Category: Herbs

Natures Therapy

Natures Therapy

Most medicinal herbs contain many natural compounds that play off one another, producing a wide variety of results. Even medical science does not always understand how the compounds work together, or even exactly what they all are. As botanist Walter Lewis, Ph.D., and microbiologist Memory Elvin-Lewis, Ph.D., put it in their book Medical Botany: “Nature is still mankind’s greatest chemist, and many compounds that remain undiscovered in plants are beyond the imagination of even our best scientists.”

Some herbs that regulate the body almost seem to have an inner intelligence, with the ability to perform many different functions, depending upon what the individual needs. For example, ginger can raise or lower blood pressure, depending on what needs to happen to bring an individual’s blood pressure to a healthy level. And tonic herbs do more than clear up immediate, acute symptoms-they have the more general effect of renewing strength and vitality. Marshmallow, for instance, strengthens your digestive system and improves the functioning of your immune system while relieving your stomach distress.

Although 80 percent of pharmaceutical drugs are based on herbs, these drugs are generally based not on the whole herb but on one “active ingredient” derived from a plant. Modern medicine has become captivated by what it calls a “magic 0bullet”-a single substance that zeros in and destroys a germ or relieves a symptom. Whenever possible, the chemical structure of the active component found in an herb is duplicated in the laboratory and produced synthetically. This enables a drug company to produce formulas of consistent quality and strength and avoid the hassle and expense of collecting plants in the wild. (Not incidentally, it also enables them to patent the remedy and charge more money for it.)

These magic bullet drugs have several problems. First, they treat only specific problems. Well-known plant researcher and botanist James Duke, Ph.D., points out that “the solitary synthetic bullet offers no alternatives if the doctor has misdiagnosed the ailment or if one or more ailments require more than one compound.” Herbs, on the other hand, can cover many bases at once.

Also, magic bullets don’t give the body a chance to find its own solution. Dr. Duke theorizes that our bodies take fuller advantage than we realize of the complex chemistry in medicinal herbs. He believes that each herb contains hundreds of active compounds, many of which act “synergistically.” That means that all these compounds somehow combine to produce a greater effect than each has alone, and that the body extracts the compounds it needs and discards the others. One possible reason that scientific studies sometimes fail to confirm an herb’s traditional use in healing is that the studies often focus only on the isolated compound, not on the whole plant.0

Years ago, researchers extracted an active compound called silymarin from the herb;milk thistle and turned it into a pharmaceutical drug to treat liver damage. Only later did German scientists discover yet another compound in milk thistle betaine hydrochloride-that may be equally important.

The popular immunity-enhancing herb Echinacea has a similar story. For years, complex carbohydrates from Echinacea were thought to be its sole active ingredient and were extracted to produce a drug. But then a team of German researchers headed by Dr. Wagner discovered that;echinacea contains other compounds that enhance immunity.

In the case of the sedative herb valerian, medical researchers found that two compounds-valeric acid and essential oils-caused its calming effects, but for some time they remained unaware of still a third set of highly sedative compounds called valepotriates. And ginkgo, which is used to boost brain functions and circulation, has been found to be more effective when used in its whole form instead of its isolated active compounds.

WOTC Extra – Common Kitchen Herbs that Heal

WOTC Extra – Common Kitchen Herbs that Heal

What follows is a short list of herbs commonly found in kitchens, or easily found in most supermarkets. This list is alphabetical by herb. ——————————————————————————–

Anise (Pimpinella ansium) Anise helps expel gas, relieves nausea and stomach pain caused by gas. To use: crush anise seeds into a powder. Put 1 teaspoon of the powder into 1 cup of warm water. Drink up to three times a day to relieve symptoms.

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Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Basil is another anti-nauseant that also relieves gas, and promotes normal bowel function. To use: Make a strong tea using 1 teaspoon of the crushed dried herb in a half- cup of water. Drink as needed, not to exceed three cups a day. ——————————————————————————–

Capsicum or Cayenne (Capsicum frutescens) Cayenne helps stimulate the appetite and acts as a milk stimulant. It may reduce discomfort from the common cold. To use: make a tea out of the dried herb, 1 teaspoon per cup of hot water. 2 cups per day only. Note: Cayenne irritates hemorrhoids and should never be used by people with stomach problems. Do not exceed recommended dosage as high doses can cause stomach and kidney problems.

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Caraway (Carum carvi) Caraway works as an expectorant for coughs due to colds. It also improves the appetite and may increase breast milk in nursing mothers. To use: Chew some seeds three or four times a day.

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Dill (Aniethum graveolens) Dill eases indigestion and upset stomachs. To use: make a strong tea by steeping 2 teaspoons of dill seeds in 1 cup of hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain and drink one half-cup 2 to 3 times daily.

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Fennel (Foeniculum velgare) Fennel is a digestive aid and is known to relieve cramps. The oil is used to relieve stiff joints. To use: 15 drops of extract in warm water with honey, one daily, as digestive aid. Rub oil directly on affected area for pain alleviation. ——————————————————————————–

Fenugreek (Trigonella graceum) Fenugreek relieves sore throats and is useful for treating irritations and other inflammations. To use: as a gargle for sore throat – mix 1 tablespoon of pulverized seed in 1 cup hot water. Let steep for 10 minutes and strain. Gargle 3 times a day, every 3-4 hours. As a poultice for skin irritations – pulverize enough seed so that when mixed with 8 ounces of water, it forms a thick paste. Apply paste to affected areas once a day. ——————————————————————————–

Garlic (Allium satvum) Garlic helps fight infections, lowers blood pressure and may be able to destroy some cancer cells. To use: stir-fry cloves for a few minutes to cut down garlic-breath. Eat 2 or 3 a day for maximum effectiveness.

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Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) Ginger eases cold symptoms, soothes skin inflammations and minor burns, calms upset stomachs, and is a natural remedy for morning sickness. To use: for burn and inflammations – mash fresh ginger root, soak cotton ball and then rub juice on the affected area. For all else – add ginger extract to hot water, 10 drops per cup. This can be taken up to three times daily.

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Parsley (Petroselinium sativum) Parsley settles stomachs after meals. If also helps clear congestion due to colds and is soothing for asthma. To use: make a strong tea using 1 teaspoon dried, ground parsley in 1 cup hot water. Let steep 10-15 minutes. Take once a day. ——————————————————————————–

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) Mint is an anti-spasmodic and is excellent for relieving cramps and stomach pain. It also relieves gas and aids in digestion. It can help reduce the sick feeling associated with migraines. To use: drink one cup as a tea. Commercial teas are available. (Make sure it is only mint, not mint flavored.) Drink as needed.

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Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Rosemary is used for most head pains. To use: as tea, to relieve nervous tension, make a strong tea. Rub rosemary essential oil on the temples to relieve headaches. Mix essential oils or leaves with olive oil to make a dandruff treatment. ——————————————————————————–

Sage (Salvia officinalis) Sage reduces perspiration and can be used to ease sore gums. To use: to relieve perspiration, medium tea, one time daily. To ease gums, strong infusion, gargled, 3 times daily.

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Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) Thyme is good for chronic respiratory problems, cold flu and sore throat. It is also an anti-fungal. To use: make a tea of the dried herb, drink daily. As an anti-fungal, rub extract on affected areas.

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Turmeric (Curcuma longa) Turmeric promotes good liver function and helps prevent gallbladder disease. It also may help prevent over-clotting of blood cells, and may help relieve arthritis symptoms. To use: take 300mg up to 3 times daily.

Herbal Studies – Herbal Foot Soak

Herbal Studies – Herbal Foot Soak
 
2 ounces mixed fresh herbs-peppermint,  rosemary, chamomile
4 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon borax
1 tablespoon Epsom salts
 
Roughly chop the herbs. Put in a bowl, pour  in boiling water. Let
stand 1 hour; strain. Place the “tea” water  into a tub or bowl large
enough to hold both feet and another 6-7  cups of warm water. Stir in
borax and Epsom salts.
Soak feet 15 to 20 minutes. Add hot water if  needed to keep the
temperature as warm as desired. Afterwards  use a good lotion and
place cotton socks on your feet for the  evening!
)0(

WOTC Extra – Top Five Houseplants to Purify Your Living Space, Spirituality and Physically

WOTC Extra – Top Five Houseplants to Purify Your Living Space, Spirituality and Physically

The top five plants all remove chemical vapors that build up in the home from paints,
cleaners, solvents and other unhealthy things – and they have magickal abilities too as listed below:
5: GERBERA DAISY Great to encourage happiness.
4: PEACE LILY Encourages harmonious energies and good communication.
3: BOSTON FERN Encourages psychic ability and intuition.
2: ENGLISH IVY For protection and luck – especially good for newly weds.
1: ARECA PALM (or Butterfly or Yellow Palm) For peace and creativity.

Let’s Talk Witch – Time to Start Those Gardens

Let’s Talk Witch – Time to Start Those Gardens

 

In some areas, it is getting time to start planning and hoeing those gardens up. For those of us blessed with land attached to our homes, a mystic garden is an excellent addition to the magickal household. A garden brings beauty and ensures a steady supply of fresh and dried herbs. It also spreads an aura of protection around your home, shielding it from the outside world. When people approach, even before they have steppped over the threshold. they will have been enchanted by the garden’s subtle powers.

Not everyone has the space to plant a garden, but even apartment dwellers can grow herbs and flowers on window sills or porches in pots and planter. Indeed a garden can be maintained indoor with house plants.

Still, an outdoor garden is worth creating if you have the time, space and inclination. In fact, it is an ideal setting in which to perform magick. Spells cast in gardens are more powerful than those done indoors, for the forces of nature resident in the plants around you and the solid earth beneath your bare feet align with your own powers to produce the needed results.

Magical Herbalism describes one method of creating a magick garden. There are countless others–in fact, you should let your imagination run wild when fashioning your mystic green corner.

Your garden need not advertise its powers. It can be your secret with the Earth. Since no one seems to think twice about herbs or fruit trees growing in a garden, on the stairs or in window boxes, why not pick plants that will bring wealth, protection and love to your home?

Your garden can also be a source of help in fulfilling your personal magical goals. If you wish to improve your psychic powers, for instance, plant a bay tree, common celery, honeysuckle, marigolds, roses or thyme. While thriving in the garden, the plants will help attune your home to psychic vibrations. Plus, their flowers, leaves and seeds can be used in magick rites to further accentuate their effects.

Those desiring a loving household may wish to include such common plants and flowers as the gardenia, primrose, spearmint, tomato, pansy, jasmine and catnip, and (if space is no problem) a few trees such as cherry, apple orange, mape and willow.

To ensure happiness in a home, you might wish to fill a window box or ranks of flowerpots with hyacinth, lavender, marjoram, catnip and morning glory (care–it creeps everywhere).

If money is a problem, you could choose mint, onion, snapdragon, camellia, chamomile, clover, dill, basil and perhaps even a small section of what. Pine, oak, ash and apple trees planted near the house also help direct prosperity your way, as will a banana plant

To ward off thefts in your home, plant a “fence” of ti (ki) around its perimeter or be sure to include garlic, cumin, vetivert, a clump of thistlees, an aspen, catcus or a juniper tree.

Bamboo and hydrangea near the home offer it general luck, as does a sunflower, which is sometimes considered a prerequisite for a garden in Mexico. Myrtle-filled widow boxes, if planted by a woman are lucky too.

When all is growing greenly, no one will be the wiser concerning your garden’s powers, although every plant is virtually a spell in and of itself.

 

Source:
“The Magical Household” Book

Scott Cunningham & David Harrington

ASTRAL TRAVEL SIMPLICITY ITSELF

ASTRAL TRAVEL SIMPLICITY ITSELF
Author Unknown

The step by step instructions that I was taught, similar to those in the
LLEWELYN Practical Guide to Astral Travel, worked better for me – it took me
a lot of practice to get to where I could do it and it seems that for most
people it takes practice, although some can do it spontaneously.  In fact it
happens to some the first few times with no warning and then, after worrying
they have gone crazy for a while, they later learn what it is. But I did just
want to say for those like me for whom it does NOT come easy, not to get
discouraged but to try working with it one step at a time.

Two interesting points about astral travel for me.  One is that I find it more
interesting to explore the astral planes than to explore specific locations on
this plane.  However when you are first learning, exploring specific locations
on this plane can help.  Laurie Cabot suggests picking a store near you that you
have never been in, try projecting to it, immediately on arising write down your
impressions of it and then, as soon as you can, visit the store and check out
your impressions.  If they are not all correct, don’t be discouraged The example
she gives is DID YOU SEE RED BEHIND THE CASH REGISTER AND IT’S NOT THERE?  Perhaps the cashier that day or evening was wearing a Red sweater!  The longer you wait to visit the establishment, the more likely it is they will move
something or change a display, so go soon after your visit.

The second is that I used to do it as a kid, no problem – right up until my Dad
told me it was all in my head and I had imagined it. Then I couldn’t do it
anymore.

A note here – My DAD, who used to be a hard-core skeptic, started attending a
Spiritualist Church I hung-out at when he married my step-mother.  I find it
humorous that originally he went there because it was non-denominational so you don’t have to believe everything the ministers teach and because he liked the
ministers, but he didn’t buy the Psychic stuff.  Well, lately he’s changing his
mind as he’s had some startling experiences.  I’m good, I’m nice, I don’t tell
him he is imagining things.  But I can’t help laughing about it to myself
just a little bit.

Oh, some of the stuff the Llewelyn book suggests is to practice opening your
chakras first and grounding the energy, work on that for 1 week to 1 month.
WHEN YOU HAVE IT DOWN PAT (be honest with yourself here or you can forget it) work on projecting a cloud of your energy out through your solar plexus (some people work better projecting from the 3d eye, I personally project the body through the solar plexus and when I project the consciousness into it, I do it via the 3d eye.  BUT since these are all merely visual aids to doing something
non-physical, I am not sure that it matters IF YOU ARE ACHIEVING VALID RESULTS) and leaving this energy as a cloud only then reabsorbing it. YOU DO NOT PROJECT YOUR AWARENESS INTO IT.  You absolutely MUST reabsorb it.  That is done for a week or a month or however long it takes.  It is done by creative visualization until you get it to the point where you can feel that it is something more.

Then you do the same thing for a week or a month, ONLY YOU SHAPE THE CLOUD INTO A SIMULCRAM OF YOUR BODY (if you are also trying to heal yourself, use the ideal form you wish to achieve – make it realistic and so it looks like you) WITHOUT projecting consciousness to it, you send it out to watch a situation you can later check on for yourself. When it comes back at a prearranged time later on, meditate for a while and write down your impressions AND DO NOT THROW ANY OF THEM OUT AS THEY SEEM SILLY OR IMPOSSIBLE – truth is often stranger than fiction.  Check on these later, DISCREETLY – don’t TELL people you sent an astral traveler to them, say I HEARD THAT you went such and such a place today while I was in school so you can say to your mom that someone saw her and told you or something, OR just say it’s a hunch, or, if you have the impression that your mom called your grandmother while you were in school, just say I WONDER HOW GRANDMA IS DOING? and see if your mother doesn’t say, THAT’S WEIRD SHE CALLED ME TODAY.

PEOPLE GET PARANOID IF THEY THINK THAT YOU CAN WATCH THEM – AND THEY ALSO THINK YOU ARE THE CRAZY ONE IF YOU SAY YOU CAN DO THIS. Interestingly enough science (psychology) tells us that one of the classic symptoms of Paranoia is to think the OTHER person is crazy.

Always be sure to bring the simulcram back at the pre-arranged time and REABSORB IT!

The next step is to project consciousness into it, go out with it, and reabsorb
the energy/substance afterwards – but only try this once you have the watcher
exercise down pat.

THESE EXERCISES SHOULD BE DONE FROM A MEDITATIVE STATE.

ALWAYS SHIELD YOURSELF BEFORE TRAVELING

Enhanced by Zemanta

Kitchen Cupboard Magic

Kitchen Cupboard Magic
Adapted from Witch in the Kitchen, by Cait Johnson (Inner Traditions,
2001).

We don’t usually think of sea salt and basil and apples as magical,
but our more earth-centered ancestors knew they were.

Here, then, is a list of some traditional herb correspondences;
choose one or more according to your desire. You can add a handful to your
washing-water next time you mop the floor:

Apples: Food of the Goddess, love. Add a few pieces of fresh or dried
apple to your water (but not too much or you’ll end up with sticky
surfaces!)

Basil: Love, fidelity, wealth, protection. A nice all-purpose herb
with a luscious summery scent.

Chamomile: Serenity and calm; purification. Smells like a blend of
apples and new-mown hay. While you’re at it, make yourself a cup of tea to
drink after you’ve finished cleaning; it’s very relaxing.

Cinnamon: Happy home, safety, healing, protection. The primal
home-and-hearth spice. Use pieces of cinnamon stick for your brew
(the powdered kind will turn into a gelatinous glop in the bucket).

Clove: Purification; promotes love and spirituality. Try it with
cinnamon–delicious !

Eucalyptus: Health, protection. Warm and fresh, actually kills germs.

Evergreen: Health, purification, vitality. A few sprigs of pine,
cedar, or juniper growing nearby, a few sprigs placed in boiling water will add
green freshness to your housecleaning brew.

Lavender: Love, friendship, peace, happiness, protection. Such a
sweet, relaxing, and calm-inducing scent–and it’s also an antidepressant.

Lemon peel: Purification. It’s no accident that so many cleaning
products are lemon-scented; lemon smells fresh and uplifting and cleanses
negativity.

Marjoram: Love, protection, antidepressant. You can sprinkle a little
of this dried herb in the corners of every room to promote love and
safety.

Peppermint: Purification, healing, soothing. A wonderfully relaxing
and refreshing scent.

Rosemary: Cleansing and protection; clears negativity; encourages
clear thinking.

Sage: Purification, wisdom. It’s no coincidence that the word
for “wise one” is the same as the herb’s name. A traditional ingredient of many
Native American smudge bundles, a strong sage tea will help clear your home
of negativity.

Sea salt: Traditional for purification and protection. If you’ve been
feeling vulnerable or weird and you only have time to add one
ingredient to your wash-water, this could be it.

Vanilla: love, happiness. A piece of the bean or a few drops of
extract will make your home smell and feel delicious.

Herbal Gifts from the Kitchen

Herbal Gifts from the Kitchen

Little Cooking Wreaths – can go right into soup pot, or hang in the
kitchen to be plucked from and used

Twist chive stalks into a 4-5″ circle, forming a wreath base. Twist in sprigs of thyme, parsley, oregano, marjoram and basil seed heads,
to fill out wreath. Add a short sprig of rosemary or sage. Let dry
thoroughly –wreath will shrink slightly. Thread 3 or 4 dried chiles
on sewing thread and tie around wreath top. If wreath is to hang,
cover thread by embellishing with a bow of kitchen twine or narrow
ribbon. Present your gift in a bow-tied plastic bag to preserve
flavor and minimize shattering.

Herb & Spice Blends – To present your gift, pack blends into small
labeled jars with lids, attached to an herbal cookbook.
For Beef: mix 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon
red pepper flakes, 2 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon
dried minced onion.

For Fish: mix 2 tablespoons dried dillweed, 2 tablespoons crumbled
bay leaves, 2 tablespoons freeze-dried chives.

For Fruit Pies, Spice Cakes & Cookies: mix 2 tablespoons, 1
tablespoon ground nutmeg, 1 tablespoons ground mace, 1 tablespoon
ground allspice, 2 teaspoons ground cloves, 2 teaspoons ground
cardamon.

For Vegetables: mix 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 tablespoons dried
basil.

For Poultry: mix 2 tablespoons curry powder, 2 tablespoons paprika, 2
tablespoons dried lemon rind.

For Tomato Sauce: mix 2 tablespoons crumbled basil, 2 tablespoons
dried minced onions, 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon
crumbled dried oregano.

For Lamb: mix 1 1/2 tablespoons dried marjoram, 1 tablespoon crumbled
dried rosemary, 1 tablespoon white pepper, 2 tablespoons garlic
powder.

Good Bread Herbs include your favorite white or wheat bread recipe
with this blend presented in a decorated muslin bag.

Blend together 2 tablespoons dried crumbled sage, 1 tablespoon dried
rosemary, 1 tablespoon dill seed, 4 teaspoons caraway seed. On gift
tag: Will flavor 2 average loaves.

 

Citrus Spice Simmering Potpourri

Layer following ingredients in a gallon jar and add oils to
corresponding ingredients. Shake well and age 1 day before using:
Directions for Use on gift tag: Add 1/2 cup mixture to a small
saucepan filled with 3 cups of water and bring to boil. Reduce heat,
simmer for 15-20 minutes. Mixture may be reused several times, after
adding water to it.

1 cup 1″ cinnamon sticks 1 cup whole allspice
1 cup star anise 1 cup coriander seed
2 cups dried orange peel 1/2 cup cloves
1/2 cup crushed nutmeg 10 drops cinnamon oil
10 drops allspice oil 20 drops sweet orange oil

Lemon-y Footsoak a great treat at day’s end or for pampering someone
special! Present gift with instructions for use on gift tag, tied
onto a pretty jar or a plastic bag tied with a simple bow…

Crush and place in a jar, or tie in a bouquet and place in plastic
bag, for presentation: 5 sprigs of fresh lemon balm or10 sprigs
dried lemon balm. (Rosemary may be substituted.)

Recommended Instruction Tag to read: Bring 8 cups water to boil,
combine with contents in large pan or bowl, and let steep until
water is warm and comfortable. Soak feet 10-20 minutes.

The Herbal Code

This list will include the following: What planet and element works best with the herb, the magickal use and the general use of the herbs. Of course, there are multiple uses for all of the herbs, to list them all would be impossible.

The Herbal Code

In old magickal recipes and spells, strange ingredients are often called for that cannot always be taken literally. In one ancient Greco-Egyptian spell, the recipe called for “the navel of a male crocodile”, which really meant pond weed; “the heart of a baboon” meant oil of lily. The “sacrifice” in folklore was usually an egg buried in the ground.

Here’s what those unusual nouns really meant!

Adder’s tongue; Plantain
Bat’s Wing: Holly Leaf
Bat’s wool: Moss
Blood: Elder sap
Bloody fingers: Foxglove
Bodily Fluids: Houseleek
Brains: Congealed gum from a cherry tree
Bull’s blood: Horehound
Corpse candles: Mullein
Crocodile dung: Black earth
Dead Man: Ash or Mandrake root carved in a crude human shape or poppet
Dragon’s scales: Bistort Leaves
Ear of an ass: Comfrey
Ear of a goat: St. John’s Wort
Eyes: Eyebright
Fingers: Cinquefoil
Hair: Maidenhair fern
Hand: The expanded frond from a male fern used to make the true hand of glory, which is nothing more than a candle made of wax mixed with fern
Heart: Walnut
Lion’s tooth: Dandelion
Skin of a man: Fern
Skull: Skullcap
Snake: Bistort
Snake’s blood: Hematite stone
Tongue of dog: Hound’s tongue
Tooth or Teeth: Pinecones
Unicorn horn: True unicorn root
Worms: Gnarled, thin roots of a local tree

Information from The Ultimate Book of Shadows for the New Generation Solitary Witch by Silver RavenWolf

Herb Harvest

Through you
Oh Mother Goddess,
All abundance is known;
Your love cheers the heart
And sustains the soul.
 

Misty summer mornings are ideal times for harvesting herbs. To enhance the magical power of your herbs, it is best to make every step in the gathering of herbs a magical one. Rise early and rinse your hands in cool water. Wearing clean colothing, or nude if location permits, go out into the garden. Bring with you a small basket, a clean cloth, and a cutting tool. The tool you use to harvest herbs should be one specially designed for this purpose, and duly consecrated. Any sharp blade will do, but a lovely way of honoring the Moon Goddess who presides over the growth of green things is to use a small sickle-shaped knife. The shining surface of the blade and its shape both connect it to the power of the moon tides.

Consecrating Herb Tools

Any consecration rite for objects can be used to bless your cutting tool. A simple rite is to wash the tool in fresh water, ideally rain water or water from a stream. As you rinse the implement, visualize all past influences and impurities leaving it. If you prefer, do this rite at night where you can catch the moonbeams in the shining surface of the blade.

Say these words or similar:

Mighty Goddess of all that grows
Bless this blade as moonlight glows
With this blade of shining power
Let me cut both herb and flower
So mote it be.

Take your newly consecrated blade and wipe it dry with a clean, white cloth. Place it in your basket, along with the cloth.

Harvesting Herbs

Approach the herb you have decided to harvest. Praise its beauty and abundance. Explain that in exchange for the careful care you have given to it, you will now, with its permission, take a small portion of it in return. The following is a harvesting prayer based on one favored by Scott Cunningham, and should be said while touching the herb to be harvested with the point of the harvesting knife.
You have grown by favor of the Sun, the Moon, and the dew. I make this request, herb, I ask you to be of benefit to me and my art, for your virtues are unfailing. You are the dew of all the gods and goddesses, the eye of the Sun, the light of the Moon, the beauty and glory of the sky, the mystery of the earth. I purify you so that whatever is wrought by me with you may, in all its powers, have a good and speedy effect with good success. Be purified by my prayer and be powerful.

Cut some of the herb. Shake off any excess dew. Set the sprigs carefully on the cloth or into the basket. To retain maximum magical power, the herbs should not touch the ground. Do not harvest from plants that are not fully grown, and never take more than about a quarter of the plant. If you are harvesting roots or bulbs, always leave enough to ensure next year’s growth. After collecting the plant, you may want to leave an offering, particularly if you are gathering wild plants that you did not tend while they were growing. A silver coin, small crystal, bit of bread, or a few grains of a fertilizing compound are all appropriate offerings to the spirit of the plant.

 

Drying Herbs

Dry your herbs by tying them in bunches and hanging them up in a warm, dry area that is free of sunlight and dust. If you are harvesting the herbs for seed, tie brown paper bags loosely around each bunch of hanging herbs. The bag will catch the seeds, which fall away from the foliage as it dries. When the herbs are dry. Gently shake them before removing the bag to loosen any additional seeds.


If you need to hasten the drying process, place the herbs on a cookie sheet in a low-heat oven, checking them frequently to be sure that they do not turn brown. Store in clean, dry, airtight jars, preferably of amber or cobalt blue glass. Keep jars out of direct sunlight.

 

Some Magical Uses of Herbs

Love: Cardamom, chickweed, cinnamon, clove, lavendar, lemon balm, rose, rosemary, tansy, vanilla, violet, yarrow.

Good Luck: Allspice, heather, nutmeg.

Healing: Angelica, bufdock, cinnamon, eucalyptus, hyssop, lemon balm, peppermint.

Prosperity: Basil, benzoil, bergamot, cinnamon, cinquefoil, lemon balm, mint.

Protection: Alyssum, angelica, basil, bay, garlic, mullein, rue, sunflower, white sage.

Psychic Skills: Angelica, anise, bay, borage, cinnamon, fennel, mugwort.

Purification: Anise, bay, chamomile, clove, copal, fennel, lavender, white sage.

Herbal Bathing

Herbal Bathing

By Kami McBride

Herbal bathing is a great way to relax, heal and support healthy skin function. The skin is the largest organ in the body. It contributes to many important functions such as secretion, absorption, excretion, temperature regulation, immune function, and sensory reception. The skin has receptor sites that transfer information through the nervous system to the spinal cord and brain. It not only provides a boundary between us and the rest of the world, but because of its millions of receptor sites, is a major player in how we perceive, experience, and interact with the world.

The skin is also a major organ of elimination just like our lungs, kidneys and colon. It plays a key role in helping our body to eliminate toxins, heavy metals, and carcinogenic substances. Herbs have many healing benefits for the skin and there are many simple herbal bathing treatments that can help our skin do its job of keeping us healthy.

Herbal Baths

Nerve Tonic Bath
4 gallons water
½ cup lavender leaf and flower
½ cup oatstraw
½ cup lemon balm
1 cup whole oats
 
 
Invigorating Bath
4 gallons water
½ cup rosemary
½ cup calendula
½ cup yarrow leaf
and flower
 
 
Bedtime Bath
4 gallons water
2 cups lavender
1 cup chamomile
 
Pleasure Bath
4 gallons water
4 cups rose petals
 
 
De-tox Bath
4 gallons water
1 cup burdock root
1 cup elder flowers
1 cup yarrow flowers
1 cup Epsom salts

 

Kami’s Calming Garden Bath
2 cups lavender flowers
2 cups lemon verbena leaf
1 cup rosemary leaf and flower
1 cup California poppy leaf and flower
½ cup catnip leaf

 

Healing flower Bath
½ cup fresh calendula flowers
½ cup fresh lavender flowers
½ cup rose geranium leaf
½ cup fresh rose petals
½ cup fresh peppermint leaf

 

GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast