New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
| This is the festival of San Juan, or John the Baptist, believed to have been born six months before Jesus. As with many Christian feast days, its origins are pagan.
At Midsummer, the herb known as St. John's wort is blooming with bright yellow flowers. The herb has many uses in healing and is effective for mild depression in capsule and tincture form. There is some risk of blood pressure spiking if these forms are combined with certain foods, but drinking an infusion of St. John's wort is beneficial and has no side effects. Country folk in Europe believed that picking the herb on this day made its healing powers more potent. Try to pick your St. John's wort in the morning, just after the dew has dried. You may use it fresh, but it's more potent after it has been dried, which may be done on a cookie sheet in a warm oven (preheat to 200, then turn off heat.) |
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