Lemon Balm Magic

Lemon Balm’s presence is quiet and strong. Running through the soil like her minty cousins, she spreads just under the surface with steady, clear intention. In this way, she reminds us  good cheer and sunny confidence will proliferate even when we’re not aware of their presence on the surface of our lives. Lemon Balm magic is the magic of quiet, steady trust.

Lemon Balm’s effect on honeybees, attracting them and encouraging them to remain in their hives, reminds us to nurture our homes, our friends and family, our communities. Through the simple act of contributing to our household, we nurture ourselves. In this way, Lemon Balm asks us to seek joy and peace in the mundane tasks of life as a way of self-nurturing.

Thriving in both sun and shade, soils of a wide pH, dry and damp conditions, Lemon Balm teaches versatility, particularly in how we grow. If Lemon Balm has popped up in your life, it may be time to ask yourself what conditions are present in your life that you must embrace to thrive. Has a challenge surfaced that you resist? Have you identified an aspect of your life that feels unbearable, burdensome, like a whole lotta work? Lemon Balm can help you identify the trouble and find ways to adapt and thrive amidst it, or maybe in spite of it.

Lemon Balm magic is the magic of steady, calm, persistent, good cheer.

In Astrology, Lemon Balm is considered a feminine plant and is governed by the Moon. Lemon Balm’s element is water. In Ayruvedic medicine, Lemon Balm’s energy is pungent, sour-sweet, cool, and wet.

Spearmint Uses

Spearmint

PARTS USED
The Whole Herb

GENDER: Feminine
ELEMENTS: Air and Water
PLANET: Venus

FOLK NAMES
Brown Mint
Erba Santa Maria
Fish Mint
Frauen Munze
Garden Mint
Green Mint
Lamb Mint
Mackerel Mint
Menthe de Notre Dame
Mismin (Irish Gaelic)
Our Lady's Mint
Sage of Bethlehem
Spire Mint
Yerba Buena (Spanish)

POWERS

Healing
Love
Mental Powers
Healing and some Love wishes.
Burn for healing wishes especially respiratory.
Carry the herb in sachet for healing, drink the tea
for healing or take a bath for strength and vitality.

MAGICAL USES

Spearmint ia used in all healing applications.
especially in aiding lung disease.
Spearmint is sometimes used to provoke lust.
Smelled, spearmint increases and sharpens mental power.
For protection while asleep.
stuff a pillow or mattress with spearmint.

Source
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
by Scott Cunningham

3 Herbal Teas That Boost Metabolism

Bladderwrack

This black herb comes from the garden of the sea and it packs the traditional salty taste you’d expect from aquatic plants.

Bladderwrack herbal tea works on the thyroid and is considered to be a thyroid tonic due to its soothing effects and high iodine content. It also gives the metabolism a nice boost so that the body can start working towards a more healthy weight balance.

Use bladderwrack herb in small doses in fragrant blends to mask its salty, aquatic taste.

Sarsaparilla

Sarsaparilla herbal tea gently stimulates and fires up the metabolism so that the body uses up fats and carbs in a healthier way. This herb is included in just about every weight loss and fat burning blend and its gentle effects makes it a great option for many people.

Ginger Root

You can literally feel ginger herbal tea raise the body temperature slightly as the metabolism kicks into high gear. This herb is favored in the East because when the body temperature gets slightly raised, it doesn’t feel as hot outside as it may be.

In addition to turning up the fat burning heat in the body, ginger root herbal tea also gets the body’s digestive process in high gear so that fats, carbs, and nutrients get handled in a faster and more efficient way.

Stress Tonic Herbal Tea Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon Lemon Balm

1/4 teaspoon German Chamomile

1/4 teaspoon Skullcap

1/4 teaspoon Nettle

To Prepare

Steep the herbs in 8-10 ounces of steaming hot water for 6 minutes. You can use a mesh tea ball, reusable muslin tea bag, disposable natural tea bag, or a tea kettle with a built-in strainer. Make sure to keep the tea covered while it steeps so that you don’t lose all the essential oils as the water evaporates.

Sit back and enjoy

5th Chakra Tea

OVERVIEW

A warm and soothing decoction blend designed to improve communication all year round. Dry or scratchy sore throats are no match for this combination of roots and spices. A smooth and comforting blend.

TASTE

A warming tea which slides down smoothly and has a succulent linger.

AROMA AND TASTE

Sweet and viscous with strong licorice and marshmallow notes.

BREW TIME AND COLOR

Golden amber. 5-10 minutes

CAFFEINE CONTENT

Caffeine free

INGREDIENTS

Organic Licorice root, organic Marshmallow root, organic Echinacea purpurea root, organic Orange peel, organic Cinnamon bark, organic Ginger root, organic Fennel seed, and organic Cloves.

I have not tried this yet myself, so you will have to experiment with the combinations of ingredients, to achieve the perfect blend, does sound like a lovely tea.

Magical Properties of Incense and Smudge Sticks

.What is Smudging?

"Smudging" is the common name given to a powerful cleansing technique from the Native American tradition; however, the burning of herbs for emotional, psychic, and spiritual purification is a common practice among many religious, healing, and spiritual traditions. It is a ceremonial way to cleanse a person, place or an object of negative energies or influences. It is also an effective method for energizing or blessing a person, place or object.

Smudging can be useful when you're feeling depressed, angry, resentful, unwell or after you have had an argument with someone. It is common to smudge yourself, the space and all the guests or participants before a ritual or ceremony or celebration. You can smudge your home or work space as part of a general spiritual housecleaning, and you can cleanse crystals or other objects of any negative or lingering energy with a smudging ritual.

How to Smudge

Any action undertaken with intention and belief can become a potent ritual, so consider your intention before you smudge and hold it clearly in your mind. Smudging should be done with care, with reverence and in an attitude of love.

A candle flame is recommended to light the smudge stick as it may take a little time to get the stick smoking. Once the stick is alight with flame, blow it out so that the smudge stick is smoldering, not burning - be careful not to blow ash everywhere. If you're using loose leaves, a candle is still recommended, but the single leaf will light much more quickly - again, you want to blow out the flame so the sage doesn't burn away too rapidly (you won't get the sweet sage smoke if it burns rather than smolders). And yes, it is still called smudging if you are only using loose leaves not rolled into smudge sticks.

What is the advantage to using loose leaf vs. smudge sticks? You may need to light more than one leaf for your purpose, but you won't be relighting a smudge stick that may smell like old ash the next time you need the power of sage. Further, a goodly portion of a smudge stick can be "wasted" in snuffing out a stick. A smudge stick goes a long way, so it is unlikely that you'll use the whole thing in only one use unless it is a lengthy ceremony.

Smudging yourself or another

Fan the swirls of smoke around your body from head to toe. You may want to especially focus on areas where you feel there are blockages or where there has been or is physical, emotional, or spiritual pain. Imagine the smoke lifting away all the negative thoughts, emotions and energies that have attached themselves to you. If you are feeling depressed, for instance, you could visualize the smoke carrying away all your feelings of depression.

You may want to speak an intention or a suggestion for the smudging as you do it. Repeat this process with your guests as they enter the space at a ritual, ceremony or special event.

Smudging a room or space

Light the smudge stick as suggested above, and walk about the perimeter, giving special attention to the corners and the places behind doors. You can also fan the smoke throughout the room with a large feather. If you are amenable to the notion, you should state a prayer of gratitude for the cleansing and keep in mind your intention of removing any negatively inclined energy from the area during the ritual.

This is a list of Herbs used in Incense and Smudge Sticks

AFRICAN VIOLET: used for spirituality and protection. 

ALOESWOOD: used for spirituality, meditation, luck, love and to strengthen other incenses.

AMBER: used in healing, meditation. 

APPLE: used in love, peace and happiness.

BAMBOO: Bamboo is the stick used to hold the herbs and resins in most stick incense. It has magical uses of its own. It is used in divination in Chinese Temples. Used in luck, protection and hex-breaking rituals.

BANANA: used for fertility, potency and prosperity rituals. 

BASIL: used for happiness, peace and money. 

BAY: used for psychic awareness and purification.

BENZOIN: used for purification, prosperity, knowledge, peace, and psychic protection 

BERGAMOT: used for peace, happiness, restful sleep. 

CAMOMILE: used for sleep, meditation and peace. 

CAMPHOR: used for purification, physical energy and celibacy.

CEDAR: used for purifying, protection and to banish bad dreams. Used by Native Americans in sweat lodges to release heavy emotional energies.

CHAMPA: used for meditation and for creating your sacred space. An auric energizer. It brings one's energies into harmonious balance.

CHERRY: used to attract love and divination.

CINNAMON: raises spiritual and protective vibrations, stimulates psychic powers, physical energy.

COPAL, BLACK: used in immunity, heart rituals, purification. An earthy, spicy Copal. Burned during "Day of the Dead" Celebrations.

CLOVE: used to drive away hostile, negative forces, a psychic enhancer. It is also used to produce spiritual vibrations and to purify the area.

DESERT SAGE: used to drive out bad spirits, feelings and influences. An important, strong, herbaceous Native American Plant. Burned for wealth, wisdom, knowledge, protection, and purification.

DRAGON'S BLOOD: Resin from the palm tree. It is used in rituals involving love, protection and exorcism. Burned for consecration, protection, good luck.

EUCALYPTUS: used in healing and to maintain good health, purification and protection.

FRANGIPANI: used for psychic work to restore peace and harmony with its soothing vibrations.

FRANKINCENSE: used as an incense for purification, spiritual growth, knowledge and meditation. Has been used for over 3,000 years and is still burned in Catholic churches. 

FRANKINCENSE & MYRRH: A powerful combination that is used for spirituality, healing, protection and exorcism. Used as an incense for purification, spiritual growth, knowledge and meditation.

GARDENIA: used in love spells and to attract good, peaceful spirits during rituals. Possesses very high spiritual vibrations. Also used for peace and love. 

GINGER: Used in money and success rituals, for psychic growth, success, sex, love money and courage.

GUM ARABIC POWDER: used in protective and psychic awareness rituals. Burned for purification. 

HONEYSUCKLE: used for love, fidelity, money, protection and clairvoyance. A mental stimulant that aids intuition and psychic perception.

HYACINTH: used for love, protection, happiness and overcoming grief. Guards against nightmares.

HYSSOP LEAF: used for wealth and psychic protection 

IRIS: used for love and psychic awareness.

JASMINE: used to create prophetic and psychic dreams, love, peace, spirituality and raising vibrations.

JUNIPER: used to promote psychic powers, protection, purification and healing. Guards against evil and sickness. Used in sick rooms throughout Europe.

LAVENDER: used in love and healing rituals. Used to attract and protect relationships. Promotes sleep and peacefulness.

LEMONGRASS: used for psychic awareness and purification.

LILAC: used for love, protection, exorcism and protection. Brings peace and harmony into everyday life. 

LIME: used for purification, physical energy and protection.

LOTUS: The Lotus has been long revered in the East as a mystical symbol of life, spirituality and the center of the universe. Burned for protection and as a sacred offering to the Gods. It is said to attract good fortune and love while promoting long life. 

MACE: used for psychic awareness. 

MAGNOLIA: used for fidelity and love. 

MELON: used for healing and health. 

MIMOSA: used for psychic dreams and love. 

MUGWORT: used for psychic awareness, psychic dreams and astral projection. MUSK: used for protection, enlightenment and sexual magnetism. Stimulates self-confidence, determination and enhances extroversion. 

MYRRH: Was used in the temple of Isis. Great meditation and contemplation incense. Used or protection, spirituality, healing and stimulates crown chakra. NAG CHAMPA: A blend of costly, highly fragrant rare gums, resins & powders for meditation and for creating your sacred space. An auric energizer. It brings one's energies into harmonious balance. 

NUTMEG: used for physical energy, magical energy, psychic awareness and money. 

OSHA: A plant revered by all Native American healers for its powerful healing abilities. Used to treat respiratory and rheumatic complaints. 

ORANGE: used for beauty, luck, fidelity, love, purification, joy and physical energy.

PEPPERMINT: used for healing, protection, prosperity, growth and renewal. 

PINE: used for healing, purification, protection, grounding, physical and magical energy.

PINEAPPLE: used for luck, money and chastity.

PINION PINE: used in healing, money, exorcism and protection rituals. PLUMERIA: used for peace and love. 

ROSE: used in love, luck, grief and healing rituals. Induces thoughts of loving affection and peaceful harmonious vibrations. Used for prophetic dreams.

ROSEMARY: used as powerful cleansing and purifying vibrations. One of the oldest incenses. Used in love, healing and mental rituals. Stimulates memory and clarification.

SAFFRON: used for love, healing, happiness, lust, strength and clairvoyance.

SANDALWOOD: used for spiritual awareness, meditation and psychic development. 

STAR ANISE: used for psychic awareness. Sacred Japanese temple incense used to drive away negativity and to bring good luck 

STRAWBERRY: used for love and luck.

SWEETGRASS: used to purify spaces and to attract positive influences. 

SWEETPEA: used for happiness and courage. 

TEA, GREEN: used for money, courage and strength.

Tobacco: Sacred Plant of Native Americans

The custom and belief is that when you pick sage (or receive any gift from nature) you should give the gift of tobacco to the plant first. This is a respectful way of thanking the earth, the sage plant, and the Creator for the gift you are about to receive. Just sprinkle a little tobacco on the plant first, then after your give thanks pick only as much as you need and will use.

TUBEROSE: used to ward off evil and negativity. It restores happiness, peace and harmony.

VANILLA: used for love, lust, healing, luck and mental powers.

VERBENA, LEMON: used or carried for protection and love.

WHITE SAGE: used to purify and protect objects, places and people.

White Sage is traditionally used as a cleansing plant by Native Americans for healing, ceremonies, and to remove negative energy. The belief is that it also said to be mind enhancing

WISTERIA: used for protection and calling higher spiritual forces.

WOOD BETONY: used in protection and reunion rituals. 

YARROW: used for psychic awareness, courage and love. 

YERBA SANTA LEAF: used to drive out negative influences and restores a guarded boundary of protection. 

YLANG-YLANG: used for peace, sex, love, calming and tension relieving'

Divination Herbal Tea

3 tsp China Black Tea
2 tsp Lemon Balm
1 tsp Eyebright
3 tsp Mugwort
3 tsp Rose Hips

Aphrodite Blend Herbal Tea

A sensuous, aromatic blend with just the right tint of zest for your palate, and sure to kindle flames! A delicate, but dashing combination makes this one of your most enjoyable cups of tea.

1 part Damiana leaves

1 part rose petals

1 part peppermint leaves

1 part muira puama

1 part gingko leaves

1 part orange peel

1 part cinnamon bark chips

pinch of stevia.

Place all herbs in a tea ball or bag, put in your nicest or most favorite cup or mug, and cover with boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes.

Remove tea ball or bag, and add sugar, honey, sweetener, milk, cream or whatever, to taste.

Stevia is a green, leafy plant that is native to South America.

It has been used for medicinal purposes for many centuries. The plant has also been bred for its strong, sweet flavor and used as a sweetener.

Muira puama, also called "potency wood," is a small tree up to 15 feet in height native to the Brazilian Amazon. The bark and root are the primary parts that are utilized. Indigenous peoples use muira puama for the therapy of sexual debility, fatigue, neuromuscular problems, and rheumatism. It's botanical name is Ptychopetalum olacoides.

Herbal Lore - Clove Buds

Clove Buds (Syzygium aromaticum)

Planetary Signature: Jupiter & Saturn

Astrological Signature: Capricorn

Elemental Signature: Fire

Parts Used: dried buds (whole, granules, or ground), essential oil (middle-note), and culinary flavoring-extract

Folk-Names: King of Spices

Herb-Lore & Magic:
Clove is another reputed commanding and power herb that is used to add necessary force to a love or money formula, depending upon the other ingredients to which it has been added.  The common name is derived from the Latin noun clavus, which means “a nail” in reference to its natural shape of the dried buds.  It is associated with protection in Indonesia where cloves are stuck into the nostrils and lips in order to “nail” those passageways closed so that demons and other evil spirits could not enter through them.

Cloves may be used in a variety of protection spells and formula where literal or metaphysical doors and windows must be “nailed” shut, including the prevention of sickness.  One may use clove buds to seal a pact with spirits, the gods, or a vow before one’s Coven during the hallowed Rite of Initiation in order to bind oneself to their word.  Furthermore, cloves may be used when signing contracts, making promises or deals, as well as at Handfastings to cement a bond.  It may be combined with slipper elm bark, or other herbs to facilitate the truth, to stop gossip.  It may also be blended with benzoin resin to banish unruly ghosts and faeries that have become a nuisance without the use of iron, or to magically seal a doorway that we have ceremonially opened, such as one of the Four Quarters when an element is evoked.  Because it may also magically bar physical doors and other entrances into the home, I often include the ground spice in my own formula for Protection Potion in order to guard the sovereignty of my residence and my Temple.  Clove buds will also behave as a “catalyst” and bind your spell in Natural Law, which make them effective when fashioning and charging Witch Chord spells, or when sealing and charging a Witch Bottle spell.  An incense may be composed using ground or whole clove buds to not only protect and consecrate your personal Grimoire, but to ensure that any spells that are cast from it will not be misused, and that their effectiveness will hinge upon whether or not they are “for the good of all” involved.

Plants that are safe to eat and drink

EDIBLE (AND DRINKABLE) FLOWERS

Alliums (flowers and young shoots), bee balm, carnations, hibiscus blossoms, hollyhock, honeysuckle flowers (the berries are highly poisonous), Johnny-jump-ups (flowers and leaves), lavender (blossoms and leaves), nasturtiums (flowers, buds, leaves, seedpods), pansies (flowers and leaves), roses (petals, leaves, and rose hips), violets (flowers and leaves).

EDIBLE (AND DRINKABLE) KITCHEN HERBS

Basil, chamomile flowers, chives, dill, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, peppermint and other mints, rosemary, sage, thyme, verbena.

EDIBLE (AND DRINKABLE) BUSHES AND TREES

Birch leaves (especially when young), blackberry leaves, citrus blossoms (lemon, orange, grapefruit, etc.), elderberry flowers and ripe berries (the leaves and unripe berries are poisonous), gardenia, hibiscus flowers, honeysuckle flowers, pine needles (white and black), raspberry leaves.

EDIBLE (AND DRINKABLE) WEEDS

Chickweed, chicory (flowers and buds), dandelions (flowers and leaves), goldenrod, good King Henry, kudzu, lamb's quarters, plantain (or white man's footsteps, as the Native Americans called them), purslane, stinging nettle.