Hey I was wondering.. who here is into the use of herbs for medical purposes? Like making chamomille tea when you need to calm down, St. Jonsworth (Hypericum) for sleepproblems and depression, Alchemilla Vulgaris for period problems.. etc etc? I'm pretty much into it but I'm curious about experiences of others when it comes to making herbal teas.. I especially have some questions about the mixing of them.. like.. when you are going through an emotionally rough time, would it be ok to mix chamomille and hypericum? I've no clue.. maybe they reinforce eachother, maybe one prevents the other from fully working.. I dunno. I'm also interested in making oils (just simple oils for massaging/skin hydration purposes) with dried herbs.. does anyone have some experience with that?
Herbs are wonderful things arent they? I like to macerate rosemary and sage in olive oil for my hair (I have dark curly hair) This helps keep my hair hydrated, helps it curl and keeps the color even. I use 2 oz of olive oil with as much herb as I can fit in it and let it sit. You can then remove the olive oil and add fresh herbs to it after about 7 days. Nettle is also a wonderful conditioner but a little hard to handle. For massage my favorite oils to blend herbs in are almond and grapeseed oil. I usually use EO's when making aromatherapudic massage oils since they are strongly scented and the maceration process is not as strong. Something fun to do for others (this is my Yule time gift for my mom and she loves it) is a salt glow. We all know how purifying salt can be. Heres what you'll need; ~1 cup fine ground sea salt (tablesalt works fine, but sea salt is better) ~lightweight massage lotion such as biotones advanced therapy lotion (or add distilled water to a *thick* lotion to get it a little more fluid) ~warm to hot water in a 3 gal bucket with a new wet terry cloth(you can make a tea out of this water, I use handfuls of lavender and sage for a calming/cleanse effect ~A ceramic/glass mixing bowl ~Lavender Essential Oil (optional) ~1 dry terry cloth towel Have your loved one lie prone on a white sheet on the floor ( shirtless). Ground yourself however you do with your hands on their back. In a counterclockwise circle motion rub plain lotion on their back. ONce the skin is soft mix the salt and the plain lotion in the mixing bowl with EO's. This should look almost peanut buttery. Rub in a circular motion the salt mix on their back, scrubbing away negativity and pain. Get your wet hot towel out of your tea and ring out. Wash their back of all the salt and grime. place the dry towel on the newly cleaned spots. I do this on my moms whole body, just have to be careful of cuts. Not sure if you wanted all that but I felt like sharing I know for sleep/ dreams I mix Mugwort(divination),angelica root(new ideas), burdock(protection)licorice rt(fidelity) For respiratory problems (ex asthma) I mix Thyme, fenugreek, and ginger in a tea. The mixtures usually do help each other, you should keep a notebook of the how much tea you use and what herbs, so you can find the ones that work for you.
Oh and heres a page with some basic info on herbs; http://www.witchtopia.com/appendixes/medherbs.html
sage tea in my house is quite a powerful medicine. I make it to releave nausea, cramps, headaches, stress, upset stomach, etc. And with a touch of honey it's soo good.
Not herbs per se, but my mother studied aromatheraphy so we use that a fair bit. I wouldn't dabble in it without consulting a proffessional and/or books on the subject written by an expert. Have a rather rational aversion to making myself ill. Not that you necessarily would, but it's literally the one thing I get paranoid about.
I'm quite a bad sleeper, and Lavender is doing the trick to help me doze off. I've got bushes of it growing on my balcony. My buyfriend has recently been suffering from inflamed tendons in his feet and no man made anti inflammatory is helping, so I have made up some massage oil and am massaging it every night and it seems to be doing the trick.
please excuse this little outburst, but i have to get this off my chest: LEGALIZE MARIJUANA NOW! ok, i feel better. NaturaAtraSpiritus, i believe any member of the allium (sp?) family (chives, onion, garlic, shallots, scallions, leeks etc.) will probably be good for blood pressure, and also the immune system and general healing. i'm of the opinion that garlic is the herbal equivalent of duct tape. wonderful stuff. i actually prefer the use of herbs to allopathic or even homeopathic medicines. i have been lacking kitchen space for some time, so haven't brewed anything up in awhile. the most frequently-used herbs that are in my cupboard (when i actually have a cupboard) are garlic, cayenne, ginger, thyme, chamomile, eucalyptus, peppermint, elder flower, catnip, mugwort (mainly used for magical purposes but also for muscle cramps as well), valerian, skullcap, aloe gel, and lavender (nearly as useful as garlic in essential oil form!)
