In the Kitchen with Skarlett – To Your Health!!
With the wear and tear of the Holidays behind us and a long, cold (at least in the northern hemisphere) winter ahead of us. We will be most likely up against the dreaded cold and flu season. Now would be a good time to focus on a bit of rest and self care to get you through to Spring. Do keep in mind that these practices are no replacement for professional medical help. But used in concert with sensible medical care, these should help provide relief and healing.
There are several deities you can call on to aid you in healing. The big one being Brighid. Her festival of Imbolc is on February 1st of 2025. It is customary to tie strips of cloth on a tree on Imbolc eve to be blessed by Brighid overnight. These are a potent healing charm. Me I get these muslin tea sachets and leave them out to be blessed by her. This gives an added oomph to the herbal teas I brew for various ailments.
Asclepius is the Greek God of medicine and healing. Asclepius was also known as “the Healer”. His daughters, the Asclepiades, included Hygieia, the goddess of health, and Iaso, the goddess of healing. The rod of Asclepius, a staff entwined with snakes, is still a symbol of the medical field today. You may invoke him and his Daughters to help you overcome particularly stubborn illnesses and to bolster good health and wellness.
Surprisingly, The Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet is the matron of physicians, medicine and healing. Sekhmet whose name means: “She who is powerful” or “the One who loves Ma’at” was the goddess of the hot desert sun, plague, chaos, war, and healing. She was created from the fire of the sun god Ra’s eye when he looked upon Earth. Sekhmet was a terrifying goddess, however for her friends she could avert plague and cure disease.
The ancient Egyptians believed that Sekhmet had a cure for every problem. In order to stay on her good side, makes offerings of beer, meat and honey cake. You can also play music for her, and burned incense. They would whisper their prayers into the ears of cat mummies (in place of cat mummies, you can whisper in the ear of a feline companion) and have them talk to Sekhmet for you. They believed that this was a direct connection to the deities and their prayers would be answered.
The primary God associated with healing in Norse mythology is Eir, who is considered the goddess of healing and medicine. As a member of the Ásynjur, Eir is described as being the healer among them. Her role with Menglod at Lyfjaberg, the hill of healing, also confers upon her great powers of medicine and midwifery. As a Valkyrie, she has the gift of healing powers for warriors on the battlefield. She would most likely be a great aid in handling wounds and physical injuries.
These are but a few of the Dieties you can build a personal relationship with to five you help with healing illness and injury. Choose the one that you feel the closest connection with and go from there. In this day and age we need all the help we can get when healing. I wish you good luck and good health on your journey.
Here are some of my favourite teas, soup and bath salts to make when I am feeling poorly. I hope they work for you as well as they have for me.
This is a nutrient dense soup that gives you a shot of vitamin C with the ginger, garlic and hot sauce opening stuffy passage ways.
Healing Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoon ginger paste (found in Asian Grocery stores)
2 teaspoons Sirracha
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1 large sweet onion, Finely diced
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
12 cups organic chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh carrot, sliced
1 cup fresh, sliced, button mushrooms
1 cup fresh spinach
lemon wedges
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add minced garlic and onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add Ginger paste, Sriracha sauce, and salt & pepper. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
Add the chicken broth, chicken, mushrooms and carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes (feel free to cook on low for up to an hour).
Add spinach and let cook for 5 minutes just before serving. Squeeze a lemon wedge into your bowl and stir.
Clove Tea
To kill mouth bacteria, support the immune system and expel mucus from the lungs
1-1/2 teaspoons dried ginger pieced or a half inch slice of fresh ginger
1-3 inch cinnamon stick
10 whole cloves
Place spices into three cups boiling water/ Turn water down to simmer and let steep for five minutes. Strain and allow liquid to cool. Add raw honey to taste and sip slowly.
Winter Tonic
This gives a nice dose of vitamin C with ginger and mint to soothe the stomach if one is feeling under the weather. Sweeten with honey and enjoy!
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon dried hibiscus
2 teaspoons lemon grass
1 teaspoon dried ginger pieces
3 whole dried rose hips
1/2 teaspoon dried peppermint
Combine the herbs and then place in a tea ball. Place in a mug and pour boiling water in a mug. Let steep a half an hour or so and then drink. Vitamin C and antioxidants galore and it boosts your immune system. Tastes good straight, but honey can be added as well.
Under The Weather Bath Salt
The sea salt, borax and Epsom salt paired with the wonderful fragrance of the essential oils can help relieve muscle aches, sinus pressure, vertigo, and more. Be sure to try it next time you have a cold this winter!
2 cups sea salt
2 cups Epsom salt
1 cup borax
1 cup Baking Soda
8-10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
8-10 drops peppermint essential oil
8-10 drops lavender essential oil
Thoroughly combine the salts, borax and baking soda in a large bowl with a mixing spoon. Add in the essential oils one at a time, mixing thoroughly before adding the next one. When made, store in a zip lock or a Tupperware container. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of bath salts into a hot bath. Relax and enjoy.
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About the Author:
Skarlett
I’ve been a practicing pagan and witch for over 20 years. I was raised Catholic (in such that my parents sent me to Catholic school as they believed it would give me a better education..my parents were agnostic at best) and got over it quickly enough. It never touched me, but the school library had really good books on mythology and divination, so there was that. I began my path at the age of 14 after seeing The Occult Explosion on late night TV and then raiding the occult section at B Daltons with a pocketful of babysitting money and allowance.
Paganism made sense to me. I started out Wiccan as that was what was available on the shelves and grew from there. At 16 I was handed a copy of the Principia Discordia and well…I added chaos magic to the mix. I was a solitary who occasionally attended discussion groups and rituals when living in Chicago. I then moved to Ohio (Gods know why). Through a series of interesting coincidences I ended up with Three Cranes Grove and made wonderful friends and learned a lot. Though I have wandered off again, I still consider myself a Crane..albeit an out dwelling one.
My path can be best described as Discordian-Eclectic Kitchen Witch. Heh. You have been warned…
