How to Make a First Aid Herbal Salve
The herbs in this salve are our skin’s best friends. Each of the oils should be made individually and combined during the salve making process. Just a few ounces of each is all you need to make this great blend.
Gamera’s Flea Bane Oil Recipe
We all love our animals but unfortunately, so do fleas. Gamera, one of my four cats, is particularly sensitive to flea bites. Although he is an inside cat, this year the fleas found him. After several failed attempts with commercial products, this recipe along with our family’s diligence helped him get rid of the nasty bloodsuckers. I put one drop on the back of his neck every week
Bilberry: A True Blue Friend
Vaccinium mytillus and other species, a.k.a. Wineberry, Dyeberry and Whortleberry With diabetes rates spiraling, bilberry is America’s new best friend. The research from around the globe proves that bilberry and its cousins can reduce blood sugar when taken regularly. A 2009 study from Canada’s University of Montreal revealed that even in a short 6 day time period, the […]
Calendula History, Folklore, Myth and Magic
While Calendula’s origins are somewhat disputed, there is no question as to how important this garden flower has been in more recent history. Europeans and early American colonists relied on calendula’s sunny disposition and gentle immune boosting properties for protection against the damp, cold of winter. It was a common pot herb, meaning it was […]
Pomegranate History, Folklore, Myth and Magic
Pomegranates have enjoyed an important place in world history and mythos. As many as several millennia ago, pomegranate was cultivated in Persia, Georgia, Armenia, and the Mediterranean. Evidence that humans long ago valued pomegranate has been found in Egyptian tombs, early bronze-age Jericho, and even along China’s Silk Road. Beyond archaeological proof, we can look […]
Apple History, Folklore, Myth and Magic
Although apple’s healing properties and uses have gone unnoticed in modern times, the ancient peoples were profoundly aware of the virtues of this fair tree. As early as 8,000 b.c., we have evidence that the apple was highly valued and cultivated in the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, Indus and Yellow River valleys. The apple has […]
Hawthorn History, Folklore, Myth and Magic
Hawthorn is the thorn of the Celtic phrase “By Oak, Ash, and Thorn.” Its association with faerie and as a gateway to the faerie worlds is long-standing, but Hawthorn’s place in myth and folklore extends well beyond the United Kingdom and the Celts. The ancient Greeks and Romans used hawthorn in marriage and birth ceremonies. […]
Raspberry History, Folklore, Myth, and Magic
Wild raspberry caught the eye of early cave dwellers, as evidenced by the remains of raspberry canes found at a variety of dig sites across Europe, Asia, and Northern America, and raspberries have been a part of our diet ever since. In Hellenistic Troy, Raspberry was linked inextricably to fertility and young children in the […]
Elderberry History, Folklore, Myth and Magic
Elder is a relative new-comer in world folklore, holding her place most prominently in European history and mythos where she has been associated closely with the Celtic faerie lands and those similar otherworldly realms of various European traditions. Elder is sacred to many goddess-traditions and especially to the goddesses Venus and Holle. Most popular among […]
Bird Nest Material Basket
When I was a child, we threw bits of leftover yarn onto the lawn for the birds. In a few weeks, the yarn was gone. There are other ways of sharing nesting material with the birds. If you are concerned that cats might attack the birds while they are collecting your offerings or adults see throwing string on the grass as a mess, you can gather your collection of string, yarn, wool or ribbons in a pot (as seen in the photo above). Be sure that the items that you offer the birds are biodegardable. That means all of the items are natural and turn into soil over time. It would be sad to have baby birds choking on plastic that it found in it’s nest.
Herbal Honey Facial How to: Easy Herbal Home Medicine
Honey is loaded with healthy properties, among them the ability to rejuvenate and heal the skin. As a facial treatment, honey removes acne without drying and helps smooth large pores; it’s great for teens and women facing unbalanced hormones late in life as well.
Raspberry: The Female Toner
Rubus idaeus, a.k.a. Red Raspberry Raspberry is a woman’s best friend. The tea soothes menstrual cramps, tones the uterus and eases childbirth. Even the berries stock the body with vitamins that relax the impact of both PMS and menopause. No one thinks of the medicinal actions of raspberries as they sprinkle them on yogurt, yet […]