Using Herbs

Any time you buy an herb,
check a garden book or one of the herb sites
on the net and see if it's invasive.
If it is, and you want to keep it in bounds,
grow it in a container, or at least put
an edging around it in the ground.
Mint, for example, will spread
rapidly and take over a bed.

As for bath salt mixtures,
I like mint and lavender together.
Melissa (lemon balm) makes very nice salts,
as do old fashioned roses with strong scents.
I tend to stay away from culinary herbs, since most
people don't want to smell like a pot roast.
*smile*
Any of the scented mints by itself
will perfume salts, and they're also nice
bruised and dropped into plain soda water
with a wedge of lemon,
for a scented non-caloric drink.

One fast amd easy thing to do with herbs is to make
bath salts. Just crush about a quarter cup of fresh
herbs into a couple of cups of sea salt or pickling
salt. You can use a mortar and pestle, blender, or
a food processor if you have one.
Add a handful of the salt
to hot bath water for a refreshing soak.
You can have a lot of fun making your
own special mixes, and they make lovely gifts.

The bath salts that I make seem to last
about a year before the scent starts to fade.
I just checked the remains of some
that I made three years ago and
it still has a faint scent.
(Of course, if it's for yourself,
you can always grind some more herbs
into a faded mix to rejuvenate it.)
You can also add a couple of drops
of food coloring to the salt-herb mixture,
just to "fancy it up."
This looks especially nice in a clear jar,
with a matching ribbon tied around the neck.

Good Morning, Rose and all,
I hope everyone is enjoying this season
of new life and new beginnings.
Here in New England, everything is very
lush and green and fully in bloom.
After our very long winter
it is indeed a blessing!
Remind me of this later today,
when it is 90 hot and humid:

Boil some new red potatos and dressed them
with a tiny bit of butter and lots of dill,
parsley, chives, lemon thyme, rosemary,
summer savory, basil and sage.
Very simple and very yummy!
I have a special knife that I use only
for cutting herbs and always ask
the garden devas for permission before I cut.
My daughter asked me the other day
if they ever said 'No' and I told her
that so far so good.
I am pretty careful to leave them
the occasional offering and always share
our, after-ritual feast with them.

Magickally
I love good ole mugwort for purifying and cleansing
divination and magickal tools and have a special
affinity for Hysopp[sp] which I use in a bath pouch
before rituals for purification.
Being a green witch I only use natural incense
made of raw herbs and resins and what I use depends
on what I'm doing, ritual spell work etc.
I just got a wonderful recipe for some
Sea incense which i am looking forward to trying.

Medicinally, I would not ever be without Lavender,
especially the pure essential oil.
It is inexpensive, smells wonderful and has so many uses.
It heals burns and scrapes, lifts ones
spirits and conversely calms if needed.
Also helps me when i get the occasional stress headache.
I also make a tea out of the leaves
from the plants for stress and it's very nice.
I enjoy making Calendula lavender salve
which has become a big favorite
around here and at my barn and would be glad
to share it here if anyone is interested.

It's quite easy and very effective
for dry skin, scrapes, bug bites, etc.

This is only the beginning and I could go
on and on about various teas and potions
that I have used and enjoy.
Right now i am healing a nasty
bronchial infection and drinking
some teas to boost my immune system.
I had to go on antibiotics for 7 days, now
need to clean out my system.
If anyone has any recommendations
for benefical herbs for this
I would really appreciate it.
Right now I'm just using a combo
of red clover, nettles and dandelion
with a shot of echinachea tincture.
Still have lots of mucus and thought of using
Ma Hung but have a tendency to high blood presure
at times and not sure if it would be safe.


SOURCE(S)
Green Blessings to all,
Robin

-- Dian Crayne
Willits, California
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dcrayne@crayne.org
Pacific Sites
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