Dried chamomile flowers are used to make a beautiful golden infusion after steeping for a matter of minutes.
It is known to be an anti inflammatory aswell as:
Reducing menstrual pain
Treating diabetes and lowering blood sugar levels
Slowing or preventing osteoporosis
Helps promote bone density
Cancer treatment and prevention
(Above information from a study taken in 2004)
Chamomile is also a relaxing drink that is often used to calm before bed.
This amazing flower can be used to treat cold symptoms.
It is safe to give to children and babies providing they have no allergy to chamomile.
I’ve used it to calm my children before bed when they’ve had a cold or flu instead of using calpol (holy basil for fever). Personally I always add some honey when serving it for children. (Honey should not be given to children under one year).
My mother used to treat allergic reactions or other skin conditions like eczema with Chamomile.
Not sure what studies have been done in this respect but always worked for us.
Have a wonderful day. Lots of love and Brightest Blessings always
Valarian can help releive headaches, it can help anxiety, reduces stress and help insomnia.
The use of valerian root dates back to the Greek and Roman Empires and was noted by Hippocrates to treat headaches, nervousness, trembling, and heart palpitations.
There are also some alternative practitioners today who use valarian to treat many conditions to name a few insomnia, anxiety, headaches, digestive problems, menopause symptoms, and post-exercise muscle pain and fatigue.
How valarian relaxes the brain isnt yet known, but one theory is that “valerenic acid” stimulates a chemical messanger in the brain called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), this calms the nervous system.
Valarian is a seditive.
Doses
Sleep:
400-600mg tablet
30 mins to an hour before bedtime
This can also be sipped in an infusion
Mild stress or anxiety:
400-600mg up to 3 yimes a day.
Please speak to your doctor before introducing any new medication.
NOT recommended for:
under 18 year olds,
pregnant or breast feeding women,
anyone with allergies to valarian,
anyone drinking alcohol or taking seditives,
anyone already taking medication for sleep or anxiety.
Please do NOT use valarian bath products if you have an open wound, fever, skin problems or serious heart or circulatory issues.
Although side effects are usually mild, if any and may include headache, dizziness, itchiness, upset stomach, dry mouth, vivid dreams, and daytime drowsiness.
Personally I find sleep aids such as Valarian “too strong” causing severe drowsiness the next day I will be writing about Chamomile and Passion flowers in my next few posts. These I use on a regular basis without the drowsy effects and will be writting about their amazing health benefits.
Calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium.
Nettle also includes all of the essential amino acids and absolutely full of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body by fighting the damage caused by free radicals linked to aging, as well as cancer and other harmful diseases.
Used to treat inflammation such as arthritis by drinking or applying in a paste or cream.
It acts by interfering with the production of multiple inflammatory hormones.
In cases of arthritic pain this was also significantly reduced. In human study painkillers were able to be reduced in patients using nettle.
Nettle is used to treat respiratory problems like asthma.
Nettle is also known to be affective in treating benign prostate enlargement in men.
This occurs in 50% of men over the age of 51 causing significant pain during urination.
Nettle is used to reduce this pain from urination and treat short and long term urinary problems.
Nettle may prevent the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (a stronger form of testosterone).
Stopping these conversions can prevent an enlarged prostate size.
Stinging nettles also treats high blood pressure.
It may stimulate nitric oxide production.
Acting as a vasodilators which relax the muscles of your blood vessels allowing them to widen.
This plant also helps your body excrete excess salt and water.
Which in turn could temporarily reduce blood pressure.
Lower blood sugar leavels.
As it mimics insulin in the body.
There are promising findings in recent research however significantly more evidence is needed in this respect.
Reduce Bleeding.
Medication including nettle have been found affective in reducing bleeding after surgery.
Nettle is also known to protect the liver against damage from free radicals, heavy metals and inflammation.
Stinging nettle creams can also be used to treat burns and heal wounds.
It is important when taking any new medication to speak to your doctor. Especially if taking one or more of the following:
Blood thinners
Blood pressure medication
Diuretics (water pills)
Lithium
Also use special gloves if picking your own stinging nettles as they can burn your skin which can be quite painful.
(Also be aware that it is actually stinging nettles you are harvesting and not false nettles for example).
Never consume raw leaves
Pick from the new growth (top of this plant)
Rinse thoroughly
Boil in a pot
(Dock leaves can be used to treat nettle stings. They are large leaves usually found close to where nettles grow).
I personally absolutely love nettle and always have some to hand.
Smudging is a way of clearing a space usually preformed before spell craft. In recent years this practice has become much more popular within many communities.
You can smudge with a number of herbs amongst some are sweet grass and lavender. More popular and my two favourites are Sage and Palo Santa.
Sage has been used since ancient times, Used in ancient Roman, Greek and Egyptian medicine. Very different to White sage. Romans offered a great ceremony when gathered, as Sage was sacred to the God Jupiter. The name Salvia is related to the Latin word salvere, meaning to heal, preserve or redeem. European traditions denote Sage with wisdom, long life and even immortality.
In magical practice sage is known to be lucky and used often in spell craft for protection, cleansing and prosperity.
White sage dates back to the ancient practices of the native Americans. Used to send prayers and when working with spirit. White sage grows in California. This is the one commonly used in smudging and the one I will be using today.
Palo Santa This is not a leaf or flower but wooden sticks. This tree is closely related to frankincense. The smell is there very noticeably even before burning. Different to white Sage which clears the space. Palo Santa adds to the space as well as cleanse away negative energies. Filling your space with positive energies. Palo Santa is also known to boast your immune system as well as relieve emotional stress, and works as a repellant to an array of insects.
You can read about basic herbs and their magical use in spells on myHerb-Craft page
Freya Witch has been working with Herbs & Oils, and practicing personal magical health techniques for many years – long before she had the calling to become a Wiccan Priestess of The Craft. Freya has been participating in our live Woodland witches ceremonies, taking key ritual roles, for over 2 years. When the national lockdown first began in March 2020, Freya took to facebook & social media to write every day about Healing Goddesses, Gods, Herbs & Plants – as a way of sharing knowledge and her own spell-craft experiences to help people. At our online Autumn Equinox ritual, she wrote a special pathworking (working with breath, reaching a tribal village and working with astral flames to make wishes).
She is now sharing her practical knowledge and experiences in a series of magical workings for our community.
In this special dedicated online magical event, Freya will initially give a talk on healing Herbs & Oils that are immune-system boosting; Then lead us all in a meditation work that tunes inwardly for Cleansing & boosting our own immune systems.
Date: Tuesday 24th November 2020.
Duration: 9.00pm to 10.00.
This Event will be `live’ online via zoom video call. Once participants book here by paying the fee and rsvp here, you’ll have access to the zoom link (we’ll also send you the zoom link on the day by private message on meetup. Please check that you have enabled `announcements by organiser/ admin’ . On the day of the course we get very busy. so kindly avoid last minute messaging/ communications etc.
Fee : £13.
Visit Meetup event page link here to rsvp and book online.
Freya Witch has been working with Herbs & Oils, and practicing personal magical health techniques for many years – long before she had the calling to become a Wiccan Priestess of The Craft. Freya has been participating in our live Woodland witches ceremonies, taking key ritual roles, for over 2 years. When the national lockdown first began in March…
**** Once booked via meetup, please look out for any updates via meetup comments/ meetup direct e-mail to attendees. You may contact the Tutors via private message for additional communications. ***
Spellcraft for Beginners – online (zoom video) course facilitated by Mani Morningstar & Freya Witch – initiated Wiccans of the Gardnerian Tradition of the Craft. We have been running Spellcraft courses outdoors (in woods) and indoors (Atlantis Bookshop) for many years. Now with circumstances making us stay indoors, we’re designing this Beginners course to be held online. And for the first time, we are adding the Craft of doing Herbs & Oils in spells, to our existing line up of teaching you the basics of magic with Candles, sigils, cords & knots! (Rune magic is now one of our special extended course in its own right).
You’ll learn about 3 different techniques of doing ritual magic for your self. Using candles for magic, using Cords & knots for magic and using a selection of Herbs & Oils. Mani will give an introduction to different types of spellcraft , and take you through the basics of candle-magic, colour correspondences, preparations, what sigils/ symbols to use.
Freya Witch will introduce you to working with herbs & oils, give explanations, and then talk you through 2 actual spells that combine easy to obtain herbs & oils – and show you how to do a protection spell, and Banishing spell.
Date: Friday 13th November 2020.
Duration: 9.00pm to 10.30pm. (with 30min extra in case we need it).
Online course : This course will be `live’ online via zoom video call.
Please go to our meetup community `London Woodland Witches Wiccans & Pagans’ at to book your place. Spaces limited to only 13 spaces (including 2 tutors) .
Spellcraft for Beginners -online course
Friday, Nov 13, 2020, 9:00 PM
Online event ,
8 Woodland Witches Attending
Spellcraft for Beginners – online (zoom video) course facilitated by Mani Morningstar & Freya Witch – initiated Wiccans of the Gardnerian Tradition of the Craft. We have been running Spellcraft courses outdoors (in woods) and indoors (Atlantis Bookshop) for many years. Now with circumstances making us stay indoors, we’re designing this Beginners co…
We facilitated an online full Samhain Rite for our `London Woodland Witches meetup group’. I performed a pre-recorded invocation to Dark Goddess Hecate . (20mins into the edited ritual video). Click this video to watch/ listen.
Hecate Invocation by Freya Witch – part of the Woodland Witches online Samhain 2020
The full video (edited) is 1 hr 9minutes) with all the essential burning of regrets, invocations, pathworking & blessings, with space for doing your own magical work.. Blessings. – Freya Witch