Dandelion Flower Infused Oil Making

There are many applications for Dandelion Flower Infused Oil. Here are but a few...

~ Apply oil directly onto irritated or inflamed skin, joints or muscles, with or without added essential oils as desired and as required, 2-4 x daily and consistently for therapeutic use.

~ Make oil into a balm by melting in beeswax or other plant waxes and butters at amounts to suit desired consistency, for a less greasy and more protective external application.

~ Blend with body and facial skin creams at 10-50% for a lighter and more absorbent skin application.

~ Use internally straight off the teaspoon up to 3 x daily as a nutrient and healing herbal remedy to promote tissue cleansing and healthy skin.

~ Drizzle on food as a base for a healthy detoxifying salad dressing, with apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, herbs, etc.

To make your own Dandelion Flower Infused Oil at home:

1. Pick lots of healthy looking dandelion flower heads, from a chemical spray free area. Bring a basket or paper bag to collect them in and protect them on the way home.

1a. Optional, but highly recommended extra step: I like to make some sort of nature art with them after picking, sit and connect with them on a picnic blanket and enjoy some tea or snacks near where they grow, do a bit of meditation, stretching, reading or journaling.

2. Make sure you use an appropriately sized, clean and completely dry jar sterilised by submerging jar and lid with freshly boiled water for 5-10min.

3. Fill jar with flower heads to the neck.

4. Cover with a cold pressed oil of your choice, ideally organic to minimise trace chemicals toxicity. I used sunflower in this one for its light texture and extra sunny solar powered energy, but you can use any oil you wish.

You could try grapeseed oil for something, nice and light, easily absorbed. Almond oil is a bit richer but still light and more nourishing. Olive oil is found in most kitchen cupboards, heavier and great for Vit E and anti fungal benefits, but flavour can be quite strong if you are making it for edible purposes. For external applications and dry skin, flavour is less important and richness may be more desirable.

4. Seal with lid (using dried flowers avoids mould growth, or secure piece of muslin over the top, and leave on sunny window sill for 2 weeks at least.

5. Give a shake, turn or stir daily with sterile spoon to ensure that no stagnant pockets of air and moisture from fresh flowers allow mould to develop.

As there is moisture in fresh flowers, it can be good to cover with muslin and rubber band or string to allow moisture to evaporate out. Using dried flowers avoids this issue, but loses some of the lovely fresh vital constituents. For fresh flowers and covered in muslin, stir instead of shake daily for obvious reasons!

If you use a lid on fresh flowers you may want to remove the lid every 2-3 days at first before shaking to check for water evaporation on the lid, leave off for a short while to allow any moisture to evaporate and reseal. Muslin not required when dried, but different if flavours fresh or dried. Either
way promotes healing however so do whatever works best for you. It's all good :)

6. Flowers will settle and shrink a bit, so you can add some fresh ones to top it up after a few days. For an extra potent oil, strain off and press out as much oil as possible after a couple of weeks, and repeat the process using the single infused oil with a fresh jar full of dandelion flowers to make a double infused oil.

7. Strain off through fine sieve, muslin or clean cloth into a sterile bottle or jar, seal well and store in a cool, dry, dark cupboard and use as required. Use within 12 months.

Note: Do not use for anyone with known sensitivities to the Daisy family, aka Asteraceae, Compositae.

One person's healing medicine can be another person's poison, so do patch tests before 24hr before using, particularly for those with sensitive skins. We are all individual and may react differently. This applies to any plant remedy. Check with your local herbalist for guidance.

If you haven't already checked out my dandelion remedies blog for more medicinal benefits and musings on the whole dandelion plant, you can do so here.

I'd love to hear your creative uses and experiences for dandelion flower oil. Do please share your thoughts with me in the comments or social media links below. I look forward to hearing from you :)

Have a sunshiny dandelion day,

Fiona Morris 

Herbalist & Holistic Therapist

www.fionamorrisherbalist.co.uk

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Love Potion No 1 - Rose & Pomegranate Elixir

This Valentine's Day I decided to get my family in the mood for love by treating them to pancakes for breakfast smothered in Love Potion No 1. aka homemade Pomegranate & Rose Honey Elixir. Here's how I did it so you can recreate it at home if you wish...

The first thing I did was to gather the most heart warming ingredients I could find in my kitchen cupboard. I offered them to the goddess, a reflection of our higher self, infusing them with heartfelt intention, extra potent love energy, and healing blessings.

My Love Potion ingredients included: pomegranate, rose petals, honey - a homemade gift from friends, lemon, water, cinnamon, cardamom, and the most important ingredient, LOVE.

Each item chosen for their sweet or citrus aromas, heart opening colours and emotional uplifting benefits, I first arranged the ingredients on a beautiful blue platter with some special stones lovingly gifted to me and bought myself, including rose quartz and ruby fuchite.

I sprinkled a handful of dried rose petals in to a half cup of water, adding a teaspoon or so of cardamom pods, couple of lemon slices, a stick of cinnamon and brought the magic pot of love to a simmer.

Reducing the gently simmering liquid to about half for about 10-15min, I used a masher occasionally to press and stir the concoction to release the juice from the pomegranates and break open the cardamom pods to release their flavour. I added a few more rose petals for luck.

I then poured the mixture into a bowl through a fine sieve, pressing the liquid out of the herbs and squishing any remaining pomegranate fruit with the back of a wooden spoon.

This left me with a ruby red infusion which I poured into a measuring jug to add honey to (for a vegan option you could try maple syrup, or get it back on the hob to melt in some unrefined sugar).

I added the warm ruby liquid with honey in equal parts, and stirred with spoon until completely blended, adding loving thoughts, wishes and gratitude for the people it's intended for.

And voila! A rose and pomegranate love potion concoction for St. Valentine's day. 

We enjoyed it as a syrup for pancakes. It was delicious and went down a treat...

There was even some left over to enjoy on Pancake Tuesday, and to add to smoothies to make them taste just heavenly! It's a lovely way to get a late winter immune boost with the lemon, cinnamon and honey too.

All the extra smells, colour and texture of the cardamom and cinnamon spices also added to the magic of the potion concocting! The lemon made it really good on the pancakes. The pomegranate gave the elixir a richer red colour than the rose petals do alone.

Although there is something to be said for the simplicity of pure rose syrup. I might try to keep it simple next time to get the full flavour of rose, but I personally can never resist adding a pinch of spice to give it a special twist.

Hope you enjoy giving it a go yourself. Feel free to make it your own with your favourite ingredients. A vanilla pod or star anis, for example, would give it a certain je ne sais quoi.

I'd love to hear what you come up with and your own creative ways to serve it to your dear ones.

Rose petals and cinnamon sticks,

Fiona Morris 

Medical Herbalist, 

Massage Therapist 

& AstroTarot Reader

www.fionamorrisherbalist.co.uk

Herbal Wellness Plans | Courses & Workshops | Wild Remedy Walks 

Holistic Body Massage | Indian Head Massage | Tea & Tarot Readings

Let's connect: Facebook l Twitter l Blog l Instagram l Pinterest

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Welcome to share with anyone who might appreciate it!

Your Herbal Tarot Reading ~ New Moon in Sagittarius, Sat 22nd Nov '14

Today I'm gifting you with a one card herbal tarot reading to celebrate the new moon in Sagittarius.

The new moon is a time when the night sky is at its darkest, also known as the black moon, so it's a good time to refocus, gain clarity of vision, create and initiate a plan for the next phase ahead.

With the new moon in fiery expansive Sagittarius, the emphasis in general is to stretch your boundaries, take bold and decisive action steps, heart and mind opening wide, exploring new possibilities to broaden horizons, dreaming big and shooting for the stars.

I trust that the card you choose will help focus your intentions for the next moon cycle.

I offered these free herbal tarot readings back in September when I launched my new herbal astro tarot reading service. I've loved receiving such wonderful feedback from so many of you. So I'm considering doing these on a more regular basis to coincide with the new moon.

I've also been delighted to offer herbal astro tarot sessions with some of you already one to one on Skype and in person in Edinburgh during the past couple of months.

These readings come with explanation and pdf of your astrology birth chart, a one to one 90min herbal tarot reading with a high resolution image emailed after the session, and a personalised herbal tea blend based on your focus and the outcomes of your reading.

An astro herbal tarot tea is posted or delivered to you in the following week to enjoy their healing benefits and continue to reflect on what comes up afterwards.

Now on to your new moon reading...

********

Close your eyes, breathing 

deeply and gently into your belly....

Focus your heart and mind 

on any issues you would like 

support or guidance with 

over the next moon cycle....

When you're ready, 

open your eyes 

and click on the card number 

you feel most drawn to:

Card 1   Card 2   Card 3

Love and blessings,

PLEASE NOTE: 

If you are reading this on the main home page of my blog, **stop scrolling down now** to avoid spoilers of your card reading in the blogs posts below.

P.S. You're welcome to share this with your friends or invite anyone who might appreciate it.

For occasional updates of upcoming new moon readings, soulful self care tips, my herbal wellness blog adventures, holistic clinics and events, I invite you to click here to sign up for your free Nourish and Flourish Love Letters delivered by email directly to your inbox.

Your New Moon Herbal Tarot Reading ~ Card no 1

New Moon in Sagittarius Herbal Tarot Reading 

You chose card no 1 ~ Nine of Pentacle ~ Dark Grapes

A woman sits amongst her grape vines, dressed in all her finery and enjoying the fruits of her efforts.

The Nine of Pentacles card recognises you for all your hard work and determination. You have planted seeds in the past, lovingly nurtured and tended to them as they grew over a long period of time through sunny spells and times of hardship, your persistence eventually pays off.

You can afford to take more breaks just now. Feeling stable and secure, you can invest more in yourself at this time as you are supported in more ways than one, allowing yourself to enjoy some luxuries. Be aware of a possible tendency to excess however, but this is a time for you to celebrate life and our earth's abundant gifts!

You may also feel you are in a position to give more to others at this time, knowing the struggles we have all experienced to different degrees, whether it is generosity in the form of material gifts, emotional and moral support, or simply advice based on your own trials and errors. 

The Dark Grapes indicated in the card are symbolic of abundance and fertility, slightly reminiscent of the opulence of Ancient Greeks. In Greek mythology, Dionysus (or Bacchus in Roman mythology) is often depicted with bunches of grapes and revered as the God of wine. 

In herbal medicine, the dark pigmentation in the skin of red or black grapes, called anthocyanins have a strong antioxidant effect on our body's cells, promoting healing and regeneration. These constituents have been shown to help boost cognitive function, reduce inflammation, prevent various diseases, protecting against environmental stress and support healthy cardiovascular function. 

Grape seed extracts have similar benefits. These have also been studied and used to help promote skin healing, support healthy musculoskeletal tissue growth and as a cancer preventive. Cold pressed grape seed oil is commonly used on skin as a light massage base oil by many bodywork therapists.

Why not treat yourself and household to a bunch or two of grapes? If you enjoy a glass of wine, treat yourself and a friend to a bottle of good quality red wine and toast to your good health and success. 

Enjoyment is a key word. There may be temptations to overdo things with this card especially as we head into the festive season, so explore fun and healthy ways to eat, drink and be merry... and share the abundance!

Healing blessings,

Fiona x

P.S. I'd love to hear how this resonates with you. You are most welcome to leave a comment below or on my Nourish and Flourish FB page.

For occasional updates of upcoming new moon readings, soulful self care tips, my herbal wellness blog adventures, holistic clinics and events, I invite you to click here to sign up for your free Nourish and Flourish Love Letters delivered by email directly to your inbox. 

Your New Moon Herbal Tarot Reading ~ Card no 2

New Moon in Sagittarius Herbal Tarot Reading 

You chose card no 2 ~ Knight of Wands ~ Aconite

A Knight strides out his latest a mission, a wooden staff slung over his shoulder, travelling light in the sunny countryside. He encounters the a highly poisonous Aconite plant (aka Monkshood or Wolf's Bane).

The Knight of Wands card is perfect for the Sagittarius new moon as it corresponds exactly to the qualities of Sagittarius, therefore potentiating these qualities of broadening horizons, exploring new possibilities and activities, opportunities to learn and possibly travel for the cycle ahead. 

The Wands suit represent fire, symbolic of taking action, energy, inspiration, and the Knights symbolic of adventure, courage, a carefree spirit. The Sagittarius symbol is a centaur, half horse, half man, holding a bow and arrow, pointing upwards to the heavens and setting sights high. 

Like the Knight, centaurs are warriors, with a fire in their heart and bellies, ready to discover foreign lands and encounter new and exotic experiences. This is a time of exploration and discovery, a time to be fearless.

A sense of confidence in your own abilities, with faith and trust in the universe accompanies this card, but there is also a warning.

The Aconite plant indicated in the card is a truly exotic, intriguing and beautiful plant, but its distinctive flower on close inspection looks almost like an alien's head. The hood mimics the knight's helmet, suggesting that despite its humble plant status, it's equal to the destructive strength and power of his warrior opponent. 

Aconite is a deadly poison in even relatively small amounts. Ingesting it can cause nausea, vomiting, intense, burning pain, paralysis, heart irregularities, breathing difficulties and even death.

It's called Wolf's Bane as historically it was mixed with bait to kill wolves. Gardeners have reported numbness, tingling and burning of the arms, even just gathering up the cut plant with bare arms. 

Experienced herbalists may use this plant (known as a Schedule 20 herb, not available over the counter and to be used with utmost care and caution) but very few take the risk. It is used only externally blended in very specific amounts with other preparations as a pain relief.

In this reading, the symbolism suggests that mindfulness and care must balance eager optimism, bravery and a carefree attitude. These qualities can make you feel invincible, powerful like a superhero... But be aware of your personal Achille's heel or Kryptonite.  

On the other hand, the Knight of Wand represents an inclination to boldly go where no man or woman has gone before, and provides opportunities for new discoveries and innovations. 

This card helps us learn to balance our fiery sides with a skillful humility and respect for the unknown. With this awareness, you can safely shoot for the stars and quite possibly end up there!

Healing blessings,

Fiona x

P.S. I'd love to hear how this resonates with you. You are most welcome to leave a comment below or on my Nourish and Flourish FB page.

For occasional updates of upcoming new moon readings, soulful self care tips, my herbal wellness blog adventures, holistic clinics and events, I invite you to click here to sign up for your free Nourish and Flourish Love Letters delivered by email directly to your inbox. 

Your New Moon Herbal Tarot Reading ~ Card no 3

New Moon in Sagittarius Herbal Tarot Reading 

You chose card no 3 ~ Queen of Pentacles ~ Marshmallow

A Queen sits on a bank by an expanse of water looking noble and reflective communing with a soft leaved blossoming Marshmallow plant.

The Queen of Pentacles represents a more feminine representation of the mastery of the earth element. The earth element (represented as the suit of Pentacles, like large oversized coins) relates to matters of feeling grounded and earthy, such as stability, security, finances, fertility and abundance. 

As a Queen, she has journeyed through all the stages of development and learning of the earthly realms experienced the highs and lows of scarcity/lack of stability and abundance/security. At the level of the Queen she is able to mentor others and become a gentle guide.

If these sorts of issues have been concerning you, this card appears to suggest a new approach, a more feminine approach. Like the soft leaves and sweet tasting soothing root of the Marshmallow plant, the Queen counsels us to take a softer gentler approach to handling these matters.

We live in a fast paced modern world, where slowing down is often perceived as weakness. The Queen of Pentacles gives us permission to slow down. In doing so, we may gain a renewed clarity and perspective of our inner wisdom, reflected in our waters of the smooth still lake within our heart.

Instead of the more masculine and forceful attitude of the King, the Queen's wisdom is in having the humility and openness to receive materially and be supported. 

The Queen does not take everything upon herself and carry heavy burdens, but has learned to delegate and take healing time and space to gather energy and resources so that she can give her abundant gifts back in return when the time is right... In its own sweet slow leisurely time.

The Marshmallow plant in herbal medicine is one of the greatest soothing remedies to irritated tissues anywhere in the body. Where there is dryness and soreness, it will bring moisture like a gentle balm, whether it is dry skin, irritated throat and lungs, dryness in the digestive system and bowel, this herb brings comfort and relief.

Not all medicines need to be bitter and unpleasant to take. Marshmallow encourages us to sweeten up and soften up and can be a powerful healing remedy where possibly harsher attempts have failed.

This card encourages us to create the time and space to receive, try a more feminine approach, giving ourselves the queenly sacred self care and support that not only we deserve, but need in order to feel grounded enough to grow, thrive and inspire others in turn. 

Healing blessings,

Fiona x

P.S. I'd love to hear how this resonates with you. You are most welcome to leave a comment below or on my Nourish and Flourish FB page.

For occasional updates of upcoming new moon readings, soulful self care tips, my herbal wellness blog adventures, holistic clinics and events, I invite you to click here to sign up for your free Nourish and Flourish Love Letters delivered by email directly to your inbox.