POPPY

California poppies can’t get you high, nor are they addictive, they just can help you relax.
Its sedative effect has also been used to treat mild cases of tooth pain.
Colics, headaches, muscle pain, neuralgia, ADHD & memory problems have also been alleviated by using California poppy.
Best taken in the evening for short-term sleep disturbance, Californian poppy improves sleep quality & can be helpful for nightmares & bed wetting.
An anti-spasmodic, analgesic, skeletal muscle relaxant & sedative.
California Poppy can be taken to alleviate intestinal & menstrual cramps & relieve tension.
California poppy is one of the oldest North American remedies for stress-induced maladies including sensitivity to changes in the weather.
The above ground parts & roots of this wildflower show promise in the treatment of insomnia without the side effects & dependency risks of sleep aids.
Higher doses of California poppy are sedating, lower doses reduce anxiety & lower stress.
As it is completely safe, mild & non-addictive, this wonderful poppy is completely legal & has the incredible benefit of assisting with opiate addiction & withdrawal: drinking a strong tea or smoking the herb as often as needed, helps to overcome heroine, morphine & opium cravings.
Smoking the herb is also known to assist in interrupting cannabis & tobacco addictions.
In combination with other herbs, California poppy is used for depression, long-term mental & physical tiredness (neurasthenia), nerve pain, various psychiatric conditions, blood vessel problems.

California poppy has been used, either alone or in combination with other herbs, to treat restless legs syndrome, back pain, seasonal affective disorder, headaches, agitated depression & peripheral neuropathy.

Native Americans also employed the mashed roots, from which they extracted the juice to treat stomach aches, tuberculosis & skin wounds.
The Pomo Indians rubbed mashed seedpods or decoctions on nursing mothers breasts to dry up their milk; other tribes used flower infusions & decoctions to treat head lice & toothaches.

A tea can be used around the affected tooth to have a fast & long-lasting natural pain relieve.

Red poppy is not widely used in herbal medicine & opium poppy is really not used much at all these days due to the heavily narcotic effect which, as can be seen from the illegal use of morphine, is highly addictive.

The Corn Poppy has been used through history as a remedy for bronchitis, colds, to loosen congestion & as a mild sedative.
This poppy can also be used to soothe the pain of angina.
They can also be used to soothe digestive spasm & relieve nerve pain such as headaches, neuralgia & shingles.
Leaves are astringent & can be used to relieve diarrhea.
Traditionally, the common poppy has been used to treat cardiac rhythm abnormalities in adults whose hearts are otherwise healthy.

If used in medicine, the flowers & seeds of the red poppy can be made into a syrup to ease coughs & catarrh & as a mild pain killer.
The black seed boiled in wine & drank, is said also to dry the flux of the belly & women's courses.
The empty shells, or poppy heads, are usually boiled in water & given to procure rest & sleep.

PRECAUTIONS:

California poppy can slow down the central nervous system, causing sleepiness & other effects.
There is some concern that California poppy might slow down the central nervous system too much when combined with anesthesia & other medications used during & after surgery. Stop using California poppy at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
California poppy appears to be safe for most people when taken appropriately by mouth for 3 months or less.

RECIPES:

Poppy flower petals are edible — you can add the blossoms to your salads.

Decoctions are prepared by simmering 1-2 tsp of herb in 1 cup of water until one-half of the volume remains.

Tea:

Pour 1 cup of water just off the boil onto 1-2 tsp of herb.
Steep covered for 10 minutes.
Drink this infusion thrice daily.
Use half doses for children under 14 years of age.
To treat mild insomnia drink 1 cup at night before going to bed.
Children seem to benefit from this for mild cases of colic, sleeplessness & tension or anxiety.

The seeds of red poppy can be consumed either raw or cooked. The seeds are mostly employed in the form of flavouring bread, cake, fruit salads & others.
The leaves of red poppy can also be consumed either raw or cooked.
They are used as spinach or in the form of a flavouring agent in salads & soups. However, one should never use red poppy leaves after the formation or emergence of the flower buds on the plant.
The seeds yield edible oil, which is known to be a wonderful alternate for olive oil. The oil extracted from red poppy seeds may be used for cooking as well as dressing salads.
The scarlet-hued flowers of red poppy are also used to prepare syrup, which is used in gruels, soups & other preparations.
The petals yield a red dye that is employed to add essence, particularly in wine.

The seeds of red poppy possess a nutty flavour & are extensively used to add essence to bread & cakes.

Crushed, fresh or dried flower petals are used in a tea:
2 tsp per cup in boiling water up to 3 times per day.

MAGIC:

Poppy can be used to bring good luck in love, money & health matters through the sending of visions in a dream.
Place a flannel bag filled with poppy flowers beneath your pillow when going to sleep, breathing the fragrance of these flowers can cause you to dream of winning numbers or your future mate, or to see the future.

Field poppy can be used to gently encourage people to express their anger & grants courage, allowing the user to assert themselves & express their full range of emotions.

The poppy seeds can be added to spells & sachets to bring about sleep & are also eaten or carried to encourage increased fertility.
Apparently they should be added to every meal by those wishing to become pregnant.

One old piece of folklore is of the opinion that if you soak poppy seeds in wine for 15 days then drink the resulting liquid every day for 5 days while fasting at the same time, you will be able to make yourself invisible at will.

Poppy has a long history of association with Wise Women & wort cunning & for that reason was very often grown in a witch's garden.
Some people say that poppy was an ingredient in flying ointments, there to counteract the deadly effects of baneful herbs.
Poppy seeds are classically used in confusion magic - sprinkle the seeds around the exterior of your home to cause confusion to spirits of ill will.
In folklore, vampires were warded off by sprinkling poppy seeds, as they were obligated to stop & count them.

One could determine from which direction one's true love would appear by tossing a piece of Poppy cake out of the door & sending a dog out to fetch it. From where the dog would reappear provided the answer to the question.

Alternatively one could empty the seed capsule & write a question of the heart onto a piece of paper, put this into the seed pod & place it underneath the pillow. The answer to one's question would be revealed in a dream.

A traditional New Year's Eve custom was to prepare sweet-breads made with Poppy seeds as a magical food. Partaking of such bread was thought to convey the magical powers of the plant & thus bless the recipients with abundance for the new year.
Alternatively one could make use of these properties by making a necklace with gilded Poppy heads, which could be worn as a charm.

Poppy seeds hidden in the shoes of a bride was believed to make her infertile.