Hyssop

A couple of days ago my Bible verse of the day was Psalm 51:7, 10-12   "Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean.  Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.  Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew a right spirit within me.  Don't throw me from your presence  and don't take your holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation.  Uphold me with a willing spirit."

It reminded me how much I love reading about the essential oils and herbs used in the Bible and that I have been slacking big time in blogging.   So here's to a new strat!

Today I'm going to blog about Hyssop. 

It's official name is Hyssopus officinalis. 


It is an evergreen, bushy herb, growing 1 to 2 feet high, with square stem, linear leaves and flowers in whorls, six- to fifteen-flowered.   The flowers are cultivated for use as an expectorant, diaphoretic, stimulant, pectoral,  and carminative.

Historically it was used to disinfect and purify.

Making a tea with the fresh green tops can be beneficial for asthma and rheumatism.

Benefits of the essential oil:
bruises, colds, cough, fatigue, fevers, flatulence, indigestion, inflammation, loss of appetite, nervous tension, sore throat, stress related conditions, wounds

Not to be used when pregnant or if you have epilepsy. 

The tale of two oils....

I make my own infused oils to use in my formulations.  The oils must solar infuse for at least 3 months to satisfy my wants in an oil.  Anything over 3 months is a bonus.     The more it infuses the more healing properties in the oil.   Here is a photo of the oil I use for our diaper rash salve.

 It's a beautiful golden color.  It works beautifully, is rich and healing.   I love it.
Although, that is wonderful, with a little patience you get something that is breathtaking.    It has a rich, green hue.  The smell is stronger, but not offensive.  It's my already awesome oil pumped up a few notches.  Here it is.  One year in the making. 

Elderberry Syrup Tutorial

I'm finally getting around to doing the Elderberry Syrup Tutorial.   I love Elderberry Syrup, it's a great immune booster, plus it's great on pancakes!!   It is suggested to take 1 tsp daily from October to April and if sick take 3 tsp. a day.   If you suspect you have H1N1 then you may want to stop the Elderberry because some research suggests that it could cause a cytokine storm.  Just stop the use of Elderberry and start again when you are well.
Ok now to the Tutorial.
You will need:  2 oz of elderberries(1/2 cup), 1 cup of water, 1 cup of honey, a pot and a fine strainer, spoon and jar.

 Put the water and the elderberries in a pot.   Bring to a boil.

 Then let it simmer for about 20 mins.  You want to reduce the water by half.

 Sit the strainer over another container and pour the mixture in the strainer.

 With a spoon mash the elderberries down to get all the juice out.

 Next pour in the honey and mix well.

 Pour into a jar and keep in the fridge for about a month.

Enjoy!
Heather

He said, She said

Every year DH and I have the same conversation about Dandelions.   He loathes them,  I love them.   He thinks they are ugly, I think they a beautiful.  He thinks they destroy his lawn, I think they make our yard a natural pharmacy.    His goal in life is to have the perfect organic yard so he begs me every year to let him destroy the Dandelions.   This year I gave in and let him through down some organic corn gluten.  Here is a picture of our dandelions, shall they rest in peace.

Why I love Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale)?  They add a lovely splash of color to the lawn, they give enjoyment to children who love to blow off the pappus of the matured Dandelion.  In the addition to that they are good for you!   Throw them in a juicer, put them in your salad, make a tea and enjoy the benefits it has for your liver and kidneys.  It's a tonic and diuretic.     Enjoy those lovely little weeds!

It's that time of year

The evil beautiful Maple trees are blooming.  They are beautiful and are one of my favorite trees but WOW do they do a number on me.   I also happen to have one huge monster beautiful Maple in my backyard.  Literally right in the middle of my yard.   It's huge.  It makes my life miserable while it comes to life.   It is worth it though because when it's done wrecking havoc on my body it provides natural shade to my backyard and a lovely earthy canopy for my children to play under.

People ask what I do for my allergies. Well, this is where I'm a bad Holistic practioner, I use over the counter allopathic medicine.  If I don't  I can't function, I do combine it with holistic care though.   Here are some great remedies.    Eat a low histamine diet.   Use a netipot.  Up your Vit. C.  The essential oil Ammi visnaga in a diffuser and herbs such as feverfew.

Red Clover

I found this poem last night and I couldn't wait to get up and share it with the people who read my blog.

 The flowers were sad and very still

The Night Christ died upon the hill,

Only the clover turned about

And wove green fingers in and out

About the cross. Christ did not see

The clover's little sympathy,

But God looked down, and on each leaf

He marked a tiny sign of grief..

A little poignant drop of red

In memory of my son, God said.

~Anonymous

That gave me a new love for the Red Clover.   Now a little info on Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)  It's rich in phytoestrogens so using it to help PMS, fibroids and other hormonal issues could be a great idea.   It's a great liver and blood cleanser, an immune booster and cough suppressant.   It's also beneficial to the prostate.  So, this little Mama is a great herb to have around, luckily you can find it right in your yard if your lucky.  If not keep your eye out the next time you're in a field, you just might stumble on one.  Don't confuse it with the White clover though.

Beautiful Easter Weekend

We had a beautiful Easter weekend.   We spent part of it in my hometown and the other half here.  

I love this time of year when everything starts to come to life, very fitting considering Easter is about Life.

My Mother had a beautiful basket filled with spring flowers.    I took photos of  a few. 

Here is a Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii). Very beautiful, they were my wedding flower, however they really are not known for any medicinal properties.   The common Daisy does however.  The Bellis perennis contains astringent properties and was used often in ancient  Rome.

This is a pink Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis).  Another pretty flower that is associated with Easter.  This type of Hyacinth doesn't have any medicinal properties.  The scent is used often in perfumes but don't be duped, it's most likely synthetic.

Although these two flowers do not contain medicinal properties I believe they still are healing, just not physically.   The beauty of these plants and the pleasant aroma can calm the mind and soothe the soul.   Sometimes medicine can't get better than that.

Working...Working...Working

Today was such a nice day.  I took advantage of it and  took photos of some of my products.

A creamy diaper rash lotion made with organic ingredients. A lovely blend of oils, butters, herbs, hydrosols and essential oils.

A photo of the different size essential oils.  Our essential oils are pure and therapeutic quality.  They are from first distillations. Most of them are organic with the exception of a few that are wild crafted.  They are ingestable under the supervision of a trained professional.

A blend that was made with the postpartum mama in mind but most certainly would be perfect for anyone feeling a little anxious or blue.  It contains on of my favorite essential oils, Spikenard.

It was a beautiful weekend!

We had a beautiful weekend here in the Philadelphia area. We spent the whole weekend planting our cool weather crops, grilling  and going for a hike at Tyler State Park.   Tyler is such a beautiful park.

Saturday started with a bang.  Not only was it beautiful but my wheat grass sprout and sprouted big time.  It's the first time I planted it.   This stuff is fast!!!  This picture is at 4 days, 2 days later it's twice as tall.   It tastes good too.    It reminds me of tomatoes.  The kids and DH think celery.

Then I planted Calendula and Feverfew. I planned on transplanting the Roman Chamomile that I have started inside but I forgot.

Calendula will be harvested in the fall and used to make my Calendula oil and other herbal remedies.

Feverfew will also be harvested and used in my herbal remedies.

There's something special about growing the herbs you use, I feel much more connected then when they are bought.

This photo is what will happen to the Calendula.   These oils are ready for me to use now.   They will be used as carrier oils, in my rash cream, hand salves, teething remedies, and more.

Until next time with Peace and Love,
Heather