Annies Remedy - Herbs for Self Healing
Annies Remedy A-Z Medicinal Herb Chart contains information on hundreds of traditional medicinal herbs and plants, yet it is still only a tiny fraction of the natural plants used for healing worldwide. The focus is for the most part on Western herbs though there is a sampling on the most popular herbs from the herbal traditions of China and Ayurveda as well as other cultures. The herb profiles include photographs, descriptions, medicinal uses, folklore, and references from the leading herbalists of today and ancient times. You can browse alphabetically by common names, to find information on a popular herb like ginger, or find it listed by its botanical name, Zingiber officinale.
Herbs are also grouped by their properties and actions. For example you will find herbs that are Adaptogens used in many herbal formulas for building the immune system and increasing the body's resistance to stress and adversity . Anti-inflammatory herbs help to calm flare ups in the digestive system as well as providing alternative remedies for arthritis. Antibacterial herbs help the body ward off cold germs and other infections of the airways while expectorants help to calm coughs.
The practical and common uses of herbs, as well as recipes and
instructions on how to use them can be found in the
herbal remedies section. The wise woman's knowledge of plants is of a practical nature, based on skill, observation, and recipes that are passed down from generation to generation. She was the family doctor, herbalist, candle maker, chef, and seamstress all rolled into one. This collection of herbal remedies grew out of a personal quest for self healing with herbal based alternative medicine. I hope you will find something here that helps you also, whatever your interest in natural, alternative medicine may be. Two of of the most popular uses for herbs according to our website visitors
are:
Natural strategies for healthy weight loss , and finding new ways to preserve and
improve our ability to focus and combat memory loss .
One of the most amazing things you will learn as you start to bring herbs and
plants into use your daily life is how versatile they can be. We hope to provide
you a good starting place in your search for health and well being.
June - A Midsummer Dream
Calendula oil
Solstice celebrations center around the day of the astronomical summer solstice or can be held on June 21, Midsummer, also known as St John's Day. Golden-flowered mid-summer plants, especially Calendula and St. John's Wort, have always been an integral part of summer celebrations, indeed they were believed to have miraculous healing powers when harvested on midsummer eve by the light of the moon. Calendula and St. Johns flowers infuse their magical healing to the oils, creams, and lotions you need to keep summer stressed skin glowing and healthy.
A bouquet of midsummer herbs, a summer solstice bundle, can be made using any combination of the folling herbs and wildflowers. The plants considered to be midsummer herbs differ from place to place, but they almost always include the following:
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St. John's Wort Hypericum perforatum : The fresh flowers of St. Johns when infused in oil produce a beautiful and powerful red oil that is anti-inflammatory and analgesic. A true flower of midsummer, St. Johns wort oil will heal and soothe skin. -
Chamomile, Matricaria recutita : Camomile, Chamomilla, German chamomile Chamomile is an excellent remedy for any emotional disorders that involve stress, anxiety, and tension. The apple-like aroma relaxes and calms and the tea is used home remedies. Cooled chamomile tea used as a hair rinse brings on the highlights in blonde or light colored hair. Ancient peoples saw the face of the sun god in this yellow daisy like flower and called this friendly little herb Balder’s brow. -
Thyme, Thymus vulgaris : Common Thyme, Wild Thyme According to legend, any place where thyme grows wild is a place blessed by the fairies so perhaps you can coax some magical visitors into your garden. It was sacred to Freya, and was placed in the pillows of the sickbed. Thyme tea will settle the stomach, help you sleep, soothe a sore throat, relieve aches and pains, and encourage your body to sweat, helping to eliminate toxins and bring down a fever. -
Wolf's Claw Lycopodium clavatum, : Club Moss, Witches Herb : Club Moss, or wolfs claw, is an ingredient in Traditional Chinese Medicine remedies used for centuries to treat fever and inflammation. The green fronds are woven into the midsummer belt or burned in the solstice fire. -
Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris : St. John's Plant Mugwort is a favorite herb of wise women, most widely known for its affinity for the female reproductive system. It is used widely both in western and eastern herbal traditions. It is strewn in the fields at midsummer in order to protect the crops from the grain demon, the Bilwis. -
Calendula Calendula officinalis : Pot marigold perennial herbaceous plants : Calendula flower oil is one of the first herbs to consider in minor first aid applications. Particularly good treatment for cuts, scrapes, bruises, and minor wounds. The golden yellow flowers, called “Marygold” or “sun-bride” in the Middle Ages, were once sacred to the Great Goddess (Freya) and were used for love magic everywhere. -
Elderberry Sambucus nigra tree : Elderberries are used in syrup for diarrhea, colds and rheumatism. Leaves are used in an ointment that is a folk remedy for bruises, sprains, chilblains and hard-to-cure skin irritations. The elder is a sacred tree, a ritual tree around which circle dances were performed. At the summer solstice, when the elder bloomed, it was associated with the ecstasy of summer love. -
Oxeye Daisy, Chrysanthemum leucanthemum : marguerite, moon daisy Perennial Wildflower : This midsummer wildflower was once used as a country remedy to relieve chronic coughs and used as an oracle (he loves me, he loves me not..). Midsummer, like all sacred times when the intangible grows near, is the time of oracles. -
Vervain Verbena hastata, V. officinalis : Blue Vervain, Wild Hyssop, Simpler's Joy, Herb of the cross Vervain is useful in many diseases as a pain reliever and natural tranquilizer, an expectorant used to treat chronic bronchitis, and an anti-rheumatic used to relive joint pain. It was sacred to the mighty hammer-god, who rules over lightning and thunder and who drenches the earth with fertile rain. -
Yarrow, Achillea millefolium : Milfoil, Old Man's Pepper, Nosebleed Perennial herb : Yarrow is one of the best-known herbal remedies for fevers and bleeding. The chemical makeup of yarrow is complex, containing many active medicinal compounds ... -
Wood Betony, Stachys officinalis : Perennial herb : Though this nearly forgotten mint has become increasingly rare modern herbal medicine, wood betony was once considered almost a panacea by the elder herbalists. It was the most beloved of the bewitching herbs. -
Burdock root, Arctium lappa : Niu Bang Zi, Go Bo, Gobo Biennial : Burdock helps to cleanse the body from the inside out and is most useful in those conditions that can be traced back to liver disorders or a general overload of toxins in the system. Burdock, with its huge leaves and clinging fruits, was considered a true “bear” plant by the Celts and Germanic peoples, sacred to the mighty thunderer and hammer-slinging Thor.
Midsummer lore taken in part from (Muller-Ebeling, Claudia ,Wolf-Deieter Storl . "Witchcraft Medicine")
Looking for something you can read offline? Join our mailing list and get a free copy of Methods for Using Herbs. This free handbook includes instructions on how to make basic herbal preparations at home. It covers making herbal teas, herb infused oils and balms, tinctures, and more.