Herb Information, Benefits and Uses A-Z: Neem

neem.JPG          Neem, a tree native to Asia, has been used to prevent and treat illness throughout time. The first documentation of purposeful Neem cultivation dates back to 1500-600 BC, suggesting that its medicinal qualities have since been harnessed.

The benefits of Neem can be wreaped both internally and externally. When taken as a supplement, it balances the gut biome by gently irradicating harmful bacteria and sparing friendly microbes. When applied topically, Neem boasts anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.

Neem, when applied directly to the skin, moisturizes and soothes irritation. It aids rashes, allergic reactions, dry/itchy skin, and sunburn. Neem oil lends itself well to shampoos, and can rectify dandruff, psoriasis, dry scalp, and head lice.

Known to regulate blood sugar levels, Neem supports proper digestion. It encourages metabolism and successful absorption of nutrients. Neem ensures a properly functioning immune system, while warding off viruses and bacteria.

Many parts of the Neem tree are harvested in order to utilize their healing power. While the leaves contain the highest concentration of health-boosting potential, the twigs, stems, bark, stems, and seeds also harbor medicinal prowess.

It is a member of the Mohagany family, or Meliaceae, and grows in abundance in Asia. Most commonly, the Neem tree thrives in India, Burma, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

For a cleanse that spares the friendly biome bacteria, try:

  1. Neem leaves (strong flavor)
  2. Rooibos leaves (hydrating, vanilla flavor)
  3. Raspberry leaves (balancing, fruity undertones)
  4. Orange peels (for taste)

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Crystal meanings, uses, and properties A-Z: Rose Quartz

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Rose Quartz is known for spreading unconditional love wherever it goes. Those in need of comfort, tenderness, or security may find solace while working with Rose Quartz.

Targeting the Heart Chakra, Rose Quartz opens the user to emotional experiences. It attracts new love, highlights existing love, and anchors feelings of love from the past. Friendships, flings, family, relationships, and unions are kindled and strengthened.

Rose Quartz maintains a positive and energetic influence on mood, promoting happiness and productivity. It reduces stress, replacing anxiety with contentment and gratitude. Wearing or holding this stone guarantees perpetual uplift throughout the day.

Rose Quartz both engages and protects the Heart. It mends heartbreak, and its help is commonly enlisted following death of loved ones. Known to bring hope, Rose Quartz permits adequate grieving and ensures healing.

Rose Quartz conjures self-love and boosts self-confidence. It allows the user to recognize inner favorable qualities, and establish supportive self-talk. This stone generally balances the emotional response, resulting in increased calm and rationality.

This stone also alerts the user to beauty, both in surroundings and people. Rose Quartz illuminates that which may have been previously overlooked; it inspires awe and admiration for aesthetics, both natural and man-made.

Metaphysics including Rose Quartz date back to Ancient Egypt, where facial masks consisting of the stone were found inside tombs. Currently, Rose Quartz mining occurs frequently and globally; It is found nearly everywhere en masse.

With much potential to improve our world through increasing unconditional love for ourselves and each other, Rose Quartz is a powerful tool. It’s a proud parent, who sees the best parts of us; this energy can reside inside our pockets every day.

Hardness: 7

Classification: Triclinic Crystal

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Herb Benefits and Uses A-Z: Marshmallow Root; Deliciously Medicinal

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Marshmallow, a popular flavor in candies across the globe and throughout time, actually comes from a Root. Not only does it boast a pleasant flavor, but also a slew of health benefits as a member of the Malvaceae class of plants (Mucous-producing).

The Respiratory, Digestive, Throat, and Urinary Tracts are coated by Marshmallow Root. This effect soothes irritation, inflammation, and infection. Due to Marshmallow Root’s ability to lubricate the Mucous membranes, it greatly aids all facets of the Immune System.

Mucous facilitates proper elimination of toxins and bacteria which may invade the body, and thus consumption of Marshmallow Root prompts detoxification. The presence of  Mucous physically drags impurities from the body using innate elimination systems. The Root also behaves as a Diuretic, furthering its cleansing capacity.

The root is potent, and treats internal and external infection. If applied to burns and cuts, Marshmallow stimulates efficient healing. It protects and cushions wounded areas, just as it lines interior membranes; This accelerates tissue/cell regrowth, accelerating recovery.

Candy and sweets are the most recognizable occurrence of Marshmallow Root today. It’s important to note that very few Marshmallow-flavored products truly contain actual Marshmallow Root. Marshmallows do not resemble the Root, but rather consist of sugar and preservatives.

Supplementation, cooking, and desserts with Marshmallow Root trace back to Ancient Egypt. Its use has also been observed in the Roman, Arabian, and Greek Empires. Native to North Africa, Asia, Australia, China, and Europe, today the root is a medicinal staple worldwide.

For naturally creamy/sweet tasting, Immune-boosting lubrication for sore throats and colds, try brewing:

  1. Marshmallow Root
  2. Rooibos leaves

Also try cooking/baking with Marshmallow Root!

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Crystal Benefits and Metaphysical uses A-Z: Peridot

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Peridot, associated with the Heart Chakra, radiates positivity. It protects the user while opening the mind and heart. Lending itself well to healing, this stone brings renewal, clarity, and prosperity.

Known for solidifying healthy relationships, Peridot is a stone of compassion; It both increases self-love and empathy for others. Additionally, Peridot stimulates intuition, making it useful for spiritual work. Peridot protects the user from unwanted energy. Instead, it attracts beneficial circumstances and good luck.

Throughout time, the stone has represented the sun’s warmth and comfort. It is no surprise that Peridot accompanies the month of August as its birthstone, when the sun dominates.

Peridot’s bright green color comes from Iron inclusions within the stone. The higher the Iron content, the more intense the hue. Peridot also houses high concentrations of Magnesium and Silica. It is the rare, Iron-rich counterpart of Olivine, a common mineral.

Peridot was present in Ancient Egypt, as Pharoahs donned jewelry made of the precious gem. Today, it is mined in Arkansas, Arizona, Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Hawaii, Kenya, Mexico, Nevada, New Mexico, Norway, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania.

Hardness: 6.5-7

Classification: Orthorhombic

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Herb Meanings, Benefits, and Uses A-Z: Licorice Root

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Licorice Root, a sweet staple across the globe, boasts versatile health benefits, such as Anti-Depressant, Immunity-boosting, Anti-aging, and Anti-inflammatory effects. This Root has been used throughout time to soothe pain and quell anxiety. Technically an Herbaceous Perennial Legume, Licorice Root is native to Southern Europe and India.licorice 2.jpg

The flavor in common food items comes from true Licorice Root (however, artificial and “natural” flavors have largely taken over, and sugar often compensates for compromised taste. Candies containing Licorice are not the way to reap its rewards!).

Licorice (when taken correctly) increases bile production, lowers stomach acid, reduces heartburn/reflux, and acts as a mild diuretic. Liver function, motility, assimilation of nutrients, and general intestinal health are supported when taken as a supplement/essential oil/brewed in tea/ingested in foods (beyond dessert…some love the flavor!).

In addition to flavonoids and phytoestrogens which benefit the body, Licorice contains Glycyrrhizin; this compound produces a notable taste, and is actually 50 times sweeter than sugar. Glycyrrhizin aids the adrenal system, reducing the disintegration of adrenal chemicals like Cortisol. When these hormones remain intact, the body can readily use them to combat stress, and in turn, maintain a strong immune system.

Licorice relaxes the digestive tract, allowing for proper: elimination of toxins, repair of the intestines, absorption of food, immune system function, and irradication of discomfort. It successfully coats the stomach and intestines, which creates the right inner environment for rejuvenation; This diminishes Leaky Gut, IBS, SIBO, and Constipation.

Furthermore, Licorice calms the entire body, encouraging muscles to release tension. The root also inspires mental tranquility, known to remove cerebral clutter. Due to its dual connection with the mind and body, Licorice lends itself well to both spiritual work and everyday life.

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Crystal Properties and Metaphysical Meanings A-Z: Obsidian

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Obsidian, the perfect Root Chakra stone, provides protection, strength, and stability. It comforts the user during both meditation and everyday life. Known for banishing negativity, Obsidian wards off unwanted energy; it attracts successful interactions, and keeps away stressful circumstances. Pairing an Earthy, weighted vibration with tranquil levity, Obsidian is an effective shield when carried in pockets or jewelry.

Obsidian encourages personal growth, guiding spirituality and grounding the body. It also promotes release of old baggage, which may be holding the user back. These outdated emotional ties can create physical discomfort, thus whole body healing is an inevitable side effect when working with Obsidian. This stone allows truth to be unearthed, deciphered, and applied; It highlights areas in which change may be beneficial.

Obsidian diffuses negativity, allowing positive energy to dominate. It heals physical and emotional ailments, bringing dormant issues to the surface in order to be properly dealt with. It also facilitates inner-knowing, inspiring confidence during periods of regeneration and change. A stone of release, Obsidian not only prompts loss of resentment, but also habits which no longer serve the user. It couples serenity with progression, resulting in smooth transition.

Throughout time, Obsidian has been associated with safety and connection to the Root. Tools, arrows, and knives are historically cut from Obsidian; The stone’s presence signifies metaphorical and literal wellbeing, from the home to the battlefield. It was first discovered in Ethiopia by a Roman explorer named Obsidius. Today, it occurs wherever rhyolitic eruptions are common: the United States, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Greece, Guatemala, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zeland, Peru, Scotland, and Turkey. Domestically, Obsidian is mined in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington.

Hardness: 5-6

Classification: Volcanic Glass

Color: Black (most common), Green, red, speckled, rainbow, snowflake, and more.

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Crystal Properties and Metaphysical Meanings A-Z: Nuumite, Nuummite.


(Photo Credit: http://www.sacredsource.com.au/blog/nuummite-crystal/)

Nuumite, known to accelerate spiritual development, is the oldest mineral on the planet. It results from volcanic eruptions, and consists of Anthopyllite and Gedrite. Its origins provide a uniquely grounding energy, embodying the organic process by which it was created.

            Associated with the Root Chakra, Nuumite protects the user while aiding meditative work. It encourages feelings of well-being, satiation, and gratitude. When the Base Chakra is aligned, the higher energy centers in the body can follow suite. Carrying Nuumite not only stimulates the Root, but also removes blockages throughout the entire Chakra system.

Due to its age and connection to the forces of nature, Nuumite illuminates the past; ancient wisdom, repressed memories, and unconscious desires freely surface in order to be confronted. This stone fosters decision-making by altering the user to inner warning signs, which may have otherwise gone unacknowledged.

Dubbed the “Magician’s Stone” or the “Sorcerer’s Stone”, Nuumite’s reputation for prompting spiritual growth has bolstered its utility in metaphysics. It directs energy upward from the Root through the Crown Chakras, allowing for release of attachments hindering personal progression. The user can expect sharpened intuition, stimulated dreams, overwhelming gut-feelings, connection to nature, and access to the inner-self.

Nuumite is currently mined in Nuuk, Greenland, which was also its place of discovery in 1982. The Crystal’s name derives from this birthplace. Despite existence of similar stones, true Nuumite comes only from Nuuk. Due to Nuuk’s treacherous terrain and distance from civilization, acquiring Nuumite is arduous and dangerous; the labor involved in obtaining this stone ensures it’s worth and value.

Hardness: 5.5-6

Classification: Mineral, Metamorphic Rock

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Numerical Patterns in Nature Part 1: Fibonacci Sequence

sunflower fibonacci

Nature offers beauty, from towering trees to tiny droplets of water, deserving both attention and adoration. Each component, no matter how small or seemingly inconsequential, becomes a masterpiece when examined more closely. Complex configurations actually construct the mundane, resulting in a world of diverse and limitless abundance. It is our responsibility to perceive, understand, and feel grateful for the divine intricacies which decorate our collective home.

red cabbage fibonacci

A well-known numerical occurrence in nature, the Fibonacci Sequence, results in aesthetically pleasing patterns; These numbers eventually form the shapes seen in pinecones, flowers, insects’  wings, and plants.

bee fib

Upon adding the two previous numbers in a series in order to find the next, Fibonacci’s succession surfaces; 0,1,1,2,3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, etc. (0+1=1, 1+1=2, 2+3=5, 3+5=8, etc).
pinecone

                 The quantity of flower petals, location/number of branches and stems, and mechanism by which plants expand distinctly follows Fibonacci. Trees maximize sun exposure and maintain balance naturally as they mature; this feat depends upon certain orientation of branches reaching up to the sky. Nature adopted a pattern that works every time.

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(Photo credit: https://botanicamathematica.wordpress.com/2014/04/01/fibonacci-tree/)

             All flowers possess a quantity of petals synonymous with the Fibonacci Pattern: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, or, 89 (and beyond!). While rare, there are a few species exemplifying the beginning of the sequence: The White Cala Lily has one petal, Euphorbia has 2. It is more common for flowers to have 3 petals (Lily, Iris), or 5 (Buttercup, Wild Rose). 8 petals can occur (Delphinium), as with 13 (Corn Marigold), 21 (Chicory), 34 (Plantain), 55 (Daisy), or 89 (Sunflower). Each of these values belongs in Fibonacci, which dictates the flowers’ development.
daisy

Notice the similarities between a pinecone, sunflower, daisy, and bee’s wing: the mode of growth is consistent.

Formation of plants in this way can be visually represented; As Fibonacci numbers continue, another shape inevitably forms, which resembles a rectangle. The Rectangles are assigned based on the values determined in the sequence (0+1=1, 1+1=2…). As values increase, the formula remains; A predictable equation presents itself, and strategic blossoming can be mapped in accordance with the sequence.
fib rectangles

Another important geometrical pattern emerges within the Rectangles, revealing the secret of the Fibonacci numbers.

A spiral can be traced within the Fibonacci Rectangles, which represents the recurrence of a specific value.

fibonacci spiral

If Fibonacci constituents are reduced to ratios, (adhering to the Fibonacci scheme by calculating the ratio of each preceding value; 1:0, 1:1, 2:1, and so on), then the same answer resounds. Dividing any number in the series by its antecedent value inevitably produces like outcome.
The solution always proves to be a ratio of roughly 1.618, indefinitely, gaining accuracy as the numbers in the sequence balloon.
shell fib

*As Fibonacci progresses, the ratios hiding therein oscillate slightly above and below 1.618, more closely matching the number with each new addition to the sequence.* 

 As the numbers increase, the resulting ratio reaches ever-closer to 1.618: Phi, or the Golden Ratio
phi

What is the significance of 1.618, and how does it relate to these omnipotent patterns?

Learn about Phi and its association with divine perfection in our next original article…Coming soon!

fib flower

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Herb meanings and uses A-Z: Kava Kava, anxiety-reducing and uplifting energy

kava kava

Kava kava, which grows natively in the Pacific Islands, has been used throughout time to quell anxiety. The herb promotes relaxation, reduces stress, eases muscle tension, and thus allows the body to heal.

The plant’s roots contain substances called Kavalactones, known to have mild anesthetic effects. This lends itself well to medicine, as it can soothe pain, prevent inflammation, and promote calm.

When applied topically, Kava Kava mends open wounds and lassurations. It accelerates the physical repair process, encouraging blood flow to the area while diminishing discomfort. Kava Kava addresses tooth aches and sore throats if administered around the mouth.

If ingested in beverages or food, Kava Kava benefits the stomach and digestive tract by alleviating instestinal/stomach complaints. Its roots are traditionally chewed, aiding digestion, but can be ground into powder as well. Kava Kava’s bitter flavor may dissuade some users, but is easily masked. Commonly brewed into tea, Kava Kava’s taste becomes pleasant when mixed with water. Today, the herb is featured in chocolates, smoothies, chips, and desserts.

Kava Kava gently induces euphoria, elevating mood without altering consciousness. It eliminates feelings of insecurity and fear, replacing them with tranquil contentment. Revered for its ability to simultaneously ground and uplift the user, this herb is a perfect contradiction; Kava Kava maintains serenity despite its energizing properties.

For some lively relaxation, try brewing:

  1. Kava Kava (root, cut or powdered)
  2. Herbal tea of choice (Rooibos is a nice option with creamy flavor)

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Herb meanings and uses A-Z: Ignatius Bean (St. Ignatius Bean, Strychnis Ignatii) Controversial Homeopathic/Herbal Cure

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Ignatius Bean, a powerful homeopathic and herbal remedy only to be taken in small amounts, directly effects the nervous system. Taken as a supplement or brewed into tea, it can reduce muscle spasms, headache, migraines, cholera, vomiting, colds, asthma, PMS, and PTSD. Believed to improve digestive function, Ignatius allegedly aids severe stomach complaints.

*Saint Ignatius’ Bean contains Strychnine, which is a highly toxic chemical; for this reason Ignatius must only be consumed in diluted concentrations*

Despite being poisonous, in very low doses, it exhibits health care potential by relaxing the muscles. It traditionally treats Insomnia, Anxiety, Panic disorders, and mood imbalances. It is still used in China to quell PMS and Menopause.

Ignatius Bean was discovered in the Philippines, traveled to Europe in 1699 by way of a missionary, and is now readily available worldwide. Its name comes from Saint Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus. Currently, it grows in China, India, and Borneo, but remains most abundant in the Philippines. Ignatius favors wet, fertile climates.

For an Anxiety-reducing remedy, try:

  1. Ignatius (*EXTREMELY diluted!)
  2. Rooibos leaves
  3. Lemon juice (if available, for flavor)

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