HERBS IN THE HOME
Herbs have always been part of the wise woman's armoury. In the past, every woman had to be something of a herbalist and healer, responsible for her household’s health, since professional medical help was either unavailable or too expensive- and possibly ineffective or dangerous to boot.
Nearly every home had a still room, so called because it probably contained a still for distilling flower essences used for medicinal purposes. Set aside from the kitchen and kept clean and sweet smelling with drying herbs and flowers, it was the place for making herbal infusions, powders, oils and poultices, inks, dyes, soaps, household cleaners and perfumes, for brewing wine and ale, preserving fruit, making jams and jellies, pickles and chutneys. The woman of the house kept it under lock and key, and wrote down all her recipes in the same household book that recorded her mother’s and grandmother’s ‘receipts’.
A girl was initiated into the secrets of these family formulas by her mother, along with her knowledge of folklore, stories, healing potions, minor surgery, gardening, brewing and wine making, spinning, weaving, dyeing, childcare, home management, animal husbandry, bee-keeping, fortune telling and cookery know-how. This didn’t happen to me at home, and I don’t suppose it will happen to you. Such expertise is not valued in today’s society, but it formed the pattern of women’s lives for thousands of years and they developed highly skilful methods in all these areas, even though no historian wrote about them or accorded women status for their invaluable contribution to society; women’s work and women’s knowledge has always be derided and ignored.
I have created a still room in my house, lined with jars of herbs, resins, dried peel and flower petals, and bottles of essential oils. There I make my incenses, brew my wine and sloe gin, and bottle my tinctures, salves, magical oils and other potions. My huge jam pan hangs from the ceiling, cupboards contain stored jams and wine, and treats for Yule like home made sweets, while the freezer houses produce from the vegetable garden to keep us supplied during the winter.
Don’t worry if you haven’t got a utility room or scullery to dedicate as a still room, even the most basic kitchen contains all the facilities you need to make your own products.
THE GREEN HOME
None of us live in a rural idyll, and we have to buy most of what we eat and use from shops and supermarkets. If you can, buy locally produced goods, especially organic vegetables, support farmer’s markets and farm shops.
Any self respecting (and Earth respecting) Pagan avoids actions that harm the environment. Our law is ‘an’ it harm none, do what you will’ with the emphasis on not harming any thing, person, animal, self or planet, and every Pagan must weigh their consumer decisions against their consciences and the Rede. When you shop consider the following in relationship to any purchase:
· Does it endanger your health or the health of others?
· Does it damage the environment during its manufacture, use or disposal?
· Does it have wasteful or non-recyclable packaging?
· Does it use materials from threatened environments or species?
· Does it involve animals testing?
CLEANING PRODUCTS
Commercial cleaning products are hazardous chemicals -toxic, corrosive, irritating and flammable. Many people find that they are sensitive to their constituents, which can be neurotoxic, and can suffer from headaches, muscular pains, blocked sinuses and fatigue as a result. And think what those traces of bleach, disinfectant and detergent are doing to your digestive system! When they are flushed down the loo, or washed down the sink, they pollute our environment causing death to river dwelling animals and fish.
The good news is that proprietary chemicals are not necessary to keep your home spotlessly clean. People in the past managed perfectly well with none of our modern products. Below are some natural recipes that you might like to try. If not, remember that you can obtain ecologically friendly household products from health food stores and most supermarkets. If you are determined to stick to your old chemicals, use them in a more dilute form- most people use them many times more concentrated than is necessary to achieve optimum results.
Antibacterial Spray
1 pint water
10 drops pure essential oil of lavender
10 drops essential tea tree oil
Pour the water into a spray bottle. Add the essential oils and shake. Use on surfaces to kill bacteria- just spray on and wipe over.
Vinegar
White spirit vinegar in a 5% solution can kill 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mould, and 80 percent of viruses- it is also completely safe, unlike commercial antibacterial sprays which are toxic in large does. Make a stronger solution to clean lime scale from taps and appliances and to clean windows effectively without smearing. Use in the kitchen and bathroom to eliminate mould- spray on neat and leave to dry, and then rub off.
Lemon Juice
Got an oily dark ring around the bath? Squirt it with lemon juice, leave it for 30 minutes, and then just rub it off and rinse. Add 2 fl oz lemon juice to 1 fl oz liquid soap to make an effective floor cleaner. Add the solution to a bucket of hot water and mop the floor as usual.
Scouring powder
1 oz baking powder
1 oz borax (available from pharmacies)
1 oz salt
Place in a jam jar; pierce the lid and use as you would any commercial scouring powder.
Furniture Polish
12 drops lemon essential oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
A few drops olive oil
Dip a soft duster in the mixture and wipe over wooden furniture.
Beeswax Wood Polish
3 oz beeswax
½ pint real turpentine (not turps substitute)
1 oz pure soapflakes
¼ pint water
10 drops lemon oil
In a double boiler heat the turpentine and flaked wax until dissolved. Boil the water, add the soap and allow to dissolve and cool a little. Pour into the wax and stir continuously as it cools and emulsifies. Add the lemon oil and pour into jars.
Nut Polish
A fresh nut is oily enough to polish furniture beautifully. Cut it in half and rub over the surface. Walnuts work particularly well, and a single walnut is enough to polish a coffee table, but you can use hazels, almonds, chestnuts and beech nuts.
Herb Polish
As well as nuts, some herbs are oily enough to impart a polish to wooden furniture. Try the leaves of the mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius), and just follow up with a clean duster afterwards. The Elizabethans used handfuls of lemon balm.
Leather Polish
4 oz beeswax
1 pint real turpentine (not turps substitute or white spirit)
1 pint water
1 oz pure soap flakes
20 drops lavender oil
Boil the water and add the soap flakes, allow to cool a little. Warm the turpentine in a double boiler and add the shredded wax to dissolve. Remove from the heat and add the soap and water, stirring continuously until it is cold- it will emulsify. Bottle and label.
Scented Sachets for Drawers
2 tbsp orris root powder
1 tbsp dried lavender flowers
Few drops lavender oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Several squares of 4” x 4” cotton cloth
Thread
Mix the orris, lavender flowers and oil and cinnamon together. Place a couple of teaspoons full on each piece of cloth, gather it together and tie it up with the thread. If you are handy with a needle you can sew up oblongs of cloth into little pouches instead. These will scent your clothes drawers or you can hang one in the wardrobe.
Rose & Lavender Potpourri
Rose petal leaves
Scented geranium leaves
Dried lavender flowers
Orris root powder
Few drops geranium oil
Ground cinnamon
Whole cloves
If you are picking the flowers from the garden, you will need to dry the rose petals spread on paper for a few days. Mix the ingredients and seal together in a large jar for at least one month before using.
Pomander
Apple or orange
Cloves
Ribbon
2 tsp orris root powder
2 tsp nutmeg
Pomanders are usually made with oranges, though apples work equally well. The fruit must be fresh and unbruised. Press cloves all over the fruit, very close together so that the flesh is not visible between them; it is best to start at the base and work upwards and round in rows. Roll the pomander in the nutmeg and orris, wrap it up in tissue paper and put it in the airing cupboard for a few weeks until it hardens. Shake off the powder and tie a ribbon round it for hanging. These scent cupboards and wardrobes, and make excellent gifts at Yule.
Insect Repellents
Some plants repel flies and other insects. You can keep a sprig or two of these in your kitchen and still room, or place some in the wardrobe to protect against clothes moths. They include fleabane, elder leaves, southernwood and wormwood.
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