Sulum Factum Magus

Everyone of us, sooner or later, will face some challenge regarding our health. Whether it is recovering from an illness or accident, or dealing with some chronic disease like arthritis or irritable bowel syndrome, there are some things the wise person can do to accelerate their healing, or better manage their condition. An old Chinese saying is that disease comes in at the mouth, while misfortune comes out of the mouth, meaning to take care what you eat and drink, and what you say. A similar understanding was held by the old herbalists of the physico-medicalist tradition. They held that all disease began in the digestive system. This wisdom has largely been lost to the average person in the modern day, who sees no problem with stuffing themselves with fast food, soft drinks, cakes and sweets, washed down with coffee and alcohol. However this will eventually catch up with one, sooner for those with a weak constitution, later for those with a strong constitution. Recovery from any accident or disease is difficult with such a diet. Nature’s way is to go back to the simple basics. A simple diet based around whole grains and vegetables, with a significant proportion of raw foods provides the optimum nourishment, in my opinion. Supplemented with fruits, herbal beverages, and adequate protein in the form of eggs, tofu, meat, beans or fish, this can be the foundation for recovering health.

Many diseases, especially chronic disease, are associated with inflammation in various tissues of the body. Naturopathy addresses inflammation by ‘alkalising’ the body through a dietary regime that excludes sugar, caffeine, alcohol, pastry, recreational drugs, a diet that de-emphasises meat, processed flour products, and that emphasises whole grains and vegetables. The anti-inflammatory action can be accelerated with juices, such as carrot, celery and especially wheat grass and barley grass. These days, it is no trouble to include wheat or barley grass in the diet, as powdered versions are available. It is a very simple approach, and over time, will improve very many conditions. However many people would rather suffer with their conditions than try an approach that requires them to give up their coffee, beer or wine, or eat a salad each day. They would rather take a pill, and carry on as before.

Eventually, however, one gets to a point of being willing to try anything, when the pills stop working, or start having side effects. The simple approach of nature is often the last port of call. Some are too far gone for help. Others however, find improvements can be obtained.

One needs to develop discipline however, in order to persevere with what in our society is perceived as a strict and puritan dietary regime. One must put up with ridicule, and people’s attempts to lure you from the ’straight and narrow’. If you are like me, there will be many failures, which will lead to a return of symptoms, and all the annoyance they cause. However, eventually one learns to be unconcerned by the opinion of others, and make one’s health one’s only concern.

One should not follow such a diet in a spirit of denial, as this also does its damage to the soul. The way to follow such a diet is in a spirit of generosity – giving your body what it needs to work well in optimum health. The principle of moderation can also come into play. The occasional glass of wine, or cup of coffee, or piece of cake is probably not going to be a problem. But that depends on your condition and your body’s sensitivity.

In my own case, I have lived with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for almost thirty years. I can’t begin to tell you the amount of frustration and heart ache it has caused me. And while I can’t claim to have cured the condition, I do know how to manage it with diet and exercise in order to minimise its impact on my life. The diet above is the central plank of the way I prevent it getting the upper hand. This is supplemented by use of herbs from time to time that nourish the liver and kidneys, herbs such as licorice root, dandelion root, burdock root, saw palmetto berries, and marshmallow root. You will notice that these are predominantly roots, which to me carries elemental Earth energies into my system. This helps to counteract the over active Air energies I associate with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – usually, for me, a result of excessive use of fine motor movements in the fingers. Another thing I have found to be helpful is massaging my wrists and forearms with hemp oil, which contains anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids. Avocado, with garlic and lime juice on toast, is also something which seems to help. Turmeric is also a wonderful anti-inflammatory. Put half a teaspoon of dried turmeric per cup of brown rice whenever you cook up rice. My own theory about why my symptoms arise is that my tendons are too tight, and need to be stretched a bit. So I also have some exercises which I do regularly for stretching the connective tissues of the arms. In traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver is said to rule the tendons. Hence the use of liver herbs outlined above. Carpal tunnel syndrome is also associated with poor Kidney function, as it often arises in people on kidney dialysis machines. Hence the use of Kidney herbs.

Putting all these together usually enables me to avoid flare-ups, or recover reasonably quickly when they occur. And also, perhaps most difficult of all, I need to manage the amount of work to be done with the fingers….

I hope that others may find in the ideas above something of help in their own encounters with disease.

Blessed Be,

Robyn.

Here is a cheap and simple kitchen remedy that you can try. I call it the “Witches’ Cure”, though you will hear naturopaths speak of something very similar as a liver cleanse. However it does far more than cleanse the liver! Here is what you do. Take two cloves of good quality organic garlic, three if they are small, and crush them into a glass. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon or lime over the garlic, making sure you squeeze out the lemon or lime with a hand citrus squeezer so you get some of the pith and express some of the oil from the skin. Add three teaspoons of good quality extra virgin olive oil, and mix vigourously with a teaspoon for a few minutes. Then drink the mixture, tossing it down like a tequila slammer, otherwise it will taste pretty disgusting. This should be done first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, for a period of three weeks. Don’t eat for at least half an hour afterwards. Have a break for a week, then repeat for another three weeks. Continue on in this fashion until you have achieved your desired cure, then switch to a maintenance regime, of one week of “cleanse” followed by three weeks without. Take some acidophilus culture or live culture yoghurt in the non-cleanse week to help correct the intestinal flora.

While life goes on, this is most effective if you avoid alcohol, caffeine and sugar during your “cleanse”. This will work as a liver cleanse, helping to detoxify the liver, and even expelling gall stones from the gall bladder. However it has a much more profound action than simply that. Let’s take the lemon or lime juice. This gives you a regular supercharged intake of bioactive vitamin C and bioflavonoids. This will counteract any kind of inflammation wherever it is in the body. It will also counteract any colds or flu, and boost one’s immune effectiveness. It will also benefit the body’s ability to heal connective tissue, including strengthening blood vessels and cell walls generally. It will also remove free radicals from the body, which are responsible for fatigue and degenerative disease.

But that’s not all. Garlic (it must be crushed in order to have its full healing effect) also has some profound effects on the entire body. Firstly it disinfects the gastro-intestinal tract, killing and debilitating parasites and unhealthy bacteria. Secondly it disinfects and sanitises the respiratory system, putting paid to colds, flus and bronchial infections. Thirdly it lowers the blood pressure, and thins the blood, working against athero-sclerosis.

The Olive Oil is also a profoundly helpful substance. It acts to stimulate the release of bile, which is part of the liver cleansing action. But bile is made from cholesterol, so this also helps to lower body cholesterol levels, especially if combined with a diet high in roughage and water soluble fibre. Olive oil also has a very soothing and healing action on the intestinal mucosa, and prevents the action of the garlic from becoming too irritating. Olive Oil also has some of the anti-inflammatory properties of the olive leaf extract that has recently become so popular. It also provides a source of essential fatty acids. It is important to use cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil, however, as it loses many of its healing properties when heated, and the chemicals used in extraction of lesser quality oils can cause damage in the body instead of healing.

This cure can address all sorts of ills, ranging from colds and flus, to heart and circulation problems, pain and swelling, varicose veins and haemorrhoids, feelings of fatigue, flatulence and poor digestion, headaches, poor memory, feelings of sluggishness, depression and listlessness, pains in the side or abdominal pains. It won’t cost you much, and may well immeasurably improve your health. Of course if your diet is crap, then the gains will be less profound and temporary. But if you eat well, with plenty of vegetables and salads, adequate protein intake, and keep up a bit of gentle exercise, the “Witches’ Cure” can do wonders. Taking it easy on alcohol and caffeine will help too. Of course, if you have serious health concerns or worrisome symptoms, you should consult a doctor – especially if you are on blood thinning medications, as the medications may make your blood too thin once the garlic gets into action, with the possibility of serious bleeding. Medications to reduce blood pressure may also be too effective once the “cure” gets going, so do work with your doctor if you are on any sort of medication.

Blessings,

Robyn.

Regular readers of these pages will know that I suffer from an irritable bowel, according to the medical profession. This seems to be compounded by a sensitivity to wheat and flour, and an underperforming ability to digest food! There was no help from the medical profession, apart from the advice to consume more fibre, and the reassurance that I wasn’t dying of some terrible bowel affliction! This itself was worth the cost of the doctor’s visit! Being of a witchy bent, I have always been interested in herbs, and how they may be used in supporting healing. Over the years I have investigated many different herbs, and tried quite a few of them to see whether they might do something for me. My latest fascination in the herbal world is with Angelica, partly because of the name, partly because it is a traditional witch’s herb, with a history of folk use in European countries, and partly because of its properties, which seemed to me to offer some prospect of alleviation of my intestinal dilemmas!

Angelica may be described as a stimulating tonic with carminative properties. The stimulating aspect refers to the ability to increase circulation and blood flow to the tissues, and generally increase the metabolism. Stimulants in herbal medicine are traditionally used short term to increase vitality in combating particular disease conditions, and to increase the effectiveness of other herbs. In the long term, they are contraindicated , as they can exhaust the body’s reserves, and lead to a collapse of health.

This tendency of a stimulant to exhaust, I thought would be balanced by Angelica’s tonic effect. A tonic in herbal medicine is a substance that, over the long term, builds and nourishes vitality. The carminative aspect refers to the influence on the digestive system, to dispel gas, mitigate griping and cramping, and to generally favour digestion.

Being a witchy type, of course, I needed to buy some of the dried root, tincture it in brandy, soak for three weeks, then decant into storage bottles, and to take combined with tinctures made similarly of burdock root, dandelion root and meadowsweet. The meadowsweet, by the way, I made as an alchemical tincture – the making of which I have described previously. Needless to say, the energy and consciousness that goes into the making of medicines is very important. However the preparations will work regardless!

As I have some experience with Chinese medicine from my days as a Shiatsu Practitioner, I tend to see the body in terms of yin and yang. After six weeks (with a one week break between two three week periods), I was able to conclude that Angelica adds a substantial Yang portion to the body. I noticed that my urine, which is typically clear and copious, became much more yellowish, scanty, and strong smelling. This is a sign of increased yang in the body (a good thing for me), or decreased yin (a bad thing for me!). So I decided to stop the angelica for a week or so. I found that the urine reverted to my normal clear copiousness in about a day.

This told me that the change was symptomatic rather than systemic. A systemic change should persist after the herb is discontinued, for weeks or months, or forever if you’re fortunate. The change is a response to a readjustment in the bodily system, under the gentle action of the herb. The system continues to operate in the readjusted way, even when the herb is removed. This is the desired form of herbal healing. A symptomatic change is a result of the action of the herb in the body. Once the herb is eliminated from the system, the symptomatic change disappears. This is useful for symptomatic relief, but does not produce, by itself, a true healing.

In my case, the appearance of the darker urine, the presence of yang in the body, was symptomatic. It was gone within 24 hours of ceasing the herb. However there was a more subtle effect that seems to have persisted. I found that after a week or so on Angelica (10 drops, 3 times a day) I was more energetic, more positive in outlook, and generally happier in disposition. My digestion was also better, and gut was less painful.

These effects, particularly on the disposition and outlook, have persisted, and so may be regarded as systemic changes. Of course, it is not just the Angelica, but the combination of herbs, but Angelica is a big part of it, in my view.

The thing that prompted me to give the Angelica a rest was the fact that I started waking up in the wee hours of the morning, unable to easily get back to sleep. Of course, this is a great time to practice some meditation and visualisation, but I was getting a bit run-down. This is just the sought of thing that one might expect when one’s yin becomes deficient – as from over-use of a herbal stimulant. So my next task is to look at building up my yin using tonics like licorice.

Why don’t I just go to a herbalist, I sometimes wonder, and get a mixture? Well on occasion I do. However when money’s tight it is not always possible! And besides, I really enjoy working with herbs, making preparations, observing their effects, and tuning in to their subtle energies and consciousness.

So the verdict? I will have another go a Angelica in a few weeks time, but this time I will add another tonic to my prescription! An option is licorice root. St Mary’s thistle is another option. Saw Palmetto berries also suggest themselves. I will let you know how it turns out!

P.S. While I am not a herbalist, I have made quite a study of herbs, and have studied traditional Chinese Medicine. I have taken courses in traditional western herbalism, Ayurvedic Herbalism, and nutritional healing. I have an extensive reference library. If you wish to treat yourself with herbs, I would recommend doing a course, and first gaining some knowledge!

In this modern world of drugs, pharmaceuticals and scientific evidence based medicine, people sometimes think it very quaint of me to reply on herbs for battling colds, coughs and more serious ailments that beset me and my family. However, I believe that natural approaches, based on mother nature’s wisdom, tested and honed by centuries or more of experience, are better than the modern pills and mixtures. Of course I was glad of modern medicine when I needed to have my appendix removed, and nothing I write here should be construed to mean that I disapprove or disagree with modern medicine, and its ability to save people’s lives. However there is a place for everything, and I subscribe to the principal that the best policy is not to get sick in the first place.

But how is that possible, I hear you asking. Germs are everywhere. Viruses and bacteria are getting spread with every sneeze. And it is true, germs are everywhere – however we only get sick on occasion. Why is it that we get sick at a particular time, and not at another time, if germs are everywhere?

The answer was given by Louis Pasteur, the discoverer of mirco-organisms and their role in infection. At the end of his life, he insisted strongly that germs were only half the answer. The other half is susceptibility, or immunity. In days gone by, the common person called this “constitution” or “vitality”.

So my prescription for a strong constitution and strong vitality is simply to chew your food well, eat only when relaxed and happy, eat only when hungry, eat plenty of vegetables, have a regular bowel movement, and have adequate moderate exercise that builds energy, rather than exercising to the point of exhaustion.

It probably sounds familiar to you – if you are like me, this is the traditional wisdom of the mothers and grandmothers that we ignore at our peril. The other thing that I believe in is if you are sick, take it easy. Take the day off. Relax, and recover your health. Today, too many people are encouraged to soldier on, to push through, to take a magic pill, and inspite of the head ache, the cold, the flu or the pain, to win the marathon, ace the tennis match, or win the contract. Pain and illness are, however, nature’s warnings. Ignore them at your peril!

Soldiering on through illness with the help of a couple of pills exhausts one’s stores of vitality. One eventually becomes more susceptible to illness, and with time, chronic health conditions are likely to set in. Burn out is a real possibility.

So I believe in the pre-emptive strike. If signs of impending illness appear, such as irritability, runny nose, croaky voice, feelings of fatigue, aches and pains, my strategy is to take it easy, and help nature along with a few herbs that support the natural processes of the body – rather than medications which suppress symptoms and give the illusion of feeling well.

My favourite combination for warding off an impending cold or touch of the flu is a combination of Yarrow, Elderflowers and Catmint. One teaspoon each in a cup of boiling water, and let it sit for ten minutes before drinking. A coffee plunger is an ideal way of making medicinal herbal teas. Every four hours until feeling better! You can add a teaspoon of Echinacea as well for some extra support to the immune system.

Yarrow seems to stimulate the circulation, and helps to open the pores and throw off any illness through sweating if a fever is present. Elderflowers are excellent for drying up mucous, especially in the upper respiratory tract. And catmint contains a lot of zinc, which supports the immune system, and helps to relax the body and calm the nerves. This mixture is a stalwart in our house, and helps to moderate the course of coughs and colds, and speeds recovery. However you will need to rest, and take it easy, and give Mother Nature time to do her work.

I believe in the old wisdom, and the traditional knowledge of the generations. It is effective, but must come as a complete package. There is no replacement for your cold and flu tablet. But there is, I believe, a better way of living, that is more in tune with our bodies, their needs, and the way that Mother Nature works. In the long run, much illness, I believe, is a result of an absence of the numinous in people’s lives. Those who live with wonder and beauty, and are able to escape self-centredness, are often, it seems to me, a lot more healthy than your average punter, in body mind and heart. And that, to me, is the way of the wise.

BB

Rob

 I am an expert at dissatisfaction, depression, melancholy, and feelings of disaffection with the forms and demands of the modern western lifestyle. Not through any academic study, mind you, but through the grueling mill of personal experience. It is a commonplace to talk of an artist needing to suffer for her art. It is also a commonplace, in certain circles, to speak blithely of the dark night of the soul.

This last term is a misnomer, at least in my case. For me, it has been a dark decade of the soul, and shows no signs of abating! I know I’m a cancer, but really, you’d think I could find something better to mindlessly grasp than a dark night of the soul!

I was talking to a guy at a party the other night. He was telling me about positive energy, and how things were going great for him, and just getting better and better. I began telling him about my dark decade of the soul, and how I expected, shortly, to emerge purified and glorious, but it hadn’t quite happened yet, and in the mean-time I was experiencing a great melancholy of spirit as I struggled to hold down a job, complete with excessive work hours, unsympathetic superiors, a measly pay check, and fulfill all the self imposed obligations of my esoteric and artistic goals and activities!

His eyes glazed over, and he wandered off, muttering something about the secret, and went off to impress someone else with his positivity and unbridled happiness, leaving me to contemplate how off-putting a melancholic disposition can be to happy joyful people!

Over the years, I have developed a number of theories about melancholy, at least in relation to myself! First was the theory of you are what you eat. According to this theory, eating certain substances causes a digestive imbalance resulting, 24 to 36 hours later, in a depressive episode, complete with loss of energy and motivation, and feelings of maudlin worthlessness. Chief amongst the culprits was any product containing wheat! Second is the theory that depression is the result of failing to express adequately the life’s purpose. I believe that this is true, and develop this in detail in my book, “The Great Work”. Thirdly, there are all the usual reasons in the public discourse: poverty, lovelessness, and the various entrapments and snares of life.

In traditional Galenic (European) medicine “melancholy” which is derived from the Greek for “Black Bile”, was thought to be a black substance found in the spleen, a surfeit of which was thought to cause the sadness, self obsession, and slowness associated with this condition. Lemon Balm, Borage, and Fumitory, were thought to assist with its expulsion from the body, according to my copy of Culpepper’s Medicine, by Graeme Tobyn.

I wrote the above some months ago, and since then, there has been a real change in my outlook and mood. The first reason: Use of some affirmations, which I have described in a previous post. The second reason, a phrase that jumped out at me from one of my books on herbal medicine: “Eat fruit for breakfast.” Apparently there is a cleansing process that carries on through the morning up to lunchtime, which is halted by eating a heavy meal. So I have been trying skipping breakfast and having a piece of fruit about 10:00am to get me through to lunch. I feel lighter, more energetic, and much more full of beans than I have for ages. Regular readers will also know about the irritable bowel condition that has plagued me in the past. I can now report that this is also much better.

The third reason, I have been doing a lot of energy channeling. When waking in the wee hours of the morning, instead of lying in bed with freewheeling thoughts, I have been channeling energy to various parts of my body that need some healing. The technique I have been using is to activate the palm energy centres through focusing the attention first on one palm, and when the sensation starts, on the other. Then I visualize the cosmic source of light sending down a ray to each hand, which I place over my body where there is pain. The intention is to channel the healing energy that is right at this time for the highest good of all.

The fourth Reason. I have given myself permission to enjoy my work and take satisfaction from it. I have added this to my affirmation list!

The fifth reason. Angelica tincture, ten drops, morning and night for three weeks.

The sixth reason. Something has just changed inside me, and now everything is different. Could that be the sun coming up over the horizon? I hope so, as it would be very annoying to be back in the dark night again!

Blessed Be

Rob :)

When I became interested in the old ways, as many people do, I became interested in the healing and magical powers of herbs. I keep a well stocked herb cupboard, and have been making my own herbal tinctures for a number of years. The principle of the tincture is to dissolve the active ingredient of the herb in a mixture of alcohol and water. The alcohol dissolves many constituents that do not dissolve so well in water, and likewise, the water dissolves constituents which are not so soluble in alcohol. The alcohol acts as a preservative, and creates an environment where bacteria and spoilage organisms can’t survive. So tinctures, once made, and stored in an air-tight brown glass bottle (to reduce exposure to light), can last for many years without any loss of activity. Dried herbs, in contrast, begin to lose their potency after a year or so, and should be replaced.

The history of medicine, and particularly herbal medicine, is interwoven with the alchemical tradition. Indeed, one of the pioneers of modern medicine and a champion of herbal medicine, was Paracelsus, a practicing alchemist. It was Paracelsus, as I understand it, who brought the making of tinctures into prominence. The alchemical idea is to dissolve the essence or spirit of the herb in alcohol. Alcohol, in fact, is called spirits to this day, which recollects the alchemists’ belief that the distillation process, which produced alcohol from wine or fermented grain, separated the spirit, or essence, from the gross matter that remained.

Thus tinctures arose out of a desire to collect the essence of the herb and its energetic spirit, in the belief that this was responsible for the healing qualities. This philosophical orientation has remained with us today throughout scientific medicine, which seems to believe as an article of faith that a purified single substance is the optimum for effecting a cure in any illness.

Later alchemists however realised that health is based on the harmony and balance of body, mind and spirit. Based on the metaphor of the sacred marriage, the gross remains (physical plane) are re-united with the spirituous essence (spiritual plane), to form an alchemical tincture. Practically, one makes a tincture, and instead of discarding the exhausted herbal plant matter, as is usually done, it is instead heated to drive off any moisture, charred, and pounded in a mortar and pestle to a fine powder. This fine powder is added to the tincture, accompanied by suitable incantations celebrating the sacred marriage and the restoration of health and balance for all who drink of it.

Actually, this is my simple version of the process, which anyone can do in a normal kitchen, with normal pots and pans. If you want the full alchemical version, then I refer you to “Herbs in Magic and Alchemy”, by C.L. Zalewski (Prism, Dorset,  and Unity, Woolhara, 1990), which gives the full rundown involving retorts, calcination, Salt, Sulphur and Mercury, and potentiation through repeated distillation.

So here is my recipe for a simple alchemical tincture.

(1) Place dried herb in a glass jar. Use a jar sized so that it is three quarters or more full.

(2) Cover the herbal matter with brandy. (Vodka can also be used, but brandy is traditional, and confers the anti-inflammatory benefits of the wine bio-flavanoids)

(3) Stand in a cool dark place for at least three weeks. I generally wait a cycle of the moon. Check after a day, and top up with brandy if the herbal matter has swelled and is consequently out of the solution.

(4) Filter the solution to remove all the herbal matter. I use some coffee filter papers for this. Stand them in a cup, or a kitchen funnel. After most of the liquid has gone through, squeeze out the remaining herbal matter to get as much of the liquid as possible. This is a standard herbal tincture.

(5) Heat a flat stainless steel frypan over a low heat. Take the exhausted herbal matter, and place it in the pan, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all the vapour is driven off.

(6) Continue to stir over the low heat until the matter begins to lightly char and smoke. Adjust the heat by removing the pan if the smoke starts to become too heavy. The idea is to drive off the first smoke. Use your intuition to know when the first smoke has been driven off.

(7) Place the dried and slightly charred herbal material in a large mortar, and pound with a pestle until it is reduced to a fine powder, the finer the better. When I used this method for Vervain and Meadowsweet tinctures, grinding the herbal remains caused a gunpowder like odour to form.

(8) Place the ground herbal matter with the tincture extract in a brown glass bottle with a tight fitting lid.

(9) Of course the whole process is a magical exercise, and should be conducted as such, with attention paid to the state of mind at every step, and keeping the purity of healing and rebalancing intention always at the forefront of the mind.

(10) Shake well, and allow the tincture to cure for two or three days, before decanting into dropper bottles, shake well. Also shake well before each dose.

The dose for an alchemical tincture is a matter of personal experimentation. I have found that 20 drops is sufficient for an adult for the two examples I have made, but this could vary.

Recently I was away camping with my family, and we forgot to bring my daughter’s asthma puffer with us. Actually, she has been doing so well with being careful to alkalinize the diet and a herbal tonic that the puffer hadn’t been needed for months. Anyway, there we were in the middle of the bush, when she got bitten by a jumper ant. A few hours later, she started to get an asthma attack, and the coughing was getting worse and worse. It looked like we might need a trip into

To give you some idea of the potency of the tincture, the recommended adult dosage is 1 to 4 grams of the dried herb. The tincture is generally at about a concentration of 5mls per gram. So the recommended dose for a child of five, is ¼ of the adult dose, or ¼ to 1 gram, or 1.25 to 5 mls of tincture. Ten drops is no more than half a ml, less than half the recommended minimum dose, yet it did the job very well.

Of course I don’t recommend anyone should diagnose and attempt the cure of their own medical conditions with alchemical tinctures. Please get professional advice about any health matters. However my experience, such as it is, and without any professional pretensions, is placed here for the benefit of all who may be interested. Make use of it at your own discretion – and make sure you adequately research any herbs you decide to work with, to understand their effects and dosages, and any possible toxicity.. Stay away from herbs that are toxic, and stick to herbs that are commonly used for herbal teas, and chances are you won’t end up poisoning yourself!