Herbal Healing for Women

When we think about our roles as women, one of the first things that comes to mind is being a Natural Nurturer. When our family members get sick or need help with something, we are the one who takes care of the situations. How many times have you taken care of others before "Self"? We do things without complaining about them because (I believe) it is apart of who we are.

I believe that "Natural Healing" has always been who I am. With every bit of my being I believe in alternative healing. When it comes to the power of the Divine, healing energy of crystals and herbs; I put full trust in them. Here are a few more of lenses that may interest you: HypnoFertility and also Herbal Tea

I loved when Rosemary Gladstar said: "It wasn't until the fourteenth century, when a wave of witch-hunts began in Europe, that herbalism encountered its first great obstacle. The quiet influence of the wise women-their inner power and their healing skills-began to be feared." Have you ever wondered why? Medicine Women were the healers of their tribes. They were the doctors, and most of them relied on the power from the Divine Source and what was passed down to them from their ancestors.

Many women today are forgetting the old ways; life is so busy that it is hard to go into the wilderness to gather herbs, roots and bark. But what is really sad is the fact that many traditions are being lost and women are forgetting how to heal themselves. Stress plays a major factor in that and I hope to touch on the stress in a little bit later in this Lens.

Rosemary Gladstar teaches us that healing is an art, not science. If you heal the imbalance in the female world today; we must make some overall changes in our attitudes and beliefs. Every woman carries the wisdom and the magick of healing within ourselves, and it is very important to find a way to reconnect with that Ancient Place of Wisdom and Power.

Herbal healing has been here forever and a day. Those that trust and believe in Alternative Medicine are gathering back together to help keep the tradition alive. I have noticed that the more corruption that surfaces in the world, the more people are leaning towards older traditions for healing. It is finding a balance between being so busy and making time to help keep old traditions alive.

When I first read Susan Weeds book it was within an hour or so and I was out in my back yard hunting herbs. She has a way with her words that make you fall in love with the energy of them. Have you ever noticed how pretty chickweed is; when it grows in the shaded part of your yard? She calls Chickweed-StarLady, what about plantain-remember when we were kids, we would find these long things growing every where in our yard and we would tie them up to shoot the buds at people? What about gathering dandelions to give to your mom or to yourself because they were so pretty? These are just a few herbs that Susan Weed teaches us about. She draws us into ancient wisdom which is clear and understandable and to me very fascinating!

Susan Weed teaches The Wise Woman tradition. This focus is on integration and nourishment, and insisting on attention to uniqueness and holographic interconnectedness, a new way that is also the most ancient healing way know. A spiral path, a give-away, dances of nourishment, change and self love. "Trust Yourself".

To make a regular medicinal tea (Infusion):

I use distilled or spring water and bring about 1 quart of it to a boil. Pour this water over 2-3 teaspoons of an herbal mixture that you made. Lets say, you got up this morning and your tummy was a little upset. If you use 1-teaspoon of chamomile, 1-teaspoon of rose petals and 1-teaspoon of a mint you like, pour the water over this mixture, cover pot for about 15 minutes and drink a cup. Save the rest to drink later if you want too. I make this tea often and drink it iced and warm. You can add a little sugar or honey to this tea, but it already has a natural sweetness.

Decoctions:

There are several different methods to making decoctions. I am going to share the method I use: But before I do, what exactly is a decoction? A decoction is used mainly for brewing roots, barks, seeds and non aromatic seeds. Making a decoction enables you to extract more tenacious plant material.

Bring about a quart of distilled water to a boil-add your herbs and turn the heat down real low and simmer for 20 minutes. Be sure to keep the pot covered at all times! You do not want any of the steam to escape. After 20 minutes, take off of the stove and leave on your kitchen counter over night with the lid still on the pot.

The next morning, using your cheese cloth, strain the decoction and put it into a mason jar. Be sure to store a decoction in the refrigerator. This brew will stay good for several days. I personally go by the three day rule only. A decoction does not have a preservative in it, therefore it can spoil pretty fast.

Dosage: In order for herbs to work, they must be used with consistency. Depending on what the health element is, if it is chronic or acute is how you would determine the amount to use.

If you are dealing with chronic problems you would make a quart of tea everyday and drink 3 to 4 cups throughout the day. As an example, bad depression. Drinking a cup of tea 3 or 4 times a day helps to balance the dosage of the herbs you would need to take to keep your energy balanced.

If the problem is acute, as an example a sinus infection. You would drink 1/4 cup of tea every half hour or so, several times a day until the sinus pressure eased up.

Tinctures:

Again the method I am going to share with you is my method. As with the decoction there are several ways to make tincture. I make more a strong herbal concentrate that last about 9 months in the fridge, plus I use a vegetable glycerin as a preservative. A regular tincture can last up to a few years because the herbs are infused with Ever-clear or vodka.

Take a mason jar and fill it half full with your herbal mixture, add 1/3 cup vegetable glycerin and 2 1/2 cups of distilled water. Infuse these hers for 2 weeks, making sure to keep the jar out of direct sunlight.

After two weeks, strain the herbs by using cheese cloth to make sure you get every bit of the herb liquid. Store in clean jar with a tight fitting lid. Label the jar with the date you made it, dosage and expiration date.

Here is one of my tinctures that I made for me because I have a sleep disorder:

1/4 cup Valerian root
1/4 cup skullcap
3/4 cup passion flower
1/3 cup vegetable glycerin
2 cups distilled water

Infuse for two weeks. Use one tablespoon in a 1/4 glass of water a little before going to bed. The batch I made, I made in October and it will be good until July or August.

Nettle is one of the those herbs that I believe every time I research it, I find more and more information about it. It is gentle enough that it can be used everyday because of its nourishing properties.

Nettle is a beneficial herb to use during pregnancy. It is a mineral rich nutritive herb with vitamin K to guard against excessive bleeding. It improves kidney function and helps prevent hemorrhoids.

Nettle cleanses the digestive tract and helps with stomach problems. It can alleviate allergic symptoms such as teary eyes and a runny nose. Because of its high iron content, silicon and potassium, people have given it to their anemic children as a tea.

Susan Weeds says that nettle is a great ally for women because it is a great hair and skin nourisher. Because nettle is an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and amino acids, it is known to be an "Everyday Nourisher".

I am not sure if I tried this or not. But after finding it again, I may have to make some and try it.

Nettle Hair Lotion
(Susan Weed)

1 oz. dried nettle
4 cups of water
1/4 cup of vinegar
3-6 drops of lavender or rosemary oil (I would add more because I love both of these scents. Plus rosemary is good to help restore your natural hair color if you are battling the greys).

Make an infusion out of the water and nettle (bring water to a boil, add nettle, cover and let steep for 15 minutes). Strain into a jar and add the vinegar and the essential oils. Keep in the refrigerator between uses. To use it: pour a handful of nettle lotion on wet hair after shampooing. Rub in well. For best results, do not rinse.

According to Rosemary Gladstar, nettle is extremely high in minerals, especially in iron and calcium. It is an excellent cleanser and aids the liver in its functions.

If you are too busy and do not have the time to soak in a tub for a while, try using some essential oil on a wash cloth. Put a few drops of your favorite essential oil on a wash cloth and lay it on the bottom of the tub. As the hot water hits the wash cloth, the fumes from the oils will envelope you in their wonderful scents. Breathe in and accept the healing of the scents. I do this all of the time! This is my Aromatherapy lens.

Frankincense has a warm, rich sweet balsamic fragrance. It promotes peace and soothes the spirit. It has sedative properties and helps to relieve stress and anxiety.

Lavender has a sweet, floral, balsamic fragrance. It helps to balance body and emotions and relieves stress, anxiety, headaches or insomnia that is caused by tension.

Rose has a sweet, floral fragrance and is used as a mild sedative balancing the psyche. The fragrance is comforting and gives you a feeling of well-being.

Sandlewood has a deep, rich, woodsy fragrance and has a mild sedative relaxation affect. Sandlewood promotes a peaceful feeling in your atmosphere.