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All of us get worn down due to the sheer busyness of life. When we feel depleted, oftentimes, we get a little sad, too. To rid yourself of negative emotions, try this purification bath. Draw a warm bath at noon when the sun is at its healing peak, and add the essential oils into the water as it flows from the faucet.

Two drops rosemary for calm

If you love everything about lavender, you may well want to create your own lavender vinegar. Many herbs make for excellent vinegars so pay attention to which ones are especially appealing with you as you go about your gardening. The more herbs you pack into the jar, the higher the mineral content in your vinegar which makes it more flavorful and healthful. Once you have your own apple cider vinegar or a premade organic kind you and your family love, pick an herb you know works for you and pack a quart canning jar as full as you can. Pour room temperature apple cider vinegar to cover and seal with paper and bands and pop back on the dark corner shelf for six weeks, giving a shake once a week. At the end of the infusion period, strain out any remaining compostable twigs or stems that remain, if any and store in colored bottle and add a pretty label. These make wonderful gifts so I recommend you get a set of labels for all your herbal brews. Nearly any plant or herb can used in homemade vinegars. Check this list for your next batch of brew:

Anise Seeds & Leaves: soothes cramps and aches
Caraway Seeds:  aids in romantic issues, helps with colic
Catnip Leaves:  makes women even more attractive
Chamomile Flowers: helps with sleep, good for abundance

Here is a delightfully easy recipe that will produce a flavorful homemade liqueur that smells as good as it tastes.  If you are interested in making a hassle-free bottle of spirits apples are a wonderful way to start.  Start with these ingredients:

My familiar friend the Whipple’s penstemon started jumping up in the grass just the other day, first as tight balls of amethyst lining hearty green stalks and today as loudmouthed chalices longing to be met. I can see all the way down their gullet. Their dark stamens wave at me like sassy tongues.

The neighbors, the moon roses, have expanded their homestead. This summer they are everywhere gallantly greeting the day with open hearts. I have four chambers in my heart and the moon roses have four hearts, four hearts for sparkling white petals. By midday they will wilt into a sad roll of pink reminding me of wringed suede. Flowers as nearly as big as my face die to the heat of the sun only to be reborn again each evening recharged overnight by the moon’s cool rays. Sphinx moths come to drink from the well by moonlight. The moon roses resurrect for weeks on end. People can’t stop noticing them.

Are the old ways underrated? Today's Pagan News Beagle looks at the many ways in which modern society is relearning some of the ancient wisdom of our ancestors, much of which has been unfairly disregarded until very recently. Which isn't to say that new discoveries and technology aren't great as well (after all, you're reading this on a personal computer, an invention that was only made possible in the last half century), but sometimes it's a great idea to take a second look at what worked in the past.

Temperatures are plummeting and winter has set in as I write. A flock of wild turkeys has stopped by on their daily morning forage under the bird feeders and a freezing rain has everyone wishing they were inside, safe from the bone-chilling winds. This is the time to have plenty of winter remedies on hand, to ward off flu and chill.

Caution: if you are on any medications please look online for “herb and drug interactions” or “herb and drug contraindications” before you ingest these plants!
 
Fire Cider
A friend passed this recipe along to me and he swears he hasn’t had a cold in four years. Take a few tablespoons of this remedy at the first sign of a cold;