Medicinal Herb: Lungwort

Pulmonaria Officinalis

Lungwort is a perennial herb that normally grows up to a height of one feet or 30 cm. The plant bears wide oval-shaped leaves at the base, while the upper leaves are relatively smaller marked with the irregular color pattern, especially white spots. The lungwort plants also bear bunches of pink-purple colored flowers.

Going by the Middle Ages Doctrine of Signatures, an ancient European philosophy, herbs bearing parts that resembled human body parts, animals, or other objects, had useful relevancy to those parts, objects or animals. It may as well indicate to the surroundings or specific places in which herbs grew. Following this theory, lungwort is effective in treating chest ailments and hence its leaves bear resemblance to the lung tissues.

The lungwort plant is native to Europe and western Asia and belongs to the family of Boraginaceae and the Pulmonaria genus of flowering plants. One species of…

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Our Holiday Favorite Spice: Cinnamon

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Most of us think of spices as incidental to our diets, but perhaps it’s time to update our appreciation of these flavorful, and powerfully health-promoting, seasonings.

Spices are defined as any “aromatic vegetable substance.” The keyword is a vegetable. Derived from “vegetables” in the form of tree bark {cinnamon}, seed {nutmeg}, or fruit {peppercorns}, spices have potent anticancer, anti-inflammatory and other health-promoting effects that are daily being confirmed by researchers. Indeed, the following spices have been identified b the National Cancer Institute as having cancer-preventive properties: sage, oregano, thyme, rosemary, fennel, turmeric, caraway, anise, coriander, cumin and tarragon. In one comparison of antioxidant power from the Agricultural Research Center, the compounds of oregano rank higher than vitamin E.

Spices also make major contributions to our health by allowing us to reduce the amounts of salt, sugar and fat in our foods.

We’ve chosen cinnamon as a super-spice because of its…

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Medicinal Herbs: Arnica

Good Witches Homestead

**Arnica {Arnica montana}**

Arnica has been an important topical healing herb since the 15th century. It is a member of the large and varied Asteraceae, or Composite family, along with sunflowers, daisies, lettuce, and chicory. This perennial herb originated in the mountains of Europe and Siberia and is now widely cultivated in North America.

The plant’s genus name derives from arna, Greek for “lamb,” because of the soft, fleecy hair on its green leaves. It reaches an average height of one to two feet and produces daisy-like yellow-orange flowers that begin to bloom in May.

Healing Properties

Arnica’s flower heads, either fresh or dried, are the base of creams, salves, ointments, liniments, or tinctures that are applied to the skin to treat muscle aches, sprains, strains, and bruises. Arnica can also be useful in treating superficial phlebitis, inflamed insect bites, and swelling from broken bones. There…

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Medicinal Herbs: Clary Sage

Good Witches Homestead

**Clary Sage {Salvia sclarea}**

Clary Sage is an ancient herb that has been used by many cultures to medicate the eyes and treat a variety of diseases. This biennial member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, is native to the northern Mediterranean, parts of North Africa, and Central Asia. It is now a commercial crop in the Mediterranean, Russia, the United States, England, Morocco, and Central Europe, cultivated primarily for its essential oils. It still grows wild in many places.

The plant begins as a rosette, and, by its second year, produces strong, hairy stems that reach an average height of three feet. The large, downy green leaves are paired and show a hint of purple. The herb produces lush spikes of lilac or blue flowers that bloom from spring to mid-summer and attract bees and other pollinators.

Healing Properties

Written records of the herb’s healing powers go…

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Ozark Encyclopedia – M – Mustard

My grandmother was a BIG believer of in mustard plasters.

Ozark Encyclopedia – M – Mullein

Elder Tree and Elderberry Folklore

Herbal Support for Stress and Trauma: Part 2, Adaptogens

Ancestral Apothecary

Adaptogens are some of our best herbal allies to help ourselves cope with chronic stress. Adaptogens are herbs that help increase the body’s ability to adapt to all kinds of stressors: physical, emotional, environmental, social, and biological.

Adaptogens help build the body’s resistance and reliance to stress by supporting the nervous, immune and endocrine systems. They help to increase the body’s strength, stamina, vitality and immunity.

Many adaptogens have been considered supreme herbal tonics in the cultural systems from which they come. For example, reishi mushroom was considered in ancient China to be the “herb of immortality”and Holy Basil is considered a panacea in India and in Ayurvedic medicine.

Dosing for adaptogens: The more we need the adaptogen, the more we need to increase the amount and frequency of dosage. For lower stress levels, stick to the lower recommended doses. For higher and acute stress, higher doses more frequently are…

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Herbal Support for Stress and Trauma, Part 1: Nervines

Ancestral Apothecary

Herbal nervines are herbs that support, strengthen and nourish the nervous system. They can help with stress, shock, tension, pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia and other nervous systems disorders. Nervines are great herbal allies to support our bodies during acute or chronic stress. They also help the body, mind and heart to heal from stress and trauma.

Oatstaw (Avena sativa): Great for nervous exhaustion and burnout; helps with headaches from stress; good for skin rashes caused by stress; good tonic for adrenals, helps with insomnia, helps with detox from drugs and alcohol, high in minerals, very nutritious, works best long term.

Dosage: 1-4 cups herbal infusion per day; 10-30 drops of tincture 3 X/ day.

IMG_20150819_171138 Scullcap

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): Excellent to calm stress, agitation, tics, tremors or road rage. Useful for insomnia, quiets mind chatter, revitalizing to nerves, helps with insomnia and nervous agitation from grief…

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Second Annual Holiday Herb Fair

Ancestral Apothecary

Saturday November 25th from 1 to 6 PM

Studio Grand Oakland, 3234 Grand Ave, Oakland

Join Ancestral Apothecary for our second annual Herbal Fair this holiday season! This a great opportunity to have fun doing holiday shopping and to support your local community of herbalists. All the vendors are students or teachers from our Cecemmana Herbal Programs.

You’ll find unique, hand-crafted herbal gifts and products like herbal chocolate, tea, flower essences, tinctures, salves, body care, and much more. We’ll also be offering limpias, Reiki and have a raffle with great gifts.

This event is also a fundraiser for our Herbalism Diversity Fund. We are raising money for scholarship for our students of color. If you can’t make this event but still want to donate to this fundraising campaign, check our our Generosity Fundraising Page.

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