#Cleanse liver and kidneys

[fitness-0]

Learn how to support your liver and kidneys naturally with simple lifestyle tips, detox-friendly foods, and herbal options. These easy strategies promote healthy organ function and overall well-being. Start your journey to feeling your best

[flowerflamestars]

Course Correct snippet

Feyre played for time, biting the already beginning to disintegrate cardboard straw in her iced matcha. Feyre didn’t like green tea. Had been known to proclaim on many immoderate occasions that it tasted like grass, mournful that pretty tea latte colors couldn’t be worked into her grid without waste.

“Lucien always likes the omelets,” Elain pointed out, sunny. Nesta could hear the leather toe of her flats taping the floor. “We could split one?”   Feyre shook her head, setting back down the undrunk tea. “I’m not eating animal products. No sugar, no carbs, no coffee, no nightshades, no seed oils.”   Nesta’s normally very healthy blood pressure skyrocketed in a way she could quite literally feel.   “Seed oils?”   An open handed gesture toward the matcha, slowly separating as the ice melted under bright California sunshine.   “I’m on a cleanse!” She hopped up, catching the strap of her heart-shaped purse from the back of her chair, “Just running to the bathroom. Can you order me the kale kiwi protein smoothie? Thanks!”   The dark surface of Nesta’s coffee held no answers, but she gazed into it anyway. Three inches of liquid was about enough for a human being to drown in, theoretically.   “Do you think,” Elain was laughing, hushed, horror needing a sheer output, “That she knows almond milk has almond oil in it?”   Nesta heaved a sigh, tilting back in her chair. “Do nuts count as seeds?”   Hibiscus, darkly red and dreamy violet blue provided cover for the tables, trellis arched into a whole porch overhead. Feyre’s favorite restaurant, all day brunch. Feyre’s favorite foods. For her birthday eight months before, she’d eaten a waffle made out of bacon. “Maybe she’s pivoting into wellness content?” Elain asked, hysteria reeled in.

[surinderbhalla]

Do Cleanses and Detoxes Work? Scientific Insights and Real-Life Stories

Embarking on a journey towards better health often leads many to consider cleanses and detoxes. The idea of purging toxins from our bodies is alluring, promising a fresh start and improved well-being. Let’s delve into this topic: Do Cleanses and Detoxes Work? Scientific Insights and Real-Life Stories and expert insights to uncover the truth behind these popular health regimens. Do Cleanses and…

[aboveways]

A Guide to Fasting, Detoxification, Natural Healing and a Mountain Moving Life

[barleylifeandredrush]

Release Herbal Release!

Why internally release a combination of cleansing herbs by taking Herbal Release? Because your body can always benefit from plant-based-power cleaning. The task of removing toxins and waste from the body is an ongoing process. A number of body systems that include organs such as the liver, kidneys and colon are continuously involved in getting rid of the stuff that isn’t good for your body. Any…

[letters-to-lgbt-kids]

My dear lgbt+ kids, 

When it comes to healthcare, you’ll occasionally encounter things presented as an opinion or as something up for debate - when there’s actually clear scientific facts on those topics. 

You can probably think of some general examples off the top of your head, like: 

Vaccines (They save lives. In fact, they are one of the most effective tools for reducing mortality rates worldwide) 

Pasteurized milk (Raw milk is not healthier than pasteurized milk, it’s actually unsafe. Pasteurization kills harmful bacteria which can cause severe illness) 

Fluoride (Water fluoridation is a safe and effective public health measure) 

Climate change (It exists and directly impacts respiratory and cardiovascular health)

“Detox” (The liver and kidneys detox your body naturally; detox teas, juice cleanses etc. are unnecessary) 

Cancer (Cancer isn’t just one disease, it’s an umbrella term for many different diseases and that’s why it’s very, very difficult, if not impossible, to just find the one simple fix to end cancer forever) 

Sugar substitutes (They have been extensively studied and are safe for consumption within recommended limits) 

There’s a lot of misinformation out there and it often thrives because it plays on fears (such as the natural fear of illness, dangerous substances and life-threatening side effects). Nobody wants to willingly put themselves or their loved ones into danger - but this absolutely natural desire for protection can be exploited. 

Some common tactics for that are: 

relying on personal anecdotes (emotional stories often feel more reliable or trustworthy than cold, hard data, even though they aren’t) 

appealing to those who distrust authority (the suggestion that governments/scientists/corporations/“they” are conspiring against you feels trustworthy if it seemingly “confirms” fears you already had) 

misusing scientific terminology (Complex-sounding terms can make something appear credible and well-researched, even if these terms are used completely incorrectly) 

giving quick, easy answers or fixes to complex problems (health is a complicated, multifaceted topic and there’s oftentimes no easy-cut answer to why a certain person gets sick or if a now-healthy person will still be as healthy in 10 years. This unpredictability can feel scary, and oversimplified answers can offer comfort) 

While health myths impact anyone, they disproportionately affect marginalized groups - for example chronically ill or disabled people but also our community.  

That’s because health myths (or outright health lies) can perpetuate stigma and create barriers to accessing evidence-based care. 

Myths specifically targeting queer health often follow the same patterns we talked about above. Let's take a closer look at some common topics and break down the facts behind them: 

Pedophilia (There is no evidence linking sexual orientation or gender identity to pedophilia or predatory behavior. This myth is rooted in bigotry and perpetuates harmful stereotypes) 

HIV/AIDS (it’s not “the gay disease” or even a “punishment for being gay”. It’s a virus that can affect people of all genders and sexual orientations) 

Regret rates (Regret rates for gender-affirming care are very low, even lower than for getting a new hip or a tattoo.) 

Regret rates, 2.0 (“Regret” does not automatically translate to “they were wrong about being trans”. A trans person could regret medical decisions for a multitude of reasons (even external factors like a lack of social support or experience of harassment) and still continue to identify as trans) 

Mental illness (The higher rate of mental health issues in queer people is caused by external factors like discrimination and social exclusion, not by the identity itself. Being queer is not a mental illness.) 

Conversion therapy (It doesn’t work. It also causes severe psychological harm including an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and suicide) 

Treating these myths as not “only” homophobia and transphobia but also as health misinformation may feel nitpicky, but I think it’s important. If we don’t, it’s easy to dismiss them as merely a matter of “not accidentally saying something offensive” - but there’s more at stake than hurt feelings. Health misinformation can prevent people from getting the medical care they need and put their lives at risk. And that applies to “Trans people often regret their surgeries” as much as it does to “Covid vaccines are dangerous”. 

So, look out for those typical patterns and warning signs - not only in the general “health and wellness” area but also in discussions about queer issues. 

With all my love, 

Your Tumblr Dad 

[i-will-be-skinny-by-2025]

Fasting Facts:

-Water fasting cleanses the body, as the stored food (fat) is used rapidly and the body simultaneously expels built up toxins.

-If you are fasting for weight loss (um, yeah!!) and are following a juice or tea fast, a few days on just water will intensify the fast.

-Fasting can clear the skin and whiten the eyes and initiates rapid weight loss (yay!).

-Water fasting is not recommend for a first fast as toxins are released into the blood very quickly.

-Fasting makes it easy to overcome bad habits and addictions.

-Fasting allows you to have taste appreciation for clean, natural foods.

-Going on a fast can give you the motivation and the enthusiasm you need to make a fresh start! (And we all need a fresh start from time to time.)

Fasting Info:

-Distilled water is best for water fasting.

-Juice made w/fresh, organic fruits is best for juice fasting.

-Do not drink orange or tomato juice on a fast.

-You can dilute your pure juices w/water.

-Green juices made from leafy green veggies in a juicer are great for detoxifying.

-Pure veggie broths are good (with no seasons added).

-Herbal teas and honey can aid in fasting.

-Typical fasts (going totally w/out any solid foods) usually are performed as 3 day, 7 day, 10 day, 14 day or 21 day increments. 28+ days should be supervised. (Or at least the person fasting should let someone know they are doing it.)

-Break a fast by eating raw fruits and veggies the first five-seven days after your fast. Go back to solids slowly.

-Do not binge or overeat after the fast (or during!). Try to discover the amount of food your body really needs.

-Meditate, go for a walk, take lots of naps, journal, listen to music, take long, warm bathes and relax. This is your time for healing, losing weight and gaining self-control!

More fasting tips:

-Many people experience nausea and headaches during fasting and this is often caused by caffeine withdrawal (and we all love our caffeine here) so I recommend, if possible, if you are a heavy soda or coffee drinker start tapering off about a week before the start of your fast. This should do the trick and make it a little easier and your headaches won't be so painful.

-After your fast, when you start to eat normally try very hard not to gorge. The calories you take in directly after your fast will stay with you a lot longer than those acquired when your metabolism is up. Also, you could experience pain and become very ill.

-Don't eat a big meal the night before your fast and never end your fast with heavy foods. Keep it light w/raw or lightly steamed veggies and fruits.

-Dry skin brushing helps your skin to breathe easier and can help eliminate uric acid and other poisons from your system, taking the strain off your kidneys and liver. Start at the feet and stroke your skin towards the heart. Do these before you shower.

-Epson Salt baths are soothing to sore-achy, weak muscles and also help eliminate toxins through the skin. Warm Epson Salt baths are great during fasts.

-There are many types of fasts, here is another: The milk and fruit fast: 3x a day, a glass of milk, raw fruit and water in between.

Some more tips during your fast:

-Try to get plenty of sleep. And if you can't stand your stomach growling the first few days, and are tired of downing the H20, take a nap... listen to some soothing music and drift off.

-Get a massage. If you can afford it, or have your partner or a close friend give you a good rub down or deep tissue massage. This really soothes muscles and makes you calm and sleepy. It helps when you're having trouble sleeping due to hunger during your fast. Plus, it awakens your body, pushes the blood around, etc.

-You may feel weak during your fast so if this is the case, be careful of black outs and don't exercise until you've finished the fast... Stick to stretching, light walking and deep breathing.

-If you suffer from diabetes, hypoglycemia or other similar conditions, please be very, very careful fasting. I'd say don't fast at all but if you feel you can do it safely, you may need a slice of avocado or a banana... You could also add protein powder to your juices.

-Sometimes during a fast, the person will experience back pain. If so, a cold pack will help.

-Canker sores can be healed quicker by dabbing tea tree oil or vitamin E on it.

-If you are just too tired on your water fast, go to a juice fast and if you are already juicing, drink more carrot and melon juices for energy.

Water fasts are always the hardest but fastest for weight loss and detox.

Juice fast is next best and somewhat easier, especially for first time fasters.

You'll lose pounds faster if you have a fast metabolism and slower if you have a slower metabolism. On average, fasts allow you to lose 1-2 lbs per day. Some experience more around 3-5 lbs per day. You'll lose the most and the quickest during the beginning of your fast.

[chips1977]

So far this year I have cleansed my:

Kidneys

Gallbladder

Livers

Blood

Upper colon

Bile duckts

Perineum

Heart

Marrow

Sinuses

Frontal lobe

The back lobes

Pancreas

Seminiferous tubules

Corneas

Toe nails

Sweat glangs

Capillaries

Ear drumbs

Blood again

My candida colony

Uterus

Pineal gland

Tongue

And my tonsils

[witch-of-the-creek]

How to rid your body of toxins:

Have a liver. If there is a “toxin” that your liver and or kidneys don’t filter out and dispel, consult a medical professional who has spent over a decade studying bodily functions.

Don’t:

Put some random possibly harmful plant in your body because someone on tiktok said it cleanses your liver of “toxins”

[auroraa4]

Imagine how your body detoxifies from everything ultra-processed, sugar, oil, saturated and carcinogenic fats.

As you, the blood, liver, kidneys, veins, brain, heart, lungs and intestines regenerate, cleanse and heal.

Imagine the change that your body would give by giving it the vitamins and minerals it needs to consume, the energy it would receive... The water cleaning every part of the body dirty from what you consumed before.

you still have time.

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Does yves like piss and shit like the rest of us mortals

tw: piss n shit n puke, like ewww stuff

Yes, he does (or did)! But it's very different compared to a normal person's bodily function. As he fully controls his digestion, which includes the contractions of his gastrointestinal tract, the secretion of his digestive enzymes, and even the gut fermentation process, Yves can simply choose when to excrete.

But because he eats very little (See the series: Best and Worst of Both Worlds) and has such impossible biology, Yves usually chooses to completely break down his food down to the simplest of molecules and absorb everything. Leaving no faeces to expel. Sometimes when he has to consume deadly toxins or large amounts of food, he can choose not to absorb it into his body. Yves can either choose to vomit it out or instantly induce gastric emptying and shoot them through his intestines in a split second, but he usually chooses the former.

When it comes to urinating, it's not automatic. His blood wouldn't necessarily even get filtered through his kidneys unless necessary. That's why his bladder is almost always empty. He only produces urine if he detects that his blood pressure is getting a bit too high as his metabolic processes produce quite a lot of water.

He doesn't need to remove urea or other metabolic wastes, because his liver is efficient enough to utilize them. All of them. Making Yves this eldritch being in the medical community.

But, if he is poisoned or infected, he can use these methods to quickly cleanse his body before any symptoms show up.

Yves actually does not need food or water to survive with a body as efficient as his, but it lets him live a lot more comfortably. He has the illogical ability to reabsorb water from urine that's already stored in his bladder. Whatever he burns while exerting himself never escapes his body. It just gets converted back into substances he could use to sustain his life.

Everything in his body can be recycled within himself, but he will definitely look worse for wear as doing this maneuver causes him a great deal of stress. Mentally and physically.

So he does shit and piss. But he doesn't have to. Yves does it to make it easier for himself and allow himself to enjoy life better. To fit in with the rest.

But his freakish self-sufficiency comes in handy at various times.

[fitness-0]

Natural Detox Methods for a Healthier Liver and Kidneys

 Learn about natural ways to detox your liver and kidneys with simple home remedies like lemon water, dandelion root tea, and garlic. Incorporate kidney-friendly foods such as berries and leafy greens into your diet, stay properly hydrated, and cut back on processed foods. These natural ways to detox the liver and kidneys help promote toxin elimination, improve digestion, and enhance overall wellness. Start your path to a healthier, toxin-free body today.

[theblackdahliaemporium]

Dandelion

Lat. Taraxacum officinale

─━━━━━━⊱༻🦋༺⊰━━━━━━─

Dandelions belong to the composites and their ordinary species of plants. You can spot them in Asia, Europe, as well as in North America. This plant can grow up to 40cm in height, its leaves are toothed and grow directly from the ground in a circular way. Their bright yellow, round blossoms, which are formed by many thin petals, make them easy to identify. Another distinctive feature are their hollow stems, filled with a milky substance.

As soon as the blossoms vanish, on their position appear their well-known seeds with their white parachutes – which get blown away for all kinds of wishes. The seeds can be easily carried away by even soft wind and that’s how dandelions spread their seeds, that’s why they’re also named “blowballs”.

As soon as you spot the first dandelions on meadows or even roadsides, we can be sure that the winter is mostly over at this point.

This plant does prefer the direct sunlight – and they grow in every place and are very frugal.

It’s best to harvest their leaves right away – after just a short time they produce bitter substances. They’re also best used fresh, since they’re not ideal to store over time. For their blossoms you better wait until they’ve fully opened up to pick. Remove the green parts on them, to use them in salads, vinegar, tea or even to refine wines.

Dandelion roots can be harvested too, best during autumn, as soon as it is rich in starch. But if you like it a bit sweeter, spring time would provide a harvest of the roots. So it’s a good time between September and February to dig the roots up. The best way to dry them is to cut them in small pieces and let them dry in a well aired and dry place. Later on they can be stored in containers in dark, cool places and can be used till up to a year.

In addition dandelion can be enjoyed raw and cooked. The blossoms go well in soups and broths, the root can be used grounded in coffees as well as in salads. Even in beer the dandelion can be used, as a refiner etc. – as you can see, this plant is very versatile.

Among botanicals it is known as the blowball.

Caution

Even though dandelions are widely spread and well-known, there is still a chance of danger of confusions with other plants! Dandelions do not have their leaves on the stems, stems got no hair and is hallow with a milky liquid inside. Per stem are only one blossom at time! Please consider all this facts and do not eat any plants without identifying them to 100%. Never forget: In case of sickness, you should always consult a doctor. Please don’t try to treat a sickness with the effects of any plant without the advice of a doctor.

─━━━━━━⊱༻🦋༺⊰━━━━━━─

╔.🦋. .═════════════╗

correspondences

╚═════════════.🦋. .╝

- masculine

- Sagittarius, Pisces

- Jupiter, Sun

- Air

- Hekate, Brigid, Medusa, Belenos/Belenus/Apollo(n), Ra

╔.🦋. .═════════════╗

healing properties

╚═════════════.🦋. .╝

- against urinary problems as well as liver & kidney diseases

- detoxifying

- aids stomach ache and flatulences

- clears the skin and it’s milky substance erases warts

╔.🦋. .═════════════╗

magical properties

╚═════════════.🦋. .╝

- wishes

- increases psychic abilities, braveness and self-confidence

- supports spirit summonings

- sun magic

- positivity, cleansing, banishing

- furthers creativity & motivation and solvents blockages

- hope, new beginnings

- kitchen magic

- can be used to deliver messages (including the underworld as well as other realms)

- love magic

Like so many other plants that are assigned to the sun, but are also yellow, dandelions brings in a huge amount of joy and happiness into life. At the same time it motivates and is ideal to use for creativity and motivation spell jars.

Its positive vibes can be also used for any kind of incenses and smoke cleansing.

Since dandelions have a wide variety of usage in the kitchen, there are naturally tons of ways to bring in your wanted intentions while cooking. Above you already got some ideas how to use dandelion in meals, but let your creativity spark! Dandelions can also be used in pastries, as glaze or toppings. The sky is the limit!

As the lion is already part of the name, the lions spends you enough strength and bravery to overcome the obstacles in life.

Not to forget the simplest way to integrate the dandelion into magic: As blowball that makes your wishes come true! We all are familiar with this kind of magic, since we grew up with this. Many adults still believe in this magic, that’s why it gets passed on from generation to generation. It’s the same principle as with shooting stars, lashes and birthday candles.

In love, it also has its input – when creamed in with it’s milky juice, the lovers become even more desirable in the eyes of their partners.

─━━━━━━⊱༻🦋༺⊰━━━━━━─

[fanarchoslashivist]

“Do you remember what my favorite food is?”

"ChocolaTE?" Jack’s voice cracked as he tried to concentrate on something other than Aster’s warm breath against his cheek.

"That's right. I love it, I love the taste, I love the texture, I love the range of flavors you can make, I love the entire difficult process it takes to create it, from drying the beans to tempering, but my very favorite chocolate is a very special one I make only for myself. It's bitter, too bitter for a human palette, worse than the darkest baking chocolate you could imagine, but for a Pooka like me it's just perfect. You see, it's not just the theobromine in chocolate that we like, but a specific concentration of procyanidins that give it that special bitter flavor. Unfortunately it's bad for us, or good, it's hard to really describe what happens to a Pooka's body when we eat it.”

Aster nosed under Jack’s ear, breathing loudly for the sole purpose of making Jack shudder from the sound. “You see Pooka don't have a liver or kidneys the way you humans do, like how some foods are poisonous to dogs and cats because their body can't process it, we Pooka though, we have a different way to cleanse our system of things that could hurt us.'' The Ps in his voice were unfair, the way Aster’s lips and breath would brush against his skin with every ‘pooka’. “Our body converts everything we consume into fat, it's the best way to store energy, and we can go a very long time between eating because daily meals don't affect us at all. Our body only uses energy after it is stored, it's actually very dangerous for a Pooka to lose too much body fat because a meal would take too long to be turned into the energy our organs need you see. Drawbacks of being shapeshifters.

“So when we started practicing magic we ended up being very good at it, because magic is just energy. Other races didn't have the body mass to use their own energy, so they took it from the air around them, the way you survive off eating all the energy around you leaving only ice behind. There is so much of your body's energy being used just to exist, even digestion requires energy, but Pooka are made to store energy for our long fasting years back when we evolved, so in a time of such abundance as the Golden Age our bodies were uniquely able to convert all that fat directly into magic, amazing right?”

Jack nodded, swallowing. He didn’t think he was supposed to answer, but he also really didn’t want to do anything that would make the warm body against his leave.

“Except that converting energy into magic is very taxing, while Pooka have the best range in terms of endurance, we can only ever use our magic at a rate our bodies can convert fat into energy, so casting truly powerful magic is difficult if you are on your own.

“But imagine you had something that was so poisonous to your species, in a form that metabolized too quickly, that eating it would force your body to burn all the fat stores not immediately necessary to live as fast as possible to expel it. Like your body was forcing you to throw up something foul to get it out of you, but it was already in your bloodstream as soon as you ate it, and the only way to get it out was to burn all the blood up out of your veins and start from scratch.”

Aster pulled back then, just far enough to look Jack in the eye, hold his gaze as he explained it. “Thats chocolate to a Pooka, it forces our bodies to burn energy as fast as possible, letting us access magic on levels we could never dream, it's a powerful and painful process, your whole body burning with it, it's addicting, its poison, and it's my very favorite flavor in the whole universe.” His green eyes glowed like a fresh patch of meadow grass sprouting in a snowy field. A hunter’s trap.���Now tell me Jack, why you think I, who works every day with my very favorite thing, the thing I want more than everything else but can't ever have, for thousands of years, why you think I wouldn't have the level of self control needed to keep my hands to myself around the person I like?”

Jack bit his lip, unable to offer any excuse, and Aster’s smile pulled deep to one side in disappointment, more a wince than a smirk.

“You were very cute, trying to flirt with me. I'll be honest and say I was happy you showed interest this soon, I thought I would have to wait at least twenty years before I started to seduce you. I wanted to take things slow with you, considering your experience so far, but I'm not such a good guy that I wouldn't be happy to skip a few steps in the healing process; we could work on it later after all.”

“Then why?”

“Because you made me mad.”

His smile fell fully away now as he stared Jack down. “You treated me like I was someone who would take from you Jack, like I was some predator that would be lured away by a bird if it drug its wing and limped on the ground. It was insulting. Do you know what healthy people do when they figure out they like someone, Frostbite? When they realize that maybe that person likes them back?”

“They date?”

“They talk.'' Aster said flatly. “They talk to each other about their feelings, or their attraction if they don't have feelings, but they make it known that they are interested in each other and they communicate their needs. Maybe it's poor communication, maybe one of them wants something the other can’t give, maybe they give a little more than they should and hurt themselves, but what they don't do, if they have any respect for the other person, is set themselves to be taken advantage of.”

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, trying not to let the insult rile him up again. He didn’t want this to be a one sided lecture, but he wasn’t going to swallow down his hurt. “Did you ever wonder how it would make me feel?” He asked, searching Jack’s surprised face. Did you consider my perspective at all? When you realized I wanted you and set up that little show of touching yourself where I could hear, calling my name, acting like if you were just tempting enough I would attack you and damn the consequences?” Jack’s guilty look told him he hadn’t. “Some of us have more respect than that.”

“I’m sorry,” Jack said softly, meeting his eyes again, and Aster knew he was, knew that if he laid it all out to Jack, his history, his insecurities, Jack would understand, and probably feel even worse. The problem was that this wasn’t the time for that, or the direction he wanted this to go.

Jack had wanted this to lead in a specific direction, and he wasn’t opposed to that, he just wanted to make absolutely certain Jack knew what he was getting himself into; and also punish him a bit. No less than what Aster had gone through that night laying in bed hearing Jack whimper his name through the walls.

“The problem, Jack, is that you got so used to not getting what you ask for you've decided to stop asking, you've given up, and now you expect people to take what they want from you regardless of if you get hurt.” That angered him more than trying to use him did. That Jack’s first instinct was to expect his consent to be inconsequential, that he considered Aster as someone who would violate it. It burned in his gut like acid. “I won't accept that. If all you want is to have some fun, enjoy a mutual attraction, with none of the emotional attachment then fine, I can give you that for a while, I can appreciate your usual affection regardless of if it's love or friendship, my people don't really have a distinction, culturally, between that.” He took Jack’s chin in one hand to force his sad, guilty eyes to face him head on. “But I at least will demand your respect. So no, I'm not going to meet you halfway in this, not right now. I'm not going to let you make me do all the hard work just because you want some wild animal sex, I'm a person, and if you want me to touch you then from here on out you have to ask me.”

Jack’s expression shifted, confused.

“If you want me to kiss you,” he ran the coarse pad of his thumb across Jack’s lips, “then you will have to use your words and ask for it,” Jack’s mouth parted as he drew in a shaky breath, pupils expanding under his stare. “Every little desire in your head is going to come out of your mouth and I will decide if I'm going to agree to it or not. Do you understand?” He demanded

“Yes.” Jack’s voice was like the whistle through his teeth.

“Good. Now, tell me.” Aster placed his hand back on the counter at Jack’s elbow, pressing him down with his weight again, “What do you want?”

“I…I...?” Jack's mind fumbled, his tongue suddenly heavy and awkward as he tried to think of what to say. What he was allowed to ask, in the face of his sin. "Could you kiss me?" His voice was very small in the request, awaiting rejection.

"I could," Aster said. "I'd very much like that, if you want it."

"I do, I want that." Jack felt like he was going to cry, afraid he would mess this up, mess everything up like he always did. “If you want it too.”

Bunny leaned down then in answer, he was so soft, the skin of his cleft lips thick and pliant against Jack's, the constant flexing of Aster's nose against Jack's cheek. It felt like he was pressing his face against a fuzzy gel filled heat pack. Everything tingled where it touched and he felt like he was being given the sweetest possible candy as consolation even though he had broken the crystal bowl in his attempt to steal it.

And then Bunny licked him.

He hadn't really known what he wanted in terms of a kiss, just that every time he looked at Bunny, could feel or smell his breath as they spoke, he wanted to lean forward and bite him; he didn't know what he expected to feel if he ever followed through with it, or what the urge to do it was being caused by, he just knew it was something he suddenly wanted to do, and then that battery on the tip of your tongue tingle would jolt through him and fill him with heat. Now it was like he was pressing down hard on a joke shop hand zapper.

He'd read in the books the line "battling for dominance" in regards to this type of kissing but he couldn't really see how that applied, even though he was sure Bunny was mad enough at him to make good use of that phrase, there just didn't feel like there was enough room for any kind of fight, there only seemed to be enough space to shift and slide around each other.

The texture of Bunny's tongue felt delightfully odd, he didn't exactly have any expectations, except that once he had wondered if it would feel scratchy like a cat's, or if it would feel like a human's, like his own. It wasn't smooth and alien, or particularly slimy feeling like he had worried when he spent time considering what kissing with tongue would feel like, all the little bumps of the human tongue that he had studied carefully in the mirror as he thought about what it felt like to feel another's in his mouth, but it felt a little different then the subtle roughness of his own.

Feeling it in his mouth, stroking against his, texture against texture, had the golden glow of adrenaline swimming through his veins, from his fingertips to his gut down to his toes.

"Hands," Aster said into his mouth and he had to blink his heavy eyes open like he was pulling himself from deep sleep. "I didn't say you could touch me."

Jack noticed then that he was gripping tightly to Bunny's shoulders, fingers clenched in the long fur. He flexed them, feeling thick and stiff from his thrumming heart. He didn't want to let go, he wanted to wrap his arms around the ridiculously thick neck and drag his hands through that massive blanket of fur and pull it tight in his fists.

Instead he brought them down to his side, held them there as Bunny continued to kiss him with firm focused strokes of his tongue, nails biting into his palm. The feel of Bunny's fur against his collarbone, his neck, his cheeks as Bunny shifted the angle of his head this way and that, sent little sparkles of electricity along his skin until it almost hurt.

“I want to touch you," he whined, head swimming with sensation.

"Then ask."

"Can I please touch you?" He nuzzled his nose into the cleft of Bunny's lip.

"Where do you want to touch?"

"Everywhere." His voice took on the edge of a toddler nearing a tantrum.

"Let's not be too greedy," Aster chided in amusement, "one step at a time. Look at me."

Jack opened his eyes and watched as Bunny leaned back, hands still braced on the counter at either side of him, and studied Jack with a satisfied tilt of his mouth.

"What do you want to touch?"

Everywhere, he wanted to repeat, but he knew that wouldn't get him what he wanted, so he tried to take the moment given to him and consider. Bunny was already extending to him so much grace, and he wanted to be worthy of that trust.

He also really wanted to dig his fingers into Bunny's shoulders and tug him back into the kiss, let his hands climb up the back of his neck and drag them down from the top of his head to between his shoulders, smooth out that long black line he fantasized about petting as he watched Bunny crouched down in his work.He wanted to cup his face, slide his fingers gently through the volume of white fur along his cheeks, twist it around his fingers into little curls.

He wanted to stroke a thumb over his ears, starting from the base and following that thick vein to the tip, feel the velvet of fur inside the pink curve of skin with his thumb and the gray silky fur of the outer shell at the same time, he wanted to see if Bunny was as sensitive to the touch as a rabbit was, if he would close his eyes and flatten his face against the nearest surface in bliss.

He wanted to watch Bunny melt into the floor, stretching himself out like a pancake under Jack's hands. He was supposed to be everything green and growing, Avatar of Spring and lover of all things botanical, but Bunny reminded him most of earth and stone; his fur the soft hazy gray-blue of distant mountains, wide shoulders a mantle of snow at the peak.

Jack wanted to see that mountain tremble, trigger the avalanche

 down the slope of his thick white fur that swept from his chest to his belly; snow that Jack just wanted to dig his fingers into and race to the bottom, burying them like a tragedy in the thick weight of it all.

"Can I touch your chest?" Jack asked finally, after careful consideration.

"You can." Aster said, and observed Jack's expression as he reached out to comb his fingers through the thicker section of fur below his collarbone. Pooka didn't have nipples on their torso the way humans did, their means of nursing was hidden within their pouch to protect their vulnerable kits, so the skin under Jack's exploring hand wasn't particularly sensitive, except that it was covered in thick warm fur and Jack's cool fingertips drug upwards against the grain, nails grazing skin.

"Can I touch higher?" Jack asked, sliding both hands upwards through his fur to his collarbone before starting back at the bottom again.

"yes." aster agreed.

"Here?" jack's hands went up and around his throat, stopping at the curve of his jaw and then dragging back dow, nails scraping.

"yes."

"and the back," Jack spread his fingers wide, like he would choke him, pads against his pulse as he waited, "can i touch your neck here?"

"Yes." his eyelids twitced as nails climbed up his spine to scratch at the base of his skull, cold as a trickle of water dropping from an icicle overhead, and then sliding down to his shoulders and flexing, palms flat in the groove between his deltoid and pecs.

"And here?" Jack asked, watching his closely, fingers raised just barely above the fur of his shoulder, so that every breath Aster took had the longer hairs brushing against them. "Can I touch you here?"

"yes, you can." Jack and Aster kept their eyes locked as he set his fingers, one by one, on each shoulder delicately.

"Can I grab you here?" Jack asked, eyes sliding to aster's lips again and the distance dissapearing between them. "Can I pull you closer?"

"You can." Aster followed the pull, rubbing his lips against Jacks gently, tasting their words between them.

"Can i hold you tightly?" Jack asked, and spoke over Aster's whispered 'yes', to clarify, "can I grab you like before?"

Bunny nuzzled his nose into the corner of Jack's mouth, dragging his answer out for a second, listening to the slow intentional breaths Jack took to keep his patience.

"Yes." he said finally and let Jack press hard against him, fingers biting deep into the skin of his shoulder as Jack yanked their faces together again, tongue chasing his through the air he used to answer.

[madamlaydebug]

The word “fasting” is defined as abstaining from food, sometimes as a religious discipline. Many religions practice fasting as a way of demonstrating faith and spiritual reflection.

Some people fast as a way to lose weight or to cleanse the body of toxins. Fasting is used in many different ways for weight loss depending on the diet. Some diets involve eating only whole foods while others restrict food all together. Each fasting diet has its own restrictions on liquids too.

Benefits

Fasting is great for a myriad of reasons especially health and spiritual reasons. Fasting gives the stomach a much needed time to rest, at least for the modest and health-conscious eater (raw foodist, vegan-vegetarian); but for the average over-eater of the Standard American Diet, fasting does not give the stomach time to rest but allows it to attempt to digest all the undigested food that it is holding.

Fasting allows the colon or intestinal tract to dump or release much of the stored waste, helping to prevent colon and rectal cancers. When we fast, it allows for the colon to shrink back into shape. When the colon shrinks back into shape, one of the results is a suppressed appetite.

But the more we eat unhealthy foods, the more our bodies crave it in attempt to get nutrition. We should eat for nutritional purposes but most of us eat for eye or sight appeal, smell, and taste appeal. Taste, sight and smell are not the criterion for what is healthy.

Fasting is also a great way to cleanse the eliminative channels of the body (colon, liver, lungs and kidneys).

It is an excellent way to cleanse the blood and lymphatic fluids. The toxins and pollutants in the bloodstream travel to the brain via the Jugular vein in the neck and because the blood can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, toxins and pollutants also enter the brain and negatively affect it. The brain actually becomes use to the polluted blood in the body and when you fast and the blood starts to thin, the brain responds due to its addiction to or habit of receiving polluted blood.

Basically, when the blood starts thinning and cleansing, the poisons, pollutants and toxins are being released via the filtering organs and to the body it feels like withdrawal and that’s why some people experience headaches while fasting.

Anti-Aging

Fasting helps begin the healing and anti-aging process. Fasting helps to improve the skin by cleansing the blood.

Fasting is very beneficial in warding off negative things and acts because if fasting compels you to abstain from that which is beneficial, good, and required, it makes it that much easier to abstain from that which is no good or detrimental, to the mind, body and soul.

Fasting is one of the ways we can detoxify and cleanse our bodies.

Juice Feasting

Juice feasting is when a person fasts or abstains from solid food and consumes vegetable and/or fruit juice (in addition to water).

Juice feasting, though not a fast, is beneficial when you consider the beneficial properties of fruits and vegetables. Fruits are very cleansing and vegetables are very building due to their high nutritional/mineral content.

Juice feasting can and will greatly help the body cleanse, rebuild and heal.

If hunger is a problem while fasting, juice feasting can be ideal alternative for you. It gives your body much needed energy from the electrical components contained in fruits and vegetables. The natural sugar in fruits will also give the body a boost as fruit sugar (fructose) converts into secondary natural fuel for the body.

Water

The best or ideal waters to drink during a fast are distilled water and alkaline water. Distilled water is great for fasting purposes because distilled water removes heavy metal toxins from the body. Distilled water is basically boiled water. Consumption of distilled is an important function while fasting because heavy metal buildup may lead to heavy metal poisoning, impairing human health.

Alkaline water is processed water, usually charged with electrolytes (alkaline minerals). Whereas distilled water will draw out heavy metal toxins from the body by attraction, alkaline water will cause the tissues to dump off toxins and if the alkaline water is also microclustered, it will also cause the cells to dump off toxins.

Microclustered water is water that has been electrically processed allowing it to break down water molecules and make the water more penetrable so molecules can penetrate the cells and not only hydrate the body, but stimulate cleansing on a cellular level. Nature automatically microclusters water with waterfalls. The water hitting hard against rocks automatically breaks down the water molecules making them smaller and thus more penetrable through the cells of the body.

Crystal water is excellent during a fast. The best crystals to add to your drinking water during a fast are:

Clear Quartz: increases and enhances energy and the body’s energy fieldBloodstone: purifies and heals bloodMalachite (tumbled): Cleanses the blood and the liver; heals female organsBlue Jasper: sustains energy while fasting; heals degenerative diseasesMuscovite: prevents hunger while fastingAmethyst: enhances and heightens spiritual awareness; cleanses the bloodRose Quartz: amplifies the love frequency; fine tunes the heart chakraHerkimer Quartz: protects against radiation poisoningRutilated Quartz: absorbs mercury poisoning; prevents psychic attackBlack Tourmaline: prevents psychic attacks; repels negative energy

Taking elixirs are very ideal when fasting because elixirs are water imbued with crystal properties, which facilitates meditation, angelic contact, spiritual awareness, and energy healing on the subtle body level.

How to Fast

You should only be fasting when you have the time to properly fast, like on weekends and holidays or during your job-given vacation. Hard work should be avoided when fasting. During a fast, the body usually becomes weak or faint before energy levels increase and you feel more energetic.

Fasting and detoxifying (with herbs) are great ways to increase and enhance energy levels in the body.

If you decide to drink tea, herbal tea, while fasting (as many people do) drink a tea that contains natural caffeine (bio-active caffeine). Herbs that naturally contain caffeine include:

Green TeaBlack TeaKola NutGuarana, andYerba Mate

Herbs that can provide much needed energy are:

GinsengEphedraCodonopsisMaca MacaSumaGingko BilobaGotu Kola

If you are fasting to purify your mind for better memory recall, cognition, and mental clarity for the test, drink herbal tea of Holy Thistle.

If you want to enhance your cleansing effect during a fast, drink herbal teas of Burdock Root, Dandelion Root, Cleavers, Chickweed, Echinacea and/or Godenseal. Wheat and Barley Grass are also great for this.

If you want to eliminate excess mucus in the body while fasting, drink herbal teas of Mullein Leaf, Boneset, Coltsfoot, Yerba Sante, Comfrey Root, and/or Fenugreek.

If you are a female and want to cleanse your reproductive organs during fasting, drink herbal teas of White Oak Bark, Red Clover Leaf, Red Raspberry Leaf, Sarsaparilla, Squawvine, and/or Dong Quai.

To help eliminate calculi while fasting, drink herbal tea of Chanca Piedra, the best natural herb to naturally break or bust up stones or calculi and remove them from the body. Chanca Piedra is a powerful Rainforest herb whose name means to break stone.

Deep tissue massage is an ideal massage to get while detoxifying. This particular massage’s deep penetrating strokes greatly helps to cleanse the tissues of the body. Lymphatic Drain massage is also an ideal massage to get while fasting as this massage helps to stimulate cleansing and movement of the lymph fluids.

Yoga and/or deep breathing are great during a fast. Deep breathing helps cleanse the organs, move stagnant chi, prana or energy; and also fuels the body and mind.

Chakra balancing or alignment is a must during a fast. This procedure greatly helps to open the energy centers (vortices) and also cleanses and enhances the energy field. Ear coning is great to do as well while fasting. Ear coning helps to remove subtle blocks from the ears and also opens the energy centers (aura) of the ears. This activity along with removing wax buildup and bacteria is great for the ears while fasting as is most beneficial.

Nasal cleansing (with the use of a Neti Pot) is great while fasting. Nasal cleansing helps to open blocked respiratory passages via the nostrils of the nose and thus helps to improve breathing.

Magical Alchemical Elixirs (which contain herbs, crystals, humic and fulvic acid, essential oils and programmed intent), which help to heal and cleanse on all eight subtle body levels.

Crystal Spray Elixirs (which contain blessed water, crystal and gemstone properties, flower essences and essential oils), which facilitate cleansing of the aura (energy field). Crystal-Gemstone Elixirs (over 35 kinds), which work on a subtle body and energy level.

Ending a Fast

A fast should always be broken in the morning. This is where the term breakfast comes from. The word breakfast means to break the fast. Breakfast is in the morning because it starts the new day for us. A fast should be broken at sunrise (or sunset). However, sunrise is best as the stomach needs to rest at night.

A fast should always be broken with liquids, preferably soft, pureed fruit juice or vegetable juice. After digesting a liquid (fruit or vegetable juice), a smoothie would be ideal. After a smoothie, raw, organic fruit should be next. After raw, organic fruit, soup would be ideal. After soup, a green salad or some other raw food dish would be ideal. After salad and/or raw food dish, legumes (beans, peas, etc.) would be ideal. After legumes, soft whole grains would be ideal (but not a lot as they expand in the colon). After grains, a vegetarian enter would be ideal. If you eat meat, white meat, would be ideal (i.e. chicken, tuna/fish, turkey) to eat.

Please remember that while fasting, the stomach shrinks.

Fasting is a science, and proper knowledge is needed.

[prairiefirewitch]

Eastern Red Cedar (Essential Herbs for Witches)

*Notes from the Hekate ritual kits that were released October 23'.

Latin name: Juniperus virginiana

Planet: Sun, Saturn

Element: Fire

Parts used: foliage, wood, essential oil

Astrological Association: Leo

Energy: Masculine

Magical properties: Longevity, protection, preservation, strength, wisdom, perseverance, renewal, transformation, balance, connection to the divine through nature, return of stolen goods, defense.

Healing properties: Fever, cough, skin conditions, respiratory issues

Eastern Red Cedar is not actually a true cedar, it’s a juniper, as its latin name, Juniperus virginiana, indicates. Naturalized in Europe, Asia, and North America, Eastern Red Cedar is present in all temperate regions of the northern hemisphere and stretches into parts of the southern hemisphere. This hardy tree has deep roots and tolerates poor rocky soil, salt, heat, and wind, and is drought tolerant. 

Medicinally juniper has been used in bathing, sometimes as a scourge, to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis and to relieve depression symptoms and exhaustion. It’s also been used to heal open wounds. Juniper is warming and pungent and affects the liver and kidneys. Its bitter action stimulates the gallbladder and liver and it aids in digestion. Juniper is also used for respiratory issues, urinary tract infections, and skin ailments like psoriasis and eczema. The warming effect of juniper makes it helpful in breaking fevers. Eastern red cedar is an abortifacient and should not be used by pregnant women. 

Juniper berries have been used to flavor food, beer, and notably gin, and in Ireland the unripe berries are tinctured with whiskey and used as a general health tonic. 

As for juniper’s use in folklore and witchcraft, around the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, it was planted to protect a home from evil spirits and malicious men. It was sometimes built into a new house as a structural beam or to fill cracks between stone to drive away illness and evil spirits. Branches were hung above doors to repel witches. 

Because it is an evergreen, it’s also used in fertility rites and the berries are sometimes used as an aphrodisiac. 

Shamans in Siberia burned and inhaled the smoke of juniper to induce trance, and because of its high thujone contain, it can indeed induce altered states. Thujone does build in the liver over time so care should be taken to limit smoke inhalation to occasional use. 

Burning juniper as a smudge was common in Native American rituals for purification and to cleanse sacred ritual space. Cherokee natives believed that the wood of this cedar held the spirits of their ancestors. In other native ritual practices, it was believed that messages were sent to the Creator when it was burnt ceremonially. 

In Scottish folk magic, juniper is used to ‘sain’ livestock and homes during Beltaine and Samhain. Saining is done by lighting bonfires and driving cattle between them.  These fires would be lit from sacred Neid fires and extinguished home fires would be relit with this fire.  People also hopped over these fires to rid themselves of negative spirits. Juniper (lubhar beinne) was used, and to a lesser extent, mountain ash or rowan (caorran).  The cattle byre was sained, and the lintel over the byre was anointed with wine or human urine. Homes were also sained with burning juniper and “in such quantities to fill the whole house with smoke.”  Juniper would have also hung at windows to ward off witches and evil spirits and to rid the house of pests and diseases.

According to Scottish folklore, juniper needed to be harvested in a particular way, like all magical plants.  It was pulled by the roots, taking 4 branches between 5 fingers while an incantation was repeated.  Today we should probably refrain from yanking bushes from the ground and taking a branch or some berries after asking permission should suffice.  The branches can be dried and burned or the berries can be burned on a charcoal disc, or dip the branch into sea salted water and sprinkle a bit on yourself and your magical working space. 

While we generally think of juniper as a plant of the Sun, it does have older Saturnian associations perhaps because they are very long lived, but maybe also because of their often gnarled wood and spiky foliage, giving them a dark, ominous aspect. Like both yew and cypress trees, Easter red cedar is common in older cemeteries in the southern united states. This may be because its evergreen leaves have come to symbolize ‘eternal life’, but through the ancient Greeks, we have an association with juniper as a plant of Hekate, perhaps because she led the procession of the dead. Through Hekate, it is also associated with Medea, a Hekatean priestess. 

I choose to substitute Eastern red cedar for the yews, cypress, and cedar we traditionally see aligned with Hekate because ERC happens to grow in abundance in my bioregion and has a long history of use in sacred rites across the world. Eastern red cedar is a plant of protection and is excellent for banishing, inspiring courage and strength, purification and release.