Do you have an innate love of nature? Whether it be Herbology in the magical world or gardening with your grandparents, read Happy Herbalism to learn about enticing plant lore as well as practical ways to balance the mind, body, and spirit through the use of herbs and their real-life healing properties.
June 2021
Edible Flowers
We have spoken previously about edible plants and their uses, whether that be medicinal, spiritual or even to spice up a dish. But did you know you can do those same things with flowers? Keep hold of your cilantro and sage, why not try something new? Dried or not flowers make excellent editions to your pantry!
The following are all edible flowers:
Marigold Usage: It can be used as a colourful addition to appetisers, and garnished on top of cocktails, salads and fruit trays. Taste: Tangy citrus
Fennel Blossom Usage: It pairs really well with meat dishes such as lamb and fish. Taste: Sweet
Calendula Usage: Garnished on desserts or in a salad. The colours are beautiful if you are wanting to impress! Taste: Minty
Carnations Usage: This flower can add spice to salads and even used to steep into wine! Taste: Peppery
Gem Marigold Usage: Sprinkle the petals onto pasta, soup and rice dishes! Taste: Spicy and citrus
Firestix Usage: Used mainly as a swizzle stick in cocktails, but goes excellent as a garnish for seafood dishes. Taste: Corn
There are also lots of other plants like Snapdragons, Chrysanthemums, Karma Orchids, and Borage Blossoms that work excellent as cocktail and dessert garnish's due to their fresh and mild sweet tastes as well as their beautiful colours.
Remember, your safety is the most important thing. Before consuming anything naturally occurring make sure you consult your GP and wash everything you may collect from your gardens or nature walks in case of nasty bacteria. Alternatively, you can source from cleaner places such as forestries and occasional supermarkets.
June 2021
Natural Bug Repellents
Whilst the weather in England starts – or tries – to heat up, we all dread the appearance of pesky biting bugs. If you're the type of person who is a bug's favourite treat, why not try out some plant-based essential oil bug repellents?
Essential oils, in essence, are volatile chemicals that are stored in plants structures and are extracted from the plant via a distilling process. You're basically using nature to combat nature, which is very important, one, for the overall structure and care of your skin, and, two, for the rest of the environment around where you spray. No longer do we need unnatural chemicals to defend ourselves, in fact, we never did!
The amazing thing about this is that you can tailor the repellent to match your environment. Below is a list of common bugs you want to get clear of and natural herbs that they can't seem to stand:
Horse Flies: Tansy, Peppermint, Lemongrass, Lemon, Cedarwood, Thyme, Lavender, Tea Tree, Rosemary, Sandalwood, and Patchouli Mosquitos: Tansy, Peppermint, Lemongrass, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Thyme, Lavender, Rose Geranium, Clove, Blue Cyprus, Cinnamon, and Sage Gnats: Spearmint, Peppermint, Rose Geranium, and Eucalyptus Ticks: Tansy, Rose Geranium, Eucalyptus, and Sweet Myrrh
Here are two recipes for your use, I highly recommend using Peppermint for the first, for all you first time makers. Not only does it smell great, but it is also easy to source out this oil yourself. Peppermint is also one of the things most common natural bug repellants and interestingly it also can disrupt the larvae cycle!
Simple Clothes and Hair Spray Recipe
Combine the following in a bottle: -4 tbsps distilled water -2 tsps vodka -5-6 drops of essential oil
Shake well before use! This recipe is intended for use on clothes and hair, not skin.
Lemongrass Lotion
Combine the following: -Unscented lotion (say around 2oz for good measure) -5-6 drops of lemongrass essential oil
Shake or mix well before use. This recipe is intended for skin!
March 2021
The Basics of Drying and Storing Herbs
How to Dry Your Herbs
Drying your herbs is an important part of Herbalistic practice. Not only because it lengthens the life of the herbs, but, once dried, they are safe from molds, yeast, and unhealthy bacteria. Thankfully, drying herbs is one of the easiest parts of Herbalism!
To remove moisture from your collected herbs, all you will need is a healthy circulation of air! In Hogwarts, our magical herbs are dried in the greenhouses, but, of course, not everyone has such amenities. Kitchens or rooms in your home with windows will work just as well. Cooler darker places are ideal.
Hanging drying herbs is the most popular remedy. To do this, you collect your herbs in bunches (much like flower bouquets) and tie the ends of the sprigs and branches together with some string. You don't want the bunches to be too large as dense bunches can leave room for mold to develop – I would say anywhere from five to ten branches together should be enough. The smaller the bundle, the faster it will dry. An optional step is to wrap them in loose muslin or tissue paper bags to keep hold of falling dust, seeds, and leaves.
Once tightly held together, you hang them up with their leaves pointing downwards. I would say most drying would be completed after a week, but, of course, all plants are different. You will know they are dried when they are brittle to the touch.
Air-drying in this particular method is best for plants and herbs with low-moisture content such as oregano, dill, and rosemary. The next step would be storing!
How to Store Your Herbs
Traditionally, a stillroom was a necessity in every rural herbalist's home. A stillroom was a designated space or room, very much like a pantry or our very own Potions Cupboards, that housed herbs, jars, tinctures, teas, and herbal medicines. Nowadays these rooms are very rare and we don't all have an extra room to use. That isn't a problem!
When storing dried herbs, air-tight jars are the best places to keep them. They keep out moisture, are easy to use and label, and are relatively cheap. You can store your herbs on shelves or in a spare cupboard. If you only have a handful of herbs, small plastic resealable bags are useful too (and what I personally started my collection with). Just make sure you are keeping these in a place that is cool and dark.
The storage of fresh herbs is a little different. Plants like basil, parsley, and cilantro are best with the following two methods:
The Water Method– Trim and cut the ends of your herbal plant and place it in a water-filled jar or jug. Cover the plant with a plastic bag and keep refrigerated. This will keep your plant fresh for longer.
The Towel Method– Lay fresh leaves on a single layer of paper towel. Roll this up – much like a carpet or chocolate swiss roll – and place it in a plastic bag.
January 2021
Using Flowers to Heal
There are so many useful ways to use flowers to heal, including inhalation of their uplifting flowery scents, drinking soothing flower teas or using flower oil in a relaxing massage.
Flower Oils are oil extracted from flowers and have a powerful effect on our mental and emotional state. Breathing in the vapours can be relaxing, restorative and uplifting. One way you can inhale these scents is to simply put a few drops on a tissue or handkerchief and keep it on your pillow overnight. For a more controlled method, which is also longer lasting, an essential oil burner is very ideal! Other ways may include adding a few drops to a warm bath or diluting it with a lotion to massage into your skin.
Another use for flowers is Flower Tonics. Plants that affect the nervous system are very powerful and interact so positively with our bodies. Restorative tonics include St. John's wort, sage, and mugwort, whilst relaxing tonics include vervain, wood betony, and skullcap.
Flower Tea is one of my favourite ways to include herbalism and flowers into my every day life. Flower Tea, also know as Tisanes, have been used for medicinal purposes for many centuries. Lavender, hyssop, and thyme were taken to alleviate cold symptoms, while chamomile and lime flower were used against insomnia. Below is a very useful and basic remedy for making Flower Tea!
Chamomile and Honey Immune Boosting Tea Recipe
Ingredients:
1-4tbsp Chamomile flowers (fresh is preferred, use less if only making a small cup for one, use more if you like it strong!)
Honey
Fresh sprig of mint
8oz boiling water (or enough to fill your pot/teacup)
Instructions:
First of all you want to gather a tea pot, a cup, an infuser (you can you an infuser pot, a metal strainer, a cheese cloth or even a fine mesh strainer. Personally I use a metal tea infuser!) and a teaspoon for stirring as well as your ingredients!
Next you'll want to harvest your herbs, as Chamomile has a short shelf life its ideal to use them as soon as you harvest (or buy if you cannot grow yourself) To prepare the flower pop the flower head off of the stem. Select a small spring of mint to pair because fresh chamomile's apple undertones compliment the mint. Peppermint is also a nice alternative.
Depending on what equipment you have fill your teapot with 8oz of boiling water (or enough to fill it) or alternatively fill up a teacup with boiling water. Place as many chamomile flowers in your straining equipment. 4tbsp will be a strong flavour, use less if only making for yourself and more if for lots of people. Add in the mint spring.
Again, depending on the equipment you are using, pour the boiling water over the chamomile and mint mixture. Allow to sit for five minutes.
Serve! Add honey as an optional natural sweetener and immune boost!
Alternatively you can wait for the tea to cool and have it served with ice for a refreshing ice tea!
Chamomile is a very beneficial flower. It can help improve skin, insomnia, your digestive system, reduce stress, control blood sugar levels and paired with honey can really give your immune system a boost. If you don't fancy making your own tea there are wonderful premade options such as Pukka's chamomile, vanilla, and manuka honey tea bags you can try! Why not have a little added boost to your body to bring in the new years stronger than ever?
Here are some more examples of herbs and flowers and their corresponding uses that are very nice to drink in teas. Remember to always do additional research and ask your doctor before starting to use any herbal remedies!
Calamint (Calamintha nepta) The leaves and flowers are used as a stimulating tea infusion! It can also help to settle wind and indigestion.
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) A tea infused from the flowers with induce perspirations and reduce fevers.
Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) This popular flower is good in teas for reducing nervous tension and exhaustion.
October 2020
Magical Mycology
One of the things I truly love about foraging for my own craft materials is the stunningly unique natural forming life you can find almost everywhere. Mushrooms are of a particular interest and a species I find myself very much drawn to spiritually. Mushrooms have a long, and often negatively preconceived history with Muggles and their folklore, and are often said to have many magical and medicinal properties. They grow in all shapes, sizes, and colours, and you can often find that some are much more than the eye beholds.
Identifying Mushrooms and Health and Safety Practices
It is extremely important to remember that unless you are absolutely 100% positive about the type of mushroom you have found, you should NEVER ingest it. There are thousands of deadly mushrooms full of toxins that humans, both magical and Muggle, cannot stomach, and they do often look similar to edible ones. It is always worth taking your mushrooms to an expert in the field before consuming any, unless you fancy a trip to St. Mungo's.
Whilst on the topic of ingesting mushrooms, it’s also worth noting that there are numerous medicinal uses for mushrooms and you can incorporate these in your life in many ways, such as symbolically, instead of eating them.
Red and White Fly Agaric Mushroom
This mushroom is possibly one of, if not the most, popular and well-known of the mushrooms! Within illustration, it often appears surrounded by a gathering of magical creatures including the likes of gnomes or fairies! In Europe, this mushroom is associated with the season of Yule - a festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples celebrated at winter - and it contains two toxins that are supposed to stimulate fear! This means that these mushrooms are NOT EDIBLE and should not be picked, only observed. These types of mushrooms are also often referred to as toadstools. Although these mushrooms don't have any known medicinal value, I felt this mushroom was worth mentioning as a beginner mushroom as they are very easily identifiable and hold strong links to magic!
FUN FACT: There is a theory that Father Christmas’ signature red and white colours originated from this magical mushroom.
Fairy Rings
The sudden appearance of circular mushroom rings – often rapidly appearing overnight in some cases – is strongly associated with fairies. All around the world, this phenomenon is linked strongly to both witches and fairies. In France and Austria, it’s said these mysterious rings are referred to as “Sorcerers Rings” or “Witches Rings,” whilst here in England, the Muggle folklore surrounding them tells they appear when fairies have danced upon the ground.
In many traditions, a common theme running throughout is that if you are to cross through a fairy ring or dig one up, you will be struck with all sorts of bad luck; being a Witch, I do not believe this folklore legend. How can something given to us so magically be in any way a negative thing? On a positive note, some traditions claim that they were good luck and some legends even claim there lay hidden treasure buried underneath!
Fungi sprouting up in mystical circles within many traditions gives off incredible spiritual energies of protection, health, growth, and fertility! The rapidness of growth, especially of circles, reminds me so dearly of new life and this is how I interpret their special energies! How you interpret the energy of a plant is, of course, always personal in my opinion.
Medicine in The Mushroom?
The medicinal and antibiotic remedies from fungi have been used widely for centuries. Across Europe, mushrooms have been used to treat infected wounds, boils, throat infections, and even used as part of a skincare routine!
Here are some fungi that are often used in the treatment of medicines: Phallus impudicus, Ganoderma lucidum, Daldinia concentricia; all of which have also been used to treat things such as nosebleeds, arthritis, and even several cancers for over 4000 years!
In summary, mushrooms truly are a spectacular species! They are forever interesting and always keep foragers on their toes. Both deadly and helpful, mushrooms are a species of endless potential, deserving of delicate handling and responsible hunting. I learn a lot about mushrooms every day and am in the process of experimenting with mushroom essential oils. I hope I enticed some of you into becoming mushroom nerds just as I am.
Have you ever spotted any wild mushrooms out on your travels? Next time you're out wandering the Hogwarts grounds, keep an eye out for any smoothly topped brightly coloured mushrooms. Perhaps there will be a fairy or two around...
October 2020
What is Herbalism?
Herbalism, otherwise known as herbal medicine, is the practice of plant-based medicine using a variety of plants in different medical ways. Within this practise you can use both dried and fresh herbs depending on the plant. There are a huge array of plants that can be used in this practise, for each plant (and sometimes even each part of one specific plant) holds different medicinal qualities. The unique qualities within them can support and heal the body and mind in the same ways modern medicine can.
There are numerous ways of practicing herbalism, some of which I will be going into more specifically in later issues, so don't forget to pick up the latest copy of SerpenTimes! The most common practices with herbalism are water-based preparations and can be compared to our wonderful magical potion-making.
The following are some common ways of using herbs:
Infused Oils and Syrups – These are herb mixtures that are a thick, sweet liquid and are often used externally.
Teas or Infusions – These are herbs boiled in water. These are usually taken internally.
Lotions – Herbs made into a smooth liquid. These are used externally and are similar to Infused Oils and Syrups but have a creamy consistency.
Tinctures – These are herbs mixed with alcohol-based liquids, although non-alcoholic versions can be produced.
Essential Oils – Herbs used therapeutically. Taken externally through methods of inhalations, baths, compressed, massages potpourris and scented candles.
The History of Herbalism
It is widely thought that herbalism is the oldest form of medicine used. Plants have been used for the basis of many medical treatments throughout much of human history. Until the introduction of pharmaceutically-based medicine at the beginning of the 19th century, all cultures relied upon plants. This traditional medicine is still widely practiced and easily followed in today's society.
It is important to note that herbalism is an umbrella term and there are two main approaches, Western herbalism and traditional – or Chinese – herbalism. In quick summary, Western herbalism treats single or separate symptoms using one or a small group of herbs. Examples of this include St. John's Wort for mild depression and ginkgo for memory. Chinese herbalism, however, traditionally diagnoses how to treat you by looking at your health entirely. It does not focus on one symptom, but focuses on symptoms as well as duration, possible cause, emotional temperament, and overall body constitution.
In fact, the earliest recordings of natural healing methods were in China nearly 5000 years ago! Due to China remaining closed to the Western world for many centuries, texts recorded on tablets and papyri from early civilizations in Sumeria and Egypt are the main sources for Western herbalism and medicine. In Europe itself, Ancient Greece was home to many great herbalists including Hippocrates, Galen, Dioscorides, and Theophrastus.
Moving on to the Renaissance, a time when production of pomanders, the use of posies, strewing herbs, and herbal fumigation started to boom even more so than the earliest times. Diet was also considered at this time to be integral to healing, so herbs were added to food for their medicinal properties as much as for their nutritional value and flavour.
In the early 19th century, herbalism was not as prominent as the medical establishment moved away from herbal remedies and more so to laboratory-made chemical drugs. Yes, a great step forward for civilization it was! General health improved and cures for diseases still continue to be found, but a side-effect of this mass production was the lack of responsibility for minor health issues. Natural easy remedies were taken out of the hands of ordinary people and soon forgotten.
However, it isn't all bad news of course! In the last century, much ancient plant lore has been revived for self-healing use both internally and externally. A Welsh-born Edward Bach – the pioneer of modern flower remedies - had a role to play in that. In 1919, Bach joined the staff at London Homeopathic Hospital and believed that for healing to succeed, the emotions of a person had to be addressed in depth. By 1928, he was experimenting with flowers in particular, finding many useful remedies including that the herbs clematis and mimulus worked well to calm mental states. And, of course, now, here we are using Bach's, and those before him, studies of herbs and their positive effects on the mind, body, and spirit.
Health and Safety
With any form of medical treatment there are side-effects and impacts to the body and mind. Herbal medicine is the same and does have the potential to harm the body if you were to use it incorrectly. We should therefore look to herbal medicine in the same respects we do to modern medicine.
Knowing this, it is important to inform your general practitioner (GP) – or pharmacist at the very least – about any herbal medicines you are taking or going to take, if you are a person who has serious health conditions, are taking other forms of medication, are due to have surgery, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are of a sensitive age group. It is always worth seeking a medical professional's advice.