Using your dried Dandelion....

Merry Meet Everyone!!!

OK... who remembers when we collected Dandelion?  Well, we have already made a coffee substitute from the powdered root, and also a tincture using fresh leaves... Some of you have also been drying out the leaves and today's post is to show you some of the things that we can do with them now that they have dried :)

I won't go into the magical benefits of Dandelion, but for those of you that are interested, use the labels (in the column on the right!) however, Medicinally Dandelion has HUGE benefits! It's most common, is that it is a toxin remover.... meaning that it will cleanse you! Perfect....

DANDELION TINCTURE

Easy peasy! To make a Dandelion Tincture, you have 2 options.... Use dry leaves, or fresh ones! It really doesn't matter too much! You will have to forgive my pictures because they use Fresh leaves, but just remember that you can substitute them for your dried leaves!!!

All you need to do is take a jar (Jam Jar, Mason Jar....) and put as many Dandelion Leaves into it as you possibly can. Next, you need to pour in your alcohol. I ALWAYS use Vodka because it doesn't smell as much as other spirits, but you can also use Whisky. You need to fill the Jar to about half way! Then just top up the rest of the mixture with Water. Told you it was simple, didn't I?! Now, stick a lid on it in a DARK place for about 4 weeks... shaking the jar  every few days.

When this is complete, drain the leaves out of the mix (which will have gone a brown-ish colour!) and make sure that you store in a DARK place so that the mixture stays fresh :)
Now, as Dandelion cleans toxins from your body, if you take this mixture once a day (about 1 teaspoon in another drink!) then your liver will be detoxed and your skin, clearer!!!! Also, keep hold of this, because in a few days, I will show you how to make a Skin cream with Lavender that is EXCELLENT for healthier skin!!!

DANDELION INFUSION

Another great thing that you can do with your dried Dandelion leaves (which is a LOT quicker than making Tincture) is to make an infusion - and if possible, it is even more simple!!! All you do is steep about a tablespoon of dried leaf to about 1 cup of boiling water. Let it steep for about 10 minutes, then remove the spent leaves and DONE - although this is best to be used immediately, try not to store it!

As I said above, In the next week I will be making a Lavender and Dandelion Skin cream, for perfectly healthy skin! Between now and then, you just need to make either your Tincture or Infusion... make sure that you save some dried leaf for the cream too! The other vital ingredient is obviously Lavender, so check back in the next few days to see how I make Lavender Oil too - including all of its Magical and Medicinal purposes!

Until Then Though, Blessed Be xxx

Finishing Amulets and Priest Crown Tincture

Merry Meet Everyone!

OK well I thought that firstly I'd say a big hello to all of the new followers - It is great to have your support and I look forward to getting to know you all!

So lets get to it... Yesterday I finished making the Acorn Luck and Protection Amulets (See the last post!). You will remember that I left string in the dye that I made from Rosehips. Firstly, I thought that I would explain the reason behind using the hips (there are 3!)

1. Rosehip dye is a shade of Red. Initially, this is important because one of Red's properties is that it is a protective colour!
2. Rosehips are currently in season. This is perfect because it ties in with the Wheel of the Year - it seems very fitting that we use the gifts of the Earth.
3. Roses have their own magical properties - 2 of which are both Luck and Protection.

When you make these for yourself, bear in mind that the longer you leave the string in the dye, the stronger the colour will be - on that note, I left mine overnight. Next, just leave your sting to dry and then you can use something sharp to pierce your acorns and thread it through....

You can then wear your new amulets as bracelets, necklaces, on a keychain or simply hang it indoors to bring luck and protection - SIMPLE :)

ALSO...

As many of you will know, I am a big believer in using the magic around you. On that note, I visited my garden yesterday to see which naturally growing herbs I could utilize. One of my favourite garden herbs is the Dandelion which is in HUGE abundance, and so I decided to make Priest's Crown Tincture.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Priest's Crown (Dandelion Leaves)
• Jar
• Water
• Vodka
• Book of Shadows

I'm a big fan of easy crafts, and this is one of the most simple! Firstly just go out and harvest your Priest's Crown (Dandelion Leaves). They are easy to find at this time of year because they have gotten quite big by now - They're practically smothering my lawn! However, don't rely on looking for the flowers because they generally have finished flowering by now.

Fill a jar with as many of the leaves as you can. Rip them and bash them up a bit, because it will help in extracting the herbs properties! Next, pour water into the jar. I use a Jam Jar, so just for your reference, I fill it half way :)

Also, for those who made Moon Water, this is the perfect opportunity to use it!! Once the jar is half full of water, top up the rest with Vodka - THAT'S IT!

I told you it was simple, just stick it in a dark, cool place for about a month for the mix to macerate - shaking it at least once a week. When this has happened, strain the leaves out of the liquid, and hey presto, Priest's Crown Tincture.

Dandelion is naturally a very good body de-toxifier, so you can take a teaspoon of this a day (mix it in water), and it wil clean you out - in particular your liver, so be prepared for clearer skin!! Also, you can use this tincture to mix into a base cream (Aqueous Cream) or salve mix and it is a perfect skin treatment! In it's magical sense, Dandelion is mainly used in Divination and working with the spirits, so you can also use the mix to annoint in your magical workings.

PHEW! Loads of stuff today!!! Anyway, have fun with this, and until next time, Blessed Be x