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Dandelion
“Most of the dandelions had changed from suns into moons” – Vladimir Nabokov
The root of dandelion is cooling, strengthening for the liver and strengthening in general. Promoting the production of bile, strengthening the lymphatic system, cleansing for the blood and good for digestion.
Dandelion is one of the most important herbs for expelling toxins from the tissues of the body and is good to use in all cases of chronic inflammations for example inflammations of the skin and joints as well as rheumatism. Dandelion is excellent for a weak or overworked liver. It is good to use Dandelion to strengthen oneself after an illness or as a general spring cleaning tonic.
According to Ayurveda, anger accumulates in the liver and gall-bladder. Dandelion is a powerful plant in helping to let go of this anger so we don´t carry it inside us. It is a detoxifier that works on the emotional and mental being, as well as the physical. It is especially good for clearing out old anger that has not been processed, especially if the pattern was established in childhood.
The liver is the organ of transformation and inner alchemy.
Dandelion works on the solar plexus. The energy is dynamic and promotes body consciousness and freedom. It gives us the capacity to understand and express pain that seems beyond understanding. Dandelion helps us reclaim our innocence and to take responsibility for how we feel and act.
I believe that nature puts the medicines humans need in abundance right in their gardens, even growing through concrete, for a reason.
Elder
The name Elder has to do with “Eld”, fire. It is a fever remedy.
Sambucus comes from the latin term for a musical instrument – The Pan Pipes – which were originally made from the hollow stems of Elder.
This hollow signature is reflected as Elder used as a remedy opens all tubes of the body (skin, lungs, colon, kidneys, blood vessels) improving oxygenation, blood flow, perspiration, and elimination by the colon or kidneys. Elder is a relaxant, helpful in spasmodic cough and spasm in the stomach.
The berries are blood building and together with the flowers are healing when you have a fever. Also helpful in red dry irritated skin of the cheeks, as it opens the tubes and pores and lubricates the skin. It improves respiration, digestion and kidney function.
Imagination is the channel of communication from another dimension. Tubular plants such as Elder and Angelica have long been associated with the shamanic journey to the Underworld. The lore surrounding the Elder is immense and mysterious. The Elder serves as a doorway to the Underworld, or magical faery realm.
I start to prepare the Elixir in July when I distilled the flowers and let them macerate until I collected the berries and let them macerate together with the flowers, creating a double tincture from the white flowers that look like five pointed stars and the dark purple almost black berries. These are signatures of saturn, the polar qualities of father time and mother of death and rebirth.
The spagyric tincture is a great antioxidant and aids to improve immunity in winter time. It is also a gatekeeper to the spirit world. It is called Elder for a reason! It is a teacher of nature, of time, life and death.
Horsetail
Horsetail is an important plant teacher for alchemists because it teaches about death, longevity, the quality of life and a long life. It teaches spiritual evolution.
Horsetail is full of minerals, especially silica which builds hair, skin, nails and connective tissue. The silica is not extracted by ordinary tincturing, but through the calcination process it is extracted spagyrically.
It is diuretic, draining water, working on the kidneys. It is is an astringent tonic which means that it brings tone to relaxed tissues.
It is helpful for nervous, tense and anxious people who bites on their nails and twirls their hair around a finger. It is grounding. Call on Horsetail to instill courage and strength. When you need to learn how to be firm, set boundaries and limits, learn to do things step by step with discipline.
Horsetail is a Saturnian remedy. The signature connection between the ringed planet and the ringed stalks.
According to Ayurveda, karma is stored in the bones. Saturnian remedies goes deep into our DNA – the karmic patterns and helps us to break the patterns that are no longer beneficial. Horsetail is a deeply initiatic remedy. It is one of the oldest plants in the world. They used to be as high as trees.
Hydrosol of Lavandula Angustifolia
Floral and sweet with notes of honey and deeper basenotes
A soothing balm for the body, mind and soul.
Use as a mist, balancing for all skintypes even the baby's.
Hydrosol of Pelargonium Graveolens
Floral, uplifting aroma
Geranium hydrosol will draw moisture to the skin acting as a wonderful hydrator. It makes a beautiful perfume or body spray. Extremely uplifting and balancing for the emotional body.
- Cooling for hot flashes, especially when blended with Peppermint Hydrosol, as either a spritzer or in a glass of cool water.
- Balancing to the emotions and the endocrine system. Very good for PMS.
- Acts as a cellular regenerative, so Geranium Hydrosol is a toner of choice for mature skin.
- Anti-inflammatory, useful for sunburns, rosacea, rashes, any condition where redness or heat is present; even broken capillaires.
- It is also hemostatic (slows or stops bleeding) so it is very effective to clean cuts, wounds and “kid injuries”.
- Energetically, it balances the twin spirits of male/female.
- Soothes melancholia and soothing to the soul.
Saw Palmetto
Protector of the family jewels.
Saw palmetto was used by the Native Americans, who collected the berries to create tonics for men. It is widely used in ayurveda as well.
It is used for prostate health primarly.
The powerful berries are used for benign enlargement of the prostate gland in men, as long as the growth is not large enough to need surgery. It supports the male urogenital tract, and can help men not to get up to go to the toilet in the night. It is helpful for testicular inflammation.
Saw Palmetto is used to reduce hair loss and male baldness. It also preserves and reinforces the skin’s youthful elasticity. It balances the hormones for men and is good for libido.
Thyme
“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows”
-Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Thyme is a powerful and deep detoxifier, opens pores, thin mucus and move fluids through tissues, deeply dredging the system so that heat and toxins can be removed.
Thyme is a powerful and natural acne treatment. Try the hydrosol externally and the spagyric tincture internally.
Thyme may be used for headache, hangover, bronchitis, yeast infections, thrush, gout and rheumatism. Stagnation of some kind.
Matthew Wood writes in “The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants” : “It is suited to people with deep unconscious issues that disturb the sleep. The mind may be preoccupied, but the problems come up from below consciousness. This fits the physical profile for Thyme, as it is a remedy for toxins and closed passageways deep in the body.
Thyme is considered a parasympathetic relaxant. Sleep and dreams occur when the parasympathetic is running the ship, so disturbed sleep and dreams indicate that this branch of the autonomic cannot fully relax.” Carvacrol (which is present in the essential oil of thyme) has been shown to affect neuron activity in ways that boosts the feelings of well being.
Thyme stimulates the Thymus gland and the adrenal cortex which improves immunity and self-identity.