Wiccan Guide to Healing

Remedies for Cold and Flu

I hate having a cold and the flu is worse! So here are a few ways to help, but remember if it gets out of hand don't be scared to ask for help.

1 clove of garlic

1 equal sized piece of fresh ginger

Pinch of cayenne pepper

½ tsp. cinnamon

Juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon

1 tsp. honey

Crush garlic and ginger and add with the rest of the ingredients to one cup of off-the-boil water. Drink 2- 3 cups a day till symptoms are gone. It is great for a sore throat too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 cup honey

1/2 cup fresh thyme or 1/4 cup dried thyme

1. In a small saucepan, combine the two ingredients and heat gently over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, being sure not to let the honey boil or scorch.

2. Remove from heat and allow the honey to cool. Strain out the herbs, then bottle the honey and label it.

3. To relieve colds, coughs, and sore throats, take 1 teaspoon of this thyme-infused honey three times a day. You could also add a teaspoon of it to a cup of regular hot tea and sip slowly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

25 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons dried or 3 tablespoons fresh Echinacea root, grated or chopped

1/3 cup fresh horseradish root, grated

1/4 cup fresh gingerroot, peeled and sliced

1 large white onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

Honey to sweeten, if desired

Raw apple cider vinegar, 1 quart or less

1. Place all dry ingredients in a 1-quart wide mouth jar. Fill to the top with vinegar. Cover the top of the jar with plastic wrap, then screw on the lid.

2. Refrigerate for 6 weeks so the flavor can develop and soften. Shake daily. There’s no need to strain and bottle it unless you want to. The flavor keeps getting better and bolder the longer the formula is allowed to steep.

3. At the first sign of a cold or flu, take 2 tablespoons of this formula with a warm water chaser. Rinse mouth out well after swallowing the cider. Repeat once or twice daily for the duration of the illness. You should feel your sinus and bronchial passages quickly open and your breathing become easier.

4. For a sore throat, gargle with the formula for 60 seconds, spit, then rinse out your mouth. You should feel immediate relief.