Herbs
Herbs
are the natural remedies. They have
been put here by an all wise Creator.
There is an herb for every disease that
a body could be afflicted with. A lot
of people don't realize that herbs were
created for the healing of man. That
is their calling, their reason for being
on this Earth. It is their responsibility
to heal; it is their responsibility
to the Creator that created them.
Herbs
were created spiritually before they
were created physically. Not only do
the herbs work on the body, they work
on the spirit. The herbs are living
tissue. They have been called to do
a job. By using the herb you are helping
it to fulfill its destiny. You have
more than just chemical compounds working
for you. You have the very desire the
herbs have to heal you. You have the
spiritual advantage of the herbs. They
are very spiritual and they are very
much alive.
We
have taught for many, many years that
herbs and trees and plants were individuals,
that they had minds and souls the same
as we. Then scientists and researchers
came along with meters and such, with
the idea of "talking" to the
plants. A lot of people thought that
was a weird thing. Then they came up
with electronic machines that actually
registered the plant's reactions, so
that now even scientists are convinced
that plants have thoughts, ideas, and
emotions.
Modern
medicines are a bunch of chemical drugs
put together that have no responsibility
to anybody, except maybe the chemists.
They are bound to fall short. They cannot
handle living things because they are
not living. They simply utilize the
energies in one part of the body to
treat a symptom in another part. There
is no chemical compound that does not
have side effects. There is no herb
that, used properly, does.
There
are certain chemical compounds, certain
drugs, antibiotics, for example, that
have their uses. We run into at times
an infection that is so heavy, so pronounced,
that has been left for so long, that
it would take the herbs quite some time,
because they work slow and steady, working
on the whole body. In these cases it
is wise to take advantage of science's
"wonder drugs", as they say,
for a short period of time to knock
the heavy infection out quickly. Then
immediately go on to the cleansing herbs
to remove the antibiotics from your
system. If you do this, you can successfully
use some of the modern medicines. But
continued use of the chemicals, the
poisons, will eventually completely
destroy the body.
It's
interesting to note that the "miracle
drug" of twenty years ago is now
banned as not fit for human use. And
the "miracle drugs" of today
will be banned in the same way. You
cannot play with death without arriving
at death. If you want life you must
deal with life. This is the way we must
treat our bodies, with what we eat.
Death begets death, life begets life.
It's as simple as that.
It
is particularly important to flush out
the urinary tract after being on antibiotics,
chemicals. Any of the cleansing, flushing
herbs will do that. It's also a good
idea, depending on what chemicals have
been taken to cleanse the blood.
People
will say, "Those dirty Indians."
But you never see infection. Herbs are
burning in tipis all the time. There's
just no way infection can get in. Not
even cockroaches will go into a Medicine
Man's tipi.
It
is generally better to use herbs from
your area, but it is not absolutely
necessary. Local herbs have about 10
to 12% more effectiveness than equally
potent imported herbs. But Mint coming
from the Nile River in Egypt, for example,
is almost 150% stronger than the mint
that we have here, so the 12% doesn't
mean much. There's something about the
Nile River area that is more than the
soil. There is good mint grown in Louisiana,
and mint that's grown around Yreka is
very good. But they still don't match
the Nile.
Bavarian
herbs are very good. They have some
120 different herbs that grow there
natively. They believe in herbs very,
very strongly. Then the herb market
came along and they started growing
them more and more as the demand went
up. Now their Department of Agriculture
is working with them to grow the herbs
in the areas they do the best in. 85%
of the acreage is converted to herbs.
It's nearly the only thing they produce.
It's
interesting watching the herbs come
in. Herbs grown by American growers
often come in a burlap bag with a wire
tied around it just like a bale of alfalfa
hay. But Ginseng leaves out of Korea,
for instance, will come with 120 leaves
per pack, or caddy as they call it,
with so many leaves laid this direction,
so many that. Every bundle is tied exactly
the same, every one is wrapped in tissue
paper, laid in a box and the box put
in a big carton. The difference in respect
is obvious between the two. The Mint
leaves that come out of the Nile come
in a big, loose box, not individually
wrapped, but there will be a layer of
leaves facing this way, then a layer
of leaves facing that way. They're not
just thrown in there. They are packed
with respect. When you open up a package
like that, you know you've got a higher
quality herb than one that was just
thrown into a burlap bag, because the
respect with which they were treated
is greater.
All
herbs have a signature. In this signature,
the herb itself tells you what it is
used for. We have Dandelion which is
good for "the kidneys, it flushes
them out. We have Parsley and Carrots
that work very well on the kidneys.
All of these have a color of yellow,
as the urine is and the flushing of
the urinary tract is always yellow.
Any of the herbs or any of the foods
that are yellow belong in this group.
If you want to clean out the kidneys
and such, look for herbs that are yellow.
The
Yerba Mansa has probably the most distinctive
of the signatures. It has a bright pink
root system with a pink powder inside.
When you dry the root, you can cut the
end off and this powder will just tap
out of it. This powder contains a coagulating
agent modern science has never been
able to match. You can take a cut that
is literally pumping blood, shake some
Yerba Mansa powder on it, hold it tight
with your thumb for just a few minutes
and the bleeding will stop, even an
artery. You can stop any kind of bleeding
with this powder. The flowers are snow
white and on each Petal there is a drop
of blood. It looks as though someone
had dropped a drop of blood on each
petal, and it splattered. No two drops
are ever alike. It's pretty obvious
what it's supposed to be used for.
Goldenseal
works on the urinary tract and the blood
system. It is a cleanser of both. It
turns out yellow as you grind it and
the bracts of the flowers are bright
red. So it tells you it's used both
for the blood, and the kidneys and urinary
tract.
If
you are out in the wild and something
happens and you need an herb and you
do not know thenames of your herbs,
just start looking for the signatures.
The signatures will tell you what they
are and what they are used for.
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PREPARATION
AND USAGE OF HERBS
In
taking herbs, the consistency with which
you take them is almost as important
as the herbs themselves. The body responds
to programming. This can also be done
for bowel movements.
In
taking herbs, or any medication for
that matter, skip 3 days out of every
month, with the exception of hormones
for menopause and such. This applies
to herbs you are taking to cleanse with,
purge with, or to work on a specific
situation.
Any
of the strong herbs should not be given
to children below the age of 2. With
nursing mothers, though, the strong
herbs and blends can be taken by mother
and baby will receive some through the
milk.
Children
from 2 to 7 should take 1/4 dosage of
1/4 strength blends, 7 to 12 should
take 1/2 dosage of 1/2 strength blends,
then full amount of full strength blends
at ages 12 to 13.
When
taking any strong herb such as Cayenne,
Valerian, etc. you should take at least
a quart of water during the day, soon
after taking the herb.
There
is 4 times the amount of potency released
from dried herbs as equal weight of
fresh. Two dried leaves are 4 times
more effective than 2 fresh ones. Rosins
are suspended in solution in fresh and
pass through untouched. Not so with
dried. Juiced fresh leaves are as strong
as dried. Dried herbs take in water
and release more substance. Fresh herbs
are already full of water and don't
take in more. Dried are much more consistent.
Heavily watered herbs have a more diluted
potency. The amount of water received
directly affects potency. Dried herbs
become consistent.
Cultivated
herbs are generally weaker than wild
varieties because they grow faster and
have less time to absorb elements. Herbs
that have been frosted while growing
will have some cells that oxidize faster
when the herb has been dried. Some herbs
are more potent after having been frozen,
including any herb of which you are
using exclusively the root picked after
frost has taken away the tops.
With
many herbs, treat the small stems and
twigs, and leaf bracts just like leaf.
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MIXING
AND BLENDING HERBS
An
amateur should start out blending no
more than three herbs at one time. Watch
the reactions between the three. You
will get entirely different reactions
depending upon the proportions used,
even different reactions using different
proportions of the same herb. When you
use only three herbs you have pretty
good control over the interactions.
But when you begin using 121314
herbs, the variants can run into the
thousands. The more herbs you use, the
more complicated it becomes.
The
Chinook blend (Two Moons Tea Old Crow
Blend) has 18 different herbs. This
is the result of over 900 years of experimental
blending.
By
interchanging herbs, or building up
a formula of herbs, a series of herbs,
we can get a formula that contains a
total greater than the sum of the parts,
a synergistic effect. There will be
ingredients in those formulas that did
not exist in the original herbs. This
is due to the chemical reactions that
take place.
In
herbal blends which are combinations
of herbs that cannot be boiled and herbs
that must be boiled, either soak for
about 12 hours or boil those that need
to be first, then add the others.
Simmer
means just before bubbling. No bubbling.
Boil means there's bubbles. Never pour
boiling water on herbs. Bring water
to a boil, remove from heat, let the
boiling stop, then pour.
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SUN
TEA
In
making sun teas, put them in the sun
till noon. Do not have them out in the
sun in the afternoon. You get the charge
from the sun coming up and this puts
extra strength in your tea. As soon
as it passes its zenith the sun starts
taking it back out. Take it in at noon
and you'll get it at its full peak.
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POWDERED
HERBS
You
can take many herbs in tea or in powder.
But whenever you take the powders, you
must drink a 12 ounce glass of water
or your herbs are not going to do you
any good. Teas are more effective than
the powders in the system, because your
system has got to wet powders, expand
them, and release their properties,
and by this time they've already started
down the colon. In taking a powdered
capsule, it may be halfway through the
system before the herbs have completely
released their properties, so you don't
get the full benefit.
The
powdered herbs in capsules are convenient.
You can just take a capsule and pop
it. Easy, but like all things that are
quick and easy, you don't get the results
of good old hard work. It just doesn't
work that way. If you take the teas
and let them steep like they should,
you get much better results.
Little
Mulnex grinders are not expensive. Everybody
should have one for home use. There
are so many things you can do with them.
Then you can cap your own if you want
them that way and you have the full
potency. Just grind and cap what you
are going to use immediately.
Filling
caps is easy. Put your ground herbs
in a cereal bowl. Take the capsule apart.
Scoop both ends together in the ground
herb and then push it back together.
You don't have to be perfectly accurate,
though the big capping machines are.
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POULTICES
Poultices
of herbs should be at least 1/2 inch
thick. Soak the herbs in warm water
until they have about the same moisture
content they had when fresh. Do not
over saturate, squeeze out extra water.
With raw herbs, just macerate.
The
faster you apply poultices after injury
the quicker your results will be, before
the system begins to tighten up. Even
serious tendon pulls like Achilles,
etc., If the poultice is applied within
minutes, can be healed in 2 weeks rather
than 6 months, but they will work if
applied later. Use with Snake Oil liniment
applied before poultice.
A
poultice will do all it's going to do
in the first hour. Then you can apply
another if it's necessary.
For
a poultice of dried herbs, reconstitute
the herbs in cold water, but do not
boil, you want the properties left in
the leaf.
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COLORS
All
colors of foods and herbs associate
with the body and its functions and
maintenance. The body works of colors.
REDS
build up the blood system.
YELLOWS
work on the kidneys, the urinary system,
the liver, etc.
SILVER
BLUES work on the central nervous system.
GREENS
work on the minor, lighter nervous system.
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GATHERING,
DRYING AND STORING
To
the Indians herbs were gifts from the
Great Spirit, which they are. They are
very, very respectful of them, spiritually
as well as in relation to their physical
properties. When they go to gather,
they go to the place where the herbs
are and give an offering of tobacco.
Generally, more tobacco is used for
this than for anything else. A little
is used occasionally on diseases of
cattle and horses, and once in awhile
on human beings, and they smoke a little
of it now and then. But basically it
is used ceremonially.
They
take the tobacco out to where the herbs
are growing, kneel down on the ground,
assume their prayer position with their
arms upraised and spread, and pray to
the Great Spirit to be sure they are
picking the right herbs for the job
at hand. They ask the herb if they can
borrow (not take; this is quite important)
from the plant what is needed; that
they may use this herb for the benefit
of the brother or sister of this herb,
who is ill.
They
dig a little hole at the base of the
plant, put in the tobacco, and cover
it up. Then they gather the herb. When
they are through, they kneel or sit
down again and give thanks to the Great
Spirit and to the herb for the use of
the herb, to be used for the healing
of the ill, promising the herb and the
Great Spirit the herb will be used for
this purpose and this purpose only,
and that they will help the herb in
any way they can in compensation for
the herb helping them. They go through
this ceremony each and every time they
gather herbs. If you will gather your
herbs this way, you will be amazed at
how much more strength the herbs have
than if you just walked out and picked
them. And this has been proven scientifically
and chemically.
The
herbs respond to the stimulation of
the energy current.
Herb
gathering is a year 'round process.
This is necessary to get your various
herbs at their peak. It's well worth
the effort.
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BLOSSOMS
Pick
at the point of blossoming, not full
bloom.
The
petals are taken and immediately the
flowers are turned upsidedown and
laid on a rack. Allow them to dry for
a day or two in this position. They
can be laid thickly but not stacked,
or they can mildew. Don't pull the petals
off right away. The properties have
not finished rising into the petals.
The plant can react to the shock of
being picked and withdraw its properties.
Give them that day or two to equalize.
Then
separate the petals from the greenery.
Dry them in a light place under a tree,
in a garage with windows. When they
feel dry, they will finish curing in
a paper bag. Do not dry them in the
full sun. This pulls an awful lot out
of them. The only thing you can dry
in the sun is roots.
The
exception to this rule is Yucca flowers.
Pick them when they've formed a full
cup and have not turned loose. Once
they open up you start losing a lot
of the enzymes at the base of the petal.
Those candles want to be picked when
they're still folded together and have
not started to open, to flower out.
You have to lay these on their sides
because they will not turn upsidedown
for you.
Petals
should be stored, after they are completely
dry, on paper is important with petals.
They have an essence, a fragrance. Glass
is the only thing dense enough to maintain
this. Even crocks won't hold it all.
Corked in bottles, the loss is pretty
heavy. If you have to use cork, saturate
it with hot paraffin.
Petals
and blossoms have a storage life, if
picked and dried without being crushed,
of about 2 years. If crushed, about
1 year, if powdered, less than 30 days.
Grind
by hand or hand rub. Do not put through
machines. Blossoms do not like machines.
They are delicate, beautiful, spiritual
things. A crystal metate is great to
grind them.
Petals
make the most flavorful drinks or addition
to familiar drinks. When using petals
as a flavoring in other teas, use about
1/4 tsp. per cup of other tea, or use
1 tsp. when using alone. Do not boil.
Pour water over and steep.
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LEAVES
The
leaf that you're picking wants to be
last year's leaf. Leaves are picked
in spring, at maturity. When they're
soft and limber, they have very little
to offer. As they stiffen, they become
ready to pick. Pick the tips off, the
new growth. These can be used as a fresh
tea, a poultice or discarded. The ones
you store will be the leaves just after
these, last years, with the exception
of annuals of course. Then you take
the leaf that was produced that year,
naturally.
Pick
leaves when they're fully developed
and stiff. The closer you can get to
that point, the more potent your herbs
will be. As soon as a leaf is fully
mature and stiff, then it starts its
processing work of photosynthesis and
from this point on starts wearing down.
As soon as the leaf starts losing any
color, it has nothing left to offer.
Leaves
from perennials do not work medicinally
the first year they form and grow. It's
the 2nd year they are used medicinally.
The
ideal way to dry leaves is to hang them
upside down in clusters about as big
around as you can hold in your hand.
When they start falling off, store them
in a bag.
When
you strip the leaves off, you're showing
disrespect, and you do not get the full
amount of qualities that are in the
short stems that will go into the leaf
if they are cured together. The sap
is always running up into the leaf.
The stems will become dry and dead while
the leaves still have the life force.
In
picking herbs, use the least amount
of equipment you can.
On
some plants you have to pick individual
leaves. On Poplars and especially Cottonwoods
you can actually pick the leaf itself
because there is a stem that comes up
to it.
Working
with large quantities of plants such
as alfalfa, picking by machine is by
far the most economical. But commercially,
in mass quantities, they didn't get
quite the results they wanted. Now they
have gone through and reworked their
mowers so that the plant is cut on an
upward slant and falls onto canvas carriers.
They cut the soft tops, then they cut
the next 4" giving them their prime
cut, then they cut it down and let it
start over, selling the last cut as
hay. They found that by stopping the
beater from beating it into the scythes,
the quality improved a great deal. After
the cut they handle it pretty well.
If you had to cut ten tons by hand,
well, that would be a pretty big job.
But even those in the commercial field
who are there to make money recognize
the difference a little respect to the
plant shows.
Leaves
aren't quite as fussy as petals. They
can be stored in crock jars, in good
plastics (Tupperware, for example),
as long as the moisture content is way
down. Glass is the best except for buckskin,
or white deerskin.
Shelf
life of whole leaf, especially dried
properly, is approximately 3 years,
stored in glass at full potency. Coarse
cut is 2 years, powdered is 68
months. You can tell when herbs are
losing their potency when the colors
start to fade, and they begin to taste
like straw. Their fragrance deteriorates.
Properly cured, dried and stored, Parsley
is as bright a green as it is in the
garden.
All
leaf should be picked before flowers
start forming. Then the plant's energy
is going into producing flowers.
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ROOTS
The
ideal time to gather is after the leaf
has fallen and all the sap has returned
to the root. You can tell when the sap
has dropped in Evergreens by noticing
the lack of luster in the needle.
The
ideal size root is from l 4"
in diameter. For gathering barks of
roots, 2 4" in diameter is
best, then peel bark.
When
cutting roots, take every other root,
cut with pruning shears and seal the
root with tree seal. This sealing prevents
shock and rot. The tree will grow better
having been rootpruned.
You
can use paint, tar or pitch (which comes
from trees) to prevent moisture from
coming out of the cuts. Commercial tree
sealer is good, too. Clay, made into
a paste, will work as a sealer for roots.
Fill the dirt back in, but don't stomp
it. The elements will settle it back
in time.
With
plants you use the whole root from,
there is no worry about sealing.
Do
not wash roots when they are picked.
Shake the heavy dirt off, lay them out,
preferably in the full sun, for a day
on each side. This dries up dirt and
mud and allows the root to build an
outside seal. You can tap the dirt off
or scrape lightly with your hand. Then
you can wash them if needed. Tie them
up into bundles about the size you can
reach around with both hands. Hang and
let dry fully. They can take 68
months to dry completely.
Good
air circulation is important with leaves
for drying, but not as important with
roots. Mildew will not bother roots
a bit. As they dry, the mildew will
dry and go away. Often the mold on some
roots is about 4045% penicillin.
Save it in a sealed glass jar. Use as
an antibiotic, 1 tsp. every 4 hours.
All mold on herb and tree roots contains
penicillin.
If
the mold is black (the only bad color)
dump the whole plant. The only time
you will get a black mold is from insecticides
(DDT, malathion, the PHT's), or from
pasteurized, homogenized milk.
Most
roots will hold full potency for 8 or
9 years.
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SEEDS
Seeds
should be picked when they rattle within
their container, dried on the plant.
But dandelions must be picked before
they blow. Store them in a bag and let
them pop in there.
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BARK
Chip
away outer bark, a strip about 4"
wide and 8 l0" long. Make
two vertical cuts, holding your knife
at a 45 degree angle, so that the wider
part of the bark to be peeled is on
the outside of the tree.
At
the top and bottom, make your cuts straight
into the tree. Insert the knife at the
top and pull the flap down.
The
bark strip will peel off at cambrium.
Seal
with mud and cambrium will continue
running sap. NEVER go all the way around,
you'll kill the tree. With willows you
need only seal the edges. They grow
so fast, too much mud has an undesired
drawing effect. Tamarack is so strong
you can peel off the bark nearly halfway
around the tree and it won't even wilt,
it'll just send its sap around the other
side of the tree.
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