#herbchallenge

[justanotherhedgewitch]

Salvia Officinalis - Nightly Monograph #7 "Sage balances fluids of all kinds." Appearing to be a tonic for all ailments associated with the lack or over abundance of fluids. Some examples; excessive urination, excessive perspiration, pain in joints, dry cough, sore throat, menopause, to stop lactation, varicose veins, arthritis, asthma. Especially good for sore throats as a tea or for bleeding gums as a mouth wash. Seems like it would be a great addition in many blends given it's versatile nature and ability to balance the internal flow. Pungent, warm, moist AND astringent.

[justanotherhedgewitch]

Herb #6 - Hops

One of my classmates made the most amazing hops tincture the other day. I had to try some asap (honestly I couldn't wait). I love everything about hops! I love the shape of the buds, the rich smell and obviously the taste. The tincture was divine, almost like an IPA but without the creaminess. I was surprised that right after taking there was an extreme acridity in the back of my throat. I didn't fully realize how much of a bite the hops plant really has. I'm psyched to take a few drops tonight before bed. 

[justanotherhedgewitch]

Herb # 5 - Jiao Gu Lan

Today is my last western herbalism class for year one. I have tasted an insane amount of adaptogens and mushrooms this weekend. Right now I'm sipping on some Jiao Gu Lan an herb from China. It's like a sweet white tea with a little bit less of the astringency taste. It's really subtle but I like it. Last night I drank an awesome Green Pu-erh tea prepared by a man who has made a paper crane every single day since he was eight. He can make cranes with only one hand and his eyes closed. His hands and arms are covered in paper crane tattoos. 

[justanotherhedgewitch]

Herb #4 - Lobelia Lobelia has a long history of use. Culpepper used it in his course of cleansing people and in high doses it makes people vomit. That's why lots of people are afraid of it nowadays. It's silly since it really takes quite a bit to make you feel queasy. I got to taste some of the tincture today and it's awesome. I love that acrid bitter taste. My one classmate, Mel, even described it as kind of spicy. It's a great one for calming and almost immediately after I took it my pulse slowed down. I'm thinking of adding it to a personal herbal formula to help me relax. And it's also great in a quit smoking formula.

[justanotherhedgewitch]

Nightly Monograph #5 - Agrimony

Well I am still sick and I've been taking a lot of herbs but I can't say I've really been tasting them. My stuffy nose is making most things just taste rather bland. 

Agrimony! I knew nothing about this plant until a few moments ago. This herb is good for people who have a lot of tension but who mask it through pretending, using drugs, using alcohol, using adrenaline and generally just ignoring. It relieves the stress possibly by being astringent. 

It also has an affinity for the endocrine system including liver, kidneys, and basically the whole lower half. 

It's a specific for anyone who holds their breath to relieve pain. 

[justanotherhedgewitch]

Nightly Monograph #4 - Sumac I never read anything about Sumac before so it was pretty interesting reading this monograph. Apparently it’s very good for people who have a general weakness, dark circles under the eyes, frequent urination and a general lack of drive emotionally. As a bitter astringent it makes sense that it would be good for weak tissue states and I actually wonder if it might be beneficial for my mom. It has also been a historical remedy for diabetes one and diabetes two. Herbalists have seen really drastic results with sumac for diabetes reversing the effects like loss of eyesight.

[justanotherhedgewitch]

Wild Rose

[justanotherhedgewitch]

Nightly Monograph 3 - Wild Rose

I love wild rose. Something about the juxtaposition of the fragrant sweet floral and its amazing astringent qualities just makes me really happy. According to tonight's monograph wild rose is great for diarrhea as well as a dry, irritated cough. It's also great for vaginitis but I wonder what preparation works best for that ailment. I haven't worked much with astringents internally. I'm really interested to see how they work as a dose for a fee days to treat something acute. I've also never harvested my own rose hips which I would love to do.