FULL MOON FIRESIDE DRUMMING CIRCLE

FULL MOON FIRESIDE DRUMMING CIRCLE ON THE MEDICINE WHEEL

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH AT THE WITCHE'S BREW  1219 FLORIDA AVE., PALM HARBOR, FL.  7-8:00PM   EVERYONE IS INVITED

JOIN US FOR THIS SECOND MOON CYCLE OF TRUTH...NATIVE AMERICAN TEACHING;  ANIMAL, PLANT AND MINERAL TOTEM.  TEACHING  "HONOR THE TRUTH".  WHEN WE DON'T HONOR OUR TRUTH
WE ARE UNABLE TO HONOR OTHERS' TRUTH.  

DRUMMING THE HEARTBEAT OF MOTHER EARTH...BECOME ONE SOUND FOR PEACE, HARMONY, UNITY AND ONENESS.

MEDITATION.  PLEASE BRING INSTRUMENTS.  GRATITUDE OFFERING IS APPRECIATED...WHITEFAWN STAR FACILITATING

SECOND MOON CYCLE OF TRUTH - HONOR THE TRUTH

"honor the truth"

REST AND CLEANSING MOON – JANUARY 20- FEBRUARY 18  birth moon

your animal, plant and mineral totems

Those born during the second moon of the year, have the Otter as their totem in the animal

Kingdom, Quaking Aspen Tree as their plant totem, and Silver as their mineral totem..Their

Color is silver, and they are of the Butterfly elemental clan. 

People of this totem are like their mineral, silver, in that they tend to be precious to all who

Know them.  Silver has long been considered one of the earth’s most precious minerals. 

                The color silver, the color of Otter people, ¸is considered to have many magical qualities. 

Silver is considered to enhance the powers of the moon, the powers of perception, intuition and properly flowing emotional energy. Otter people may possess these magical qualities.

                The plant totem is the Quaking Aspen Tree, also known as the white poplar and American Aspen. According to native American herbalists the leaves, bark and buds of the tree traditionally have medicinal properties as a tonic and diuretic.  The tea has often been used as a bitter tonic to aid in liver and digestive disturbances.  It is also used as a relaxant  and for hay fever.   Their plant totem can

Help Otter people learn to deliver the messages that come through them in a gentle and harmonious way as the leaves of this tree does when it’s leaves sing.  Also, used externally, may be used as a tonic

For serious skin conditions such as exyzema, ulcers and burns. 

                Being of the Butterfly Clan, Air,  enhances most of the qualities of Otter folks.  Like Otter these individuals make warm, gentle and caring parents.  As children, Otter people sometimes seem to be in a faraway place, maybe because their intuitive power allows them to remember the places they have been before birth.  Once Otter people get into the flow of life, any childhood problems will disappear.

While Otter people get along well with most everyone, their complement are people of the Salmon or sturgeon totem( Leo).  Easiest companionship will come from Deer (Gemini) and Raven people(libra), their fellow Butterfly clan members and those of the Thunderbird clan: Red Hawk (Aries ), Elk (Nov.-Dec. moon) and Sturgeon (Leo).

AROMATHERAPY OILS AND USES

AROMATHERAPY RECIPES FOR EVERYTHING...FROM AROMATHYME.COM
To buy pure essential oils see Lesley Klein on fb and order Young Living Oils from her...or buy food grade oils for best results.

Essential Oil Recipes

Aromatherapy Essential Oil Recipes for Body, Mind and Spirit

Relaxation
This blend is for relaxation and stress relief. It will induce a deep relaxation of the tissues, muscles and joints, and re-establish a good energy balance.
Blend the following essential oils into one ounce of carrier oil of your choice; Massage as desired. May also be used as a bath oil.
3 drops Lavender 3 drops Tangerine 3 drops Marjoram 1 drop Chamomile
A Scented Bath
Relaxing in a warm scented bath induces alpha brain waves, which enhance concentration and are more likely to trigger intuition than the rapid beta waves we experience throughout our normal day. Researchers agree that intuitive thoughts come suddenly and ususally when we're relaxing. Enjoy!
Blend to Control Pet Odor
Try this natural and aromatic spray. Pour the essential oils into a 1-oz spray bottle filled with water. Shake very vigorously several times before each use. Spray directly onto your dog, holding the bottle about 10 inches from him. Avoid spraying on the head and eyes.

10 drops Lavender

10 drops Geranium

6 drops Lemon From Aromatherapy for Animals, Part 1: Healing Blends for Dogs by Françoise Rapp Bath Mush

1/4 cup aloe gel (the pure kind from the health food store)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup sea or rock salt

1/4 cup heavy cream or powdered milk

2 t. jojoba oil (optional)

5 drops essential oil Sounds like a gooey mess, doesn't it? But it works wonders on your skin. It leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth. This is a blend made right before the bath. I guess it could be stored in the refrigerator for abut a week, but that sounds a little yucky to me. All measurements are approximate since I usually just "eyeball" it. You have to stir it well when you pour it into the bath water to make it disperse, but it's worth it.
Rosemary Mist
Brace yourself This sense-stimulating mist is a superb post-shower, after you've toweled off but skin is still a bit damp. In spray bottle place 5 ounces distilled water, 1 tsp olive oil, 6 drops rosemary essential oil and 1 sprig fresh rosemary. Shake well to mix -- spritz on as desired.
Eucalyptus oil
An effective analgesic and often used to relieve muscle, nerve and joint pain. Apply a massage oil to the affected area before a warm bath,then massage the area again after your bath. I like a blend of Lavender and Eucalyptus for even better results. When massaging small areas like a shoulder you can double the amount of essential oils used. ex. 20-30 drops per 1 oz. carrier oil
Essential Oils for Cold and Flu
Here are the some of the best choices in anti viral oils.
Ravansara, Eucalyptus Radiata and Tea Tree
They help fight viral infections and support the immune system. Mix 10 drops in 1 Tablespoon carrier oil and massage upper chest and back. or Place 3 drops on a tissue and inhale, pause and inhale again.
Essential Oils for Congestion
Eucalyptus Globulous, Eucalyptus Radiata,Rosemary, Lavender Spike and Tea Tree.
They loosen congestion, help fight viral and bacterial infections while lifting the spirits. Mix 10 drops in 1 Tablespoon carrier oil and massage upper chest and back. or Place 3 drops on a tissue and inhale, pause and inhale again.
Cold and Flu Fighter

4 drops Sweet Eucalyptus unrectified is best

4 drops Scotch Pine

3 drops Lemon
Add to a large bowl of steaming water. Covering your head lean over the bowl and inhale deeply for 2-5 minutes. May also be added to a diffuser or vaporizer. For Children Use Eucalyptus Smithi, a mild Eucalyptus for children and the elderly. Essential Oils for Headache
Peppermint, Lavender, Roman Chamomile
Put 1 drop of essential oil on each temple and at the nape of the neck. or mix 5 drops of Lavender and 1 drop of Peppermint into 1 Tablespoon carrier oil or lotion and massage neck and shoulders.
Essential Oils for Body Aches
Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Sweet Marjoram
Help to soothe aches and pains. Mix 10 drops of essential oil in 2 Tablespoons of carrier oil or lotion and massage areas of discomfort.
Why not try these for Valentines Day Ylang Ylang Chocolates Essential oils can be infused into chocolates or any other sweets by placing the loose chocolates in a box then adding a piece of absorbent paper to which you have placed 1 drop of Ylang Ylang. Cover and let sit until absorbed, a few days should do it. Try other oils like Orange or Mandarin for a different twist.
Cellulite Blend
This mixture stimulates circulation.

Eucalyptus Citriodora 2 ml

Lemon 2 ml

Cedarwood 2ml

Sage 2ml

Cypress 2 ml

Niaouli 2ml

in 100 ml Hazelnut oil

Apply 2-3 times per days for 30 days. Holiday Bookmarks If you're giving a book as a holiday gift why not add a bookmark to which you've added a few drops of essential oils. Try to choose something that will appeal to most folks like Orange or maybe a blend of Lavender and Tangerine. The Orange is great for kids. Create a bookmark for students adding oils to help them study, Peppermint, Rosemary and Basil will help keep them alert. Add a bottle of the essential oil so they can refresh their bookmark. Maybe spice oils for a cookbook. The possibilities are endless.
Here's a great Holiday Bath Salt recipe.
Ingredients include:

2 C epsom salts

1/2 C sea salt

4-6 drops peppermint oil,

2-3 drops red food coloring

Place 1 C of epsom salt and 1/4 C sea salt in a bowl.

Add 2-3 drops peppermint oil.

Place the remaining ingredients in a second bowl.

Mix all ingredients well.

Layer the red and white salts in a clear bottle or jar.

I placed the lid on the jar and then put a paper doily over the lid, tied a red ribbon and a candy cane around the lid/doily. With the red and white layering, it makes an attractive presentation. Since peppermint is an energizing scent perhaps it's a good one to use at this busy time of year. Christmas Ginger Cookies
Add 3 drops of Ginger essential oil per batch of cookies. This tip from The Aromatherapy Book by Jeanne Rose
A homemade inhaler, that is very easy to stick in a pocket or purse is made by simply saving an empty chap stick tube. Wash out with hot soap and water to remove all traces of chap stick and let air dry. Next put a piece of cotton in the inhaler and measure the drops of essential oils for your blend directly on the cotton. From "Free Yourself With Aromatherapy" by PK Enterprises You can use just one eo, or your favorite blend with this.
Click Here to Read a Free Sample of "Free Yourself With Aromatherapy"
Click Here to Automatically Start and Download a Free, Self-Installing Sample Ebook of "Free Yourself With Aromatherapy"
Fall & Holiday Blends Frankincense is a great essential oil to use this time of year however it is best used in a blend with other oils as it's scent will remind you of being in church! Use 1 drop of Frankincense with perhaps Orange (Clementine would be great!) and Spruce ( Pine or Fir). Add some spice oils, Cinnamon, Nutmeg or Clove. Experiment with other oils. Use in a diffuser or aroma lamp.
Menstrual cramps respond to essential oils especially when used in a warm bath with Epsom and Sea Salt.
Essential Oils useful for cramps are:

Chamomile

Cypress

Basil

Carrot Seed

Frankincense

Clary Sage

Juniper

Jasmine

Lavender

Marjoram

Nutmeg

Peppermint

Rosemary Here's a recipe from Valerie Cooksley
5 drops Lavender 2 drops Cypress 2 drops Nutmeg 2 drops Peppermint add to bath salts, soak for 20 min. Rest afterwards, elevating your legs.
Toner

2 oz.Green Tea

5 drops Lavender essential oil

5 drops Geranium essential oil
Mix up this bottle of tea and essential oils to balance the pH of your skin after cleansing. It's easy... it's cooling... and it leaves your skin feeling refreshed! Place the ingredients in a glass bottle. Essential oils do not dissolve in water or tea so be sure to shake this mixture well before each use to make sure the essential oils are dispersed. Use a cotton pad to apply to face and neck area after cleansing. Yum!! Bath Melts

2 parts cocoa butter

2 parts baking soda

1 part citric acid

powdered herbs

color (optional)

EO(s) or FO(s) (your preference)
Melt the cocoa butter add EO(s) and color if you wish. then add powdered ingredients, stir then pour into molds. Let sit in fridge or freezer until set then pop out of molds and let sit for a day or two. Fragrant Bath Fizzies

1 cup baking soda

1 /2 cup cornstarch

1 /2 cup citric acid

15 drops essential oil

food color, 10 drops (optional)
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add food coloring to a small amount of the mix in a separate bowl. Add colored mix to remaining mix and blend. Mist the salts with a mister enough so that they hold together but not enough to start fizzing. Pack these salts into a soap mold. Flip over onto a piece of waxed paper and allow molded fizzie to dry overnight. Fizzy Bath Kisses

Cocoa Butter--2 oz

Baking Soda--2 oz

Citric Acid--2 oz

Oatmeal, powdered--3 Tbsp

Food Color--10 drops (optional)

Bergamot--10 drops

Rose--5 drops

Ylang-Ylang--10 drops
Melt cocoa butter (microwave is fine). Add food color and essential oils. Mix well. Add baking soda, citric acid and powdered oatmeal. Stir thoroughly. Pour into molds. Put into freezer to set. (This takes about 10-20 mins.) Remove from molds when set.
Note: Use 1-2 per bath or 3-4 for extra moisturizing. Vaginal Dryness from the book Aromatherapy Pocketbook by Kendra Grace
Mix 2 parts Jojoba Oil with 1 part melted Cocoa Butter to make 1 ounce. Add, 3 drops Sandalwood and 1 drop Geranium. Stir while warm to an even mix. Allow to cool to solidify. Smooth the mixture with fingers over the tissue two times a day and before intercourse. You may use 1 drop of Neroli in place of Geranium. Completely Safe.

Aromatherapy Body Powder especially for the feet

Mix 1 Cup Cornstarch, 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda in a jar with a tight fitting lid.

Add 15-20 drops of your favorite essential oils.

Shake well


Buttermilk Bath Salts
1 cup Buttermilk Powder 1 cup Sea Salt Add up to 24 drops of essential oils. Blend well, keep in a sealed jar. Use 1/2 cup per bath. This makes enough for 4 baths. Ginger Body Scrub
Use this one in the morning as the essential oils are invigorating.

Sea Salt 1/4 Cup

Cornmeal 1/4 Cup

Olive Oil 1/3 Cup or another base oil.

Ginger 2 drops

Peppermint 4 drops

Rosemary 3 drops
Mix salt and cornmeal. Combine warmed oil and essential oils then mix with dry ingredients. Use in the shower or standing in the tub. Apply in circular motions, working from the extremities inward, working towards the center of the body and the heart. Rinse with warm water. Gently pat dry. Your skin will feel smoother and have a nice glow. Spritzers
These are easy to make just follow the guidelines below.

Use 4 oz. of distilled water

To make a facial mist use 8-10 drops of essential oils per 4 oz. of distilled water.

30-40 drops per 4 oz. for a body spray

80-100 drops per 4 oz. for a room spray

Hot Rock Massage Read all about La Stone Therapy
This is a spa treatment from the Arizona desert. Select a large, flat smooth stone, the size of your palm Heat stone in a low temperature oven until warm but not hot. Rub some scented massage oil into the stone and use this heated rock to give your partner a soothing massage. The heat from the stone relaxes and penetrates the muscles. Use up to 15 drops of essential oil per 1 oz. of unscented oil. Start with less drops, you can always add more. Try Sweet Almond, Grapeseed or Apricot Oil.

Peace and Love Massage Oil

3 drops Patchouli

3 drops Sandalwood

1 oz.Unscented base oil Enjoy!
So Easy to Make Bath Salts

1 cup Sea Salt

1 cup Epsom Salt

1 cup Baking Soda

Your favorite essential oils

Try French Lavender, Rose Geranium and Ylang Ylang Extra

You'll want about 6 drops of essential oils per 1/4 cup salt blend

Use 1/4 cup per bath. This makes enough for several baths.
Germ Fighter Spray
We've all been told to wash our hands more frequently. Here is an antiseptic, germ fighting spray to use on cuts and scrapes. May also be used as a room spray.

12 drops Tea Tree

6 drops Eucalyptus Unrectified

6 drops Lemon

2 oz. distilled water

Combine ingredients and add to spray bottle. Shake gently before use.
Cold and Flu Fighter

4 drops Sweet Eucalyptus unrectified is best

4 drops Scotch Pine

3 drops Lemon
Add to a large bowl of steaming water. Covering your head lean over the bowl and inhale deeply for 2-5 minutes. May also be added to a diffuser or vaporizer. For Children Use Eucalyptus Smithi, a mild Eucalyptus for children and the elderly.
Rose Otto
The intoxicating aroma of Rose-Otto oil makes it an effective aphrodisiac. Rose-Otto oil exerts its effects on both mind and body. It acts to both relieve stress and relax the spirit. For a relaxing bath, mix three drops of Turkish Rose-Otto in three and a half Tbsp. of heavy cream and add to the bathwater. For a truly sensuous scent, add a few drops of Sandalwood or Jasmine.
Scented Beeswax Heart Scent a room with this decorative accent. Use a cookie cutter to cut a heart shape from a sheet of natural beeswax. Wrap the heart in cheesecloth and infuse it with a few drops of Rose Otto. Place the wrapped heart in a plastic bag for a week. Remove and discard the cloth and glue a ribbon hanger to the back of the heart. You can even decorate it with dried flowers and a bow. Hang it in the kitchen or even the bath!!
Peach Smoothie
With fresh Peaches on sale this is a yummy treat!

3 ripe peaches

1 cup plain yogurt

2 T honey

4 ice cubes

1-2 drops Mandarin essential oil

Mix in blender and Enjoy!
Relaxing Lavender Honey Bath Did you know that Honey has a calming effect? Combined with pure essential oil of Lavender it's a yummy bath treatment. Why not try it tonight!

2oz. of Honey

5 drops Lavender

Combine in a jar.

use 1 -2 Tablespoons per bath.
Vanilla Rose Bath Fizz Blend one half cup baking soda and one fourth cup each cornstarch and citric acid in a glass bow. Add one teaspoon each melted cocoa butter and Vanilla essential oil and one half teaspoon Rose Otto oil. Mix well. Slowly blend in one teaspoon rose water. Pack mixture into molds, turn out on waxed paper to dry for 24 hours, then store in airtight container. Add one fizz to a warm bath and Enjoy!

Ice Candles Melt one pound of paraffin in a double boiler. Cut a milk carton to height desired, center a taper candle inside, then fill with crushed ice. Add six drops Spearmint essential oil and a sprinkling of glitter to the cooling paraffin.....pour the paraffin into the carton. Let cool, then pour off the water and tear away the carton to reveal a candle that glistens like ice


How to Make Scented Rocks
from http://www.make-stuff.com
Place rocks in a bowl or dish to scent a room. A nice alternative to potpourri!

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup salt

1/4 teaspoon essential oil (your favorite scent)

2/3 cups boiling water

Food coloring, if desired

In bowl, mix dry ingredients well. Add essential oil, and boiling water to dry ingredients. (Scent will be strong, but will fade slightly when dry.)
For colored stones, blend in food coloring, one drop at a time until desired shade is reached. Blend ingredients, and form balls into different shape and sizes to look like stones. Allow stones to dry.

Lemon Citrus Soak Lemons have been used for hand and nail care for centuries. Lemon Juice and the essential oil of Lemon whitens nails while stimulating healthy growth. Try this Refreshing Citrus Soak

8 oz. spring water

1 Tablespoon Aloe Vera Gel

10 drops Lemon eo

Mix and soak fingertips for 10 minutes.

Fireplace Oils When making Holiday logs use 1 drop of essential oil per log and only one log per fire. After applying the essential oil to the log be sure to let it sit for enough time that the essential oil soaks through the log. Some choices are Sandalwood, Frankincense, Myrrh, Cypress, and Cedarwood.



Household Cleaning Homemade Surface & Glass Cleaner
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
10 drops lemon eo
10 drops rosemary eo
5 drops peppermint eo
Mx all ingredients together in a spray bottle, shake well, and spritz!
From: April 2006 issue of Alternative Medicine -- The Art & Science of Healthy Living, page 95
Orange Glass Shiner
Use Orange Glass Shiner to polish any glass or mirror to a lovely finish and shine Enjoy the pleasant aroma too -- which makes it seem like you're not cleaning at all. (Well almost!)
Yield: 8 ounces Shelf Life: Indefinite
Ingredients:
4 ounces water
4 ounces apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon borax
1 tablespoon orange essential oil
1 teaspoon lemon essential oil
Blending Procedure:
Combine all ingredients in a heavy duty plastic spray bottle and shake well before each use. Spray on glass or mirror and wipe immediately with a clean cloth. Watch the shiny surface emerge. Note that stubborn stains like old toothpaste glop and chewing gum come off with ease, plus the aroma is pleasant and uplifting. It's best to use gloves with this cleaner and remember to shake before using the evenly incorporate the essential oils. As with all household cleaners, keep this one out of the reach of children.
Enjoy!
From http://www.makeyourcosmetics.com
Dishwashing Liquid
Lift your spirits while washing the dishes. Not suited for automatic dishwashers.

10 drops Lemon essential oil

10 dropsLavender essential oil

10 drops Orange essential oil

liquid castile soap or other mildly scented dishwashing liquid. Fill a 32oz. squirt bottle with liquid soap and add the oils. Shake well.

Kitchen Sink Scrub

1/2 Cup Baking Soda

1/8 Cup Vinegar

5 drops Lemon essential oil

5 drops Orange essentail oil

Combine all ingredients

Try Lime or Bergamot also.
Tub and Shower Scrub This recipe helps to remove and prevent mold and mildew buildup.

1/2 Cup Baking Soda

10 drops Tea Tree essential oil

10 drops Lavender essential oil

10 drops Geranium essential oil

Combine all ingredients and using a damp sponge or cloth, scrub bathtub and/or shower.
For serious mildew buildup areas, combine 20 drops of Tea Tree and water in a spray bottle,
and spray area everyday for 5 days, then 2x a week.
From the book The Naturally Scented Home by Julia Bird
~add a few drops of cedar or rosemary oil to cotton balls and enclose them in a pillowcase, which can then be laid among your clothes. This will help keep unwanted pests from enjoying your clothes. (page 55)
~perfumed drawer lining paper: Choose any kind of paper, cut it to size and roll the sheets together. Then seal the roll in a plastic bag with a sheet of blotting paper on which you have dropped your essential oil combinations. Leave it for about a week to allow the scent to permeate the papers. These can also be customized with anti-insect oils. (pg 55)

Cornmeal Face Scrub
Essential Oils can be incorporated into many facial products.A facial scrub to try includes:

1/4 cup yogurt

1/4 cup cornmeal

5 drops Lavender essential oil

5 drops Patchouli essential oil

5 drops Grapefruit essential oil

Mix together and refrigerate a couple of

hours before using. Store in the refrigerator.


A CHRISTMAS POTPOURRI - VICTORIA MAGAZINE

3 c Fresh juniper sprigs -with berries

2 c Red rosebuds

1 c Bay leaves

1/4 c Cinnamon chips

2 tb Cloves

10 Drops rose oil

3 Drops pine oil

6 Drops cinnamon oil

1 tb Orrisroot chips

5 Whole dried rose blossoms

3 Three-inch cinnamon sticks

20 Assorted pinecones, -painted gold
Combine the juniper, rosebuds, bay leaves, cinnamon chips, cloves, and cones in a big ceramic bowl. In a separate dish, mix the oils with the orrisroot. Stir this mixture into the first one and put into a closed container to mellow for a few weeks, stirring occasionally. Place the potpourri in a dish and scatter the roses blossoms and cinnamon sticks on top.
Victoria/December/90 Christmas Spice Potpourri

2 cups dried pink rose petals and buds

1/2 cup dried bay leaves, crumbled

1/2 cup dried orange peel

1/2 cup dried pomegranate slices, chopped

1 Tablespoon grated nutmeg

1/2 cup small pine cones

1/2 Tablespoon orris root power

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/2 teaspoon mixed spices, lightly crushed: mustard seed, black, green and white peppercorns, red spindle berries, juniper berries

10 drops frankincense essential oil

5 drops clove essential oil

20 drops orange essential oil

5 drops myrrh essential oil

Source: Heaven Scent by Julia Lawless Frankincense Soap
Wrap unscented purchased soap with cheesecloth, then sprinkle the wrapped bar with a few drops of frankincense essential oil. Place the soap in an airtight container for a month, then discard wrapping. You can decorate the soap with silver or gold leaf applied in a random pattern. Dampen the soap before applying metallic leaf! This makes a gorgeous gift!

Scented Holiday Cards
Make your Christmas/Holiday cards extra special this year. Place 1 drop of any holiday blend on the inside corner of each card. Seal and send as usual. What a nice surprise for the recipient! Some oils to use: we like our Celebration blend with Cinnamon, Orange Clove but a Evergreen blend is also nice.
Frankincense and Myrrh Soap Balls
Making your own soap can be a complicated process. However......this is a very simple way of introducing your favorite smells to a basic, fragrance-free soap, using a combination of nourishing vegetable oil, oatmeal as a natural exfoliant and healing and nourishing honey!! The soaps are scented with the heavenly combination of frankincense and myrrh. The spicy, woody scent of frankincense is uplifting, while the balsamic, must scent of myrrh is known to be anti-fungal and healing. Materials

9 ounces of pure, unscented soap

4 fl. ounces water

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon finely ground oatmeal

1 teaspoon sweet almond or apricot kernel oil

12 drops myrrh essential oil

8 drops frankincense essential oil.

Cheese grater (fine)

Bain-Marie(double boiler with a ceramic insert to evenly disperse gentle heat)

Wooden Spoon

Dried herbs (optional) Grate the soap with a fine cheese grater. Place the soap in the bain-marie with the water. Gently heat over a low least. Gradually the mixture will form a thick and fairly sticky paste. When the soap has melted, add the honey, oatmeal, oil and dried herbs(optional) and mix in well. Transfer to a clean bowl and then add in the essential oils. Mix very thoroughly! Have a bowl of water on hand to wet your hands. Then take a small handful of the mixture and mold into round balls. You will be able to make approximately 2 large balls or 5 or so of the smaller ones. Place on a sheet of grease-proof paper and leave it to harden for a week or so. Or.......you can put the mixture in a shaped mold!

Soap of the Magi

5 Ounces Glycerine Soap

1/8 teaspoon Myrrh Oil

1/8 teaspoon Frankincense Oil

Bronze and Gold Mica Dust

Ultra fine gold fabric glitter

Oval soap mold
Melt 1/2 of the soap. Stir in the Frankincense oil and Gold mica dust. Pour into 2 molds filling only half way. Melt the other 1/2 of the soap. Stir in Myrrh oil and Bronze mica dust. Spoon over 1st layer of soap. Set, unmold. Give the bars a light dusting of the gold glitter and you have a soap of gold, frankincense and Myrrh the gifts of the Magi. If you've frozen the soap allow it to thaw and dry before adding the glitter or wrapping.
Here is a wll known blend that you can recreate at home. Four Thieves
A blend of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary oils.
Developed according to the legend about the four thieves in 15th century England who used these and other aromatics to protect themselves while robbing plague victims.

GARLIC AND FOOD AS MEDICINE TO BEAT THE FLU

1)    Garlic – As Good or Better Than Tamiflu?    

          Feb. 5, 2013

Dr. Mercola writes

A recent article by PreventDisease.com4 highlighted the use of garlic, which has natural antiviral, antibiotic, and antifungal activity.

“Forget the flu shot. A soup based on more than 50 cloves of garlic, onions, thyme and lemon will destroy almost any virus that enters its path including colds, flu and even norovirus,” John Summerly writes.

Garlic has long been hailed for its healing powers, especially against infectious diseases like cold and flu. This is likely due to its immune boosting effects. According to the featured article:

“...Compounds in this familiar bulb kill many organisms, including bacteria and viruses that cause earaches, flu and colds. Research indicates that garlic is also effective against digestive ailments and diarrhea... A recent and significant finding from Washington State University shows that garlic is 100 times more effective than two popular antibiotics at fighting disease causing bacteria commonly responsible for foodborne illness.”

The respected research organization The Cochrane Database, which has repeatedly demonstrated that the science in support of the flu vaccine is flimsy at best, has also reviewed studies on the alternatives, such as the use of garlic.5 Unfortunately, such research is harder to come by, as there’s no financial incentive driving it.

Still, in the singular study identified by the Cochrane group, those who took garlic daily for three months had fewer colds than those who took a placebo, and, when they did come down with a cold, the duration of illness was shorter – an average of 4.5 days compared to 5.5 days for the placebo group.

While this may not seem overly impressive, it’s still better than the results achieved by the much-advertised flu drug Tamiflu. If taken within 48 hours of onset of illness, Tamiflu might reduce the duration of flu symptoms by about a day to a day and a half. That's the extent of what this $100-plus treatment will get you. It’s virtually identical to just taking garlic on a regular basis...

However, some patients with influenza are at increased risk for secondary bacterial infections when on Tamiflu, which of course would defeat the plan of being able to jump out of bed a day sooner. Furthermore, adverse events reported include pediatric deaths, serious skin reactions, and neuropsychiatric events, including suicide committed while delirious – side effects you won’t experience if you’re taking garlic.

Furthermore, there are plenty of reasons to doubt the veracity of Tamiflu’s claims. In 2009, conflicts of interest within WHO were unearthed, showing links between Roche, the manufacturer of Tamiflu, and those responsible for creating pandemic flu planning guidelines. Tamiflu is currently on the organization's list of "essential medicines." But the Cochrane team could find "no evidence" to suggest that Tamiflu actually reduces complications in cases of influenza. In fact, eight out of 10 clinical trials on Tamiflu are still “missing in action,” as Roche has doggedly refused to release them.

Kind of makes you wonder why, doesn’t it?

If you love garlic, the featured article includes a hearty garlic soup recipe, consisting of unpeeled garlic cloves, olive oil, organic grass-fed butter, cayenne, ginger, onions, thyme, coconut milk, organic veggie broth, and lemon wedges. For the recipe, please refer to the original article.6 If you don’t enjoy garlic, you could opt for a high-quality supplement.

Understanding What Causes Colds and Influenzas Can Help You Prevent Them

Both colds and various influenzas are caused by a wide variety of viruses (not bacteria). While the two ailments typically affect your respiratory tract, there are some differences between them. Common symptoms of a 'regular cold' include runny nose, congestion, cough, and sore throat. The symptoms of the flu tend to be far more severe, as the influenza viruses are capable of causing severe lung infection, pneumonia and even respiratory failure. They also tend to affect your joints – hence that allover achy feeling.

The following video offers an excellent, rapid-fire cliff-notes-type education on flu viruses, where the “H” and “N” flu classifications come from and their transmission, along with common flu symptoms. (Bear in mind that I obviously do NOT recommend or advise getting a flu vaccine, which is listed as one of the prevention methods at the end of this video.)

The most common way these viruses are spread is via hand-to-hand contact. For instance, someone with a cold blows their nose then shakes your hand or touches surfaces that you also touch. However, the key to remember is that just being exposed to a cold virus does not mean that you're destined to catch a cold. If your immune system is operating at its peak, it should actually be quite easy for you to fend off the virus without ever getting sick. If your immune system is impaired, on the other hand, they can easily take hold in your body.

So, it's important to understand that the reason you catch a cold or flu is because your immune system is impaired. It's not an inevitable event based on exposure alone. Lifestyle factors that can depress your immune system, alone or in combination, include:

Eating too much sugar and grains.

The average person consumes about 75 grams of fructose per day (primarily in the form of high fructose corn syrup found in virtually all processed foods), and when fructose is consumed at that level it can devastate your immune system.

One of the ways it does this is by unbalancing your gut flora. Sugar is 'fertilizer' for pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and fungi that can set your immune system up for an assault by a respiratory virus. Most people don't realize that 80 percent of your immune system actually lies in your gastrointestinal tract. That's why controlling your sugar intake is CRUCIAL for optimizing your immune system.

It would be wise to reduce your total sugar intake, and limit your fructose consumption to below 25 grams a day if you're in good health, or below 15 grams a day if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or are insulin resistant or are seeking to recover from an acute illness like the flu. Vitamin D deficiency. In the largest and most nationally representative study7 of its kind to date, involving about 19,000 Americans, people with the lowest vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu -- and the risk was even greater for those with chronic respiratory disorders like asthma. At least five additional studies also show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and vitamin D levels. Insufficient sleep. If you aren't getting enough restorative sleep, you'll be at increased risk for a hostile viral takeover. Your immune system is also the most effective when you're not sleep-deprived, so the more rested you are the quicker you'll recover. You can find 33 secrets for a good night's sleep here. Insufficient exercise. Regular exercise is a crucial strategy for increasing your resistance to illness. There is evidence that regular, moderate exercise can reduce your risk for respiratory illness by boosting your immune system. In fact, one study8 found that people who exercised regularly (five or more days a week) cut their risk of having a cold by close to 50 percent. And, in the event they did catch a cold, their symptoms were much less severe than among those who did not exercise.

Exercise likely cuts your risk of colds so significantly because it triggers a rise in immune system cells that can attack any potential invaders. Each time you exercise you can benefit from this boost to your immune system. Ideally, establish a regular fitness program, such as Peak Fitness, now, to help you ward off colds and other illness. Exercise can also help boost your immune system acutely, by increasing your body temperature. This helps kill off invading pathogens, similarly to the fever your body produces when sick. Using ineffective strategies to address emotional stressors. Emotional stressors can also predispose you to an infection while making cold symptoms worse. Finding ways to manage daily stress as well as your reactions to circumstances beyond your control will contribute to a strong and resilient immune system. Effective strategies include a variety of energy psychology tools, such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

Zinc – Another Trusted Cold-Fighter

A Cochrane Database Review of the medical research on zinc found that when taken within one day of the first symptoms, zinc can cut down the time you have a cold by about 24 hours. The review included 15 randomized control trials, consisting of 1,360 participants of all age groups. Zinc was also found to greatly reduce the severity of symptoms.

The review stopped short of recommending any specific dose of zinc, citing the need for further studies to establish optimal formulations and durations of treatment. However, some of the studies showed the beneficial qualities of zinc in fighting the common cold used between 50 and 65 mg a day. The people taking lozenges were more likely to experience adverse effects than those taking syrup, including a bad taste in their mouth and nausea.

Zinc was not recommended for anyone with an underlying health condition, like lowered immune function, asthma or chronic illness.

Also keep in mind that any time you isolate one mineral and ingest it independently of the others, the potential exists for imbalance, or in the worst case, overdose. Therefore, I wouldn't currently recommend taking more than 50 mg a day, and I do not recommend taking large doses of zinc on a daily basis for preventive purposes as you could easily develop a copper imbalance that way. You can also activate the "Reverse Effect" in which too much of a good nutrient can actually cause the opposite of what it's supposed to do. So leave zinc for acute, short-term use only. Foods like garlic, on the other hand, can safely be consumed regularly to maintain a robust immune system.

“Let Food Be Thy Medicine”

As mentioned earlier, the first thing you want to do when you feel yourself coming down with a cold or flu is to avoid ALL sugars and processed foods. (I also recommend avoiding all artificial sweeteners, as they can have a detrimental effect on immune function as well.) Sugar is particularly damaging to your immune system -- which needs to be ramped up, not suppressed, in order to combat an emerging infection. This includes fructose from fruit juice, and all types of grains (as they rapidly break down to sugar in your body).

Make sure to drink plenty of pure water. Water is essential for the optimal function of every system in your body and will help with nose stuffiness and loosening secretions. You should drink enough water so that your urine is a light, pale yellow. Ideally, you’ll want to address nutrition, sleep, exercise and stress issues the moment you first feel yourself coming down with something. This is when immune-enhancing strategies will be most effective. Foods that will help strengthen your immune response include: Raw, grass-fed organic milk, and/or high-quality whey protein  Fermented foods such as raw kefir, kimchee, miso, pickles, sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables  Raw, organic eggs from pastured chickens  Grass-fed beef in small quantities of a few ounces  Coconuts and coconut oil Organic vegetables  Garlic. Ideally consumed raw and crushed just before eating  Turmeric, oregano, cinnamon, cloves  Mushrooms, especially Reishi, Shiitake, and Maitake

Does Chicken Soup Really Work?

Short answer, yes, chicken soup can be helpful against cold and flu symptoms. Chicken contains a natural amino acid called cysteine, which can thin the mucus in your lungs and make it less sticky so you can expel it more easily.

Processed, canned soups won't work as well as the homemade version, however. For best results, make up a fresh batch yourself (or ask a friend or family member to do so) and make the soup hot and spicy with plenty of pepper. The spices will trigger a sudden release of watery fluids in your mouth, throat, and lungs, which will help thin down the respiratory mucus so it's easier to cough up and expel. Making it from scratch is easy. Below, I demonstrate a simple recipe for making your own chicken soup and stock

Put the chicken bones in a large stock pan (use bones from organically-raised chicken) Cover the bones with water Bring to a boil and lower the heat Simmer for about an hour or longer

Vitamin D – An Excellent Cold and Flu Prevention Strategy

Vitamin D is an amazingly effective antimicrobial agent, producing 200 to 300 different antimicrobial peptides in your body that kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. So optimizing your levels will not only help send a cold or flu virus packing, it can prevent them from invading your body in the first place. Contrary to flu vaccines, this recommendation has been steadily gaining scientific validation. In fact, there’s compelling evidence suggesting cold and flu may actually be symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.

Dr. John Cannell, founder of the Vitamin D Council, was one of the first to introduce the idea that vitamin D deficiency may actually be an underlying cause of influenza, which would help explain its apparent benefits as a flu-fighter. His hypothesis was published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection in 2006,9 which was followed up with another study published in the Virology Journal in 2008.10 His hypothesis received further support and confirmation when, in the following year, the largest and most nationally representative study of its kind to date discovered that people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu.11

In another study, published in 2010,12 researchers investigated the effect of vitamin D on the incidence of seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. Over the course of a year, influenza A occurred in just 10.8 percent of the children in the vitamin D group, compared with 18.6 percent of the children in the placebo group. According to the authors:

"This study suggests that vitamin D3 supplementation during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, especially in specific subgroups of schoolchildren."

Revised and Updated Recommendations for Optimizing Your Vitamin D Levels

Research on vitamin D is moving swiftly, so you’d be well advised to stay on top of the latest developments as recommendations are refined and updated. I will cover the latest developments here, so you may want to share this article with your peers. First, it’s important to remember that sun exposure is the best way to optimize your vitamin D levels as your body has built-in “fail-safe” mechanisms that prevent detrimental side effects from occurring. Last year, I created a video to help you determine if you can get enough vitamin D from sun exposure in your area at different times of the year.

Based on additional information received, I now believe that my previous position was too strict... The good news is, you can likely get vitamin D under far less ideal conditions than previously suggested.

The radiation from the sun that reaches the earth's surface (and hence your body) is partially filtered out by the atmosphere. I had previously stated that UVB rays will only penetrate the atmosphere when the sun is above an angle of about 50° from the horizon, and that when the sun is lower than 50°, the ozone layer will absorb vitamin D-producing UVB-rays while allowing the longer, and more harmful, UVA-rays to get through, which would defeat the purpose of spending time in the sun.

This recommendation is likely too strict. According to experts in the field, you can likely get sufficient amounts of UVB radiation when the sun is as low as 30 degrees above the horizon, or whenever the temperature is warm enough to expose large amounts of skin.

I thank John Hochman, MSME, for bringing this to my attention. According to Dr. Ola Engelsen with the Norwegian Institute for Air Research, the creator of a calculator13 that takes a number of factors into consideration give you an estimate of how many minutes of exposure you need to produce the equivalent of 1,000 IU’s of vitamin D, the sun must be more than 15 degrees above the horizon during cloudless conditions.

If You Take Vitamin D Supplements, Remember to Take Vitamin K2

Second, based on the latest investigations by Carole Baggerly, director of GrassrootsHealth, the average adult dose required to reach healthy vitamin D levels is around 8,000 IU's of vitamin D per day if you're taking an oral supplement. For children, many experts agree they need about 35 IU's of vitamin D per pound of body weight. Here, it’s important to remember that if you’re taking high dose vitamin D supplements, you ALSO need to take vitamin K2.

The biological role of vitamin K2 is to help move calcium into the proper areas in your body, such as your bones and teeth. It also helps remove calcium from areas where it shouldn’t be, such as in your arteries and soft tissues. Vitamin K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries. The reason for this is because when you take vitamin D, your body creates more vitamin K2-dependent proteins that move calcium around in your body. Without vitamin K2, those proteins remain inactivated, so the benefits of those proteins remain unrealized.

So remember, if you take supplemental vitamin D, you're creating an increased demand for K2. Together, these two nutrients help strengthen your bones and improve your heart health.

While the ideal or optimal ratios between vitamin D and vitamin K2 have yet to be elucidated, Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, author of Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life, suggests that for every 1,000 IU's of vitamin D you take, you may benefit from about 100 micrograms of K2, and perhaps as much as 150-200 micrograms (mcg). So, if you take 8,000 IU's of vitamin D3 per day, that means you'd need in the neighborhood of 800 to 1,000 micrograms (0.8 to 1 milligram/mg) of vitamin K2.

Lastly, remember that your vitamin D requirements are highly individual, as your vitamin D status is dependent on numerous factors, so while 8,000 IU’s of vitamin D3 per day may put you closer to the ballpark of what most people likely need, it is impossible to make a blanket recommendation that will cover everyone's needs. The only way to determine your optimal dose is to get your blood tested. Ideally, you'll want to maintain a vitamin D serum level of 50-70 ng/ml year-round. For an in-depth explanation of everything you need to know before you get tested, please read my latest updates in Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency.

Other Supplements that Send Pathogens Packin'

There are a number of supplements that can be beneficial for colds and influenza, but I believe they should be used only as an adjunct to other healthy dietary and lifestyle measures discussed in this article. Some of the more helpful options for cold and flu – above and beyond vitamin D, garlic, and zinc – include: Vitamin C: A very potent antioxidant; use a natural form such as acerola, which contains associated micronutrients.  A tea made from a combination of elderflower, yarrow, boneset, linden, peppermint and ginger: Drink it hot and often for combating a cold or flu. It causes you to sweat, which is helpful for eradicating a virus from your system Oregano Oil: The higher the carvacrol concentration, the more effective it is. Carvacrol is the most active antimicrobial agent in oregano oil  Medicinal mushrooms, such as shiitake, reishi, and turkey tail Propolis: A bee resin and one of the most broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds in the world; propolis is also the richest source of caffeic acid and apigenin, two very important compounds that aid in immune response  Olive leaf extract: Ancient Egyptians and Mediterranean cultures used it for a variety of health-promoting uses and it is widely known as a natural, non-toxic immune system builder

So please, carefully review the evidence against flu vaccines, and consider using all-natural immune boosting lifestyle strategies as your first line of defense against colds and flu. As you can see, there are many alternatives available, from optimizing your vitamin D levels and taking zinc at the first sign of infection, to incorporating immune boosting foods like garlic into your daily diet.

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