Crafty Kitchen Witch

 Aloe Vera is a must have to keep around the House. I keep a few plants on hand both because they are beautiful and handy for emergencies. I keep a bottle of aloe vera gel on hand for lots of recipes and healing, I bless the bottle if I buy one when I get it home, I make aloe vera ice cubes and I'm going to show you how to collect aloe vera today. ice cubes frozen of aloe vera for many uses aloe vera witchy tips Harvest and Freeze Aloe Vera Gel Aloe vera is a well-known balm for treating sunburn, minor burns, and moisturizing skin and hair. While it is best known for its external use on dry or burnt skin, aloe is also an edible ally. You can easily add fresh aloe to a smoothie, mix it into a glass of juice, or stir it into any food to use its mucilaginous properties internally to soothe the digestive system. The aloe that you find sold in plastic bottles is useful, but you can also easily harvest and freeze aloe gel from a healthy houseplant! Aloe is easy to grow indoors in just ab...

(Nepeta cataria) Catnip, renowned for the euphoria it causes in cats, also has a few human uses, both culinary and medicinal. It makes an attractive border plant if you don't mind frequent feline visitors. Description This perennial herb can grow to a height of up to 3 feet with a spread of 15 inches. It has a straggly habit and is likely to be flattened by cats who love to roll in it. The only way to protect it is with wire netting. Cultivation Catnip is easily grown from seed in spring and summer. It prefers good, fertile soil and partial shade. Soil should be well-drained and slightly alkaline. Roots can be divided in spring and fall. Culinary Uses Use very sparingly in salads and use the flowers as a garnish. Medicinal Uses Catnip tea made from the leaves and flowers may be taken for coughs, colds, catarrh, and a bedtime calmative. Other uses The most common use for catnip is as a recreational herb for cats. Dry catnip by hanging it upside down i...

Illicium Verum Moon, Uranus Aquarius Funereal Herbe...Herbe of Consecration...Herbe of Protection...Magickal Herbe...Religious Herbe Also called: Chinese Anise, star anise LORE: Grieve includes some essential lore in her text.  According to her, the Japanese hold this herbe sacred. It is planted on temple grounds and burial sites, where it will bring sacred energies of protection and benefience.  The bark is collected from the tree, ground into a powder and used as temple incense. USAGE: It is always helpful to have solid lore upon which to base magickal usage.  Powdered stars may be used as incense (or added to your existing mixture) either to invoke the dieties of your choice or to assist in banishing all negative energies.  As a Magickal Herbe, star anise is ideal for learning to live with the trust and joy of the Fool card of the major arcana. Star anise is difficult to grow in most of the continental United States, but where possible...

Mugwort is the traditional witches' divination herb. Divination tools should  be washed in mugwort tea, smudged with mugwort smoke, rubbed with mugwort,  etc. Mix the dried herb in dream pillows for prophetic dreams.  The tea can be  drunk to induce clairvoyance, but be careful when consuming or burning this  herb, as it is related to sage, etc. and overuse can cause problems.One more  herbal ingredient:  ***** Herb InformationName: Mugwort  Biological Name: CompositaeArtemisia vulgaris  Other Names: Mugwort, common mugwort, sailor's tobacco, felon herb  Parts Used: Leaves or root  ActiveCompounds: o Volatile oil, containing linlool, l,8-cineole, b-thujone, borneol, a- and b- pinene, nerol, neryl acetate, linalul acetate, myrcene, vulgarole, a-, b- and g-cadinol, cadinenol, muurolol, spathulenol and others. o Vulgarin, a sesquiterpene lactone  o Flavonoids; quercitin -3-rhamnoglucoside and 5,3-...

Beautiful delightful uplifting Lemon Balm, grow some and go out and smell it, cut it, and drink it often. Lemon Balm, a spreading annual, smells like wonderful lemon! It is best used  fresh, but can be used dried or as an essential oil (found under its other  name, melissa). Lemon balm is cooling and soothing, but also is excellent as  an antidepressant. Smell some, pick some, add it to an iced tea brew or to a  sachet to pick up the spirits. Very good for healing, especially mental  health.   Lemon Balm is a perennial herb in the mint family Lamiaceae.  It grows to 70–150 cm tall. The leaves have a gentle lemon scent, related to mint. During summer, small white flowers full of nectar appear. These attract bees. The crushed leaves, when rubbed on the skin, are used as a repellant for mosquitos. It is claimed to have antibacterial and antiviral properties (it is effective against herpes simplex). Lemon balm should be avoided by ...