We want you to know of our wonderful website that many of our readers are unaware of - Herballegacy.com. This site has a list of Dr. Christopher’s formulas, a list of ailments and programs to help with those ailments, single herbs, recipes, herbal education information and more. I’m going to walk you through the site to help you find the information you’re looking for

Some easy ways of accessing the site:

1. At the bottom of your newsletter there is a section of Herbal Resource Links. Click on the second link that says “Herbal Legacy.”
2. Go to www.schoolofnaturalhealing.com On the left hand side in blue click on “Herbal Reference Links”, and then click on the “Herbal Legacy” link.
3. Type www.herballegacy.com into your browser bar.

Home page
We get many calls where readers want to give information from the newsletter to their family and friends. This is where you can direct them to sign up for the newsletter. They only need to type in their first name and email address, then click the submit button.

Tabs on the site:

1. Articles - Here is a list of previous newsletters with their name and the date the article came out. There are articles for everything from “Natural Protocol for systemic Yeast overgrowth & leaky gut syndrome” on May 5, 2010 to “Preparing a fomentation for injuries” on March 30, 2011 and everything in between.
2. Dr. Christopher formulas - Click here for a list of Dr. Christopher’s original formulas and the herbs in them.  Some let you know what each herb in that product does, and some will tell how many parts of the herb is contained in the product. It also tells different ways to use the products and testimonials of people who have used them and their results.
3. Ailment & Programs - Here you can learn about the difference between the 3 day juice cleanse,  the extended cleanse program, the incurables program, as well as a list of ailments from A-Z and the way Dr. Christopher taught how to take care of that problem.
4. Single Herbs - We have place School of Natural Healing graduates Thesis papers here so you can have more information on single herbs. Each thesis will tell the history, location, chemical constituent, medicinal qualities, contra-indications, some herbal formulas using that herb, dosages and applications, and personal experiences with those herbs.
5. Recipes -Everyone loves recipes and here is a great resource from breakfast and main dishes to snack, soups and of course desserts. Yummy!!
6. About Us - gives you some information about Dr. John R. Christopher and David Christopher.
7. Herbal Education -This gives you information about the School of Natural Healing and the times the general public can call and talk to a Master Herbalist for answers to health questions.

I love Herballegacy.com it has so much information on one site and so convenient to use. Have fun on the site and let us know what helped you most or send us some of your testimonials.

Have a Happy and Healthy Day!!!

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Truthfully, my first experience with essential oils wasn’t very fun. I was in 5th grade and I took a bottle of Cinnamon oil to school to finish a project with some friends. None of us 5th graders knew anything about essential oils let alone essential oils high in phenols (oils like cinnamon, clove or oregano) and let’s just say the situation didn’t turn out very well! That was the day I learned a valuable lesson…Use oils with caution!

Essential oils have been called the spirit, soul, essence or lifeblood of a plant and have been used medicinally and therapeutically throughout history. In a nutshell, essential oils are aromatic and potent liquids extracted from various parts of plants using heat, water, pressure, chemicals, gas and/or other liquid. However, the quality and therapeutic value of an essential oil varies widely due to the extraction method(s) used, and of course the quality of plants used, which can vary with conditions like location, weather, altitude, soil and species.

Although Dr. Christopher didn’t talk much about essential oils, he knew how powerful and beneficial they were. In one lecture while explaining how to make a peppermint tea, he mentioned that the lid must be left on the pan while steeping the tea or the “volatile oils” (essential oil) would escape with the steam and in this case much of the value was in the oil. Not only do most essential oils smell good (notice I wrote most oils for those of you familiar with valerian oil), but they work for us on a subconscious level. For example, when we smell an essential oil, the olfactory nerves which are cranial nerves (nerves that originate directly from the brain) located on the roof of the nasal cavity pass along sensations as nerve impulses straight to the brain from the nose. So although we may just be thinking “this smells good” it can be benefiting us as well!

Just like any other product on the market there are variances between the qualities of these oils. So it’s important to have trustworthy sources and ask questions if needed. Here are some quick tips on things I have learned over the years when it came to finding the right oils. Don’t worry, you’re not taking tips from the 5th-grade-Riley.

1. Avoid “food grade” essential oils if you’re using oils therapeutically. Think of essential oils like olive oil, the best olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives. Each pressing afterword leads to a decline in the quality of oil. The same goes for essential oils and distillations. Food grade oils, meant for internal use are not 1st distillations and will not yield the same results as 1st distillations. The most commonly redistilled oil is likely peppermint as it changes its smell.
2. Be aware of which oils are “absolute” or “concrete” essential oils like Jasmine for example, as they have been solvent extracted and usually immersed in acetone or a petroleum byproduct. Marcel Lavabre (author of aromatherapy workbook) wrote, “Unfortunately, such oils always contain some traces of solvent and are therefore not suitable for aromatherapy…they should not be used for aromatherapy.”
3. Lastly, use only essential oil deriving from a single species to assure cheaper species have not been added to dilute a more expensive species that share similar smells.

To wrap it up, essential oils when used correctly are safe, effective and make perfect additions to any natural regimen for supporting better health. Plus… they smell awesome!

Riley Alexander is a Master Herbalist Graduate from the School of Natural Healing who has also received his certificate in aromatherapy and is now studying for his certificate in iridology. Riley currently works for Wholistic Botanicals (Manufacturers of all Dr. Christopher’s formulas).

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History

St. John’s Wort (SJW) has a 2400 year history from ancient Greece. The name Hypericum is derived from Greek “hyper” meaning above and “eikon” meaning picture. This refers to a practice of placing flowers above religious images to keep away evil. This practice was usually performed on Midsummer day the 24th of June, St. John’s day. The name perforatum refers to the tiny oil gland perforations on the underside of the leaves.

For many the perforated leaves came to symbolize the wounds of martyrs. Others saw the plant’s ability to take solar power and store it in these red droplets, like life’s blood in our physical bodies. SJW allows the powers of light to penetrate into the plant so completely that the powers of light can be passed directly on to us. SJW helps us to open ourselves to lightness when our spirits are heavy and everything seems dark.

The plant blooms midsummer around June 24th - John the Baptist’s birthday. The oozing red oil from the crushed flower is associated with the blood of the martyred St John. Wort means plant or herb. Legend says the plant sprang up from St. John’s blood when he was beheaded.

Legend also says the SJW protects against witches spells or the “evil eye.” An old English saying related by Christopher Hobbs states:

St Johns wort doth charm all the witches away.
If gathered at midnight on the Saints holy day.
And devils and witches have no power to harm
Those that do gather the plant for a charm.
Rub the lintels and post with that red juicy flower
No thunder nor tempest will then have the power
To hurt or to hinder your houses; and bind
Round your neck a charm of similar kind.

As the poem indicates SJW was used in many different divination practices. To illustrate just a few; young girls would dance around a bon fire on the night of St John (June 24th) with crowns braided in their hair made of the flowering plant. Then they would throw small twigs of the dried plant into water and read the way the blossoms reanimated to predict whether they would marry in the following year.

People would put flowers under their pillow on Midsummer Eve (June 23rd) to protect themselves from powers of evil. Also according to legend St John would appear to them in a dream and give his blessing and provide protection from death to the person for the next year.

SJW is considered the most beautiful sun plant, filled with solar energy and thereby associated with benevolent spirits. People use it to chase away evil and darkness. Peasants hung it in the stables to protect livestock from sorcery and placed small tufts in their windows to keep evil spirits from entering.

Physical characteristics of the plant give clues to medicinal properties. Paracelsus wrote in Doctrine of Signatures “the holes in the leaves mean the herb helps in all inner and outer orifices of the skin. The bloom rot on the form of blood, a sign that it is good for wounds and should be used where flesh has to be treated.”

Location & Description

SJW is native to Europe and spread to other continents via European settlers. It is classified as a weed in many countries. It grows along roadsides, field and waste ground. SJW prefers well drained to dry soil, in sun or partial shade.

Leaves are simple and opposite, oval to linear in shape and have small translucent dots under the surface. Running your fingers along the stem, you can feel two fine longitudinal ridges (related species have 4 ridges). The stem is too hard to just pick, you have to cut it or pull up the roots. The delicate yellow flowers appear from June to August, have 5 petals with tiny, almost imperceptible black dots along their margins. These dots are the glands that contain the plant’s essential oil.  A mass of yellow stamens protrude from their centers. The flower produces so much pollen that pollinating insects revel in it.

When the flowers are rubbed between the fingers, the dark dots around the edges exude a juice or oil as red as blood and when the leaves are held up to the sun, they appear to be perforated with needles. These holes are actually transparent oil glands.

SJW is propagated from root divisions taken in the spring or fall. It will reproduce from seed as well. There is no known medicinal value in the roots.

Next week we will discuss the medicinal qualities of SJW.

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by Master Herbalist Susie Ransom

Migraine headaches have plagued me most of my life.  When I was happy, when I wasn’t happy, when I ate well, when I ate wrong, when the sun shone, when it was cloudy, I would get miserable headaches.  Nothing takes the fun out of going for a summer drive with your family, when you know you’ll come home with a headache and spend the rest of the day in bed.  I looked for some common denominator that would explain why these headaches would come on, but I couldn’t seem to find an answer.

When I married and started my own family, these headaches would take days out of my life and my ability to care for my children suffered.  (Thank goodness for thoughtful neighbors who would entertain my kids during those miserable days.)

Not being a person who trusted the medical profession, I knew there had to be an answer that wouldn’t lie with drugs that couldn’t address the real cause of the pain.  I kept reading nutritional articles and magazines and began to think these debilitating headaches might be caused by allergies.

Armed with paper and pen, I began to journal the happenings around each headache.  As patterns began to develop, I thought that maybe I could get a handle on this.

Meanwhile, my best friend, who also had as many headaches as I did, tried to convince me that the medicine her doctor had given her was the answer.  We talked and commiserated with each other glad to know that someone else really understood how painful these headaches were.  But I just couldn’t justify that the first side effect from her prescription medicine was “headache.”  I thought that was what we were trying to get rid of.

I kept on journaling and noticed that I did have more control over the frequency of my headaches if I watched what I ate.  I also did better if I stayed out of the wind.  Feeling like I was getting on top of this problem, I asked my friend if she would be interested in doing some detective work into her headaches.  She said no because she knew her doctor was taking good care of her and doing what should be done.

The older (and wiser) I got, the fewer headaches I had, while hers seemed to remain the same.

I had the opportunity one day to attend a class on essential oils.  The teacher talked about how she used peppermint oil for her headaches.  If she got a headache at home she would make herself a cup of peppermint tea besides rubbing the oil on her forehead.  Boy, was I excited!

Of course, I purchased the oil and anxiously awaited my next headache!  When the familiar blurring of my vision started I wasn’t at home so I couldn’t make any tea, but I got the oil out of my purse and rubbed it straight onto my forehead.  It stung and my eyes watered, but I knew I would be okay, and I was.  I was able to finish my tasks and drive home because I could see.  My vision had cleared up in a lot shorter time than usual and my stomach wasn’t quite so queasy.

I promptly told my experience to my friend, but she still wasn’t interested in anything as simple as one single herb doing what prescription medicine couldn’t.

Years have gone by and I have a handle on my migraines now.  The minute I feel the familiar warning signals start, I grab the peppermint.  It has allowed me to stay at my work to finish the day after a headache begins.  The happy ending to this story is that my friend finally became convinced of the effectiveness of this herb and has her own arsenal of oil and tea.

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How Do I Use Tea Tree Oil?

Even if you are not an herbalist, and don’t have any experience making your own formulas, you can easily add Tea Tree Oil (or any other essential oil, for that matter) to an ointment or a massage oil.  The massage oil is the easiest-just add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil, close the bottle, and shake it well.  Then smell it to see if you have the right amount of Tea Tree Oil-if not, add a few more drops.  To add Tea Tree Oil to an ointment, you may need to heat up the ointment a little bit, depending on its consistency.  Complete Tissue and Bone ointment is sometimes set quite well, especially if it is a new bottle.  While I personally don’t have a problem with putting the formula in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it, you could also remove it from the container, and heat it up over the stove if necessary.  I have found that it is extremely easy to add essential oils to the Beauty Facial Cream formula, as it tends to be pretty soft.  Sometimes, it is so soft you need to put it in the refrigerator for a few hours to harden up.

One of the easiest ways to use Tea Tree oil is to add it to olive oil or almond oil, and then apply to the skin.  If you are using this for a rash, add a few tablespoons of this oil combination to the bath, and have the person soak in the tub for a bit.

Tea Tree Oil doesn’t have the most pleasant odor (camphor-like), so you might want to combine it with some other essential oils to help diminish the smell.  It is best used with wood and herbal oils-it does not blend well with fruits and florals.  For example, for dandruff Tea Tree Oil could be combined with cedarwood, patchouli, rosemary and sage. 

My personal favorite is buying one of the many sprays available with Tea Tree Oil.  You could make this yourself using vodka and Tea Tree Oil-but Tea Tree Oil can be pricey, depending on the brand, and $10 for an already made up spray can be worth it.  You can also find Tea Tree Oil in soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, and other commercially available products.

For a vaginal infection, a few drops of Tea Tree Oil can be added to a douche.

Conclusion

Even if you don’t have any other essential oils in your home, Tea Tree Oil is one to add to your medicine cabinet.  I use Tea Tree Oil all the time-adding it to herbal preparations, aromatherapy preparations, and directly on the skin to deal with warts.  This is something that anyone who is interested in natural healing needs to get better acquainted with.

Printable Version: http://www.herballegacy.com/Tea_Tree_II.pdf

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It seems like there has been a rash (literally) of people lately breaking out with various skin conditions.  In addition, they’ve usually had it for several months before telling me about it – as if by ignoring it, it might go away.  Instead, it gets worse and travels to different areas of the body, and gets harder to treat.I have been telling people to think about using Tea Tree essential oil in addition to the other therapies that they are trying.  Tea Tree Oil can easily be added to ointments or oils that would be beneficial for the skin condition that needs treating.  For example, Tea Tree Oil is easily added to Complete Tissue and Bone ointment, and gives it an anti-bacterial edge.Why Tea Tree Oil?

Tea Tree Oil is the essential oil steamed distilled from the Australian plant Melaleuca alternifolia.  This oil is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-biotic, anti-microbial, anti-septic and anti-inflammatory.  This is definitely something you want to add to your first aid kit.  Tea Tree Oil seems to be one of a few essential oils that can be applied directly to the skin, although we generally recommend using a carrier with all essential oils.

Tea Tree Oil once healed a persistent infection that had been treated with conventional anti-biotics for 12 months!  It is a very potent oil.

History of Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil has been around for a long time.  Thousands of years ago, Australian aborigines were crushing the leaves and using them for medicine.  During World War II, the Australian Government commandeered all of the Tea Tree Oil for the use of the military.  The soldiers in the Pacific carried Tea Tree oil in their first aid kits.  After the war, Tea Tree Oil fell out of fashion for awhile, as everyone embraced anti-biotics.  Fortunately, in the late 70’s interest in Tea Tree Oil started up again.

What Do I Use Tea Tree Oil For?

Tea Tree Oil is an excellent alternative to topical anti-biotics that may need to be used every day.  This oil has been used with great success for psoriasis, sores, eczema, rashes, thrush, foot odors.  It is also used for cuts, stings, burns, bites, acne, vaginal infections, sore throats, cold sores, and warts.  It can be used for infected or ingrown toenails.  You can use it in shampoo to treat dandruff.  Tea Tree Oil works well for athlete’s foot.  It can be beneficial for chicken pox.  New uses are being discovered all the time.

Printable Version:  http://www.herballegacy.com/Tea_Tree_I.pdf

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