Flowers & Petals

**Flowers & Petals (Oils or Smudges)**

Many pagans do not use allot of flowers (dried) or their petals for smudging, but I think they are effective.

Such like Rose petals, Chamomile, Rose Hip, Aloe vera, The flower in 5-HTP which is a serotonin uptaker, Valerian root, Black Cohosh and Nettle, Horsetail leaf which are in some menopause relief medicines and are mellow mood enhancers. Sage, mugwort for smudging and cleansing the air.

Sunflower petal, much like the seeds are calming due to neroli within itself. I like doing a sunflower petal smudge every now and again.

Bay Leaves are good to use in foods, but also is a digestive aid, good for sunburn if boiled and cooled, there is a bay leaf and lemon tea that works on the digestive tract, with a ginger additive, cleanses your colon, helps with stomach upset, and even resp. sickness.

## How to Use Petals

Start a cabinet of petal savings. Get a few types of flowers. You can grow them or you can buy them in bundles at grocery stores and other places. Pluck the petals from the flowers and put them in a bowl, and let them air dry until they are dead/crispy like. Then add them to the envelope carefully that you wish to put them in. Stick these in the drawer or cabinet and or envelope and use them for smudge when needed. You can also add them to an empty jar and close the lid over them.

Things you can smudge or dry: Garlic, Onion, Rose petals, Sunflower petals (save the stems, also contains neroli, there is a stem process I will add below), Chamomile petals, Parsley, Bay leaves, Teas, Heather (add or save the bulk cork of the flower head), Honeysuckle (press this before adding to jar or packet), Orange peels, Lemon peels, Lime peels, Chili peppers, Banana peppers (be careful with chili pepper juice), Grapes before they turn into raisins, can be squeezed and the juice put on a scrape or burn or skin irritation), Mango can be added to the pot for kitchen boiling makes the house smell so good. Cantaloupe peeling and seeds can be boiled and consumed for digestive troubles, laxatives, and also used in smudging or kept in jar for later use.

## Sunflower Stem For Neroli

You can boil the stems of sunflowers, add about 5 to a pot of half of water and on medium heat, boil the stems to release neroli. Neroli is good for cramps and rolling on as a headache reliever and nerves calmer. You can also make a salve or a lotion from it by adding lavender tea to it as well.

Boil for about 35 minutes, and putting a measuring cup under a strainer, strain the liquid. Use an old lotion bottle and pour in the liquid you strained, place in fridge to cool. You can leave in the lotion or make your own if you know how.

Five drops of Neroli oil

Three drops of Lavender oil

Five drops of sweet almond oil which is a carrier oil

Five drops of cedarwood oil

and three drops of Echinacea oil

Not to be Ingested, swallowed or eaten.

Add it to a roller ball tube, or the lotion bottle.

This helps / gets rid of stuffy noses, runny noses, headaches, nervous or panic attacks, mellows a person out, eases and relaxes. Always mix other oils with a carrier oil. Oils and their usage is not always proper medical care please see a doctor before use of Oils or Long term use and follow doctor's advice.