VIVE LA REVOLUCIÓN!!

Eco Friendly Ingredients part 2~

I’m back, friends!

This time, we’re going to explore the wonderful world of

Crystals and Minerals!

Since everyone likes shiny rocks, and since crystals and minerals are found literally everywhere, I figured this was the next logical step in this undertaking.

When you go out looking for crystals at a specialty store, make sure you get ethically sourced, wholesale rocks, or rocks grown in a lab. I know witches on both sides, and I get where each are coming from.

If you get rocks you know are ethically sourced (i.e not through unpaid labor like *blood diamonds*), then good for you. Sometimes, witches are broke, and can’t drop a crap ton of money on rocks. That’s where lab grown rocks come in. 1000% cheaper, same rocks (arguably). Regardless, know where your rocks are coming from.

It might be helpful to have a little guidebook on rocks to help you identify what you have, especially if you’re going for cheap tumbled rocks like what you find in a gift store. Then you know what you have!

I hope this was helpful, and not some incoherent rambling. If you have any requests for the next installment of the Eco-Friendly Ingredients, please let me know!

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

—————————————————————————–

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.

That’s what they all say...

I am about to be THE most organized witch you guys just wait 

Hello! I saw that a while ago you reposted something saying that it was okay for newer witches to ask you questions…I’m not sure if this has anything to do with divination, but I’m also not totally sure who to ask. I recently opened an unused deck of cards and the Ace of Spades, which I always understood to be the most superstitious and powerful card, was missing. I have my own intuitions about what this may mean, but I also wanted to ask a more experienced witch.

Thank you!

BR

Hey! I’m glad you asked. I’m this case, I would go with your gut. The suit of spades in cartomancy generally refers to a roadblock or a difficulty.

More specifically, the Ace of spades means a new insight or realization. So you could have a lack of insight on a problem somewhere in your life. Maybe you’re working at a problem without all the input and angles needed.

Or, on a less magical note, there is always the possibility that you’re just missing a card in your deck. It depends on your gut, and if your instincts say it’s related to a problem, then reevaluate a problem that sticks out to you. (Because there’s only one card to go off of, it’s hard to know the specifics of the problem, which is why it might just be a missing card. I recommend pulling another from the same deck, just to see what it has to say.)

Hopefully that helped! I’m new at answering asks, so I apologize if that wasn’t coherent..

Oracle Cards!

Who doesn’t love a good Oracle Card reading? Everyone loves tarot, but there’s a lot of stuff to remember! With Oracle Cards.... well there’s still stuff to remember, but it’s much easier if you......

Make them! ✨✨

You will need:

Thick paper or cardstock

Paint (optional: glitter paint!!)

Drawing tools

Scissors

Your fucking imagination!

Cut your cards out of the cardstock in any size you want- they just gotta be uniform- and in any number you like.

Now for the fun part: Draw the image, write a message, a bit of both! Use that big, beautiful imagination! Use it!! They can be part of a theme, random, whatever you want.

Paint it, color it, etc. I used glitter paint because why the fuck not? Once you’re happy, turn the card over, and paint the back. They can be uniform or unique (Unique ones you can have people draw blindly or choose one they’re drawn to).

Let the back dry, and bam! Oracle Cards! That you chose the meanings for!

Here’s a few of mine; they’re based on Tolkien’s Valar:

Create some beautiful cards and do some readings!

I was dropping my sister off at Girl Scouts at the nearby elementary school, and as I’m leaving, I’m looking at all these cute little locker stickers with the kids’ names on them, you know, names like “Kyle”, “Mary”, and “Trevor”. Then I passed a locker and backtracked.

The locker said Eowyn, and I thought, “This girl is either going places or doing something stupid and reckless.”

what is the Worst fandom-reference baby name you’ve ever seen in the wild

Hello! I’m wondering if I could ask you for some guidance. I’ve been a pagan for over ten years, and once even (briefly) met a satyr. However, I have had an incredibly difficult time tracking down reputable Fae-related resources, or any information at all as to how to begin working with them, what to do/avoid, how to identify them, etc. I don’t know how to discern what resources are useful or accurate, especially since my third eye is more or less sealed shut. I have a particular interest in the Cú Sidhe, but any resources at all you’d be able to recommend on the Fae in general would be incredibly helpful, and I would be eternally grateful for any and all help in my search. Thank you so much for any help, and if there’s something I can offer in exchange, please feel free to let me know! 💕

Well, I’m honored and flattered that you’d ask me for assistance! In my experience and practice, it’s best to find some OLD faerie lore- start there. You know the stuff: “Don’t thank the faeries! Leave them bread with honey and milk! Put a horseshoe over your door! Wooooooo!” It’s the best place to start. Then, if you meet faeries, they’ll generally let you know what’s actually a thing- mostly by laughing their asses off.

I personally have never met a Cú Sidhe, so I don’t actually know much about them aside from the basics: big dogs, often reputed to be ill omens, and often tamed by elves. I’m sure there are other witches out there with more experience there than me. I don’t understand if you mean identifying presence , or fae in general, but I recommend old manuals for the latter along with lots of research, and it will generally help with the former!

Also- my advice and wisdom are free!✨✨

I find that working one at a time is best, if you’re kinda busy, and tbh, runes are pretty easy to learn. Once you get the hang of runes, move on to tarot; it’s like paper runes!

Hope it was

Helpful ✨

So i feel like runes are calling my name and i want to learn about them... but im also still learning tarot and i have a long way to go.

Fellow witches, any advice? Should i study both at the same time or is it best if i learn tarot first and then runes? Whats your experience?

Thanks in advance, blessed be ♥

I’ll get there. Soon…. :)

how evil are you