LAVENDER

Lavender has profound relaxing, calming, uplifting effects.
It is a mild antidepressant, helpful in dispelling depression & melancholy.
An herb used traditionally to imbue courage & strength, lavender is still a favorite herb to strengthen the heart & mind in a stressful situation.

Combined with feverfew, it helps alleviate migraines & headaches.

It is useful in treating a host of infections, including staph, strep, colds & flu's.
It is legendary as an herbal antiseptic & is used to disinfect & heal scrapes, wounds & burns.

A popular antispasmodic, lavender is used in digestive formulas to relieve indigestion & is especially helpful for calming stomach muscle spasms, which are sometimes caused by irritable bowel syndrome & Crohn’s disease.
It is one of the best herbs to use in the bath to relieve tension, stress & insomnia.


Takes the pain out of a bee sting or insect bites.

Many women use it during childbirth. 1-2 drops of lavender essential oil rubbed directly on the feet &/or back of the birthing mother, or a warm poultice of lavender flowers held against her lower back, can bring gentle relief.

Alone or combined with tea tree oil, it can be applied directly to the skin to treat fungal infections such as ringworm & nail fungus, or it can be formulated in a douche to treat yeast infections.

PRECAUTIONS:

Lavender is generally considered safe, though it’s recommended that pregnant women avoid using it internally in large amounts.

RECIPES:

Tea:
Add 2 tsp of lavender flowers to
1 cup of boiling water,
cover & leave for 5 minutes.
Strain & drink 1 or 2 cups during the evening.

To treat high cholesterol drink an infusion made from 
3 cloves of garlic,
2 pinches of lavender & 3
pinches of sage.
Add 1 cup of boiling water, cover & leave to steep for 10 minutes.
Drink twice daily.

Lavender Eye Pillow:

For relieving eye strain,red-eye, as well as for helping travelers & those who have trouble sleeping.

Cut a smooth soft piece of fabric (silk or soft cotton is ideal) in a rectangular shape approximately 24 cm X 12 cm.
Stitch together on three sides, leaving one end open.
Turn the fabric casing inside out, so the stitches are on the inside & fill with dried lavender flowers. Don’t over stuff, as you want the eye pillow to be able to follow the contour of your eyes.
You can add a drop or two of lavender essential oil to the pillow if you’d like a stronger scent, though generally the lavender flowers enough scent.
Then stitch the pillow closed.
Drape the pillow over your eyes, lie back & relax.

Lavender Antiseptic & Calming Spritzer:

7 tbsp water
1 tbsp vodka or witch hazel extract
5–10 drops lavender essential oil
120 ml spritzer bottle
Combine the water, vodka & essential oil in the spritzer bottle.
Shake well before use, as the essential oil will have risen to the top.
Use this lavender spritzer when you need a little calming essence.
Lavender is also a powerful antiseptic. Use this spritzer as an antiseptic spray in bathrooms, in hotel rooms & on your hands as needed.

Lavender–Lemon Balm Calming Aid:

Brew 1 l of extra-strong lavender tea &
1 l of extra-strong lemon balm tea.
Make up 2 l of fresh lemonade (lemons, honey & water to taste).
Combine the lemonade with the teas & stir well.
Drink as much & as often as needed.
To calm nervous stress.
It is particularly delicious served iced or at room temperature.

Lavender-Feverfew Migraine Tincture:

1 part California poppy (seed, leaf & flower) or poppy seed
1 part feverfew leaf
1 part lavender bud
vodka, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, or glycerin
Place the herbs into the glass bottle or jar.
Cover with vodka,vinegar or glycerin.
Keep airtight in dark & warm place for few weeks,shaking daily.

For long-term use for frequent migraine headaches, take ½ tsp 2 times a day for up to 3 months. Discontinue for 3 to 4 weeks & then repeat the cycle as needed.
For acute situations (at the onset of a migraine or headache), take ¼ tsp every 20-30 minutes for up to 2 hours.
Women should discontinue use of this tincture during menstruation, as it can stimulate bleeding. In fact, feverfew is sometimes used to bring on a delayed menstrual cycle.
The poppy is optional but recommended. California poppy seed, leaf & flower are better, but if you can’t obtain them, any variety of poppy seed will work.

Calming Lavender Massage Oil:

45 ml dried lavender buds
120 ml vegetable, nut, or seed oil (apricot kernel, almond, grapeseed, or a combination)
5–10 drops lavender essential oil
Place the lavender buds in a wide-mouthed glass jar.
Pour the oil over the buds, put on the lid & let sit in a warm, sunny spot for 2-3 weeks.
Alternatively, you can hasten the process by gently warming the oil & buds in a double boiler for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Strain the buds from the oil & add the essential oil drop by drop, until the scent is to your liking.
Bottle & store in a cool spot out of direct sunlight, where the oil will keep for at least 6 months.

For a calming massage &/or body oil after a hot bath.
Add 1-2 springs of dried lavender to the bottle of finished oil.



After a long, stressful day, try a bath with a few drops of lavender essential oil, or a handful of lavender blossoms tied in a muslin bag, added to the water. You’ll feel better immediately.
Rub 2 -3 drops of lavender essential oil on your hands & massage the nape of your neck, your head & your feet for calming relief.

For the bath 
brew a handful of lavender flowers for 15 min before straining & adding it to the bathwater.

BEAUTY:

Gentle Lavender Scrub:

2 tbsp dried lavender buds
2 tbsp dried chamomile buds
1/2 cup whole oats
yogurt


Place the first three ingredients in your food processor & process on high into a fine powder.
Mix with yogurt.
Apply onto the face & body for a 5-10 min & wash with cool water.

Light Lavender Moisturizer:

1/2 cup water
2 tsp glycerin
4 drops lavender essential oil

Combine all ingredients in a small container.
Apply to a clean face & neck.

MAGIC:

On St Luke's day young maidens would sip on a lavender tea & say:
"St Luke, St Luke, be kind to me,
In my dreams, let me my true love see."
Alpine girls would tuck some lavender under their lover's pillow so their thoughts would turn to romance.
Once married they would put some lavender under the mattress to ensure marital passion.
Young ladies would wear little lavender bags in their cleavage to lure suitors.
The scent of lavender has been used to attract men for generations. There was a study done by a Chicago research foundation that found that the combined scent of lavender & pumpkin was the most arousing of all the scents to male subjects. So there must be some truth in the association of lavender & love.

Lavender is useful for emotional pain. If someone lost a loved one they used lavender to heal the heart.
It is said that Cleopatra seduced Julius Caesar & Mark Antony while wearing perfumes with lavender in it.

At midsummer mix chamomile , lavender, mugwort & rose petals to call upon the spirits, faeries, brownies & elves.
For security & peacefulness mix basil, frankincense, lavender, lemon balm, rue & thyme. Wear this on your body or burn it in your home for shielding & protecting your home.
To call an the deities of love & romance, mix together amber, lavender, rose petals & violet petals.
To make a charm to protect you from abuse, rub a arrowhead in some lavender & keep it on you.

Lavender is also associated with protection.
Small children would wear lavender on their shirts to avert the evil eye.
Traditionally, a cross of lavender was hung on the door to safeguard against evil.
To protect against evil spirits wear a sprig of lavender on your person. Put a dab of lavender oil behind your ears or better yet on a tassel or fringe. It was thought that tassels & fringes confused & distracted evil spirits.
Lavender was hung on bed posts for protection.

Lavender was ground into a powder, a candle was then greased with oil & then rolled into the lavender powder. The candle was burned for protection.