Category Archives: healing properties of herbs

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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Social Media and our Health

Merry meet all,

I think we’re in the midst of a Stephen King movie. It sure feels that way. I just washed my dishes, swept and washed my floors. My place feels so clean!! My cat is siting on the floor near me. She is giving me THE LOOK!! anyone who has a cat knows that look. It means… serve me now, human. 

While you are all in self-isolation, what are you doing with your time? I am taking this time to catch up on projects I have been meaning to do for a while. I just bought a sewing machine. I have projects to complete so that will be fun. Nothing makes me feel better than finishing something. I plan to do a lot of cooking too. I want to use up the food I have before it spoils. I made vegetarian chili for supper tonight. Yum!

I hope my seeds come up soon. Every day for a week I have checked and there’s been no sign. I have to be patient. I also have writing projects to finish. Wow me bored? Naw. 

How are you all going to spend your time? Well I can make a few suggestions.

Spring clean, prepare for Beltane, sort out your unwanted items and have them ready to donate them later, clean your pantry, clean the litter box, see? There are things to do. We can all still practice our Craft. 

To stay sane in this troubled time, my best suggestions is to avoid bad news. Yes this means the news on social media. I know how attached you all are to your laptops, phones and tablets. But I know I feel a lot better avoiding Facebook mostly and instead posting cute cat pics on Instagram. I live with severe anxiety so I have to avoid bad news. That bad news can be anything but if it was serious enough, then by all means read it. Then you can just send the bad energy away. Like you are blowing out a candle and you see the smoke fade away? That’s sort of a similar idea here. You don’t have to follow all the news. It fills your head with nasty unpleasant negative energy. Is that what you really want? 

Essential oils carry naturally antiseptic, antiviral, and cleansing properties. The best oils to use to disinfect a working space if you work from home or are at work are lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, and tea tree oil. Don’t ingest them or rub them on your skin. However, you can dampen a paper towel and use a diluted essential oil in water to clean a desk. The regular cleansers they sell in stores contain toxic chemicals. So I prefer to use essential oils and they smell great!!! 

Essential oils can be used in diffusers as well to clear a room of negative energy, rid a room of a bad smell or relax you. So it may be wise to invest in a few. Just be sure to pay a reasonable price!

Please do protect yourselves and your loved ones. 

Stay safe, everyone. Blessings and health wishes to you all,

Spiderwitch

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Our Sacred Plants

Merry Meet All,

The moon is waxing. This is a good time to plants herbs and flowers that grow above ground. Waning moon is time to plants herbs, flowers, and vegetables that grow below ground. On Mother’s Day, I gifted my Mother with three veggie seedlings I had grown from seed. I have so many that I can afford to share my bounty. I will have an amazing harvest in the fall.

I have decided that it would be best that I grow my veggies indoors. What, you ask? Well, I have competition for my greens. That competition is raccoons, birds, and squirrels. Raccoons are determined, clever and sly. I could be sound asleep in my bed at night and they would eat all my greens. So I let out a big sigh and resolved myself to growing my veggies indoors. I did not go to this expense to give them a free salad.

My Mother gave me a big deep planter. The sprouts are outgrowing their seed flats. Soon they will be moved to the big planters and set at the same southern facing window. I have no room and not enough sunlight in my garden anyway. The garden is in the northern quarter and gets a lot of shade. My onions will grow in my garden. Nothing touches my chives and garlic chives, because of the strong flavour and scent. At least I won’t have to worry about defending my veggie greens from slugs.

I bought a comfrey seedling at the farmers market this weekend. I am excited about growing comfrey. It is a traditional witch’s herb and has many amazing healing properties. I also hope to grow lovage and holy basil in the garden. Lovage gets big and attracts beneficial insects. It has healing properties too and is good in soups. These herbs are organic, too. Holy Basil is regarded as sacred in India. It is grown near temples and is a sacred symbol in the Hindu religion. I was floored to find organic seeds at the farmers market. Tulsi has many healing benefits and is often enjoyed as a tea.

It is a good nerve tonic and can sharpen memory. This famous sacred herb can heal fevers, coughs, a sore throat, treat kidney stones and heart disorders. For a small herb, it packs some punch. Tulsi is an important herb in Ayurvedic treatments. It is known for its strong aroma and has a stringent taste. It is also known as the “elixir of life.”

I know autumn harvest is a long way off, but with all this potential bounty, I think my enthusiasm is understandable!! Good luck with your gardening and I hope you’re blessed by the God and Goddess.

Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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