💚 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Natural Health & Healing

[Aurora_Hestia]

Challenge Entry

Indoor plants don’t really stand a chance under my care, but I’ve always done okay with outdoor ones. Over the years, we’ve been working to add fruit trees to our yard and while I didn’t start out with this in mind, we’re now moving towards a low to no-mow front yard. After our latest planting, we now have: apple, pear, plum, and cherry trees with raspberries and blueberries. And while I’m excited to be able to harvest all of these delicious fruits, I want to take it even further by landscaping our front yard and creating an apothecary garden where nearly all of the plants are able to be used for eating or healing.

I don’t know that it will be done this year or even next, but knowing that I’ll be working towards something that will provide so much for me and my family is healing on it’s own! I love the idea of looking out my window and seeing all of those good plants or being able to just step outside and grab what I need to make a balm or something.

Gardening (outside only ) has always been therapeutic for me so I’ve loved planning how to make it even better. I’ve got so many ideas and plants that I want to add into it - just need to find the time and space!

[crystal59]

@marsha That is so funny!

[MeganB]

@Garnet

I truly believe that mother nature has a cure for any disease or ailment, albeit growing, swimming, or in the air.

I’d like to think this is true, too. I know some things people deal with are difficult to manage, but I think eventually we can find the cures, or at least a way to manage symptoms. Nature is bountiful and full of amazing healing and helpful plants, minerals, and other things. We’ll get there one day!

@Susurrus

I have a Hibiscus tea blend that I really like too

My mom gave me a Starbucks card because she can’t drink it anymore and I’ve been getting one of their teas wit hibiscus. It’s the Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade. It says this on their website.

Our blend of hibiscus, lemongrass and apple hand-shaken with ice, lemonade and, of course, passion.

It’s pretty good! Now I just need to figure out how to make it at home because I’m not paying $5 for a tea every time I want one

@AIRAM

Ointment for burns

You just reminded me that I have a calendula oil that’s been steeping for…months at this point and I haven’t checked on it in a while. Oops! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!

@Cosmic_Curiosity

This is a perfect time for this one as I am currently off work with a heavy cold/flu virus.

Oh, no! That’s never fun – I hope your home remedies have helped you I know I’m going to be saving your tea recipe for myself. It sounds tasty but also potent!

@Heav3n

and I love cupping

This is one thing – well, one thing out of many – that I’ve never tried before. I’ve seen it done! But it’s always kind of freaked me out What are the benefits or pros/cons of cupping?

@Jeannie1

making your own crystal bracelets is showing up for your self and really getting to know your self and what you need.

I agree 100% I’m not too big of a crystal user, but making your own jewelry and feeling for the energies and how they interact with your own is a wonderful way to work some alternative healing!

@BryWisteria

It is really interesting to hear about the weight loss benefits of hibiscus.

It’s really interesting! And talk about synchronicity I got the email right as I was drinking a glass! I’ll have to try it as a sun tea – that sounds like a great way to infuse the tea with the added bonus of solar magick!

Honestly, quitting coffee has been easier than I thought. The hardest part has been the ritual of the coffee as well as the personality trait of mine I could never turn down a cup of coffee. I would always say you could summon me in a summoning circle with a cup of coffee and some yarn but it looks like that’s different now!

@Wysteria_Norn

Thank you for giving me this chance to share my experience with you all.

And thank YOU for sharing it! It was interesting reading about your experience as an allopathic practitioner delving into more alternative styles of treatment, even if they may end up being psychosomatic. And I agree! Even if it’s psychosomatic, it doesn’t always matter – what matters is that it works!

@Phoenix_Fire

Hopefully ive downloaded screenshots ok.

They look fine to me! Good job. I’ve heard of a few of these books but haven’t read any of them. I hope that, when the time comes, you get a chance to read and enjoy them!

@Susurrus

I am so very proud of myself for all of the work that I have put in to get here because I feel more like me…

You should be proud of yourself! Not only did you take a stand and know what you wanted, you advocated for yourself as a patient. That can be a very challenging thing to manage, especially knowing how some doctors are. I’ve had my fair share of doctors tell me I was wrong or that I shouldn’t try an alternate therapy – then they’d get upset when I did and it worked anyway, yeah – you’ve come a long way in a few short years. You rock!

@Kasandra

Even if you can’t afford to buy some, mushrooms, like shittake, reishi, porcini, oyster, matsutake, morels, chanterelle, and truffle have the same helath benefits as the cordyceps

I guess it’s a good thing I like mushrooms, then! Thank you for all of this wonderful information! I’ll admit I’m not too knowledgable about mushrooms, but now I know at least a little bit more. It reminds me that there’s even mushroom coffee out there. I wonder how that tastes?

@Artemisia

I did it!!! I made my very first ever salve

Congratulations! It looks amazing, too May the magick in your salve work exactly as you intend it!

@kimberly57

decided to go to school for herbalism

That’s amazing news, @kimberly57 Congratulations!

@brandy20

I decided to make the Herbal Antiseptic Ointment and I’ve been making Herbal Bath Salts.

I really love the vibrant colors in these creations you’ve made I know one is an antiseptic ointment. What are the bath salts for? They remind me of happiness and warmth!

@mary25

Weekly Witchy Challenge: Natural Health and Healing

That’s a whole lot of information in one post – thank you for sharing it all! I knew about the pain relieving properties in some tree barks, but not some of the other things. I also didn’t know that scopolomine patches were made from those two toxic plants!

@Ostara

I planted an herb garden

So many beautiful herbs! I’m sure they’re going to be a wonderful addition to your life both in your garden and your practice. Fingers crossed the water doesn’t do any damage!

@Amethyst

asking the Goddess White Tara for healing

A beautiful chant as always, Amethyst May the Goddess White Tara come to your aid and imbue your tea with her healing properties!

@Jeannie1

it’s been a magical weekend!

That’s such a beautiful tattoo, Jeannie I think it really shows your dedication to Hekate that you would get a tattoo of her. I hope it brings you the strength you need!

@Shadeweaver

I meditated on its intent and added it to my altar

Beautiful job on your spell jar I think it’s lovely!

@Aurora_Hestia

creating an apothecary garden

I think this is a really good idea I want to plant more clover in my yard because it keeps the weeds down, the ants down, and it’s a native grass to my area. I’ve got my vegetable/fruit garden – I wish I could have fruit trees but we have to get HOA approval and I don’t have the brain space for that right now lol

I wish you all the luck with harvesting your wonderful bounty from your garden!

[Susurrus]

@Amethyst I love your prayer Jasmine tea sounds lovely! I’m curious about the Goddess White Tara now too!

@Jeannie that is a wonderful tattoo! & I agree it is so much better to not care what others think. Absolutely freeing too!

@Shadeweaver definitely a step in the right direction! You’ll get there! I love the spell jar & such wonderful intentions to go with it!

@Aurora_Hestia I am the same way with indoor plants I do pretty well with outdoor ones most of the time anyway. We have done something similar with our front yard, we absolutely can’t mow it, at the moment we have to use a weed trimmer for the grass areas that are there. I love gardening too! Actually today I took rose cuttings & got them set up to root, so fingers crossed that at least one of them works. I did forget to label which ones were which color, so now it will also be a surprise!

[Amethyst]

@MeganB

A beautiful chant as always, Amethyst May the Goddess White Tara come to your aid and imbue your tea with her healing properties!

Thanks, hon! Now I’ve just got to get used to drinking green tea more often.

@Susurrus

@Amethyst I love your prayer Jasmine tea sounds lovely! I’m curious about the Goddess White Tara now too!

Thanks, love! I only know a little about White Tara, not enough actually. Gotta do some more research on Her when I have the time. Glad you liked the prayer!

[lisa67]

Challenge Entry - Natural Health & Healing

Gee - I hope I am not too late! Tough week and my internet wasn’t working properly for me to dig around and try to upload this weekend and I lost some of my stuff I wanted to post! There’s so much good stuff here!!

Thank you to Kassandra for this week’s challenge - we’ve been dealing with illnesses and infections around my house! After spending time being a patient of modern medicine for 25 years and never really seeing an actual physician (not displacing anyone here), I mainly saw a ARNP/NP so I decided to go more natural and see a Naturopathy. Little did I know that this would start years of seeking out more natural and holistic means of healing the body.

I started this course but have not yet completed it - good stuff here and I stop and look everything up! I have several books on Herbalism and Ayurvedics and love listening to podcasts that discuss herbs and their healing properties. My favorite is Astro-Herbalism.

The Green Witch: Herbal Witchcraft Course

As I move along my journey of herbs, I remind myself of being healthy and wise in that everyone should do their own due diligence in educating themselves about the herbs used for supplementing and/or aiding in practicing a healthy and natural lifestyle. Herbal use should never be applied in a one-size-fits-all. Each should be aware of interactions with medications, allergies and side effects - remember “do no harm”!

Salvia Rosemarinus/Rosemary Officinalis/the mint Lamiaceae Family. A wonderful woodsy smelling herb! One of my favorites!!! This traditional mediterranean aromatic evergreen herb is used in culinary preparations, perfumes, and for its medicinal purposes. I will be traveling to Italy in a few weeks, and I am curious to know if its smell and taste is different than what we grow here in our gardens in the US. For me personally, I love to use a combination of Rosemary and Lavender essential oils in my shampoo and body wash as a good start to my day for focus, and to just cleanse off the night or prior day’s yuk! It is said that Rosemary helps to stimulate hair growth as well as balance out skin and scalp issues, dandruff, sebum build-up, acne, dermatitis. I like to put a sprig in my glass of wine as it seems to go great with the smell of tannins! Little did I know that Rosemary is also good for digestion as well as an anti-inflammatory, and has anti-carcinogenic properties. A little fun fact - good source of iron, calcium and B-6! I haven’t tried this herb for any muscle soreness though - I stick to cinnamon, eucalyptus and other more warming herbs/oils.

Several of the podcasts that I listen to suggest utilizing Rosemary, itself, or in combinations with other herbs, i.e. Cinnamon, Juniper, Frankincense, for purification rites and cleansing before reaching for White Sage due to its being culturally appropriated by commercial companies and is/now in danger of being overharvested and disappearing altogether. Perhaps grow your own. I am employed by a local Tribe and understand/respect the traditions and ceremonial aspects in the use of sage.

This is where I lost all my information I gathered on Heal-all, Self-heal, Woundwart, Prunella Vulgaris/also in the mint Lamiaceae family! This a common plant - there are so many more that have direct uses - but I have had a history of issues and use this as a broad spectrum glycerite to supplement other medications and herbs in inflammation, stomach issues and overall health – go here for more information: https://commonwealthherbs.com/self-heal-herb-of-the-week/

There’s just so much to learn!

[Susurrus]

Wonderful entry! & no, you’re not late at all! That is some great information though on Rosemary & its benefits & uses.

I like to buy the fresh Rosemary at the store or garden center. I don’t have much luck with growing herbs, minus the mint & lemon balm that comes back every year in my backyard.

[brandy20]

@MeganB

What are the bath salts for? They remind me of happiness and warmth!

Chamomile and Calendula together have unique healing properties to reduce inflammation from dry, damaged skin.

Chamomile provides essential antioxidants and is hypoallergenic, anti fungal, antibacterial, and antiseptic. With anti inflammatory properties, the herb can also help to reduce skin irritants.

Similar to Chamomile, Calendula has complimentary antibacterial properties that make it ideal for healing wounds, soothing eczema, and relieving diaper rash.

[Ancient_Queen]

Weekly Witch Challenge - Natural Health & Healing.

I actually have been practicing Energy Medicine for about 2 weeks now. It is really quite amazing. I started doing this to move a lot of negative energy out of my energy field and to help calm me down when I get upset, sad, or anxious (most of the time this type of energy stems from my work environment). The exercises calm me down, mentally and help me feel lighter energetically.

I discovered “*Energy Medicine: The Secrets of a Master Practitioner” Masterclass by Donna Eden. I found this particular lesson on Mindvalley Mindvalley.com.

Energy medicine is an approach to healing that focuses on the energy flow within the body as a means of promoting physical, emotional, and spiritual health. This approach is based on the idea that the body’s energy fields can be balanced and strengthened through various techniques, leading to improvements in overall health and well-being.

Energy medicine practitioners use a variety of techniques to work with the body’s energy fields. These techniques may include acupuncture, Reiki, Qigong, Tai Chi, yoga, and other forms of bodywork. Many energy medicine techniques are based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, which views the body as a system of interconnected energy pathways known as meridians.

The goal of energy medicine is to help balance and optimize the flow of energy within the body, which can promote healing and prevent illness. Some energy medicine techniques are designed to help remove blockages in the energy fields, while others work to strengthen and protect the energy fields.

While there is still much research to be done on energy medicine, many people find that it can be a powerful tool for promoting physical, emotional, and spiritual health. It is important to note that energy medicine should not be used as a replacement for conventional medical care, but rather as a complement to it.

Donna Eden demonstrates some techniques to make “stuck” energy move. She has a YouTube channel where she has a ton of videos. Donna Eden You Tube If that link doesn’t work search “Donna Eden Energy Medicine” on You Tube her videos will pop up.

[Susurrus]

I have used energy medicine & one of my providers helps me release pent up energy, whether anxious, angry, nervous, or any combination that is building up & I can’t seem to release on my own

I do have some guided meditations & other practices to sort of help smooth out my energy too.

I’m going to check out the channel & see if maybe there’s something new for me to learn too!

[Artemisia]

#GardenGoals Looks lovely and has such great herb choices! I am building my raised garden this week to get my herbs in the ground; your post is inspiring!

[Artemisia]

@Susurrus

Oh! The Finch Self Care App has been a great help too! I know that @MeganB uses it too & I really like that depending on what I do have going on, I can remove, change, or add different things to my routine or tasks for each day & set timers for things. Speaking of… I believe there are others that use it & I don’t mind having other birb friends

I am hooked on it now, thank you!! I’d love birb friends too (my friend code is: LFVEHLMCRE )

[BryWisteria]

This challenge is now CLOSED

The gift of good health is a blessing indeed! Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to explore the theme this week- there have been so many wonderful spells, recipes, photos, experiences, and thoughts shared with the coven. Great job to everyone who explored natural healing magick this week!

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A Props and Presents post will soon appear with shout-outs and prize details for everyone who submitted an entry. Please keep an eye on the main page of the forums.

Note : To avoid confusion, this discussion will be locked until the Props and Presents post appears. At that time, this thread will reopen for discussion for a few more days- comments are welcome during this time, but please note that no additional prizes will be given.

Thanks again for joining in the challenge!

Blessed be!

[BryWisteria]

The Props and Presents Post for this challenge is now live in the forum and badges have been sent to all entrants!

→ Props and Presents for the Natural Healing Challenge

Thank you once again to all those who joined the challenge! I hope you enjoy your new badge

This thread has been reopened for discussion- feel free to comment on the theme, ask questions or reply to entries! However, please remember that no additional badges will be given out now that the challenge has officially closed. Thank you!

[Heav3n]

@MeganB Here are the benefits for cupping:

Cupping benefits are the following:

• Release scar tissue and fascial adhesions.
• Reduce painful trigger points.
• Improve circulation, blood and lymph circulation.
• Relieve pain.
• Promote mobility and range of motion.
• Improves mature scars.
• Decrease toxins.

Here are 3 negatives to it, but I have never had any issues.
Cupping can cause side effects such as persistent skin discoloration, scars, burns, and infections , and may worsen eczema or psoriasis. Rare cases of severe side effects have been reported, such as bleeding inside the skull (after cupping on the scalp) and anemia from blood loss (after repeated wet cupping).

[MeganB]

Oh wow, that’s a lot of benefits! I’m glad it helps you – I would be personally hesitant to try it because I bruise/scar easily and I have pretty bad eczema. Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough

[Heav3n]

I bruise easily too but it is not so bad. You can also keep it to a certain area, I only do my back and back of arms and legs.

[Aurora_Hestia]

@Susurrus

I am the same way with indoor plants I do pretty well with outdoor ones most of the time anyway.

I don’t know what it is but indoor plants and I do not get along. Glad I’m not alone! And that’s awesome that your did that with your front yard. I have a long ways to go, but it seems so much more appealing than mowing and just grass.

And that’s a fun surprise for when they bloom!

@MeganB

I wish you all the luck with harvesting your wonderful bounty from your garden!

Thank you! I’m hoping to find a good area for clover in our yard, too - it’s so helpful for the garden!