Luxuriating In Lavender: Teas & Tinctures

Lavender  is a gift from goddess and truly smells heavenly. It is also a powerful healing herb. 

For tea, the rule of thumb is one teaspoon dried lavender flowers to one cup boiling water to aid tummy trouble, headache, aches, insomnia and even for calming the mind. You can easily amp up the therapeutic power of your brew, add any of these excellent herbs - dried yarrow, St. John’s Wort, or chamomile.  This is a simple and streamlined way to infuse lavender: pour heaping tablespoon into a bowl of hot water and then drape a towel over your head and breathe in the aromatic fumes to deal with respiratory issues, coughs, colds, headaches, stuffy sinuses and nervous tension. You will come away feeling renewed and your kitchen will smell like the heavens above. You can use the water in your morning bath or to your sink garbage disposal; grinding up the flowers refreshes that hard-duty kitchen appliance.

Lavendula Tranquility Tincture

This cure-all should be kept on hand at all times for soothing the skin, the stomach and anything in need of comfort. I have even seen it be used to stanch bleeding in small cuts. You need:

Dried lavender

Dried calendula

Clear quart jar with lid

Cheesecloth

Dark glass for storage

2 cups distilled water

1 cup clear alcohol such as vodka

Fill your clear quart jar to the halfway point with the dried lavender and calendula. Pour in the alcohol also to the halfway point, Add in the water and seal with the lid securely and shake for a few minutes until it seems well mixed. Store in a dark cupboard for one month, shaking once a day.  After 30 days, strain with cheesecloth into the dark glass storage jar and screw the lid on tightly. The lavender leavings will make lovely compost or, even better, dry and bundle them to toss on your next bonfire or at home in the fireplace. 

The scented smoke will smell faintly of incense. Magical!