HERBAL BATH MIX

All the ingredients for this mix are easily available to buy or they can be grown in a herb garden or window box. They are all associated with purification and cleansing. Use fresh herbs if possible.

2tsp organic oats
Small square of cotton muslin
7 basil leaves
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs of oregano
1 sprig of tarragon
Pinch rock or sea salt
Thread to secure

Pile the herbs in the centre of the muslin square, then add the oats.
Top with the salt, pick up the corners of the muslin and tie with thread. Hang the sachet from the bath tap so that the water is infused with the essence of the mixture.

FENNEL

This feathery herb, with its lovely aniseed aroma, will settle your digestion with ease.
For centuries people wanting to lose weight and stay young ate fennel seeds, however, fennel seeds are most effective as a digestive – settling the stomach, relieving colic and wind, and easing indigestion and heartburn. You can also boost your appetite by chewing some seeds before a meal.

Fennel is also antispasmodic and diuretic (releasing excess fluid from the body). Apply the cooled tea to your skin to help to reduce wrinkles. If you are breastfeeding, fennel will help to increase milk production.
NB: do not take fennel if you suffer from epilepsy or during early pregnancy. Check before giving fennel to children

Crystal Therapy
Using crystals to alleviate stress and trauma

A shock, accident or loss may leave you feeling profoundly shaken and insecure. The following layout helps you to release stress and gather yourself together again. Look out for the tensing of muscles, mental replay of events and sudden outbursts of emotions. Continue using this layout until these signs disappear. This will help to prevent the shock seeping deeply into the system.

For the layout you will need eight small clear quartz crystals, a rose quartz and a tiger’s eye.

Place a small rose quartz at the heart centre with four clear quartz points facing outwards, placed diagonally around it. At the sacral centre, below the navel, place a tiger’s eye. Surround it with four clear quartz crystals with points inwards, also placed diagonally. The stones at the heart centre release emotional tension while the stones on the abdomen balance the first, second and third chakras, and give stability and grounded energy.

Rosemary Brain Booster Blend

This blend is perfect for those times when you need to buckle down and revise for tests or exams. Apply it to your temples. Do not use this blend if you suffer from epilepsy.

6 drops rosemary
2 drops lime
2 drops peppermint
35ml hazelnut carrier oil

Essential Oils for Healing

Mental Fatigue
To combat mental fatigue, and the resulting memory lapses, one should add 10 drops of peppermint essential oil to the bathwater weekly.

Muscular pain
To alleviate muscular cramps and pain, apply hot compresses to the affected areas, using essential oil blend of Bergamot, Chamomile and Lavender.

Foot Soak and Acupressure
A really deep foot treatment can be very relaxing indeed. All over the skin surface there are acupressure points that link to the whole body, this is why it makes you feel so good. First you give the feet a deep exfoliation, then you follow this with the massage.

Hot Oil Peppermint Foot Soak
You need a plastic bowl large enough to sit both feet in comfortably. You also need a clean jam jar with a screw top lid. First, wash and very finely chop a handful of fresh peppermint leaves. Put these in the jar, pour over 240ml extra virgin olive oil, screw on the lid and shake. Place the jar in a heatproof glass bowl, half-filled with boiling water and leave for at least 15 minutes to warm the oil.

Place the feet in the plastic bowl, sprinkle over 2 tablespoons fine sea salt and pour over the warm peppermint scented oil. While the feet are soaking, rub the salt grains into the skin, covering the whole surface of the feet. The warm olive oil penetrates any cracked skin, while the peppermint is refreshing. After 15 minutes, lift the feet out and wipe them with lots of kitchen roll before wrapping them in a towel. Then move onto the acupressure massage.

The feet are already lubricated by the soak, so there is no need for more oil. Unwrap and work on one foot at a time.

Upper foot surface: using your thumbs, apply 5 lines of individual circular pressure from the base of each toe up towards the ankle. Each individual pressure should be firm for a few seconds, then move up slightly and repeat.

Lower foot surface: Repeat the circular pressure, starting at the base of each toe and pressing down the foot towards the heel.

Stroke the foot all over to finish, working over all the surfaces including the toes. Repeat on the other foot.

It goes without saying that, although any massage treatment can be performed on your own body, it feels much more rewarding to have someone else doing it for you, so encourage your partner to pamper you once in a while (preferably, often).

Rose Geranium Oil Blend

Rose Geranium is used to balance the hormones, PMS, Stress relief, adrenal burnout, Thyroid regulation, Balancing the sugar levels, urinary tract afflictions, water retention, a tonic on the bladder and kidneys and an analgesic for back spasms.

Recipe for Back Ache

1 drop of Geranium essential oil

2 drops of Clary Sage essential Oil

2 drops Marjoram essential oil

1 drop od Chamomile essential oil

Blend the oils in a dark glass bottle and use as a massage blend for the back muscles.

Used on a burner for anxiety, restlessness and mood extremes

Spiritual Blend for the burner

2 drops of Geranium oil

3 drops of bergamot

Blend the oils with a little water on a burner or you may use the oils on burner salts.

Hair Treatment for damaged hair

To a litre of boiling water, add 1 tablespoon of Rosemary leaves, allow to stand for ten minutes covered then, after it has cooled down, add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.

Wash your hair, and then massage this infusion into the hair and allow to work for 20 minutes.

Foot Treatment

To soften the skin of your feet, make a paste with lemon juice and powdered aspirin, smear it on your feet and cover them with a warm, wet towel.

Keep it for ten minutes, then wash them as normal.

Aromatic Oil Blend / room freshener

5ml lemon essential oil

5ml sweet orange essential oil

2 drops neroli essential oil

Blend all the oils together and place in a dark bottle

Add 10 drops of this blend to 100ml water and leave in a diffuser to freshen your room with a floral scent.

.

Massage Blend for severe backache

3 drops Chamomile essential oil

3 drops Ginger " "

3 drops Birch " "

3 drops Rosemary " "

12 drops Lavender " "

1/2 ounce sweet almond oil

Blend all the oils together with the carrier oil, then massage into the back muscles in long strokes

Massage Blend for Sore Muscles

5 drops Allspice

4 drops Cinnamon

3 drops cajuput

3 drops Chamomile

15ml carrier oil

Mix all the oils, then add to the carrier oil and use by working it into the muscles especially after a workout.

Relaxing Blend

4 drops Orange

3 drops Anise

3 drops Cedarwood

3 drops Neroli

2 drops Chamomile

15ml Carrier Oil

Blend all the essential oils well, then add to the carrier oil for a relaxing massage blend.

Aromatherapy oil for Sore Joints

10 drops Marjoram

8 drops Eucalyptus

4 drops Cajuput

2 drops Black Pepper

1 cup carrier oil

Mix all the oils and add to carrier oil - shake well and warm gently before massaging on sore joints

Rubbing Oil Blend for sore joints

1 cup carrier oil (sweet almond or grapeseed)

4 drops of cajuput

2 drops black pepper

8 drops eucalyptus

10 drops marjoram

Blend all the oils together and add to the carrier oil then shake well and warm gently before massaging on sore joints.

Aromatherapy for split ends

In a pot of neutral cream for hair use, add 5 drops of Ylang Ylang essential oil and the massage it into the hair to moisturise it. Allow it to work for about 10 minutes then wash your hair as normal.

Aniseed
This herb aids digestion and is diuretic, and can also be used as an expectorant. The infusion made with the seeds aids digestion, flatulence and colic.

Nursing mothers are advised to take this infusion on an empty stomach to aid the flow of milk for the baby.

The herb is also used in cosmetics as an anti-wrinkle product and in soap making.
For tired eyes, make a decoction with 2 tablespoons of seeds in 250ml of water and boil for 3 minutes. Allow to cool and then saturate two gauze strips and place over the eyelids.

In magick it is used for protection.

Toning and Cleansing Honey Mask

3 Tablespoons of liquid honey

1 drop of Rose essential oil

2 drops Lavender essential oil

1 drop Lemon essential oil

Blend all ingredients well and apply this mixture evenly on face and neck skins. Leave it on for about 7 minutes then rinse with warm water. Pat dry, and then apply the following blend which you must prepare in advance in a 10ml dark glass bottle filled with a vegetable oil:

1 drop of Rose essential oil

3 drops of Geranium essential oil

Crystal Therapy

Various uses of crystals

Baths

To obtain an energizing effect, place the crystals in the bath. afterwards, wash them in running water and energise them in sunlight.

Areas

Choose a few crystals and place them in a container with water, one of the crystals must be quartz. As the water changes colour, change the water and wash the crystals.

Plants

Choose a crystal of your preference and place it near the the root of the plant to be energised.

Aromatherapy

Massage oil recipes

Sensitive skin

6 drops of lavender essential oil

4 drops Roman Chamomile oil

2 drops of Rose oil

Sports massage

4 drops of Lavender oil

3 drops of lemongrass

4 drops Rosemary

2 drops vetiver oil