Herbal Gifts : Post-Apocalyptic Bath Salts

We all have that special person in our life who is wonderful but very difficult to find a gift for.

We ask them for ideas and are given little to no answers. Still, we are bound and determined to create something for them that they'll enjoy and perhaps even be pleasantly surprised by. Combining both of the powers of enjoyment and surprise, it is with great pleasure that I present the herbal gift that I give to those most difficult of gift-giving cases - my Post-Apocalyptic Bath Salts.

Why such a reliance on this recipe for challenging cases, you may ask?

1. Honestly, if anything the surprise of giving a post-apocalyptic gift during the winter holiday season (or winter-themed summer holiday season as in the case of my marvelous southern hemisphere cleverkin), will be surprising and hopefully in the right sort of absurd, snort-through-their-nose with amusement that only an odd gift can bring.
2. My Post-Apocalyptic Bath Salts are healing and restorative without getting into too treacherous territory of overwhelming the non-herbally-inclined. They might think it is weird, but not primarily weird because it is one of your strange herbal concoctions (it will only be secondarily weird because of the involvement of your herbal practice).  

Be sure to follow my #DIYHerbalGifts series to create all three recipes including my Temple Bath Tea and Beautiful Buzz Honey Scrub.  Looking for labels to use for your herbal gifts? My Magick Mail subscribers get access to free labels to use in their herbal gifting!

Post-Apocalyptic Bath Salts

My Post-Apocalyptic Bath Salts are simple to make - if you can mix stuff together in a bowl you're set! The essential oils I chose are soothing to sore muscles (which is good because post-apocalyptic living is no easy thing) and a help to reinvigorate a weary mind (but not so much that you'll become the most prime of zombie brain-bait). 

Begin by mixing together your salts:

• 3 parts Epsom Salt
• 1 part Dead Sea Salt

Set them aside and mix together your carrier oil of choice and your essential oils. My favorite carrier oil (which is not a real oil, but a wax that is in liquid form) is Jojoba. You can use whatever you have on hand including Olive Oil, Coconut Oil (be sure to gently warm it first so that it is in liquid form), Sweet Almond Oil or any other carrier oil that you prefer. To every 1 carrier ounce oil add the following essential oils:

• 3 drops Texas Cedarwood
• 3 drops Frankincense
• 2 drops Juniper Berry
• 1 drop Clove Bud

Mix together roughly 1 cup (more or less depending on your preferences and if you like a drier or oilier bath salt blend) of your salt mixture with 1 ounce of your oil blend. If you have the time, keep in a sealed jar and shake daily for a week, letting all of the oils and salts mix together in a marvelous, I-survived-the-end-of-times blend! To use, add 1/4 to 1 cup of salts to your bath water or a bowl of hot water (if you'll be using this as a foot soak or in a shower) and enjoy! Remember the days when the sky was blue and zombies were only on TV...

Be sure to check out the rest of the #DIYHerbalGifts series and all of my recipes and tutorials!  I have also put together a recipe book full of healing and fun recipes for the winter holidays. The Winter Apothecary can be purchased in my shop and is currently on sale through the month of December!

Spiced Blood : Premiere Vampyre Tonic Recipe

We are headed as fast as the furious horde into the season of Hallows, clever ones, I can't wait!

I have always loved Halloween and when I was called to my Pagan path, Samhain became one of my most beloved of holy days. Maybe it is my Leo Moon that believes that we are all performing, some of us are just less aware than others, and Halloween is a time to try on different roles or better yet, be a bit more like we really are for all to see. While I celebrate Halloween as a cultural holiday, I look forward to the sacred sojourn of Samhain each year. I make sure to take time off around Samhain every year because it is such an important holy day and opportunity to connect with loved ones both living and of blessed memory as I start the new year (Samhain is, in part, a celebration of the New Year). 

The fall and early winter are also times of great creativity for me. I dream up more of my remedies during this time of the year than any other time, including all of the recipes found in The Haunted Apothecary. I am looking forward to an extra-special Hallows celebration this year with a bunch of friends and family gathering together - so my Halloween decorating dreams are in full swing. I love giving away little gifts, so I decided to make a tea for everyone to take home with them. In the spirit of gift-giving I'm sharing the recipe with you!

I wanted to make a warming, spicy blend that was caffeine-free and a delicious red color. Hence, Spiced Blood: Premiere Vampyre Tonic for all of my night-kin, fancy Hallows tea drinkers, and midnight dancers. 

If you're purchasing the herbs needed for this tea, I recommend checking out your local tea or herb shop if you are lucky enough to have one in your town. Otherwise, I recommend online sellers like Mountain Rose Herbs for your herbal needs. 

Blend together the following herbs in your cauldron pot:

• 4 parts of Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis)

• 1 part of Roasted Carob (Ceratonia siliqua)

• 1 part of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)

• 1/2 part of Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)

• 1/4 part of Rose (Rosa damascena)

The tea blend can be brewed immediately, but it is better bottled in a tight sealing jar and left to mingle and awaken in the dark for at least one weeks time. Brew 1 teaspoon per cup of hot water.

I hope you enjoy your Spiced Blood either on a solitary night under the moonlit sky or with a gathering of wild-hearted kindred. Happy start of the Hallows season, clever ones! 

Winter Solstice: Recipes of Mirth + Brightness

If we take time to seek out mirth in the darkness, we're bound to find it during the long nights of winter. I probably create and dream of more new recipes during the winter months than any other time of the year. Perhaps it is the flow of introspective energy or maybe its all the twinkling lights that send my mind musing on new ways to connect with our plant allies. Maybe it all comes down to my love of giving and receiving gifts, full of surprises and shouts of glee, and practicing generosity towards ourselves and our community.

Juniper Liniment

I created this liniment as a topical treatment for inflammation, sore and stiff muscles, and as a sacred forest anointing water to celebrate long winter nights. Juniper is a cleansing and protective herb, well suited to the work of pulling pain from the mind, body, and spirit.

• 8 oz Organic Juniper Berry (Juniperuscommunis)

• 300 ml Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) Extract

• Optional essential oil blend:

  • 3 drops Clove Bud (Syzygium aromaticum) Essential Oil

  • 3 drops Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) Essential Oil

  • 3 drops Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Essential Oil

  • 6 drops Juniper (Juniperus communis) Essential Oil

  • 6 drops Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) Essential Oil

Begin by creating an extract by combining your ground up Juniper Berries with the Witch Hazel. Let brew for a full cycle of the Moon, shaking and singing to daily. Strain the Juniper Berries from the Witch Hazel and you can either bottle the beautiful brew now or add the optional essential oil blend. I take the leftover Juniper Berries and wrap them up in cheesecloth and add them to my evening bath.

To use your Juniper Liniment make sure to shake the bottle up and then add some to a clean cloth. Use the cloth to either wrap or rub on the liniment to the area causing you discomfort such as aching knees or sore shoulders. You can also add the brew to a spray bottle and apply the liniment by spraying it on the affected area. The liniment should keep for a number of years if stored in a cool, dark place when not in use.

Winter Sun Sugar Scrub

While I haven't been a fan of traditional sugar scrubs that use white sugar, I think coconut sugar is pretty swell since it is not only healthier for the body than standard processed sugar but is a more environmentally sustainable source of sweetness. The Winter Sun Sugar Scrub is like the right sort of candy for the body combining the exfoliating qualities of sugar with healing herbs and essential oils. Chamomile, like other bright, sun-like herbs, are wonderful during the winter months aligning our earthly bodies with celestial signs (since herbs like Chamomile and Calendula are well suited to the signs of Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces) and bringing cheer to dark nights.

• 1 cup Coconut Sugar

• 1 tablespoon Chamomile (Matricariachamomilla) Powder OR 2 tablespoons whole Chamomile Flowers

• 1 - 2 tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil

• 2 drops Clove Bud (Syzygium aromaticum) Essential Oil

• 1 drop Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Essential Oil

• 2 drops Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) Essential Oil

• Optional Essence blend:

  • 1 drop Chamomile Flower Essence

  • 1 drop Oak Flower Essence

  • 1 drop Sage Flower Essence

Mix all ingredients together while dancing and store in an airtight container. Use by rubbing the blend onto damp skin and then washing off, leaving your skin sunshiny and smooth.

Solstice Bath Tea

I created this blend as one of the many holiday remedies I'm sharing with friends and family this year. Bath teas are an accessible and easy-to-use form of herbal medicine. Toss them in a tub and don't worry about the taste! Our Solstice Bath Tea is full of skin-nourishing herbs that also work wonders on soothing the nervous system. A lovely bath blend for folks of all ages right before bed!

• 1 part Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) Flowers

• 1 part Elder (Sambucus nigra) Flowers

• 1 part Calendula (Calendula officinalis) Flowers

• Optional:

  • Add 1-2 cups of healing salts to every cup of herbs

  • Add one or more of the Winter Solstice Flower Essences depending on your need

Mix all the flowers together in a golden blend while singing songs of merriment. Add 1/4 - 1 cup of Solstice Bath Tea to every bath either by adding the flowers directly into the water or wrapped in cheesecloth. Alternatively, you can brew the Bath Tea ahead of time for 20 minutes to a few hours, strain, and then add to your bath water which allows you to access more of the medicinal qualities out of the blend.

I hope you enjoyed these recipes for your winter festivities! I’ve written a lot more about winter wellness and herbs of the season since writing this post in 2013 so be sure to check out the following posts if you’re looking for extra inspiration:

• How to Create a Winter Wellness Apothecary

• Healing & Magickal Practices for Winter

• Winter Warmer: A Gentle Adaptogenic Tea

• Darkest Night: A Winter Solstice Spread

• A Might-Do List for Yule

Wherever the season takes you may it be full of merriment and joy!

Swedish Chai + Summer Deals

I just spent the past weekend in the beautiful wilds of Oregon dancing the days and nights away with magickal creatures of all varieties at the amazing Faerieworlds art and music festival! I came back to my seaside city feeling inspired and with some extra dirt and glitter packed in my bags (and, to be honest, tangled in my hair and between my toes). As some of us celebrate the week of the First Harvest in the Northern Hemisphere and late winter / early spring fire festivals in the Southern Hemisphere, I'm filling up on summer's glow as the promise of fall is just around the corner.

One of the ways I like to celebrate the early mornings and long, lazy nights of summer is with pots of chai. Chai is simply the word for tea in a number of cultures, though many of us are familiar with the Masala chai of South Asian fame. I love to make chai blends based on local flora, culturally-entwined spices, and my own take on whatever tea drinking culture I may find myself in. Some of my chai blends are created with longing-in-the-heart, as I dream of places I look forward to visiting. Sweden has captured my imagination in recent years and so I created a Swedish chai in exploratory tea anticipation of future journeys. The recipe is below along with some insight into the spices and herbs included in the blend. Enjoy!

Books have been written espousing the greatness of healing spices and what many consider dusty kitchen condiments are actually earthy jewels of wellness delight. Spices are healing foods that are easy to add to any meal and act as a fragrant passage for medicine to find its way through our mind, body, and spirit.

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is an excellent spice for indigestion and calming upset stomachs. Like many spices, Cardamom also has aphrodisiac qualities.

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum), like many spices, aids with indigestion, but also has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anesthetic qualities.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) is a delicious blood sugar balancer and is also heart-healing, promoting healthy circulation, reducing hypertension, and possessing anti-clotting properties.

You can learn more about Elder, the Tree of Medicine + fiery Ginger in previous posts!