Beginning of the Cold Season

Already the 9th day of the new year and it has been a busy time compounded by the fact that I somehow managed to come down with a wicked cold. It is slowly passing but boy did it remind me that I didn't have any herbal remedies prepared for this cold season. The Doctors and researchers are saying that the cold and flu season has hit early this year but that is no excuse for not being prepared. Funny how me, who never gets a bad cold, ends up with a zinger like this one. At this point I am finding that sleep and some herbal remedies are helping out a lot. I thought I would share two of the recipes that i have used in the past and am making. to avoid having to deal with this type of cold again this winter. So cheers and I hope that you happy cold season without any bad colds!


This recipe is from Rosemary Gladstar's book Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. Some people think it tastes great and others don't like it to much but the truth of the matter is that it works.

Hair-Raising Cider

• 1 quart Vinegar
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1.4 cup grated fresh horseradish
• 2 tablespoons powdered turmeric
• Cayenne
• 1 cup honey (more or less to taste)

To make this Cider you will need to combine all of the above ingredients except the honey. Leave the mixture to sit in a warm place for 3 to 4 weeks.  At this point you will need to strain the vinegar mixture add the honey and then re-bottle it.  You can adjust how much of the honey you put in to suit your taste. 
I you refrigerate this it will last for a while. Take 1 to 2 Tables spoons at a time at the first sign of a cold and then continue throughout the day ever 2 to 3 hours until your symptoms ease. 


I am not sure where I got the following two herbal tea recipes but they are helpful. The first one is best for general cold symptoms while the second is best for bronchial congestion associated with colds.

Cold Tea

• 1/4 cup thyme
• 1/4 cup fever few flowers
• 3/4 peppermint leaves
• 1 tablespoon sage

Place all the herbs in a tea ball or bag and then cover with boiling water. Let steep for 10 minutes and then remove tea ball or bag. You can add sugar or honey to sweeten but honey would be better.

Cough Tea

• 1.5 oz anise seeds
• 1 oz calendula flowers
• 3/4 oz marshmallow root
• 1/3 oz licorice root

Crush the anise seeds and add to herbs. Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 tsp of the mixture, cover & steep for 10 minutes. You can sweeten as you wish but honey is always the best sweetener. 

New Year - New Start - Goddess Card for 2011

Happy New Year! So we start 2011. Seems like the last year flew by faster than ever. It has been a year of trials and growth and change (rather traumatic change at that.) But the year ahead is new and fresh and a clean page to be written on.

That said I started my New Years traditions last night. I have a tradition that every year I pick out a card from each of my oracle and Tarot Decks and take them as kind of like a theme for the coming year. It was interesting to me that as I picked the cards that both of the Tarot decks that I picked from gave me the same card. Something to think about as I plan for and pursue my goals this year.

The first card I always pick is from my Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards (Doreen Virtue, Ph. D)
This year like last year I picked Maeve. I learned a lot working with her. Once I actually did the work to understand who she was. It is complicated because so many of the Goddesses over lap or have similar names or even over lap with mortal kings and queens. This is what the card says about Maeve.

"Honor the cycles of your body, energy levels, and emotions" 

Message from Maeve - " All of life is cyclical: the moon, the stars and the very universe. Life inhales and then exhales again. So why should you be surprised or upset that you too have cycles? There are times when you feel energized, awake, and alive. There are other times when you feel isolated and shy. Your body, too, goes through pronounced cycles and changes. Celebrate these rhythms, and embrace them as the essence of the lifeblood that courses through you!"

Various Meanings of This Card:  Female gynecological changes (starting menses or menopause, for example) are an issue for you. Make time to rest. Initiate steps to alleviate depression or lethargy. Take better care of your body. Seek support for dealing with emotional crises. Allow yourself to grieve or take time off. Know that this lull won't last forever. A door way of opportunity has opened up, and you need to  walk through it now.

About Maeve (pronounced Mayv): A Celtic goddess, Maeve celebrates her femininity. Here sexual appetite is legendary, and she's been said to favor kings as her lovers. Legend says that Maeve invoked labor pains on an army seeking to invade her land, and that she demanded  that the battle cease during her menstrual cycle. Call upon Maeve for relief from pain associated with feminine cycles, including menstruation, labor and delivery and menopause.