Marigold Tea (part 1 - Theory)

Photo Credit

So this week, we planted several marigolds in the yard. I had heard they were good for keeping bugs at bay. I wanted to know a bit more, so today I did some research and found out that marigolds are also used to make tea.

Marigold tea is supposed to be excellent for cleansing and detoxing the body, as well as helping womens menstrual cycles regulate. This is also the tea to drink after surgery as it can be used as an anti-inflammatory and gives a boost to the immune system.


To make Marigold tea you need to:

-Harvest the flowers that have bloomed.
-Clean them by soaking them in hot water for at least 10 minutes.
-Dry them on a drying rack, or in the microwave. (Personally, I dry most things in the car on a paper bag, during a really hot day)

Once the flowers are dried you can make it like any other tea.

-Put 1 teaspoon of the dried flower per cup of tea.
-Put the tea in a metal tea ball.
-Steep in a cup of boiling hot water.


Magically marigolds are often associated with the fae.  On Beltane, it is said that to spray yourself over the eyes with marigold will give you the ability to see the fae and other magical creatures. For this reason it may be a good tea to drink when attempting to contact the other world, past the veil. Or perhaps you could leave it as an offering in your fairy garden?

It is also associated with prophecy, or clairvoyance so you could also try drinking it before bed, to help promote prophetic dreams. For some added oomph, you could even add a little squeeze of an orange, or lemon or even a dried rose petal.


Now I haven't tried this yet, and so I can't attest to its flavor. I plan to this weekend though. I will let you know in part two!

Herbs. A-Z

To help me learn and explore this newfound path each week I will find one herb, research it and tell about it here. I will discuss both magical and mundane uses.
I will start with A which might stand for Alfalfa, or Angelica.
Next week will be B and it will go on from there.
Feel free to join in.

A

Alfalfa - Alfalfa is also known as Buffalo herb,  Lucerne, Purple Medic, Chilean clover.

Image Found Here.

Element: Earth
Gender : Female
Planet: Venus

It is high in protein, fiber and contains B vitamins, beta carotene, vitamins C, E and K.
The reason the alfalfa plants are so rich in nutrients is because the roots grow so deep in the ground, they can grow as far as 20feet or more into the ground.

Alfalfa became popular centuries ago. And was used in many folk remedies. Today it is often used when cooking and is also a a popular health tonic used to help lower cholesteral. As well as helping to treat menopause symptoms, diabetes, and arthritis. It has also been shown to protect against certain cancers, such as breast, and prostate. The Chinese have been using it since the 6th century to help with fluid retention and swelling, as well as kidney stones.  Used as a tea, Alfala can be extreamly calming, and soothing to nerve pain and helpful in particularly stressful situations. It has been known to aide in restoring mental alertness, and improving sleep.


Magically Alfalfa has been known to draw in good fourtune especially pertaining to money matters. Alfalfa keeps away financial troubles and poverty. Often times it is kept in pockets to attract money, especially when gambling. It also known to be sprinkled underneath carpets at businesses to bring in steady business.


With all of the information I found I could go on and on for pages, but this was a great start I think.


DISCLAIMER: I have no medical degrees, and am not a doctor. Consult a physician before ingesting somthing new that you are unfamiliar with. These are my personal findings only. I do not reccommend using them until you have consulted your physician.