Ancient medicine, flowing with the wind
Cleanse the home, Cleanse the spirit
Determined discipline of heart,mind, and vision
A new beginning tea to lift your spirit

Lemon grass is two tropical species of fragrant grasses that originated in India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Vietnam, and Indonesia.  West India lemon grass and East India lemon grass are used interchangeably  for cooking and medicine.  West India lemon grass is better for cooking.  East India lemon grass is better for the production of essential oil.  Another species that is closely related is the citronella grass used to make citronella oil and candles.

Lemon grass is a favorite staple herb in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia.  Here it is used in a number of ways to flavor a wide range of dishes.  It is also used to make wonderful teas.  Most of the time, if you have brewed a "lemon" tea bag, you have brewed lemon grass tea.  It has a nice citrus flavor without the bitter tones of lemon peel.

This easy to grow herb has been used as a medicinal tea for thousands of years to support the body and remedy a host of issues.  It is supportive of digestive tract, soothing the stomach, indigestion, bloating, and other intestinal issues.  It is used to support the cardio-vascular system and heart health.  It has been used to calm the nerves and cleanse the body of toxins.  It is one of the herbs that is used for women's health issues.  While it is generally considered safe in small amounts, it can be strong medicine, so consult your medical professional before using lemon grass in large amounts.

The fragrant oils and antimicrobial properties of lemon grass make it useful in the home as well.  Growing it in and around your spaces where people gather, can act as a mosquito repellent.  Or, you can burn lemon grass on the fire to chase the moose-quitos away.  It is one ingredient that is used in a home made insect repellent tea that works as long as the pressures aren't too high.  Lemon grass tea is a good sanitizing cleanser for the surfaces of your home.  Or you can make a linseed oil and lemongrass furniture polish to give your woodwork a fresh shine.

Lemon grass has a long history of use as an energetic and spiritual plant as well.  It is a plant of clarity, purpose, and self mastery.  It can aid you in developing the discipline and determination to reach your highest potential.  When your path gets challenging, this herb can help you stick to your commitments and purpose with a calm resolve and resilience.

Lemon grass is an herb of building community and positive connections.  It likes to facilitate honest communication, openness, and fairness in dealings.  It is an herb of forgiveness and positive interactions.  Burning a lemon grass incense might just be the aid you need to come to the fair resolution of a conflict.

Lemon grass is believed to promote the development of psychic abilities.  It acts as a connection to ancient wisdom and inner knowing.  A bit of lemon grass tea or lemon grass incense might help you draw on your intuition and creative genius of inspiration.

One of the ancient uses for lemon grass is to purify or cleanse people and spaces.  You can create a lemon grass wash for a bath or house cleaning to clear negative and undesirable energies, influences, and spirits.  A lemon grass incense chases out those stagnant and negative energies and invites in positive energy.

I love lemon grass and I have grown it several times.  It is a beautiful herb to work with and grow.  If you don't want to grow your own, you can usually find it at your nearest Asian grocery store.

To get your copy of the full lemon grass plant profile, click on the button and subscribe to The Phoenix's Nest
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Ancient medicine from the Sun
Tonic broth when winters rage
Soothe the child, soothe the heart
Medicine for women in every age

Calendula, or pot marigold, is a member of the aster family that originated in the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe.  This beautiful herb has been grown for thousands of years as an edible and medicinal plant.  The bright yellow blooms and aromatic foliage make this valuable companion plant in the garden.  It both attracts pollinators to the garden and protects your vegetables from pests.  A bright yellow dye is created from the flowers that is used to color food, basketry, and fiber.

Calendula is a highly nutritious herb in the kitchen.  All above ground parts of this flower are edible and can be used in a number of ways in the kitchen from salads to soups.  The petals are even used as a saffron substitute.  The petals make a delicious tea that is a nutritional tonic and a gentle medicine. It soothes the digestive tract, supports the liver, and the cardio-vascular system.  It stimulates the immune system and is anti-infammatory.  It is one of the herbs that is used to support women's health.  Calendula oils and salves are some of the oldest methods of wound care and skin care.

On an energetic level, calendula is an herb of the sun.  According to one legend, the nymphs of the forest were all in love with Apollo.  The resulting fights and arguments irritated Artemis so much that she turned them all into the calendula flowers.  According to this legend, this is why calendula opens when it is kisses by the sun and closes when the sun goes down.  It is a flower of beginnings and endings.  It is both the past and the present.  It is the sun captured in a plant that holds its greatest strength when it is picked during the heat of the day.  It helps you face your fears and act with courage and determination.  It helps you find the magic in life.

Calendula is an herb of prophecy.  It may even help you predict rain.  Adding calendula to your pillow helps you see through illusion to see the truth.  It promotes prophetic dreams and psychic power.  It might help you see the face of the thief that robbed you.  Placing this herb in your pillow is also said to make your dreams of love come true.

Calendula can be used in spells and rituals for protection for your home and person.  It is said to protect you and your home from negative energy, especially in legal matters.  It can help you set and protect a sacred space.  It is a good herb to use to bring prosperity and good luck.

Calendula is an herb of love.  A crown of calendula is often worn by brides to bring love and happiness.  It is a favorite flower for bouquets and arrangements to decorate the wedding celebration.  An herb mix with calendula is sometimes used to attract a lover and a calendula herb bath might make you more attractive.

Calendula is an important herb for women's health, both medicinally and magically.  It is valuable for menstrual issues and menopause.  However, do not use calendula around spells for pregnancy or fertility.

While calendula is generally considerd to be safe and gentle, there are some important cautions.  Most important, calendula has significant effects on the women's reproductive system.  Do not use calendula when you are pregnant, want to become pregnant, or are breast feeding.  Avoid calendula if you are taking sedatives or medications for high blood pressure.  Always consult your medical practitioner before starting an herbal therapy.

Some of the sources for this article are:
flyingthehedge.com
crystalvaults.com
chestnutherbs.com
20,000 Secrets of Tea by Victoria Zak
Eyewitness Herbs by Lesley Bremness
Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
     by Scott Cunningham

For the full plant profile check out Phoenix's nest here:
​https://the-phoenixs-nest.beehiiv.com/p/calendula-beauty-flavor-and-medicine

Sage for wisdom
Sage for the ages
Sage for the woman
During all the stages

Ah! Beautiful, aromatic, flavor filled sage!  This wonderful kitchen staple is a member of a genus, Salvia, that has somewhere between 700 and 9000 species depending on the source.  Some of this discrepancy may be that plants that were at one time classed as two different geniuses were collapsed into one genus.  There are Salvia species found in many parts of the world, including 20 that are native to the United States.  Many of these species are edible and are also used in spiritual ceremonies.  Culinary sage, Salvia officinalis, is one of the species that originated in the Mediterranean mountains and gradually spread around the world from there.

This is a culinary delight in the kitchen that is used to flavor a huge range of dishes, from poultry and stuffing to soups and stews.  It adds a savory punch to squash and other vegetables and a leaf in your herbal tea gives it a refreshing lift.  A sage herbal tea can also be a powerful cleansing agent and insect repellent in your home.  It is used in some natural deodorant blends.

Common sage is a health promoting and medicinal powerhouse that you can grow in your garden or on your patio, even if you don't have a vegetable garden.  It is a stimulant to the digestive system, liver, kidneys, and immune system.  It supports a healthy nervous system and brain function, preventing or delaying cognitive decline and some forms of dementia.  Sage may also delay or prevent the onset of some chronic diseases and metabolic issues.  Even at the levels that are used in cooking, sage has a positive effect on the body.

Sage is also a powerfully energetic plant.  Sage is the plant of wisdom and longevity.  A cup of sage tea is said to bring long life, calm, clarity, and focus.  And, yes, wisdom.  If you wish wisdom in your endeavors, try putting a sage leaf behind your ear or carry it in your pocket.

Many cultures burn sage as a smudge or an incense.  This smudge is used to cleanse and purify homes and spaces.  It is believed to clear the air of destructive elements.  Smudging is done to set sacred space and purify people and spiritual tools.  It is believed to break up negative energy patterns and set new paths.  The smoke is often used to carry prayers into the spiritual world.

If you want prosperity and good luck, convince a stranger to plant sage amongst your perennial flowers.  Or, cup three fresh sage leaves in your hands.  Set your intentions and imagine the prosperity in your life as a fulfilled wish.  Then place the leaves in your wallet.

While sage is perfectly safe for most people as a culinary herb, exercise a bit of caution using it as a therapeutic herb.  Sage contains thujone, which can cause problems for people who are pregnant, breast feeding, are prone to seizures, and some other health issues.  Always consult your medical practitioner before starting an herbal regimen. 

The primary source for this article is 
Sage Plant Profile by Manitu Okaha
Find the profile here 
​https://the-phoenixs-nest.beehiiv.com/p/sage-for-wisdom

Humble berry wild fruit
Giving life with every bite
Beautiful color for your art
Luck and prosperity without a fight

Ah, blueberries!  My first experience with  fresh blueberries was when I was 11 or 12.  I was on a canoeing trip with my family in the Boundary Waters region that straddles the U.S./Canadian border.  A few days into the wilderness we found the low, creeping bush filled with small blue berries.  That night we had blueberries for dessert.  Then the next morning, we had pancakes filled with so many blueberries that they wouldn't hold together.  Yum!

Those little gems are native to the eastern woodlands of the northern U.S. and southern Canada, but closely related species grow around the world.  Some of these are the European bilberry, cranberries, and huckleberries.  The wild blueberry has been a staple in the Native American diet and pharmacopoeia for 10,000 years when they started growing in the debris fields left behind as the glaciers receded. 

The humble little blueberry is one of the most life giving foods on the planet and is considered to be one of Earth's super foods.  They are loaded with vitamins C, K, and E.  They are high in iron, manganese, calcium, and phosphorus.  They are a good source of health promoting flavonoids and fiber.  Blueberries support healthy bone structure, blood health, heart health, and metabolism.  They support tissue regeneration and a healthy gut microbiome.  Blueberries help to regulate blood sugar and insulin sensitivity.  They are protective of the nervous system and eyesight.  There is evidence of blueberries having positive effects on brain health, memory, and cognitive ability.  And that is just the beginning of the ways blueberries benefit health.  Herbalists and traditional medicine people use blueberries to treat a number of symptoms.

But, be careful.  This little gem is a dye plant.  Those tasty little berries will stain everything they touch.  With a minimal amount of effort, you can create a stain, a dye, or ink from blueberries.

Metaphysical and energy practitioners have also found a wide array of uses for the blueberry fruit and bush.  Most of these come from the European use of the bilberry, but Bilberry and blueberry are energetically interchangeable.  The primary use of blueberries is as an addition to Lughnasadh festivals.  According to tradition, they are the Oracle of how the harvest will go that year.  They are a symbol of abundance, health, luck, and protection.

Blueberries are considered to be very protective.  Dried leaves placed under the door mat or hung in the home is believed to prevent the entry of evil spirits and negative influences into the home.  Dried and crushed berries and leaves sprinkled around the property may provide a protective barrier.  If you believe that someone is sending evil intent your way, make a blueberry tart and eat it.  It is believed to protect you from the inside out, repelling all negativity thrown at you.

Blueberries are used in a number of ways to bring good luck and prosperity.  A blueberry incense is believed to break up the negative patterns and habits in your life.  Spells using blueberries can be created to attract wealth and health.  A cup of blueberry tea is a good aid for meditation and can calm the mind and spirit.

According to Native American legend, blueberries are a gift from the Great Spirit.  In a time of famine and starvation, the blueberry was given to bring them back to health.  The star pattern on the blossom end of the berry is said to be a reminder of the gift of food when the people were in need.   This fruit is called star berries by the people of the eastern woodlands of North America.

Sources:
healthline.com
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nib.gov
ars.usda.gov
marblecrow.com
flyingthehedge.com
plentifulearth.com
​20,000 Secrets of Tea by Victoria Zak

Flower of happiness, blossom of peace
Calm the stress for central reset
Purify mind, body, and home
Cup of tea to celebrate

I love lavender!  By itself or in a blend.  As a tea or as a potpourri.  In my pillow or in the liniment. I love lavender!  This beautiful shrubby perennial is native to the mountains around the Mediterranean and was spread around the world by the Europeans.  This medicinal herb was beloved by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans.  It was used in Medieval Europe.  It was a staple of the perfume industry in France.  The Shakers brought it with them to the Americas.

Among the oldest uses of lavender are washing, skin care, and perfumery.  Throughout the entire documented history of its use, lavender water has been used as a cleansing agent and deodorizer for the body and home.  It has been shown to have antiseptic properties that make it ideal for washing blemish prone skin, linens, and surfaces to discourage the spread of diseases.  Burning it as an incense or scattering lavender buds on the floor tends to act as a deodorizer.  This use was so wide spread that the name of The herb was derived from the Latin term for to wash or to cleanse, "lavare".

The most common modern use of lavender is for its calming effects.   It has been shown to have a calming effect on the central nervous system, the brain, and the mood.  It tends to calm anxiety, fatigue, and aid in restful sleep.  Hildegard von Bingen and Queen Victoria used lavender to relieve headaches.  The documented medicinal uses of lavender could almost fill a book all by itself.

In the middle of the summer, I often throw a couple of fresh sprigs into my tea or shrub.  Lavender is a key ingredient of one of my signature tea blends.  Lavender essential oil is an important part of Manitu's Answer to a Life of Physical Labor.
Here are the links for more information.  
While you are on my Buy Me a Coffee page, throw some love in the form of a tip.  It helps my serve you with more great stuff.
​

Ah, now we get to the fun stuff.  Lavender is a magical herb as well.  This calming herb is often used in magical blends to promote calm and rest.  This leads to its use as a dream herb, an aid to enter altered states, and opening up the third eye.  It is believed to aid in meditation and staying centered.  It is believed to aid in clarity of thought and focus.

Using lavender as an incense or as a wash is believed to be a powerful cleansing agent that is especially useful after changes or disruptions to the home.  It purifies the home and person of the negative influences and protects the home from evil.  It promotes peace, love, and harmonious relationships.  When you are ready to calm your frayed nerves, it might be time for a bit of lavender aromatherapy.

Lavender is an herb that is used to attract love and promote fidelity.  In the past it was used by both prostitutes and maiden to attract men.  Now it is seen as an herb of glamour, beauty, and love.  It is a symbol of purity, grace, and serenity.

I could keep going, but this is a good primer for this all around herb.  As with any herb, check with your herbalist or medical practitioner before starting an herbal therapy.  This is especially true of you are pregnant, nursing, or taking antidepressants.

Here are my sources for this article.  They are a wealth of information.
mountsinai.org
clevelandclinic.org
chestnutherbs.com
magickalspot.com
wiccanow.com
plentifulearth.com
20000 Secrets of Tea by Victoria Zac
​The Rodale Herb Book

Heal the body, heal the spirit
Black root, Bruise wort, Knitbone, Boneset
Method and logic in the choices
Spell to bring out lover's best

Comfrey, Symphytum officinale, has long been a staple in the herbalist's garden.  This perennial that is native to Europe and Asia has a history of use that is more than 2000 years.  This is one of the herbs that is listed in the earliest materia medica references.  Comfrey is a powerful healer that was carried on the battlefields of ancient Greece and Rome.  In Europe, it is known by a number of names, including black root, bruise wort, knitbone, and Boneset.

Traditionally, comfrey root is the part of the plant that is used, but all parts have medicinal value.  This herb is an ancient remedy for healing wounds, stopping bleeding, reducing pain from arthritis, and healing bruises.  The ancients used it to treat broken bones and damaged ligaments.  It is used to soothe irritated and damaged skin.  The boiled roots were even used to make casts.

The modern scientific evidence backs up many of these ancient uses.  This proof includes effectiveness as pain relief and to reduce inflammation and swelling.  It is shown to be effective in relieving issues with arthritis, bruising, and blunt force wounds.  It has been shown to promote healthy skin, relieve irritations, and rashes, and promote tissue regeneration.  It may help speed the healing of strains and sprains.

Comfrey is a powerful herb that as some risks associated with it.  Never use comfrey on deep wounds or puncture wounds as it can cause premature healing at the surface.  Never take comfrey internally as it contains toxins that can damage the liver and use it topically sparingly.  Comfrey should not be used by pregnant or lactating people or on young children.  Those with pre-existing conditions should consult their medical provider before using comfrey.

As with most powerful herbs, comfrey is considered to be quite magical.  This herb of healing is said to be effective on all levels of the person, body, mind, emotion, and spirit.  It is said to be an aid for divination and spiritual communication.  If you want to mend a broken heart, you might try a spell with comfrey.  Comfrey smudge or wash can be used to heal the chakras and improve focus.

Comfrey is believed to be a highly protective herb.  Carrying a bit of leaf in your pocket is said to protect you during a journey and bring you safely home again.  If you plant comfrey beside the door, it is said to protect the home from theft.  Carried in the pocket, it may deter a mugging, but I wouldn't push it too far.

This is believed to be an herb of luck and prosperity.  It can be used in spells to attract wealth and abundance.  If you are going gambling, you might want to wrap the gambling money in comfrey first.  Or instead of gambling, maybe an investment would be better.  Take the money that you intend to invest and wrap it in a comfrey leaf for a few days.  Then set the intention as you invest the money so it will come back and bring its friends.

Whether for healing or magic, comfrey is a good herb to have around and to get to know.  This is a sturdy plant that you should only plant where you want it to make a home.  Once planted, it is difficult to remove as even a small fragment of root left in the ground tends to regrow a new plant.  It can be grown in a large pot or in a raised bed where it can be contained.

Some of the sources for this article are:
mountsinai.org
healthline.com
ncib.nih.gov
crystalvaults.com
flyingthehedge.co
wiccanw.com

Go to my Buy Me a Coffee page to see how I use comfrey:
​

Settle the stomach, ease the pain
Southeast Asia's ancient medicine
Magical stimulant from the tropic
Prosperity, success, wealth, and passion

Ginger is one spice that almost everyone thinks that they know.  It is a common spice in the kitchen that most of us use for desserts and teas.  But, ginger is much, much, more.  Ginger, Zingiber officinale, is a member of tropical plants that also includes cardamon, and golangal.

The use of ginger predates recorded history with its earliest mentions being in texts from around 5000 years ago that were found in India and China.  It has been a common medicinal plant throughout history in every location where it has landed.  Some of the traditional uses of ginger include relieving nausea and pain, treating arthritis, and as a cardiovascular herb.

Ginger seems to be an effective remedy to ease nausea no matter what the cause.  This includes general digestive upset and indigestion and motion sickness.  Some women find ginger to be helpful in easing pms symptoms and morning sickness.  It may also help relieve some of the side effects of chemotherapy.

This is a stimulating herb that can help relieve pain and inflammation.  It seems to stimulate digestion and intestinal health.  It may stimulate capillary circulation and improve cardiovascular health and general body health.

While all of these effects have great potential, and ginger is generally considered safe, high doses of ginger should be used with caution.  You should always consult with your medical provider before starting an herbal regimen.

Ginger is also considered to be a powerful magical herb.  This root is considered to be an herb of fire and earth.  It is associated with Ares and Hecatate.  Most energy workers use ginger to strengthen the root chakra and the solar plexus chakra.

This fiery herb is most often associated with love and passion.  It is said to attract love and stimulate passion.  It is often used in potions and spells for love, passion, and fidelity.  It is said to add warmth and love to a home when it is added to a simmer pot.

Powerful ginger is believed to enhance your personal power. It may help to improve your courage, inner strength, and self-confidence.  These qualities may help you manifest that which you desire.  It is known as an herb of wealth, abundance, and success.  Ginger is often used in charms to attract money.

It is believed to be an herb of protection.  It is used to cleanse negative and undesirable energies from the home, space, and person.  It is used to repel negative energies and evil spirits.  Energy workers use ginger for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

Ginger is a favorite herb of magic workers.  If it is consumed before working magic, it is believed to increase the power of the intention put into the magic.  When it is added to magical blends and potions, it is believed to increase the power of the other herbs in the blend.  Growing the plant in your home or garden can bring good luck and prosperity to the home.

One of the properties of ginger that I find most intriguing is its tendency to encourage good leadership.  This starts with courage and the power of good intention.  It also encourages diversity and tolerance.  It brings with it the energy of respect for individual differences, understanding, and acceptance.  It is an enlightened leadership of knowing and understanding that each individual is unique and that each has a part to play for the benefit of the whole community.

Ginger is a beautiful tropical plant that I am just getting to know a little bit better.  I have been adding slices and slivers to my teas and shrubs for about a year now.  I dry the trimmings and add them to my herb bowl in my work space.  Ah, what a heavenly, spicy aroma it adds.  Very soon, I will be experimenting with growing my own ginger.

Here is a link to the directions for making a basic fruit shrub:

Here are some of the additional sources used for this article:
hopkinsmedicine.org
plentifulearth.com
crystalvaults.com
​magicalspot.com

Make the paint, make the finish
Take the seeds, for the medicine
Spider's art, spin the thread
Creative intuition, weave the linen

Flax is actually several species.  The three most important are the annual Linum ustitatissinaum, the perennial Linum austriacum, and the perennial Linum perenne.  The annual flax is the species that is most often raised and used.  Annual flax has slender stems, narrow leaves, and blue flowers and is grown for a number of uses.

This plant has a long history of use.  It was grown and used in ancient Egypt, China, and India for utility, medicine, and spiritual practices.

The stems are fibrous and are retted and processed for fiber arts.  This is a premium spinning fiber and creates beautiful and strong fibers for cordage and thread.  These fine threads can then be used for sewing and weaving fine linens.  These fibers are also used as one of the components for fine and durable paper.

The seeds of the flax plant are high in oil and are processed for food, animal feed, and utility and industrial uses.  If it is pressed for human consumption, it is usually called flax seed oil.  Otherwise, it is usually called linnseed oil.  Other than a supplement in animal feed, linnseed oil has a number of utility purposes.  It can be used as a lubricant.  It is a base for artist's paints, and as an ingredient in varnishes.  It can be used by itself as a wood finish.  It can also be used as a paint cleaner or a drying agent for paints.

All parts of the flax plant has medicinal properties.  The tea made from the plant is used as a laxative, a cleanser, and it may help relieve rheumatism.  The part of the plant that is usually used medicinally is the seeds.  These seeds have a high nutrient content and are highly supportive of good health.  Medicinally, the flax seeds support the urinary tract, healthy metabolism, and healthy cardio-vascular function.  This seed helps reduce inflammation in the body.

There are a few cautions associated with flax seed.  They should be roasted before consuming.  They should be limited to two tablespoons per day.  They should be avoided by pregnant or lactating women.  They should be used with caution by those with pre-existing conditions.

Not only is this a plant of the spider's art, but it is spiritual and magical in other ways as well.  This is a plant that weaves the threads of spiritual connection.  It promotes spiritual growth and transformation.  It helps to connect you to your higher purpose.  It is  a nurturing plant of unlimited potential.  It may connect you to the divine and help enhance your psychic powers.

The healing powers of this plant extends to the psychic and spiritual along with the physical.  It is often included in healing spells and blends.  Flax is used for cleansing and purification.  It is seen as a restorative plant.  

Flax is considered to be a plant of prosperity and fertility.  It brings wealth and abundance.  It promotes creativity and helps weave ways to manifest money and your desires.

Flax, when spun and woven into linen is a very strong and protective cloth.  This property points to its other spiritual use.  Flax is considered to be the guardian of children.  It is believed to shield the home from evil.  Carrying the seeds or flowers is considered to be protective against evil.  A good flax tea was believed by the ancient Egyptians to detox both the body and the Spirit.

If you are looking for a plant that checks a lot of boxes, flax might be it.  It is a plant for food and feed.  It is a plant for utility and art.  It is a plant of medicine.  It is a plant of energetic and spiritual significance.  And the flowers are beautiful.  What more could you want?

Here are some of the other sources that I used for this article:
ncbi.nlm.mih.gov
usda.gov
eurjmdres.biomedcentral.com
​theancientsage.com

If the forest could tell a story
This wood would be your ally
Showing the water for your family
And a safe path for your journey

Most of us, myself included, have purchased witch hazel in our favorite first aid section.  We barely give this common remedy a second thought as to its origin, history, and energy.  This ancient Native American remedy is created from an under story shrub that is native to the Eastern half of the United States of America.

While the most common purchased form of witch hazel is a preparation of isopropyl alcohol, the oldest is a decoction of bark and leaves boiled in water.  Two other methods of preparation are a vodka tincture and steeping the plant material in oil.  All of these are used to soothe skin irritations, burns, bruises, and minor wounds.

This unusual shrub is a bright bit of sunshine as the season is turning towards the darkest time of the year.  When nothing else is blooming, witch hazel puts on a show of small golden flowers.  This show of life in early winter and its medicinal uses give some hints of the energetic properties of this plant.

Witch hazel is a reminder that the cycle of life continues, even when it is hidden.  The leaves and bark are believed to protect against evil and to heal the wounded heart.  Upon perusing the article on witch hazel on The Druids Garden, I found that this plant is believed to bring hope and lightness to the darkest times.

The name "witch hazel" most likely comes from the use of this plant as a divining rod for dowsing.  The old term for this practice was "water witching".  A skilled dowser is capable of finding water, metals, and/or ley lines with a forked branch of witch hazel.  Some people find what is hidden or lost with this plant.  It is also known as a path finder for your journey whether it be a physical journey or a journey through the uncertain times of your life.

I love witch hazel and usually keep some on hand.  Most often, I use it as a facial and skin wash to soothe the irritations of hot and sticky summer weather.  The research for this article has given me even more reasons to love this plant and to make sure that it is growing near my home.

Additional sources for this article include:
webmd.com
healthline.com
aglab.ars.usda.gov
thedruidsgarden.com
The Native American Herbalists Bible 
     by Christina Bennett
The Rodale Herb Book
​     edited by William H Hylton

Ancient medicine to protect the brain
Sharp thought, concentration, and memory
Protect the space, protect the body
Keep away stress and anxiety
​For the love, for remembrance
Aphrodite gives the Dew of the Sea

I find it amazing and informative that the herbs that are the most beneficial in my life are the ones that I crave.  Rosemary is one of these.  I love the flavor of rosemary in meat dishes, vegetable dishes, drinks, and condiments.  This strong flavored herb is very adaptable in its use.

Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, originates from the mountains around the Mediterranean Sea where its name translates to Dew of the Sea.  In this region, it has a long history of culinary, spiritual, and medicinal uses.  According to one legend, Aphrodite emerged from the sea wearing rosemary.  According one source of information, rosemary was used to make lutes.  Rosemary was so highly regarded that the wall gardens were designed for rosemary.

While most people are familiar with rosemary as a flavoring for Italian and Mediterranean cooking, it has also long been known as a medicinal herb.  It has beneficial effects for the nervous system and for peoples ability to handle stress and anxiety.  It seems to be beneficial for brain health and to aid concentration and focus.  It is often used in hair tonics and ointments for skin conditions and inflammation.  I use it as one of the ingredients in an ointment that I make for myself.
​

One of the ancient uses for rosemary was as a smudge or incense.  These are ancient practices that use smoldering herbs to create an aromatic smoke.  On a physical level, this smoke seems to clear viruses, bacteria, and fungus from spaces where they have accumulated due to illness.  Energetically, this smoke is believed to clear spaces of negative influences and energy.  It is used to clear bad luck and clear the energies from distressful events.  Once the space is cleared, rosemary smudge can serve to protect the space.

Rosemary, rosemary oil, and rosemary smoke can have a similar effect on the human body, mind, and emotions.  As you cleanse the space with this herb, it tends to clear your body of negativity.  It is known to help lift the emotions and may help break up anxiety and depression.  This is one of the herbs that is used to cleanse auras before and after energy work.  Energetic healers often use rosemary tincture or tea to cleanse their hands before energy work.

When used as aroma therapy, rosemary can calm the emotions and ease the impact of stressful situations.  Rosemary brings calm to the mind, aiding in thought, learning, concentration, and focus.  Some practitioners use rosemary aroma therapy as an aid to meditation.

As Shakespeare noted, rosemary is for love and remembrance in the language of flowers.  It is used in both wedding ceremonies and in funerals.  In the wedding, it is an herb of love, fidelity, and protection for the family.  As a ceremonial herb in the funeral, it represents the remembrance of love and to aid in the release of grief.  Magically, rosemary is used to attract love, strengthen bonds, and bring fertility.

And there is more.  If you want to encourage wisdom and memory, drink rosemary tea.  Rosemary is also in tea blends that may open the third eye and aid in psychic development.  Put a sprig under the pillow to keep bad dreams away and ensure good sleep.  If you grow rosemary in the garden or hang it around the house, it may protect the house from thieves and negativity.  Rosemary is believed to provide psychic protection.  It promotes self love and strengthens will power.

Rosemary is one of the herbs that I consider to be a staple.  Because I live in an area where rosemary will not survive the winter, I grow rosemary in a large pot and train it as the best as I can.  Rosemary tends to have a mind of its own.  I use clippings from my rosemary for flavor, tea, medicine, and just because I find the energy of this plant delectable.

You can take advantage of many of rosemary's properties by buying dry herbs and essential oil, but I find that growing live rosemary is a better fit for me.  It is an easy plant to grow if you can provide it with good light and air flow.

Here are some of the sources that I used for this article:
webmd.com
healthline.com
wikihow.com
learnreligions.com
Here is a link to my ointment recipe on Buy Me a Coffee:
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