The First 5 Cards In My Oracle Deck, Taken At 11pm- Behold! The Silmarilion! I’ve Already Lore Dropped

You left out the best part- they named it Taquito.

i'm crying rn.... the fucking Torta.....

In preparation for my next post, have…

The Theban Alphabet

It will be used in my next post! Think of it as a secret alphabet for all you in the broom closet!

When you’re a witch blog but you do fandoms like drugs, lol.

A Practical Guide to Herbology

Lesson One: Medicinal Teas

When I was first starting out with herbology, I was living in a small village in Croatia with a total population of less than 100 people. We depended on homemade teas, salves and medicines to heal us since the nearest hospital was two hours away. We treated ourselves with the power of herbs, gifted to us by the Earth.

These days, we can purchase all the tools we need to grow both common and exotic plants. Dried herbs are also another good option, especially for those that cannot grow their own. And with these tools, we can craft our own medicines. 

For the first lesson, I’m going to focus on something simple: the art of crafting medicinal tea. 

Creating Tea Blends

When starting out with creating medicinal teas, it’s important to understand how each ingredient interacts with our bodies. Be sure that you’re not allergic to any of your herbs and that they won’t interact poorly with any prescribed medications that you’re on. For example, those who are diabetic should not take angelica root; folks who are allergic to ragweed should avoid chamomile. 

Here’s a list of common herbs and their functions for the purposes of crafting medicinal teas:

Angelica Root: Soothes colds and flu, reduces phlegm and fever. (Do not use if you are diabetic)

Basil: Eases headaches, indigestion, muscle spasms, insomnia; reduces stress and tension

Blackberry Leaves or Roots: Reduces diarrhea

Catnip: Soothes teething pain, colic, diarrhea, indigestion, anxiety, insomnia. (May cause drowsiness. Avoid if on Lithium or sedatives)

Calendula (marigold): Reduces fevers, soothes indigestion, gastrointestinal cramps, flu; antiseptic. (May cause drowsiness. Avoid if on sedatives)

Cayenne Pepper: Soothes coughs, colds, arthritis (topical), nerve pain, fever, flu; expectorant. (Avoid taking with medications that contain Theophylline).

Chamomile: Reduces insomnia, anxiety, stress, fever, indigestion; aids with sleep and pain relief. (May decrease effectiveness of birth control pills and some cancer medications, may increase the effects of warfarin; avoid if you are taking medications for your liver)

Cinnamon Bark: Soothes sore throats and coughs; anti-inflammatory (Avoid taking with diabetes medications)

Dandelion Root: Detoxifying, aids digestion, relieves constipation, laxative. (Avoid if on antibiotics, lithium or water pills)

Dandelion Leaf: Mild diuretic, potassium-rich (Avoid if on medication for liver)

Elderberries: Wards off colds and flu

Ginger: Eases morning sickness, nausea, colic, indigestion, diarrhea, fever, sore throats. (Avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting)

Ginkgo: Relieves anxiety, vertigo, tinnitus; improves circulation, helps concentration; helps PMS. (Avoid taking with ibuprofen or with medications that slow blood clotting; numerous medications have interactions with ginkgo so speak to your specialist before use)

Ginseng: Aphrodisiac, mild stimulant, boosts immune system. (Do not take with medications that slow blood clotting, and avoid taking with diabetes medications or with MAO inhibitors)

Goldenrod: Relieves gout and cramps

Lavender: Reduces anxiety, headaches, tension, stress, indigestion, IBS; antibacterial; antiseptic; disinfectant (May cause drowsiness; avoid if on sedatives)

Lemon balm: Relieves anxiety, cold sores, colic, insomnia, restlessness, indigestion; boosts memory (May cause drowsiness, avoid taking with sedatives)

Nettle: Reduces hay fever and arthritis; diuretic. (Avoid taking with diabetes medications, medications for high BP, sedatives, medications that slow blood clotting, and lithium)

Peppermint: Relieves nausea, anxiety, indigestion, IBS, colic, diarrhea, fever, coughs, colds; anesthetic (Avoid if you have acid-reflux disease; avoid taking with cyclosporine; avoid if on liver medications)

Pine Needles: Expectorant; antiseptic; relieves coughs, colds, fever and congestion

Rosemary: Improves focus, memory, concentration, BP, circulation; antiseptic; antidepressant; eases indigestion

Thyme: Antibacterial, antiseptic, eases coughs and colds, expectorant (Do not take with medications that slow blood clotting)

Recipes

For those starting out, here are a few recipes for common ailments. As you start making your own teas, you’ll learn which blends of herbs work best for your body. Keep track of which ingredients and combinations are successful - with each steep, you get closer and closer to crafting your perfect personalized medicine cabinet.

Anxiety Relief - ½ tsp chamomile - ½ tsp lemon balm Cold Relief - ½ tsp elderberry flower - ½ tsp thyme Mood Booster - ½ tsp lavender - ½ tsp catnip - ½ tsp rosemary Cramp Relief - ½ tsp basil - ½ tsp calendula (marigold) - ½ tsp goldenrod Indigestion Relief - ½ tsp ginger - ½ tsp lemon balm - ½ tsp peppermint Expectorant - ½ tsp pine needles - ½ tsp nettle leaf - ½ tsp angelica root Insomnia - ½ tsp chamomile - ½ tsp catnip - ½ tsp lavender Sore Throat Relief - ½ tsp cinnamon (or half a stick) - ½ tsp ginger - 1 tbsp honey Fever Break - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper - ½ tsp angelica root Flu Relief - ½ tsp calendula (marigold) - ½ tsp lemon balm

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Photographs are under the Creative Commons License. Content is from my grimoire and is embedded with information from a variety of sources over the years. 

Updated 7 March 2018 with relevant warnings and to be consistent with other posts in this series.

Warnings:  All plant material should be sourced appropriately and responsibly for your own safety and well-being. Be certain that you are purchasing food-grade ingredients from a reliable retailer or supplier. Along these lines, not all dried herbs are meant for consumption so please be on the lookout for “external use only” labels - you do not want those products for this.

Do your own research regarding medicinal plants and usage, especially if you are sensitive or have allergies of any kind. If you are on medication(s), consult a doctor before use.

Finally, medicinal teas are a health supplement and not a substitution for professional medical and psychiatric aid. If you are experiencing any prolonged health and/or mental health issues, SEE A DOCTOR.

And also Pyrite, aka Fool’s Gold! It creates hydrochloric acid when placed in water!

Crystals To NEVER Cleanse In Water:

Selenite

Jade

Calcite

Pearl

Hematite

Malachite

Tangerine quartz

Charoite

Angelite

Rhodocrosite

Lodestone

Gypsum

Fluorite

Azurite

Celestite

Lepidolite

Himalayan salt rock

These crystals will start to dissolve, get cracked, or release toxins if you place them in water.

The last ones are completed; in the Major Arcana at any rate. These are 5 of the last 12: Justice, the Hermit, the Wheel, Strength, and the Chariot

Shout out to my cousin, a Wiccan, who went to her (much loved and adored) mother’s Christian funeral and delivered a very touching eulogy out of respect for her mother and her beliefs.

And then threw hands with the pastor doing the service, who said that “Not everyone goes to heaven, so just be prepared for that”, and “I don’t know how God will call [great-aunt] to heaven, (she’d been cremated) but I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”

WHILE THE GRIEVING MOTHER AND CHILDREN WERE IN THE FRONT ROW.

He told my cousin, who pointed out that this is a funeral of a much loved woman, and that he should not be saying that to the family, “Oh. Well you’re wrong.”

She tore him a new one. Then she had our ordained grandfather stand up and deliver the rest of the sermon.

So thank you Dea, for putting that man in his place. Your mum was the only one who could defeat my mom at Scrabble. She will be missed.

A sigil of creativity! It is also inscribed on my sketchbook, so I will never lack for artistic inspiration!

Hi! I am a former closeted witch! I came out on my own, but before that, I simply used a shelf in my closet! I made an altar using some fancy pillows I’d been given and called it storage, kept all me witchy things in shoeboxes, and hid a lighter in one of them. No one was ever the wiser!

Does anyone else in the broom closet know how to make and alter without the people you live with knowing?

Thank you very much! 💜

Ma’am I need help.. is it okay to use a metal thing for your wand? Because I have a very pretty hand-made copper bubble wand and I wanna use it for a wand..

Of course! Wands are used as a means to direct and channel energy, and metals are good conductors so it’s safe to assume that they’d make good wands.

As much as woods are the traditional option, they aren’t the only option.