Winter Prep With Osha Root

Hello, friends! Over the weekend I attended two more herbal studies classes with Sasha Daucus, director of the Golden Light Center. In the Friday evening class, one of the herbs we talked about was Osha Root. We each were given a sample to take home, and today I made an Osha Root tincture.

The Friday night herb class group.

The Saturday herb class group.

I have seen osha root listed in herbal remedies and products many times before, but because the plant grows in high altitudes (like the rockies) it was something I usually only noticed being used by my South West and Colorado friends. As soon as I opened the sample baggie and took in the earthy, spicy smell I pulled off a small piece to chew on. I am really drawn to osha root and was excited to get it home to make a tincture. 

Osha root is used for a broad range of things. Native Americans called osha root "bear medicine" because bears were often seen digging it up, especially after waking from hibernation to help kick start digestion. Today, herbalists use osha root to soothe sore throats and coughs from head colds, to ease respiratory ailments, to help with altitude adjustment, to bring on a sweat and break a fever, and like the bears have found...to aid digestion. Worth mentioning is the use listed by herbalist Susun Weed. She notes that osha is very powerful and that because it is being heavily harvested, we shouldn't use it unless it is absolutely needed. She goes on to explain that osha root (tincture) can be used to treat anaphylaxis shock ( peanut allergy reaction for instance) and other allergic reactions, including snake bites.

Osha Root.

I plan to use my osha root tincture to treat sore throat and chest colds that might occur during the cold and dry season. I plan to let my tincture cure for six weeks, but you could bottle and begin using yours as soon as two weeks after curing. 

An empty preserves jar works well for making tinctures.

I also added a Lapis Lazuli gemstone to my tincture. Lapis is associated with the throat chakra and is thought to promote self expression and communication. I am a strong believer in emotional blocks expressing themselves as physical ailments in the body and seek to treat the emotional cause of a dis-ease as well as the physical expression. I love to use gemstones in conjunction with home remedies to promote a deeper level of healing treatment. 

Osha Root and lapis lazuli gemstone in vodka.

On an unrelated side note, Mark and I also began painting the kitchen and hallway yesterday. We finished the first coat and plan to start the second one tonight. We picked a color called "dewberry" that we thought would be fun to use with the bold green we did in the dining room. I'll share a photo when we finish up.

Dewberry paint.

Also, why is this a fabric print and not a wallpaper? It would be PERFECT with my new wall colors. 

This would make awesome bathroom wallpaper!

~ Love & Light ~