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Garlic | Medicines Close at Hand
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Pictured: Ethnobotanist (and pal) Vlasta Mlakar’s garlic stash.
Ain’t it a trip that the same qualities that drum up respect and honor one day, can evoke fear and rejection the next?
Welcome to Garlic’s world. Allium sativum, delicious, medicinal, protector against evil….that is, until it is the epitome of evil. Protects against witches, but is a favorite crossroads offering of the Queen Witch herself, Hecate. Power makes things complicated, and one thing is for certain, Garlic is powerful.
In Slovenia, there is a proverb that goes, “Garlic says: you love me because you only need me for more than nine illnesses!”
True that. At one raw clove a day, one gets a full spectrum antimicrobial effect on bacteria, parasites and viruses- making it an incredible preventative. The other cool thing about garlic is it’s sulfur-esqe containing compounds are mostly excreted through the lungs, making it specifically good for respiratory infection. So here’s the flip: garlic’s volatile oils are mostly excreted through the lungs (and the skin). That garlic halo is your best friend and worst enemy.
This is Garlic’s moment! Because everyone is safely only hanging out with people that love them no matter what, it's time to radiate that beneficial Garlic cloud.
Garlic has been by the side of kitchen witches the world over. It is an easy medicinal to find, and to incorporate into almost every meal. This is a time when we should be consciously thinking of the nutritional and medicinal value of all the food we are building our bodies with. Make every meal an herbal meal.
Dandelion Pesto:
Inspired by the recipe of one of my favorite kitchen witches, Kat Harrison.
A bunch of:
Dandelion greens
Parsley/ Cilantro/ Dill
3-5 cloves of garlic
A scoop of miso
Juice of a lemon or two
Pumpkin seeds
2-4 brazil nuts (if you like)
A generous, drawn out drizzle of olive oil
Salt to taste
Blend all in a food processor. Use on everything.
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