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Here is a soothing sip that can uplift your spirits anytime and serves to ward off chills. This combination of herbs helps to bring about letting go of sorrows, worries, and doubts and reignites feelings of self-love.

Stir the following together in a clean cauldron:

Teas brewed from a single herb are commonly called “simples.” I love that phrase of olden times. Experience has taught me that these simples often have the most intensity, since the very singleness of the herb gives it potency. A simple made from one of the following herbs enhances mental clarity, even clairvoyance. This will jumpstart you on your path toward any creative pursuit.Here is a recipe for a very inspired tea:

 Boil one pint of spring water. Place it into your favorite crockery teapot a half-ounce of any one of the following herbs: rosemary, mugwort, yarrow, or thyme. Steep for ten minutes and strain with a nonmetallic strainer. Cheesecloth is great, or try an inexpensive bamboo strainer. Sweeten with a little honey because you get the added benefits of clovers lucky powers.

Why does every day seem like it is a week long nowadays? Unplugging from cable news and constant social media feeds will help, as will this time-tested aromatherapy healing potion. This remedy is an excellent way to recharge and refresh after a hectic week, and it is most potent when made right after the sun sets, by the light of the moon.

Turn to these scentful helpmates to help you deal with anxiety, respiratory ailments, headaches and so much more. Sure, they smell good and even feel good on your skin but how do they really work to ameliorate depression, anxiety, lungs, heart rate, skin conditions and so many other issues? A German study conducted by Ruhr University found that “essential oils may affect a number of biological factors, including heart rate, stress levels, blood pressure, breathing, and immune function." Essential oils are unique in that they can be both a stimulant and soothing for us humans. The same oil can have cause a different response based on the application as these oils are adaptogens, as they truly adapt to the your individual needs. If you are feeling down in the dumps, for example, bergamot can be a major pick me up and one I have depended on for years. My clients and I have come to depend on the power of these natural healers for dealing with stress, anxiety, worry and woe.

Different kinds of tea can combine to make a powerful concoction. A pot of your favorite grocer’s black tea can become a magical potion with the addition of a thin slice of ginger root, a pinch of dried chamomile and the same amount of peppermint tea. This ambrosial brew can calm any storm at home or at work. Herbal tea nourishes the soul, heals the body and calms the mind. Try these:

Blackberry leaf tea reduces mood swings, evens glucose levels aiding in weight management. This miraculous herbal even helps circulation and such issues as inflammation and varicose veins. It is helpful to cancer patients and is believed to be a preventative.

Essential oils have been used medicinally for centuries.  They are extracted from flowers, grasses, shrubs, herbs, and trees.  If you are skeptical about the efficacy of essential oils, you’ll at least find it reassuring to know that the oils enter and exit the human body without leaving any toxins behind.  The best ways to use essential oils are externally, absorbed through the skin, or through steam inhalation.  However, oral applications are indicated for some remedies.

 There are hundreds of essential oils used by herbalists, but for general therapeutic use in the home, these are my recommendations you need to have at the ready,

Centuries ago, healers were the wise women of the village, the healers and midwives who could halt a fever with a poultice or hasten the setting of bones by concocting medicinal tea. The lore of growing and gathering healing herbs has been passed down for hundreds of years. A learned healer knows which phases of the moon are best for planting seeds, how to plan your garden by the stars, and how to create spells for health and harmony. In the grand tradition, I learned at the knee of my aunt Edith, a very wise woman who would take me for walks through the woods and show me the uses and meanings of every flower, weed, and tree. From her, I learned that lovely Queen Anne’s lace is, in fact, wild carrot; that pokeberries make the finest blood-red inks; and which meadow greens and shade-loving mushrooms are safe for a noonday salad. I was in awe during our tromps through the woods, walking mule upon mile to map every acre and spy every specimen.

 Nature was our cathedral, our classroom, and our calendar. Every spring, we could mark April I by the blossoming of a solitary clump of delicate Dutchman’s breeches amid a raft of rarest wildflowers. I thought Aunt Edith was teaching me about plants and trees, only to discover years later that she had shown me the sanctity of life and passed on a legacy I now treasure and pass on to you.