Category Archives: busy bees

Healing Remedies from the Kitchen

Merry meet all,

Our health is vitally important. Lately I felt ill. I suffered heachaches, an earache, vomiting, and I believed I had a fever (which two doctors confirmed wasn’t true), and a sore throat- which I still have. I went and was tested for the Corona Virus which I don’t have thankfully. I was confirmed negative. I am fine and I happily bought groceries today.

However, I have excellent health remedies that are simple, affordable and available to all. I am happy to share them with you.

Herbal Teas

I know you all want to reach for a cup of joe/ mocha but hear me out. Caffeine can make you more alert and I drink it too. In fact, I just bought a new coffeemaker today. Limit your caffeine intake though. You have to add cream if you do take your coffee that way. That can exacerbate a cold or flu.

Herbal teas are powerful healing remedies. I have a sore throat and I always make sure I have Traditional Medicinals Herbal teas at hand. The Throat Coat variety is the best for truly soothing an aching throat. It is better than cheap lozenges. I am not trying to replace a medical practitioner though. These herbal teas are organic  and full of potent power to help soothe and heal you. Chamomile tea is good too.  Chamomile is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and has astringent properties. Peppermint tea is healing too. which helps thin mucus and calm sore throats and coughs. Peppermint also has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties, which may encourage healing.

Honey is the next best thing to heal your body and soothe a sore throat. Honey is naturally antibacterial. The bees can’t be wrong.

If you are uber muchly into organic remedies. try licorice root for soothing a sore throat. You can try fenugreek and marshmallow root. For an added bonus, these herbs may be in the herbal teas I mentioned above. 

Gargle with salt water. This kills the bacteria present in your throat which can speed healing. 

Dilute 1 to 2 tablespoons of ACV in one cup of water and gargle with it. Then take a small sip of the mixture, and repeat the whole process one to two times per hour. Make sure to drink lots of water in between the gargling sessions.
There are many different ways of using ACV to treat sore throats, depending on the severity of the illness and also your body’s sensitivity to vinegar. It is best to first consult your doctor or healthcare practitioner.

Garlic
Garlic also has natural antibacterial properties. It contains allicin, an organosulfur compound known for its ability to fight off infections.

Studies have shown that taking a garlic supplement on a regular basis can help prevent the common cold virus. Adding fresh garlic to your diet is also a way of gaining its antimicrobial properties. Your grandmother might have told you to suck on a clove of garlic to sooth a sore throat. Because garlic has many healing actions, you might try this, though you may want to brush your teeth afterward to protect your teeth from enzymes and improve your breath.
Cayenne pepper or hot sauce
Often used as a pain reliever, cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, a natural compound known for blocking pain receptors.
Although not scientifically proven, ingesting cayenne mixed with warm water and honey can help with pain relief for sore throats. Remember that an initial burning sensation is common. Cayenne should not be taken if you have open sores in your mouth. Start with just a few drops of hot sauce or a light sprinkle of cayenne, as both can be very hot.

Sore throat remedies for infants and children
Sore throats in infants and young children definitely aren’t fun, but the good news is that they’re rarely the sign of a medical emergency on their own. Still, treating sore throats may be different for infants and children. Here are a few tips and remedies:
Add cool mist or a humidifier to your child’s room. Moisture in the air can help relieve pain from a sore throat.
Keep children hydrated by encouraging them to drink as much as possible. Avoid juices or popsicles with lots of citrus.
Children under 5 years should not be given hard candy cough drops or anything else that might pose a choking risk. Use caution when giving cough drops to children under 10 years.
Don’t give honey to children who are younger than 1 year.
Prevention
To prevent sore throat, stay away from people who are sick with an infectious illness like the flu or strep throat. Wash your hands frequently. Try to avoid spicy or acidic foods, and stay away from chemical fumes or smoke that could cause inflammation.
Over-the-counter treatments
When natural remedies just aren’t cutting it, there are several over-the-counter treatment options. Acetaminophen can be effective for sore throat, and it can be given to young children.
Over-the-counter options like lozenges or numbing sprays can also provide relief. Other potential sore throat soothers include eucalyptus, which you’ll likely find in natural throat lozenges and cough syrups.
Buyer beware
Herbs and supplements are not monitored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for quality, packaging, dosage, or safety. Also, the batches may be different from container to container. Lack of regulation means that each supplement might give you a different medicinal dose. Be careful using these remedies, and be sure to buy from a reputable source.

Bacterial infections, such as strep throat, whooping cough, and diphtheria, are responsible for only a small percentage of sore throats. Most doctors recommend calling a doctor only in cases of severe sore throat, such as sore throat with a fever or when swollen tonsils block the throat.
Trying out some of these natural remedies may help you feel better more quickly and save you a trip to the doctor’s office. To feel your best, make sure you also drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest.

There you have it, Hopefully these remedies prove helpful to you. Be well and stay safe!! 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

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Busy Bees

Merry Meet All,

Imbolc is a time of renewal. It is the time when ewes are calving and they are producing milk. Snow blankets the earth yet the plants are stirring. Imbolc is also a time to celebrate the return of the sun’s growing light. This is the perfect time to do an inventory of your tools and a cleansing or renewed dedication to the God and Goddess.

I would like to add that this can be a great time to evaluate where you buy your metaphysical provisions. I admit openly to buying some online, but I also visit the local farmers’ markets in my area for provisions too. I bought a few beeswax candles this weekend for Imbolc from a lady who sells the best organic honey in town. She draws crowds to her booth who are always enthralled by her beautiful beeswax candles. They are affordable and organic. This benefits the environment, helps support the local farmers, and makes me feel good to be supporting her and helping the environment. The candles are always exquisitely crafted. I own an owl candle, and I burned a beautiful white beeswax candle for my solitary Imbolc ritual. So I encourage you to attend and support your local farmers markets. You never know where you might find that perfect treasure. The lady who does the honey and candles also oversees 1,000 beehives where she lives. She took over the hives from other beekeepers. Her honey also tastes delicious. Bees are endangered, which means we will be endangered, another good reason to help the local economy.

We love our spiritual tools but over time, sometimes the tools gather dust and then lose their lustre. We may be busy and then neglect this very important chore. Gather all your cleaning supplies. Sweep the floors and wash them with a mixture of warm water, soap, and the appropriate herbs such as lavender or rosemary in the soapy water. Dust everything, vacuum your floors, and wash your spiritual tools with a mugwort infusion.

The best utensils and tools are those that are made from natural elements. They do not contain the harsh chemicals, thereby protecting our health and lending more energy to our magical workings. In time, our tools absorb and sustain energies we put into them. Every living thing has energy. The tools grow stronger because they absorb our energy and our intent.

Tools collect ashes, dust, and wax markings over time. In the spring, use mugwort, tea tree oil, lemon or lavender for cleaning tools. Mugwort is ideal to clean altar tools and crystals. Research the moon phase and sun phase to find the perfect time for the cleansing. Try New moon or the waning moon for the cleansing.

Candles leave stains on fabric and on our spiritual tools, no matter how careful we try to be. However, the markings are easy to remove. Dig out your ironing board and iron and a brown paper bag. For example, I will tell you how to remove a candle wax stain from your ritual robe or altar cloth. Lay the fabric down on the ironing board and place the brown paper bag beneath the fabric. Heat your iron to a low to medium temperature. Place the iron on the brown paper bag. This lifts the stain from the fabric onto the brown paper bag. Do not use steam when you do this. Do not scorch the material. You can avoid that by moving the iron over the material constantly. The wax softens then adheres to the brown paper bag.

Another cleaning trick I have learned is using bleach with a q-tip for removing stains. Be sure to select a colour safe bleach. Now, if you have a stain and have caught it early before it becomes permanent, here is what you do. Pour a small amount of bleach into a small glass bowl. Lay the garment down on the counter. Dip the q-tip into the bleach and gently blot- not rub back and forth, with the q-tip onto the stain. Blotting ‘lifts’ the stain out and rubbing sets the stain in deeper, except that is what so many people do without being aware of what they are doing. Then, launder the garment. The stain will be completely gone. You will have a beautiful ritual robe or altar cloth again.

I hope this inspires you to clean and to care for your spiritual tools. If you care for them properly, they will last you a long time. Now that everything is clean, you are prepared for the return of spring. Doesn’t it feel good?

Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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