March/April 2004 Alternative Health
Gypsy Cures and the Wise Woman Way – Lavender and Nettle

Lavender, is the great calmer, and soother of all time. Take an infusion of Lavender for tension headaches, or indigestion. Give a very weak solution ( 25%) to babies for colic, irritability, and excitability. Now do you think that if we did away with sodapop, and gave children lavender water sweetened with just a little local honey that we could cut down on the Ritalin and other drugs our children are getting these days? Local honey is good for you because you ingest the pollens from your area and this helps desensitize you for allergies.

Lavender, like Rosemary, likes a sunny, drier location. It is naturally pest resistant because it is a natural repellent. Place sprigs of fresh cut Lavender in with your linens and clothing to keep moths away. Use Lavender oil for a soothing, relaxing massage oil, or tie in cheesecloth and put in the bath with you! It actually needs very little care and simply grows into a hearty bush in no time. There are several different varieties, and all have the same herbal properties so ask your local nursery which is the best for your climate.

Make an infusion by putting fresh buds and blossoms into water that is just below boil and letting it steep for several hours. For infused oil place cut stems with buds in a jar of organic almond oil and put out in the sun for a week. Cut the long stems with buds on them and bundle them together in pretty arrangements and hang them in a well ventilated, moderately sunny place, (The Gypsies used to hang bundles of herbs on shady tree limbs.) then use in linen closets and for decorations.

As spring approaches, our bodies seem to need less of the more warming herbal remedies and more of the tonic, or cleansing type. One of the worlds’ most chlorophyll rich plants is nettle. There is no other green vegetable that is higher in mineral and vitamin content. It usually grows wild and can be found in wastelands, and pastures as well as in a sunny back yard. Its leaves are hairy and possess a fluid (formic acid) that burns the skin often causing small blisters, hence the name "Stinging Nettle" or Urtica dioica. However nettle leaves can be lightly boiled to remove the stinging quality. Every part of this plant is highly nutritious.

Traditionally spring tonics are made from nettles. Just liquefy the whole plant in a blender with a little fresh water. The root is particularly useful when ground and used in tea for removal of kidney stones. The leaves of the nettle are known to be a useful bandage and will stop bleeding. Gather the leaves while young and make an extra nutritious salad. This plant is known to clear the uric acid from the system for relief of gout, and used to treat many arthritic conditions. For an early spring jump-start, fresh nettles cannot be beat.

When dealing with herbs, the fresher the better. Throughout the years we have learned to dry herbs for seasoning and medicines throughout the winter, but as warm weather approaches, it is beneficial to eat as many raw fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits as you can. However, when drying, remember to lay leaves, and well scrubbed roots flat, in well ventilated places out of direct sunlight. Dried herbs have twice the potency of fresh herbs so you will always use less in your teas and remedies.

All My Relations, Catherine Warner
eaglesong@solidnet.com