Hearth and Home // Healing

I have been feeling rather 'under the weather' lately, both physically and emotionally. I did not want to have to make a trip to the doctors, but yesterday I decided that enough was enough. I have been coughing for weeks,  and no amount of licorice, methol and eucalyptus, nor hot lemon and honey seemed to be working. 

So now I have a week's worth of penicillin to try and clear up the infection. I wish I didn't have to; I hate taking antibiotics, but I guess sometimes you just have to do what your body is demanding. And then I remember that, even though it is now mass-produced by pharmaceutical conglomerates, once upon a time it was just fungus. 

It makes me want to study herbalism: properly.

That takes care of the physical. Now to the emotional.

As do many, I find this time of year difficult. It seems to have gotten worse as I grew older, but I find the dark months so...well...'dark'. Tiredness and irritability seem to take over and it is a battle to find energy sometimes. I think having the additional residual anger and sadness from the loss of my Dad is making this year particularly testing. 

So what do I do? I have lots of warm, healing baths, with candles: blue for healing, white for light, pink for emotional well-being, purple for confidence. I have crystals which promote positivity around my bathroom and on my alter: amethyst to absorb negative energy and rose quartz for emotional balance. 

I try to eat 'wonderfoods' which pump me full of important vitamins and minerals such as magnesium (spinach, almonds), selenium (brazil nuts, seafood) Vitamin C (citrus fruits, green vegetables) and Vitamin D (seafood, oily fish.) This is the area I fall down on most often. I find it can be a vicious cycle: I don't want to cook if I'm feeling down; not eating properly makes me more down; I don't want to cook...

So for lunch, parsnip soup: warming and hearty, an excellent source of Vitamin C and a good source of magnesium. More on that next time...

It's good to be back!