GYPSY WISDOM Gypsies are an amazing people - the only group of people living in every corner of the earth without the benefits of power, money, armies, or ever fighting a war. Wherever you travel - to the plains of Hungary, the steppes of Siberia, the gates of Marakesh, the highlands of Guatemala, or the frozen tundra of Alaska - everywhere you'll find Gypsies. They are always on the move and have an ever abiding need for freedom and independence. Where did they come from? Some believe they are the last survivors of Atlantis. Others suggest that their ancestors are the people of the biblical town of Babel. To the gypsies it does not matter. They readily learn the language of their host country, but no government and no monarch has been able to break the Gypsy spirit - not with gifts of land and seed and not with brutal persecution. Gypsies have a deep and abiding respect for creation - for Mother Earth and for life everywhere, in all its variety. Therefore, gather only those leaves and flowers or only those portions of a root, bark or fruit, that is really needed. If every part of the plant is needed, leave some portion in the ground to insure its new growth. Thank the plant for the gift it has given you and for its efforts to keep our planet alive. Although many species in the plant kingdom have miraculous healing properties, some are poisonous. (Mistletoe berries and jimsonweed in particular). Also, some plants may cause allergic reactions. Consult a physician for any serious ailment. INSOMNIA AND NERVOUS STRESS Fear is part of life. Don't be ashamed of it, or it will result in depression, insomnia and hopelessness. You cannot escape these unless you face fear. Fears should be discussed openly - with anyone you trust. This might give the listener the courage to talk about his or her own fears. Both of you will become stronger. Fear has to be approached positively. Fear is not your enemy, it can be your friend. Doesn't it make animals more attentive and careful? Depending on their disposition, they will either run or fight to save themselves. But we have to face fear. Say "yes" to yourself, accept the good parts and the bad parts. This is the first step to healing. Every thought has psychological and physical effects. Force yourself to think positively. Find what's positive in everything that happens to you. Look for the silver lining in every cloud. Write down everything on a piece of paper - negative emotions and thoughts that you want to change. Then burn the paper, lie down, close your eyes and listen to music. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NERVOUSNESS Valerian Wine 2 handful valerian roots 1 clove 1 Orange rind 1 rosemary twig 1 liter of dry white wine Cut valerian root into small pieces, and place them in a large clear glass container. Add the clove, the grated orange rind, and rosemary twig. Pour the dry white wine over the dry mixture. Seal the container tightly and allow to steep for one moon cycle (28 days). Then strain through gauze cloth, store in a bottle and seal tightly. Drink 1 liqueur glass three times daily. Also recommended for faintness. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HEADACHES Pain Tonic Willow Bark Saint-John's-wort Pulverize willow bark with mortar and pestle, and cut Saint-John's-wort into small pieces. For each cup of tonic, mix 2 teaspoons of willowbark powder and 1/4 teaspoon of Saint-John's-wort. Prepare a few cups ahead of time. Place mixture in pot, cover with water and simmer for 13 minutes. Strain. Drink a cup daily, sweeten with honey if desired. For migraine headaches sip 3 to 4 cups daily -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOUL-REFRESHING TONIC Saint-John's-wort leaves and blossoms 90 proof alcohol Gather the fresh shoots of Saint-John's-wort between the summer solstice and St. John's Day (June 21 and June 24) at sunrise. Remove the blossoms and leaves, and place them in a dark glass container that can be sealed tightly. Cover with 90 proof alcohol. Steep for one moon cycle (28 days) in a dark place. Shake every third day. After one moon, strain the contents through a gauze cloth and fill dark dropper bottles. Close lid tightly. Take 10 - 20 drops daily. Saint-John's-wort herb flows through the whole body, making it receptive to cosmic energies. After taking the tonic, do not expose yourself to intense sunlight. Take soul-refreshing-tonic for fear, emotional pain, melancholy, depression and for calming nerves. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIGESTIVE SYSTEM Our well-being depends upon our digestive system. We usually get stomachaches when we feel overextended, or the opposite, when we are not challenged enough - when we cannot fulfill our dreams and ambitions. The following remedies may alleviate some symptoms, but the person's inner struggle must also be faced. If you get a knot in the stomach just thinking about work, or the boss, you can't just quit! Some situations have to be endured. But make sure that you have a place and time where you can be yourself, where you can be allowed to run 'free'. We all know what gives us joy. This will be different for you as it is for me. You may enjoy listening to classical music, or watching hockey or playing hockey, whatever it is, make sure you allow yourself time to be 'free'. Everyone of us has a weak point in our constitution. Find yours and tailor your approach accordingly. Let our language be our guide. Liver means life. Avoid toxins for one month and your liver will be as good as new. But since we all are guilty at times of enjoying the 'good life', I enclose some recipes that are helpful to stimulate the digestive system and therefore our feeling of well- being. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- APPETIZER Bitter Orange Syrup bitter oranges white wine brown sugar Wash 3 organically grown bitter oranges. Peel the skin as thin as possible so that most of the white portion remains on the fruit. Cut the skin into small pieces and cover with 1 liter of white wine. Boil for 13 minutes. Peel the white portion of the skin of the fruit. Cut up the fruit and add to the wine mixture. Add 13 seeds from the fruit and stir in 13 tablespoons of brown sugar. Boil for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the seeds, and pout the syrup into glass jars. Cover tightly. Take 1 tablespoon in the morning and at night. Bitter Orange Syrup is also a mild laxative. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LACK OF APPETITE Dandelion Tonic centaury root dandelion leaves red wine juniper berries Cut 1 handful of European centaury root into small pieces, and mix with one handful of Dandelion leaves. Pour 1 liter of red wine over the plants, and cover. Steep overnight. The next morning, bring to a boil and simmer for 13 minutes. Grind 3 juniper berries with mortar and pestle, add to the mixture and simmer for 3 more minutes. Allow to cool, strain and fill bottles that can be closed tightly. Drink 1 liqueur glass of the tonic twice daily before a meal. This tonic is an excellent appetite stimulant and helpful for anorexia. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR WEIGHT LOSS Appetite Suppressants Bran Breakfast fragrant valerian root handful of wheat bran 1 tablespoon of dog rose hips 1 teaspoon of honey Harvest fragrant balerian root in the spring or in the fall (not summer). Clean well with a root brush, and let it air-dry in the shade. Store in a linen sack in a place where air can circulate. When needed, cut enough root into small pieces to make 1 heaping tablespoon. Cover with water, cover and steep overnight. Warm the liquid to body temperature and strain through gauze cloth. Soak 1 handful of wheat bran in this liquid, and add 1 tablespoon of dog rose hips. (or 1 teaspoon of dog rose hips and 1 teaspoon of honey). Eat in the morning on an empty stomach. This appetite suppressant is a proven Gypsy recipe for losing weight. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BLOOD-CLEANSING TEA dandelion root artichoke leaves Grind up a dandelion root to make dandelion root powder. Cut up a few artichoke leaves. Mix 1 heaping teaspoon of dandelion root powder and 1/2 teaspoon of artichoke leaves. Cover with boiling water. Let steep in a covered pot for 13 minutes, and strain through gauze. Sip 2 to 3 cups of this tea, not too hot, daily. Add a little honey if it is too bitter for you. Drink this tea with Bran Breakfast to stimulate the liver and gallbladder. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PURIFICATION Weight Loss Tea 1 handful of hibiscus blossoms 1 handful of fennel seeds 1/2 handful of peppermint leaves 3 tablespoons of rosemary 3 tablespoons of lady's mantle (dewcup) 4 tablespoons of yarrow 4 tablespoons meliot 1 tablespoon of lemon balm 2 tablespoons of birch leaves 2 tablespoons of nettle leaves 2 tablespoons horsetail 2 teaspoons sandalwood 1 tablespoon hops 1 tablespoon of dandelions leaves and blossoms 1 tablespoon of wormwood (absinthe) 1 teaspoon of chamomile 1 tablespoon of linden blossoms 1 tablespoon black mulberry leaves Mix and use one tablespoon for each cup of tea. Pour the dry tea into earthenware or enamel pot, add boiling water. Quickly bring to boil, them remove from heat. Let steep, covered, for 5 minutes. Strain. Sip the tea lukewarm; take 2 to 4 cups daily. Sweeten with honey or brown sugar if you wish. This tea will detoxify the system without causing hunger sensations. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTESTINAL PARASITES Pomegranate Juice Mix the juice of one ripe pomegranate and the juice of 2 garlic cloves. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey and stir. You may increase the amount of honey to suit your tastebuds. Drink the juice before lunch for 13 days. Children love this effective remedy! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONSTIPATION Plum Jam 4 pounds 6 ounces ripe plums 3 1/2 ounces honey 1 tablespoon apple vinegar 3 1/2 ounces tamarind jam Put pitted plums and 1/3 of the pits into large pot. Fill the pot with water and boil for one hour, uncovered. Stir occasionally and add more water if necessary. After an hour, remove the pits, and continue to let the mixture simmer for another 15 minutes. After the jam has cooled, add honey, apple vinegar, and tamarind jam. Pour the jam into glass containers that can be tightly sealed. Take one tablespoon of plum jam in the morning on an empty stomach. Continue this treatment until you overcome constipation! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHRONIC CONSTIPATION Herbal Oil 1 pint cold-pressed (extra virgin) olive oil 1 handful black elderberries 1/2 handful rosemary blossoms 1 tablespoon senna 1 tablespoon of flax seeds 1 valerian root Mix olive oil with rosemary blossoms, senna and black elderberries. Shake well, and set aside in a dark place in a tightly sealed container for three days. On the fourth day, crush flax seeds with mortar and pestle; add to the olive oil mixture. Crush valerian root and add to the oil. Shake the container vigorously. Seal tightly and set aside for 7 days, shaking the container twice a day, mornings and evenings. On the eighth day, strain the oil through a gauze cloth, pour into dark bottles and store in a dark place. Take one tablespoon of the herbal oil in the morning on an empty stomach. If need be, take an additional tablespoon before supper. Take it until you are regular and therefore happier again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOREHEAD AND NECK WRINKLES Quince Compress Remove the fuzz of the quince fruit, cut into thin slices and air dry in the shade. Place the dried fruit with 2 twigs of rosemary with blossoms and 1 twig of lavender with blossom in a clear bottle. Fill the bottle with alcohol and seal tightly. Place the bottle for 13 days in the sun, shake 3 - 5 times daily, strain through gauze and store in dark bottles. Apply in a compress to the forehead and neck for 13 minutes. Enjoy the experience, listen to the birds, the wind, some music and remember wonderful moments of your life or think about wonderful moments yet to come. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum) This herb was well known to the Celts, Teutonic tribes, and ancient Romans. They gave this unassuming, wild plant of the lily family the name herba salutaris, healing herb." Wild Garlic should be eaten fresh in the spring, before the plant starts to bloom. Take a handful to eat with bread or add it to your salad. Wild Garlic cleanses the blood and intestines. It improves the intestinal flora and is effective against acne, fungus and eczema. It also lowers high blood pressure, fights arteriosclerosis, and increases the body's immune system. Wild Garlic in Olive Oil To have your fountain of Youth available all through the year, harvest the leaves prior to blooming. Cut leaves into small pieces, put them in a bottle with a wide neck and add cold-pressed olive oil. Close and protect from light. Take one tablespoon daily. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WARTS Wild Garlic Juice During full moon at midnight apply fresh wild garlic juice to the wart. You can substitute freshly squeezed juice from a domestic garlic clove, if necessary. Apply the juice several times. Make sure the warts are exposed to direct moonlight in open air for at least 3 minutes. During these 3 minutes, tell your body to stop nurturing these warts, tell the warts to leave. A simple charm is sometimes helpful: Wart, wart, go away You can't stay or disobey Wart, wart, go away. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FRECKLES Garlic Vinegar Paste Crush 3 garlic cloves with mortar and pestle, add fruit vinegar one drop at a time to make spreadale paste. Apply the paste mornings and evenings to affected areas for 13 minutes, remove and apply Bride of the Sun Salve. This paste works well against age spots also. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BRIDE-OF-THE-SUN SALVE 1 handful of wild garlic 1 cup of marigold blossoms 9 rosemary blossoms 9 lavender blossoms 1 cup of goat butter, olive oil, or neutral base Use olive oil or goat butter over a low flame for a base. (Or purchase neutral salve base at your health store or at a pharmacy). Over low flame carefully mix in an earthenware or an enamel pot marigold blossoms, rosemary blossoms and lavender blossoms with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Cover and store in cool place. The next day heat again over low flame, gently stirring for 7 minutes. Cool to body temperature and strain through gauze cloth. Fill glass or earthenware container, cover tightly and store in cool, dark place. Apply thin film of the salve to affected area. Do not use heavy application, rather repeat treatment more often. This salve is also recommended for boils, scar tissue and insect bites.