I can't seem to find any information about the specific origins of how it came to be known or believed that a specific herb had x, y, and z magical properties. All I ever find is referring to the proverbial "they", or "it has often been believed", etc. Well, often believed by whom? Surely there are cultural and historical origins to all these herbal magical uses, and yet any and every source I find simply lists the magical property and no explanation on from where and at what point such an herb got said assignment.

The medicinal effects of herbs often do have a "backstory", and even if it doesn't, the effects of the herbs on the body are far more measurable than magical uses.

The common response I get to such inquiries is "because they work" or "it is all in your perception", but this is not the answer I am looking for. I am looking for its history and how the common acceptance of these herbs as magical came to be. It just seems to just simply be accepted by everyone that x herb has y magical property. I need more definitive answers than these provide.

Any recommendations on a text that may explain this?

Thank you.

ETA: Thanks so much to everyone for their responses!! I think I will find some helpful info with what you all gave me.

I've come seeking knowledge. I discovered a site (http://blog.worldvillage.com/health/herbal_remedy_for_bacterial_vaginosis.html) or two that list a certain herb as being useful for clearing bacterial overgrowth. The problem is, I've never heard of it and the web is dead on the subject. I was just wondering if anyone knew any other names or had further information on the herb:

Trachealthis

Any help would be most appreciated.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/mercola13.1.html

Another quick read w/ full justification.

Anyone have any recommendations for herbs for clearing/detoxing the skin and/or getting rid of dark circles?

I've looked through the tags, but unless I've missed something, I can't find anything :X Thank you in advance!

So, i'm interested in using sweet gale in a couple things i'm cooking up, but for the life of me I can't find a good source online. Has anyone here seen it for sale whole herb? Or are there any residents of great britain who'd be willing to poke around for me? Bayberry and wax myrtle are in the same family, but i'm interested specifically in myrica gale, otherwise known as english bog myrtle or sweet gale.

There's a simple way to know when we're getting close to decent health care reform (in the US). The more insurance hates it, the better it is. Insurance companies are getting desperate. They are worried that their stop is coming up, they will have to get off the gravy train. For a while they were bargaining to stay on the train, but now they are cornered. They are focused on our pocket books, which they've been robbing for decades. The recent insurance-commissioned "study" that says health care costs will soar is the desperate threat of a gigantic moneymaker feeling the possibility of its own demise.
( Thoughts )

Saturday night I felt a small lump forming right under my right eye (I've had this before) and Sunday morning when I woke up the lump was fairly large, it's never been that large before and it was bruised looking.  I put evening primrose oil and tea tree oil on it.  What else can I do?  Would a cucumber slice or raw potato help take away the red and the bruise?

I told my doctor I get a lump under my eye and I knew it was because of my sinus and she gave my Nasonex, it's a nasal mist.  Today I bought Drixoral which is also a nasal mist since they didn't have Nasonex.  Since you can't use these continuous I wondered if there was something better.  I have sniffed tea tree oil in the past to help loosen my sinus.

Has any one here seen anything like this?

( picture )

Hello,
Could anyone recommend some easy preparations of usnea lichen (preferably that don't involve alcohol)? How do you use it (when dried or fresh)?
I read that usnic acid isn't water soluble; does that mean I can't use dried lichen in tea?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Hi everyone,
I purchased some Vitex (chasteberry, Agnus-castus) yesterday and have started taking 1200 mg a day. I have a VERY irregular menstrual cycle, horrid pms, and heavy bleeding. The doctors don't know what is the deal other than stress that's causing it, and my periods have always been kind of irregular.
Have any of you tried this and had success of any kind? All feedback welcome.

I've been having increasing difficulties getting to sleep at night.  I think it's either an effect of the peri-menopause or because of some nasty life stress that has come along and kicked my behind.  Seeing as I can't make either my age or the stress go away, I can't tell.  Once asleep, I usually have no problem, but if it took long enough to fall asleep, the alarm clock feels awfully early and the next day can be pretty well shot.

I started using melatonin to get to sleep, and it helped a bit.  But eventually, I had to double the recommended dose (3mgs up to 6 mgs) and now I'm taking it every night.  This doesn't strike me as a good pattern.

So, does melatonin have any unpleasant issues from long term use?  And, any other suggestions for how to get to sleep?

Not sure if anyone in this community can help, but thought it was worth a try!

I have been dyeing my hair black for about 3 years and am sick of it. It is shoulder length. I want to go red. some friends just used henna and it is gorgeous (they had brown hair). has anyone ever tried using red henna over black hair? I am wondering if I just start using henna over it, maybe it will eventually get redder as my reddish roots grow out...or will I have black hair with bright red roots? my real color is somewhat mousy light brown- probably with a bit of gray now (its been more than 10 years since I had my natural color).

Any advice? Thank you!

hello everyone! i hope this isn't too silly a question,I'm fairly new to making my own remedies and whatnot.
I walked into an herb shop and totally got sucked in and bought all sorts of dried chamomile,rose petals,lavender,etc
I was hoping to make a facial moisturizer with a base of coconut oil or shea butter and add the herbs in,but alot of the recipes i find online don't say much about using herbs,but rather the essential oils.

can i just grind the herbs down to a powder and mix/cook them with the base?
does anyone have some recipes that don't call for just essential oils,or are they really necessary?
thanks so much.

Hello everyone,

I'm a uni student and I'm pretty new to all this. (I study pharmacy but 99% of what we study is about the chemicals, which I personally avoid taking unless strictly necessary. The irony).
Now, I have problems concentrating, and I was looking for something herbal. I googled but I have gotten a wide array of different plants and herbs, and I lack experience to know where to start. Ginseng and ginkgo I have heard often, but I don't know if those are good to start with, and under which form to take them.
Thanks!

Does anyone have any experiences with seltzer makers?  I'm in the process of cutting sodas out of my diet and thought that this might be a worthwhile.

I am starting a medicinal herbal garden. I'm looking at really basic, simple things to start with, both because I am still in the very beginner stages of my learning and because I am not exactly an ace gardener.

So far I've got lavender, chamomile, feverfew, mullein, sage, a few varieties of mint, rosemary, and thyme. I think those should cover the basics of upset stomachs, headaches, sore throats, wheezes, anxiety, insomnia, and other simple but pesty not-feel good things that might occur.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for herbs I might want to use? (Bonus if they have culinary use) Also, I think I've got a fairly good selection of reference materials, but if someone has a suggestion for a book or reference that they would really recommend, please share.

Thank you!

EDIT: I do have echinacea growing elsewhere, and have aloe vera, parsley and catnip indoors, but I just never even thought of any of them for this. Thank you for your input, everyone :)

I have what may be the beginnings of a bladder infection.  I'm rummaging through my books to find ideas, and will be getting some of the always popular cranberry juice later in the morning, too.

Just FYI, there are two new things the last few days.  One is that I've been using some Emergen C fizzy drink stuff the last couple of days.  There's a nasty stomach flu going around one part of my life and I am hoping to avoid that.  The other thing is a Metric Ton of Stress, as I've been waiting for some biopsy results to come back.  (those is supposed to come back today)

Any suggestions, please?

 I've started my own little business and some of my products contain dried herbs. I've never mailed herbs before. Are there regulations to it? Most are small items like sachets and such.. I live in Michigan and would be mailing within the U.S. I'd like to know but am unable to find much info.

Thanks.

As a result of a bad fall last weekend I banged up my shin pretty badly and discovered that I have low-iron; I've stopped eating meat when I got to college so I think that's partly it. Anyway, what can I put on the bruises to help them heal faster? I have them all the way down to my ankle and they suck since it's on the right side of my body, my dominate side. I've been avoiding banging it against anything else, so hopefully that will help.
Sorry if this has been answered before, I looked in the memories couldn't find anything.

sorry if i missed anything in the memories--

any tips on a nice natural air freshener just to keep a room smelling nice?? and that will last? im guessing lavender would be nice...or using some essential oils..i really dont know so anyone who has any tips or ideas would be most appreciated =) xxx

for queen anne's lace.

saw a query a couple days ago about natural birth control, so i thought i'd make a post reminding you about queen anne's lace. instead of writing out my personal experience and opinion, i'll direct you to a few informative links:

http://www.sisterzeus.com/qaluse.htm

she is also good for many other things:

http://www.altnature.com/gallery/Wild_Carrot.htm

more on QAL as birth control (this is a really good synopsis) :

http://robinrosebennett.com/wild_carrot%20article.htm

IT WORKS.

Has anyone ever tried Wild Yam as a birth control method?

Is it reliable?

I'm exploring different contraceptive options. My partner and I are monogamous, so there are no worries with disease or anything.

I've tried hormonal methods in the past and did not like the way they made me feel. Recently, I've been reading a lot on sisterzeus.com and really like what she has to say. But reading other first hand accounts from some other folks would make me feel better about making a decision.

Any other herbal contraceptives that the ladies here have found success with would also be very welcome. First hand testimonials are a super plus plus. :)

x-posted

LUSH cosmetics!! I'm a huge animal lover, and I also LOVE natural products, so this is awesome!!


Here, have a 15% off coupon!

http://www.wspa-usa.org/download/174_lush_coupon_0809.pdf

Also, 100% of the proceeds from their Charity Pot goes to WSPA this month and helping to fund an orangutan rehab center!

http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/body/hand-body-creams/charity-pot

Thanks for checking it out! :)

x-posted!

My partner's good friend lives in Indonesia. Lately I've become interested in aromatherapy and he agreed to send oils from there, where the prices are low. I'm very new to aromatherapy so I had a few questions about the matter.

1.  Which EOs are native to the region? 
2.  What are some basic, well-rounded EOs to ask for, for a beginner to learn with?
3. My partner says not to worry about the EOs from Indonesia not being pure. How cautious do I need to be about obtaining oils from there, as opposed to getting them from within the US? What are some simple shopping guidelines I can give our friend (without overwhelming him)?
4. Do aromatherapists generally take on apprentices? Do you have any advice/experiences on learning aromatherapy with a mentor?

Thanks for your help!

Maybe you wonderful people can help me... My mama has some sort of rash. It's not poison ivy, psoriasis, eczema, bug bites, allergies, dry skin... I'm running out of things to ask her and I still have no idea what's wrong or how to fix it for her. I told her to get to a dermatologist when we get home, but that won't be until Monday -- we're 2/3rds of the way across the country for a wedding right now.

Some of it looks like poison ivy, like lots of little bumps and rashes clumped together and itchy. There's a patch on her side as big as my hand and irregularly shaped, where the whole patch is raised up. I've never seen anything like it, yet she keeps showing me and asking what it is!

Any ideas would be wonderful.

I've been invited to a Woad party at one of the faires I work at.
I've found 2 thoughts on woad:
1) that it is a hallucinogenic compound that sends people into berzerker frenzies or psychic overdrive
2) that it is a pretty color and any psychoactive effects come from either a placebo effect, or other substances mixed in with the woad.

Does anyone have any real information on this? I have a bad history with psychoactives and would not like to repeat some of my crazier times.

Thought I would share this website i just found :) a good source of info on teas/herbal teas!!

http://www.teabenefits.com/

=)

I hope this isn't off topic :)
a few months ago my boyfriend and I had a garlic which had started sprouting so we potted it. today my boyfriend discovered loads of garlic cloves have grown in the pot :D
are these edible or are these what you are meant to grow whole garlics from? they smell good n garlicy :) looking forward to cooking with them if that's what we have grown! x

I searched through the tags, but I only found things related to general depression and anxiety.


So after several years of dealing with what felt like sporadic depression, almost always followed by panic attacks, I have found out that I suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder.  Actually, finding this out has been kind of a relief, since I always thought I was just crazy/unstable.

Obviously, I'm here because I'm not to keen on the idea of taking antidepressant medications and would like to find an alternative.  However, I'm not sure where to begin.  Because I'm moderately to severely depressed/anxious for a brief period of time (About a week or two before my period) my inclination is to go for something that could be used on an "as needed" basis.  So far I'm considering kava kava for particularly bad episodes (which occur about once every two months), and cutting down on caffeine, salt, and sugar :(.  I already exercise regularly. 

Does anyone here have experience with PMDD, or trying to treat it without prescription antidepressants?  Should I be treating symptoms on an as-needed basis, or should I be treating it throughout the month, even when I feel perfectly fine?

 I've been battling a sinus infection for roughly 5 months now, and I'm just completely done with this. I tried nasal irrigation, but it actually made things worse (which I read can happen if it's a bacterial infection), I tried antibiotics but they make me too sick to take them, I've tried so many things that I actually forget everything I've tried, which makes it sound like I've tried nothing. But trust me. I have. 

So right now I'm trying a course of this awful tasting garlic concoction. Basically it's a ton of garlic infused in a bit of wine, olive oil, vinegar, and hot water. It's only been about a day and a half, and sometimes it feels like it's working. But sometimes it doesn't.

I've heard great things about grapefruit seed extract. I've heard of people just drinking in it a glass of water, or people using it in their nasal irrigation water. Has anyone had any experiences with this? Is it worth the effort? Is grapefruit seed oil the same thing as grapefruit seed extract? 

If you know of any other things I could try, I'd love to hear about those, too. I'm about ready to just cut that darn nose right off my face, I'm so sick of not being able to breathe properly.