Wortcunning

On The Potwell Inn’s blog, wortcunning is brilliantly described as “the deep knowledge of plants needed to produce a leechdom, or medicinal formula.”

One of my favourite plant books of all time is Vickery’s Folk Flora by Roy Vickery; a full A-Z of British and Irish plants, their folklore and uses.

It combines material gathered since the early 1970s, and features a beautiful array of hand-sketches and colour photographs.

It gives the binomial name for each plant, plus full lists of regional variations. The really fun bit is the folklore associated with each plant; I’ve particularly enjoyed the information on Broad Beans which are grown abundantly in my region, and feature heavily in local lore.

Do you have a favourite herb/plant book? I’d love to hear!

Natural Remedies: 15 Ways to Use Dried Lavender

Lavender is an extremely versatile herb. Like lavender essential oil, there are many uses for dried lavender, here are just a few:

• Sprinkle over floors before sweeping/vacuuming. Your vacuum bag and/or bin will smell lovely! 
• Use as an insect/moth/silverfish repellent in wardrobes and cupboards. Hang lavender bags or make a pomander.
• Add to letters and cards for a scented surprise. 
• Create scented candles by adding dried lavender and some essential oil to heated wax.
• Add to other dried herbs plus some frankincense and myrrh to create incense.
• Make Lavender bath salts. Add 1/4 cup dried lavender to 1 1/4 cups of Epsom Salts, and a few drops of essential oil. Combine and store in a tightly closed jar. Pour into a muslin bag before adding to bath. Keeps 6-9 months in a cool, dark place.
• Make lavender bags. Place in drawers to keep clothes fresh or by your pillow as a sleep aid. Squeeze the bag regularly to refresh the scent.
• Lavender bags make great wedding favours. You can coordinate the bag material with your theme. 
• Lavender bags also make great car air fresheners.
• Add culinary grade dried lavender to your favourite drinks to add a floral flavour. Add to green tea or floral gins. 
• Add culinary grade dried lavender to salads, cakes and chocolate.
• Use in place of rice or paper as wedding confetti. Fragrant, a pretty colour, biodegradable, and perfect to take to a wedding if you’re not sure on the venue rules. Create confetti cones and leave in a basket for your guests on your big day. 
• Make lavender infused oil, perfect for restless legs, dry scalps, and itchy bites. Fill a jar half way with dried lavender. Cover with a carrier oil (I recommend Grapeseed). Cap and store somewhere cool for 4-6 weeks, shaking occasionally. Strain, and use within 9 months to a year.
• Use lavender oil made from dried lavender to create balms and salves.
• Use lavender on stalks for smudge sticks, or loose with other herbs to create incense.

NEXT - Natural Remedies: Nettle & Rosemary Hair Rinse
NEXT - Review: Magical Aromatherapy by Scott Cunningham
NEXT - Flower Magick: 52 Floral Magickal Correspondences 

Natural Remedies: Nettle & Rosemary Hair Rinse

Nettle is rich in nutrients and antioxidants. It contains silica and sulphur which together make hair shinier, thicker and healthier. Nettle boosts the circulation, meaning more oxygen (and therefore nutrients) reach the hair follicles. The antioxidants get rid of damaging compounds and inhibit the formation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), an androgen (type of hormone) that causes baldness in both men and women.

Rosemary is also believed to prevent DHT from bonding to hormone receptors that enable the hair follicles to be attacked. Rosemary contains ursolic acid which increases (scalp) circulation. It is unsurprising, then, that hair re-growth has been observed in trials using rosemary oil. Its antibacterial properties cleanse the hair and increase shine.

Working together nettle and rosemary do amazing things for the hair.

This recipe has been in my Book of Shadows for over 20 years now. It seems a bit odd rinsing your hair after washing it with what is basically tea(!), but it will add body and shine.

• Step 1 - Add a handful or two of Nettles, and a handful of Rosemary sprigs, to a heat-proof bowl. Add 1L of boiling water and leave over night to steep.

• Step 2 - Strain. At this stage you could add 50ml raw apple cider vinegar if you wanted, but I don’t bother.

• Step 3 - After shampooing rinse your hair with this mixture, no need to wash out. Use all in one go, this mix isn’t for storing.

‼️ CAUTION: this beautiful reddish-brown mixture will stain ceramic bathroom ware, so please be careful. Rosemary can darken blond hair over time; so if you’re blonde - and enjoy being so! - you might want to avoid frequent use. 

NEXT - Natural Remedies: Women's Blend Diffusion
NEXT - Flower Magick: Using Flowers in Cooking
NEXT - Rose Magick: Correspondences 

Natural Remedies: Meadowsweet Foot Soak

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), also known as Meadwort, hars been used for its medicinal purposes since the Bronze Age.

Today, its job was to soothe my tired, aching feet, and lend some comfort to my frazzled nerves ahead of a busy week.

I’m going to share a bit more about Meadowsweet over the coming days, including a photograph of this wonder herb, but today I want to share with you my recipe for a foot bath.

Fresh Meadowsweet Foot Soak:

Take ten heads of Meadowsweet and place in a large pan. 

Cover with 1.5L of water.

Bring to a boil, then leave to steep for 15 minutes.

Strain into a basin. Add some cool water if needed.

Soak your feet, and relax!

Whilst this recipe is simple, it is super-refreshing, and my feet always feel like new afterwards. They are soothed, softened, and moisturised. The fragrance and time out has made me ready, mentally, for the week ahead.

Do exercise some caution as the Meadowsweet stains some materials yellow. 

NEXT - Natural Remedies: Stinging Nettle & Rosemary Hair Rinse
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Meadowsweet
NEXT - Simple Magick: The Wisdom of Land Wights

Natural Remedies: Stinging Nettle & Rosemary Hair Rinse

Nettle is rich in many nutrients and antioxidants, making it a great plant ally. It is rich in silica and sulphur making hair shinier, thicker, and healthier. Nettle boosts the circulation, which means that more oxygen - and therefore nutrients - will reach the hair follicles. Nettle contains super antioxidants that help get rid of damaging compounds, and inhibit the formation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), an androgen (type of hormone), that causes baldness in both men and women.

Rosemary is believed to prevent DHT from bonding to hormone receptors that enable the hair follicles to be attacked, and it contains ursolic acid which increases (scalp) circulation. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that hair re-growth has been observed in trials using Rosemary oil. It’s antibacterial properties gently cleanse the hair and increase shine. Working together, Nettle and Rosemary do amazing things for the hair.

This recipe has been in my Book of Shadows for over 20 years now. It seems a bit odd rinsing your hair after washing it with what is basically tea(!), but it will add body and shine to your hair.

Step 1 - Add a handful or two of Nettles, and a handful of Rosemary sprigs, to a heat-proof bowl. Add 1L of boiling water and leave over night to steep.

Step 2 - Strain. At this stage you could add 50ml raw apple cider vinegar if you wanted, but I don’t bother.

Step 3 - After shampooing rinse your hair with this mixture, no need to wash out. Use all in one go, this mix isn’t for storing.

CAUTION: this beautiful reddish-brown mixture will stain ceramic bathroom ware, so please be careful. Rosemary can darken blond hair over time; so if you’re blonde - and enjoy being so! - you might want to avoid frequent use. 

NEXT - Natural Remedies: Lavender Oil
NEXT - Rosemary Magick: 17 Uses & Correspondences
NEXT - Personal Magick: My Kitchen Apothecary

Natural Remedies: Lavender Oil

On Beltane Eve I completed the first step in making Lavender Salve. I’ve shared the recipe for Lavender Salve before, but I didn’t go into much detail in making the oil. This is really easy, with only a few steps to follow.

Step 1 - add your plant or herb (eg. Dandelion or Lavender) to a canning jar, halfway. It’s really important that your ingredients are bone dry, therefore no moisture in the jar, as this can lead to mould.

Step 2 - cover with carrier oil, cap, and leave in a place out of direct sunlight for at least 10 days, but up to 4-6 weeks if you can. You can use any type of oil, but olive oil is safe on the skin and great for infusing.

Step 3 - strain into a clear jar using a strainer or cheesecloth. In a cool, dark, place your oil should keep for up to a year, but you may wish to use it immediately if part of a recipe for body products or cosmetics.

You can repeat the process if you want to make the oil stronger; simply strain and add to a new batch of dried plants. You can add a few drops of Vitamin E oil at the end of infusing to extend the shelf life. 

NEXT - Natural Remedies: Lavender Salve
NEXT - Chamomile Magick: 9 Protective Correspondences
NEXT - Natural Remedies: 15 Ways to Use Dried Lavender

Resin Magick: 8 Resins & Their Magickal Correspondences

Every region has resins, gums, and sacred herbs that bring them closer to the divine. They have been traded since people first came together. In Egypt, Frankincense was burned at sunrise as an offering to Horus, and Myrrh was burned at midday as an offering to the Sun-God Ra. Both are used today for protection and healing.

The Magickal Properties of Resin

Acacia:
Prosperity, fertility, healing, spiritual grounding.

Balsam of Peru:
Happiness, aphrodisiac, visualisation.

Benzoin:
Exotic, sensual, astral travel.

Dammar:
Dispels the demons of depression, healing.

Dragon’s Blood:
Dispels negative energy, protective.

Labdanum:
Sensuous, opens the imagination.

Sandarac:
Stimulates creativity, lifts the soul, freshens.

Storax:
Associated with Hecate, dream and astral work.

Natural Remedies: Lavender Salve

To create Lavender Salve you must first create some Lavender Oil:

Fill a jar halfway with dried Lavender. Cover with carrier oil, cap, leave in cool, dark place (shaking occasionally) for 4-6 weeks. Strain.

To make the salve you will need:

LAVENDER SALVE

Ingredients: 
100g/3.5oz Lavender Oil.
15g/0.5oz Beeswax - or half as much Candelilla Wax for a Vegan alternative.
A heatproof tin or jar.
Small tins or jars.
Lavender Essential Oil (optional).

Method:
Put the wax into the jar/can.
Put the jar/can into a saucepan containing an inch or two of water.
Place on a medium heat until wax has melted.
Mix in the Lavender Oil.
Add in a few drops of Lavender Essential Oil (optional).
Pour into small tins or jars and leave for a few hours to harden.

The salve will last approximately 9 months to a year. Use to soothe bug bites/stings, on temples for headache relief, on wrists and neck for perfume, and to reduce sunburn healing time. 

NEXT - Natural Remedies: 10 Ways To Use Dried Lavender
NEXT - Natural Remedies: Lavender Oil
NEXT - Lupin Magick: 12 Correspondences for Growth

Natural Remedies: 10 Ways To Use Dried Lavender

I grow Lavender here on the cemetery in pots, but we can’t grow much, as we don’t have a garden - the cemetery IS our garden. My mum grew this and kindly passed it on for me to use.

Like Lavender essential oil, there are so many uses for dried Lavender, it’s such a versatile plant.

Dried Lavender Uses:
Sprinkle over floors before sweeping/vacuuming. Your vacuum bag or bin will smell lovely!

Use as an insect/moth/silverfish repellent in wardrobes and cupboards. Hang Lavender bags or make a pomander.

Add to letters and cards for a scented surprise.

Create scented candles by adding dried Lavender and some essential oil to heated wax.

Make Lavender bath salts. Add 1/4 cup dried Lavender to 1 1/4 cups of Epsom Salts, and a few drops of essential oil. Combine and store in a tightly closed jar. Pour into a muslin bag before adding to bath. Keeps 6-9 months in a cool, dark place.

Make Lavender bags. Place in drawers to keep clothes fresh or by your pillow as a sleep aid. Squeeze the bag regularly to refresh the scent.

Lavender bags make great wedding favours. You can coordinate the bag material with your theme. They also make great car air fresheners.

Use in place of rice or paper as wedding confetti. Fragrant, a pretty colour, biodegradable, and perfect to take to a wedding if you’re not sure on the venue rules. Create confetti cones and leave in a basket for your guests on your big day.

Make Lavender infused oil, perfect for restless legs, dry scalps, and itchy bites. Fill a jar half way with dried Lavender. Cover with a carrier oil (I recommend Grapeseed). Cap and store somewhere cool for 4-6 weeks, shaking occasionally. Strain, and use within 9 months to a year.

Use Lavender on stalks for smudge sticks, or loose with other herbs to create incense.

This is just a few ideas; there are many uses for dried Lavender. I will share my recipe for Lavender Salve in the not too distant future. What do you use dried Lavender for? 

NEXT - Natural Remedies: 6 Ways With Lavender Essential Oil
NEXT - Natural Remedies: Women's Blend Diffusion
NEXT - Moon Magick: Full Moon In Scorpio

Recipe: River Cottage Rosehip Syrup

Rosehips are a great source of Vitamin C, and have been found to benefit those who suffer with osteoporosis. It is also used orally to treat stomach problems, infections, obesity, and applied to the skin for stretch marks, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these other uses.

Aluminium is found to react with rosehips, so it’s important to take rosehip two hours before or four hours after antacids. There are also other medicines that interact with Rosehip (Oestrogen, Fluphenazine, Aspirin, Lithium, Warfarin), so please make sure you do your research before you use it.

River Cottage Rosehip Syrup:

Sterilise a couple of bottles and vinegar-proof screw-tops or stoppers by washing thoroughly in hot soapy water, rinsing well, then putting them on a tray in a low oven (at 120°C/Gas 1⁄2) to dry out and heat up.

Roughly chop the rosehips in a food processor in batches, then transfer to a large saucepan and add 1.25 litres water.

Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for around 15 minutes.

Strain through a double layer of muslin, letting the pulp sit for a good half hour so that all the juice passes through.

Wash out the muslin, or cut a fresh piece, fold to double it and pass the strained juice through it again.

Measure the rosehip juice into a large saucepan.

For every 500ml, add 325g sugar.

Heat slowly, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil and boil for 3 minutes, skimming off any scum if necessary.

Decant immediately into the prepared bottles and seal.

Label when the bottles have cooled completely.

Use within 4 months and refrigerate once opened.

Try it for breakfast trickled over porridge, pancakes, drop scones, or eggy bread; use it to sweeten plain yoghurt (with some chopped apple if you like); or for a delicious pud, trickle it on to hot or cold rice pudding or good vanilla ice cream.

Natural Remedies: 6 Ways With Lavender Essential Oil

As a qualified Clinical Aromatherapist I am often asked ‘what’s your favourite oil?’. I suspect that when people ask me that they’re waiting for an exotic answer. There are so many beautiful smelling oils, with various applications, however there is one oil that is gentle, soothing, and has a myriad of uses: Lavender.

I love Lavender. I use it in the mop bucket, on our bed sheets to aid sleep, on spots (it kills bacteria), and on a tissue in the bottom of our bin to counteract bad smells.

There are so many uses for Lavender!

Add a few drops to a clean cloth and put in your tumble drier - instant fragrance and deodorising.

Use 4-6 drops in a bowl of hot water with a towel over your head as a cold/flu treatment.

Add a few drops to a cotton wool ball and use in your wardrobe as a deterrent to insects and moths.

Put on a splinter to reduce swelling - the splinter will come out more easily.

Use as a perfume - dab behind the ears and on wrists (Lavender and Tea Tree are the only safe oils to use neat on the skin).

Eliminate pet smells from carpets - add to baking soda, sprinkle, leave for 30 minutes, then vacuum.

Lavender might not be the most exciting oil, but it is definitely the most helpful. It is the one oil I can’t live without, and the one that is guaranteed not to be wasted. .

What is your favourite essential oil and why? 

NEXT - Natural Remedies: 15 Ways To Use Dried Lavender
NEXT - Snowdrop Magick: 8 Correspondences for Strength & Hope
NEXT - Review: Magical Aromatherapy by Scott Cunningham