Category: Herbs

Herb of the Day – Heather

Herb of the Day – Heather

Heather

(Calluna Vulgaris) aka heath
Feminine. Venus. Water. Deity: Isis, Osiris, Venus

Protection, Rain Making, Luck. Robert Graves said heather is “a suitable tree for the inititation of Scottish witches.” Brings one in touch with divinity and increases physical beauty. Wearing an amulet of the wood will bring a long physical life and put one in touch with the truly immortal soul. A valuable herb for those who pursue initiatory paths. Unfolds the inner self. Carried, it will guard against rape or other violent crimes or just to bring good luck. (White heather is best here.) When burned with fern will attract rain.

Herb of the Day – Vervain, The Witches Herb

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Herb of the Day – Vervain, The Witches Herb

Vervain

(Verbena officinal is)
Feminine. Venus. Earth.

Deities: Cerridwen, Mars, Venus, Aradia, Jupiter, Thor, Juno

The Witches Herb. Love, Protection, Purification, Peace, Money, Youth, Chastity, Sleep. Healing. Empowers any magick, especially love spells. Enhances the dreaming process and is recommended for dream quests. Used to consecrate and empower any ritual tools. Protects from negative emotions and depression. Used in house and home blessings. Turns back negativity. In love spells: add to recipes to attract mates, find true love, achieve sexual fulfillment, work sexual magick, an for bringing extra bliss on the wedding night. The herb of poets, singers, and bards. Inspires artistry. Instills a love of learning. Best when gathered at Midsummer.

Herb of the Day – Peppermint

Herb of the Day – Peppermint

Peppermint is a prolific plant, often spreading beyond its intended borders. In Pliny’s writings, he mentions that the Greeks and Romans decorated their feasting tables with sprigs of peppermint, and in fact flavored many of their foods with it. Dioscorides, the Greek physician, notes that it had medicinal properties, when its oil was extracted and used to treat spasms and disorders of the digestive system. Peppermint may have been cultivated by the ancient Egyptians as well. It appears in the Icelandic Pharmacopoeias around 1240 C.E., and eventually was accepted for use in western Europe around the mid-1700s.

During the Middle Ages, monks — who were known for their herbal wisdom — used peppermint leaves to polish their teeth. Around the same time, cheesemakers figured out that mint leaves sprinkled around cheese piles would keep the rats out of the storeroom.

Peppermint is a natural stimulant, and in Back to Eden, Jethro Kloss says it should be in every garden. He says Peppermint is “an excellent remedy for chills, colic, fevers, dysentery, cholera heart trouble, palpitation of the heart, influenza, la grippe and hysteria.” It also works nicely as a toning astringent, and peppermint applied to the skin provides a nice refreshing feeling (try a peppermint foot bath at the end of a long day at work!).

Peppermint, like other members of the mint family, is found often in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. Use it to season lamb, curry, couscous, or your favorite vegetables.

Magically speaking, peppermint is often used in healing and . It can be burned or rubbed against objects to clear them of negative energies, or consumed as an elixir or tea to bring about healing. Pliny also noted that peppermint “excites the emotion of love”; add it  to bring passion your way.

Other Names: Lammint, Brandy mint
Gender: Masculine
Element: Fire
Planetary Connection: Mercury
Deity Connection: Pluto

You can make a tasty peppermint tea in the same way people make sun tea: Gather up about two cups of fresh peppermint leaves, and place them in a gallon of water. Allow the tea to steep outside in the sun until fully blended. Add a bit of stevia to sweeten it for drinking, or use the mint tea as a refreshing cleanser in the bath.

Our Herb for December 30th – Jewel Weed

Today’s Herb – Jewel Weed

Jewel Weed

Impatiens capensis
Synonyms—Wild Balsam. Balsam-weed. Impatiens
pallida. Pale-touch-me-not. Spottedtouch-me-not.
Slipperweed. Silverweed. Wild Lady’s Slipper. Speckled
Jewels. Wild Celandine. Quick-in-the-hand.
Part Used—Herb.

Habitat—Members of the genus Impatiens are found widely distributed in the north temperate zone and in South Africa, but the majority are natives of the mountains of tropical Asia and Africa.

The flowers, purple, yellow, pink and white, sometimes a showy scarlet, are spurred and irregular in form and are borne in the leaf axils.

The name Impatiens is derived from the fact that the seed-pod, when ripe, discharges the seeds by the elastic separation and uncoiling of the valves.

Under the name of Jewelweed the herbage of Impatiens aurea and of I. biflora are largely employed in domestic practice and by homoeopaths and eclectics.

Description—The plants are tall and branching, tender and delicate succulent annuals, with swollen joints, growing in lowlying, damp, rather rich soil, beside streams and in similar damp localities.

They are smooth and somewhat glaucous, the stems somewhat translucent, the foliage showing a brilliant silvery surface when immersed in water, which will not adhere to the surface.

The leaves are thin, ovate oval, more or less toothed, of a tender green color.

The slipper-shaped, yellow flowers, in bloom from July to September, have long recurved tails, those of the first-named species being of a uniform pale-yellow, those of the second species, orange-yellow, crowded with dark spots, hence its common name of Spotted-touch-me-not. The oblong capsules of both species when ripe explode under the slightest disturbance, scattering the seeds widely. Most of the popular names refer to this peculiarity, others to the shape of the flowers.

Medicinal Action and Uses—The herbs have an acrid, burning taste and act strongly as emetics, cathartics and diuretics, but are considered dangerous, their use having been termed ‘wholly questionable.’

Constituents—The chemical constituents are not known, though the leaves apparently contain tannin, which causes them to be employed as an outward application for piles, proving an excellent remedy, the freshly gathered plants being boiled in lard and an ointment made of them. The fresh juice of the herb appears to relieve cutaneous irritation of various kinds, especially that due to Rhus poisoning. A yellow dye has been made from the flowers.

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Jewel Weed
Impatiens capensis
Found: in wet, shady soil throughout our area
Height: 1-1.5 meters (3-5 feet)
Leaves: are oval shaped and toothed. Toward the bottom of the plant they are opposite; leaves on top are
alternate.

Flowers: have a characteristic pendant-like shape with red spots

Uses: crushed leaves can be made into a poultice to treat a rash or inflamed skin, including irritation from Poison Ivy. Lawsone, a component of Jewel Weed leaves, has reported antihistamine and anti-inflammatory activity.

Jewel Weed – “Touch Me Not” – Impatiens This plant is a very effective Poison Ivy antidote.

The Jewel Weed Stem should be crushed and the liquid rubbed into the skin contacted by the Poison Ivy and symptoms will not appear or will be much less troublesome.

Jewel Weed usually grows near water or in shallow ponds. It is often found in areas where Poison Ivy grows.

Leaves of three, Let them be … Poison Ivy Link to Poison Ivy, Oak, & Sumac Information Center. Jewel Weed totally neutralizes the Poison Ivy’s oily antigen called Urushiol, and you will no longer spread it by scratching or rubbing. The Urushiol oil may be carried on the fur of pets, clothing, shoes, toys, tools, or other objects and then transferred to the skin. Approximately 24 to 36 hrs after a sensitized person is exposed to the Urushiol, a blistery, itching rash develops. Usually within 15 minutes of contact, the Urushiol binds to skin proteins. If it is washed off with soap and water before that time, a reaction may be prevented. After the antigen is fixed, however, it cannot be washed off or transferred to other areas. Scratching or oozing blister fluid cannot spread the antigen to other areas of the body or to other persons.

Jewel Weed is still quite helpful even if you have developed scabs, though you need to work – Rub – it in longer, and it takes time for the blisters to heal.

Herb of the Day – Cinnamon

Herb of the Day

Cinnamon

(Cinnamomum zeylanicum) Bark

Add cinnamon to remedies for acute symptoms, as this herb is a

stimulant to other herbs and the body, enabling herbal remedies to

work faster. It is also a blood purifier, an infection preventive, and a

digestive aid. Cinnamon is used as a mouthwash, and is good for upset

stomach.

For a cold medication simmer sticks with cloves for 3 min, add 2 tsp lemon juice, 2 tsp honey, 2 tbsp whiskey. Cinnamon is also good for yeast infection and athlete’s foot. A 2% solution will kill both of these conditions. Boil 8-10 sticks in 4 cups water, simmer 5 min, steep 45 min, then douche or apply to athlete’s foot. Cinnamon reduces cancer causing tendencies of many food additives.

Do not ingest cinnamon oil.

Magickal uses: The ancient Hebrews used cinnamon oil as part of a holy anointing oil. The Egyptians also used the oil during the mummification process. The Romans wove the leaves into wreaths, which were used to decorate the temples. Burned in incense, cinnamon will promote high spirituality. It is also used to stimulate the passions of the male. It should also be burned in incenses used for healing. The essential oil is used for protection.

Properties: Warming stimulant, carminative, antispasmodic, antiseptic, anti-viral, alterative, analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, anti-rheumatic, aromatic, astringent, demulcent, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, expectorant, germicide, hemostatic, stimulant, stomachic

Growth: Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka, growing in tropical forest and being extensively cultivated throughout the tropical regions of the world.

Today’s Herb – Licorice

Today’s Herb for Dec. 16th – Licorice

Licorice

Glycyrrhiza glabra

MEDICINAL: Licorice Root is a great source of the female hormone estrogen. It is used for coughs and chest ailments. It is an important herb to use when recovering from an illness, as it supplies needed energy to the system. Used as a remedy for stomach and heart problems, indigestion, and most respiratory ailments. Helps to normalize and regulate hormone production. Should not be used by pregnant women as it can sometimes lead to high blood pressure with prolonged use.

RELIGIOUS: Licorice root was buried in tombs and caskets to help the soul pass easily into the Summerland. Chewing on a piece of the root will make you passionate. It is added to love sachets, and an ingredient in spells to ensure fidelity.

GROWING: Licorice is a perennial that reaches 3 to 7 feet tall. Hard freezes will kill it, so it grows best in warm sunny climates.

Herb of the Day – Mandrake

Herb of the Day

Mandrake

Botanical: Atropa mandragora
Family: N.O. Solanaceae

—Synonyms—Mandragora. Satan’s Apple.
—Part Used—Herb.
—Habitat—The Mandrake, the object of so many strange superstitions, is a native of Southern Europe and the Levant, but will grow here in gardens if given a warm situation, though otherwise it may not survive severe winters. It was cultivated in England in 1562 by Turner, the author of the

Niewe Herball.

The name Mandragora is derived from two Greek words implying ‘hurtful to cattle. ‘ The Arabs call it ‘Satan’s apple.’

—Description—It has a large, brown root, somewhat like a parsnip, running 3 or 4 feet deep into the ground, sometimes single and sometimes divided into two or three branches. Immediately from the crown of the root arise several large, dark-green leaves, which at first stand erect, but when grown to full size a foot or more in length and 4 or 5 inches in width – spread open and lie upon the ground. They are sharp pointed at the apex and of a foetid odour. From among these leaves spring the flowers, each on a separate foot-stalk, 3 or 4 inches high. They are somewhat of the shape and size of a primrose, the corolla bell-shaped, cut into five spreading segments, of a whitish colour, somewhat tinged with purple. They are succeeded by a smooth, round fruit, about as large as a small apple, of a deep yellow colour when ripe, full of pulp and with a strong, apple-like scent.

—Medicinal Action and Uses—The leaves are quite harmless and cooling, and have been used for ointments and other external application. Boiled in milk and used as a poultice, they were employed by Boerhaave as an application to indolent ulcers.

The fresh root operates very powerfully as an emetic and purgative. The dried bark of the root was used also as a rough emetic.

Mandrake was much used by the Ancients, who considered it an anodyne and soporific. In large doses it is said to excite delirium and madness. They used it for procuring rest and sleep in continued pain, also in melancholy, convulsions, rheumatic pains and scrofulous tumours. They mostly employed the bark of the root, either expressing the juice or infusing it in wine or water. The root finely scraped into a pulp and mixed with brandy was said to be efficacious in chronic rheumatism.

Mandrake was used in Pliny’s days as an anaesthetic for operations, a piece of the root being given to the patient to chew before undergoing the operation. In small doses it was employed by the Ancients in maniacal cases.

A tincture is used in homoeopathy to-day, made from the fresh plant.

Among the old Anglo-Saxon herbals both Mandrake and periwinkle are endowed with mysterious powers against demoniacal possession. At the end of a description of the Mandrake in the Herbarium of Apuleius there is this prescription:

‘For witlessness, that is devil sickness or demoniacal possession, take from the body of this said wort mandrake by the weight of three pennies, administer to drink in warm water as he may find most convenient – soon he will be healed.’Bartholomew gives the old Mandrake legend in full, though he adds: ‘It is so feynd of churles others of wytches.’ He also refers to its use as an anaesthetic:’the rind thereof medled with wine . . . gene to them to drink that shall be cut in their body, for they should slepe and not fele the sore knitting.’

Bartholomew gives two other beliefs about the Mandrake which are not found in any other English Herbal – namely, that while uprooting it the digger must beware of contrary winds, and that he must go on digging for it uptil sunset.

In the Grete Herball (printed by Peter Treveris in 1526) we find the first avowal of disbelief in the supposed powers of the Mandrake. Gerard also pours scorn on the Mandrake legend.

‘There have been,’ he says, ‘many ridiculous tales brought up of this plant, whether of old wives or runnegate surgeons or phisick mongers, I know not, all which dreames and old wives tales you shall from henceforth cast out your bookes of memorie.’

Parkinson says that if ivory is boiled with Mandrake root for six hours, the ivory will become so soft ‘that it will take what form or impression you will give it.’

Josephus says that the Mandrake – which he calls Baaras – has but one virtue, that of expelling demons from sick persons, as the demons cannot bear either its smell or its presence. He even relates that it was certain death to touch this plant, except under certain circumstances which he details. (Wars of the Jews, book vii, cap. vi.)

The roots of the Mandrake are very nearly allied to Belladonna, both in external appearance and in structure. The plant is by modern botanists assigned to the same genus, though formerly was known as Mandragora officinalis, with varieties M. vernalis and M. autumnalis. According to Southall (Organic Materia Medica, 8th edition, revised by Ernest Mann, 1915), the root:
‘contains a mydriatic alkaloid, Mandragorine (Cl7H27O3N), which in spite of the name and formula which have been assigned to it, is probably identical with atropine or hyoscyamine.’

The roots of Mandrake were supposed to bear a resemblance to the human form, on account of their habit of forking into two and shooting on each side. In the old Herbals we find them frequently figured as a male with a long beard, and a female with a very bushy head of hair. Many weird superstitions collected round the Mandrake root. As an amulet, it was once placed on mantelpieces to avert misfortune and to bringprosperity and happiness to the house. Bryony roots were often cut into fancy shapes and passed off as Mandrake, being even trained to grow in moulds till they assumed the desired forms. In Henry VIII’s time quaint little images made from Bryony roots, cut into the figure of a man, with grains of millet inserted into the face as eyes, fetched high prices. They were known as puppettes or mammettes, and were accredited with magical powers. Italian ladies were known to pay as much as thirty golden ducats for similar artificial Mandrakes.

Turner alludes to these ‘puppettes and mammettes,’ and says, ‘they are so trimmed of crafty thieves to mock the poor people withal and to rob them both of their wit and their money.’ But he adds:
‘Of the apples of mandrake, if a man smell of them they will make him sleep and also if they be eaten. But they that smell to muche of the apples become dumb . . . this herb diverse ways taken is very jeopardous for a man and may kill hym if he eat it or drink it out of measure and have no remedy from it…. If mandragora be taken out of measure, by and by sleep ensued and a great lousing of the strengthen with a forgetfulness.’

The plant was fabled to grow under the gallows of murderers, and it was believed to be death to dig up the root, which was said to utter a shriek and terrible groans on being dug up, which none might hear and live. It was held, therefore, that he who would take up a plant of Mandrake should tie a dog to it for that purpose, who drawing it out would certainly perish, as the man would have done, had he attempted to dig it up in the ordinary manner.

There are many allusions to the Mandrake in ancient writers. From the earliest times a notion prevailed in the East that the Mandrake will remove sterility, and there is a reference to this belief in Genesis xxx. 14.

—Cultivation—Mandrake can be propagated by seeds, sown upon a bed of light earth, soon after they are ripe, when they are more sure to come up than if the sowing is left to the spring.

When the plants come up in the spring, they must be kept well watered through the summer and kept free from weeds. At the end of August they should be taken up carefully and transplanted where they are to remain. The soil should be light and deep, as the roots run far down – if too wet, they will rot in winter, if too near chalk or gravel, they will make little progress. Where the soil is good and they are not disturbed, these plants will grow to a large size in a few years, and will produce great quantities of flowers and fruit.

Culpepper tells us the Mandrake is governed by Mercury. The fruit has been accounted poisonous, but without cause…. The root formerly was supposed to have the human form, but it really resembles a carrot or parsnip.

 

Today’s Herb Is Lemon Verbena

Today’s Herb Is Lemon Verbena

Verbena, Lemon

Botanical: Lippia citriodora
Family: N.O. Verbenaceae

—Synonyms—Aloysia citriodora. Verveine citronelle or odorante. Herb Louisa. Lemonscented Verbena. Verbena triphylla. Lippia triphylla.
—Parts Used—Leaves, flowering tops.
—Habitat—Chile and Peru. Cultivated in European gardens.

—Description—This deciduous shrub was introduced into England in 1784, reaching a height of 15 feet in the Isle of Wight and in sheltered localities. The leaves are very fragrant, lanceolate, arranged in threes, 3 to 4 inches long, with smooth margins, pale green in colour, having parallel veins at right-angles to the mid-rib and flat bristles along the edges. The many small flowers are pale purple, blooming during August in slim, terminal panicles. The leaves, which have been suggested to replace tea, will retain their odour for years and are used in perfumery. They should be gathered at flowering time.

All the species of Lippia abound in volatile oil.

—Constituents—The odour is due to an essential oil obtainable by distillation. It has not been analysed in detail.

—Medicinal Action and Uses—Febrifuge, sedative. The uses of Lemon Verbena are similar to those of mint, orange flowers, or melissa, as a stomachic and antispasmodic in dyspepsia, indigestion and flatulence, stimulating skin and stomach.

—Dosage—The decoction may be taken in several daily doses of three tablespoonsful.

—Other Species—

Lippia Scaberrima, or Beukessboss ofSouth Africa, yields an essential oil with an odour like lavender, named Lippianol. It has a peculiar crystalline appearance, with the qualities of a monohydric alcohol.

From L. mexicana or possibly Cedronella mexicana, an essential oil resembling that of fennel was separated, and also a substance like camphor, called Lippioil.

The essence of Lemon-Grass, or Andropogon Schoenanthus, should not be confused with that of Lemon-Scented Verbena.

Medicinal Uses For Common Culinary Spices

Medicinal Uses For Common Culinary Spices

by Lord Riekin

Please see a doctor if conditions persist or worsen

ALLSPICE

Active ingredient is eugenol, same as cloves. Topical pain relief, tea and mouthwash.

ANISE

Seven tsp. of seed to one quart water, boil down by half, add 4 tbsp. of honey, take two tsp to calm a cough. Drink tea for memory, aid digestion, and a wash for oily skin.

ANNATO

(Lipstick tree)
Lightly crushed seeds added to food is like natural gas-x.

ARROW ROOT POWDER

One tbsp in a cup of juice every few hours to relieve diarrhea. Poultice to soothe skin inflammations.

ASAFOETIDA

Buy the tincture in Indian shops. They add a drop to many dishes to relieve stomach pains (gas). Insect repellent. Topical use to heal ulcerated sores.

ASPARAGUS

Boil in water and drink the water for kidney problems. Dissolves uric acid deposits and promotes urination.

BASIL

Add fresh herb or seeds to boiled water to make tea for migraines and bed time restlessness. Douche for yeast infections, eliminates candida, gargle and mouthwash. Pregnant women should avoid medicinal use of basil.

BAY LAUREL

Heat leaves in a little olive oil to make a bay oil salve for arthritis and aches.

CARAWAY

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add 4 tsp lightly crushed seeds. Simmer for 5 minutes, then steep 15 min. Drink with meals to prevent gas, even for infant colic. Promotes menstruation and relieves uterine cramping.

CARDAMON

Digestive aid, eases gluten intolerance (celiac disease). Sprinkle powder on cereal.

CAYENNE PEPPER

Capsicum speeds metabolism. Capsicum cream and oils relieve arthritis and aches, not just by warming and stimulating blood flow, but also by blocking pain transmission by nerves. (blocks substance P) Prevents blood clots, heals ulcers. “Jewish” penicillin, cayenne and garlic in chicken soup really IS as effective as antibiotics after the onset of cold or flu. Cayenne dramatically drops blood sugar levels and should by avoided by hypoglycemics. Cayenne promotes excretion of cholesterol through the intestines. It increases energy levels and aura brilliance.

CELERY

Sedative. Active ingredient thalide. Seed and stalk, reduces hypertension. Celery seed tea for the kidneys as a cleanser.

CHERVIL

Steep in boiled water and apply with an eye cup for a wide range of eye complaints.

CHICORY

Liver cleanser, fat cleanser, dissolves gallstones. Prepare like coffee.

CILANTRO

Leafy part of coriander plant. Food poisoning preventative.

CINNAMON

Mouthwash, good for upset stomach. Simmer sticks with cloves for 3 min, add 2 tsp lemon juice, 2 tsp honey, 2 tbsp whiskey – as cold medication. Cinnamon is good for yeast infection and athlete’s foot. A 2% solution will kill both of these conditions. Boil 8-10 sticks in 4 cups water, simmer 5 min, steep 45 min, then douche or apply to athlete’s foot. Cinnamon reduces cancer causing tendencies of many food additives.

CLOVE

Use oil for pain relief for sore gums and toothache. Add clove oil to neutral oils for topical pain relief of arthritis. Small amounts of clove in a tea for nausea. 3 cloves in two cups of boiled water, steeped for 20 minutes, as an antiseptic and mouthwash. Former alcoholics can suck on one or two cloves when the craving strikes to curb the desire.

COFFEE

Although not a spice, it is commonly available in the kitchen. The caffeine in coffee can be used to alleviate headaches (particularly those caused by caffeine withdrawal.) Coffee enemas with olive oil are used to cleanse the bowels and are one of the safest and most thoroughly cleansing enemas available. Caution and common sense must be used to avoid dependency. Hot black coffee sipped through a straw helps break up mucus congestion in the lungs.

CORIANDER

Coriander tea can be used topically to remove unpleasant odors in the genital area for men and women. The tea can be held in the mouth to relieve the pain of a toothache. Can also be drank to relieve flatulence and indigestion.

DILL

Bring one pint of white wine almost to a boil, remove from heat and add 4 tsp of dill seeds, let steep 30 minutes and strain. Drink 1 ½ cups a half hour before retiring to sleep well. To the same directions, but substitute for the 4 tsp of dill, instead add 1 tsp each of anise, caraway, coriander and dill to stimulate the flow of breast milk in nursing mothers. Chewing dill seeds removes bad breath.

FENNEL

Chewing fennel seeds relieves bad breath. Fennel seed tea sweetens breast milk. Fennel tea relieves colic in infants.

FENUGREEK

Use as a tea as an excellent relief for colic and fever in children. 1 tbsp ground fenugreek seed taken in the diet daily can reduce cholesterol. 8 tsp of seed presoaked in 4 cups cold water for 4 hours, then boil for 2 minutes, strain and drink 1 cup a day to ease hay fever attacks.

GARLIC

Ultimate antibiotic. Useful even for sexually transmitted diseases. Strongly recommended for hypoglycemia, and diabetes. Destroys intestinal parasites. Reduces cholesterol. Repels insects, and reduces sting effects of insects and red ants.

GINGER

Anti-nausea tea, blood thinner, substitute for coumadin. Boil 2/3 cup of freshly chopped root in 1 gallon water, wrapped in cheesecloth (or old nylon stocking) until the water is yellow. Then soak towel and lay on bruises and sprains while still hot, to ease them. Stimulates a delayed period. Warm ginger tea is good to break up congestion and fever. Ginger is one of the few herbs that easily passes the blood/brain membrane and is used in conjunction with other herbs that are meant to have an effect on the mind. Pregnant women should avoid medicinal concentrations of ginger.

HORSERADISH

Freshly dug root is added to a cold-pressed oil of choice (such as safflower or olive) to make a massage oil for muscle aches and to break up chest congestion. Grate fresh ginger and horseradish together and make a tea to stop post nasal drip.

LEMONGRASS

½ cup dried leaves to 2 pints of water, simmer for 10 minutes, and sip to bring down fevers.

LICORICE
Tranquilizer. Balances nervous system, stimulates liver functions. Long term usage (over 3 months) could cause liver damage.

LOVAGE

Steep root for 15 min in a cup of boiled water, drink after every meal to prevent flatulence.

MARJORAM AND OREGANO

Over 2 dozen related species. Use as a tea to help reduce fevers and break up bronchitis. Drink tea to relieve cramps and irregular menstruation. Eases suffering of childhood diseases like mumps and measles.

MINT

(Peppermint and spearmint)
Peppermint tea for migraines, nervousness, stomach disorders, heartburn, and abdominal cramps. Herpes sufferers can take 2 cups of tea a day to ease the symptoms when the virus is active. Mints are used to buffer the action of other herbs that have uncomfortable effects on the stomach and intestines. Can be used in any combination for flavor.

MUSTARD

1 ½ cups of dry yellow mustard in a bathtub of water for sprained backs. Make a paste with water and apply to knee and elbow sprains till blisters appear! Mustard and ginger plaster for deep rattling coughs – 1 tsp each mustard and ginger powder mixed with 2 ½ tbsp of olive oil. Rub over chest and back and put on an old T-shirt (or cover with cloth diaper).

NUTMEG AND MACE

Gas, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, and kidney problems – make a paste of powder with cold water and then add to boiled water. 1 tbsp of powdered nutmeg produces a floating euphoria for between 6 and 24 hours. Can cause near constant erections for men during that time. Side effects are bone and muscle aches, burning eyes, sinus drainage, and limited diarrhea.

ONION

Egyptians swore their oaths on onions; Grant refused to move his army until he got 3 railroad cars full of onions; interviews with hundreds of people who lived to 100 plus all indicated a heavy intake of onions in the diet. Onion is an excellent dressing for burns. Crush sliced onions with a little bit of salt and apply to burns. Apply sliced onion to bee and wasp stings. For asthma: puree an onion, cover it with brandy and let sit overnight, strain it, filter it through a coffee filter, and refrigerate. Take 2 tbsp 20 minutes before expected onset or before going to bed

PARSLEY

The purifier. Chew for halitosis. A few sprigs provide 2/3 the vitamin C of an orange, lots of vitamin A, and the important amino acid histidine, which is a tumor inhibitor. Parsley tea is good for kidney problems, painful urination, and kidney stones. One cup of parsley to 1 quart of water makes a strong tea. Two cups of parsley to 1 quart of water, steep an hour and drink warm, as an aphrodisiac. In Spain they have found that feeding parsley to sheep will bring them into heat at any time of year!

PEPPER (black)
Pain relief from toothache, brings down a fever.

ROSEMARY

Flower tea for the breath. Boil water with rosemary in it to make it safe to drink. Diuretic and liver aid, increases bile flow. Two handfuls of flowering tips into 2 cups of good brandy, soak 10 days, strain and seal. Mouthful twice daily. Oil of rosemary is a natural anti-oxidant, and stress reliever; sniff for headaches. Chop a double handful of twigs and put in a pint of olive oil for one week, and use as a muscle liniment.

SAGE

Chew a fresh leaf and put on insect bite to reduce sting and swelling. Sage tea for the throat. Two cups of sage tea a day for a week will dry up mother’s milk. For the itching of skin problems, steep a handful of freshly crushed leaves in a pint of boiled water for one hour, and bathe the area, then sprinkle with whole wheat flour. Sage tea prevents blood clots.

SAVORY

(the herb of love)
One quart boiled water, 3 ½ tbsp fenugreek seed, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove fenugreek and add 2 handfuls of savory leaves, steep 50 minutes and drink 2 cups, as an aphrodisiac.

TARRAGON

1 ½ tsp cut dried herb in 1 ¾ cups boiled water, steep 40 minutes, drink warm for insomnia, hyperactivity, depression, or nervous exhaustion. (or anything “jittery”) For digestion steep a handful of dried leaves in a jar with apple cider vinegar, stand 7 hours, strain and seal. Take 1 tbsp before each meal.

TEA

Caffeine relieves migraines. Tea drinkers suffer less hardening of the arteries than coffee drinkers. Black tea kills dental plaque.

THYME

Antibiotic. A tsp in ½ cup boiled water to make a gargle or mouthwash, to prevent bad breath, tooth decay, and cold sores. Drink for cold, flu, fever, and allergy symptoms. As a bath for nail fungus and athlete’s foot, and also as a douche. Compress for bumps and bruises. Health liqueur – 6 sprigs of thyme in 1 ½ cups of brandy for 5 days, shaking daily. Take several times daily when you feel a cold coming on. Thyme is good for killing bacteria and for relaxing tense muscles. Relieves migraine headaches and stomach cramps.

TUMERIC

Anti-oxidant. Powdered turmeric on any ulcerated skin condition or mix with enough lime juice to make a paste and put on herpes sores, mumps, chicken pox, etc. Dip a cloth in turmeric solution to wash away discharges from conjunctivitis and opthamalia. As an anti-inflammatory, turmeric’s properties are as good as 1 % hydrocortisone and phenylobutazone. Take ½ tsp in juice in the morning and evening to aid in removing fat around the liver. Turmeric, bay leaf, clove, and cinnamon all tripled insulin performance in metabolizing blood glucose in a test tube! Field tests proved to greatly enhance production of insulin by the pancreas. “Spicecaps” from Great American Natural Products have a pinch of cinnamon, 2 cloves, ½ bay leaf, and 1 tsp of turmeric per capsules.

VANILLA

Sexual stimulant. Soak a cotton ball with vanilla extract, squeeze it out, put it under the tongue and it will quickly calm hysteria.

VINEGAR

Naturally brewed apple cider vinegar deserves a course all on it’s own. It is one of the finest blood cleansers and arthritis cures known. Take 1 tbsp per day of equal parts vinegar and honey in water to taste to cleanse the blood and reduce inflammation from arthritis. Be sure to use naturally brewed vinegar, as the white cheap stuff in the grocery store is actually acetic acid, a petroleum by-product, and pretty well useless. (except as a window cleaner!)

BAKING SODA

Although not an herb or a spice, this was sent in by OrichidTigress@aol.com, and is especially recommended for people who are allergic to MSG. Many people will use a meat tenderizer for bee stings, but it contains MSG which can cause some people to swell. Instead, make a paste and apply directly to the insect bite to reduce swelling. You can also mix 1 tsp with water and take for relief of indigestion.

The Magick Of Herbs In the Kitchen

The Magick Of Herbs In the Kitchen

Just stop and think about the Magickal properties of cooking…The Goddess and God energy that is in your kitchen…Well..if you haven’t given it a thought let me see if I can change your perspective about the chore of cooking! Let us start in your kitchen cabinets…What can be found upon these shelves? Herbs of course!

Every herb has magickal, medicinal, and cooking uses…For example:

#1) Salt…Earth…Pentacle…North…Grounding…

#2) Pepper…South…The Wand…Fire…Inspiration…

#3) Garlic…Exorcism…Clearing a space…Protection…

#4) Cumin…Love…Loyality…

#5) Sage (my favorite) East…Wisdom…Smudge with this herb to cleanse the auric field…Healing herb for the stomach…Colon…Sinuses and nasal passages…

Olive oil……West…Used as a cooking oil…(although any ail used to excess is bad for you) …Can be used to make massage oils or annointing oils as a base (just add any of your favorite herbs!)…It also breaks down cholesterol rather than producing it….So as you can see Magick is all around us…Even in our kitchens!….

Tools Necessary for Herbalism

Tools Necessary for Herbalism

The first step in herbalism is to gather the tools you will need, and that is the main point of this first message. I have found the following useful and in many cases vital to learn and practice the use of herbs.

1) A Good mortar and Pestile, one of stone or metal is prefered. If wood is used you will need two, one for inedibles and one for edibles – make sure they do not look identical, as you do not want to accidentally poison anyone!!!

2) Containers. Although you can buy dried herbs over the counter in many places these days, do not store them in the plastic bags they come in, as these are usually
neither reuseable nor perfectly airtight. Rubbermaid style plastic containers are good, but expensive. I have used glass coffee and spice jars/bottles to good effect, as well as some medicine bottles. The more you recycle the better ecologically, just make sure they
have been thoroughly washed and dried before placing anything inside them.

3) Labels. This is vital! None of us in this day and age can possibly recognize each herb in its various forms simply by sight. Always label your containers as you fill them, and if possible date them when they were filled so you don’t keep spoiled stock on the shelf.

4) Tea Ball. A good metal teaball of the single cup size can be very useful in the longrun when your are experimenting, and when you are making single person doses of teas and tonics.

5) CheeseCloth : Useful for straining a partially liquid mixture and occasionnally for the making of sachets.

6) A Good sized teakettle. Preferably one that will hold at least a quart of water.
7) A Good teapot for simmering mixtures. I use one from a chinese import store that has done me well

.
8) A good cutting board and a SHARP cutting knife for just herbal work.

9) A notebook of some sort to record the information in as you go, both successes and failures. Always record anything new you try that may or may not work, and also and research information you get from various sources (like this echo!)

10) An eyedropper.

11) White linen-style bandages. Some ace bandages are also useful in the long run.

12) A metal brazier of some sort, or a metal container that can withstand heavy useage and heat from within or without, useful for several things including the making of your own incenses.

13) Reference sources. Shortly you should see a list of books that I have read from in the past that I consider useful, build from this as a starting point to others and to your teachers help.

Thats it to start, you’ll pick the rest up as you go. Take your time studying, take lots of notes, compare your sources and your own personal results on each herb and on herbal mixtures of any kind.

5000 Years Of Herbal History

5000 Years Of Herbal History

Over the centuries the healing properties of plants and herbs has not changed. What was a healing plant or herb five thousand years ago is still a healing plant or herb. Because great confidence was placed in them, Witches and physicians of the ancient world were expected to know their herbs. Plants gave healing powers to those who studied them, worked with them, and respected them. In many lands and in many times, healers spent a good part of their lives in the field and forest gathering green medicines. They remembered and scribed what they learned passing it on.

Today we have the opportunity to benefit from the accumulated herbal wisdom of the ages. This advantage allows us to peer back through history, harvesting for our own benefit only those herbs that have stood the test of time. But even the herbal uses that didn’t pan out are fascinating. While the story of healing herbs has it’s comic episodes, it is also a dramatic story of human sacrifice, complete with medical hero’s, men and women whose work deserves to be recognized. Much of this credit in my opinion should go the the Witches of the past because they are the ones who essentially began the work of learning and understanding herbs and their benefits. However when the male physician arrived on the scene, they essentially benefited from the inquisitions and burnings claiming the right to and credit for this knowledge. The topic of how modern drug companies have distorted this knowledge for profit is an area I probably shouldn’t delve into, but what the heck, the truth generally only hurts if it ought to…

Many of synthetic medicines on the market today owe their existence to natural occurring herbs, plants and trees. The original pain killer marketed just a little over 100 years ago is a derivative of White Willow Bark, what is it’s name? Asprin. It is pretty much a foregone conclusion, that the only reason the major drug manufactures synthesize these drugs is because you cannot patent a naturally occurring substance, obviously there isn’t as much profit in something that everyone has access to producing. Ultimately the drug manufacturers create a substance that copies the healing properties of these herbs, plants and trees, then market it to the world while down playing the benefits of the natural herb. Currently the drug industry is the single most profitable business in the United States spending over $5 BILLION per year on advertising and marketing alone! Much of this goes into seducing and providing perks for the doctors who prescribe their magic potions, many of which are completely useless at effectively treating the problem or cause serious side effects. But for the drug manufacturers there is an up side to the negative side effects because that provides them with the opportunity to create new drugs to counteract the side effects their product produced to begin with…

While I do not want to get on a soap box and throw rocks at modern medicine and the drug industry since they have provided benefits and in many cases cured disease. The point is though, there are alternatives which are quite often a better choice if we would only take the time to learn, and understand natures own cures, then take responsibility for our own health.

A final word before you continue into the following pages. Many of the herbs and plants listed here offer a proven track record of alleviating symptoms and helping with different conditions, but there are risks involved in using many of them without adequate knowledge. Without a sound understanding of their properties and potential effects, one would be foolish to blindly use them. Therefore it is recommended that you carefully research those of interest, seek the guidance of a health care professional who is competent in herbal knowledge and use common sense as you proceed. It is also vitally important to remember that the use of herbals should not be used in lieu of sound medical council and advice, instead they should be used in combination with the care of your personal physician. It is not the intent of these writings to suggest otherwise…

Gentle Breezes!

Herne

wicca.com

Lovers’ Moon Sachet

Lovers’ Moon Sachet

You will need one-half cup of dried lavender flowers, one-quarter cup of dried rose petals, and one-quarter cup of dried jasmine flowers.

At 9:00 p.m., tie the herbs up in a red drawstring bag. Hold the bag of herbs in your hands, merge with the divine, and say:

With these power, fragrant flowers

Love, joy and pleasure fill my every hour

The love of Lady and Lord surrounds me

The love of the Lady and Lord enfolds me

The love of the Lady and Lord empowers me

The love of the Lady and Lord centers me

The love of the Lady and Lord inspires me

May the Lady and Lord watch over and guide me

Wherever I am, Goddess and God are!

In the names of the Lady and Lord, Blessed Be!

Put the sachet in your dresser drawer to infuse your clothes with the scent of love power and draw more pleasure and joy into your love life.

Finger Painting Magick

Finger Painting Magick

 You will need your lover, one ounce of olive oil, nine drops of vanilla scented oil and three drops of jasmine-scented  oil.
Just before you make love, take a warm bath with your beloved. Decide what you both want to direct your sexual and orgasmic  energy toward. Keep it simple and be specific. Next, mix the oils together, and paint words of endearment on your lover’s naked skin. Finger-paint one  word on your lover’s skin, then ask your lover to paint a word of love on your skin. After you paint each word, use your fingers and your imagination to  rub the oil gently and sensuously into your lover’s skin. See how many words you spell before you fall passionately into the throws of lovemaking. Direct  your lovemaking energies toward a shared goal or dream.

A Lovers’ Moon Potion

A Lovers’ Moon Potion

When the nights are cold, it’s nice to have a warm body next to you to hold and love. This potion is best done with the one you love on a cold evening when the two of you want to set the night on fire.

To perform this spell, you will need two candles, one red and one green, chamomile and jasmine tea, and a teaspoon of honey.

Draw the circle and call in the elements. Set the two candles in holders. You light the green one and have your beloved light the red one. In unison call out the following verse:

Goddess and God of Love,

Grace our lovemaking with your fire,

So that our souls might be warm,

While gliding higher and higher;

Toward pure ecstasy!

Ayea! So Mote It Be!

In two cups of warm water, brew the chamomile and jasmine tea. Stir in a half teaspoon of honey into each potion cup. As the potion cools, sip it while looking in each other’s eyes. Imagine loving your partner completely. Let your imagination run wild. Allow the candles to safely burn down. Then take your beloved to bed and make passionate love. When drifting to sleep, give yourself the suggestion to have dreams that drive you to awaken in the morning and make love again.

Pull up the circle and say farewell to the elements in the morning after you make love again. Be sure to thank the Goddess and God for their divine blessings.

Let The Love Flow Shower

Let The Love Flow Shower

This is a shower best taken by two people.

You will need a cup of fine mud and a cosmetic mud mask.

Begin by standing in the bathtub and applying the mud to one another. Rub the mud all over your partner’s body, taking delight in the way it feels. Press your bodies together, exchanging mud in slippery skin movements. The Earth Goddess and God merging together as One. In unison call out:

Goddess and God of the sacred earth
Mother and father of creation
Let the light be our guide
And love our mantra
So be it! Blessed Be!
 

Step into the warm shower and wash the mud from each of your bodies while whispering loving thoughts to one another. Tell your lover how much you love them. End the shower by toweling each other dry.

Lovers’ Ritual Oil

Lovers’ Ritual Oil

Use this oil to bring the perfect love of the Goddess and perfect peace of the God into your circle. Use this oil liberally and become the God and Goddess for a little while.

You will need your lover, nine teaspoons of olive oil, six drops of lavender essential oil, one drop of sandalwood-scented oil, one drop of rosemary essential oil, and one drop of jasmine-scented oil.

After dark, mix all of the ingredients together in a bottle or jar with a top that seals it. As you shake the bottle, repeat this blessing:

Bright Lady, beautiful Goddess

Please bless this oil with your perfect love,

Bright lord, handsome God

Please bless this oil with your perfect peace.

Rub some of the oil on your partner, and your lover in turn can rub some of the oil on your body. Take a deep breath and sense the aroma of oil mixed with your lover’s natural scent entering your nostrils and filling your entire being with a divine passion. Enjoy the night together, and focus your love energy on a magickal goal that you both care deeply about.

Sensual Back/Body Massage

Sensual Back/Body Massage

You will need one ounce of apricot oil, three drops of jasmine-scented oil, three drops of sandalwood-scented oil, and three drops of ylang ylang scented oil.

In the morning, leave a love note where your lover will find it. Make it personal. Tell him or her how much he or she means to you. For example, write:

My Sweet Love, all that I am, all that I see, all that I feel, all that I dream and do are brighter, more beautiful and more meaningful, because I am so delightfully in love with you.

Next during the day, make a phone call to your love and tell him or her that you will have nothing on but his or her favorite CD after dark tonight. Your lover will be thinking abut you all day.

After dark, mix the oils together, go sky clad and anoint yourself with the mixture. When your lover arrives take off his or her clothes, anoint him or her with the oil, and show him or her how strong and creative your love can really be! Apply plenty of the oil mixture to your lover’s back, and take several minutes to give your love a relaxing and sensuous shoulder and back massage. Allow him or her to reciprocate. Make love and remember to focus on your magickal goal or symbol as you climax.