Reasons Herbs May Not Work

Reasons Herbs May Not Work

It breaks my heart when I see people give up on herbs too easily.

More and more people are turning to herbs because there is a growing disappointment with using pharmaceuticals for chronic illness.

Many people are getting fed up with taking a pill that never really cures their illness and gives them awful side effects. Maybe they are concerned about acetaminophen giving their young child asthma (1) or they see the growing evidence about the risks associated with statins (2) and they say enough is enough!

From this moment forward they vow to never resort to drugs again and instead try a more natural and holistic approach thus leading them to the world of herbs and herbalism.

But sometimes their love affair with herbalism is stopped short.

They reach for the closest herb book, try a few remedies and then declare that the herbs don’t work! They tried using horehound for coughing with no relief. They tried meadowsweet for their headache to no avail.

They begin to wonder, “Are herbalists a bunch of delusional wood fairies touting the miracles of something that never works?”

As much as I would love to be considered a wood fairy, I’ll have to say no, this is not the case. I’ve seen herbs work hundreds of times. I’ve seen them work for serious infections as well as serious chronic diseases. I’ve seen them work when modern medicine failed.

Yes, herbs work!

I want to share a handful of reasons why herbs might not work in a given situation.

1. Improper dosing (either too little or too much)

When buying over the counter drugs like NyQuil or Tylenol, they come in a package that is clearly marked with the dosage instructions. Generally these are very simple instructions. “Adults take 2 tablets, three times daily.”

Herbs don’t always come with directions. If you buy bulk herbs the dosing instructions are absent entirely. If you buy a tincture or a bottle of capsules the dosage listed on the bottle has most likely been chosen by the FDA’s labeling mandates and not by an herbalist.  

I am not going to lie to you. Dosage in the herbal world is confusing.

In herbalism dosage varies from person to person, from plant to plant and from preparation to preparation.

A 15 minute infusion of a teaspoon of nettle leaf will not extract the same vitamins and minerals as a four-hour infusion of an ounce of nettle leaf in a quart of water.

A few drops of lobelia tincture can promote relaxation. A strong cup of lobelia tea could make you vomit.

One way I commonly see dosages being flubbed in herbalism is people using small amounts of tonic/adaptogen herbs in tincture, versus the traditional use of large amount of tonic/adaptogen herbs as decoctions or powders. (As always go with what works, but if you aren’t getting the results you’d expect after taking 5 drops of ashwanganda tincture twice a day, consider your dose!)

Frequency of dosing can also be an issue. During acute illnesses we generally use slightly smaller amounts but with more frequency. I may take elderberry elixir 1-2 times each hour at the onset of an illness for example. General recommendations are to take herbs 3 times a day, but that won’t cut it for acute illness.

2. Low quality plant material

Herbs often don’t come with an expiration date. Quality can also vary significantly and will suffer greatly if the herbs have been improperly harvested or improperly processed.

Plants decay. They simply go bad. The rate at which they do this varies significantly from plant to plant. If you’ve just pulled a bag of herbs from your back shelf and had to blow off an inch of dust… well, they are probably not at their prime.

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I don’t really know what people generally call this method of sigil making, so I’m just calling it “Letter Shaping” because you’re using the basic shapes from certain letters. This is the most common form of sigil making, and it allows the most creative influence. As you see above the sigils are for nearly the same thing, yet the sigils came out completely different. Not because the purpose was different, but because I approached them both a different creative way, and that’s what I like so much about this method. There’s a lot of freedom and personalization involved.

(UPDATE: Here’s a link to a guide on how to deconstruct letters down to basic shapes)

I’ve been messing with the concept of suburban surrealism.  Tryin new colors, techniques, and shapes 

❣ Hair Magick ❣

Red - Courage, Power, Self-Esteem, Leadership.

Pink - Self-Love, Friendship, Calming, Romance, Passion, Physical Energy, Compassion.

Orange - Happiness, Kindness, Strength, Opportunities, Mental Alertness.

Blond/e - Healing, Creativity, Prosperity, Humility, Intellect, Beauty.

Green - Trust, Healing, Wellness, Transformation, Money, Employment, Fertility, Luck, The Arts.

Blue - Wisdom, Joy, Truth, Loyalty, Fidelity, Self-Improvement.

Purple - Clairvoyance, Spiritual Protection, Justice, Forgiveness, Memory, Ambition, Progress.

White - Safety, Protection, Enlightenment, Freedom, Health.

Black - Divination, Rebirth, Patience, Binding, Stability.

Brunet/te - Security, Generosity, Grounding, Decision Making, Concentration.

Gray - Lunar Magick, Meditation, Success, Balance.

Hair is often considered very important in witchcraft. Hair is said to hold memories and power and can be used in spells and rituals for a variety of outcomes. The way we style our hair can have different affects on our energy.

Straightened - Calmness, Gentleness, Peace.

Curled - Problem Solving, Knowledge, Strength.

Wavy - Inner Conflict Resolution, Privacy, Reflection.

Combination - Duality, Decision Making, Emotional Transition.

Bun - Intent, Concentration, Task Management.

Ponytail - Energy, Youthfulness.

Half Up - Ambition, Forward Motion, Healing, Acceptance.

Braided - Protection, Gracefulness, Patience.

French Braided - Self Admiration, Clarity, Inner Tranquility.

Long - Nostalgia, Contentment, Creativity, Whimsy.

Shoulder - Organization, Leadership, Focus, Ambition.

Short - Control, Self-Awareness,

Shaved - Rejuvenation, Resiliency.

Partially Shaved - Transformation, Transition, Accomplishment.

and me, being impudent enough to write this 

Hi, we're a new blog on tumblr and wondered if you have a list of recommended/favourite blogs that we could check out? Thank you

I don’t have a masterlist, but here are my favorites!

@orriculum @persephoneandthepomegranates @witchymoonbitch @stonesandsigils @witchy-woman @wonderfulwicca @maddiviner @closet-earth-witch @cosmic-witch @theouijagirl @cunningcelt @magic-for-the-masses @diaryofababywitch

And check out @witch-yellowpages for tons of other witches! :)