Lemon Works for Everything

Instead of discarding lemon halves after you’ve used their juice for cooking or lemonade, save them to use as scrubbers for cleaning wood cutting boards without damaging them. You can also use fresh lemon juice mixed with baking soda to brighten white tiles, sinks, or tubs, or make natural wood polish for floors by mixing a little fresh lemon juice with olive oil. This citrus fruit is a natural lightening agent that you can use in place of bleach, which should be used sparingly, if at all. Throw discolored white socks, towels, or shirts in a stockpot with water and a few used lemons; simmer for a little while to lighten. If you hang them outside to dry, the combination of sunlight and your low-cost lemon whitener will refresh your laundry until it is practically gleaming!

Make cleaning a cheese grater a snap: Take a lemon cut in half and rub it on all the surfaces of a cheese grater. The lemon’s acid breaks down the fatty cheese residue on the grater. If cheese is really stuck, here’s an extra technique to try: set up a small plate with a layer of table salt on it, then dip the lemon in the salt. Like commercial scrubbing powder (but without all the chemicals), the salt will increase the friction on your grater; together with the lemon, it will effectively remove most stuck-on food.

Takes tarnish off your metal jewelry: Use two tablespoons of lemon juice concentrate to three cups water, then rub jewelry well with a soft cloth. The acidity of the concentrated lemon juice will work to remove tarnish.

Add lemon to food to reduce bacteria: Since bacteria require an alkaline environment to stay alive, add lemon juice or fruit to produce, meat, or even water to slow down microbial growth.

Sanitize your cutting board: Want to deep clean your cutting board without running it through a dishwasher? Putting a wooden cutting board in the dishwasher is just not a good idea, but especially after preparing meat, a natural antibacterial treatment is in order. Rub a cut lemon on your cutting board and let it sit with the lemon juice on it overnight, then rinse it well in the morning. Bacteria will be banished, and your cutting board will have a lemon-fresh aroma.

Restore wooden furniture’s natural shine: Combine equal parts of olive oil and lemon juice with a little mayonnaise and stir well. This mixture will both remove previous polish buildup on wood furniture due to the acidity of the citrus and will also condition the wood.

Keep rice from sticking together: Set up your rice pot; while the water is heating, put a teaspoon of lemon juice into the pot and your cooked rice will come out in nice separate grains. Other types of citrus fruit can also be used depending on what type of dish will be served with your grain. Believe it or not, citrus juice also enhances the whiteness of the rice itself.

Degrease pots & pans and stovetop or grill: Cut a lemon in half and dip it in salt as described above for cleaning a cheese grater. When you scrub a copper-bottomed pot with it, tarnish will be removed so quickly you’ll swear it’s magic. It works wonderfully well to clean the stovetop and barbecue grill, too, as well as stainless steel pots and pans.

Natural weed killer: Don’t give in to the marketing of chemical herbicides; besides exposing you and your family to dangerous toxins, they are bad for the planet as well. Combine one part white vinegar with four parts lemon juice in a spray bottle, then give it a good shake and spray your plantings, whether in indoor pots or your garden.

Salt is Magic!

Some people swear by scouring pots, pans, and cooking surfaces with salt. It absorbs oil and grease, making it great for the stovetop, which can have cooking splatters that can be tough to remove. Sprinkle it on and scrub away with a sponge or enamel-safe scrubber.

Tea Tree Clean

Instead of toxic, chemical-laden wipes you get at the store, make your own to have handy for spills as well as for scheduled cleanings. Mix one cup of white vinegar, half a cup of lemon juice, and eight drops of tea tree oil. Soak clean washcloths or paper towels in the mixture and store them in a sealable bag; they can last a month for on-the-go spills.

No Chemicals Laundry Detergent

Want to get away from the chemicals, foaming agents, and synthetic fragrances found in most laundry detergents? Using a box grater to grate a bar of pure natural soap into a powder. Freeze the soap for super-fast grating, and then mix the grated powder with one cup of Borax, one cup of washing soda, and a few drops of lemon juice (optional) for cold and warm water loads. Use one to two tablespoons per load.

Good for Wood Eco Floor Cleaner

Combine the following in a big bowl:

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 drops lemon essential oil
• 1 quart warm water

Mix everything together, preferably in a glass bowl, and pour into a clean spray bottle. As always, use caution even with these homely, organic ingredients and avoid getting vinegar, lemon juice, Borax, or any of your eco witchery concoctions in your eyes. Simply aim the spray at your floor and mop with a clean damp mop. Follow by mopping with hot water. Allow the floor to dry a bit and buff with clean dry cloths into which you have sprinkled a few drops of lavender oil. Your floors will look really good and smell even better.

Shekinah’s Salts

Shekinah translates as “She who dwells within” and is the Hebrew name for the female aspect of God. Legend has it that she co-created the world side by side with Yahweh, the god of Israel. This simple recipe for salts calls up the scents and primal memories of what the Edenic paradise must have been like. A real plus to this recipe is that you can change the essential oils to suit your needs and mood.

The ingredients for the recipe are as follows:

• 3 cups Epsom salts
• ½ cup sweet almond oil
• 1 tablespoon glycerin
• 4 drops ylang-ylang essential oil
• 1 drop jasmine essential oil
• 1 drop clary sage essential oil

Mix well and store in a colored and well-capped glass bottle. You can use these special Shekinah salts in your ritual rub.

Simple Remedies for Common Maladies

Valerie Worwood’s The Fragrant Pharmacy is one of my bibles for learning about essential oils. Since I discovered essential oils and aromatherapy, I’ve been developing my own recipes. Often, I’ll amend a recipe to just one or two oils that I have on hand.

Itchy Skin and Feet

Either use a few drops of undiluted tea tree oil on the affected area, or massage with a drop of tea tree oil in a teaspoon of vegetable oil if there are issues with sensitive skin.

Cuts

Stanch an open wound with lavender oil on a cotton ball. Bandage a cut with a drop of lavender oil on the gauze, changing the dressing morning and night, and leave the wound uncovered as much as possible from the third day onward.

Bruises

Add two drops of lavender oil and two drops of rosemary oil to a bowl of hot water and the same to a bowl of cold water. Alternately apply to the bruised area a washcloth soaked in the hot infusion and one soaked in the cold infusion.

Burns

Leave the area where the burn is under running cold water for fifteen minutes, then apply two drops of neat (undiluted) lavender oil to the burn. Cover the area with a gauze compress soaked in cold water and three drops of lavender oil.

Boils

Add three drops of lavender oil and three drops of tea tree oil to a small bowl of hot water and bathe the area twice a day.

Chest Coughs

Prepare a bowl of boiling water for steam inhalation with one drop of rosemary, two drops of peppermint, and one drop of eucalyptus, draping a towel over your head to create a tent for the steam. Make massage oil for chest and back with one drop of lavender, three drops of rosemary, four drops of eucalyptus, and one drop of thyme in a level tablespoon of a vegetable base oil.

Dry Hacking Cough

Make a honey and lemon hot toddy, adding one drop of eucalyptus essential oil. Massage chest and back with two drops each of eucalyptus and thyme in a level tablespoon of a vegetable base oil. For a head steam, add either two drops of lavender or two drops of eucalyptus to the hot water.

Cold Sores

Apply tea tree oil directly to the sore morning and night.

Colds

Make a bowl of hot water for inhalation with one drop each of thyme, lavender, and eucalyptus oils. For a hot bath, add two drops each of thyme, lavender, and tea tree oil. Soak in the bath, relaxing your muscles and breathing deeply.

Upset Stomach

Always be sure to drink a lot of water when you are afflicted with a digestive malady, being careful not to chug it. If the cause is related to what food you ate, make a drink with a teaspoon of honey and a drop of peppermint oil in warm water. If you think you have a virus or nervous tummy, make a drink with warm water, a teaspoon of honey, and a drop of eucalyptus oil.

Headache

For a general headache, massage temples with a drop of either lavender or peppermint oil, or both together. You can also use rosemary or clove oil, but you will need to experiment, as some essentials will work better for you than others. If the headache is related to an upset tummy, mix a drop of peppermint oil with a teaspoon of honey dissolved in a cup of warm water and sip slowly.

Toothache

Place one drop of clove oil on a cotton swab and apply directly to the tooth and the surrounding gum. If you have a decayed tooth waiting to be treated, apply a paste made of goldenseal powder and water to the affected area. It tastes bitter but will prevent an infection from setting in until you can see a dentist.

Craft Your Own Cough Drops: Candied Herbs

• 1 cup vodka
• 1 cup simple syrup
• 1 cup honey
• 2 cups dried herb (of your choice)
• 1 large sheet waxed paper

One of the byproducts of making herbal honeys, liqueurs, and oxymel is the candied herbs, which can also be made especially for snacks and for use in sweetcakes and cookies. To make a batch, stir the liquids together in a big pot and heat slowly, stirring every few minutes. Upon reaching boiling point, add the herbs until well mixed. Turn the heat down and slowly simmer until the liquid is very thick and sticky. Spoon the herbs out and place on wax paper to crystallize. Good herbs for this are hyssop, ginger root, lavender, lemon balm, fennel seed, mint, angelica stems, and thyme as well as small slivers of orange, lime, and lemon. The gift of homemade candy is a marvelous way to signal a crush.

Blackberry Malt Vinegar Syrup

Blackberries are one of life’s sweetest gifts, growing abundantly in the bramble along the rambling path. An extremely effective medicinal tonic can be made by soaking a quart of berries in a quart of malt vinegar for three days. Drain and strain the liquid into a pan. Simmer and stir in sugar, one pound to every two cups of tonic. Boil gently for five minutes and skim off any foam. Cool and pour into a sealable jar. This potion is so powerful, you can add a teaspoon into a cup of water and cure tummy aches, cramps, fevers, coughs, and colds. Best of all, blackberry vinegar is both a medicine and a highly prized dessert topping in the UK. Pour some over your apple pie and cream, and you will soon scurry off to pick blackberries all summer.

Auntie’s Apple Brandy Spirits

Here is a delightfully easy recipe that will produce a flavorful homemade liqueur that smells as good as it tastes. If you are interested in making a hassle-free bottle of spirits, apples are a wonderful way to start. Start with these ingredients:

• 4 apples (sweet ones, not sour)
• 2 cups brandy
• 2 cups vodka
• 1 quart clean and sterilized Mason jar

First, clean, core, and slice your apples. Place the slices in a Mason canning jar. Pour in the alcohol to cover, using equal parts brandy and vodka. Put the jar in a cool dark place in your pantry. Allow the infusion process to alchemize for a month or until it is to your taste. The combination of sweet apples and brandy gives a luscious fruit-forward flavor, with no need for sugar. After infusing, strain the apple slices out using a strainer to filter the liqueur. Pour the spirits into a pretty and sealable bottle and enjoy at your next pagan party.

Bonus tip: apples can really be used with any spirit so let your imagination run wild!

Imbued with Love: Lavender Rosemary Infused Vodka

This clear alcoholic drink is also easily infused with the flavor of flowers, herbs, fruits and even vegetables. Try combinations such as the light and sweet floral taste of lavender and rosemary. Lavender brings calming and healing and rosemary dispels negative spirits. Both of these are love herbs. What could be better? You’ll need the following:

• A quart bottle of vodka
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 3 springs of lavender
• Larger canning jar with sealable lid

After you have rinsed your herbs in cool water and gently patted them dry, put them in the one-quart (32 ounce) Mason or Bell jar. Pour in vodka, making sure to cover the herbs to the top, then seal tightly. Give it a vigorous shake and place the jar in your pantry or dark closet for five days, making sure to shake at least once a day. After the second day, take a spoon and taste the vodka. If the taste suits you before the full five days are up, go ahead and strain the herbs out using cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter, Set the herbs aside and let them dry. After the vodka is thoroughly strained of any herbs or residue, pour it into a bottle; label the bottle with the date and what herbs you used. Tie the dry herbs into a bundle with string and use their aroma when you next make a fire in the hearth. Their scentful smoke will imbue your home with coziness, calm, healing and love.

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.

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!

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.

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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Light My Fire DIY Massage Candles

Making massage candles is very similar to making any other type of candle in a pot, tin, or can. I recommend using soy wax as it is soooo gentle on the skin. Soy is also nice and soft, so it melts easily and stays together in a puddle after melting and can be reused by us thrifty crafters. If you have an allergy to soy (and it won’t irritate your skin unless you have a soy allergy), you can use beeswax instead, which is very widely used. (For example, it is in nearly every single Burt’s Bees product.) It is the addition of the additional oils that prevents it from hardening again and enables your skin to absorb it. Essential oils or cosmetic-grade fragrance oils are also added to create a soothing atmosphere. All soap-making fragrances that are natural as well as soy candle safe are perfect choices for scenting your massage candles. Try the basic directions below to make your first candle. For every three ounces of wax, you’ll add one ounce of liquid oil and one-quarter ounce of fragrance. I suggest making two candles in four-ounce metal tins as a step on the “as a step on the way to mastering this craft.

You will need these elements:

• 2 ounces sweet almond oil or vitamin E oil
• 6 ounces high quality soy wax
• Half an ounce essential oil
• 2 4-ounce metal tins
• 2 6-inch candle wicks

Directions

1.Melt the soy wax into the sweet almond oil or vitamin E oil in a double boiler over simmering water.”

2.Add the essential oils and stir gently to avoid bubbling or spilling.

3.Once the wax has cooled somewhat but is still melted enough to pour, place the wicks in your containers and pour the wax.

4.Allow several hours for the candles to set and harden.

5.Trim the wicks to one-quarter of an inch above the top of each candle, and they’re ready to use.

Lavender Love Massage Bars

Massage bars should look, smell, and feel luxurious. Cocoa butter is beloved for its delicious chocolate scent. I also recommend shea butter or mango butter as other options, for they are also sumptuous. You will need:

• 3 ounces cocoa butter
• 3 ounces beeswax
• 3 ounces almond oil
• 1 teaspoon of lavender essential oil
• soap bar molds (available at all craft stores)

Slowly heat the beeswax, almond oil, and cocoa butter in a double boiler over low heat until just melted, then remove from heat. Add essential oil when mixture has cooled slightly and stir it in well. Pour into soap molds and cool until hardened, approximately two hours. Place in freezer for a few minutes before popping the bars out of the molds. To use, rub massage bar on the skin—the warmth of the skin immediately melts the bar. Package your handmade massage bar in a pretty lined basket and give it as a thoughtful gift.

Orchard Fresh Hair Conditioner

The goddess of orchards is Pomona, who is a protector of nature associated with love and beauty. You will be protecting your lovely locks by creating this simple yet effective DIY conditioner.

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Mix both ingredients in a bowl and pour over freshly shampooed hair. Gently massage into your hair and scalp and leave for a few moments before rinsing. It’s remarkable how well these two components work to clean and condition your hair. You save a mind-boggling amount of money, and your hair and your home will be healthier. After a couple of months of DIY hair love, your hair will be shockingly shiny. Place an apple on your altar, and offer your thanks to the goddess Pomona for her generosity and guardianship of fruit orchards around the world.

Yummy Spa Scrubs: Luxe Locks DIY Shampoo

For medium to oily hair only

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon baking soda

Take a large bowl and pour the water in. Fold in the baking soda and stir well until it has dissolved. Now, pour it over your wet hair while in the bath or shower. Massage the mixture into your hair, paying special attention to the scalp. If you tend to have oily hair, concentrate your efforts around the hairline and at the crown of the head. If you have long hair, you can double up on the amounts. Rinse thoroughly.

Earthly Pleasure Sensual Scrub

Sandalwood, amber, and vetiver are all rich, earthy scents that combine well together.

• 5 drops sandalwood essential oil
• 5 drops amber essential oil
• 2 drops vetiver essential oil
• ½ cup Epsom salts
• ½ cup baking soda

Combine the essential oils with the Epsom salts and stir in the baking soda. Mix well, and the mixture will become a richly scented paste. You can use it a couple of different ways; one is to slather it onto yourself and shower off with a loofah and thick washcloth. But my favorite way to soak up this earthly pleasure fully is to roll it into a ball after you mix it, then place the ball under the faucet as you are running a hot bath. The entire room will smell like paradise. Soak it all in, lie back, and enjoy the experience fully.

If you want to store some of this scrub for the future or give it as a thoughtful gift, you can store it in a lidded plastic one-cup container, or roll the mix into bath bomb balls and let the balls dry on wax paper or paper towels. This recipe can make three palm size bath bombs. Note you will be asked for more!