Medicinal plants - The healing power of nature

Ribwort is known to help against dry irritating cough. And not only that, it helps against inflammatory changes in the mucous membrane of the mouth and throat and is a real all-rounder for diseases of the upper respiratory tract. We can also use it against insect bites and other acute skin injuries and diseases. Hikers, for example, like to use it against the pain of blisters on the feet: Pick a few leaves, chew on them briefly, and put them in the back of your sock on your heel or wherever a blister or fresh sting needs to be treated. The ribwort plantain unfolds its anti-inflammatory effect and the chances are good that mine can continue on its way.

Calendula, the marigold, which delights us all year round with its bright orange flowers, is a real all-purpose weapon in herbal medicine. Most love and use it in herbal medicine for abrasions and skin diseases, because it promotes wound closure and the growth of new cells. But it can do much more, even internally: it is said to have an anti-inflammatory effect, it is considered generally purifying and stimulating the flow in the body, it has a decongestant effect, has an antibacterial effect and inhibits viruses as well as fungi, it relieves pain and relieves cramps, increases local circulation, helps with sleep disorders and has a balancing effect on the hormonal level.
It also gives the tea a fresh citrusy note. I have here in the Algarve in the garden oodles of wild calendula, which is now just beginning to sprout. Actually, I had expected it only in the rainy spring, now I am even more pleased that it already starts again. It looks a bit different than the common marigold in Germany: the flowers are much smaller and more delicate than those of its cultivated "big sister". In Germany, the wild variety is under strict protection. There, it is the cultivated marigold that we can wonderfully use for our tea, tinctures or ointments. It self-seeds widely and rapidly in the garden, especially if you clip its flowers now and then. She is also happy in the flower pot. She is a very frugal plant that has quite a lot to give.
To me, it seems a little like she's happy to support us with her flower power-we pick her blossoms, it spurs her to multiply and produce even more of her healing powers.

And last but not least: Rosemary. The robust evergreen herb is available to us all year round. Rosemary also has a lot of potential for healing. On the one hand, it is full of various essential oils that help with respiratory and colds, it is effective against headaches, its oils have an expectorant effect and stimulate blood circulation. It is said to have a warming and relaxing effect on muscles and organs-wonderful for a frostbite like me. It also stimulates the central nervous system, I find its effect clarifying for my "brainfog". More and more in recent years it has been taken into the scientific focus when it comes to increasing the ability to learn, it is considered to promote concentration.
In addition to essential oils, rosemary contains bitter substances. These include rosmarinic acid, which has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, among others.bitter substances are also good for our digestive organs and help the liver to cleanse itself.

I have now made myself a tea infusion from these three herbs several times and feel better overall-the irritating cough is slowly subsiding and beginning to gradually dissipate. My head is clearing and I feel more energy and more life flowing into my body again. It feels like the souls of the herbs are invigorating me, inviting and stimulating my cells to come into self-healing.
I love to use medicinal herbs directly and fresh. When I pick the plant myself, connecting with it internally and saying what I need from it, I feel it has tremendously strong healing power.
When picking, I thank Mother Earth for her gifts and ask permission before picking if I may take the plant. I feel a fresh plant as much more powerful and "soulful" than a dried plant of a tea mixture (but it may be sometimes, if nothing fresh is available). Even there, however, I have a feeling of stronger effect when I make sure to connect and give thanks.
My wonderful "herb witch," Daisy Mae, with whom I have taken several herbal classes, always says, "Give the plant a task, ask it for what you need from it right now." To me, this creates an amazing and magical connection between us and the healing plant.
Daisy is a wonderful herbalist, she has created a true place of power here in Portugal with her "Ceratonia Garden", with a variety of different medicinal plants. As she is well versed in clinical medicine, Ayurveda, Chinese medicine and shamanic medicine, she is able to look at the plant from any perspective: scientific, medicinal and spiritual. I am immensely grateful to her for enriching me so much with her knowledge. Since her courses, I perceive medicinal herbs very differently than before.
So still a little foreign advertising from conviction: If you ever plan to vacation in the wonderful Algarve in Portugal-and maybe even in the off-season, when a lot shoots out of the ground here in spring and fall, then I can highly recommend a course or a herb hike with her.
But last but not least, back to the medicinal plants: The holistic way to heal with directly picked plants is equally simple and effective. There is almost no better opportunity to connect casually with nature and the power of our mother earth. Teas, homemade tinctures and ointments, to which we can entrust our task, our vibration during the production, are for my feeling a very effective way to integrate the plant power into our lives.
Finally, it should be mentioned that there is also another, highly modern and highly effective way that I like to use to transfer and integrate the power and soul of plants to the body and mind. Namely, with our wonderful little magic box-the Healy. The unlimited possibilities of the Healy to bring frequencies into our body and mind is for my feeling simply one of the greatest means ever!
I'll show you how it's done next week on Thursday at Zoom. Please write me directly if you want to be there.