Twenty-Two Healing Herbs: Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet Part I

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Gently simmer one tablespoon of dried and minced ashwagandha root in one cup of water for eight to ten minutes. Strain and sip once or twice a day as a rejuvenating pick-me-up, anti-inflammatory, anxiety reducer, and immunity tonic.

Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa)

Make a tincture or use the flower essence method in this book and take twenty to forty drops three times a day to relieve menstrual cramps and arthritic pain. Black cohosh can also help perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Boil one cup of water and pour over two teaspoons of calendula petals. Steep this for eight to ten minutes and strain. Once it has cooled enough, you can drink it as a tea, use it as a mouthwash, or gargle with it to reduce any swelling of the mouth or throat. If you make an ointment with calendula, apply it to your skin three times during the day and it will calm irritation.  

This commonly used herbal aid is popular for relief of gastrointestinal issues including oral and throat inflammation. It can also be made into a salve to heal the skin and soothe rashes, itching, irritation, and wounds. Remember that any herb can be made into a salve following the Calming Balm: Bay Leaf recipe in Chapter Four. Your family will probably request the comfort of the calendula salve often, so keep it handy.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Dry a palmful of catnip leaves and allow them to steep in a cup of boiling water for five minutes, then strain as you would any loose tea. Honey helps even more, and a cup or two of catnip tea per day will have you in fine fettle, relaxed, and ready. This herb is not just for kitties! We humans can also benefit from it as a remedy for upset tummies as well as a way to diminish worry, anxiety, and nervous tension.

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

How many times did your mom tell you to drink your (usually unsweetened) cranberry juice? Turns out she was right on both counts as straight cranberry juice is very good for bladder health and benefits men’s prostates; two half cups a day, mom’s orders!

Echinacea (Echinacea spp.)

Every herb store or organic grocer will have dried echinacea root for fighting colds and negating respiratory infections. Just mince by the teaspoon and simmer low covered in two cups of boiling water. Sweeten to taste and drink at least a couple of cups a day, echinacea also makes an excellent tincture you can make by following the how-tos herein. It is an amazing immune booster, too!

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra, S. canadensis)

This time-tested medicinal has long been used for guarding against colds and flu. Elderberry flowers have been valued as a tonic for fever for centuries; such fruit extracts have been proven to be noteworthy antivirals, especially to support immunity. Two teaspoons of dried flowers and a cup of boiling water three times a day does the trick. Sweeten with local honey to taste. Or consider cultivating elderberry and making a syrup.

How We Lost Our Connection to Nature and How We Can Get It Back

On woodland walks, my Aunt Edie pointed out nettles, wild mint, Queen Anne’s Lace, and other herbs which grew by creek beds near my home. We picked, steeped, and sipped concoctions we made together as she imparted her homely wisdom. Little did I know at the time I was being gently schooled as an apprentice kitchen witch. Lately, I have been called upon to craft spells for peace of mind; so many of us are overwhelmed due to the fragmented lifestyles requiring long hours at work, zillions of emails, texts, tweets, and all the demands that don’t stop coming.

How often do you see a panicky pagan or stressed out herbalist? Rarely, I assure you.

We all have to keep pace with the modern world, but our connection to the earth and the cycles of nature help maintain balance and harmony, despite the hurly-burly of these tech-driven times. This chapter is aimed at conjuring wellness so you can stay centered, grounded, and healthy. When our grandmothers and elders who came before us “tended cuts, bruises, colds, flus, fevers, and other illnesses their family suffered, they didn’t have a corner drugstore. Instead, these wise women relied on simple wisdom, common sense, and pantries well-stocked with herbal remedies. These preparations were made from plants that grew in the kitchen garden or wild weeds gathered in the fields and woods surrounding their homes. This stash of kitchen cupboard cures combines the wisdom of our elders with a modern sensibility. Yes, you will save money, but more importantly, you will begin to learn what works for you and master the art of self-care as you bring much comfort to your loved ones.

Gratitude to Mother Nature

Stones, crystals, and gems are regarded as the purest forms of the earth’s generosity. Whenever you get a new crystal, receive a piece of jewelry with a stone or gem, or decorate your home or garden with rocks and pebbles, show gratitude for these gifts from nature. Simply say, “Thank you, Mother Nature, for this gift.” Your gratitude will be rewarded tenfold, and you will enjoy a shower of crystals and gems in your life from our benefactress Mother Earth, who enjoys getting credit for her good works!

The Meaning of Flowers Part V

V, W

Valerian: An accommodating disposition

Valerian, Greek: Rupture

Venus’ Car: Fly with me

Venus’ Looking Glass: Flattery

Venus Trap: Deceit

Verbena, Scarlet: Sensibility

Verbena, White: Pure and guileless

Vernal Grass: Poor, but happy

Veronica: Fidelity

Vervain: Enchantment

Vine: Intoxication

Violet, Blue: Faithfulness

Violet, Dame: Watchfulness

Violet, Sweet: Modesty

Violet, Yellow: Rural happiness

Virginia Creeper: Ever changing

Virgin’s Bower: Filial love

Volkmannia: May you be happy

Walnut: Intellect, stratagem

Wallflower: Fidelity in adversity

Water Lily: Purity of heart

Wax Plant: Susceptibility

Weigela: Accept a faithful heart

Wheat Stalk: Riches

Whin: Anger

White Lily: Purity and modesty

White Mullein: Good nature

White Oak: Independent

Whortleberry: Treason

Willow, Creeping: Love forsaken

Willow, Water: Freedom

Willow, Weeping: Mourning

Willow, Herb: Pretension

Willow, French: Bravery, humanity

Wisteria: I cling to thee

Witch Hazel: A spell

Woodbine: Fraternal love

X, Y, Z

Xanthium: Rudeness, pertinacity

Xeranthemum: Cheerfulness under adversity

Yew: Sorrow

Zephyr Flower: Expectation

Zinnia: Thoughts of absent friends

Natural Cleaning with Vinegar

If I could only use one item to clean my home with, it would be vinegar. A natural disinfectant that only costs pennies, vinegar deals with dirt, smells, stains, grease, and mold—especially in the shower. I’ve cleaned my whole house with just a spray bottle of vinegar and a little liquid soap. To make it smell really clean and good, add a few drops of calming lavender oil (also a natural disinfectant), easily found at a reasonable cost at your local health food stores. Just remember, you’re not making gallons, you’re making a small bottle. Because they contain no preservatives, DIY cleaning mixes don’t last very long, so use regularly for a clean green home and then fill your spray bottle anew!

How to Use Essential Oils

Most of the home remedies I personally prefer are either essential oil massage treatments or essential oils diffused into the bath or air. The best base oils for essential oils are cold-pressed vegetable and seed or nut oils. The most affordable are sunflower, safflower, corn, and grapeseed. Add essential oils to base oil at a ratio of one drop per five milliliters. Twenty drops of an essential oil come out to approximately one milliliter, so add twenty drops to a hundred milliliters of base oil.

A few drops of an essential oil from a dropper in the bath is sufficient for therapeutic use, and a few drops in water in a diffuser will fill a room with healing molecules. A drop on a cotton ball wiped on a light bulb or on a radiator will also gently diffuse the oil into the air. Here’s another helpful tip: try a few drops in a small bowl of very hot water. Shut the doors and windows, and the essence will permeate a room in five minutes. This is a particularly easy way to create a nice ambience in a room with soothingly scented air.

My sister suffers from osteoarthritis in her shoulder. She takes baths with synergistic blends of fourteen essential oils: fennel, cypress, juniper, cedarwood, sandalwood, petitgrain, pine, ginger, lavender, rosemary, black pepper, birch, nutmeg, and marjoram. These, combined with sea salt and Epsom salts, have turned her into a true believer in the amazing therapeutic effects of essential oils!

There are hundreds of essential oils used by herbalists, but for general therapeutic use in the home, these are my recommendations as far as what you need to have at the ready.

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

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.

Kombucha Tea

Some people love the taste of kombucha tea; others don’t relish it at all. It has been credited with miraculous properties and is a probiotic, making it very curative for digestive issues. Kombucha also comes recommended for acne, constipation, arthritis, depression, and fatigue, and is hailed as a protection against cancer. I regard it as a tasty tonic, and my family drinks it daily. My nephews were the first of my kin to taste kombucha, and they loved its fizziness and flavor. This healthful drink is easy to make so long as you have a “ferment” (which some people call “a “mushroom” because of the way it looks). To procure your ferment, try to find somebody who brews kombucha already. They should have plenty of ferments to share, as every batch of tea grows an extra ferment on top of the original. Before brewing your kombucha, you will need:

• a large wide-necked glass jar, a cloth or paper towel to cover the jar, and a rubber band to secure the covering cloth or paper towel
• 7 tea bags, either black or green (preferably organic)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 quarts water
• kombucha ferment

Boil the water and add it to the tea bags in the jar. Let it steep for twenty minutes.

Remove the tea bags and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve.

When the tea has cooled, add the kombucha ferment with some of the liquor that it came in, which should come out to roughly 10 percent of the total tea in your jar.

Cover the jar with the cloth or paper towel, securing your cover with the rubber band. The lid will serve to keep dust and flies out while still allowing the tea to breathe. Let the jar sit in one place (as moving can disturb the fermentation process), out of the direct sunlight and at room temperature.

The fermentation process will take seven to twelve days, depending on the temperature in the room. Your batch of kombucha will ferment more quickly if the room is warm. You have to check to see when it is ready, and you’ll be able to tell by the taste. When fermented, the tea can be decanted into glass bottles with screw lids and kept in the fridge. Remember to keep a little of the kombucha tea to add to the next batch with your ferment.

Harvesting Joy: Your Herb Garden

Basil is beloved because it’s so delectable and versatile. It is easily grown in pots. Take care to remove the growing tip when the plants are six inches (fifteen cm) high for bushier growth. Plant out in the garden when the weather gets warmer. Basil prefers full sun and a sheltered spot.

Chives come from the onion family and have slim, pointed leaves. You should sow seeds directly in the ground in early spring, late March or April. Chives grow best in a sunny spot with rich soil, so keep the plants watered. Chives produce pretty, perfectly round flowers in either purple or pink. Gorgeous in the garden and palatable on the plate, the chive plant is a marvelous cooking herb and one that is truly easy to grow.

Coriander is a very versatile herb for the kitchen and grows well in the garden or in pots. Seeds can take weeks to germinate and the plants are fairly short-lived, so sow seeds every few weeks to get you through the season. Coriander is a bit fussy and can “bolt” when stressed, which means it produces flowers and seeds and not enough of the flavorful leaves. You need to make sure it is well watered and reap regularly before it goes to seed.

Mint is a marvel. It spreads beautifully once it has really taken root. If space is a concern, plant your mint in pots to contain the roots and stop it taking over. Keep it in full sun or partial shade and pinch out any flower buds to encourage more leaf growth.

Oregano loves a Mediterranean clime. Plant yours in warm, sunny spots with light soil. Oregano has pretty pink flowers and makes great ground cover at the front of borders. Don’t allow this herb to get too tall; make sure to pinch it back, and you’ll get more of this tasty treat to harvest.

Parsley is the gift that gives for two years. This herb can be slow to germinate; try soaking the seeds in water overnight before planting as this will speed it up. The best place to grow parsley is in rich, moist soil in full sun or partial shade.

Rosemary is useful for so many culinary and healing teas and brews. Lucky for us, it grows vigorously. Rosemary can be trimmed in early summer to keep it in shape and stop it getting too woody. The scent is so wonderful in dishes and in bath salts, too!

Sage doesn’t like wet ground, so plant it in a sunny spot with rich, well-drained soil. There are several sage varieties to choose from, including some with colored leaves. Harvest the leaves regularly to encourage more to grow. This versatile herb is a major culinary pleasure.

Thyme is a cousin of mint but grows much lower to the ground; it is one of the most fragrant of herbs and really adds flavor as a culinary seasoning. Plant this to remove melancholy from your home and garden. If your front yard and door get afternoon sun, plant wooly thyme and you’ll come home after work to a perfume paradise that will immediately lend cheer and comfort.

All of these herbs will grow happily in containers on a patio, balcony, or even on the kitchen windowsill. Start an herb garden this year and you’ll never look back.

Invite Your Garden to Tea: How to Make Compost Tea

Compost tea is a marvelous way to feed your plants and give them extra nutrients in a wholly natural way that is free of chemicals. You want to feed your friends and family only the cleanest and pesticide-free produce, so start out organic and you will have a “garden that produces healthy food. You will need a big bucket and the following to make compost tea:

• 2 cups fresh, homemade compost dirt
• 1 gallon of clean, filtered water

Add the water and the soil to a gallon bucket, and keep it in a place out of direct heat or cold. I use my outdoor shed, but a garage will also do nicely. Let your compost tea “brew” for a week, and give it a stir every other day. Watering cans are the perfect teapot for your garden. Strain out the dirt and pour the liquid into your watering can, where it will then be ready to serve up some serious nutrients to your garden.'

Grow Your Healing Garden: Herbs and Veggies

I have lived in homes where my only gardening options were containers on a deck or planters on the front stoop. This taught me you can do a lot with seed packets, pots, and an open mind. When selecting space for your kitchen garden, you can plant it in something as simple as a set of containers; this can be planned as with any other garden space. If you are lucky to have a backyard or land, I suggest you begin the designing process by incorporating all the plants you know you want to use in your health and body care, your magical workings, and your cookery and always allow yourself to experiment. Trying new veggies or seeds that are new to you can be enormously rewarding. I agree with Londoner Alys Fowler, who is one of England’s top gardeners. She says there is no earthly reason why roses and cabbages can’t go side by side and that veggies can nicely nestle in among florals. Once you have tried a few such painterly plantings, you can give yourself a free hand in your creative approach.

Lawns are very high maintenance and unless constantly mowed and manicured, can greatly reduce your home’s curb appeal. Besides wasting water and taking up a lot of time, grass in your yard doesn’t offer you anything back for all the demands it places on your time and pocketbook. Grass lawns also tempt many lawn keepers to use chemicals which are bad for all of us, especially the birds and the bees. Get creative and go at least a little wild. My next-door neighbor turned over the soil on their whole front lawn, tilled it, and planted potatoes, beets, asparagus, and squash. They love going into the front yard and harvesting fresh veggies for their daily meals. The pumpkins and other squash actually have beautiful foliage, and the flowers are stunning and edible as well. Last year, one of their crops grew to “Giant Pumpkin” size “and it became the talk of the neighborhood as we watched it grow and grow. Needless to say, they had the best jack-o-lantern on the block and some fantastic pies to boot. I am heartened to see the new gardening philosophy of growing veggies, roots stocks, herbs, and berries right beside the roses and lilies. It is gorgeous and supports the bee populations to whom we owe so much.

Gardening, even if it is only a hanging basket of cherry tomatoes and a windowsill filled with herb pots, is a way for us as human beings to live grounded in nature and connected to Mother Earth, who provides all. It will definitely add pleasure to your life and a sense of calm. When I feel stressed, I go out back and do some weeding. It is my therapy, and I can immediately see the profit of my labors. The bigger my compost pile grows with weeds, the happier I am. I intend the same for you. With your garden, you are quite literally growing a bounty of blessings.

Your Local Free Farmer’s Market

If you are lucky enough to live nearby an untended meadow, you have a garden at your beck and call. Rocket, sorrel, nettles, dandelions, and purslane are there for the taking, along with the beautiful tall flowering weed Queen Anne’s lace, the roots of which are tiny wild carrots. Foraging is good exercise as well as an exercise in economy, as these tasty weeds are free for the picking. All these greens are good for you, and purslane is a genuine superfood, one very high in omega-3 fatty acids. Foraging these wild wonderful weeds is a part of the centuries-old village tradition.

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

How many times did your mom tell you to drink your (usually unsweetened) cranberry juice? Turns out she was right on both counts as straight cranberry juice is very good for bladder health and benefits men’s prostates; two half cups a day, mom’s orders!

Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet: Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Dry a palmful of catnip leaves and allow them to steep in a cup of boiling water for five minutes, then strain as you would any loose tea. Honey helps even more, and a cup or two of catnip tea per day will have you in fine fettle, relaxed, and ready. This herb is not just for kitties! We humans can also benefit from it as a remedy for upset tummies as well as a way to diminish worry, anxiety, and nervous tension.

Chrysocolla

A green or blue opaque stone, chrysocolla is almost never heard of outside of gem circles. Many people think it is a symbol of Earth due to its blue-and-green planet- like patterning. It is a stone with a gentle energy, unlike many other stones that have intense energy, such as some quartzes, lapis, malachite, and obsidian. It occurs in Zaiare, Russia, North America, and Chile.

Tranquil chrysocolla is a heart stone that affects the heart chakra, enabling the gentle release of emotions, guilt, and fear. It is a truth stone. It can ease the pain and discomfort of arthritis and bone or skeletal issues. Ulcers, stomach pain, and intestinal problems are greatly alleviated with this healer.

The stone is associated with Gaia—our Earth Mother—and also Kwan Yin, the benevolent bringer of compassion. Chrysocolla evokes the qualities of these goddesses: nurturing, forgiveness, and tolerance. It is viewed as a lunar stone, perfect for new-moon mediations and meditations on global issues such as the environment and world peace. By merely holding this placid piece of earth in your hand, you can help send healing energy out to the planet at large.

Egyptians favored chrysocolla as an amulet for protection. This earthy stone can give confidence to the shy and empower them to speak the truth. Thus, chrysocolla would make a wonderful accessory to wear as a choker or near the throat when giving any kind of public speech. This beautifully oceanic rock can also give the wearer a better ability for listening, the all- important other component to communication. It amplifies sensitivity to aid in understanding what is spoken as well as unspoken. This generous crystal was traditionally used by musicians for its ability to ease expression and give greater beauty to the singing voice.

Chrysocolla also increases the capacity for love, one of the sweetest and most beneficial qualities any stone can offer. But my favorite feature of chrysocolla is that it tells you when to be silent and when to speak. It doesn’t get better than that!