One of the things I love about kitchen witchery and witchcraft in general is it employs many of your day to day household products in unusual ways, making magick out of the ordinary. As a child, you may remember your grandmother or mother employing things like an onion poultice for an earache or baking soda for a canker sore- you may even have thought them crazy for it. However, some of the world’s best healing devices can be found on your kitchen shelves when used creatively. Next time you find yourself with a mild illness, try some home remedies and see how well it works.
DISCLAIMER: If you are on any pharmaceutical medications or have a serious medical condition, are pregnant or nursing, consult your health care provider before ingesting anything that you do not normally ingest, including herbs and over the counter medications. When you choose to self medicate, *you* are responsible for what you put in your body. If you show any symptom after ingesting an herb or any other substance that you do not normally ingest, stop taking the herb, etc., immediately. The symptom may or may not have something to do with the herb, etc., but you can always try again later, after the symptom has disappeared, to test if it was the herb, etc.
Apples - In brandy for coughs (mix pureed apples with brandy and use as cough syrup), digestive disorders.
Basil - Stops excessive vomiting, good for poultices for insect bites.
Bay Leaves - Expels gas from intestines and bowels, eliminates cramps.
Caraway - Useful for colic in infants boiled in milk or water, good for digestion, poultice for bruises.
Carrots - Liver, kidneys, expelling worms, poultices for boils and ulcers (external) - eaten raw, made into tea or juiced raw.
Cauliflower - Reduces blood pressure.
Celery - Nervine, neuralgia headaches and rheumatic disorders.
Chamomile Flowers - Teething babies, colic, upset stomach.
Clover Blossoms - Blood cleansing, quieting to the nerves, bronchial problems, whopping cough and cancer.
Coconut - Laxative, Colon Cleanser.
Cranberries - Fevers, kidney disorders, gas.
Dandelion Root - Liver Problems.
Dates - Stimulates nerves, laxative, improves circulation.
Eggs - Builds muscle and bones.
Elderberries - Sore throats, colds and cough.
Figs - Blood circulation, nourishing, laxative, syrup of figs for coughs and sore throats
Garlic - Sore throats, high blood pressure, colon cleanser
Ginger - Sore throat, sugared for nausea.
Graham Flour - Builds muscle.
Grapefruit - Weight loss, fevers, eliminate mucous.
Grapes - Blood builder, upset stomach, fevers and rheumatic disorders, eliminates mucous from body - eat grapes whole or drink juice.
Honey - Take by the tablespoon for asthma, digestion, sore throats, coughs, intestinal mucous, laxative.
Horse Radish - (Eat - not for tea) Nerve stimulant.
Juniper Berries - Urine stimulator.
Lemons - Aids in nausea, blood purifier, rheumatic disorders, laxative, weight loss.
Lettuce - Insomnia, restlessness, upset stomach.
Marjoram - Coughs, sour stomach, spleen problems, insect and snake bites, dropsy, jaundice, toothache, headache, indigestion.
Olive Oil - Skin, anemia, weight gain.
Onions - Mucous, coughs and colds, nervousness and sleeplessness.
Oranges - Upset stomach, fever.
Parsley - Difficult urination, dropsy, jaundice, fevers, obstruction of liver and spleen, expels gallstones, poultice applied to breast will dry up milk.
Peaches - Blood purifying.
Pears - Laxative.
Pineapples - Weight reducer, sore throat, upset stomach
Plums - Liver, laxative.
Prunes - Laxative, mucous eliminator
Red Raspberry Tea - Laxative, removes cankers from mucous membranes, stops diarrhea in infants, allays nausea, helps prevent miscarriage, reduces labor pains.
Rhubarb - (Fruit Only) Laxative and blood cleanser.
Rice - (Brown) Diarrhea, weight gain.
Rosemary - For colds, nervousness, headaches, mouth wash.
Sage - Stomach problems, gargle for sore throat expel worms, stops bleeding gums, good for liver and kidneys, removes dandruff (rinse hair in sage tea), will dry up milk in mothers when drunk cold.
Sauerkraut - Indigestion, weight loss, reduces high blood pressure.
Spinach - Blood cleanser, reduces swelling of piles.
Strawberries - Diuretic, fever reducer.
Thyme - Suppresses menstruation, fevers, good for nightmares, reliable nervine, asthma. With equal parts of sage and rosemary will break the fever of flu.
Tomatoes - Liver remedy
Turnips - Stimulant, blood cleanser
Violet - Headache
Watercress - Rashes, anemia, blood cleanser.
Wintergreen - Kidneys, stomach upsets, headache, rheumatism, colic in the bowels, gargle for sore throat, also good for poultices for inflamed area and boils. The tea can be used as a douche for vaginal discharges.
Fruit Medicines
Astringents - (Contracts Tissues) Blackberries, cherries, cranberries, pomegranates, pears and raspberries.
Diuretics - (Urine Stimulant) Black Currants, grapes, melon seeds and melons, peaches and prickly pears, strawberries.
Refrigerants - (Cooling) Gooseberries, currants, pumpkins, melons.
Stomach Relaxers - Apples, lemons, lime.
Pomegranates - In Decoction, repel tapeworm.
Figs - Poultice for boils. (Split open and apply directly.)
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