Alice Langholt August, 2009

Reaching Reiki with ReikiAwakening.com’s Alice Langholt

Hello there! I’m honored to have been asked to write the Reiki column for PaganPages.org! I’d like to use this first column to introduce myself and talk about what Reiki is and why I do it.

First, let me say that the strongest reason that I’m a huge Reiki advocate is that I am a regular person. That is to say, I did not have any special abilities growing up, and I wasn’t born with intuition or anything beyond wishing to be special. When I learned Reiki, things changed for me completely. Learning Reiki gave me access to spiritual energy, not only for myself, but for helping others heal and feel better. In fact, the most powerful part of this for me is distance healing. I now teach Reiki to people like me, average regular non-intuitive people, and watch their world open as mine did. I also teach Reiki to those who are already gifted with intuitive abilities and want to learn this method of directing these abilities for healing. But I’m ahead of myself.

You may be wondering what Reiki is. Here’s the skinny: Reiki is a Japanese-originated method for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes physical and emotional healing. Reiki treatments are given by a light hands-on touch, or remotely via distance, and follow the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what enables us to be alive. When stress and other emotional factors drain our life force energy, we are more likely to get sick or feel exhausted. With thriving life force energy, we are more capable of being emotionally balanced and healthy. Reiki works in complement to all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote healing.

The word “Reiki” is a combination of two Japanese words – Rei, meaning “Spiritually guided,” and Ki which is “life force energy”. So Reiki translates to “spiritually guided life force energy.”

Distance healing is tangibly felt by the recipient as strongly as hands-on healing is. Generally speaking, Reiki feels warm, soothing, tingly, relaxing, positive, releases emotional blocks, and relieves pain.

Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit, and brings relaxation and feelings of peace, security and comfort. Many have reported accelerated healing after Reiki treatments. Reiki is available to anyone, and can easily be learned by anyone. It does not require intense study or psychic ability. In fact, Reiki helps one get in touch with one’s intuition. Learning Reiki completely opened my intuition! Besides giving and teaching Reiki, I now do channeled readings and mentor intuitive development. This world opened to me because I had the opportunity to connect with my intuition through learning and practicing Reiki.

The ability to channel Reiki energy is transferred to a student during an “attunement” given by a Reiki master, immediately enabling the student to access the unlimited supply of “life force energy” for its many physical and emotional benefits. Reiki can be taught in person or via distance. I have learned and now teach Reiki both ways, with equal effectiveness.

Although Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. It has no commandments or requirements for worship, and Reiki works whether one believes in it or not. Reiki’s spiritual aspects and tangible results often give people a spiritual connection that their religion may not. I can certainly attest to that experience. I grew up wishing to be connected with some spiritual energy outside myself, and when I learned Reiki, it happened.

So, thank you for reading my opening column. In future posts, I plan to talk about Reiki-related topics, amazing Reiki stories, and answer questions. That reminds me, if you have any questions you would like to see answered about Reiki, or you’d like more information about how you can experience and learn Reiki healing, please email me: alice.langholt@gmail.com and/or come to my website: reikiawakening.com. Namaste.

Tags: Awakening, healing, reiki

• Articles

Mary DAlba August, 2009

Cinnamon
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, C. verum) also known as Sweet Wood and Ceylon cinnamon.   Its origin is Sri Lanka.   Cinnamon is pretty common in foods these days such as cinnamon rolls and cinnamon tea.  It is a bark that is ground into powder form that can be added to food and burned as incense.

In ancient times, Cinnamon was used as a religious herb, created to purify temples.   It also helped with mummification to create a sweet smell.  Throughout history, its leaves have been used in medicine.
Cinnamon can be used and substituted for Sun Magickal work such as healing, illumination, magickal power, physical energy, protection, success, and putting an end to legal matters.  Cinnamon is very powerful in Satchels and Amulets.   Mix cinnamon with frankincense, myrrh and sandalwood for a strong protection incense.   Use it to draw love to you by dressing a red candle or add it to a red mojo bag.  You can also use it for money drawing by burning it on a charcoal and casting a spell on a bill you want paid.
Cinnamon can be help as an astringent, carminative and stomachic.  It helps with flatulence, internal hemorrhaging, as a stimulant and with vomiting.  It is known to help with stomach and digestion issues.  Many times a tea is made to help with digestion issues by putting a teaspoon of Cinnamon into boiling water and drink as a tea.  (However, you may find the tea to be very strong so you may want to use less based on what you prefer for taste.)
Remember, this is not a substitution for medical advice so always check with a medical professional to make sure working with herbs are safe for you.
Keywords for Cinnamon

Magickal Uses/Spells:  Love/sex magick, health, fertility, lust, passion, protection, prosperity/money, deep healing, spirituality, scrying, power, strength and success.
Deities:  Venus, Aphrodite, Apollo
Planet:  Sun, Uranus
Gender:  Masculine

Element:  Fire
Tarot Correspondence:  The Lovers, The Sun

Tags: cinnamon, healing, herbs, magic, magick

• Herbal

OSusun S. Weed August, 2009

The Six Steps of Healing

What are the Six Steps of Healing?

These are remedies you can use for your problem in order from safest to most dangerous: Step 0 is the safest; Step 6 the most dangerous.  Use Steps 0, 1, 2 and 3 as preventive medicine. Prevention is an important, though often invisible, way of healing/wholing in the Wise Woman tradition. Deep relaxation, information exchange, energetic engagement, optimum nourishment (including touch) and exercise promote health with little or no side effects.

Examples are in parenthesis: (with a few of the modalities available at each step)
Step 0:  Do Nothing

(sleep, meditate, unplug the clock or the telephone)

A vital, invisible step.

Step 1:  Collect Information

(low-tech diagnosis, books, support groups, divination)

Step 2:  Engage the Energy

(prayer, homeopathy, ceremony, affirmations, color, laughter)

Step 3:  Nourish and Tonify

(herbal infusions and vinegars, hugs, exercise, food choices, gentle massage, yoga stretches)

Note: Healing with Steps 4, 5, and 6 always causes some harm.
Step 4:  Stimulate/Sedate

(hot or cold water, many herbal tinctures, acupuncture)

For every stimulation/sedation, there is an opposite sedation/stimulation, sooner or later. Addiction is possible if this step is overused.

Step 5a:  Use Supplements

(synthesized or concentrated vitamins, minerals, and food substances such as nutritional yeast, blue-green algae, bran, royal jelly or spirulina)

Supplements are not Step 3. There’s always a risk with synthesized concentrated substances that they’ll do more harm than good.

Step 5b:  Use Drugs

(chemotherapy, tamoxifen, hormones, high dilution homeopathics, and potentially toxic herbs)

Overdose may cause grave injury or death.

Step 6:  Break and Enter

(threatening language, surgery, colonics, radiation therapies, psychoactive drugs, invasive diagnostic tests such as mammograms and C-T scans)

Side effects are inevitable and may include permanent injury or death.

How to Use the Six Steps of Healing

If you want to remedy your problem with the least possible side effects and danger, start at Step 1. After reading Step 1, pick one remedy from Step 2 and set a time limit for working with it. If your problem is unresolved within that time, decide if the time limit needs expanding or if you are ready to go to Step 3. Continue in this manner, moving to Steps 4, 5 or 6 as needed, until your problem is solved.

Each step up increases the possibility of side effects and their severity so try at least one of the Step 2 techniques, even if they seem strange to you, before going onto the remedies of Step 3 and beyond (note also that time spent at Step 2 will help you choose appropriate remedies at Step 3 and so on). When your problem is resolved don’t stop. Go back through the steps, in reverse, before resting at Step 0.

You can continue to take remedies from a previous Step after moving on, but be cautious about the use of Step 4 remedies in combination with Step 5 remedies.

If you deem it necessary to heal through Step 5 and/or 6 (and real healing can and does take place with the aid of drugs and surgery) and have not yet tried any techniques from Steps 2 and 3, do so immediately. Engaging the energy, nourishing and tonifying will aid and abet the healing powers of the more dangerous healing ways and help prevent or moderate their side effects.

Tags: healing

• Self Help

Hally Rhiannon Nammu April, 2009

THE AFFECT OF MUSIC by Hally

From an early age we come to appreciate music as something that is always there. It is something that we use at a party, in the car to pass the time and even in cafes and stores we visit. We come to appreciate music as a catalyst to fun, sadness, opportunity and remorse. It is pivotal in our day to day dramas and yet, did you ever really wonder about music itself?

Based on numerous conversations over the years only those that consciously make music part of their lives does music and the sensitivities we have to music become apparent. What we classify the “every day person” that goes about their business rarely stops to think of music as anything more than an additive to an event.

is a powerful medium connecting our unconscious to our conscious. It has the power to move us to tears or lift us up to laughing. This is done through the choice of notes, the progression of chords and keys used to even the tone of the singer, if there is one.

Speaking first hand as a musician and someone that is more sensitive than some, music is one of the rare things in life that is like breathing to me. It can be found as the wind whistles through the trees, it can be found with a busker strumming her guitar on the sidewalk and it is something that I find lives within our very hearts. is the song of life.

Consequently when I find myself at events where the music does not complement certain aspects of my own musical chord I can become uncomfortable and it has the power to change my state of mind.  Naturally when you mention this to a friend they look at you as though you are speaking another language because they may not resonate with their own song let alone that which has been written by someone else.

When you walk into a store or a café take note of how it makes you feel. Sometimes this in itself can make you feel at ease or ready to run. Listen to what really resonates with you and ask the question why. You may be surprised to hear what the answer is.

Below is a poetic interpretation to the power of music…

A MUSICIAN’S CONNECTION TO LIFE…

The sensation of feeling alive reflects the ebbs and flows of a song as it journeys from the first verse through the chorus to the coda for the grand finale. And so we live with ups and downs, good and bad coming to an exciting ending, or beginning, on what was our life.

My life I hear in the music of songs, the counter melody, the counter harmony flowing with the main melody, following its own path and yet in line with others.

The single strike of a piano key vibrates through the air as the voice of one that is filled with passion, passion for love, passion for life.

As I sing, I hear the notes coming from an instrument familiar and yet foreign in sound. It has been a while since I have heard you. The sensation of pure expression is liberating and empowering. The song of self is by far the most powerful. I so enjoy hearing it; I so long to hear it more.

I am alive when I hear the beat of a drum and the lyrics of song come to light. It is the breath in my mouth and the blood in my veins flow to the very heart as it beats in time with all that comes to follow.

My music is my song is my life. Every breath I take is for all the songs I am yet to sing and as I exhale, these are the songs of yesterday whispered in the night carried with the wind.

is part of my soul, part of my mind and lives within each cell of my body. Every sound vibrates a chord of emotion that flows through to my very core. I shiver from the amazing sensation and excitement of the musical journey.

My breath is song, my life is music and so we are one.

I am free in a single bar of music and have escaped all that is held before me by the end of the first verse. is my drug; it is my hidden desire of everlasting passion.

The cost is a life of commitment, devotion and unyielding connection of the explainable. There are no words true enough to express the strength music has and is in life. We hear it every day and never stop to wonder of its affects.

I know the little secret, which I have known for sometime. is the addiction of passion. is the drug of life to pick up when you are down, to bring strangers closer and create a room of ten thousand people enjoying every beat, melody and journey it has to offer.

Many have tried for a similar following but have fallen short of the same power.

To play, to sing is to live.

Tags: healing, Music Interviews & Reviews, self help

• Articles

Hearthkeeper March, 2009

Merry meet all… This month I will be focusing this article on herbalism; recipes for health and healing.

Herbal

• WiseWoman Traditions

medicine is the medicine of the people. It is simple, safe, effective, and free. Our ancestors used plant medicines for healing and health maintenance. It’s easy. You can do it and you don’t need a degree or any special training.

Most of us have the ability to begin the healing process already in our homes. There are some other things we may need to stock up in order to have them when we need them. Much of what we will need can be grown and dried either over the growing season or even in our homes. If you looked at last months herbal list you will have seen that many of the herbs you use for cooking can be used for healing as well as aromatherapy.

What you can do is create your own herbal medicine cabinet, either in you ritual space or better yet in your kitchen.  It’s easy to make your own

Herbal

• WiseWoman Traditions

Medicine Cabinet. You can customize it to fit your needs and those of your family. Ideally you should make it your own, by putting magickal symbols on it, put pictures of herbs on the door, runes, Egyptian symbols, whatever…you can decorate it any way you like. But in reality we know that having that in our kitchen could be a problem…so what you can do is use a white birthday type candle to draw any symbols you may want on the cabinet door…so that you have magickally charges and protected it but it is not visible to the mundane eye.

You don’t need a huge assortment of herbs…only the ones that you will use most often.
Keep herbs in your medicine cabinet that your family will need.

There are a few basic items that all

Herbal

• WiseWoman Traditions

Medicine Cabinet’s need:

Standard ingredients for making your herbal remedies:

Oil (extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, or safflower oil) for herbal
infusions and salves.
Beeswax (a good quality beeswax) for making salves
Honey or sugar to sweeten bitter herbs and syrups
Vodka or alcohol for tinctures

Petroleum jelly or a good quality skin lotion for making ointments
Essential oils

Gauze pads
Bandages
Cotton balls

Bandage tape
Scissors

The above is just a very basic list, you can add or subtract to fit your needs.

The following are some herbal remedies and how to make them, please consult your Doctor before you use these, unless you know your families allergies and herbal reactions.

WARNING: PREGNANCY (all herbs and their essential oils should be avoided unless under the supervision of a medical professional): the list is not all inclusive, but some specific herbs to avoid are: Balsam pear, barberry root bark, black cohosh, cascara sagrada, chervil, Chinese angelica, coltsfoot, comfrey, dong quai,feverfew, ginseng, goldenseal, juniper berries, ma huang , may apple , mountain mint, mugwort, pennyroyal, pokeroot, rue, senna , southernwood, tansy, wormwood, yarrow.

Ointments/Salves can be made quickly and easily if you first prepare an oil of the herb while it is in season and keep it on the shelf for later use as an ointment. Simply strain and store the oil. Besides simple oils which employ only one herb, a combination of herbs can be used to make a compound oil of your favorite ointment recipe and used later to make the ointment itself

How to Make It

Decoction:

(Used when volatile oils are not required from the plant material as these are boiled away in the process).

GENERAL:

1 oz of herb to 1 pint water; bring water to a rolling boil, then add herbs and cover; reduce heat; let mixture simmer for 20 to 30 min over low heat.

DOUBLE DECOCTION:

1. (Based on 3 cups of water reduced to 2 cups). After making the first decoction using 3 cups water reduced to 2 cups, drain off the liquid and reserve; add two more cups of water to the original herbs and simmer down to 1 cup; add the 1 cup to the first 2 cups for a total of 3 cups.

2. 1 oz plant material to 2-1/2 cups water (makes 1 pint); soak herbs in water for 10 min then boil and simmer 10 to 15 min; leave to soak another 10 min; keep covered throughout the process; strain, cool and use.

Extract, Fresh:

First find the water content of your fresh plant specimen. Weigh 2 oz of the fresh herb and then dry it using the microwave or a dehydrator. Weigh the now dried specimen. Figure the percentage of weight lost in the drying to find the percentage of water contained in the fresh herb. Count this percentage as water when figuring the water/alcohol solvent ratio in the first oz of finished product. All remaining ounces can be figured at the usual 50/50 water/alcohol rate

Infusion:

The same as making a tea, but steeped longer. Usually 10 minutes.

Juice, Herb:

When attempting to obtain juice from dry herbs, soak in twice their weight of water for 24 hours and then press out the fluid.

Lotion:

The same as making a cream only use more water.

Lotion, Quick:

Mix 2 parts herb water with one part vegetable glycerin or combine herbal infusion with glycerin.

Do NOT store any plant material in oil since botulism can occur under these conditions.

Oil, Herb:

Infuse powdered herbs in warm olive oil in double boiler for several hours. Strain through muslin and keep straining till all bits of plant material are strained out of the oil.

Oils, Medicated: Ayurvededic method:

1 part herb to 16 parts water and 4 parts of oil (ie. 1 oz herb, 2 cups water, 1/2 cup oil); decoct until all the water is evaporated then strain OR decoct the herb in water alone, then strain and add the oil and continue with the decoction until only the oil remains..

FRESH oils: Crush and mash the whole herb (ie. grated ginger, garlic, onions, etc)

and allow to stand overnight in oil; squeeze through muslin to strain.

Ointment, Quick: Add 1/2 to 1 tsp of tincture to each ounce of commercial skin lotion.

Fresh herbs: Grind and mash.

DRY herbs: Add a little water and work into a paste; may be taken as is or mixed with honey or oil. If using oil, keep refrigerated; if honey, will keep without refrigeration.

Non-petroleum Jelly: 1 oz beeswax, 1/2 cup baby or mineral oil or sweet almond or olive oil; melt together in the top of a double boiler. Pour out into suitable container and allow to set up.

Powders:

Herbs can be powdered in a coffee mill. If you’ll be be doing much work with herbs, you should have one especially for powdering herbs.

Preserving Flowers: If you are unable to process your flowers (ie. elder, rose) immediately, you can either pack them (don’t crush) into wide-mouthed canning jars and then pour glycerine over the flowers until they’re covered. Cap the jar. Or you can pack them in 1/3 of their weight of salt. This method is usually employed when preserving flowers to use in fresh sachets or potpourris.

Salves & Ointments

1. Place about 1/2″ of water in the bottom of an electric skillet to protect its finish. Add herbs and oil to a pyrex bowl or top of double boiler and place in center of skillet. Fiddle with control of skillet until oil measures a steady 95º F on a cooking thermometer. Allow to simmer gently at this heat for about 12 hours or until the herbs look “used up”. Strain herbs out of the oil and return oil to a clean bowl or double boiler pan and set back in the skillet; raise heat to 150° F and add grated beeswax. Allow beeswax to melt, stirring well. Test by dropping a small amount on a saucer and when desired texture is reached pour into wide-mouth jar suitable for ointment/salve.

2. Boil herbs in water until sufficiently extracted; strain; add oil to the decoction and continue to simmer till all the water evaporates; add sufficient beeswax until desired consistency is reached (melt about 2 oz of wax to 5 oz of oil); to preserve you can add 1 drop tincture of benzoin per each ounce of mixture or 1 drop grapefruit seed extract per ounce of mixture.

3. Beeswax, oil, fats; Vaseline can be combined with herbs or tinctures.

Place 2 oz of dried herbs into a pint of oil then heat gently for 1 hour; strain and cool for an ointment. For a salve add 1 oz beeswax or Vaseline then stir well as it thickens and store in a jar. Store in refrigerator or preserve with tincture of benzoin or grapefruit seed extract (1 drop per oz of mixture for both)

4. Grind dried herbs to powder and cover with olive oil; steep for 2 weeks shaking gently daily; strain through muslin (at this stage it is a liniment/ointment); add beeswax to thicken (now it’s a salve). Store in refrigerator

Syrup:

1. 2 lbs sugar, 1 pint water. Dissolve sugar in water over low heat. Raise the temp to the boiling point and strain the solution while it is hot. Add enough extra water through the strainer to make the syrup measure 2-1/2 pints.

2. Dissolve 3 lbs of brown sugar in a pint of boiling water and boil until thick. Add any herbs you wish to this to make a herbal syrup.

3. : Pour 1-1/4 cups of boiling water onto 3 oz of crushed herbs and leave to get cold. Strain the infusion and then heat until it is warm and then add 1/2 cup of sugar.

When the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to a boil and gently simmer until it is a syrup consistency. Allow to cool a bit before bottling.

A rule of thumb for making tinctures using dried herbs is a 1 to 8 ratio (ie. 1 oz powdered herbs to 8 oz of 100% proof vodka)

Tincture: Combine 1 to 4 oz of powdered or crushed herb with 8 to 12 oz of 100 proof alcohol (vodka can be obtained cheaply and works well); shake thoroughly and allow to stand in a warm place for 2 weeks; shake daily; strain and bottle in a dark container such as a dark brown dropper bottle. Take 1 to 30 drops according to the herb used.

BASIC OINTMENT

Crush fresh or dried herbs and simmer with fat of your choice (i.e. lard, olive oil, safflower oil, etc). Simmer on top of stove in top of double boiler for several hours. Or, they may be baked in the oven for several hours in the fat using a low heat. Strain and place back on heat, then melt beeswax in it. Pour into jar.

SKIN LOTION

This lotion is useful for skin inflammations and for those with possible bacterial complications.

Combine 1 tbsp each of Chamomile, Comfrey, Chickweed, and Calendula in a mason jar. Over this pour 2 cups boiling hot water; cover and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain and place in a spritzer bottle. Add 1 dropper full of Echinacea extract. Spritz as needed.

Or Comfrey, chickweed, and Calendula add   8 to 9 oz of sweet almond oil (or olive oil or combo of the two)

¼ oz (approx) of grated beeswax

800 IU vitamin E to it and make it a thick lotion.

Place all in a double boiler and melt together, pour into lotion bottle or screw top container.

CHICKWEED SALVE

Good first aid for cuts, nicks, bites and scratches, itches and rashes.

2 oz fresh chickweed

1 pint olive or sweet almond oil

½ oz beeswax

in ovenproof container combine Chickweed and oil.

Place in 150°F oven for 3 hours; strain and add ½ oz melted beeswax to oil

(Always melt waxes in top of double boiler to avoid fire); stir as mixture thickens.

COCOA BUTTER SALVE

4 oz. herbs of choice

6 oz. cocoa butter (vegetable oil can be substituted)

1 oz. beeswax

Melt cocoa butter in top of double boiler with beeswax.

Add herbs and allow to heat through in double boiler over very low heat for a minimum of 30 minutes. Strain out herbs.

EMERGENCY OINTMENT

Combine some wheat germ oil and honey and apply to sore, bruise or wound.

Tinctures of Comfrey, Calendula, St. Johnswort or Mullein can be added (between 5 and 15 drops) to the oil and honey.

EUCALYPTUS OINTMENT

Contains antiseptic and healing properties good for chapped hands, chafes, dandruff, tender feet, spots on the chest, arms, back and legs and pains in the joints and muscles, Apply a piece of clean cotton or gauzy type material to wounds after all dirt is washed away. For aches and pains rub the affected part well and then cover with cloth; repeat 2 or 3 times.

12 oz elder oil

2 oz beeswax

2 tsps eucalyptus oil

20 drops wintergreen oil

Combine elder oil and wax in top of double boiler over low heat until wax melts; remove from heat and stir in remaining 2 oils. Pour into appropriate containers.

LAVENDER OINTMENT

RECIPE #1

25 drops essential oil of lavender

10 drops essential oil of lemon

5 drops essential oil of thyme

2 tbsp oil of lavender (which is prepared by infusing flowers in olive oil)

60 g beeswax

Melt beeswax in top of double boiler, then beat in oil of lavender.

As ointment begins to cool, add the essential oils and continue to beat till cool.

Store in covered jar in refrigerator.

RECIPE #2

Good for chapped lips, skin and cold sores.

4 tbsp olive or almond oil

3 to 4 tbsp beeswax

3 tsp cocoa butter

10 drops vitamin E oil

15 drops lavender oil

15 drops sandalwood oil

Combine olive or almond oil, beeswax, cocoa butter and lanolin and heat in top of double boiler.

Remove from heat and add vitamin E (a 400 IU capsule can be opened and contents squeezed out), lavender and sandalwood oils and beat well. Pour into little jars and allow to cool before putting on lids.

.

LAVENDER-TEA TREE OINTMENT

Good antiseptic properties and soothing to skin problems.

2 oz oil

½ oz beeswax

5 drops lavender oil

3 drops tea tree oil

400 IU vitamin E

Combine oil and beeswax in top of double boiler over low heat till wax melts.

Remove from heat and add lavender and tea tree oils.

Snip vitamin E capsule open and squeeze contents into oils.

Place in ointment jar and allow to setup before capping.

SAGE and SWEET VIOLET OINTMENT

Good for chapped lips, cold sores and chapped skin.

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage leaves

2 tbsp sweet violets

4 tbsp sweet almond oil

Combine ingredients in a small stoppered bottle.

Leave in a warm place for 1 month, shaking daily.

Strain into a bowl and add 4 tbsp each of almond oil and melted beeswax which

have been melted together in the top of a double boiler.

Beat until cold.

Store in an airtight jar in a cool place.

Herbal

• WiseWoman Traditions

Healing Salve 1

Recipe by Mountain Rose Herbs

This all-purpose salve recipe is perfect for minor scrapes, cuts, bug bites, or other skin irritations.  The herbs may be adapted for different skin conditions and ailments as desired, and the amount of beeswax can be easily altered.  Use less beeswax if you desire a softer balm or live in a cold climate, and use more beeswax if you prefer a harder salve or reside in a warm climate.

Herbal

• WiseWoman Traditions

Healing Salve 2

Yield 4 oz

1 oz Calendula infused oil
1 oz Comfrey infused oil
1 oz St. John’s Wort infused oil
1 oz Plantain infused oil
10 drops Vitamin E Oil
20 drops Lavender Essential Oil
½ oz Beeswax (Carnauba or Candelilla Wax may be used for a Vegan salve)
Glass Jars or Tin Containers

Place

Herbal

• WiseWoman Traditions

Infused Oils and Beeswax over a double boiler, and gently heat until the Beeswax melts.  Remove from heat and add Lavender Essential Oil and Vitamin E Oil.  Quickly pour into prepared tins or glass jars and allow to cool completely.  The salve will last for at least a year, and is best if kept in a cool and dark area such as a cupboard or cabinet.

HEALING HERB SALVE 3
1 oz dried comfrey leaves
1 oz dried calendula flowers
2 cups olive oil
1 oz pure beeswax
4 drops tea tree
4 drops lavender essential oils
1 400 vitamin E
Heat herbs in olive oil over low heat for about 5 hours. Do not let the oil boil or bubble. A Crock-Pot or the lowest temperature setting on a range should be suitable for heating this mixture. (If the lowest setting is too hot, turn off the heat once it has warmed the oil…it should keep warm for at least and hour….then repeat the process twice.)
After cooking, strain out the herbs while oil is still warm.
Place 1 1/4 cups of the herb oil in a pan, add beeswax and heat just enough to melt the wax.
Add essential oil and stir.
Finally, pour the salve into wide mouthed jars.
Store at room temperature.
Use for minor scrapes and cuts, to protect and promote healing.

Vapor Rub

¼ teaspoon eucalyptus essential oil

1/8 teaspoon each peppermint and thyme essential oils

¼ cup olive oil (or Vaseline at which opoint you would spoon blend instead of shake together)

Combine ingredients in a glass bottle. Shake well.

Gently massage onto chest and throat.

MAKE HERBAL COUGH DROPS

You must make a syrup with sugar, not honey to make cough drops, but you can use raw sugar or brown sugar instead of white sugar and it will work just as well.

Instead of pouring your boiling hot syrup into a bottle, keep boiling it. Every minute or so, drop a bit into cold water, when it forms a hard ball in the cold water, immediately turn off the fire. Pour your very thick syrup into a buttered flat dish. Cool, and then cut into small squares.
A dusting of powdered sugar will keep them from sticking.
Store airtight in a cool place.

Herbal

• WiseWoman Traditions

Cough Syrup

Cover the bottom of a Crockpot with either Wild Cherry Bark or Violet leaves and flowers|
Cover entirely with honey.
Set on low heat for two days and stir occasionally.

Hyssop Cough Syrup

Licorice flavored, soothes sore throats.
2 tbsp dried hyssop (flower tops) or 1/3 cup fresh hyssop (chopped flowers)
1/4 cup water
1 cup honey
1 tsp aniseed

In a saucepan combine honey and water. Stir until the mixture is consistency
of pancake syrup. Bring slowly to a boil (over a medium heat). Skim off any
scum that rises to the surface.

Use 1-2 tbsp water to moisten the dried hyssop. Crush the aniseed. Stir both
into the honey. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from
heat, uncover, and allow to cool. While the mixture is still a little warm,
strain into a jar. When completely cooled, screw on the lid. Should keep for
1 week.

Wild Cherry Cough Syrup

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar (scant)
1 tsp wild cherry bark
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tsp chopped dried marshmallow root

Make a decoction of the cherry bark and marshmallow root. (Boil in water for
about 4 minutes. Steep the mixture with the cover on the pot for a few
minutes.) Slowly stir in the sugar and cream of tartar, simmer until the
mixture becomes thick and sugar granules completely dissolve. Transfer to a
container and allow to cool before covering tightly.

Herbal

• WiseWoman Traditions

-C Syrup

6 cups water

3 tablespoons elderberries

2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds or cranberries

2 tablespoons rose hips

1 tablespoon pine or cedar tree needles

1 tablespoon lemongrass

Cook this down to three cups and add:

One half cup molasses

One half cup honey

One half cup fruit concentrate

This is wonderful tasting syrup to take as a tonic during cold and flu season.

Herbal

• WiseWoman Traditions

Pain Killers:
Caution: As with all herbal remedies, check to make sure they will not interfere with doctor prescribed medications. This information is to be used wisely. Do not take any herb you are allergic to, and see your doctor if problem persists.

Pain killer-
Soak 1/2 teaspoon of dried willow bark in 2 cups cold water overnight,Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Strain, cool, and bottle.
The dosage is 1/4 cup, to be sipped slowly as needed for pain. It can be added to juices or teas if you wish.

Good Sedative –
Mix together 1 tablespoon each of bee balm, hops, peppermint, chamomile, and crushed fennel seed.
Add 1 tablespoon of the mixture to 1 cup boiling water.
Steep 10 minutes and strain. Sweeten with honey.
Drink 1/2 hour before bedtime.

Mild Sedative –
Pour 1 pint of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of dried catnip.
Cover and steep until cool. Flavor if desired. Strain and sweeten.
For children, give 1 tablespoon; adults get 2 tablespoons.

For trouble getting to sleep –
Pour 1 pint of boiling water over 1 ounce of feverfew flowers.
Cover and steep until cool.
Strain and sweeten with honey.
Drink cool.

To induce sleep –
Mix 2 tablespoons dried peppermint with 1 tablespoon each of rosemary and sage.
This really soothes the nerves and allows you to relax enough to go to sleep

Sprain and Aching Muscles Treatment -
Mix together 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup of linseed oil, and 4 tablespoons witch hazel.
Use as a massage oil.

Sedative Tincture –
Place 1-1/2 ounces of chamomile and 1-1/2 teaspoons of powdered peppermint into 1/2 quart of vodka. Allow to steep for 2 weeks, shaking daily.  Strain and bottle. Use as a sedative for adults. Dosage is 1/2 dropper full under the tongue as needed..

Well I have to say that the research for this article was amazing.. as well as adding to my recipe book of food and medications.. I certainly hope that you find it fun, usefully and tasty. Please be aware that I have shared both my own recipes and recipes borrowed from books and web pages..
Enjoy until next month.

Merry Cooking and Blessed Eating

Tags: firstaide, healing, kitchen, lotions, natural remedy, tinctures, witch

• Recipes

OSusun S. Weed March, 2009

Take Heart from Hawthorn

Its many common names include whitethorn, hagthorn, ladies’ meat, quickthorn, maytree, and mayblossom. Its magic and medicine are ancient and memorable. From the earliest records, hawthorn is one of the sacred trees. Hawthorn is the sixth tree of the Ogam cycle, Hath. Hath precedes Quer, the oak, center tree of the cycle of thirteen. Hawthorn is said to guard the hinges and to oversee crafts. A branch of flowering hawthorn placed in studio or workshop is believed to make the craftsperson skilled and successful. Hath shuts what is open and opens what is shut. Her magic, like her medicinal effect, is slow but long lasting.

The day of the fairies’ return is not a calendar date, but, according to Ellen Everet Hopman, author of Tree Medicine, Tree Magic, “the day the hawthorn blooms.” As the fairy gates open this May, open your heart to hawthorn. Let its beauty and strength imbue you with great heart, for hawthorn is the herb of healthy hearts.

Hawthorn (Cratageus) is notable for its long thorns and bright red haws (apple-like berries). The thorns may be used as needles; and hedges of thorny hawthorn grow quickly enough to keep even goats at bay. The tasty crimson haws – called cuckoo’s beads, chucky cheese, and pixie pears – are fermented into wine or baked into little cakes to celebrate the new May.

The leaves, flowers, and ripe berries of Cratageus oxyacantha taste great and are easily consumed in teas, infusions, and tinctures. Consistent, long-term use of hawthorn is especially recommended for ageing hearts, weak hearts, damaged hearts, and those with hypertension, angina, arrhythmia, heart valve disease, or Reynaud’s disease (arterial spasms).

Regular use of hawthorn can:

* Lower blood pressure
* Increase the effectiveness of the heart’s pumping action
* Strengthen the heart muscle
* Slow the heartbeat
* Dilate coronary arteries
* Prevent heart disease, heart attack, and stroke
* Help those healing from heart surgery
* Support the immune system
* Increase longevity

The German Commission E – a scientific body which determines the effectiveness of herbal medicines – recommends tea or tincture of hawthorn for:

* Cardiac insufficiency corresponding to stages I and II of the NYHA
* Feelings of pressure and tightness in the cardiac region
* The ageing heart not yet requiring digitalis
* Mild bradyarrhythmia
* Increasing coronary and myocardial circulation

There are no contraindications and no overdose of hawthorn. It is safe to take with any other medicine, including other heart medicines. (Though it is redundant to take blood pressure medicine after taking hawthorn for three months.)

Hawthorn is a member of the rose family, and thus closely related to rose hips, apples, cherries, apricots, and almonds. Hawthorn tea is typically made by steeping two teaspoonfuls of dried leaves and flowers in a cup of boiling water for twenty minutes. Hawthorn infusion is made by steeping one ounce of dried flowers and leaves or one ounce of dried haws in a quart of boiling water for at least four hours. I make hawthorn tincture by soaking dried hawthorn haws in 100 proof vodka for at least six months, or until it turns quite red.

A dose is a cup of tea, half a cup of infusion, or a dropperful of tincture, taken first thing in the morning and last thing at night. For the first three months of use, a third dose, midday, may be added. Traditional European herbalists always add a big spoon of honey to hawthorn tea or infusion. They believe that sweetness heals the heart.

Hawthorn’s ability to slowly lower blood pressure is well documented, although the mechanism of its action is unclear. Hawthorn does not block calcium channels nor is it a diuretic. In fact, it is highly regarded as a safe way to lower blood pressure when the patient is diabetic or has kidney disease. An injectable preparation of hawthorn was widely used in modern medicine prior to the introduction of blood pressure drugs and heart-valve surgery. It is still available in Germany.

The elder Rodale wrote of his heart and its response to hawthorn in Organic Gardening in the mid-50s. His editorials praising his renewed health and vigor stand as a modern-day testament to an age-old herb.

The leaves, flower buds, flowers, and berries/haws of the hawthorn are all rich in anti-oxidant flavonoids. Flavonoids benefit the heart and blood vessels in many ways. Their powerful anti-inflammatory effects relax the blood vessels. Their anti-microbial actions stop low-level infections like those associated with gum disease from harming the heart. And flavonoids support healthy functioning of the immune system and the liver. No wonder hawthorn is the herb of longevity in stories and tales!

In addition to flavonoids, hawthorn is rich in minerals, and contains a small amount of the active principle oligomeric procyanidine (1-epicatechol). Numerous scientific authors have scratched their heads in amazement that hawthorn can have any helpful effect since it has no harmful effect. Pharmacological studies of it constituents evidence “no objectively assessable results.” There just isn’t enough “active ingredient” to account for its observable actions. But herbalists understand that the magic of hawthorn is in the sum of the parts, not in one active principle.

The nutrients in hawthorn assist its active ingredient so that the heart and circulatory system are slowly and deeply healed on multiple levels. Hawthorn carries its magnesium and calcium directly to the heart muscles, enhancing their ability to contract and increasing available oxygen. This beneficial effect extends into the coronary blood vessels as well. Hawthorn is unique in its ability to strengthen the weak heart and carry the old heart into a healthy future.

Hawthorn works thoroughly, dependably, and slowly. Consistent use of the remedy is required for benefits to accrue. But, once gained, improvement persists. I take hawthorn berry tincture several times a week to keep my 60-plus-year-old heart in great shape.

There’s magic and medicine in the tree of May, hawthorn. Take some home for yourself today.

Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material in this article is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.

Tags: hawthorn, healing, herbs, medicine, natural medicine

• Articles

OSusun S. Weed January, 2009

Hot Colds and Cold Colds – Winter Health

Winter is coming. So are colds and the flu. Here are some tips for preventing these viral illnesses. And for getting well fast if you do get sick.

Preventing colds and the flu can be summed up in three words: Wash your hands. The viruses that cause colds and the flu most readily enter our bodies by means of our hands. Wash your hands after shopping. Remind your children to wash their hands as soon as they come home from school. A little “hysterical hygiene” goes a long way to keeping colds at bay.

Of course, there are herbs that can be used to help thwart colds and the flu. Yarrow is a clear favorite, especially as a tincture. Teachers, moms, and wise children find a dose of 5-25 drops of yarrow tincture in the morning in some liquid reduces the likelihood of getting sick by more than half.

Astragalus is gaining fame for its ability to support strong immune system functioning. I throw a few tongue-depressor-like pieces in my soups, where they infuse their goodness without imparting much flavor. Powdered astragalus can be added to almost anything, from oatmeal to pancakes, soups to gravies. And there is always the tincture, which works well in doses of 1-3 dropperfuls a day. (If at all possible, use domestic astragalus, rather than that from China.)

Eleuthero, which used to be called Siberian ginseng, is another immune system nourisher, used in the same ways as astragalus: cooked into food or taken as a tincture.

And don’t forget honey. A spoonful at the first sign of a sore throat or runny nose can kill the bacteria responsible and help you get better fast. (Note: Do not give honey to babies under 12 months old.)

And if you do get sick, here’s my favorite way to get well fast.

* Treat a cold cold with heat.
* Treat a hot cold with cold.

This may sound too easy, but it is actually one of the most effective ways I know of to minimize the severity and duration of a cold (or the flu). I first learned about cold colds and hot colds when I was studying Five Element Theory with a sweetheart who was attending acupuncture school.

It is important to remember that “cold” and “hot” don’t refer to temperature; they refer to what we might call metabolism. Thus, the person with a cold cold could very well have a raging fever and the person with a hot cold may have no fever at all. Similarly, hot foods and herbs are not necessarily cooked, and cold foods and herbs need not be refrigerated.

So how can we tell the difference between a cold cold and a hot cold? And what are cold herbs and hot herbs, cold foods and hot foods?

The person with a cold cold (or a cold flu) is pale. Their bodily fluids are copious and without color: The nose runs with clear or white mucus; the bowels are loose and the feces are light in color; urination is profuse and colorless. The tongue may be coated with a white moss. If there is fever, it is accompanied by chills. The person with a cold cold seeks heat and hot foods.

The person with a hot cold (or a hot flu) is ruddy; the face, or at least the cheeks, are very red. The eyes may feel dry and irritated. Their bodily fluids are scant and dark: nasal mucus is dry, yellowish, or “stopped up;” the bowels slow and feces are hard; urination is infrequent and highly colored. The tongue may be red or coated with a yellow moss. If there is a fever, it is “raging.” The person with a hot cold seeks coolness and has little appetite.

When you have a cold cold, indulge your desire for heating foods and herbs: Drink lots of hot spicy herbal teas with honey*, such as ginger tea, cinnamon tea, or any of the spicy “Yogi Tea” type blends. Nourish yourself with chicken soup, beef broth, miso soup. Enjoy baked winter squash, baked potatoes, baked yams, baked garlic. Eat lots of olive oil, ghee, butter, olives, and avocados. Eat beans and eat the warming grains: kasha, rye, oats. Stay warm; take a hot bath or a hot shower and wrap up snugly before going to sleep.

When you have a hot cold, indulge your desire for frozen fruit smoothies. Drink lemon and honey* water, iced nettle infusion, hibiscus and mint teas. Nourish yourself with seaweed salads, cucumber sandwiches, and fresh tomatoes with basil. Enjoy berries and melons, green salads, and roasted fowl. Eat the cooling grains: corn, millet, spelt. Eat a little something even if your appetite is small. Stay cool; take off your shoes and socks and put your bare feet on the ground. But keep covers handy when you go to sleep.

You see, cold colds turn into hot colds and vice versa. They don’t stay the same the whole time you are sick. So be prepared to pull the covers up to your chattering teeth and flowing nose even if you went to bed stuffed up and sweltering. Or to throw off the pile of covers you clutched hours earlier. The real beauty of this idea of hot colds and cold colds is the premise that everything, even a cold, will change and so the cure comes not from knowing the right answer, but in following the flow of the sickness and offering appropriate treatments. I imagine a balance scale, swinging back and forth between hot and cold, with me gently damping the swings, making each one a little less severe, until single-pointed stillness – health – is regained.

Whether dealing with a hot cold or a cold cold, you can eat as much of the neutral nourishing foods – rice, wheat, fish, honey*, and yogurt – as you wish. But, beware of taking vitamin C while harboring a cold or the flu; it is extremely cooling.

I hope these tips for preventing and dealing with colds and the flu help you, and those you love, stay in glowing good health all winter long.

Green Blessings.

(*Note: Do not give honey to babies under 12 months old.)

Tags: colds, healing, hebal remedies, Herbal

• Articles

IndigoRainbow January, 2009

Merry Meet and welcome to The Witch’s Cupboard. For the next year we will learn both medical and magical uses of herbs and oils we might find in our ‘cupboards’. We will also discuss naturopathic issues that are affecting our lives.

In our rich past, each town and village had its own “medicine lady”, shaman, or healer. At the time when these individuals walked our Earth, they were revered and respected for their knowledge, gifts, and abilities to save lives and cure aliments.  From their cupboards they would bring out herbs, fruits, oils, and creams to aide in things such as easing pain, setting bones, and helping during child birth. Most were followers of the Old Ways and Old Religion and their knowledge came from teachings gathered and passed down from many generations.

But with the passing of time, much of their knowledge has been lost. The knowledge was lost partly because of the spread of newer religious beliefs and philosophies throughout the land, and also from “modernization”.  Many of the medicine women and healers were killed during the spread of Christianity. Those who were not killed, were forced to either assimilate themselves into the new religion, stop practicing, or hide in the countryside. Many of our Pagan Brothers and Sisters who continued to practice the Old Ways of Healing were put on trial and sentenced as Witches.

The few that survived and continued to pass their knowledge on generation by generation, soon fell out of fashion with the introduction of what we consider “Modern Medicine” and drugs in the form of pharmaceuticals.

Many of you probably know of some type of home remedy that your Grandmother told you, or perhaps even used on you when you were a kid. Even though your grandmother was most likely of Christian faith, her home remedy, passed on from her Grandmother, came from the Old Ways and Religion.

In recent years more and more people have started looking beyond Modern medicines and drugs for alternative methods. Many with chronic or severe illnesses are seeing the limitations of drugs, while others find themselves becoming sicker. We are given one drug to ‘cure’ one aliment, only to be given another to counter the damage done by the previous drug. The surge to find alternative methods and remedies has recently increased as a realization, even by some of us in the medical community, that many of the drugs on the market do not work and are harmful. By turning to Herbology and Naturopathic studies, we can once again embrace the methods of our ancestors and use the wealth provided by our Mother Earth to live healthier lives.

As we forge ahead into the New Year, we are in the middle of the Flu/Cold season. Some very simple things that we can make to help ward off a cold or flu or even help shorten its duration are herbal teas.

Herbal

• WiseWoman Traditions

teas are easily made from herbs within our cupboard by simply brewing in hot or boiling water. They help soothe sore throats, stifle coughs, and aid in internal healing.

One effective tea that can be made is a mixture of ½ ounce crushed peppermint leaves, ½ elder flower, and 1 ½ boiling distilled water. Allow the mixture to steep on your stove for about 20 minutes, then strain. A wonderful sweetener would be to add honey to your tea.

Peppermint is often used in healing and purification workings. It can be burned or rubbed against objects to clear them of negative energies, or consumed as an elixir or tea to bring about healing.

Elder flowers are traditionally used to treat influenza, colds, mucus, sinusitis, feverish illnesses and other upper respiratory tract problems, as well as hay fever. The leaves and raw berries contain toxic cyanogenic glycosides and are poisonous. Care must be taken when using this plant for herbal remedies. Throughout Europe, it was widely believed that burning elder wood brings bad luck, but that elder sprigs hung in houses provide protection from witches.

One of the more effective remedies for colds/flu and its symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and sore throat is an herbal tea made from Red Raspberry leaves. It is simply a tea made from steeping the leaves. As a tea use 2-3 tsp of dried or chopped leaves in 5 -8oz of boiling water for 5 min, discarding solid particles. Red raspberry leaves have been used for centuries to aid in everything from the flu to wounds to ulcers to pregnancy. The branches of red raspberry were hung up at doors and windows for protection. This is also done when a death had occurred, so that the flu spirit would not reenter the house once it had left. Raspberry was served as a love inducing food, and the leaves were carried by pregnant women to alleviate the pain of pregnancy and childbirth.

There are many other herbal remedies that can be used to fight the flu and cold, but the main defense against the flu season is good nutrition throughout the year.

With this being my first column for PaganPages, I only did an ‘introduction’ to the future topics within ‘The Witch’s Cupboard’. I write professionally for

Herbal

• WiseWoman Traditions

and Naturopathic magazines and would like to cater this column more towards our readers. I welcome your comments and feedback. I would like to incorporate in the coming months our Holidays and what herbs are related to each. Would you like me to go more in depth on certain herbs? Would you like me to add scientific information about the herbs I mention? Ideal conditions for growing/harvesting? Are there certain illnesses you would like to learn possible herbal remedies for?

Recipes

• Airmid’s Cauldron

? Or herbs used in Spell work?

I look forward to hearing from and “meeting” many of you.

Namaste Iammu

Disclaimer:

Please note that we are not advocating that people stop using their normal medication, but would like to make people aware that some alternative therapies can be very effective to help treat problems and create a healthier, younger and more vital you. Also, it is not recommended to use most herbal supplements during pregnancy, or during breast feeding, or for small children. But then again, although these warnings must be provided, we must ask if the warnings come from experiences using herbs or from a medical community which is afraid we will cure ourselves.

Tags: healing, herbs, holistic, magic, medicine, nature, oils, organic, teas

• Articles

Tammye Dunn October, 2008

No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig.  If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer that there must be time.  Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen. ~Epictetus (c. 50 – 120)

Every now and again I get glimpses of my Granny’s kitchen window.  Her kitchen was red and white – red cherries on the curtains – I think.  It was a small kitchen but always full of warmth and light, maybe because so much love came out of that tiny little room.

If you looked out of her window you were privy to an enchanted world, where dragonflies and fairies played among the leaves of an enormous fig tree.  She was such a captivating woman that as children – her word was above any god.  And she said that figs were fairy candy.  So be it.  We ate more figs than our stomach could handle.  Those were the sweetest fruit!

Now I have a fig tree in my side yard….and ya’ know the dragonflies and fairies really do dance on the leaves…..and the birds chirp merrily as they nourish themselves on the freshly fallen figs, which makes the cats tail swish vehemently to and fro, which attracts the dogs…which inevitably causes havoc.

Figs are one of the oldest fruits recognized by man. It’s no wonder the fig has been enjoyed for centuries. Its sweet, delicious flesh, long used as a sweetener before the advent of refined sugars, enhances both savory dishes and desserts.  High in potassium, iron, fiber and plant calcium, figs are also used for medicinal purposes as a diuretic and laxative.

Figs have been cultivated in the Eastern Mediterranean area for thousands of years. Archaeologists think it was one of the first fruits domesticated–as early as 4000 BC! Sumerian scribes writing on clay tablets around 2500 BC in the reign of King Drukagina mention figs, as do the earliest books in the Bible. Some scholars believe the forbidden fruit picked by Eve was a fig rather than an apple.

The fig tree figures in the founding of great cultures and religions. Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were suckled by a she-wolf under a fig tree, which later, in the time of Pliny, was revered as a sacred tree. While sitting under a fig tree, Siddhartha Gautama had the revelation that formed the foundations of Buddhism. Figs have been prized for both medicinal and dietary value. Mithridates, the Greek king of Pontus, heralded figs as an antidote for all ailments and instructed his physicians to consider its uses as a medicine. The early Greeks so highly prized figs that it was considered an honor to bestow the foliage and fruit. In the original Olympic games, winning athletes were crowned with fig wreaths and given figs to eat. Pliny of Rome said:

“Figs are restorative. The best food that can be eaten by those who are brought low by long sickness and are on the way to recovery. They increase the strength of young people, preserve the elderly in better health and make them look younger with fewer wrinkles”.

The fig tree can live as long as 100 years and grow to 100 feet tall ….. Aha! No wonder the fairies love that tree.

Blessings Be!
Magikal Martha

Magikal Fare

Stuffed Fresh Figs

Fill stemmed fresh figs with:
Cultured sour cream and grated orange peel

Figgie Pudding

½ c. butter
2 eggs
1 c. molasses
2 c. dried figs
½ tsp grated lemon
1 c. buttermilk
½ c. chopped walnuts
2 ½ c. flour
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (ginger may be a substitute)
½ tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325. Beat butter until soft. Add and beat eggs until fluffy, and molasses. Add finely chopped dried figs, grated lemon rind, and buttermilk and black walnuts. Sift all-purpose flour. Resift with baking soda.  Add baking powder; salt, cinnamon (or ginger) and nutmeg. Stir the sifted ingredients into the pudding mixture. Bake in a greased 9-inch tube pan about one hour.

Fig Preserves
This recipe comes from my great-great grandmother.  It is at least 100 years old.

5 lbs peeled figs
5 lbs sugar
1 lemon sliced

Peel and quarter figs, add sugar and sliced lemon. Let stand two or three hours to draw juice, stir occasionally.

When sugar has softened, begin cooking. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil 25-30 minutes, stirring constantly so liquid doesn’t stick to bottom of pot.

After foam disappears and juice has thickened, ladle into hot jars and seal.

Magikal Abilities

Ruler: Jupiter

Type: Tree

Element: Fire

Magikal Form: The Fig tree is androgynous.  The fruit represents the feminine and the triple lobed leaves the masculine.  Use for balance.  Fig adds enlightenment, fecundity, love, power, and wisdom to beverages.

Deities: Isis and Ra

To cause a man to view his future bride
Mix together magnate dust; powdered coral with the blood of a white pigeon to form a dough. Enclose it in a large fig, wrap it in a piece of blue cloth, and then wear it around your neck when you go to sleep.

Fairy Magic

The Apsaras, also called Sky Dancers, are fig tree fairies – actually they are Devas, who come from Hindu mythology.

They bless humans at important stages of in their lives. They have been known to seduce scholars and scientists, and sexually exhaust them so that they will not discover things which are better left alone.

Evoke the Apsaras for blessings, sex magic, good luck and protection for gamblers.

And A Little Bit of Gypsy Magick

Write a question on a fig leaf.  If the leaf dries slowly, the answer is yes, or it is a good omen.  If it dries quickly, the meaning is no or a bad omen.

To charm the pants off of someone, give them a fig.  As long as they keep the fig they will be spellbound by your presence.

Tags: figs, healing, Herbal

• Articles

Administrator August, 2006

I am a magician of over 30 years of experience with removing curses, disharmonies and other spiritual problems. I plan to touch upon many subjects in this column but they will all relate to spiritual problems and upsets. I feel these problems are running rampant while everyone is saying if you think positive bad things will go away.

People block themselves and the energies block them so they have these problems. It is past the point where they can think positively. The only way to help with these problems is working upon your inner self and knowing yourself. You can overcome any outside forces and be a success in what ever you want to do or be in your life.



I plan to help everyone to learn how to do this in their lives. It will make it so no matter what happens you can endure and still come out as yourself. You can enjoy your life with all of the challenges and adventures. You can also see what you did to cause the root of your problems and know how to fix it.

The basics of healing spiritual problems involve the energy system I know that everyone has read about chakras and all of the other subjects. It is only part of the problem.



Each person has an energy signature. I call this the vibration, pitch, note, key and color of the energy coming from them. It manifests as the aura, the chakras, the energy body, astral energy bodies and soul or higher self. The energy signature shows everything about you.



The next step is to realize that we are continuously being created every minute and all of our decisions, and choices are written into that energy signature to become part of ourselves. Every choice we make has a reaction and that reaction is what causes imbalances, disharmonies and discord with in our energetic bodies. The proper choices can remove the imbalances, and discord. Yet what person knows all of the proper choices and decisions to make in their lives?



All spiritual imbalances will manifest as disharmonies and blockages in the physical world. They will limit your access to God, Goddess, and all positive forces if they go against your inner nature. You will then find that no matter who you call that you are blocked from doing this by the very essence of your being until it is corrected.



Now everyone in this world is not perfect. They have blockages just like you do. No one no matter how evolved and precious they are has a perfect energy system or they would not be on this earth. We all have to work upon ourselves and our expectations sometimes do not meet with reality.



I have over the years realized that many people discard others with problems. They do not want to listen to the problems. They do not know how to help, and they act like it is contagious. It is not contagious but it is difficult to know how to help yourself and others.



The first step is to learn how to observe yourself and your reactions. The Buddhists have introspection meditation for this and it includes watching your thoughts. The worse decisions are made when we are reacting instead of thinking. It is an invaluable aid in magic because it teaches us how to concentrate and makes our mind clearer. It not only will make you a better person but also will make it so you are a better witch or magician.



I have two e on how to do this from different perspectives. One is Buddhist and one follows the step program of AA and adds in reality shift points. I will have my email at the end of this article if you are interested in either of these methods. Together they cover most of the problems people have in hiding themselves from their real person.



By this I mean the real person is the inner self that follows what is right for each person. No one is identical to another so no one should judge another’s path. You do not know what the person is going through and many people act differently than what they are.



The way the world is set up today helps us to lose our individuality. It makes it so we wonder if it is worth it to do what feels right for us. We are swayed by teachers, advertising and many other stress factors to just go their way or the easiest way. They claim it is the best way and perfect for everyone.



No one has the perfect way. We may find the perfect way for us but it is not the perfect way for everyone else. The only thing that works is to use methods that make it so we heal ourselves to find our perfect path. It allows us to be the best person and in the things we have the capacity to do.



Introspection is one tool. Another tool is through how we act. The secret of living a life that has fewer problems is ethics. You do not do anything to anyone that you did not like being done to you. You try to see if I steal this apple what could happen and go through the steps of the reactions. It is taught in ethics and helps you to see the repercussions on a spiritual level. I know that if I say something mean in front of a gossip they will say it to the person I talked about. Is it worth saying anything mean because of what harm can it do? The repercussions of our actions help to cause problems in our lives by changing our energy signature in such a way that we have something happen to put what we did into perspective. It happens quickly to those studying any type of Wicca, magic or spirituality because we are the ones trying to learn to act better. I prefer the repercussions of doing what I believe fits into what is right and agrees with my inner nature. I may have problems but realize these are challenges to put my path in the right direction.



Another way that we sabotage ourselves is learned behavior from childhood and life problems. I had a Father who was ill all of the time and had money problems. My Mother obsessed about money so I have never been able to easily collect money. It all stems back to the catch phrases that we have heard all of our lives that affect us in different ways. It makes us react and that is when we make wrong decisions.



The clearer we make our energetic system the better our magic works. Most people try to be magic but we are all magic. It is part of our heritage so what we need to do is clear our connections to our inner and higher self. It will show all of us how magic we really are by how much we can accomplish.



I will touch upon many different subjects over the next few months. I hope all of you will benefit from this column and enjoy reading it.



***

author bio:

Nita Hickok

I have been a practicing magician since I was 17 years old. I am now in my fifties. I have studied many different methods and life paths. It has included Earth Magic, Wicca, Hermetic Magic and Theosophy. I also have a specialty where I am able to break people loose from being blocked, bound or otherwise harmed by negative entities, energies and people.

I have written a book How to Heal from Psychic Attack the Problem Solvers Alphabet and tested it for two years before printing it. I have worked upon Clearings and spirit releasement in many places. My main goal is to teach the people I help to help themselves so they are empowered in their lives.

I love the fact that since I have been on the internet I have had cases where I travel to different places. One of my friends says my main weakness is to dangle a round trip airplane ticket in front of me. I still do most of my work at home with the techniques I use in the astral plane for healing others.

I have two websites http://www.astralhealer.com and http://www.hermeticuniversityonline.com where I teach classes online with people being able to ask questions in forums. My contact email is nita@astralhealer.com please feel free to contact me with questions, suggestions and about the ebooks I mentioned in the article.

Tags: healing, Nita Hickok, spiritual

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