When Cold and Flu Season Arrives

Good Witches Homestead

These two recipes are prepared as teas but are not taken in your teacup – they help with the discomfort of flu season in other ways.

Winter Inhalation

This traditional herbal steam helps open your sinuses, discourages bacterial and viral growth, and reduces pain and inflammation. Remember to stay a comfortable distance from the steaming pot to avoid burning your face.

8 – 12 teaspoons fresh or 4 teaspoons dried eucalyptus leaf {Eucalyptus globulus}

2 – 3 tablespoons fresh or 1 tablespoon dried peppermint leaf

2 – 3 tablespoons fresh or 1 tablespoon dried thyme herb

3 cups purified water

Essential oils of the herbs above {optional}

Place the eucalyptus, peppermint, thyme, and water in a saucepan and stir to thoroughly combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and uncover. Drape a large towel over…

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How to Learn Homeopathy – Materia Medica

Good Witches Homestead

“Materia media” are Latin words that mean “materials of medicine,” that is, the various medicines used in homeopathy from the plant, mineral, animal, or chemical kingdoms. Homeopathic medicines are listed in Latin so that homeopaths (and patients) can be precise with the exact source of the medicinal substance.

There are hundreds of homeopathic materia medica, and there are different styles in which they are written and organized. Since materia medicas are full of detailed information about a medicine, it is necessary to study each medicine in a systematic way so that you can retain as much information about it as possible. Each person develops his or her own systematic way to study the materia medica. One common method is to summarize the key mental and physical general symptoms along with the characteristic physical symptoms on an index card or a sheet of paper. In general, students of homeopathy learn the…

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Elderberry Syrup Cockaigne Recipe

Good Witches Homestead

The name of this recipe is a homage to one of my go-to cookbooks, The Joy of Cooking, where the extra-special recipes have the moniker “Cockaigne” added. The word comes from a middle-English fable meaning “luxurious and idle paradise;” or abundance! Feel free to add other delicious herbs to the recipe such as organic Vanilla Beans, Hibiscus, Allspice, Star Anise, and more!

Ingredients:

1 cup dried, organic Elderberries (or 2 cups fresh elderberries)
1 teaspoon organic Cinnamon Chips or 2 Cinnamon Sticks
1 teaspoon organic whole Cloves
1 teaspoon organic Ginger (powder or root) or 2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon dried organic dried Orange Peel or ¼ cup fresh orange peel
1 Tablespoon dried organic dried Bitter Orange Peel
1 Tablespoon organic dried Wild Cherry Bark
1 Tablespoon organic dried Rosehips
10 whole organic Cardamom Pods
4-5 cups water

Directions:

Put all these ingredients into a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat to boiling.
Once the mixture boils, turn the heat down and simmer for 20-30…

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Medicinal Herbs: Wood Betony

Good Witches Homestead

Stachys Officinalis

Also, Known As:

Betony
Lousewort
Purple Betony
Wood Betony

The herb known as the wood betony is commonly considered to be the most important among the Anglo-Saxon herbs. There are at least twenty-nine uses of the wood betony in the treatment of physical diseases. At one time, the wood betony was probably also the most popular amulet herb – such amulets were used widely until the Middle Ages as a charm to ward off so-called evil or ill humors that supposedly brought disease to the human body. The many uses of the wood betony were written down by the medical herbalist Gerard in 1597, he gave a long list of herbal applications for this plant, adding that –“it maketh a man to pisse well”– an inference to the herb’s effectiveness against urinary disorders. Most contemporary herbalist neglect the wood betony as a potential remedy, however, the…

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Crystals for Holiday Stress

By Crystal Cosmopolitan

crystal-healing-feat

Holidays are supposed to be joyful and celebratory events, and yet many times the preparation – whether hosting a party or travelling to someone else’s home – leaves us exhausted and wishing we could just forget about all of it, sleep through it and wake up when it is all over. If you’ve ever had a thought like this – then this article is for you!

Crystals help us on many levels through physical laws of resonance, where their vibratory frequency affects the frequencies of our bodies in specific ways. In this article I will suggest a few that assist specifically with issues related to stress around the holidays. So here are the tips and tricks you can use to sail through the holiday season with a smile on your face:

Take your Citrine when you go shopping to find what you need at a price you can easily afford. Citrine works to synchronistically bring you to the right place at the right time so you can be done quickly and effortlessly.

Lithium Quartz is wonderful when you need to take a break from everything to distress and relax, even if it is just for a few minutes behind closed doors.

Hold or wear Fluorite for focus and mental clarity when you make your lists and are getting organized. Fluorite is excellent when you find yourself procrastinating and putting off your necessary tasks. Wearing it during shopping expeditions and holiday travel may also help you stay healthy in a crowded environment, since it strengthens the immune system.

Carnelian is a perfect crystal to hold when you feel unmotivated. It renews excitement, spurs creativity, and supports analytical thinking, so that you are not bogged down by details when planning a party, but rather inspired by your creative vision and anticipation of the joyful event.

Peach Agate may assist when you need to go to a party you are not looking forward to, for whatever reason. It would help you enjoy yourself no matter what the circumstances by attracting positive energy to you.

However, do carry Black Tourmaline with you, since the stress level of many people can be high during this time, and you want to make sure you are grounded and protected so that possible negative energy of others has no chance of affecting you.

Meditate with Lepidolite before going to bed for restful sleep. Write down all of what still needs to be done – your thoughts and your ideas for the rest of the holiday week – on a piece of paper and let your mind relax.

Hold Seraphinite when you feel you need a little extra help from the Divine to accomplish all that you want. A heartfelt gratitude for all that you do have and have been able to do is an important step on the road towards accomplishing more.

If you are looking for gifts – a set of scented candles, a pendant, bracelet, or a necklace perhaps – you know where to check, right? If you are so overwhelmed at this point that you can’t think straight, here is a subtle hint: www.healingcrystals.com.

Finally, you want your home to sparkle, and be filled with a beautiful energy that reminds you of the meaning of the holidays. Place Amethyst and Citrine Druzes throughout your home to bring in the energy of peace, spirituality, celebration, and abundance.

Hope these ideas serve to make your holiday season sparkly and happy!

Aloe Vera Cream Delays Development of Radiation-induced Dermatitis in Patients with Head and Neck Cancers

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Treatments for head and neck cancers include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, used either alone or in combination. Used to treat inoperable tumors, radiotherapy can cause radiation-induced dermatitis, which is treated with steroidal, nonsteroidal, and metallic topical medications. Researchers have studied the use of skin care products containing aloe vera (Aloe vera, Asphodelaceae) in patients undergoing radiotherapy. Aloe vera has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and researched for its use in treating a variety of skin ailments including eczema, psoriasis, burns, wounds, and ultraviolet (UV)-induced skin erythema. These authors conducted a single-center, investigator-blinded, randomized, clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of a topical aloe vera-based cream (AVC) in preventing radiation-induced dermatitis in patients undergoing therapeutic radiation for head and neck cancers.

The study was conducted between July 2012 and December 2012 in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Mangalore Institute of Oncology in Pumpwell, Mangalore, India. Eligible patients were…

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Sacred Tree Profile: White Pine’s Medicine, Magic, Mythology, and Meanings

The Druid's Garden

White Pine Towering in a Conifer Forest at Parker Dam State Park, PA

In the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) legend, there was a terrible conflict between five different nations of people. This conflict was rooted in cycles of pain, revenge, and chaos. A messenger of peace sent from the Great Spirit, the “Peacemaker,” sought to unite the five warring tribes. After convincing them to unite, they came together to make peace, but they still carried their weapons. The Peacemaker uprooted a White Pine tree and had them throw all of their weapons into the hole. He then replanted the tree, and the underground waters carried away the weapons. On the tree, the needles grew in clusters of five, to represent the five nations who came to find peace. The roots of the tree spread out in four directions, to the north, south, east and west; the roots are called the roots…

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Medicinal Herb: Desert Lavender

Good Witches Homestead

Hyptis emoryi

FLOWERS

Violet up to 1 inch wide and in clusters.

DESCRIPTION

Medium to tall, cold tender, perennial shrub, found in the southwestern United States of Arizona, Nevada, California, and northwestern Mexico in Sonora and Baja California.

HABITAT

Dry washes, and on rocky slopes, up to 3000 feet in elevation. It is evergreen or cold deciduous, depending upon its location.

REGION DESERTS

The Southwestern United States of Arizona, Nevada, California, and northwestern Mexico in Sonora and Baja California.

Energetics: Cooling, calming, stimulating

Actions: Bitter, astringent, aromatic, diaphoretic, antimicrobial, styptic

Wound healing. Hyptis makes a top-notch wound wash (strong decoction) or applied to bleeding wounds in infused oil or salve form. I’ve used it for various wounds over the years (often combined with white sage), and it is effective not only in stopping the bleeding but because it is also strongly antimicrobial, it helps prevent infection. It’s proven useful as…

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As We Approach the Winter Solstice

Good Witches Homestead

If you are like me, December can be overwhelming…. As we approach the Winter Solstice, the gift of sunlight is hard to come by, causing light deprivation, circadian disturbances, and shifts in melatonin regulation. The subsequent effects on mood, behavior and health can be difficult to deal with, especially since the reins of life’s expectations don’t loosen to accommodate these seasonal shifts. Instead, the holidays bring their own unique stresses and can add to a sense of depletion and anxiety.

In my case, it’s the same each year. The effects of light deprivation sneak up on me, much in the way that seasonal allergies seem to. I start feeling sluggish and apathetic. My eyes take on a dull ache and my skin and hair feel like straw. My sleep is less rejuvenating and I feel starved for more of it. When the morning alarm rings, it takes me by surprise…

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Medicinal Herb: Passiflora {Homeopathy}

Good Witches Homestead

Passiflora incarnata

The homeopathic remedy passiflora is obtained from the herb called Passiflora incarnata, which is also known as purple passion flower, maypop, true passion flower, wild passion vine and wild apricot. Passiflora incarnata is a perennial vine having a climbing or sprawling stems and grows quite rapidly. Belonging to the genus Passiflora, Passiflora incarnata or the maypop bears big and elaborate flowers having outstanding styles and stamens. Passiflora incarnata is considered to be among the most resilient species of passion flower and is a very common wildflower in the southern regions of the United States. The Cherokee, Native Americans who historically settled in the southeastern regions of the United States, of Tennessee region called this herb Ocoee and is the State Wildflower of Tennessee.

The long and trailing stems of passion flower are found in two forms – smooth or covered with fine hairs (pubescent) and have several tendrils. The plant…

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