8 Herbal Remedies You’ll Want in Your Cabinet
This planet is amazing.
Mother Earth, Gaia, whatever you want to call her—she has given us so many gifts and such an abundance of medicine right here in her forests, mountains, oceans, and plains. Her air, her waters, the plants that grow from her soil.
Think of how nourished you feel with the earth between your toes, the sun on your bare skin, your head bobbing in wave after wave, flowers in your hand.
This is part of the medicine of Gaia.
Another part of her medicine is herbal remedies, which is what we’re talking about today.
Why herbal remedies?
Sometimes, it’s possible to reach for a nourishing plant ally instead of a chemical created by Western medicine.
Below are some simple herbal remedies you’re definitely going to want to have stocked in your cabinet.
Cough syrup
Use this herbal aid just like you would a cough syrup: to ease coughs and colds. If you’re not vegan, you can substitute raw honey for maple syrup.
You’ll need:
1 cup maple syrup (or use honey if not vegan)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Sage
1 tsp Horehound
Combine all of the ingredients and stir them together over medium heat until they simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.
Then strain the mixture, bottle it, and store it in the fridge (where it will last for several months).
Digestive aid
Spearmint is cooling and calming, and it actually stimulates your digestive enzymes, making it the perfect tea or tincture to help digest a big meal and ease stomach issues and bloating. Keep it in your cabinet as a tincture or simply drink it as tea whenever you need it. If you’re lucky enough to have fresh spearmint nearby you can also chew on a spearmint leaf for a similar effect!
Tincture Tip: Learn how to make a tincture by scrolling through this previous blog post about healing your heart chakra. It’s near the bottom, so keep scrolling! You can apply the same directions for the “Hawthorne heart tincture” to any of the tinctures mentioned in this post.
Headache remedy
Chamomile and feverfew are both great remedies for headaches and migraines. During the evening, opt for a relaxing chamomile tea. During the day, bitter feverfew will help your migraine without putting you to sleep. Just remember that it’s not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding people! If you would like more herbal tea remedies, take a look at this previous post.
Insomnia remedy
Keep lemon balm on hand for those nights when you just can’t seem to fall asleep. It soothes and nourishes your nervous system and reduces stress. Try mixing lemon balm essential oil with the carrier oil of your choice to rub on your chest before bed.
Cold & flu syrup
The basis of this recipe is adapted from The Hippy Homemaker and the main ingredient is elderberry, thanks to their high antioxidant content and multiple studies showing their effectiveness against flu and colds. Try this syrup when you feel yourself starting to get sick!
You’ll need:
A half-cup dried elderberries
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
2 tbsp fresh ginger
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup maple syrup (or use honey if not vegan)
Combine everything in a saucepan over high heat, bringing it to a boil and then letting it simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the syrup from heat, strain it through a mesh strainer, and bottle it up! Stick it in the fridge, where it will last about 6 months.
First aid remedy
Plantains are a must-have for any first aid kit. You can use its leaves for bee stings, bug bites, itchy skin, and infections. Keep plantain on hand and when you need it, make a poultice by chewing the leaves up (you can also use a knife or food processor if this grosses you out), putting it on the affected area, and covering it with a bandage.
Wound powder
This recipe is from Mother Earth News, and it’s so good!You’ll need:
1 ounce of barberry or goldenseal
A half-ounce of comfrey root
1 ounce of juniper needles
A quarter ounce of rosemary leaves
Mix the ingredients in a food processor, then powder the mixture in a clean coffee grinder. When you need it, simply sprinkle it over your wound!
UTI herbal remedy
Juniper berries work like a charm for urinary tract infections. Simply make a tincture of them and take at least 10 drops per day when you’re working with a UTI.
Try stocking your medicine cabinet with some of these herbal remedies so they’re ready when you need them! Learn more about herbal magick here.
