Good Health with Herbal Teas

Herbal teas are known for their refreshing flavour and calming properties. They are prepared either by mixing herbs with tea or by simply brewing the herbs. Besides being gentle and readily available, they are also associated with number medicinal and therapeutic properties. Here is a list of top 8 herbal teas with great health benefits you can brew and enjoy.

Peppermint tea
Peppermint tea is mild and is very refreshing. The main component of the tea is peppermint oil which contributes to all the therapeutic effects. The tea is rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium and contains very low calories. It is best known for its properties to soothe the stomach and promote digestion. A warm glass of peppermint tea can also help to effectively relieve nausea. 
 
Chamomile tea
Chamomile tea is mild and reviving. It is found very powerful to treat a number of maladies. It has sedative properties that can relieve both sleeplessness and anxiety. It has also been shown to be helpful in relieving skin conditions such as dermatitis and eczema.

Lemon balm tea
This herb belongs to the mint family and has been used for centuries to treat indigestion, anxiety and sleep disorders. This herb is good for the digestive system and is helpful in reducing flatulence and indigestion. Being antispasmodic in nature, it is also effective in easing menstrual cramps.

Ginger tea
Ginger tea is known for its prized medicinal benefits. It is best known for its ability to fight nausea. It has anti-inflammatory properties that can help to relieve muscle soreness after exercise. Drinking ginger tea during periods can also be helpful in reducing menstrual pain.

Lavender tea
Lavender is known for its bright purple flowers and pleasant aroma. Lavender is an antidepressant, expectorant analgesic and an antiseptic. Lavender tea is primarily used to ease anxiety, insomnia, stress and depression. The tea is also good for relieving indigestion and nausea.

Lemongrass tea
Lemongrass tea has a strong lemony fragrance. Lemongrass contains a lot of volatile oils that are rich in antioxidants and can protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and can help to reduce pain in conditions such as arthritis.

Rosehip tea
Rosehip is the fruit of rose plant that is typically red or orange in colour. It not only has beauty benefits, but it can also ward off many diseases. Being rich in vitamin C and flavonoids, rosehip tea has good antioxidant properties. Antioxidants can play a role in preventing arthritis, heart diseases and cancer.

Cardamom tea
Cardamom is often added in teas for a strong and refreshing flavour. Cardamom tea has been used as a digestive aid for centuries. It is also an effective herbal remedy for treating worms in your intestine. Cardamom can help you detoxify your body and flush out toxins from your digestive and circulatory systems.

Original post: http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/health-benefits-of-herbal-tea/

Winter Solstice

Late dawn. Early sunset. Short day. Long night. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the December solstice marks the longest night and shortest day of the year. Meanwhile, on the day of the December solstice, the Southern Hemisphere has its longest day and shortest night. This special day is coming up on Sunday, December 21 at 23:03 UTC (5:03 p.m. CST). A fun fact about the coming solstice is that it occurs within about two-and-a-half hours of a new moon. No matter where you live on Earth’s globe, a solstice is your signal to celebrate.

What is a solstice?

The earliest people on Earth knew that the sun’s path across the sky, the length of daylight, and the location of the sunrise and sunset all shifted in a regular way throughout the year. They built monuments such as Stonehenge in England – or, for example, at Machu Picchu in Peru – to follow the sun’s yearly progress.

But we today see the solstice differently. We can picture it from the vantage point of space. Today, we know that the solstice is an astronomical event, caused by Earth’s tilt on its axis, and its motion in orbit around the sun.

Because Earth doesn’t orbit upright, but is instead tilted on its axis by 23-and-a-half degrees, Earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres trade places in receiving the sun’s light and warmth most directly. The tilt of the Earth – not our distance from the sun – is what causes winter and summer. At the December solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is leaning most away from the sun for the year.
At the December solstice, Earth is positioned in its orbit so that the sun stays below the north pole horizon. As seen from 23-and-a-half degrees south of the equator, at the imaginary line encircling the globe known as the Tropic of Capricorn, the sun shines directly overhead at noon. This is as far south as the sun ever gets. All locations south of the equator have day lengths greater than 12 hours at the December solstice. Meanwhile, all locations north of the equator have day lengths less than 12 hours.
For us on the northern part of Earth, the shortest day comes at the solstice. After the winter solstice, the days get longer, and the nights shorter. It’s a seasonal shift that nearly everyone notices.

Where should I look to see signs of the solstice in nature?

Everywhere.

For all of Earth’s creatures, nothing is so fundamental as the length of daylight. After all, the sun is the ultimate source of all light and warmth on Earth.

If you live in the northern hemisphere, you can notice the late dawns and early sunsets, and the low arc of the sun across the sky each day. You might notice how low the sun appears in the sky at local noon. And be sure to look at your noontime shadow. Around the time of the December solstice, it’s your longest noontime shadow of the year.

In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s opposite. Dawn comes early, and dusk comes late. The sun is high. It’s your shortest noontime shadow of the year.

http://earthsky.org/earth/everything-you-need-to-know-december-solstice#where

Magus Books: Product Highlight

Ravener & Others: Six John Dee & Edward Kelley Occult Mysteries

Author: Tyson, Donald

Six exciting esoteric tales of Elizabethan magician Dr John Dee and his skryer Edward Kelley, using their wits and angelic magic to battle a range of supernatural foes and threats.

The Curse - one of the Queen's lady's-in-waiting is threatened by an African curse.

Hackley Grange - terror from beyond the stars strikes close to home.

Black Dog - Edward Kelley meets an old treasure-hunting friend, and gains a familiar, but will it save or kill him?

The Shewstone - Dee and Kelley battle powerful foes to save the realm from destruction.

Nonsuch House - the vengeance of a dangerous ghost endangers John Dee's wife, Jane.

The Ravener - an ancient evil stalks Queen Elizabeth I and her courtiers on a hunt, and the only salvation lies in the wits of John Dee.

About the Author:
Donald Tyson is best known as the author of numerous nonfiction books on the traditions of Western magic. He has written about such varied topics as the Tarot, the runes, the Kabbalah, Enochian magic, astral projection and spirit evocation. He is also the editor of annotated modernized editions of the occult classics Demonology by King James the First, The Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Cornelius Agrippa, and Agrippa's Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy. He originated the unique divination systems of rune dice and rune astrology, and designed the Necronomicon Tarot deck.

He is the author of a biography of H. P. Lovecraft, as well as an original version of Lovecraft's dreaded Necronomicon and several other works based in Lovecraft's Necronomicon Mythos. Tyson's novels include Alhazred, about the life of the author of the Necronomicon; and The Tortuous Serpent, about John Dee and Edward Kelley's occult adventures in Bohemia. Donald Tyson presently lives in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, with his wife, Jenny, and his flame-point Siamese cat, Hermes.

Winter Astrology

As the Sun enters CAPRICORN, nature takes a rest. The Earth is barren and the animal kingdom is seeking refuge for the winter months. There is an air of austerity, and the world is awed by the transition that has taken place. When functioning in the Capricorn area of your life, you project that same austerity and demand respect for your capacity to survive. Just as animals are finding protection from the elements, you instinctively build a wall of protection around your feelings of vulnerability to the environment. 

 

At the midpoint of the winter season, when the Sun moves into AQUARIUS, the air seems electrical. There is a freshness that both cleanses and stimulates. Electrical energy is so potent now that touching certain objects is literally shocking. And so is the energy of the Aquarian personality. In your Aquarius-ruled experiences (house) intuition often strikes you like the lightening of the season. Just as ice crusting over the Earth seems shattered by the seasonal thunder, you have the power to break through barriers that limit creative expression.

 

The cycle nears its end as the Sun moves into the last zodiacal sign, PISCES. Winter is almost over; spring is almost here. All of nature seems in a state of limbo. Faith is the keynote for survival.  You often feel out of step with the rest of the world when functioning in the Pisces-ruled area of your life. You don't fit into the patterns that have been; yet you remain unable to open the gates to what lies ahead. Just as Mother Nature is making a commitment to start anew, you must commit your life to some future cause, a fantasy or a dream; an ideal or an illusion.

When spring returns, promises are filled; the Piscean faith is rewarded; a new life begins as the cycle renews itself.

 

http://www.joannewickenburg.com/id6.htm

 

Rosemary Cookies

An evergreen, one legend says that rosemary was a study aid in ancient Greece, worn behind the ear in preparations for exams. It was thought to improve memory. Modern studies bear that out. A little rosemary essential oil, or a sprig of the fresh herb does help recall.

Rosemary's association with having a good memory lead to its use in weddings to help the bride and groom recall their vows, and later at funerals to help those attending remember the deceased.

This herb is a mild analgesic and sedative that works with the liver, improving the body's ability to cleanse itself of the debris that can build and worsen joint problems.

Rosemary is not well known for its ability to help balance the thyroid, but it can do wonders with many thyroid issues and can be worth a try if there might be hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. It also helps a wide variety of other ailments, so try a little in your next molasses cookie or hearty stew.

ROSEMARY COOKIE RECIPE

3/4 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
2 tsp. ground dried rosemary
1 3/4 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ginger

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by scant teaspoons on greased cookie sheet.Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 325 degrees. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

What is Wellness Care?

Wellness care is about achieving and maintaining optimal health. Many people go through life, sometimes for a day, or a week, sometimes for years, feeling "out of it", or lacking vitality. The stresses we have in our lives everyday can wear us down, making it harder and harder to recharge at the end of the day. It becomes all too easy to become unbalanced and drained of energy. There may not be anything "really wrong," we might just be too run down to truly live our best lives.

Wellness care is the remedy for our busy, stressed out lifestyles. This is not primarily care that happens in the clinic, although that plays a role in wellness care, too. Rather, wellness care is primarily focused on little changes in habits and activities that can be done every day. Experiencing ways to maximize health first hand, on a daily basis, the client becomes more pro-active in their own health.

Information and strategies are a cornerstone of wellness care. Learning to communicate with one's body is key to a healthier life. Understanding basics, such as the difference between hunger and thirst, as well as more intense information, like the body crying out for a particular nutrient and how to get that needed nutrition in a healthy way. In learning to read our bodies better, we can make healthier choices that lead to a happier experience.

LIZ JOHNSON

Four Healthy Herbs to Grow Indoors this Winter

During dreary winter months, fresh herbs can add vibrant flavor to your cooking. Even better, many herbs have health benefits. So why not bring your herb garden indoors?

Many plants fare well on a sunny windowsill or kitchen counter, even as the snow and ice pile up outside. According to gardening expert Kim Pezza of the blog New Century Homesteader, there’s still time for many of us to take cuttings from our gardens. “And of course,” she adds, “there are always plant-swapping parties.”

If you don’t have access to plants or if it’s too late to take cuttings, visit a garden store for new seedlings or seeds. Choose perennial herbs, and you can even move your plants outdoors when springtime comes.

Gardening expert Angela Price of Eden Condensed says you should grow the herbs you like and will use. “Basil, thyme, rosemary, and mint are popular and easy-to-grow choices,” she says.
Basil
Basil is common in world cuisines—from Italy (it’s the primary ingredient in pesto sauce) to Thailand—and it can add a kick to many salads. Basil is rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, potassium, and calcium. A recent study suggests that varieties of basil commonly used in Ayurvedic healing reduce inflammation and may potentially be effective in treating arthritis. Because of its concentration of carotenoid pigments, such as beta-carotene—a powerful antioxidant—basil may contribute to cardiovascular health, and basil essential oil has been shown to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.

Thyme
Thyme has long been prized in cooking (it’s used to flavor poultry and pork, as well as tomato sauces) and as a medicinal herb. A generous source of antioxidant compounds, thyme has long been taken for sore throats, for upset stomachs, as a diuretic, and even as a germ killer in mouthwash.
Some evidence suggests that thyme’s essential oils provide relief from the inflammation and airway constriction caused by COPD. Researchers recently showed that it helps to clear mucus from the airways of animals. It may also help airways relax, which can improve airflow into the lungs.  

Rosemary
A fragrant, flowering, perennial herb, rosemary is used to flavor roasted meats and stuffings, and it’s become a staple herb in many kitchens, turning up in everything from bread to ice cream.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia says, “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance”—and recent studies show that Shakespeare might have been onto something: in a series of tests, researchers found that smelling rosemary oil increased the chances of people remembering to do things by between 60 and 75 percent. A similar study found that the scent of rosemary oil improved mood. In addition, rosemary has long been a popular home remedy for migraines, digestive problems, and other ailments.

Mint 
Mint has a distinctive taste but is incredibly versatile; it adds character to both savory dishes and sweet ones. And it’s not just for fresh breath. Mint is rich in vitamin C and iron. Teas brewed from peppermint or spearmint leaves can ease digestive problems, including irritable bowel syndrome, thanks to mint’s antibacterial and antifungal properties. These properties also help reduce asthma and allergy symptoms. Many people believe that mint is a mental stimulant, as well as a digestive one. Mint has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory powers.

Starting Your Herb Garden
Price offers the following tips for growing an indoor herb garden:

• Pick the appropriate containers: Pots should be at least four inches
 deep and have drainage holes. Place a tray underneath to catch the water runoff.
• Give them sun: “A sunny window is key,” Price says.
• Water them only when the soil is dry: If you are not sure, stick a finger in
to the dirt. Too much water may “drown” the plant and attract
 gnats or mildew.
• Trim herbs regularly to encourage new growth.

And she has one final word of advice: “Don’t forget to experiment and have fun!"

Originally published on Healthline