Savvy Saturday

Types of Herbal Remedies

I’ve compiled a list of types of herbal remedies, with brief instructions on how to make them. Choose your herbs carefully, as some are poisonous, some will interfere with health problems and medications, and some can cause allergic reactions.

If you are concerned about any health issue you have, or worried about herbs reacting with your medications, go talk to your doctor. This post is not intended as medical advice.

Compress

This is usually cloth that has been soaked in a herbal infusion so that it can be applied topically. Useful for skin issues, muscle pain, joint pain, and general aches.

You can make one by soaking cotton wool in a warm infusion of your choice, wrapping the balls in a piece of clean cloth, and applying to the affected area. Once the cloth cools down you can soak it again in the warm tea and reapply.

Infusion

This is basically the herbalist term for tea. The herbs are usually dried and ground before being steeped in very hot water and then strained out. If you use a bag then you can skip the straining.

Tincture

This is similar to an infusion but much stronger, and with alcohol instead of water, which helps to preserve it.

Put your herbs in a jar. Cover them with alcohol (most people I know use vodka). Put the lid on the jar and shake it daily for a month or so, then strain the herbs out. I tend to keep mine in the little dropper bottles, as you normally don’t need to take much at once.

Decoction

I like to think of these as a stronger infusion. You need four times as much boiling water as dried herb, and you want to simmer the mixture for about half an hour before straining.

Syrup

These are herbs mixed with a sugary substance, which makes them easier to consume and helps to preserve them a little. They’re a good way to get your herbs in if you have a sore throat, as they are often quite soothing.

You’ll need a couple ounces of fresh herb per pint of water. Put them on the stove and heat until about half of the water has evaporated. Then you need to add about five tablespoons of sugar/honey/maple syrup per pint of water you used originally (so if you put two pints in the pan, you need ten tablespoons). Keep stirring for about twenty minutes, then take it off the heat and bottle it up. You need to keep syrups in the fridge, preferably in a dark coloured jar or bottle.

Balm

Essential oils and beeswax, basically. Add about twenty drops of essential oil to a cup of melted beeswax, stick it in a jar, let it cool, and there you go! You can mix in juiced herbs if you like, but that’s optional.

Salve

A salve is basically essential oils mixed with beeswax, oils and herbs. I have seen them made with coconut oil, though if you live in a warmer environment then coconut oil won’t work for you as it melts. You need about fifty/fifty dried herbs and beeswax (if you live somewhere warm) or use a mixture of beeswax and an oil like olive or safflower if you live somewhere colder, just so it’s soft enough to use. Use about twenty drops of oil per cup of beeswax. You’ll need to melt the wax in a double boiler, and let the herbs infuse in the molten wax for about half an hour. Then you add your essential oils, and pour the molten salve into the containers and let it cool.

Ointment

This is basically a liquid balm or salve. Follow the methods above, but use oil instead of beeswax.

Bath

When taking a herbal bath, you are basically making a giant cup of tea! Fill an organza bag with your chosen herbs, and put it in the bath while you run the water, then remove it before you get in. You can reuse the bag of herbs, but they lose potency with each use, so I try to avoid doing this.

Poultice

This is a paste of herbs and sometimes other things that is applied to the skin. Used for infections, splinters, burns, boils etc. They’re pretty simple to make, you just mix some dried herbs with a tiny bit of boiling water to form a paste, put it on the area, and use a piece of cloth or gauze to keep it there. If you want to use fresh herbs you just mash them up.

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Mental & Emotional Health Protection Spell Jar

D’you ever get those days where enough is ENOUGH and you just have to spell jar the shit out of a protection spell (shuddup that totally makes sense)? Well, that was how I felt his morning.

This here is actually my first spell jar, one to protect my mental and emotional health.

My method and ingredients are mainly based off this protection spell bottle by @greekwitchchild​ with a couple of minor changes.

I don’t have oak leaves to hand, so I used chamomile flowers in their place for protection, peace and happiness.

Instead of writing my sigil on a piece of paper, I wrote it on the bay leaf I used in the jar. Full disclosure - the leaf was brittle and did crumble a bit as I inserted it. So, on the fly, I added though the sigil be broken, my intent remains whole into my “spell” (saying out loud the purpose of each ingredient as I added it to the jar).

The partially burned candle and jasmine incense stick were left from a circle casting I did while meditating a couple of days of ago. So I used them again to cast my circle and purify my space while I worked.

I shall be carrying this little beauty with me as I visit my boyfriend for the next 7 days or so. Negativity can fuck right off <3

The perfect cake doesn't exi-

Leslie Vigil on IG

Take a deep breath. Exhale. Relax your muscles. Breathe.

I haven’t sent you an ask in ages, so... Do you know any herbal remedy recipes with catnip, spearmint, rosemary, or lavender in them? Not tea, other stuff

Biiiitch, you know I do! Ok some of these (most of these) aren’t recipes really and some are spells but you get the basic idea lol and maybe might get an idea? You get everything thrown at you. ;)

Catnip:

A Little Spell to Bless a Cat

Cat Cuddle Comfort Spell

A Shiny Glamour

Drawing out Latent Talent Charm Bag

Catnip & Lavender:

Get Up & Go New Moon Ritual

Daytime Rest Satchel

Witch’s Salve

Attract a Friend

Catnip, Rosemary & Lavender:

Happy Home Jar Spell

Jar Spell to Attract Love

Sweet Scent

Bath of Renewal

Spearmint:

Spell for Confidence and Beauty

Money Jar

I don’t have a whole lot for spearmint because I am mildly allergic.

Spearmint & Lavender:

Divination Jar

Calming & Anxiety Relieving Simmer Pot Spell

Anti Stress Incense

Rosemary:

Ok you aren’t getting everything for rosemary & lavender because I would be here all fucking day.

Earth Milk Bath

Floor Wash

Curse Removing Wash

Purification Bath

Banishing bath Spell

Spiced Rosemary Sea Salt Brownies

Cleansing Spray

Home Wash

Rosemary Sugar Scrub

Rosemary & Lavender:

Bath Spell for Peace & Clarity

Sleep Sachet

Lavender-Rosemary-Lemon Shortbread (pls send some if you make them kthx)

Good Night’s Sleep Oil & Bag

Third Eye Anointing Oil

I am Majestic Bath Ritual

Lavender:

Safe Travels Powder

Love Drawing Soak

Lavender Fairy Wine (non alcoholic)

Self Love Spray

Candles

Faery Bath

Faery Queen Sugar

Ice Witch Milk Bath

Lavender Sugar Scrub

Honey Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream

Stress Fix Bath

Lavender & Honey Feel Good Potion

Peaceful Night Potion

Fruit & Herb Infused Water

Love Everlasting Oil

Beauty Bath

Lavender Wine

Cheers! Have fun, stay safe, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Which I would do pretty much anything so…..

Love you!

Some herbs and their magical properties from Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs 🌿

Circling the Sun

Wards to hand by doorways, windows or above your bed. I really love these and never make replicas so even if two look similar, they will never be the exact same<3