medicine

WiseWoman Traditions

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.

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Wise Woman Traditions

OSusun S. Weed February, 2009

You Can Have a Green Ally!

    • Herbal

    • medicine is people’s medicine. So why don’t more people use it? Because it can seem complicated and scary, for starters. That’s the reason I urge you to use herbal medicine simply — one herb at a time. And that’s a good reason to have a green ally: one plant that teaches you the fundamental principles of herbal medicine.

    • Herbal

    • medicine is spirit medicine as well as body medicine. Our green allies tend our souls along with our sores. So why don’t more books and courses talk about plant spirits? Or, if they do, why do they divorce it from herbal medicine? Because it’s not something that is easily written or even talked about. You have to connect with the devas and fairies yourself. And that’s a good reason to have a green ally: one plant that opens you and guides you into the realms of green blessings.

    • Herbal

    • medicine is broad, deep, wide, timeless. It takes seven lifetimes to become an herbalist.

    Take the time this year to develop a relationship with one special plant: a green ally. How?

    Choose a plant that grows very near to you … no more than a one-minute walk from your door. You don’t need to know the name of the plant, or anything about it. You will be sitting with your plant every day, so, if possible, choose one that grows in a quiet and lovely place … in a pot on your balcony is just fine … in a park is great … so is an alley … or a backyard.

    You can read about the plant you’ve chosen if you do know the name, but it isn’t necessary. The point is to develop a special caring, nurturing relationship with your green ally. The following six exercises can help you do this. They are from my latest correspondence course: ABC of

    • Herbal

    • ism with Susun Weed, which focuses on ways to prepare and use 52 herbs and herbs for dealing with more than 20 health concerns. I also offer a year-long Green Ally Correspondence Course. For more information on my other correspondence courses visit me at www.susunweed.com

    Green Ally Exercises from “ABC of

    • Herbal

    • ism with Susun S. Weed”

    First green ally exercise:

    Sit and breathe with your green ally for 3-10 minutes a day. You breathe out and the plant breathes in; the plant breathes out and you breathe in.

    Second green ally exercise:

    Make a detailed drawing of your green ally, as accurate as you can make it. Then do a soft-focus, impressionistic drawing of your green ally. When the weather is too inclement to breathe with your green ally, breathe with your green ally’s picture.

    Third green ally exercise:

    What part of your green ally is usually used? Are other parts helpful? Experiment by making several small tinctures, oils, and vinegars of the different parts of your plant. Ask the plant to help you discover new ways to use her.

    Fourth green ally exercise:

    Observe the conditions that your green ally chooses to live in. Does your ally grow near to people (to be used) or far from them (to be left alone)? In a shady spot (cool) or a sunny one (warm)? In a wet area (moist) or an arid one (dry)? In rich soil or poor soil? Plants make alkaloids and glycosides in rich soils; resins and essential oils in poor soils.

    Fifth green ally exercise:

    Write a story from the point of view of your green ally. Let your ally speak to you and through you. Listen for the voice of your ally in your dreams, in your day dreams, in your mind. Write down what she says.

    If this is hard, try writing with a pen instead of on a computer; or try writing with your non-dominant hand. A warm-up exercise given to me by Jean Houston is to first write a page of praise of your ally, tell your ally how wonderful she is, and how much you like her.

    Final green ally exercise:

    Introduce one or more friends to your green ally. Tell them what you know, what you feel, and what you think about your ally. If it is edible, feed them some.

    Study with Susun Weed in the convenience of your home! Choose from four Correspondence Courses: Green Allies, Spirit & Practice of the Wise Woman Tradition, Green Witch, and ABC of

    • Herbal

    • ism – includes audio/video tapes, books, assignments, special mailings, plus personal time.

    Learn more at www.susunweed.com

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    The Witch’s Cupboard

    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

    • 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

    • 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

    • ? 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.

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    Medicine and Magic

    Administrator April, 2006

    Are we mere flesh and blood, or something more? Many believe that we have both a spiritual as well as a physical existence. Call it a soul, an aura, whatever – we are energy linked to a physical shell. If this is true for us, can it also be true for the strange little life forms we call diseases? Medicine works on the physical; it attacks an illness on a material level. An example of this is an antibiotic which attacks the microscopic “bodies” of the invading disease. But in addition to medicine, many people use a variety of healing techniques which employ magical energies. Perhaps this magic works with the energy portion of the disease. Both medicine and magic have merits. They also have limits. But when used together, they have synergy that makes them much more effective. Look for ways to see the magic within your medicine. It is just another magical tool! Are the pills round? Are they colored? If you should take them every 4 hours, can that be a cycle, a rhythm? Help your medicine be blessed and charged with the powers to heal. How can energy be used to heal? There are very complex ways, but very simple ways too. The simplest being the use of your own imagination! Does a hot bath feel good when you are sick? Try steeping the illness out of you, leaving it behind like flavor from a tea bag. Notice the symptoms of many illnesses are the body’s natural “output” devices. Coughing, sneezing, bleeding, vomiting, diarrhea and sweats all cast out a tiny bit of you, and perhaps the illness as well. See the illness leaving your body with these symptoms.

    Ever sign a cast for someone with a broken bone? See that as a magical event, focusing your attention and energies on healing the wounded area. Use the colors, shapes, symbols or words you feel appropriate. With body paints, you can work your healing magic over just about any part of the body! If medicine and magic can work well together, then perhaps we can do the same for habits which prevent illness. See your diet, exercise and general healthcare as magical events. Pray (and work) for the benefits of good health. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

    ***

    author bio:

    Link (Anthony)
    6538 Collins Avenue,
    #255 Miami Beach, FL 33141
    USA

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