com

Daily Feng Shui News for Feb. 14th – ‘Valentine’s Day’

On Valentine’s Day you can give yourself roses in order to attract a true and lasting love. Take two pink, long-stemmed roses and remove the thorns. Place them in a white vase and position this on your bedside table. After three days, replace the roses with two new pink roses. After another three days, replace the roses again for a total of six roses in nine days. Feng Shui says that this powerful cure will attract the perfect partner into your life. If you already have one of those, then putting two pink roses in a vase in your ‘Romance/Relationship’ (far back right-hand corner) will enhance your existing relationship. Happy Valentine’s Day.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

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