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jeonsdear · 6 years ago

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It’s you - (IX)

↬ Parts: I , II, III, IV, V , VI, VII, VIII, X, XI

↬ Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x Reader (oc: female)

↬ Genre: college!au, noona!reader, soulmate!au, fluff, angst, smut

↬ Rating: sfw

↬ Warnings: salvia (lol)

↬ Accompanying song: HENRY 헨리 ‘It’s You’ (Live Ver.) (check out the spotify version too!)

↬ Chapter Summary:

Jungkook couldn’t help but to throw his friends a panicked look and his panic only grew as Yoongi’s face was plastered by a shit-eating grin.

“Y/n! We were just about to play a game in one of the rooms back there. Grab some bottles of beer, will you?“

↬ Notes: Hey! Here’s the 9h part. Hope you enjoy, loves. Also, have you seen the fake love comback stages? I’m shook. Goodbye wow. Also do the roman numbers confuse you or is it okay? ♡ And please let me know what you think, that’s a great motivation for writing - and I love talking to you. Likes and especially reblogs are always appreciated ♡ — Read this part on AO3 if that’s easier for you — English isn’t my first language so excuse any mistakes — I track jeonsdear fanfiction (follow the tag for updates)

↬ Word Count: 3.0 K

When you are not fed love on a silver spoon you learn to lick it off knives.

Starting your senior year at college you promised yourself to make the most of it. But after watching your best friend taking her boyfriend Jungkook for granted and your own soulmate drowning in despair, you find yourself caught in a web of lies and heartbreak. How can you believe in love when the one destined for you doesn’t want you?

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You could feel Jungkook’s glare from across the room. The tall boy leaning against the dark walls of Professor Lee’s office seemed to try burning holes into the side of your head. But you ignored his irritated huffs and instead focused on the insane plan Mr. Lee so enthusiastically rambled on about.

“You are going to dress up nicely. Mingle with the people and Mr. Jeon should use his charms for future connections. Miss y/s/n, you are a senior, everybody is going to expect you to set your foot properly into politics about now anyway.“

“And what about my charm?“

“What charm?“, piped up the annoyed voice from across the room. Your eyes shot daggers at Junkook, already deciding you wouldn’t share your favourite blanket with him tonight.

“Use your charm as well, Miss.“

“With all due respect, Professor. I don’t see how this is going to get us any kind of information about a possible soulmate archive.“

Ever since you had agreed to the old man’s plan, you knew why you were doing it. Essentially to protect Jungkook from his own stupidity. You still thought sneaking your way into politics would be no use.

“And I don’t understand why you involved Y/n in this, Professor.“

Mr. Lee let heaved a long sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose that was decorated with the imprints of his round glasses.

“Because Miss y/s/n is a well-known figure in local politics already. “

“Don’t you think I should be involved when you decide to find out my soulmate’s identity?“

Crossing your arms over your chest you turned your body to Jungkook as he took two steps towards you.

“Besides, who gave you the right to dig into my business?“

Jungkook quite audibly growled at you and a guarded expression took over his face.

“The right of being your best friend. I have to live with your sorry ass every day. And just because you are not questioning the system doesn’t mean I don’t. “

“I didn’t force you to live with my sorry ass. You can move out anytime.“

Jungkook had the audacity to roll his eyes at you before he turned towards the old man who had watched the scene with interest while taking notes.

“She doesn’t even want to find out the truth. I’m sure we can find someone else with…connections.“

You stretched your arm to pinch the skin around his elbow.

“And who is supposed to protect you? You’re most likely going to get yourself evicted because of sticking your stupidly cute nose in business people get killed for.“

You didn’t expect his deep belly laugh and even Mr. Lee had his eyebrows raised at his student when he doubled over from laughing.

“Protecting me? You're a girl.“

The old man shot you an excusing look but you had had enough. You didn’t even fully understand his anger, but arguing with a sexist phrase wasn’t something you were willing to accept.

“Well, this girl is going to make sure you’re not drowning in an unfamiliar environment, and this girl is sleeping on the couch tonight.“

You grabbed the bag hanging over the rest of a very old velvety chair and threw it over your shoulder.

“I have a 5 thousand words essay to write, goodbye Professor Lee.“

The man only held up one of his hands and watched you storm out of his office.

The stupidity of men was visible in every generation, he mused as he watched his male student huff in annoyance.

At first he had tried to keep it a secret from Jungkook. The reason why he had brought you into the team at first didn’t seem too important and easy to disguise. But somewhere along the lines he had realized that his explanation of your presence had too many loopholes. So fearing his true attention with this project might be discovered, ruining all the work he had done so far, he had stuck with the surface truth of his motivations to bring you into the team.

And really, observing the two young people in a natural environment had proven to be extremely beneficial.

So with a small smile he stood up from the chair that was about to wreck his bad back forever, and motioned for Jungkook to leave.

“I know you have an evening class, Jungkook. You should go before you’re too late.“

And with a small bow Jungkook left.

It was quarter past 1 in the morning when you realized that you didn’t have to sleep on the sofa because Jungkook still hadn’t come home.

While a defeated sigh you shut off your laptop and rubbed your temples. You hadn’t meant what you said about sleeping on the sofa. Not only because you hadn’t had nightmares since sharing a bed with Jungkook, but because you adored falling asleep next to him. It just felt right. And you tried not to dwell on that too much.

But there was still Yeonseo, and as you stood up from the spot on the floor you had sat on you realized that that was where he probably was staying for the night.

You knew the coil in your stomach was jealousy. Not exclusively jealousy, but you had developed a certain kind of possessiveness towards your best friend. You had grown so close that it was only naturally to fear his loss. And that was the threat his girlfriend embodied.

At least that was what you’ve been telling yourself.

Without thinking about it, you picked up your phone to check whether you had any messages from him.

You didn’t.

For a hot second you thought about calling him but you growled in frustration at your hideousness. You had no right to demand him to be home and you sure as well weren’t a baby who needed their stuffed animal to sleep.

Despite your affirmations you didn’t sleep that night.

Over the course of the next week a new kind of tension found its peak between you two.

Jungkook’s grunts filled the gym as he worked his already sore back muscles. But the burn in his muscles overshadowed the burn in his heart and the irritation coursing through his veins. Apparently his soulmate was in a similar mood to him, making the fire inside him ten times worse.

So he tried working it out. With heavy weights and sweat coating his entire body. A few days ago he had tried letting some steam off through rough sex, but somehow it had left him even more aggravated.

He was pissed at himself and he didn’t even know why. But he can’t get the hurt in your eyes out of his head when he came home in the morning after a night at his girlfriend’s.

God, he felt dirty. Dirty and frustrated.

So when his hyung’s had suggested going to that terrible frat party, he had jumped on the chance to get you off his mind.

He realized that that was a hopeless wish when he walked into the crowed livingroom full of drunk college students just to spy you sitting on his classmate's lap.

What the hell.

You were dressed in a short skirt paired with knee-high boots and a red blouse. You looked absolutely gorgeous, but that didn’t make that boy’s hands on your thigh acceptable.

Jimin followed Jungkook’s eyes and he grabbed his sleeve to keep him from storming away.

“Don’t.“

“Let go of me, Hyung.“

“So you can rip her off that dude’s lap? She’s been looking at you with daggers in her eyes the whole week. She’s going to kill you. What the hell have you done?“

Jungkook growled and ripped his arm from his friend’s hold.

“Nothing.“

He felt Yoongi’s hand on his shoulder and his deep voice filled his ear when he moved his head closer to his.

“You two have been dancing around each other for weeks now. Fuck it out.“

“Yoongi!“

Taehyung sounded absolutely horrified and Jungkook was sure his face showcased the same emotion.

“He isn’t wrong.“, Jimin chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders and caught your eyes from across the room. A smirk played on his lips as he watched you making your way towards him and his friends. Jungkook, oblivious to your approach, rolled his eyes and huffed.

“Don’t even dare think this, Yoongi.“

“Think what?“, your sweet voice peeped up and the boys all turned around.

Jungkook couldn’t help but to throw his friends a panicked look and his panic only grew as Yoongi’s face was plastered by a shit-eating grin.

“Y/n! We were just about to play a game in one of the rooms back there. Grab some bottles of beer, will you?“

You raised your eyebrows at the older boy before throwing Jungkook a questioning look when you saw him squirm.

“Uhm Hyung, what game?“

“The kissing game. Collect some of your friends as well.“

It was almost comically how both your’s and Jungkook’s eyes simultaneously widened in presentiment and Jimin had to keep from laughing when his friend’s hand automatically found yours and suddenly all the anger between you two was forgotten when your eyes met in mutual understanding.

Yoongi apparently picked up on his friend’s intentions as well and before anyone could run away he had you both pushing towards the room he had been talking about earlier.

You struggled against his hold but it was no use – 7 minutes later you were sat in a circle on the floor with Jungkook’s friend and some of yours. The girls were buzzing in the prospect of getting to kiss the boys and especially your friend Sunghee couldn’t keep her eyes off Seokjin. You watched as he winked at her and almost scoffed as she turned bright red. You elbowed him into the side before throwing him a warning glance, but he only smirked.

Jungkook sat across from you and you could feel his eyes on you. You knew exactly how this would end and so did he. So why were his eyes glistening with anticipation?

“What game exactly are we playing?“, one of the girls piped up while handing around the bottles of beer. You wrapped your fingers around the cold beverage but otherwise didn’t bother to open it.

“Too hot.“, Yoongi said. “Do you all know the rules?“

He was met with collective head shaking so he started to explain: “We will let a bottle decide the couples. This couple has to kiss without stopping or touching each other. The one who touches the other first, loses. The winner?“, he smirked before continuing, “gets to do whatever he wants to the loser and get’s to exit the game. If not, the winner gets to play against the other winners. Resulting in one person winning.“

Yoongi made sure everyone understood the rules before he chuckled mischievously and added “Make it as steamy as possible. This is about being the best kisser in this group.“

“Fuck, I hope I get Jungkook. I’ve heard he’s fun to kiss.“, a girl whispered and another one giggled.

“I might lose willingly if that means I can touch those abs.“

Your low growl shut them up and you were busy killing Yoongi in your imagination. You were positive you were about to win this game, knowing there wasn’t a single guy you’d really enjoy kissing beside Jungkook. And the universe couldn’t possibly be that cruel, right?

But then again, one of these girls would get to kiss him and the thought alone made you angry.

“But some of us aren’t single.“, you randomly threw into the conversation and all eyes laid on you as you were being a party bummer.

“She won’t mind.“, Jungkook’s voice cut in and his eyes were challenging when you frowned at him.

You really, really didn’t want him kissing anyone but you.

“Alright then let’s get started!“

Yoongi laid a bottle in the circle and looked up. “Let’s see who the first players are.“

The bottle took four spins to land on you.

Your eyes were trained on the spinning bottle and the only noise came from Jimin who was distinctively murmuring Jungkook’s name. In the corner of your eyes you saw Yoongi leaning forward in anticipation and suddenly the room erupted in yells and laughter.

The universe, in fact, was cruel.

You didn’t even have to look up to know the bottle had landed on Jungkook but when you did, his eyes were widened in shock. Yoongi silenced the room as he smirked at you two before motioning to get it on.

“Are you gonna go through with it, Jungkookie?“

Taehyung’s words ripped him out of his thoughts and a certain kind of want took over his mind and body. Here was the truth: He wanted to kiss you. God, he had been dreaming about it for a while now. But when would he ever be able to get a taste without any consequences? This game was perfect to explore forbidden waters and he was planning on winning this one. He was damned if he didn’t manage to make you want him for once. But when he searched your eyes in consent he noticed the longing in them and his eyes dropped down to where you bit your lip.

“If y/n is okay with it.“, he said with a voice dropping lower in excitement.

You only nodded slowly before clearing your throat and sitting up upright, faking confidence.

“Sure.“, you said nonchalantly, but your emotions were running havoc. While you were dreading kissing Jungkook you were also longing to kiss him. And if his eyes were anything to go by, so did he.

You both looked around before shuffling towards each other while the others moved backwards to give you enough space.

You gulped as you felt Jungkook’s hand on your thighs pulling you closer to him, a light smile playing on his lips as he noticed how nervous you were. Then he placed his hands on either side of your legs, making sure he wasn’t touching you.

“Noona?“

He wet his lips with the tip of his tongue.

“Hm?“

“Have fun losing.“

The start of your protest was cut short when he moved his face close to yours and his dark doe eyes starred into yours. He was so close you could count his thick eyelashes and his breath fanned over your slightly opened lips. You gulped as Jungkook’s eyes fluttered shut and then you felt his plush lips brush gently over your own. Your eyes closed at the unfamiliar contact and your whole body shivered at the softness of his lips as he increased the pressure.

Since there was no time limit, Jungkook made sure to savour the moment of feeling your lips against his for the very first time. And he loved it. He loved it way too much. Your shaky breath had him moving again, placing another soft kiss against the swell of your lips before catching your lower lip between his teeth and slightly pulling at it. Then he caressed the abused lip with his tongue and suddenly you sprung into action, biting his lip and whispering his name before forcing his lips apart with your tongue.

The low whine that filled the room was unmistakenly male and both of you tilted your heads to deepen the kiss. What had started off as a careful and testing kiss, turned into a passionate one as your tongues battled for dominance. Your hands twitched at your sides, longing to bury themselves into his soft hair, but you wanted him to lose. You wanted him to moan. Just once you wanted him to moan your name, and not Yeonseo’s.

So you let go of your reservation and you kissed him how you had wanted to for a very long time. It wasn’t just lust but affection. And you wanted to him to feel it. But somewhere in that was also anger and the whole irritation you both had felt for the last week.

Your breaths were ragged and uneven as Jungkook leaned even closer to you. He felt like his head was swimming, he wanted to swallow you, taste you, mould together. A mewl escaped you as you pulled at his bottom lip, struggling with keeping your hands to yourself and your body flooded with heat as you finally heard his high-pitched moan.

Jungkook felt way too hot in his skin and it bordered on torture keeping his hands to himself. He wanted them all over your body. In your hair, on your waist, everywhere.

“Oh fuck.“, he murmured in realization and somewhere someone in the room laughed amused at the pained exclamation.

He didn’t stop kissing you. Even during his breathy moans and whispers, your lips kept on moving together and he could have sworn his heart was about to burst with all these emotions. He felt overwhelmed as if he could feel your emotions as well. He imagined he could feel the goosebumps on your skin as he sucked your tongue into his mouth, taking over the kiss. He didn’t want to stop kissing you, oh no, but he wanted to take this to somewhere else. With fewer eyes prying on you two.

And he was determined to win.

So he put all the dominance he had in his bones into the kiss and could feel you melt into him. And suddenly he felt your fingers in his hair and your body pressed against his and he was about to laugh in triumph when he realized that his hands were already grabbing your waist.

Coming up for air, you two starred at each other, slowly blinking away the daze and realizing that the only one chuckling was Yoongi. Jungkook couldn’t tear his eyes away from yours and just in that moment he realized what you two were doing here. But he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Neither of you could blame alcohol for the want in your eyes and you knew it. This wasn’t solely physical either, Jungkook realized, as your fingers drifted from his hair sidewards to caress his cheeks. The grip on your waist tightened as he almost purred under your caress, eyes fluttering shut before they bore down into yours once again.

“I guess you both lost.“, Yoongi teased with amusement latched in his voice as the air was pregnant with astonishment.

“No, Hyung, I think both won.“

Complications.

You have won tons more of complications.

288 notes · View notes

youtuberswithalex · 7 years ago

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PRVL, Vol 1, Ch. 9: Panic Button

Summary: Virgil is convinced the world is spinning out of control.

Word Count: 6,006

Warnings: fighting, faunus discrimination, lying, mentions of the death of a sibling

Tag list: @vigilantvirgil @what-even-is-thiss @lovelylogans @nose-to-meet-you @faithfulcat111 @haikyuupaladin @virge-of-death @storytellerofuntoldlegends

Behind the Scenes Table of Contents: Desktop/Mobile

First - Previous - Next

Chao lifted his hammer just as the blur was about to make contact with his head, and for a split second, they could see a woman balance on the handle; her dark brown tail flicked as she jumped to the ground. A growl formed in her throat as she charged forward. Chao pulled his hammer away and kicked her in the stomach. Her heels kicked a cloud of dust into the air as she skidded to a stop.

“What in the name of Pumpkin Pete is going on here?!” Roman yelled.

Virgil gripped his pole, glowering as Chao and the woman charged at each other again. “Nere,” he growled.

“Whom?”

Nere leapt into the air as Chao swung his hammer and slammed her feet into his shoulder, using it as a spring board to jump back and touch the wall of the cave. Virgil ran forward.

“What are you doing?!” Patton yelped.

He skidded to a stop in front of his uncle with Sangria Salvia held in front of him just as she shot forwards; as she whipped out a pair of daggers out of her pockets, something collided with Virgil’s side, and he flew back towards his friends. He looked up to watch Chao dodge Nere’s attack and glare at him.

“Stay out of this!”

He scrambled to his feet. “No! Let me help!”

“This isn’t your fight!”

Nere stabbed at Chao, but he thrust the handle of his hammer against her arm and used the force of her attack to flip her over his head. She twisted and threw a few punches, each of which Chao dodged.

Virgil ran forward and jumped, lifting his pole to strike her, but a gust of wind blasted him away; his back slammed into the wall of the cave, and he collapsed into the dirt. He weakly started to push himself up, only to watch as Amnon charged at him. He snapped his pole in half and fired a few shots.

“Virgil,” Logan called, voice unusually calm for the fighting around them, “What’s going on?”

Amnon dove at Virgil, and he rolled to the side just in time. “Nere’s been after Chao for as long as I can remember,” he stated, using his pole to lift himself to his feet. “Don’t know why, don’t know how long before that.” He looked over his shoulder to make eye contact with Logan. “But she’s made it very clear that she’s got some serious beef with-”

A foot slammed into Virgil’s chest, and he fell to the ground; Amnon leapt on top of him, lifting a fist, but Virgil somersaulted backwards until he was on top of him. Amnon sucked in a deep breath and blew at Virgil, and he found himself flying into the air again. He squeezed his eyes shut and braced for impact just as he smashed into the floor.

“Be careful!” Chao hollered.

Groaning, Virgil pushed himself to his knees. “Yeah, thanks for the tip,” he coughed.

He heard footsteps rushing up behind him, and he snatched his pole off of the ground; just as he whipped around to fight, a pair of black wings appeared between him and Amnon, and gunshots echoed through the cave. Roman dashed forward before Virgil could fully process what was happening.

A few feet away, Patton held up his shield as he hesitantly looked to Logan. “Should we help?”

“No. Considering how little Chao wants us involved and how minuscule our area is, I believe we would only get in the way,” Logan stated.

Patton chewed on his lip as he turned back to the fights. Virgil was swinging his pole at Amnon while Roman shot through the air time after time, but Amnon was dodging their attacks and blowing them away without even breaking a sweat. Not far away from that, Nere and Chao were doing acrobatics around each other and delivering countless blows with each flip or duck. Neither one seemed to be affected by any of the attacks, no matter how many times they were hit.

A growl rumbled through the cave, and Logan and Patton nearly jumped out of their skin. Their wide eyes briefly met before they whipped around. Patton let out a yelp.

“Grimm!”

“Keep calm,” Logan instructed. “We can handle this.”

“But there’s so many!” Patton exclaimed.

“We can handle this,” he firmly repeated.

Patton shot his teammate a glance before turning back to meet the countless red eyes creeping into the cave. He felt his breathing pick up. Lifting his shield, he swallowed thickly. Logan laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t panic,” he said.

A Beowolf began to charge, and Logan threw his weapon into its pistol form, shooting it down before it could even get close. Patton blinked; Logan looked at his shield.

“All we have to do is make sure they don’t get close enough to interfere with the others, alright?”

Nodding, Patton lifted his weapon and fired a few bullets at the legs of an Ursa.

Virgil ducked under a punch and swung his pole at Amnon’s legs; as he jumped over it, Roman shot down and kicked him in the back, and he table-topped over top of Virgil. Roman leapt on top of him and pinned him with the blade of his sword pressed against his throat, but Amnon kicked him back into Virgil. He jumped to his feet, and Roman charged. Virgil gripped his pole and growled, looking over to where Chao was dodging Nere’s stabs.

“I thought you said your mission in Atlas was over!” he yelled.

Chao grunted. “I’m a little busy right now!”

“Uncle Chao!”

“Watch yourself-!”

Virgil saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and bent backwards just in time to miss Amnon’s kick. He stuck his pole in the dirt and flipped his feet above him, letting his weight tip it to finish the backflip for him. Amnon stepped back before it could hit his crotch; he whipped around to punch Roman before charging at Virgil.

“Ah, not the face!” Roman snapped.

“Are you serious?!” Virgil screamed.

“No, he’s Roman!”

“Patton, the Grimm.”

“Oh, right.”

Logan rolled his eyes and ran forward, pistol transforming back into a book just before he gripped the strap and threw it at a small Deathstalker. Its pincers snapped at it, but the strap wrapped around and bound them together. Logan yanked, and the appendages ripped off. The Grimm screeched before it began to evaporate.

There were gunshots behind him, and a Beowolf collapsed to the ground; Patton bolted over and jumped in front of Logan, holding up his shield just as Boarbatusk crashed into it. He shoved it away and looked at Logan.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’d be better if you would kill the Grimm instead of just injuring them,” Logan huffed.

Logan ran around him and into the hoarde of the monsters. Biting his lip, Patton tucked his face behind his shield.

“…Right.”

Virgil whipped his pole in front of himself to block another attack; this time, Amnon didn’t jump away, but instead pushed against it and held his ground. He and Virgil held glares at each other.

“Virgil, be careful!” Roman yelled.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chao freeze for just a split second. “Don’t-!”

Nere landed a kick into his stomach, and he slid back a few feet. “You’re Virgil?” she laughed. “My, you’ve certainly grown since the last time I saw you!”

Virgil’s breath caught in his throat. “Uncle Chao…?”

“Nere, shut up!”

“Oh, what for?” she quipped.

Chao growled and sprinted forward, spinning to gain enough momentum to land a heavy blow on Nere, but she ducked just in time, swooping her foot to knock his legs out from underneath him. He hit the ground and somersaulted. By the time he got back to his feet, she was staring at Virgil with a raised eyebrow.

Roman swooped in and kicked Amnon away from Virgil, and he dove after him; Virgil, however, stayed rooted to the spot. He and Nere had made eye contact.

Her facial features relaxed, and she glanced between Chao and Virgil. “Oh. I get it.”

“Get what?” Virgil asked. “Uncle Chao, what is she talking about?”

“Nere,” Chao growled.

She laughed. “You’re afraid he’s going to meet the same fate as little Crina, aren’t you?”

“What?!”

Just as the scream had left his mouth, Virgil was blasted away by a gust of wind Roman had just barely dodged. He tumbled through the dirt, and the world fell quiet against his heart pounding in his ears.

Logan was out of ammo. He threw his weapon out of its pistol form and gripped the strap as tightly as he could, mind scrambling to calculate the most efficient way to kill as many Grimm as possible. The book whipped back and forth until a King Taijitu grabbed it in its mouth and bit down hard. Logan gasped as he was yanked forward.

“Do something!” he yelled.

Yelping, Patton waved his hands. “I- I don’t know! I don’t know!”

“I can’t do this alone, Patton! Help!”

As Logan regained his traction enough to fight back against the King Taijitu, Patton’s eyes darted around the Grimm closing in on him. He squeezed his eyes shut and lifted his shield, firing across the hoarde in hopes of hitting at least one. There was a screech. He opened his eyes in time to see a Boarbatusk stumble. Patton charged, but it turned to him, and his heart leapt into his throat.

His traction on the ground disappeared.

Arms pinwheeling, Patton tried to keep his balance on the sheet of ice he’d created; he tried to stop, but his boots kept sliding against his will. The Boarbatusk planted itself right at the edge and tucked its head back. He hissed when he realized there was no avoiding a collision.

His stomach hit bone. His shield and his breath were both knocked away. A tingling sensation ran over his skin. Patton hit the ground and tumbled through the dirt until he slammed into the wall.

“Patton!”

“Huh…?”

Patton cracked his eyes open in time to see the Boarbatusk heading his way; this time, however, no ice formed around him. He scrambled to his knees, ignoring how every muscle in his body screamed at him to stop.

A blue book wrapped around its tusks just as it drew near, and it reared back from the force. Behind it, Patton could hear grunts of strain. He would have sighed in relief if he wasn’t too terrified to move.

Virgil pushed himself to his knees, ears pounding with every gunshot and clash of metal that echoed through the cave. His chest squeezed, and his eyes darted around. There had to be something he could do to help more.

Chao and Nere dashed in all sorts of directions, almost blurs in the darkness.

Roman caught blow after blow of Amnon’s attacks, and his attempts to fight back were becoming slower.

Patton’s eyes were wide as he trembled in the face of the Boarbatusk.

Logan kicked away a Beowolf, muscles straining to keep Patton safe.

Virgil was powerless.

Heart thundering in his chest, he whipped around and threw out his arms. “What are we supposed to do?!” he screamed.

Chao knocked Nere away and turned, scanning the cave just as Virgil had done seconds ago. There was a long pause while Nere regained her balance and charged again. She leapt at him. He swung his leg around and smashed his heel into her face. She fell to the ground and didn’t move.

Lifting his hammer above him, Chao ran to Roman and skidded to stand in front of him. Amnon sucked in a breath, but Chao slammed his weapon into his stomach, and a yelp wrenched out of him instead of a blast of air. Amnon smashed into the wall of the cave and crumpled while Chao grabbed Roman by the wrist and dragged him towards the Grimm. Virgil hurried to catch up.

Roman ripped himself away and lifted into the air, shooting forward and slicing the Boarbatusk in half. Logan stumbled from the sudden lack of resistance, but Virgil caught him by the shoulders before he could fall. Flying back to Patton, Roman scooped their leader into his arms before he made his way out of the cave and out of their sight.

Chao picked Patton’s shield off of the ground and used it to frisbee through a line of Grimm; as they began to dissolve, he frantically waved Logan and Virgil through the smoke and out of the cave. Logan grabbed the shield on the way out. The sunlight practically blinded them when they stepped onto grass.

They ran.

As soon as the three began to slow their paces, Roman eased himself and Patton towards the ground. Virgil desperately wanted to sprint over, to take Patton and hold him close to remember that he was okay, that he was safe, but his blood was boiling and his muscles were aching and his chest was heaving… His mind was in a fog thick enough to sink ships.

He stopped, doubling over to gasp for air while the other two ran to them. His heart twisted.

“Is he alright?” he heard Chao ask. He hardly sounded winded. Virgil squeezed his eyes shut.

“I’m okay,” Patton replied. His voice was tight, and he paused to clear his throat. “I’m sorry.”

“No need for apologies. You took a tremendously heavy hit. It completely stripped you of your aura,” Logan said.

There was shuffling, and then the sound of feet gently hitting the ground. A hiss of pain followed soon after.

Roman sucked in a breath. “Ooh, easy, easy… Oh, Pat, you’re going to be feeling this for a while…”

“I-It’s alright,” Patton said, following it up with a quiet laugh.

Chao let out a sigh. Virgil heard his hammer fall against the ground. “I owe you all one hell of an apology,” he stated. “If I had known we were going to be ambushed, I never would have brought you along.”

“There was no way you could have predicted a change in plans like that,” Logan pointed out. “You have done nothing wrong.”

“…Yeah. Whatever. I’m just glad you’re all safe.”

Virgil felt something inside him snap.

“…Nere knew,” he growled.

There was a pause. He opened his eyes and stood up straight.

“Knew…?” Patton whispered.

“She knew.”

Virgil finally looked up and glared. When he saw Chao stiffening, a tremble began to shake his body. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Roman glance hesitantly between them.

“Um… What is happening?”

Silence fell. Virgil clenched his jaw, trying to keep his breathing steady. His blood was starting to boil, and it was beginning to feel impossible to stay calm.

“Why did Nere know about her?” he snapped.

“It’s not important.”

“Really, because I think it’s pretty damn significant that your mortal enemy knows about what happened to Crina!”

Logan cleared his throat. “I believe it might be wise to take a deep-”

“Shut up!” Virgil yelled.

Patton gasped. “Virgil! He is your teammate, don’t talk to him like that! Apologize!”

Virgil stayed silent, choosing instead to return his glare to Chao. It felt like his chest was being squeezed by a King Taijitu. He swallowed thickly.

“Does Dad know that she knows?” he asked.

Chao looked away.

“Does Papi?”

He shut his eyes, jaw setting. Virgil gripped his pole as tight as he could to distract himself from the tears forming behind his eyes. When it became clear that he wasn’t going to be getting any answers, he stormed past the group and towards where they’d been left off.

The fluttering of wings sounded behind him. It took all of his willpower to not whirl around and drive his fist into Roman’s face. He turned his face away as soon as he landed and began to walk next to him.

“What in the world was all that?” Roman asked.

Virgil huffed. “Nothing.”

“Really? Because it certainly seemed like something,” he pressed. “Who is this Crina you spoke of? Why is it so important that-”

“I’m not talking to a faunus about this!” Virgil spat, finally turning to glare at Roman. His eyebrows raised and his lips parted, but Virgil ignored it. “Why don’t you just go back to the zoo and leave me alone, alright?!”

Roman said nothing. His lower lip twitched and his brow creased. Virgil only caught a glimpse before he stomped away.

“Virge? How ya feeling?”

The sincerity in Patton’s voice tempted Virgil to get up, but the lead in his limbs kept him pressed against his mattress. He shifted, pulling the blankets to cover his head even further than before.

“Fine,” he grumbled.

There was a pause. He heard a scoff, presumably from Roman, and then a sigh from whoever was closest to him.

“We’re going to go get dinner,” Patton informed. “Do you wanna come along?”

“No.”

“Virgil,” Logan said, “You need to eat. You haven’t eaten anything all day. It isn’t healthy.”

“Don’t care. Not hungry.”

“…Do you want us to bring you something back?”

Virgil shut his eyes, burying his face in the sheets. “I don’t care.”

Another pause, and then the door opened and three sets of footsteps walked into the hallway. Two of them continued until they were out of earshot; the third stayed behind. Virgil held his breath.

“If you wish to talk about anything,” Logan quietly stated, “Know that we are willing to lend a hand.”

Virgil stayed quiet. The door shut.

Slowly, after the silence of the room became a little too unbearable, he pulled the covers away and sat up. The light of the room pained his eyes after being in the dark for so long, but when he glanced out of the window and through the tree branches, he saw that the sun was below the scarlet horizon. He’d been here for hours, yet his chest was still aching as horribly as it had been in the Emerald Forest that morning.

His eyes sunk to the floor as he ran through the events for what felt like the millionth time. It was obvious now, why Chao hadn’t wanted to talk about his last mission. He just didn’t understand why that had to be a secret. It wasn’t like he was a little kid anymore! With the amount of times he’d gone on a bounty mission to find her and she’d gotten away, he was used to hearing that his missions had failed. What was so different about this one? Did something happen to make it worse than usual, or had…

Had Virgil done something to make Chao lose his trust in him?

Virgil’s breath caught in his throat. No, that… that couldn’t be right. He and his uncle had always had such a close bond. Virgil told him everything, and Chao always looked out for him, and they used to talk on the phone almost every night unless Virgil had too much homework or Chao was on a mission. If Virgil had done something wrong, surely Chao would have said something. He always said something.

…Except. He didn’t say anything about his mission failing. And he was silent about Nere knowing about Crina.

Virgil looked at his desk, where a picture of him and Chao sat on one of the shelves. It had been taken on the day he graduated from Sanctum. Chao had said he was shaping up to be a good Huntsman that day.

How much had Chao lied to them?

A knock on the door jarred Virgil out of his head. He rolled his eyes and lay back down, shoving the covers back over his body.

“Which idiot forgot their scroll this time?” he called.

Silence.

There was another knock on the door.

Virgil frowned. “Did you leave it with your voice, or is it a nonverbal Logan? Knock twice if you’re Logan.”

One single knock sounded this time. Huffing, Virgil threw off the covers and headed to the door. He swung it open with a glare.

“Why the heck can’t you just-”

The words died on his lips. Chao hesitantly smiled.

“Hey,” he offered.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. “What do you want?”

Chao shrugged and lifted the two pints of ice cream in his hands, careful not to drop the book that was tucked under his arm. “Peace offering?”

He wanted to be mad. He wanted to yell, to kick him out of the dorm, to call his dads and tell them what his uncle never had and get them on his side. He wanted to break down and hug him and apologize for being upset, or to just go back in time and say no when Chao offered to take them on the mission and avoid this whole problem in the first place.

Instead, Virgil simply stepped out of the doorway. As soon as Chao was inside, he shut the door and watched in silence as he sat himself on the bookshelf under the window. They made eye contact.

“I was… hoping we could talk?” Chao said.

Virgil stayed silent, but his mind began to scream. What’s he going to say oh no why’s he bringing ice cream for this he only brings ice cream when things are really bad there’s a bad reason why Nere knows about Crina oh man what if Nere’s his ex what if Dad and Uncle Chao both dated Nere what if Nere’s our aunt what if Nere’s our mom and Dad and Papi lied to us for all of these years about Aunt Diana what if-

Chao cleared his throat. “Look, I know you’re mad- I’d be pretty upset, too -but nothing’s gonna get better if we don’t communicate.”

Clenching his jaw, Virgil looked away. “You’re one to talk,” he huffed.

Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh Virgil why did you say that, why did you have to go and ruin-

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Chao sighed, “And I want to fix it. I splurged to get you that black vanilla ice cream you used to rave about. Even remembered to get spoons this time!”

Memories of sticky, cold hands on a hot summer day at Sanctum set a soft smile on his mouth before he had the chance to hold it back; he rubbed a hand over his forehead and walked over to the bookshelf.

“Well, at least you got one thing right…”

He hopped up next to Chao and took the pint and the spoon, pulling the plastic tab away while the frost melted against his palm. Chao did the same, and they clinked their spoons together before moving to open their containers. For a second, it seemed like everything was back to normal, like Virgil was going to go home and lie to Papi about eating ice cream before dinner and make fun of Dad for the new information Chao had given him about the dumb things they did as teenagers. It was like nothing could be bad again.

And then his scroll buzzed against his mattress, pulling Virgil back into reality. The lid was only halfway off of his ice cream when the rock dropped in his stomach. He stopped.

“Um… Uncle Chao?”

Chao took a bite of his Red Sap sherbet and turned to look at Virgil, who slowly dropped his hands to let the pint sit in his lap. Virgil let his eyes trace the black and white plaid of his pajama pants instead of looking back.

“I know I asked this a lot in the forest, and I’m sorry I got so mad, but…” He sighed, shutting his eyes before finally making eye contact. “Why did Nere know?”

Chao paused, and his mouth twisted as he bit the inside of his cheek. His spoon tapped the crevice in his ice cream as his eyes darted just to the side of Virgil. After a moment, his head turned to look at the floor.

“Uh… Virge, that’s…”

“A difficult question?” Virgil finished. “Yeah, I kind of figured.”

Rolling his eyes, Chao shot him a glare. “It’s more complicated than you think,” he stated.

Virgil huffed and finally pulled the lid off of his container. “Look, I know I’m still really touchy about it and all. But like… she’s my sister. You don’t exactly get over seeing your little sibling leave one day to go to the store and never come back. I doubt you’d get over it immediately if it had happened to Dad.”

“No. I wouldn’t,” Chao sighed. “And I’ve told you that. Didn’t we finish this conversation a couple of years ago?”

“Apparently not.” Virgil scraped his spoon against the black ice cream. “I get that it’s been hard for me and you don’t want to make it worse, and I can respect that, but I’m not thirteen anymore! I know what the world is like now! There is nothing you can say that’s too complicated for me.”

Chao leaned back and pointed his spoon at him. “You are still just a kid, and being in training to become a Huntsman doesn’t change that.” He took a bite of his sherbet and continued with his mouth full. “Seventeen, never left Mistral before you came here, haven’t even gone into the City of Vale yet… trust me, there’s a lot I could say. You’re too young to understand the world, whether you like it or not.”

Virgil stared at Chao for a long moment, and then he set down his ice cream. “So was Crina,” he snapped, “But that didn’t stop her from being killed by it.”

Chao froze. He glanced at Virgil, then to the opposite wall, then to his sherbet, and back to Virgil. The spoon pushed the half-melted bits around in the container until he shut his eyes and let his head fall back against the window.

“She was there.”

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “Who, Crina? I mean, yeah, that’s a little-”

“No. Nere. She was there when the Grimm attacked. That’s why I couldn’t save her.”

There was a long pause. Virgil tried to swallow and open his airway, but his mouth was too dry. He slowly looked away.

“…Oh.”

Opening his eyes, Chao raised his eyebrows and went back to his ice cream. “Yeah. ‘S why I didn’t want to tell you. It would have made a bad situation even worse.”

Virgil chewed on his lip. “I… thought you said you were fighting the Grimm when it happened,” he whispered.

“I said I was fighting. Never said it was Grimm.”

Slowly shutting his eyes, he tried to push away the sensation of the world spinning out of control. It was fine. It was fine! Chao had had a good reason to do it! With a village as small as theirs, the likelihood of Grimm attacking was already high, and everyone did what they could to avoid negativity spreading- that was why they’d kept Crina’s death a secret in the first place! Virgil knew this, he knew he knew this, he knew he shouldn’t be upset… So why did it suddenly feel like he was so powerless against the world, like none of what he was doing was going to make a difference?

“I know I should have said something earlier,” Chao softly admitted. “You have a right to know about how your own little sister died. I’m sorry.”

Virgil gradually let out a breath. “It’s fine. You didn’t do it to upset us.”

“I’ll tell your dads tonight. Because, you know, I’m sure that they’ll want to start their day hearing that I lied to them about how their daughter died.” A dark chuckle escaped him, and then he hummed. “You know, on second thought, maybe I should wait until it’s nighttime there…”

Normally, Virgil would quip something back about giving them nightmares or only waiting because he’s procrastinating, but his wits had been thrown into a closet and jailed with a lock that had no key. He pulled his lower lip between his teeth and looked to the floor.

“I was so scared,” he whispered.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chao turn his head towards him. “What do you mean?”

“When I yelled for you,” he said, wrapping his arms around himself, “I got knocked out of the battle, and I looked around and realized that there was nothing I could do. Roman was fighting that guy who was way stronger than him, Logan was kicking away so many Grimm-” Virgil looked up at him, the King Taijitu in his chest returning. “There were so many, Chao-”

Chao set his sherbet to the side and pushed Virgil’s ice cream out of the way as he scooted closer to him. “It’s alright, Virge. We made it out.”

“And- And Patton, he was terrified, but his semblance wasn’t working… He was completely out of aura…”

“Everyone’s safe, Virge. That’s all that matters.”

“But what if they weren’t?” Virgil asked, tears finally starting to prick at his eyes. “I just- I- I saw Patton, and I just- it was everything I’d imagined Crina was like when-”

Chao put an arm around him. “Relax. He’s not hurt.”

“But what if he was?!”

“There’s a million what-ifs under the sun.”

Swallowing thickly, Virgil let his mouth fall shut. He leaned into his uncle and let out a shuddering breath. “I always thought that if I had gone with you guys into town, I could have helped you save her,” he breathed. “But… I don’t know anymore. I completely froze up back there. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“There is nothing wrong with you,” Chao firmly stated. “So you got a little scared your first time on a mission. Big deal! Fear is natural. Your dad pissed his pants after his first kiss ‘cause he was so scared, and that’s nothing compared to what you and your team just went through! Trust me, it’s gonna be way easier on your next mission after that.”

Virgil sighed. “That’s the problem, it wasn’t just today. I’ve been completely freaked out this entire semester. Every little thing has been pissing me off, or making me terrified- I’ve even started being afraid of homework, Chao!” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve never felt like this before in my entire life, even after Crina! It’s like… everything’s just… scary, and I don’t know why.”

Chao began to rub circles on Virgil’s arm, letting out a breath as he shook his head at him. “I think I might have an idea.”

“What?”

“When was the last time you were away from your dads before coming here?” he asked.

Pausing, Virgil racked his brain. “Uh… Crina and I went away to that summer camp when I was like, ten.”

“And when was the last time you had to go to a new place, by yourself, with no friends or family to help you adjust?”

“…I don’t know if I’ve ever… oh.”

Chao raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Yeah. Big changes, kid. They’ll do weird things to you.”

A flush of embarrassment crept over Virgil’s face, and he looked away.

“…Did you feel weird when you started at Haven?” he softly asked.

“Oh, like you wouldn’t believe. Don’t let your dad know I told you, but I cried on the phone to him and your grandparents almost every night for almost three quarters of my first semester there.”

“Really?”

Scoffing, Chao pulled his arm away and grabbed his sherbet. “Yeah. My teammates hated me. And hey, yours don’t! You must not be doing too bad if you’ve got friends like them!”

Overreacting. Virgil was overreacting. Like always. Ignore the panicking you’ve been doing day after day, ignore the pit in your stomach screaming he’s wrong. You’re fine.

“Hey, that reminds me.”

Chao set his ice cream down and picked up the book laying next to him. Tilting back his head, he inspected the cover; Virgil forced out a laugh.

“Starting to go blind?” he asked.

He scowled. “Shut up, you’re not gonna have room to talk in a couple of years if you have the same eyes as Diana.”

Virgil went to glare back, but Chao shoved the book into his hands before he could say anything.

“Look, I found this at some book store in Vale this afternoon,” Chao explained. “I figured you could stand to read something that wasn’t a comic book for once. Plus I wasn’t really expecting you to forgive me that easily over this, so it was going to be a part two of the peace offering, but… Y’know. Gift.”

Virgil raised an eyebrow and looked at the cover, only to have his features drop in surprise a moment later.

“…No way,” he breathed.

“Yep.”

“I didn’t know this was a book!”

Chao frowned at him. “Are you serious? Virge, it’s A Non-Descript Winter Holiday Carol. It’s been around for like, a hundred years! Why did you think there were so many movies of it?!”

Laughing, Virgil held the book to his chest. “I don’t know, I just thought the first movie was popular!”

“Oh, my gosh, you really are an idiot.”

“Says the guy who thought Dust came from bookshelves!”

“What- I was eight! How did you know about that?!”

“You’re not the only Vengier who likes giving dirt on his brother,” Virgil admitted.

Chao growled and looked away. “Should’ve never trusted that little snot…”

Virgil giggled, dropping the book into his lap and reaching over to hug him. “Thanks, Uncle Chao,” he mumbled into his shoulder.

An arm wrapped back around him.

“Yeah, whatever. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“I can’t believe you!”

Bang!

Nere and Amnon flinched as the man slammed his fist into the wall, shoulders heaving as he huffed for air. Amnon grabbed the edges of his scarf and twiddled with them while the man let out a moan.

“I’ve been so gracious to you, Nere,” he growled. “It’s been over a year since I spared your damn life. Over a year since I pushed aside my agenda so you could finish your revenge mission. I even gave you Amnon! And this is how you return that? By letting him get away again?!”

He whirled around, jabbing a finger at Nere; Amnon shuddered at how she stayed perfectly still, how she was conditioned enough to show no fear. A pin of ice settled in his stomach at the thought of being the same as her someday.

“How many times have you failed this mission now?” he snapped.

“Four,” she stated.

“Right! Four times! That’s four times you’ve wasted my time by chasing after some guy that apparently is way out of your league!” the man yelled. “So, tell me, Nere, why the hell should I let you keep after him?!”

She paused. Amnon chewed on his lip.

“There is good news,” she said.

The man barked out a laugh, staring at her for a long moment. “Good news? What the hell could have come out of a failed mission that could possibly be good?!”

Nere didn’t even blink at his shrieking, a smirk forming on her lips.

“We found her son.”

The man froze.

“…You mean…?”

“Yes,” Nere interrupted.

A smile formed on his lips. “Where?”

“He was with Chao, but it didn’t seem to be a normal occurrence,” she continued.

Amnon found his voice. “It looked like he was only being guarded by three other boys his age. Easy to defeat.”

Cackling filled the room. A chill ran up Amnon’s spine as the man raked a hand through his green fauxhawk. He rested his arm against his shoulder, the powder blue sleeve standing out against the dim lighting.

“Oh, that’s awesome,” the man sighed. “Looks like I don’t have to fire you two after all.”

Amnon stiffened, but the man turned around and began pacing before he could say anything.

“Now… I believe it’s time we start brainstorming.”

#sanders sides fic #sanders side fic #rwby au #prvl #alex writes

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autumn-new-moon · 7 years ago

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Essential Oils Master List

This list contains the oils that I personally found useful enough to put in my grimoire. If you have more, feel free to add them, but please tag me (@autumn-new-moon) so that I can update my grimoire! I’ve included the Latin and common name of each oil, to make it easier to find them.

Abies alba - White Fir: milder substitute for pine oil (good for sensitivities), can treat stiff and sore muscles, can treat mucousy coughs, can stimulate blood flow.

Achillea millefolium - Yarrow: anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, can treats cuts and abrasions, can treat menstrual pain, may be useful in treating hemorrhoids but consult a doctor first.

Angelica archangelica - Angelica: can treat PMS and painful periods, an expectorant, can stimulate the immune system.

Aniba rosalodora - Rosewood: mainly used for aromatherapy with emphasis on improving the skin.

Anthemis nobilis/Chamaelum nobile - Roman/English Chamomile: relaxant, anti-depressant, can treat PMS.

Boswellia carterii - Frankincense: can treat wounds, can treat dry and aged skin, anti-inflammatory and cell regeneration properties, an astringent, can treat congested respiratory diseases.

Canarium luzonicum - Elemi: can treat wounds and skin infections, can help alleviate asthma.

Cardamomum elettaria - Cardamom: digestive stimulant, soothing effect on the lungs (when diffused).

Citrus latifolia - Lime: disinfectant for cuts and stings, an astringent, a stimulant.

Citrus limonum - Lemon: a stimulant and focusing agent, a natural disinfectant.

Citris paradisii - Grapefruit: a stimulant, anti-depressant, diuretic, can treat cellulite.

Citrus sinensis - Sweet Orange: anti-depressant, can stimulate diet, can be used as a diuretic.

Coriandrum sativum - Cilantro: detoxifying and cleansing effects, assists with digestion.

Cymbopogon citratus - Lemongrass: topical antiseptic and antifungal agent, can act as a warming agent for aching muscles and joints.

Cymbopogon winterianus - Citronella: natural insect repellent (can be used in combination with other oils to a stronger effect).

Eucalyptus globulus - Eucalyptus: decongestant and expectorant for respiratory diseases (when diffused), a warming agent for aches and pains.

Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce - Sweet Fennel: can treat menstrual cramps, can help regulate irregular menstrual cycles, can reduce intestinal spams and flatulence, has diuretic properties, can help treat cellulite and poor circulation.

Gaultheria fragrantissima - Wintergreen: warming agent when applied to the skin, stimulant (when used in aromatherapy).

Helichrysum italicum - Immortelle: anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects, can be used to heal inflammation of the lungs and airways (when diffused), an astringent.

Jasminum grandiflorum - Jasmine*: anti-depressant, stimulant.

*Jasmine is a very expensive oil, so other oils with the same properties can be used instead.

Juniperus communis - Juniper: can treat edematous conditions especially those related to inflammatory conditions (i.e. rheumatism, gout, arthritis), has diuretic properties.

Juniperus virginiana - Virginia Cedarwood: treats itching skin and bronchitis, can be used as a component for various muscle rubs, repels moths.

Lavinus nobilis - Sweet Bay: has expectorant and decongestant properties, may help with headaches especially sinus-related ones, has appetite stimulating properties, can increase the production of salivary juices.

Lavandula augustifolia/officinale - Lavender: known as first aid in a bottle, heals burns, remedy for insect bites and stings, relaxant properties.

Lavandula latifolia - Spike Lavender: treats respiratory infections, has warming properties that can treat arthritis, aches and pains, and poor circulation.

Matricaria chamomilla/recutita - German Chamomile: treats inflammatory and itchy conditions, can soothe digestive problems, a common component in wound healing blends.

Melaleuca alternifolia - Tea Tree: has anti-bacterial and antifungal effects, has anti-inflammatory properties, can help treat acne, boils, candida infections, sore throats, tinea and other inflammatory conditions.

Melissa officinalis - Lemon Balm: has antispasmodic and calming effects, has anti-viral effects especially for viral infections such as cold sores.

Mentha piperita - Peppermint: treats cramping indigestion and nausea, as well as sinus pain and headaches.

Mentha spicata - Spearmint: has antispasmodic effect on the smooth muscle of the gut, can treat nausea and travel sickness (in some individuals), can help treat colic in babies.

Myristica fragrans - Nutmeg: has uplifting effects especially with stress, can be a component in rubs for muscle aches and pains and arthritis.

Ocimum basilicum - Sweet Basil: helps relieve menstrual and intestinal cramping pain, has focusing properties.

Origanum vulgare - Oregano**: maintains healthy immune system function, supports respiratory function, powerful cleansing and purifying agent, offers powerful antioxidents.

**This oil is especially helpful during cold and flu season: add about a dime sized amount (3-4 drops) to a shot glass full of water and swallow it quickly without letting it sit in your mouth (take it like a shot) and follow it by a swig of juice (orange or cranberry tend to be best, since they have strong flavours that’ll mask the oregano flavour). Do this at the first onset of cold or flu symptoms and it’ll help minimize them, if it doesn’t get rid of them altogether. Take this a couple times a day (morning and evening) for best results.

Pelargonium graveolens - Geranium: has antibacterial properties for wound healing and acne, a soothing aid for shingles and other neuralgia, a hormone balancer especially for women.

Pimpinella anisum - Aniseed: relieves spasms associated with indigestion, flatulence, and menstrual cramping, often used with fennel oil.

Pinus pinaster - Pine: an expectorant for respiratory infections, can relieve aches and pains, a diuretic and stimulant for circulation.

Piper nigrum - Black Pepper: a warming agent for muscular aches and pains, can aid in chronically cold hands and feet.

Pogostemon cablin - Patchouli: treats inflammatory skin conditions, astringent properties, can help reduce anxiety.

Rosa damascena - Rose: useful for gynecological and hormone problems as well as PMS and mood problems, aids in skin care, can reduce redness in capillaries, can restore youthful qualities to the skin.

Rosemarinus officinalis - Rosemary: stimulates memory and concentration, an expectorant for respiratory diseases, alleviates muscle aches and poor circulation.

Salvia sclarea - Clary Sage: antispasmodic for menstrual pain, regulates women’s hormones, an antidepressant and relaxant especially for panic and nervous hysteria.

Santalum album - Sandalwood: anti-inflammatory agent, aids dry and inflamed skin, heals sore and dry throats, also used for pruritis and genito-urinary infections.

Thymus vulgaris - Sweet Thyme***: anti-bacterial properties, a warming agent for massages, a potent natural insecticide.

***Thyme is irritating to the skin and scalp, so never apply undiluted or exceed the recommended amount.

Vanilla planifolia/fragrans - Vanilla: a remedy for anger, tension and irritability, an aphrodisiac, can help to stimulate appetite, the scent of vanilla may also help suppress cravings for sweet foods.

Zingiber officinale - Ginger: a remedy for nausea including pregnancy sickness and travel sickness, alleviates spasms in colic, stimulates circulation and metabolism, aids in pain from arthritis.

#witch #witchcraft #grimoire #mine #witch tips #essential oils #baby witch #new witch #masterpost

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catherindonald · 5 years ago

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Sage: The Herb of Thanksgiving

By Susan Belsinger

“Sage soothes both youth and age and brings the cook pleasing praise.” Carolyn Dille & Susan Belsinger, Herbs in the Kitchen

The majority of recipes that we find for stuffing (cooked inside the turkey or other fowl) or dressing (generally cooked separately in a baking dish in the oven), use fresh or dried sage leaves for flavoring, whether the ingredients include sausage, oysters, mushrooms, nuts, dried fruit, traditional white breadcrumbs or cornbread. Besides its traditional uses with poultry, game, and liver, and in sausages, sage can add a rich and graceful note to vegetables, breads, and sweets.

Sage’s culinary use with rich dishes probably came from its reputation as a digestive. It was very highly held as a medicinal plant by the Greeks and Romans. Its principal use was as a calmative for the stomach and nerves. Regular use of sage tea was said to confer an even disposition to excitable natures and a healthy old age to everyone. Swiss peasants and American Indians used sage as a dentifrice, first chewing a few leaves, then brushing the gums with a twig.

Sage is much respected culinarily in England and Italy, where most country gardens have a sage bush, often fifteen years or older. The flavor from good sage stock does not deteriorate with age, however sage varies in flavor as much as some of the more delicate herbs, depending on the soil and weather conditions. Dalmatian sage from Yugoslavia is esteemed because the camphor odor is less pronounced than in sage grown in different climates. This aroma is also milder in the fresh leaf. The flavor of fresh sage has decidedly lemon rind tones over resin. The lemon flavor recedes and the camphor, and a pleasant muskiness similar to silage, comes forward when sage is dried.

Common sage (Salvia officinalis) seems to keep its aroma and flavor through cooking and drying. Dwarf sage ‘Nana’, white-flowered sage ‘Alba’, and purple-leaved sage ‘Purpurescens’ and the wide-leaved, German ‘Berggarten’ are all handsome varieties of common sage, with good flavor and aroma. The latter cultivar is very strong in flavor, so a smaller amount should be used in place of common sage.

Sage–it’s not just for turkey!

Tis the season for sage—so harvest and dry it—or bring it into the kitchen and get creative with your salvias! Here are just a few ways to use this cold-weather herb in warming winter dishes:

Turkey stuffing—I particularly like it baked in my cornbread, which I bake ahead and then crumble and let it dry out a bit.

Winter squash baked with sage, garlic, and drizzled with olive oil.

Oven-roasted root vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, parsnips, turnips, leeks, and onions) diced and baked in a hot oven with sage leaves and olive oil, perhaps sprinkled with some ancho chile powder or smoked paprika.

Pinto, black, red and white beans are much improved by the flavor of sage and it works well with green chiles.

Pasta e fagioli wouldn’t be the most delectable pasta and bean soup without sage.

Hearty stews, cassoulet and chili benefit from sage seasoning, not to mention its antioxidant properties.

Both risotto and pasta are wonderful when combined with winter squash, sage leaves, and toasted nuts.

Try fresh sage leaves in your biscuits or pumpkin scones.

Combine sliced sweet potatoes, apple slices, and onions (or not) in the crockpot with sage leaves and drizzle with a little maple syrup and add a few knobs of butter. Serve when meltingly tender garnished with toasted pecans.

My favorite seasonal fruits—apples and pears—are delightful with sage from sage apple cake, pear, and cranberry crumble to applesauce.

Sage honey is great for sore throats and coughs—taken by the spoonful or added to a cup of hot tea—I have some infusing now in local honey.

Cultivating Sage

Sage graces the garden with its soft grey-green foliage providing a pleasing contrast to the bright hues of most other culinary herbs. It will grow to a bush about four feet in diameter, keeping a well-rounded shape with little pruning in mild climates. All of the sages should have a well-drained or gravelly soil and some added calcium where it is lacking in the soil. Sage needs full sun and will survive through cold winters if well mulched. It should be pruned in the early spring to encourage new growth.

A good practice to follow is mulching sage with an inch or two of sand. That, and the careful sanitation of removing weeds and dead leaves will usually suffice to spare the plants from the soil-borne wilt diseases to which they are susceptible.

Harvesting and Drying Sage

Like most herbs, sage should be dried in a warm dry place away from sun. Once the leaves are completely dried they should be stored whole in airtight containers. Sage should be crumbled, never ground, as needed for cooking; grinding completely destroys the delicate lemony perfume and leaves the harsher resinous flavors.

Susan is a culinary herbalist, food writer, educator, and photograph whose work has been published in numerous publications. She has authored a number of award-winning books. Her latest book, The Culinary Herbal: Growing & Preserving 97 Flavorful Herbs was co-authored with the late Dr. Arthur Tucker.

Susan is passionate about herbs and her work, sharing the joy of gardening and cooking through teaching & writing, and inspiring others to get in touch with their senses of smell & taste.

Sage: The Herb of Thanksgiving published first on https://marcuskeever.blogspot.com/

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robertsmorgan · 6 years ago

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Healing Herbs: Embracing Nature’s Medicine

More than 5,000 years ago, Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia carved the names of commonly used healing herbs onto clay tablets. These tablets provide the first known record of various herbs and their specific healing properties. You might say it was the birth of herbal medicine and herbalism.

In 1500 B.C., the Egyptians continued the tradition by publishing a manuscript called Ebers Papyrus that described 850 different medicinal plants. The document included many healing herbs we use today, like aloe vera, dill, garlic, and mint.

Hippocrates, who lived from 460 to 375 B.C., cataloged herbal remedies used by the Greeks and Romans. In the Middle Ages, European Benedictine monks began to grow and study medicinal plants. From the 1500s onward, herbalism took off. Book after book on the health benefits of healing herbs have found an audience, and interest in the field has never waned.

What Are Healing Herbs?

So what exactly are healing herbs? Generally, they're plants that people use to maintain good health or help with various conditions. The advantage of healing herbs is that they're often available in a minimally processed form that's free of added chemicals. Poultices, teas, and homemade salves are just a few examples of how healing herbs can be used. Make sure that the plant and its components (stem, leaves, flowers, or bark) are prepared in as natural a form as possible.

For example, you can boil rosebuds and chamomile flowers to create a healing steam for easier breathing, or make a compress from fresh muddled mint to soothe tired eyes. You may just want a warm cup of healing tea, or you may want to take ground up herbs in a capsule for ease of use.

Learn as much as you can about the herbs you're interested in before taking them. Research their benefits and potential interactions with other herbs or medications you take. Check with your healthcare provider, particularly if you are dealing with any specific health conditions.

The 16 Best Healing Herbs

There are many different healing herbs, and they all provide different benefits. This list includes some of the most well-known and time-honored healing herbs.

1. Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), also called rennet, Indian ginseng, and winter cherry, has a long history in Ayurvedic medicine. It's readily available in supplement form, and studies suggest it offers many benefits to both men and women. Ashwagandha supports fertility, memory, and a happy mood. It promotes normal blood sugar and cholesterol, and it helps ease systemic redness and swelling.[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] One of the most common uses for ashwagandha is to help ease symptoms of menopause. In a study of 51 women, not only was ashwagandha reported to ease mental stress, but it was also found to lessen hot flashes.[8]

2. Black Cohosh

Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) is another popular healing herb that women use to ease menopause symptoms. It won't stop the process of menopause, which is a normal and natural part of aging, but women who take black cohosh may find relief from hot flashes, night sweats, vertigo, and irritability.

Some studies found that black cohosh helped menopause symptoms, while others reported that it did not affect them. Comparisons between studies are challenging because they all used different serving sizes of black cohosh. Regardless, research indicates that the herb is generally safe to use.[9] It's most commonly available in a liquid extract or capsule, but you can also find black cohosh as an ingredient in teas that are marketed to women.

3. Chasteberry

Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus), sometimes called chaste tree berry, is another healing herb for women. Try chasteberry to relieve premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms.[10] You can make a tea from dried chasteberries, or take an extract or capsule.

Over 50 percent of women who take chasteberry extract for three menstrual cycles have fewer PMS symptoms.

More than 50 percent of women who took chasteberry extract for three menstrual cycles reported fewer PMS symptoms, including breast discomfort. Traditionally, nursing mothers have used chasteberry to promote normal breastmilk production, but the research has yet to fully confirm that benefit.

4. Echinacea

Echinacea, also known as purple coneflower, has a long history in herbalism. Native Americans used it for everything from snakebites to colic, and it won modern fame as a natural remedy for seasonal colds. Many people grow echinacea for its glorious purple blooms. The dried flowerhead and buds can be used for tea or made into extracts.

Echinacea is full of antioxidants which protect your cells against damage from free radicals. On top of its well-known role as an immune system booster, studies suggest echinacea may also ease swelling, encourage healthy cell growth, promote normal blood oxygen levels, boost oral health, keep skin looking young, and even improve mood.[11, 12]

5. Dandelion

If you think dandelion is just a common weed, think again. Traditionally, people used it for liver and digestion issues.[13]Dandelion boosts urine production, thus promoting normal urinary tract health. Steep dried dandelion leaves to make a liver cleansing tea. You can also add dandelion leaves to salads for a delicious flavor boost. Because dandelion contains high levels of vitamin A, some people make a homemade dandelion salve to nourish and moisturize their skin and soothe sore muscles.

6. Neem

People use nearly every part of the neem tree in herbal remedies, including its seeds, flowers, bark, and leaves. Research shows it helps swelling, infections, dental issues, and fever. Neem's fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants make it a powerful solution for skin conditions when it's made into a salve, oil, or lotion. A review of studies found that neem also boosts the immune system, eases systemic redness and swelling, resists harmful organisms, promotes normal blood sugar, and encourages healthy cell proliferation.[14]

7. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera gel, which contains at least 75 nutrients, is best known for its role in soothing sunburns, but that's not its only healing property.[15] Putting the gel on your skin helps wounds heal more quickly, lessens scarring, and reduces redness and swelling. Consuming aloe vera boosts the immune system, fights harmful organisms, and relieves occasional constipation.

Avoid whole-leaf aloe or aloe products that have high levels of aloin, which is harsh on the digestive system. Aloe Fuzion™ by Global Healing Center is certified organic and contains the most bio-available, 200x potency aloe vera. Unlike other aloe supplements, it's aloin-free and can provide gentle relief without acting like a harsh laxative.

8. Ginseng

Traditional Chinese Medicine has used ginseng root for centuries. There are a few types of ginseng, including Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium), and Tienchi ginseng (Panax notoginseng), and they each offer unique benefits.

Korean and Tienchi ginseng are adaptogens that help the body adapt to stress. Korean ginseng helps energy levels, sexual function, and brain health.[16, 17, 18] Tienchi ginseng stimulates blood flow, provides energy, and improves physical endurance.[19] American ginseng promotes normal blood sugar levels.[20] The best ginseng supplements combine the different types of ginseng.

9. Peppermint

Sometimes called "the world's oldest medicine," peppermint and its main component, menthol, are found in chewing gum, toothpaste, soap, herbal tea, and various candies and recipes. Historically, people used peppermint to ease a sour stomach and the accompanying gas. Modern studies indicate it may normalize digestive symptoms from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But, the humble peppermint leaf has many other uses, such as supporting respiratory health, boosting liver function, and relaxing tension headaches.[21, 22]

10. Passionflower

Feeling a little moody lately? Grab some passionflower (Passiflora incarnata). It's known as a natural folk remedy for anxiety.[23] There are studies showing that passionflower may help encourage restful sleep, sharp focus, and calm nerves.

Insomnia, anxiety, nerves, and ADHD all bring down your mood. Passionflower may help lift it back up.

Perhaps its most appealing feature, research suggests that passionflower can help promote a happy, balanced mood without negative side effects, such as impairing work performance.[23] You may find passionflower in liquid or capsule formulations. Although it can be taken by itself, it's often combined with valerian and hops for added stress reduction.

11. Milk Thistle

For hundreds of years, people have used milk thistle (Silybum marianum) tea to support gallbladder, liver, and prostate health. The herb has anti-inflammatory properties and its protective nutrients help keep toxic substances and organisms from causing harm.[24, 25] Typically found in capsules and liquid supplements, studies have found that milk thistle may prevent iron overload in the body.[26] And it may help with weight loss, too.

12. St. John's Wort

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) has a unique, and sometimes supernatural, history. Throughout time, people have used this herb to ease depression and create positive moods; because of that, it was once used in wreaths to deter evil spirits.

The dietary supplement can also be a remedy for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) as well as menopause symptoms, and comes in capsules and tea form.[27] Because of its potency, St. John's Wort may interact with some medications. Check with your healthcare provider before trying it.

13. Sage

Native Americans traditionally light a sage bundle to cleanse and ward off bad energy. Similarly, if something is wrong inside your body, sage (Salvia officinalis) might help.

Sage is an antioxidant, and studies show it may protect against age-related dementia and depression, normalize cholesterol and blood sugar, reduce swelling, and help fight against other chronic illnesses.[28]

Sage can be used to add delicious flavor to your food; you can even find even sage oil and candied sage leaves. You can also use sage as an ingredient in tea, or buy capsules to take supplementally.

14. Ginger

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) offers a great solution for nausea — whether from pregnancy-related morning sickness, flu, or motion sickness. You can find ginger in chewable candies, soda, lozenges, and capsules but your best option is to use the root fresh and raw, or powdered and dried.

Ginger is a strong anti-inflammatory agent that can soothe muscle discomfort.[29, 30] Studies also suggest ginger can normalize blood sugar and improve health outcomes in people with type 2 Diabetes.[31] For women, ginger eases the discomfort of menstrual cramping about as much as ibuprofen.[32] And if you can get ginger gum, the herb helps protect against gingivitis and periodontitis.[33]

15. Turmeric

If you've ever wondered why curry is so yellow, it's thanks to turmeric (Curcuma longa) — a common Indian spice and healing herb that's been used for centuries. A relative of ginger, turmeric comes from dried and ground root tubers. Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric.

If you want the health benefits from curcumin, you can try a supplement. With a turmeric liquid extract supplement, you get exponential benefits because the curcuminoids are more concentrated than a powder. Curcumin is a strong antioxidant that boosts brain and heart health, improves immunity, and reduces systemic redness and swelling.[34]

16. Lavender

Sweetly floral lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is booming in popularity lately. It's used in everything from baked goods to beverages. Anyone taking a whiff of a delicately scented lavender sachet knows the herb can relax you almost instantly.

People traditionally used lavender to ease anxiety and promote restful sleep, but it has other uses, as well.[35] After a daily scalp massage with lavender oil, people with alopecia saw less hair fall out and even had some grow back.[36] Not only is lavender resistant to fungus, but it can also improve blood circulation and reduce blood pressure.[37] Inhaling lavender helps alleviate pain and reduces stress — all while smelling delightful.[38]

Points to Remember

Using garden plants and healing herbs for therapeutic purposes has a long and storied history. The practice was first recorded when ancient Sumerians chiseled their remedies on clay tablets. Now, as modern herbalists and individuals use what nature provides to soothe health concerns, the tradition continues.

Popular and effective herbs include peppermint, ginseng, turmeric, lavender, milk thistle, and aloe vera, to name a few. Every type of healing herb has different uses and preparations, from teas to extracts to salves, and can promote good health in a seemingly endless number of ways.

Which healing herbs have you tried? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!

The post Healing Herbs: Embracing Nature’s Medicine appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

from Robert Morgan Blog https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/healing-herbs/

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reddirtramblings · 6 years ago

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Finally! I’ve found time to post again about our Yorkshire garden trip. My first post was about Newby Hall. You may get really tired of these UK posts, but as Robert Browning wrote: “Oh, to be in England now that April’s there,” or perhaps, in this case, June.

Antique copper pot used as a very large container. The owners were thrilled to get one that was so large. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what was once boiled in it. Sheep’s wool? Sorghum? I don’t know.

I hope you don’t mind me sharing our travels because travel is one of the things I truly live for.

Sedum ‘Matrona,’ Salvia nemorosa ‘Wesuwe’, and tall campanula at Cow Close Cottage.

When not traveling, I’m planning my next trip. Last week, I spoke on a panel with two other bloggers, Erin Schanen from The Impatient Gardener and Elizabeth Licata of Garden Rant at the GWA Annual Conference & Expo in Chicago.

Next month, I’m meeting Bill in Milwaukee, for the 115th Anniversary of Harley Davidson. Yes, we ride a Harley. He’ll ride the entire way from Oklahoma to Wisconsin. I’ll fly.

I’ll ride to Roman Nose State Park in Oklahoma, and even Bikes, Blues and BBQ in Arkansas, but Wisconsin is entirely too far for this Red Dirt Girl.

That said, let’s get back to our Yorkshire Garden trip.

The herbaceous border on one side of the Cow Close Cottage.

While it’s fun to travel almost anywhere, traveling to English gardens with friends and my husband, Bill, makes everything so much better. Layanee DeMerchant of Ledge and Gardens and her friend and travel agent, Lorraine Whittemore organized this trip. Another dear friend, Cindy Tournier at My Corner of Katy also traveled with us. We met many other lovely friends on the tour and in the gardens.

I think travel makes you a better person. I really do.

[Click on the photos in the galleries to enlarge them and read the captions.]

Lawn at Cow Close Cottage.

Lawn roller. British gardeners take their lawns very seriously.

Herbaceous border and one side of the Cow Close Cottage.

Part of the reason I went with Layanee’s group was that I’m also thinking about leading people on trips. Heck, I already do all the research before I go with another group. Why not share that research with others!

Foxtail barley grass, Hordeum jubatum ‘Early Pink’ mixed with Salvia nemorosa ‘Wesuwe’ at Cow Close Cottage. The guys said they just let the grass reseed each year. It is beautiful in this spot.

What do you think? Would you like to go? If you think you might sign up for my travel newsletter, and you’ll get a copy of my free packing list too. I’ll also send you tips and tricks to start saving for that bucket list vacation.

Salvia nemorosa ‘Wesuwe’ and Nepeta grandiflora ‘Blue Danube’ against a ‘Forest Pansy’ redbud.

One of our first stops on our Yorkshire Garden trip was Cow Close Cottage, open as part of the National Garden Scheme, a voluntary organization where gardeners open their private gardens, large and small, for charity. In fact, all of the gardens we visited were part of the scheme or were larger public gardens.

Layanee sitting in the chair at the end of the meadow. I cannot describe the amount of insects that were fed by this meadow of grasses and wildflowers. I still want to plant my meadow. Perhaps, I’ll get to it in 2019.

William Moore & John Wilson own Cow Close Cottage, and they were delightful hosts. So kind, and interesting to talk with. They bought the property in May 2008 and planted the first border in 2009. They retired to the cottage in 2010 so it’s a fairly young garden. It is planned and planted so that the perennial borders hit their peak at the end of July.

They were lovely also in June.

Purple astrantia, masterwort, around a large bird bath in the back garden.

All of the photos in this post are from their wonderful garden.

The ha-ha at Cow Close Cottage. Ha-has were built to keep animals out of the upper garden without destroying the view from the house.

Groups and individuals pay to enter gardens and have refreshments, like cake, tea, and elderberry cordial. The Brits seem to be big on elderberry cordial, and Bill and I were glad because it’s quite tasty. Sometimes, elderberry cordial is served cold and diluted with water, and other times diluted with sparkling water. Either way is delicious. While many of the gardeners made their own elderberry cordial, and you can too, you can also buy Belvoir Fruit Farm Elderflower Cordial, 500ml on Amazon of all places.

Part of the shade garden in the front yard at Cow Close Cottage

The view from the upper garden.

Cattle and the Yorkshire view. Yes, it does truly look just like the television shows on PBS.

Honey bees at Cow Close Cottage. Check out that old stone wall. Scrumptious, isn’t it?

You may notice from the lawn that they were in the middle of a drought that then deepend over the summer. I’ve heard that the rains have now returned. Then again, you may not notice because southern gardens in the U.S. are often in drought most summers.

I hope you enjoyed our visit to Cow Close Cottage. I’ll do another Yorkshire post soon.

Yorkshire garden trip: Cow Close Cottage Finally! I've found time to post again about our Yorkshire garden trip. My first post was about…

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josephkitchen0 · 7 years ago

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Growing Herbs Outdoors? Try These 7 Garden Themes

By Gayle, Blossom’s Herb Farm – We are all inspired to plant a gigantic vegetable garden every year to cut costs at the grocery store. But have you ever thought about combining your hobby with your landscape? By growing herbs outdoors as well as perennials you can do double duty. Did you know that landscape gardening can add 10 percent to the total value of your home?

When you decide to add a new planting bed, think about what you like to do in your spare time. I enjoy tackling soap making recipes and homemade toiletries, so I started growing herbs outdoors that I dry and use in my homemade concoctions. If you are a weaver and would like to start using natural dyes for wool, then start growing herbs outdoors that will serve as dye plants.

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Even old pros say they got dozens of tips for their flocks by reading this guide. YES! I want this Free Guide »

For my church this year I was planning to donate a Bible garden. Not only will it be there to touch and feel for the students, but the students can look up passages that go with each plant. If your religion is different and you’re in touch with Mother Nature, then plant yourself a garden full of Wicca herbs that you can use in your rituals.

A medicinal garden is a good theme as one never knows when an ailment or condition may arise. Passionflower (headache treatment), lemon balm (depression treatment), and lavender (insomnia treatment) are just a few of the common herbs in a medicinal garden.

Another one of my favorites is my hummingbird and butterfly garden. I just sit back and listen to the rumble of the hummingbirds. Remember butterflies need to lay their young on host plants so plant a few extras of their favorites to allow the caterpillars to feast on. The number of theme gardens is endless. I’ve listed a few ideas here:

Hummingbird Theme

Many plants attract hummingbirds, but the best attractants are tubular in shape and many are red, although that’s not always the case. As long as you provide nectar sources from late spring through the first frost, convenient places for them to nest (willows), perch, and of course a water source, they will visit. Here are a few suggestions: Ladybells, snapdragon, columbine, butterflyweed, bee balm, false indigo, butterflybush, dianthus, foxglove, daylily, coralbell, heucherella, hibiscus, hosta, lobelia, maltese cross, catnip, catmint, beardstongue, phlox, obedient plant, willow, salvia, veronica, honeysuckle, and clematis.

Butterfly Theme

To have a successful butterfly garden you need to provide both nectar and host plants, a water source (a shallow dish with a few rocks) and places for hiding and resting. After mating the females will seek out specific “host plants” in which they will lay their eggs and the hatched caterpillars will then eat. For example, Monarch caterpillars will only feed on butterfly weeds (also known as the milkweed plant). So it is quite important to provide both host and nectar plants in your garden. The caterpillar will then shed its skin and transform into a chrysalis and firmly attach itself to a host plant over winter.

Take care when tidying up your garden for winter not to disturb chrysalides, caterpillars or eggs. It is better to cut down your perennial garden in spring.

The following is a list of both nectar and host plants: Achillea, allium, antirrhinum, aquilegia, armeria, artemesia, ascelepia, boltonia, buddleia, campanula, caryopteris, centranthus, chelone, coreopsis delphinium, dianthus, digitalis, echinacea, erigerion, erynigium, eupatorium, foeniciculum, gaillardia, gaura, helenium, hemerocallis, hypericum, hyssops, inula; leucanthemum, liatris, lobelia, lychnis, lysimachia, malva, monarda, nepeta, origanum, penstemon, perovskia, phlox, physotegia, rudbekia, rue, salix, salvia, sedum, sempervivum, thalictrum, thymus, valeriana, veronica, veronicastrum, humulus, loncera, campsis, loncera, and viola.

A “Perfect Cup of Tea” Theme

Pick two tablespoons fresh herbs per cup of tea or one to two teaspoons of dried herb per cup. Bruise herbs with a wooden spoon, place in a teapot and pour boiling water over the herbs. Cover and let steep for about 15-20 minutes.

Plant and combine any of the following to make your own special herb brew. Yarrow, hyssop, lemon verbena, calendula, German chamomile, clove, pineapple sage, betony, stevia, thyme, and lavender.

Dyers Theme

The following plants historically provided color for fabrics and wool, but many times a mordant will be needed to get the right colors. (Consult a book for color achievement.) Yarrow, Roman chamomile, calendula, elecampane, horsetail, bronze fennel, sweet woodruff, lady bedstraw, St. John’s Wort, woad, bay tree, catnip, parsley, weld, rosemary, madder, black-eyed Susan, rue, sage, betony, comfrey, feverfew, tansy, or hops.

Herbal Bath Theme

Smoothing, soothing, and hydrating to the skin, herbal baths are a perfect antidote to combat impure air and water conditions. The basic bath is to place ½ cup of any combination of herbs in a non-metallic pot, add water to cover. Bring to boil, simmer 10-20 minutes to extract the wonderful benefits. Strain. Pour the fragrant brew into your warm—not hot— bathwater. Perspiring does not allow the absorption of the herbal nutrients. Try planting a few in a pot or in the ground. Lavender, mints, sages, chamomile, thymes, calendula, hops, parsley, basil, rosemary, roses, savory catnip, strawberry leaves, marshmallow, bay, verbena, comfrey.

Insect-Chasing Theme

Mix up a combination of herbs, dry thoroughly, and make into sachets to tuck into dark, creepy corners. Wormwood, southernwood, costmary, hyssop, rue, bay tree, lavender, peppermint, pennyroyal, spearmint, catnip, patroulli, mountain mint, rosemary, sage, santolina, tansy, thyme.

Medicinal Theme

Herbs are wonderful plants, but remember there is a dark side to all good things. Be careful when self-medicating. We make no recommendations or claims, but this is a list of plants that were used throughout history. (Ed. Note: Check with your physician for any possible herb/drug interactions.) With a little study, you can come up with mini medicinal theme gardens such as sleepy time herbs, headache herbs, cold herb garden, arthritis garden, etc.

If you have an ailment, a group of historically used herbs to suit you needs might consist of: Yarrow, oxknee, sweet flag, calamus, snow on the mountain, hyssop, lady’s mantel, garden chive, marshmallow, lemon verbena, chamomile, American arnica, mugwort, French tarragon, pleurisy root, New England aster, false indigo, wild indigo, calendula, German chamomile, costmary, black cohosh, coneflower, rattlesnake master, hemp agrimony, Joe-pye weed, Queen of the Meadow, bronze fennel, Sweet woodruff, lady bedstraw, bigfoot geranium, ginkgo tree, Russian licorice, Japanese blood grass, chameleon plant, St. John’s Wort, blue hyssop, bay tree, lavender, motherwort, lobelia, horehound, lemon balm, mint, bee balm, catnip, Russian sage, parsley, balloon flower, jie geng, garden sage, soapwort, Jing-Jie/Japanese Catnip, skullcap, betony, stevia, comfrey, feverfew, tansy, thyme, coltsfoot, valerian, mullein, vervain, culver’s root, passionflower vine, oregano, mallow, rue, rosemary, violet.

Other ideas are culinary, beer making, cut flowers, dried flowers, rock gardens, fairy gardens … endless possibilities. With all the hobbies out there I am sure you can attach a gardening theme to your passions in life.

Happy gardening and enjoy growing herbs outdoors for all your hobbies.

Originally published in Countryside March/April 2001 issue and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Growing Herbs Outdoors? Try These 7 Garden Themes was originally posted by All About Chickens

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queen-ofnewyork · 6 years ago

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Review of Glowhill's Aurora Whitehole Glow Mask

Glowhill is a Korean brand that combines skin’s natural glow and makeup’s colorful glitter to be visually appealing while being beneficial to the skin. Their Aurora Whitehole Glow Mask is designed using diamond and pearl for radiant, clear skin. Key ingredients include: diamond powder (gently exfoliates, brightening, helps to disguise fine lines and imperfections), pearl powder extract (skin regeneration, anti-redness, brightening, whitening, supports skin health), centella asiatica extract (healing, antioxidant, anti-aging, soothing, strengthens skin) and milk protein (anti-irritant, hydrating, nourishing, healing). This product retails for between $22-40 USD, you can get it here for $38.99 + free shipping.

Ingredients

Water, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Alcohol, Dipropylene Glycol, Methylpropanediol, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Xanthan Gum, C12-14 Pareth-12, 1,2-Hexanediol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Butylene Glycol, Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, Pearl Powder, Centella Asiatica Extract, Houttuynia Cordata (Fish Mint) Extract, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Extract, Tin Extract, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Bellis Perennis (Daisy) Flower Extract, Aspartic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Proline, Valine, Isoleucine, Phosphatidylcholine, Sambucus Nigra (Elder) Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Extract, Magnolia Liliiflora (Purple Lily Magnolia) Flower Extract, Plumeria Rubra (Red Frangipani) Flower Extract, Lilium Tigrinum (Tiger Lily) Extract, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine, Milk Protein Extract, Hylauronic Acid, Ceramide NP, Amethyst Powder, Tourmaline, Diamond Powder, Topaz, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ruby Powder, Sodium Hyaluronate, Fragrance

To quickly note, I received this for a small fee from 0.8 Liter for my honest review, this post is not sponsored.

The mask contains 50 ml (1.69 oz) and it has a very perfumey scent.

The mask also included a silicone pack brush.

The mask is white and has a beautiful glittery glow. It has a sticky finish, but it does spread pretty easily.

The mask shines beautifully and dries down entirely. It does pull off dry skin and baby hairs due to how sticky it is. (Sorry for my face lol)

The mask also gets right into the pores and pulls out dirt. After taking off the mask, my looked brighter and whiter and leaves it very smooth.

Recommended use is to take a moderate amount and spread it out wide and then once dried, remove it after about 15-20 minutes. Avoid the eye and lip areas. After using, it's important to note, this mask has a very strong scent, I personally love it but it's not ideal for everyone. The mask has a very smooth and sticky texture and there's no grittiness from all the glitter in it. The ingredients are nice and not irritating and the silicone brush actually spreads the mask easily. It gives the skin a brighter tone and soothes redness. This mask does pull kind of tightly so it's really best to avoid if you have sensitive skin.

What I like: I love this sparkly mask trend honestly. The scent of this mask is awesome, it's like some lovely perfume. The ingredients are lovely and it has a smooth texture and is easy to spread on the skin. There's no grittiness from the glitter and the pack brush works very well too. It's very brightening and soothes redness. It also smoothes the skin very well. What I don't like: I love the scent, but it may be an issue for people with an aversion to fragrance.

Pros:

Brightening

Smoothing

Great ingredients

Sparkly!

Great scent

Spreads easily and very smooth

No grittiness

Cons:

Fragrance

Would I buy again?

Yes

Rating: 9.5/10

#Glowhill #Aurora Whitehole Glow Mask #Korean Skincare #review #peel off masks #0.8L review

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themodernvedic · 7 years ago

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Uses and Health Benefits of Sage (Salvia Officinalis)

Sage has been used as a medicine and preservative from a long time. It was deeply regarded by the Greeks and Romans, who had devised a special gathering ceremony. Arabian healers of the 10th century believed that eating sage leaves would grant immortality, and four centuries later Europeans used sage oil to ward off witchcraft. The Chinese traded three cases of tea leaves for one case of sage leaves in 17th century from the Dutch because they appreciated Sage Tea. How to Use Sage Leaf ? Russian sage has originated in Afghanistan and has spread to Tibet. While the common culinary sages first grew in the Mediterranean and Balkan regions. One of the most popular culinary types of sage is pineapple sage. It bears bright red flowers and a sweet fragrance good

for teas and potpourri. Sage usually comes in three forms: Fresh Ground Rubbed Rubbed sage comes off the leaf almost like powder and is extremely light and fluffy. Fresh is the most flavorful and fragrant. Sage Leaf for Making Hair Dye Sage can restore your natural hair color.It will cover up the gray hair, and will make your

hair soft and shiny, All this without any harmful effects of chemical hair color that contains ammonia. Sage is a highly aromatic evergreen herb that contains phytosterols which are beneficial in many ways. This herb is one of the most effective remedies for grey hair. It stops the growth of grey hair and reportedly restores natural hair color. Sage also has been recommended for dandruff, oily hair or infections of the scalp. To make this dye you need to pour some clean water into a pot and place it over high heat. Let the water boil. Then you have to add sage leaves to the boiling water and let it boil for 30 minutes to an hour. You will notice that the water gets darker as you let the sage leaves steep in the water. Then switch off the flame and take the pot out of the fire and let the resulting tea cool down. Now lean over the sink or tub, and scoop the tea over your head. Then let your hair dry and shampoo, preferably with mild herbal shampoo. You can repeat this process twice a week until you get the shade you desire. To give your hair a refreshing scent, add some lavender oil or rosemary oil into your homemade sage dye. This also helps make your scalp healthier and your hair smoother. Sage Leaves for Making Incense Sage incense made at home can be useful to gets rid of nasty odors and it can set your

mood for meditation and yoga practice.It also helps relax your tired mind and body. You can make a bundle from the branches of the herb and cut them into equal pieces. Then tie these branches together by winding a thread or string from one end to the other at an angle and winding it again towards the bottom end at an opposite angle. This will create a crisscross pattern which will help hold the branches together.Then let these bundles dry. Once the herbs are completely dry, you can use it as an incense stick. All you have to do is simply burn one end of the bundle and it will give off a nice scent. How to use Sage oil ? Sage oil helps to manage and cure dermatitis, herpes, sinusitis, asthma and bronchitis, accumulation of phlegm, cerebral palsy, depression, sciatica and lumbago.It also induces mental stability along with alertness. This essential oil is extracted by steam distillation of sage leaves and is made up of mainly aesculetinen, alpha humulene, alpha thujene, alpha thujone, alpha terpineol, alpha terpenines, alpha pinene, alpha maaliene, aromadendrene, beta pinene, beta copaene, beta thujone, Borneol, Camphor, Cineole, Caryophyllene Oxide, camphene, delta cadinenes, linalool, limonene, myrcene, ocimenes, para cymenol, salviol, terpinenol and terpinolene. Sage Oil for Cognitive Disorders Sage has an ability to stimulate brain function to improve memory and

concentration, eliminate any cognitive disorders that may arise, including Alzheimer’s and dementia.Neural pathways get stimulated by the essential oils of sage and keep your mind fresh and youthful in old age. Sage oil is safe for consumption if its 100% therapeutic in nature.It is high in quality as well. You can add a drop of sage oil to a cup of water and consume it. You can also add a drop of Sage oil to your juice or smoothie as a dietary supplement. Sage Oil for Skin Conditions Sage oil has antibacterial, anti-fungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and many other medicinal properties. This oil is highly potent so should be diluted before use as concentrated oil can be harmful. Essential Oil of Sage blends well with the essential oils of Clary Sage, Lavender, Vetiver, Neroli and Rosmary. You can also use sage oil to make facial steam when suffering from nasal blockage. You just need to pour 2-3 drops of this potent oil into boiling water and lean over to breath in the steam. To avoid escape of this steam you can use a towel to cover your head. How to use Sage Tea ? Sage Tea is made from the leaves of a sage plant, one of the most beloved herbs used in culinary applications around the world. The high concentrations of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B-family, vitamin K and vitamin E, as well as copper, fiber, calcium, iron and magnesium make this a very popular herb in medicinal applications. The many health benefits of sage tea include: It lowers Anxiety Prevents Cancer Mitigates Menopausal Symptoms Detoxifies your Body Aids in Weight Loss Reduces Blood Sugar Levels Boosts Appetite Soothes the stomach and stimulates the immune system.

Sage Tea Preparation Fresh Sage leaves or dried leaves may be used to make tea. Following are the steps to make basil tea : You can take a few fresh leaves of sage or 1 tablespoon of dried sage leaves. Put these leaves in a tea pot and fill up the pot with a mug of boiling water. Then you have to steep these leaves. Sage has strong and spicy flavor but you can steep it for 10 minutes and then sweeten it. Sage Constituents Vitamin B : It rejuvenates and energizes your body and improves the functionality of your metabolism. Calcium/ Iron/ Manganese : These salts improve your bone health, help speedup your liver function and eliminate toxin to detoxify your body. Fiber : Fiber aids your digestion by stimulating peristaltic movement and helps in maintaining gut health to increase your nutrient uptake. Linalool/ Thymol : It is an antioxidant which boosts immunity and free radicals. 1,8 Cineole : It acts as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory agent and is anti-plasmodic in nature. B-caryophyllene :It modulates body's response to irritation. Omega-3 fatty acid : This is the good cholesterol which improves your heart health helps in preventing artheoclerosis ,and balances your cholesterol levels along with reducing inflammation. Alpha and Beta Thujone : It is a Ketone and a Monoterpene that occurs naturally in two Diastereomeric forms: (−)-α-thujone and (+)-β-thujone. It has a menthol odor and Thujone acts on GABA as an antagonist (opposite to the effects of alcohol) and as a component of several essential oils.It is also used in perfumery. Borneol : It is used as a skin tonic, a local Anaesthetic, sedative and an antispasmodic. Vitamin A : It plays vital role in bone growth, reproduction and the immune system. It also helps the skin and mucous membranes repel bacteria and viruses more effectively. It is essential to healthy vision. Vitamin K : It is an essential nutrient necessary for responding to injuries – it regulates normal blood clotting. Read the full article

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oilingpoint · 7 years ago

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Healthy Essentials: The Best Essential Oils For Hot Flashes!

Hot flashes can really be a hassle. They can be stressful as they come and go without warning. Most people look to their doctor to prescribe them accordingly with medicine that may ease the symptoms of hot flashes.

Taking traditional synthetic medicine can sometimes be a hassle as medication can be expensive and produce unwanted side effects.

Essential oils are a wonderful alternative traditional synthetic medicine as essential oils are natural, affordable, and have little to no side effects. This is your ultimate guide to finding the best essential oils to treat hot flashes!

Best Essential Oils For Hot Flashes - What Exactly Are Hot Flashes?

Before we get into knowing the cure, it is best that we know what hot flashes are and what are the condition’s causes, symptoms, risk factors, and complications. It is most important to know your condition before you treat it, for this reason I've listed down below all of the things that you need to know about hot flashes!

What Are The Symptoms?

Hot flashes are a quick feeling of heat that is usually followed by having a red flushed face and sweating. Scientists have not exactly determined the cause of hot flashes but they are usually related to changes in air circulation.

The symptoms of hot flashes include:

Skin that suddenly feels warm

Experiencing redness of skin on the face, neck, ears, and chest

Sweating

A heartbeat that is faster than usual

Tingling in your fingers

Aside from the symptoms that I've cited above, many people tend to feel cold and get chills when their bout of hot flashes goes away.

While hot flashes are common during the day, they can also occur at night. Hot flashes that occur at night are called night sweats. Night sweats can be a hassle as it can cause you to have a hard time to sleep.

On the other hand, a hot flush is a hot flash that comes with redness in the face and the neck.

The duration of hot flashes may vary but they tend to occur for short periods of time during menopause.

Hot flashes are a trademark symbol of menopause. Women who are undergoing menopause tend to experience hot flashes as often as a few times a day. Although menopause is the leading cause, it isn't the only cause.

What Are The Causes And Risk Factors?

The exact cause of hot flashes have not yet been figured out by scientists, but it is often thought that hot flashes are caused by changes in air circulation and hormone levels. Hot flashes have been found to be triggered by several factors.

Potential triggers of hot flashes include:

Spicy food

Hot drinks

Alcoholic beverages

Warm temperatures

Tobacco smoking

Tight clothing

Stress, anxiety, depression

Pregnancy

Chemotherapy

Hyperthyroidism

Spinal lesions

Certain medications

Besides the things that I've listed above, there are a number of other things that can trigger hot flashes.

Studies have also shown that ethnicity plays a factor on the likelihood of an individual to get hot flashes. People of African descent have been shown to report more instances of menopause caused hot flashes than their European and Asian counterparts.

I advise that you consult your doctor as soon as you can if you experience hot flashes on a regular basis. A doctor would be able to accurately pinpoint the cause of your hot flashes and advise you on how to deal with them accordingly.

Are There Any Complications?

Yes. Night time hot flashes or night sweats can wake you from your slumber and in time cause chronic insomnia. Hot flashes have also been linked to the development of heart disease and bone loss.

Hot flashes may seem like a medical condition that should not be of concern but it may serve as a gateway for many other medical conditions that can be life threatening. It is very important that you not take hot flashes for granted and deal with them accordingly.

Diagnosis

There aren't really any tests to diagnose hot flashes. Instead, your doctor may diagnose you based on your description of your symptoms. Your doctor may also sometimes ask you to take a blood test in order to find out if you're in menopausal transition.

How To Self-Manage Hot Flashes

If you're experiencing mild hot flashes, I suggest that you take on these lifestyle changes to manage them:

Stay Cool

It is widely accepted that slight variations in your body's core temperature may cause hot flashes. I advise that you dress in layers so that you may remove your clothing accordingly if you feel warm.

Another way to stay cool is to open your electric fan, windows, or air conditioner. If possible, lower your room temperature.

Lastly, if you feel that you're about to experience a bout of hot flashes, drink something cold as soon as you can. Cold drinks are great for lowering your body temperature and alleviating hot flashes.

Relax

There are some people that find relief from their hot flashes through meditation and other stress reducing techniques.

Even if stress reducing techniques don't completely eliminate your hot flashes, you should do them anyway as they might provide other benefits, such as easing sleep disturbances that tend to occur with menopause.

Watch Your Diet

Caffeinated beverages, spicy food, and alcoholic beverages are all known to trigger hot flashes. It is most important that you learn to recognize what food and drinks cause hot flashes and avoid them for the better.

Lose Weight

If you are overweight or obese, it is best to shed off those unnecessary pounds as losing weight may aid in easing your hot flashes.

Do Not Smoke

Smoking has been linked by both doctors and scientists to hot flashes. By not smoking, you dramatically reduce your chances of getting hot flashes.

Aside from reducing the risk of getting hot flashes, not smoking also greatly reduces your chances of getting deadly diseases that are known to be caused by smoking. You'll be doing yourself a favor by not smoking!

Best Essential Oils For Hot Flashes - What Are The Best For Your Hot Flashes?

Like I said earlier, essential oils are a great alternative to traditional medications if you're looking to manage the symptoms of your hot flashes. Experts have found several different essential oils to be able to provide utmost relief when applied on various areas of the body.

The essential oils that relieve hot flashes come from a variety of different plants.

Below are the five essential oils that have been found to be great for alleviating the symptoms that are caused by hot flashes!

Clary Sage Essential Oil

Clary sage essential oil is extracted from the herbaceous plant, salvia sclarea. People have been using the clary sage plant medicinally for more than a thousand years as an eye cleanser. The term ‘clary’ comes from the Latin word ‘clarus’, which means clarifying or cleansing.

The essential oil that is extracted from this plant has been found to possess antibacterial, anti-

inflammatory, carminative, sedative, hypotensive, euphoric, and antidepressant properties.

Aside from being used for medicinal purposes, clary sage essential oil is also used in the cosmetic industry as it is a common ingredient in many deodorants, herbal soaps, shampoos, face washes, and other hygiene products.

To relieve yourself of hot flashes, all you need to do is to rub three drops of diluted clary sage oil across the back of your neck or your feet.

If you want even quicker relief, dab a few drops of the oil on a napkin or a swab of cotton and inhale and exhale.

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil is actually the most used essential oil in the entire world. Ancient records tell us that lavender essential oil has a deep history and has been used medicinally and religiously for more than two millennia.

The Egyptians famously used lavender oil for mummification and as a perfume. Aside from the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans also used lavender oil for cooking, scenting air, and bathing.

Lavender oil is great for hot flashes as it balances your hormones and soothes perineal discomfort. Aside from being able to relieve perineal discomfort and balance your hormones, Lavender essential oil also has the ability to promote feelings of relaxation and improve the quality of your sleep.

This amazing essential oil is a perfect alternative for those who are taking sleeping aid medications as lavender oil does not have side effects.

Hot flashes are guaranteed to be a thing of the past with lavender essential oil!

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint essential oil has a fresh and invigorating minty aroma. This amazing essential oil is very versatile and has been found to be great for countless different kinds of applications.

Scientists have widely studied this oil and have discovered countless alkaloids and compounds that benefit our health.

The peppermint plant is actually a natural hybrid of the water mint and the spearmint plants. Native to the European continent, this plant grows to a maximum of 60 cm tall. Peppermint plants bloom from July to August, where they sprout tiny purple flowers.

Peppermint oil is extracted from the whole plant above ground just before flowering. The oil is extracted by steam distillation from the fresh or partly dried plant.

This wonderful essential oil is perfect for relieving the discomfort brought upon by hot flashes. For quick relief, all you need to do is to apply two drops of this oil on a tissue and hold the tissue up to your nose and breathe in slowly.

Basil Essential Oil

Basil oil comes from the basil plant that we all know and love. We often associate basil with Italian cuisine, but did you know that the essential oil that can be extracted from the plant has loads of health benefits?

The essential oil that comes from basil is mostly used for respiratory, muscular, and joint support.

Aside from what I stated above, basil oil is also great for increasing your estrogen levels. Increased estrogen levels in women often improve moods and therefore reduce stress and unwanted bouts of hot flashes.

To use basil essential oil, all you need to do is to rub the diluted oil on your feet and the back of your neck.

You're sure to get quick relief with this amazing essential oil from the basil plant!

Citrus Essential Oil

Citrus oil aromatherapy has been found by scientists and doctors to have a wide array of benefits for women who are suffering from menopause.

A study which was conducted back in 2014 proved that postmenopausal women who inhaled this essential oil experienced an increase in libido and a decrease in symptoms brought upon by menopause.

Women who inhaled citrus essential oil are said to experience a decrease in blood pressure, as well as an improved pulse rate and a more balanced estrogen level.

Aside from being beneficial for blood circulation and hormone regulation, citrus essential oil has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties. Your hot flashes and aches and pains are sure to become a thing of the past with this essential oil!

Best Essential Oils For Hot Flashes - What To Consider Before Treating Your Hot Flashes With Essential Oil

Essential oils are a great alternative to traditional medicine but like all medicines, essential oils aren't perfect for everyone.

I generally don't recommend essential oils to people who have sensitive skin as essential oils may sometimes may do more harm than good due to allergic reactions that may arise when a person who has sensitive skin uses them.

Before applying any kinds of essential oil, I believe that it is best that you conduct a simple test to make sure that you aren't allergic to the oil that you plan on using.

To test your skin, all you need to do is to put a dab of the oil that you wish to use on your skin and wait for fifteen to thirty minutes. If there aren’t any harsh reactions, then you're clear to proceed.

The post Healthy Essentials: The Best Essential Oils For Hot Flashes! appeared first on Oiling Point.

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syrenic · 8 years ago

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Information on Salvia officinalis “Sage” (Salvia officinalis).

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms

(unranked): Eudicots

(unranked): Asterids

Order: Lamiales

Family: Lamiaceae

Genus: Salvia

Species: S. officinalis

Toxicity: Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats, Non-Toxic to Horses

Masculine

Jupiter or Venus

Air

Magical attributes: Fertility, longevity, wishes, wisdom, protection, healing, health. Uses: Can be used in an infusion to aid digestion, or as part of a honey wine to fight colds and fever. When applied in compresses it can ease many skin discomforts, including dandruff. If made into cream it is good for muscular pain, and if dried and smoked sometimes gives relief to asthma.

Salvia officinalis (sage, also called garden sage, common sage, or culinary sage) is a perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae and native to the Mediterranean region, though it has naturalized in many places throughout the world. It has a long history of medicinal and culinary use, and in modern times as an ornamental garden plant. The common name "sage" is also used for a number of related and unrelated species. ‘

Also includes a Care Guide!.

Description

Cultivars are quite variable in size, leaf and flower color, and foliage pattern, with many variegated leaf types. The Old World type grows to approximately 2 ft (0.61 m) tall and wide, with lavender flowers most common, though they can also be white, pink, or purple. The plant flowers in late spring or summer. The leaves are oblong, ranging in size up to 2.5 in (6.4 cm) long by 1 in (2.5 cm) wide. Leaves are grey-green, rugose on the upper side, and nearly white underneath due to the many short soft hairs. Modern cultivars include leaves with purple, rose, cream, and yellow in many variegated combinations. Sage leaves are covered with fine hairs calledtrichomes.

Taxonomy (More Information!)

S. officinalis was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It has been grown for centuries in the Old World for its food and healing properties, and was often described in old herbals for the many miraculous properties attributed to it.The specific epithet, officinalis, refers to the plant's medicinal use—the officina was the traditional storeroom of a monastery where herbs and medicines were stored.S. officinalis has been classified under many other scientific names over the years, including six different names since 1940 alone. It is the type species for the genus Salvia.

The second most commonly used species of sage is Salvia lavandulaefolia, which shares a similar composition with Salvia officinalis, with the exception that lavandulaefolia contains very little of the potentially toxic GABAA receptor-antagonizing monoterpenoid thujone.

Names

S. officinalis has numerous common names. Some of the best-known are sage, common sage, garden sage, golden sage, kitchen sage, true sage, culinary sage, Dalmatian sage, and broadleaf sage. Cultivated forms include purple sage and red sage. The specific epithet officinalis refers to plants with a well-established medicinal or culinary value.

History

S. officinalis has been used since ancient times for warding off evil, snakebites, increasing women's fertility, and more. Theophrastus wrote about two different sages, a wild undershrub he called sphakos, and a similar cultivated plant he called elelisphakos. Pliny the Elder said the latter plant was called salvia by the Romans, and used as a diuretic, a local anesthetic for the skin, a styptic, and for other uses. Charlemagne recommended the plant for cultivation in the early Middle Ages, and during the Carolingian Empire, it was cultivated in monastery gardens. Walafrid Strabo described it in his poem Hortulus as having a sweet scent and being useful for many human ailments—he went back to the Greek root for the name and called it lelifagus.

The plant had a high reputation throughout the Middle Ages, with many sayings referring to its healing properties and value. It was sometimes called S. salvatrix (sage the savior), and was one of the ingredients of Four Thieves Vinegar, a blend of herbs which was supposed to ward off the plague. Dioscorides, Pliny, and Galen all recommended sage as a diuretic, hemostatic, emmenagogue, and tonic. John Gerard's Herball (1597) states that sage "is singularly good for the head and brain, it quickeneth the senses and memory, strengtheneth the sinews, restoreth health to those that have the palsy, and taketh away shakey trembling of the members. In past centuries it was also used for hair care, insect bites and wasp stings, nervous conditions, mental conditions, oral preparations for inflammation of the mouth, tongue and throat, and also to reduce fevers.

Uses

Culinary use

In Britain, sage has for generations been listed as one of the essential herbs, along with parsley, rosemary and thyme (as in the folk song "Scarborough Fair"). It has a savory, slightly peppery flavor. It appears in many European cuisines, notably Italian, Balkan and Middle Eastern cookery. In Italian cuisine, it is an essential condiment for saltimbocca and other dishes, favored with fish. In British and American cooking, it is traditionally served as sage and onion stuffing, an accompaniment to roast turkey or chicken at Christmas or Thanksgiving Day. Other dishes include pork casserole, Sage Derby cheese and Lincolnshire sausages. Despite the common use of traditional and available herbs in French cuisine, sage never found favor there.

Essential oil

Common sage is grown in parts of Europe for distillation of an essential oil, though other species such as Salvia fruticosa may also be harvested and distilled with it. The essential oil contains cineole, borneol, and thujone. Sage leaf contains tannic acid, oleic acid, ursonic acid, ursolic acid, carnosol, carnosic acid, fumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, niacin, nicotinamide, flavones, flavonoid glycosides, and estrogenic substances.

Health

A number of double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, balanced-crossover studies in healthy humans have demonstrated improved memory, attention/executive function, alertness and mood following single doses of cholinesterase-inhibiting sage extracts or essential oils. A single, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in a small cohort (n = 30) of Alzheimer's disease patients also demonstrated improved cognitive functioning and behavioral function (Clinical Dementia Rating) following a 16-week administration of a Salvia officinalis alcoholic tincture. Extracts of sage can enhance cognitive performance, comparable to the effect of the caffeine found in tea and coffee.

Cultivars

In favorable conditions in the garden, S. officinalis can grow to a substantial size (1 square metre or more), but a number of cultivars are more compact. As such they are valued as small ornamental flowering shrubs, rather than for their herbal properties. Some provide low ground cover, especially in sunny dry environments. Like many herbs they can be killed by a cold wet winter, especially if the soil is not well drained. But they are easily propagated from summer cuttings, and some cultivars are produced from seeds.

Named cultivars include:

'Alba', a white-flowered cultivar

'Aurea', golden sage

'Berggarten', a cultivar with large leaves, which rarely blooms, extending the useful life of the leaves

'Extrakta', has leaves with higher oil concentrations

'Icterina', a cultivar with yellow-green variegated leaves

'Lavandulaefolia', a small leaved cultivar

'Purpurascens' ('Purpurea'), a purple-leafed cultivar

'Tricolor', a cultivar with white, purple and green variegated leaves.

Planting

Sage can grow from seeds, but the best way to grow high-quality sage is from cuttings from an established plant.

You can start the seeds/cuttings indoors 6 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost.

Plant the seeds/cuttings in well-drained soil 1 to 2 weeks before the last spring frost.

Plant the seeds/cuttings 24 to 30 inches apart. For best growth, the soil should be between 60º and 70ºF. Plants should grow to be between 12 and 30 inches in height.

In the garden, plant near rosemary, cabbage, and carrots, but keep sage away from cucumbers.

Care

Be sure to water the young plants regularly until they are fully grown so that they don’t dry out.

Prune the heavier, woody stems every spring.

It’s best to replace the plants every 4 to 5 years to ensure the best quality.

Pests/Diseases

Rust

Powdery mildew

Stem rot

Fungal leaf spots

Whiteflies

Aphids

Spider mites

Harvest/Storage

During the first year, harvest lightly to ensure that the plant grows fully.

After the first year. be sure to leave a few stalks so that the plant can rejuvenate. If fully established, one plant can be harvested up to three times in one season.

Sage’s flavor is best when fresh, but it can be stored frozen or dried. To dry, leave the branches in the sun; once dried, remove the leaves and store them in an airtight container.

#Planting #Plantcare #Plantinformation #Sage #Salvia officinalis #Witch #Witches #Witchcraft #Tips

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