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Does my houseplant have the Mosaic Virus? Find out about the most common symptoms and potential treatment methods for TMV.
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It's that time of year again...depression season! You thought I was going to say something regarding the holidays, didn't you? Gotcha! Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a type of depression that corresponds to the changing seasons. As the days grow shorter and nights longer, the dreary skies filled with rain and snow often cause a large number of people to less than stellar. If you already suffer from depression, like myself, you know this time of year can be particularly difficult. It doesn't matter how many pretty holiday decorations you put up, you just can't shake the feeling of despair and emptiness. Mine has been worse this season because of my divorce, which is officially final as of December 14th, by the way. While I am doing much better without him, I still miss him and wish things had been different. Setting up the tree and decorating the outside of the house with lights has been a chore. In fact, I haven't been able to get into the holiday spirit at all. I absolutely love Yule and Christmas (yes, I celebrate Christmas), and I just feel so blah this year. So, what is a witch to do? Please be aware nothing beats talking to a therapist and taking prescribed medication if your doctor suggests it. Please do those things if you need to. However, these 5 witchy ways to fight depression are some extra steps you can take to help drive off those nasty thoughts and feelings. 1. Essential Oil Diffuser: These are all the rage right now and for a good reason. Essential oil diffusers are said to calm you down, ward off illness, improve cognitive function, alleviate pain, and guess what? Elevate you mood! There are a number of essential oils that can be used to achieve all of these reported benefits. One of my co-workers keeps an essential oil diffuser in her office to keep her calm and ward off illness. Schools are a great place to get sick. However, if you are looking to fight that depression, consider using grapefruit, sweet orange, jasmine, rose, vanilla, scotch pine, or sandalwood essential oils. All of these plants are known for their mood elevating properties, especially the citrus, and their essential oils are concentrated with those depression blasting powers. Personally, grapefruit is my go to scent when I am feeling down. I love the smell of grapefruits, but if it isn't your thing, try one of the other scents! 2. Frankincense Resin: According to an article published in Journal for the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology in 2008, a chemical component released during the burning of Frankincense resin, incensoal acetate, activates ion channels in the brain to help alleviate depression and anxiety. This is actually pretty awesome news and has elicited new research into the properties of other resins and incenses commonly used in rituals. Spiritual leaders have contended for a millennia that burning incense was good for the soul. Turns out they were right. This is an affordable way to brighten your mood if you are feeling down. Just pop some on a charcoal burner during your next ritual and enjoy those ion channels in your brain activating! 3. Smoky Quartz, Lepidolite, or Tiger's Eye: Of course there are crystals on this list. What sort of witch do you think I am? Oh yeah; one with a geology minor. Ha! Smoky quartz is cheap and easy to find. Being a powerful grounding crystal, it helps remove sadness and anxiety, leaving you feeling more like yourself again. Lepidolite, a harder to find purple crystal, absorbs negative thoughts and energy. This particular crystal also contains lithium (my favorite element if you were wondering), which is commonly used to treat depression and bipolar disorder, making it an excellent crystal to fight depression. Tiger's Eye, another cheap and easy-to-find crystal, combines the healing and grounding of the Earth with the uplifting capabilities of the Sun. It can be worn to protect from negativity while simultaneously increasing your feelings of self-worth and self-love. Any of these crystals can be used in a ritual, meditated with, or carried on your person. Remember to cleanse and charge them prior to use. When you are done, you can cleanse them again, or bury them away from your home. I would personally cleanse them in running water, preferably a stream to"wash away your troubles." Be careful with putting lepidolite in water though. It is a fragile crystal. Cleansing it by blowing on it and visualizing the stored energies blowing away would be preferable. 4. New Moon Depression Banishment Spell: Looking for a magical spell to fix your problems? Have no fear! I have not one, but TWO depression spells. The first spell is for the New Moon, which is a great time for banishment magic. For this spell you need some charcoal, dried lavender, black tourmaline, and a black candle. The lavender is for raising your spirits, the black tourmaline for grounding, and the black candle for banishment. After the spell is complete, take a nice warm bath with some bath salts, maybe with some grapefruit essential oil, and wash away those dark feelings. You can find the complete spell here. 5. Dispel Sadness Spell: Did the first spell not work well enough or you simply want to bash that depression magically over the head a second time? Try this short and sweet spell. For this one, you need a white candle, white piece of paper, a red pen, and some honey. Begin by visualizing your sorrows and the causes of them. Write them down on the paper using the red pen. Anoint with honey, and burn baby burn! You can take a bath after this spell to because who the heck doesn't want to take a relaxing bath. You can find the complete spell here. Be sure to read it completely so you don't screw yourself over. Magic is a fickle mistress. While these witchy ways to fight depression will not cure it, they can definitely change your mindset and release many of the negative feelings that are weighting you down. It is important to recognize that magic cannot fix all problems. Seeking medical help is extremely important. If you are having suicidal thoughts, please reach out to someone now. Call the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-8255 for those in the United States. Don't feel like calling? They have an instant messenger option available as well. You are NOT alone in this. Blessed be,
Two of our updated foundational online herbal courses are now available in printed herbalism textbooks! Learn more about these textbooks in this post!
Get the full Intermediate Herbal Course in print. Study through the 10 unit course with our Intermediate Herbal Course Textbooks – set of 5 herbalism books.
This guest post by Faye de Lanty marks the first in a new series called Empowered by the Past. Faye’s mother and father met after he'd moved to a 1960s fashionable London in his late teens to become a rock star. His aspirations to buddy up with Mick Jagger took a detour after meeting Faye's mother, Nadia. He "fell head over heels," says Faye, and the rest was history.
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