Annatto

Annatto – bixa orellana L. – Used as a flavouring and food colouring in cheese, butter, and smoked fish. In the Caribbean, the seeds are usually fried in animal or vegetable fat; after discarding the seeds, the then golden-yellow fat is used to fry vegetables or meat. By this procedure, a golden yellow to golden brown colour is achieved. Mexican cooks often use a paste of annato seeds with some preservatives, acetic acid, that dissolves completely in hot fat; it is easy to use and can also be added to marinades and sauces to improve the colour. Annetto powder is also used in soap making andannatto is permanently listed as a cosmetic color additive exempt from certification by the FDA, with no restrictions for cosmetic use.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: Nutritive, astringent, emollient, expectorant.

Apple

Apple – malus spp. – A Druid sacred tree. The apple is a symbol of immortality. A branch of the apple which bore buds, flowers and fully ripened fruit, sometimes known as the Silver Bough, was a kind of magical charm which enabled its possessor to enter into the land of the Gods, the underworld, in Celtic Mythology.
Apples clean the liver, cure constipation, and tone the gums. When baked they can be applied as a warm poultice to sore throats and skin inflammations. The cooked apple is especially laxative. The peeled raw apple helps with diarrhea. The cider corrects intestinal flora, reduces stomach acidity, corrects gas, and helps the kidneys; take three or four cups a day.
Apple cider vinegar and water make a rinse to restore hair, scalp and skin; use equal parts of vinegar and water. Blondes should use white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, water, and honey aid digestion when taken with meals; use two teaspoons of vinegar to a glass of water, add honey to taste.

Other Uses: Wiccan altars are often piled high with apples during Samhain for the apple is considered to be one of the foods of the dead. For this very reason Samhain is sometimes known as “Feast of Apples”. Apples are considered symbols of life and immortality.

Arnica

Arnica – arnica montana – Oral administration of arnica is often accompanied by severe side effects!! For external use in injury and for consequences of accidents, e.g., hematoma, dislocations, contusions, edema due to fracture, rheumatic muscle and joint problems. Especially when applied topically, arnica preparations have antiphlogistic activity. In cases of inflammation, arnica preparations also show analgesic and antiseptic activity. One of the best ways to use Arnica is to make an oil infusion and then apply it to the affected area. Should not to be applied to broken skin.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: In cases of inflammation, arnica preparations also show analgesic and antiseptic activity. One of the best ways to use Arnica is to make an oil infusion and then apply it to the affected area.

Arrowhead

Arrowhead – sagittaria latifolia – This root can be eaten either raw or cooked. A tea can be made from the roots. A poultice, made from the leaves, has been helpful in stopping lactation and a poultice made from the roots helps heal wounds.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: A poultice made from the leaves to stop lactation,and a poultice made from the root to heal wounds.

Arrowroot

Arrowroot – maranta arundinaceae – Produced from the fecula or starch of the rhizome. Arrowroot is the edible starch of several tropical plant roots. The root is peeled and grated into water, and the fine-textured starch is extracted. It can be useful as a thickener in healthcare diets where blandness and digestibility are of particular importance. It looks and feels like cornstarch and is very white. Arrowroot is used as a thickening agent for sauces, fruit pie fillings and glazes, and puddings and has no flavor. Arrowroot mixtures thicken at a lower temperature than mixtures made with flour or cornstarch. Mix Arrowroot with cool liquids before adding hot liquids, then cook until mixture thickens. Remove immediately to prevent mixture from thinning. Arrowroot is used in toiletries primarily for making body powder and baby powder, along with other ingredients.

Asafetida

Asafetida – Ferula asafoetida – Also called Stinking Gum. The pungent gum is extracted from the living rootstock by notching the plant at soil level. It was a popular Roman condiment. Research suggests the plant is anticoagulant and lowers blood pressure. Used to treat stomach ailments such as intestinal flu, gas, and bloating. Add a pinch to beans as they cook.
The herb is good in cases of Candida albicans. Has been used for asthma, bronchitis, and whooping cough because of it’s antispasmodic properties and is a good herb for croup and colic in babies. Another method is to give it to infants via the rectum – make an emulsion with four parts asafetida to one hundred parts water and insert. It has been used as a sedative for hysteria and convulsion.
Please Note: This herb tastes awful and is perhaps best taken in capsule form, one hundred milligrams to one gram being the dose.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: Ayurvedic practice – this botanical is regarded as a remedy for nervous disorders and gastric spasms. It is also used for colic and coughing relief.

Other Uses: Use for prophetic dreams, exorcism, and protection. Worn in a bag around the neck, asafetida dispels diseases and evils of all kinds. It literally repels evil spirits! Add a clove of garlic to enhance the effect. Asafetida is a classic for exorcism.

Ash Tree

Ash Tree – Fraxinus americana or excelsior – A Druid sacred tree. This spring-flowering deciduous tree has smooth gray bark and showy, scented flowers, although the scent is unpleasant to some. The bark of the ash can be used as a substitute for quinine in intermittent fevers. It is reputed to clear obstructions from the spleen and liver. Simmer two tablespoons of bark for twenty minutes in one cup water; take a quarter-cup four times a day. The leaves are laxative and can be used as a substitute for senna. Steep two tablespoons of the leaf in one cup of water for twenty minutes; take one quarter cup four times a day.

Other Uses: Ash is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as Yggdrasil. Ash wood makes a traditional Yule log. Druid wands were often made of ash and carved with decorations. Ash wands are good for healing, general and solar magic.

Asiatic Dayflower

Asiatic Dayflower – commelina communis – This plant is antibacterial, astringent, depurative, diuretic, and febrifuge. Used to make a throat gargle that relieves sore throats. The dried plant can be used in treating bleeding, diarrhoea and fevers.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: antibacterial, astringent, depurative, diuretic, and febrifuge. A throat gargle can be made that relieves sore throats. The dried plant can be used in treating bleeding, diarrhoea and fevers.