Summer Sweet Blackberry Jam

Below is a tried-and-true recipe for a simple berry jam. Our family favorite is blackberries as the color of the jam is nearly as delicious as its taste when spread on warm toast. You’ll need the following:

• 2 cups blackberries (or try raspberries or strawberries)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 slice of lemon rind
• Apple slice
• Canning jars and tongs

Crush the berries with a potato masher, softly, not too hard. Place all the ingredients in a stockpot and boil over high heat for five minutes, stirring the mixture to prevent it from sticking or burning. Reduce the heat to medium-high and continue to boil and stir. Remove any foam with a large spoon. After a half hour, the jam will begin to thicken up. If your jam is setting slowly, you can add more lemon juice or a slice of apple. Pectin, which is regularly used thicken jams and jellies, is made from apples. Thus, a slice of apple will serve the same purpose.

When the jam is ready, pour it into sterilized jars. The jars should be warm when the jam is added, so keep the sterilized articles in the oven, dishwasher, or canning water bath until you need them; ditto the lids and rings. Make sure to leave a generous half-inch gap between the jam and the top of the jar—this is known as headspace in the world of jam. Place the lids on the jars and screw them on firmly.

Place the sealed jars into the water bath and cover with at least an inch of water. Boil for ten minutes. Using jar tongs, carefully lift the jars out of the water bath and let them cool at room temperature. You will hear the lids seal when they make a popping noise as the domed lid is sucked down. Processed jam will last at east a year and makes a lovely gift. For small batches, you can make your jam and store it in the fridge as soon as it has cooled off. Berries contain protection magic as well as that of abundance. Folklore says vampires are afraid of blackberry vines.

Strawberry Fields Jam

July is one of the sweetest times to enjoy your garden, and strawberries are a harbinger of the good summertimes ahead. To make this lucky jam, you will need the following ingredients:

• 5 cups of strawberries
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1¾ ounces powdered fruit pectin
• 7 cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
• 9 clean and sterilized 1-pint canning jars

Macerate the strawberries in a big bowl. In a large pot, melt the butter, then pour in the crushed strawberries. Fold in the powdered pectin. Heat the mixture to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add in the sugar and bring to a full rolling boil again. Boil and stir for one more minute. Now, add in the chopped basil.

Remove the pot from heat and skim off any foam. Ladle the hot mixture into nine half-pint jars, leaving ¼-inch at the top. Look for and remove any air bubbles. If you need to fill in the jars, add in more hot jam mixture. Carefully wipe the jar rims, then seal the lids on the jars. Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for ten minutes. Remove jars and cool. Strawberries are widely regarded as an aphrodisiac, and basil brings money to your house. Making this “Love and Money Jam” will be a great gift to everyone in your household and anyone who is served this jolliest of jams.

Blessed Batch of Pickles: A Garden in a Jar

This is a recipe handed down from generation to generation in my family. My mother was very proud of and famous for her pickles. This same cucumber recipe can be used to pickle almost any vegetable, including onions, peppers, squash, baby corn, green tomatoes, cauliflower, and anything else you might fancy. Growing your own dill will be a wonderful finishing touch. Gather:

• 3 dozen baby cucumbers (three to four inches long)
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups vinegar
• 6 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 bunch fresh dill or ½ teaspoon dried dill per jar (you can use seed heads, leaves, and stems, too)
• ½ to 1 clove garlic per jar, blanched and sliced
• ½ tablespoon mustard seed per jar
• 2-quart Mason canning jars (or 6 one-pint jars), sterilized

Wash all the cucumbers using cool water. In a big stockpot, pour in the vinegar, three cups of water, and the kosher salt and bring to a boil. This is the brining liquid. In the bottom of a sterilized quart jar, place a generous layer of dill, a clove of garlic, and ½ tablespoon mustard seed. Pack the cucumbers vertically into the jar until half full, then add another layer of dill and fill the remainder of the jar with cucumbers. Fill all the jars in the exact same way, leaving a half-inch at the top for brine. After you have poured in the brining liquid, go ahead and seal the Mason jars. Place the jars in a boiling-water bath for fifteen minutes. Label once your pickle jars have cooled and store on a cool, dark shelf for two weeks to allow the flavor to develop.

Magical correspondences to draw from in labeling your fresh batch of pickles:

• Cucumber: healing, peace
• Vinegar: security, cleansing
• Dill: prosperity, safety, luck
• Garlic: protection, healing
• Salt: purification

Sun-Infused Flower Essences

For centuries, flower essences have been used to heal many infirmities (see list below). While the health food shop versions are handy, they are also very spendy. You can make your own flower essences at home. Start by making a mother essence—the most concentrated form of the essence—which can then be used to make stock bottles. The stock bottles are used to make dosing bottles for the most diluted form of the essence, which is what you actually take.

What you will need to make a sun-infused mother essence:

• 3 quarts of fresh pure spring water or distilled water, 3 quarts
• Clear glass 2½-quart mixing bowl
• An 8-ounce sealable bottle made of dark green, blue, or green glass
• Organic brandy or vodka
• Freshly picked flowers specific to the malady being treated
• Clean, dry cheesecloth for straining.

Ideally, you begin early in the morning and pick your chosen flowers by nine o’clock at the latest. This all ensures three hours of sunlight before the noon hour, after which the sunlight is less effective, or even draining.

Fill the bowl with the fresh water; to avoid touching them, place the flowers very carefully on the surface of the water using tweezers or chopsticks to gently add blooms until the water’s surface is covered. Let the bowl sit in the sun for three to four hours or until the flowers begin to fade.

Now, delicately remove the flowers, being careful not to touch the water with your fingers. Fill your colored glass bottle with the strained flower essence water and top the other half off with the organic brandy or vodka (40 percent proof is advised to prolong the shelf life to three months if stored in a cool, dark cupboard). This is your mother tincture; label it with the date and the name of the flower, such as, Rose Water, July 14, 2021.” Use any remaining essence water to water the flowers you’ve been working with and murmur a prayer of gratitude for their beauty and healing power.

To make a stock bottle from your mother tincture, fill a one ounce (thirty ml) dropper bottle ¾ full of brandy, top it up with ¼ spring water, then add three drops of the mother tincture. This will last at least three months, enabling you to make lots of dosing bottles, which are the ones from which you actually take the flower essence.

To make the dosage bottle for any flower essence just add two or three drops of the stock bottle to another thirty ml dropper bottle of ¼ brandy and ¾ distilled water. Anytime, you need some of this gentle medicine, place four drops of this under your tongue or sip in a glass of water four times a day or as often as you feel the need. You can’t overdose on flower remedies, though more frequent, rather than larger, doses are much more effective.

Flower essences mixed with one ounce (thirty ml) of pure spring water or distilled water can also be used to help the following conditions:

• Addiction: skullcap, agrimony
• Anger: nettle, blue flag, chamomile
• Anxiety: garlic, rosemary, aspen, periwinkle, lemon balm, white chestnut, gentian
• Bereavement: honeysuckle
• Depression: borage, sunflower, larch, chamomile, geranium, yerba santa, black cohosh, lavender, mustard
• Exhaustion: aloe, yarrow, olive, sweet chestnut
• Fear: poppy, mallow, ginger, peony, water lily, basil, datura
• Heartbreak: heartsease, hawthorn, borage
• Lethargy: aloe, thyme, peppermint
• Stress: dill, echinacea, thyme, mistletoe, lemon balm
• Spiritual blocks: oak, ginseng, lady’s slipper

Cures from Your Kitchen

Many remedies can be made from what you have in the kitchen, from spices as well as other plants. Here are a few simple tried and tested recipes:

Nutmeg Milk

Grated nutmeg soothes diarrhea and upset tummies. Use a nutmeg grater to grate a small amount (about ⅛ teaspoon) into warmed milk (cow, soy, rice, or oat milk).

Cayenne Infusion

Use this pepper as a remedy for colds, coughs, sore throats, heartburn, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins, or as a digestive stimulant and to improve circulation. Make an infusion by adding ½ teaspoon cayenne powder to one cup boiled water. Dilute with two cups of hot water to make a more pleasant and palatable infusion. Add lemon and honey to taste. (Be careful; it will be spicy! If you don’t enjoy hot spicy flavors, consider supplementing powdered cayenne in capsules.)

Easy Turmeric Detox

This spice is a natural antioxidant, antiseptic, and antibacterial. Turmeric is also detoxifying for the liver and curative for acne and common colds. It is a popular herb for decreasing inflammation at a system level in your body; this can soothe soreness in joints in a way that is deeper than mere symptomatic relief. Make a turmeric tea by adding a teaspoon of the powder to four cups of boiling water. Simmer over low heat until it dissolves, then add milk and honey to taste.

Cabbage Juice Curative

This commonplace vegetable is a fantastic antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Cabbage can be used for stomach ulcers, arthritis, and swollen joints, or as a liver tonic. To create a cabbage tonic, dilute one part cabbage juice with two parts water. For swollen joints and arthritic pain, lightly crush a few green outer cabbage leaves with a rolling pin, then lay them over the afflicted area with the inner side of the leaf on your skin, secured with a bandage. Some prefer to boil the leaves, let them cool, and then apply. Going to bed with a cabbage bandage on is also good, giving the leaf time to work its magic.

Lemon Water

Use this citrus fruit for colds and infections. Add the fresh-squeezed juice to hot water with honey to taste. For a fast sore-throat curative, use unsweetened lemon juice with warm water as an antiseptic gargle.

Mulled Medieval Merriment for Holidays & More

Start this special mixture brewing by pouring a cup of unfiltered sweet apple cider into a big pot. Go for organic fruit at the farmer’s market, but it is even better if you can make it yourself from apples you have gathered or harvested. Take a bottle of your favorite low-cost red wine and gently heat with the cider in a medium saucepan on a low flame. Add sugar, cinnamon, and cloves to your taste, but at least a tablespoon of each, and stir every six minutes. Notice how your entire home fills with the spicy sweetness of merriment. After thirty minutes, your brew should be ready to serve.

DIY Digestive Elixir

You can make simple syrup, a base for any liqueur, in five short minutes by boiling a cup of sugar in a half cup of water. The method above can be used to create distinctive after-dinner drinks and digestives with angelica, anise, bergamot, hyssop, all mints, fennel, and perhaps the most special of all, violets. To your health!

Liquid Love: Spicy Cinnamon Liqueur

This popular beverage gives peppy energy and can also be a love potion. These few ingredients can lead to a lifetime of love and devotion:

1 cup vodka

2 whole cloves

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup simple sugar syrup

Pour the vodka into a bowl and add in the herbs; cover and place in a cupboard for two weeks. Strain and filter until the result is clear liquid. Clean the canning jar and dry it thoroughly, then put the clear liquid back in. Add the simple syrup and place back on the shelf for a week. Store this in a dark-colored bottle that seals; you now have liquid love! You can drink it “neat” on its own or add this to hot chocolate, water, tea, or milk for a delightful drink to share with your loved one.

Pantry Power—Plant Infusions That Heal and Help

Many enthusiasts enjoy several cups a day of their favorite herbal infusion, which is a large portion of herb brewed for at least four hours and perhaps as long as ten. I recommend placing one cup of the dried herb into a quart canning jar and filling it with freshly boiled water. After the steeping, strain with a nonmetallic type of strainer such as cheesecloth or bamboo. Herbal infusions can be made with the leaves and fruits, which provide the healing aspects of this type of comforting brew. Many favorite herbs from your kitchen garden contain minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals, including the list herein.

What do you need to attend in your life now? This list of herbs and associations can be your guide; one of the smartest ways to approach this methodology is to brew right before bedtime so you will awaken to a freshly infused herb. Some of the most popular herbs and fruits used to create infusions are as follows:

• Anise Seeds & Leaves: soothe cramps and aches
• Caraway Seeds: aid in romantic issues, help with colic
• Catnip Leaves: make women even more attractive
• Chamomile Flowers: help with sleep, good for abundance
• Dandelion Leaves: make wishes come true
• Echinacea: makes the body strong
• Ginseng Root: increases men’s vigor
• Nettle Leaves: lung function, hex breaking
• Peppermint Leaves: clearing tummy discomfort, cleansing
• Pine Needles: increase skin health as well as financial health
• Rose Hip Fruit: packed with vitamin C and can halt colds and flu
• Sage Leaves: purify energy, antibiotic
• Skullcap Leaves: prevent insomnia and soothe nerves
• St. John’s Wort Flowers: antidepressant
• Thyme Leaves: antiseptic, protectant
• Yarrow Flowers: reduce fever, bring courage and good luck

Lavandula 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 used to stanch bleeding in small cuts. You need:

• dried lavender
• dried calendula
• clear quart jar with lid
• cheesecloth
• dark glass jar for storage
• 2 cups distilled water
• 1 cup clear alcohol such as vodka or Everclear

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 two cups of water, seal 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 thirty days, strain through cheesecloth into the dark glass storage jar and screw the lid on tightly. The lavender leavings will make lovely compost, and the liquid tincture will soon prove itself indispensable in your household.

Luxuriating in Lavender

Lavender is hard not to grow; once your seedlings and young plants have been established, they will bush out and produce loads of scented stalks, flowers, and seeds. This bounty will become your source for teas, tinctures, bath salts, and infusions. For tea, the rule of thumb is one teaspoon dried lavender flowers to one cup boiling water to aid tummy trouble, headache, aches, and insomnia and even help calm the mind. You can easily amp up the therapeutic power of your brew by adding any of these excellent herbs: dried yarrow, St. John’s Wort, or chamomile.

Here is a simple and streamlined way to infuse lavender:

Pour a heaping tablespoon of lavender blossoms into a bowl of hot water, 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. Afterwards, you can use the water in your morning bath, to wash your face or hands, or to freshen your sink garbage disposal; grinding up the flowers refreshes that hardworking kitchen appliance.

Bee Healthy with Miracle Salve

Thyme in the garden attracts bees, and honey made by these “thymely bees” is highly sought after. If you can come by this rarity, get as much as you can as it is redolent with Mother Nature’s love and enchantment. The ancient Greeks prized thyme honey very highly not only as a delicacy at the table but as a miracle salve to heal everything: the stomach, aches and pains, and even wounds. Hippocrates swore by it!

Old Thyme Tincture: Medicinal Herbal Vinegar

Every kitchen garden should be strewn with thyme plantings, fragrantly growing amongst the flagstones in the path as well as in the rows of herbs, filling the air with their magnificent scent and elegant beauty. You will need to keep a plentitude growing and several bunches drying in a dark corner of your panty at all times, as this plant makes a mighty fine tincture with many medicinal uses. I also suggest you start gathering together some supplies: clean muslin or cheesecloth, several colored glass bottles, and an assortment of canning jars with lids for storing your handiwork. For this tincture, take one of the larger jars and the following ingredients:

• 1¼ cup dried thyme leaves
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar

Put the dried thyme in the jar and carefully pour the vinegar inside. Stir well and seal. Place on a dark shelf and make sure to shake it every day. At the end of the one month, strain through muslin. Compost the thyme residue in your garden and store the tincture in a pretty glass jar.

Having this herbal helper around will come in handy for mouthwashes, hair rinses, and ritual baths, and you can even rub it on achy joints and sore muscles. For a cup of thyme tea, add one teaspoon of the tincture to a cup of hot water, then add a teaspoon of honey, stir, and enjoy.

Garden Alchemy: Perfect Plants for DIY Vinegars

The leaves and stalks of the following plants are very good for making herbal vinegars: apple mint, basil, catnip, garlic, mustard, orange mint, peppermint, rosemary, spearmint, thyme, and yarrow.

Dill and fennel seeds work very well, as do lemon and orange peels.

The flowers of bee balm, chives, goldenrod, lavender, and yarrow make for delicate herbed vinegars.

Roots also infuse nicely into herbal vinegars—the best are dandelion, chicory, ginger, garlic, mugwort, and burdock.

Blessings on a Budget

Instead of composting all the herbs, twigs, and stems from your brews, you can store them in a burlap or muslin sack and allow them to dry. Keep stuffing in twigs of lavender, rosemary, mint, and all the leftover aromatic plant material until you have a big bag. On some special evening, burn it in your fireplace or an outdoor bonfire, and it will be like a gigantic incense burner with the lovely scents wafting from the flames. And the best part? It’s 100 percent free!

Make Your Own Herbal Vinegar

If you love everything about lavender, you may well want to create your own lavender vinegar. Many herbs make excellent vinegars, so pay attention to which ones especially appeal to you as you go about your gardening. The more herbs you pack into the jar, the higher the mineral content in your vinegar, which makes it more flavorful and healthful. Once you have your own apple cider vinegar or a premade organic variety you and your family love, pick an herb you know works for you and pack a quart canning jar as full of that herb as you can. Pour room temperature apple cider vinegar to cover, then cover it with paper and rubber bands and pop on a dark corner shelf for six weeks, giving the jar a shake once a week. At the end of the infusion period, strain out any remaining compostable twigs or stems. Store your herb vinegar in a colored bottle and add a pretty label. These make wonderful gifts, so I recommend you either create or acquire a set of labels for all your herbal brews.

Your Apple a Day: Simple Apple Cider Vinegar

This easy-peasy recipe will result in one of the most useful items in your pantry, one which can be used not only in your cookery and as a daily health drink, but as a household cleanser, skin and facial toner, hair rinse, and dozens of other excellent uses. Hippocrates, the founding father of medicine in ancient Greece, taught that he depended on two medicinal tonics, honey and vinegar. Apple cider vinegar lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and helps strengthen bones. Best of all, this preparation costs mere pennies to make as you are using only the cores and peels from the apples. Bake a couple of pies while you brew up a tonic to boost health. When you add herbs to vinegar, you are enhancing their healing power synergistically for the best of both worlds. All you need is:

• cores and peels of 8 organic apples
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 quart of water

Cut up the apple cores and peels into smaller pieces and spoon them into a wide-mouthed canning jar. Pour in enough water to cover the fruit, then spoon in the honey and stir well. Cover the jar with either a clean paper towel or waxed paper and place a rubber band tightly around the neck of the jar. Place on a dark shelf in your cupboard or work area and leave it for two weeks. After a fortnight, strain the liquid and remove and discard the compostable solids that remain. then return the liquid to the jar and secure the cover with the rubber band again. Put it back on the shelf. making sure to stir it daily. After one month, taste a spoonful; if the acidity and flavor is to your taste, transfer it to a dark bottle with a sealable top. Vinegar from the fermented apples will corrode metal lids, so a pretty bottle with a cork is the best option.

Baking Soda Basics

Baking soda is great in a bath if your skin is irritated, especially if the cause is poison oak or ivy, as the soda will help dry up wet blisters as well as greatly reducing the itch. Applying a baking soda and water paste to the site of a bee sting or other insect bite will neutralize the pain and itch. Just remove the actual stinger first, and then smooth on the baking soda paste for instant relief.

A headache can be treated with a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in a cup of warm water with ¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Last but not least, whiten your teeth and freshen your breath by brushing with baking soda and water.

Aloe Vera Juice and Gel

As a topical application, aloe vera gel is great for all kinds of burns, including sunburn. It has been shown to have therapeutic value in the healing of skin lesions caused by psoriasis. The juice is a great general tonic as it is recommended as an aid to digestion, a stimulus for intestinal health, and a gentle colon cleanse. Aloe vera is one of the few vegetarian sources of vitamin B12 and contains nineteen amino acids, twenty minerals, and twelve vitamins, all of which have a beneficial effect on general health. Drinking four to eight ounces daily diluted in juice or taken neat is recommended, but even just a couple of times a week will be beneficial.

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Grapefruit seed extract is a powerful substance. It is a powerful general immune tonic that can help a wide spectrum of conditions ranging from healing cuts to respiratory viral illnesses. It is very strong and should never be taken undiluted nor used neat in a topical application. I use it when afflicted with a stomach bug with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. Take five to ten drops in eight ounces of juice or tea, which will help disguise its strong bitter taste; grapefruit or other citrus juices disguise its bitterness particularly effectively. For a child, give three to five drops in five ounces of juice or tea. These doses should be taken morning and evening and will clear up a stomach bug pretty quickly. After taking grapefruit seed extract, also take some acidophilus, either in natural yogurt or in the form of a tablet. This will restore your “friendly” intestinal flora to a healthy, balanced state. Grapefruit seed extract is also recommended as a gingivitis treatment: add three drops to five ounces of water and use as a mouthwash—rinse and spit, but try not to swallow!

For an effective dandruff cure, add five drops of grapefruit seed extract to your usual dollop of hair shampoo and massage it into the scalp.

For a wart or cyst, apply a drop of grapefruit seed extract daily directly to the affected spot and cover with a bandage.

Garlic Is Good for Everything

Garlic is well-known for its ability to protect against infection and should be used regularly (to taste!) in your cooking. It is also known to reduce cholesterol levels and can be helpful in lowering blood pressure. Rich in vitamins A, B, and C, garlic is an excellent source of minerals: selenium, iodine, potassium, iron, calcium, zinc, and magnesium. The active component in garlic is allicin, a sulfur compound produced when garlic is chopped, chewed, or bruised. It is powerful as an antibiotic and helps the body inhibit the ability of germs to grow and reproduce. When preparing garlic, cut or crush the cloves, then let the garlic rest for ten minutes before cooking or eating to allow the allicin to develop. Garlic is cited as therapeutic for the treatment of many health conditions, such as both high and low blood pressure, heart problems, and asthma, as well as being acknowledged as an anti-cancer agent and a preventative for colds and other infections.

Although garlic pills are available, raw garlic is just as effective and considerably cheaper. For a simple garlic tonic to guard against colds or just to boost your general health, crush a couple of cloves and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Taking a spoonful of garlic in olive oil works well if you don’t like the taste or are fearful of unappealingly garlicky breath.

At the onset of an earache, take a peeled clove, wrap it in a little fabric such as cheesecloth, and stick it in your sore ear, taking care not to insert it too deeply. Leave it there overnight, and you will feel some relief by the morning.

Ginger Is Your Go-To for Getting Better Quickly

Ginger is indicated for a sore throat and is a good addition to a hot toddy for cold symptoms. Ginger is known to alleviate indigestion, general nausea, upset tummy, morning sickness, and stomach flu. Ginger tea has a very pleasant taste, and you can either buy it in tea bags or gently simmer slices of fresh ginger root on a low burner to make the tea yourself; I recommend using the fresh ginger root for maximum taste and potency. Arthritic pain can be treated with ginger, too; three to four grams (about a tenth of an ounce) daily is recommended, and ginger can also be taken either in capsules or as tinctures.

First Aid Tip

When you are getting over an illness, eat light broths, either vegetable or chicken. Broths are easy to digest, saving your body’s energy for recovery.

A Tincture in Time Saves Nine

Herbal tinctures, which are concentrated extracts of the herbs, are more expensive but last longer and provide a higher dose of the herb. We keep a tincture of echinacea and goldenseal in the house year-round. At the first sign of a cold or cough, a few drops go into herbal teas and hot lemon and honey toddies. A hot toddy is traditionally made with hot water, lemon, sugar or honey, and liquor such as brandy, but it doesn’t have to be alcoholic to be medicinal. Fresh ginger and garlic are great for adding to home remedies, particularly for colds; just chop finely or grate and add to teas and toddies.

Peachy Keen Cooler

Not every herbal tea works well over ice, but this one will have your family and friends clamoring for more. Gather a palmful of each of these dried herbs:

• 1 part each of lemon verbena and lemon balm
• 1 part each of mint leaves, chamomile flowers, and hibiscus flowers
• 2 cups peach juice
• 1 lemon

Brew the herbs to yield six cups and let cool to room temperature. Pour into a large pitcher and add the peach juice until the pitcher is two-thirds full. Give it a good stir, then add in enough ice cubes to fill the vessel. Slice the lemon and lay on top. Serve, sit back, and let the compliments begin. This convivial concoction is ideal for special summer occasions such as the midsummer celebration of the solstice or longest day of the year.

Gardener’s Tea

As you now know, tilling the back forty, weeding, and harvesting your herbs and veggies is a huge amount of work. It is one of life’s greatest joys, without doubt, but nevertheless, many a sore back or aching knees have come to pass as result of a thriving garden. All the more reason for tea that revives, refreshes, and offers relief to aching joints. From your store of dried herbs, gather these:

• 2 parts echinacea root
• 2 parts chamomile flowers
• 1 part mint
• 1 part anise seed
• 1 part thyme

A nice hot cup of this remedy will have you jumping back into the garden to plant more of all the herbs that comprise this delightful tea. Ahhhh, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!

A Soothing Sip

Here is a soothing sip that can uplift your spirits anytime and serves to ward off chills. This combination of herbs helps to bring about letting go of sorrows, worries, and doubts and reignites feelings of self-love.

Stir the following together in a clean cauldron:

• One ounce dried rosehips
• One ounce dried hibiscus flowers
• Two ounces dried mint
• One tablespoon dried ginger root, coarsely chopped or ground

Combine the herbs, pour into a colored jar, and seal the lid tightly. When you are ready to brew a soothing tea, pour hot water over the herbs: one cup of hot water to each two teaspoons of tea. While this steeps for five minutes, write down any thoughts or fears from which you need to release yourself on a small piece of paper. Now say each one aloud, then chant, “Begone!” following each. After this letting-go ritual, burn the paper with sage in a small cauldron on your altar. As you sip the tea, enjoy your renewed sense of self and peace of mind.

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Steeped in Wisdom

Different kinds of tea can combine to make a powerful concoction. A pot of your favorite grocer’s black tea can become a magical potion with the addition of a thin slice of ginger root, a pinch of dried chamomile, and the same amount of peppermint tea. This ambrosial brew can calm any storm at home or at work.

Herbal tea nourishes the soul, heals the body, and calms the mind. Try these:

• Blackberry leaf tea reduces mood swings, and it evens glucose levels, aiding in weight management. This miraculous herbal even helps circulation and such issues as inflammation and varicose veins. It is helpful to cancer patients and is believed to be a preventative.
• Cardamom is a favorite of expectant mothers everywhere as it calms nausea and morning sickness; this fragrant East Indian spice is excellent for digestion and clears and cleans your mouth and throat. Anyone who likes cinnamon will love cardamom.
• Nettle raises your energy level, boosts the immune system, and is packed with iron and vitamins.
• Fennel is awakening and uplifting and is excellent for digestion and cleansing. Fennel is also is a natural breath freshener.
• Catnip is one of the witchiest of teas; it is not only grown as fun for your feline familiar. Catnip is a gentle but potent sleep-inducer. At the first inkling of a sore throat or impending cold, drink a warm cup of catnip tea and head off to bed and you will awaken feeling much better. Catnip soothes the nervous system and can safely help get a restless child off to sleep.
• Echinacea lends an increased and consistent sense of well-being and prevents colds and flu. It is a very powerful immune booster. Take a simmered low echinacea root tea for up to two weeks at a time to jumpstart your immune system; an ounce a week of echinacea tincture will also serve if convenience is needed. (The tincture is rather medicinal tasting, so best dilute it in a cup of juice or your favorite plant-based beverage.)
• Ginger Root calms and cheers while aiding digestion, fighting nausea, and helping fend off coughs and sore throats.
• Dandelion Root grounds and centers as it provides many minerals and nutrients. This wonderful weed is also a cleanser and a wholly natural detoxifier and liver tonic

Tea-lepathy

The humble dandelion, abhorred by lawn keepers everywhere, hides its might very well. Dandelion root tea can call upon the spirit of anyone whose advice you might need. Simply place a freshly brewed simple using this herbal root on your bedroom altar or nightstand. Before you sleep, say the name of your spirit helper aloud seven times. In a dream or vision, the spirit will visit you and answer all your questions. During medieval times, this spell was used to find hidden treasure. Chaucer, who was well-versed in astrology and other metaphysics, advised this tried-and-true tea.

Jasmine Tea Will Bring You Joy

Jasmine tea is a delightful concoction and can create an aura of bliss and conviviality. It is available at any grocer or purveyor of organic goods, but homegrown is even better. Brew a cup of jasmine tea and let it cool. Add two parts lemonade and drink the mixture with a good friend. Jasmine is a vine and represents the intertwining of people. You will be more bonded to anyone with whom you share this sweet ritual. This is also a tonic in which you can indulge alone. I recommend brewing up a batch every Monday, or “Moon Day,” to ensure that each week is filled with joyfulness.

White Tea

White tea, green tea, and black tea are all made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis. White tea is made from the youngest leaves of the plant; it is a naturally sweet brew and has less caffeine than green or black tea. It is also rich in antioxidants and is recommended for reducing “bad” cholesterol and improving artery health. White tea is a little costly but a good choice for health and flavor.

Black and Green Tea

Use black tea for an upset tummy and diarrhea. Green tea strengthens the immune system, and you can reuse lightly moistened tea bags to stanch minor cuts or calm insect bites.