CALENDULA

LEAVES:

Calendula leaves, eaten as a salad, have been considered useful in the scrofula-a form of tuberculosis affecting the lymph nodes & the acrid qualities of the plant have caused it to be recommended as an extirpator of warts.

FLOWERS:

Calendula has a high content of flavonoids, chemicals that act as anti-oxidants in the body.

Calendula can be used to treat conjunctivitis, blepharitis-inflammation of the eyelids, eczema, psoriasis, gastritis, warts & minor injuries such as sprains.

Compresses of calendula blossoms are helpful for varicose veins.

It has also been used to treat cramps, coughs & snake bites. 

Antiseptic action helps speed children's recovery from mumps & measles.

Calendula has been considered beneficial in reducing inflammation & promoting wound healing. 

An effective aid to healing cold sores & minor first degree burns, such as sunburn & scalds.
A useful remedy for bruises.
A safe remedy for babies' complaints, such as diaper rash or an inflamed navel or penis.

Calendula is useful for fungal, bacterial & viral conditions such as acne, shingles, chickenpox, dermatitis, impetigo spots, thrush, athletes foot & ring worm.It has been seen effective in treatment of skin ulcerations, juvenile acne & dry phthiriasis-most common eyelid infestation.
Take the sting out of insect bites & rashes by applying the bruised, fresh flowers directly to the irritated skin.
Stops bleeding.
Antibacterial properties fight infection & promote healthy tissue growth.
Calendula combines well with comfrey & St. John's wort for healing skin.
Ideal of healing cuts, scrapes, lacerations, surgical wounds & scars, small infected wounds, ulcers,animal bites & scratches.

Soothes toothache.
In mouthwashes & gargles, calendula soothes sore throat or mouth tissue; in solutions, it has been uses to treat hemorrhoids.
Use a few drops of calendula tincture to treat sore gums & mouth ulcers.

A primary herb for a digestive healing tea, calendula is especially helpful when someone has been struggling with food allergies & food sensitivities.
Calendula will seal the permeations known as "leaky gut" while also acting as a mild liver cooler & cleanser & excellent lymphatic herb.
It helps counteract bacterial, fungal & viral inflammatory conditions of the digestive system, including peptic ulcers, gastritis & candida.

Calendula has a wide number of uses in childbirth, including the healing of episiotomies.
Relieves sore nipples in nursing mothers.
Ideal for complaints such as candida, leucorrhea & trichomoniasis.
Calendula improves the circulation.
Its' estrogenic effect balances the female reproductive system. For example, it may be used in cases of painful or scanty menstruation.
Within the urinary system, Calendula has a safely diuretic & detoxifying action.
Calendula is a potent purifier of the body & gives invaluable support to the lymphatic & immune systems.
Calendula is a prime liver & gallbladder herb.
Bath to treat vaginal thrush.
Gargle for sore throat & tonsillitis.

PRECAUTIONS:

Calendula can stimulate uterine contractions.
It may also increase pressure within the eye in people with glaucoma.
It could alter the structure of cell membranes in the body, which may lead to hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells) & subsequent harmful effects.

RECIPES:

Infusion: 1-2 tbsp Calendula petals, pour over 1 cup boiling water, infuse for 40 min to overnight.
Drink 1 cup every hour until acute symptoms subside 2-4 cups per day.
For a sore throat or indigestion, drink calendula tea or use it to gargle, for scrapes & bruises apply the tea directly to your skin.

Fomentation/Compress: Make an infusion of 30 g herb to 1 l water.
Soak a washcloth in the tea & apply locally to irritated skin.
Add it to a bath for red, itchy eczema & it is particularly useful for babies & children.
A super anti-fungal nappy rash remedy, use the cooled tea to bath the babies bum when your changing the nappy.
It is also great for conjunctivitis.

Tea for stress & insomnia:

Hops, calendula, peppermint, cowslip, st.john wort.
Mix of these herbs 1 tsp for 1 cup of boiling water, at the evenings or 1-2 cups every day.

You can add these herbs into the bath water..

Dried Calendula Flower Tincture:

1 cup flowers, packed
250 ml vodka
Break up the flowers.
Put the flowers into a ~250 ml glass jar.
Mix the water & alcohol together & pour over the calendula flowers.
Shake this daily for 28 days.
To strain, use cheesecloth.

Calendula Wash:

2 tbsp dried or fresh flower & leaf
220 ml water
Put the herb in a cup. Boil water & pour over herb. Allow to steep at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours. Strain & use the infusion when cool enough.
It can be used as a wound wash, a cleanser, hair rinse or a compress.

Calendula Poultice: 

Fresh flowers- enough for the area to be covered.
Grind fresh flowers in a blender, food processor or by hand, adding just a bit of water if needed.
Take all this mash & apply it directly to the skin, covering with cheesecloth.
This can be removed after a few hours & the skin washed off with some cool water.

Fresh Calendula Flower Tincture:

Fresh flowers & leaves, enough to tightly fill a 500 ml glass jar.
Use about 70% flowers & 30% leaves
500 ml vodka
Break the flowers up by hand. Pour the alcohol over the flowers. Shake this daily for 28 days. Strain.

Calendula-Infused Oil:

1 cup dried flowers
300 ml extra virgin olive oil
To make a cold infusion, simply break up the flowers & cover with oil.
Be sure to remove air pockets, cover & shake. Allow this to steep for 28 days. Strain.

For a stronger medicinal action, you can repeat the cold infusion now infused oil & another set of Calendula flowers.  
The oil can be use straight as a moisturizer or it can be made into a cream or ointment for abrasions, insect bites, minor burns… any inflamed skin problem .
Also used as a poultice for minor cuts, scraps & scratches.

Use the Calendula flower petals to add color to soups & rice dishes. Use just the petals, do not eat calyx or flower centers.
The petals make a great addition to salads & summer soups but just use your imagination, try adding some petals to scrambled egg or tofu! Or they can also be added to muffins & cakes, goes really well with orange!

Clean the blood & liver:

Tea from yarrow, dandelion root, calendula & nettle.
Its enough to drink the tea from any of these herbs on their own or combined 1-2 cups for 2-3 weeks.

For a quick herbal sandwich, simply slice hardboiled eggs onto bread that’s been spread with a little mayonnaise & mustard; sprinkle with chopped onion or chives & calendula petals & chopped pickles. Season with salt & pepper.

Egg Salad with Calendula & Chives:

12 hard boiled eggs
125 ml mayonnaise
2 tbsp chopped pickles & juice
60 ml thinly sliced green onions
60 ml cup finely diced celery
2 tbsp snipped chives
2 tbsp snipped dill leaves
½ tsp paprika
Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 handful fresh calendula petals, coarsely chopped
Petals for garnish
Dice eggs & put them in a bowl, along with mayonnaise, pickles & juice, onions, celery, 1 tbsp of chives, 1 tablespoon of dill, paprika, salt & pepper. Mix well, then stir in chopped calendula. Refrigerate 1/2 hour or more before serving.
Remove from refrigerator 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Arrange salad greens on a platter & heap egg salad on top. Garnish with additional calendula petals & the remaining chives & dill.
Good crusty country-style bread is the best accompaniment; however pitas, rye, pumpernickel or thinly sliced bagels are good too.

Calendula Paella:

4 cups chicken stock
2-1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1 large green pepper, julienned
3 green onions, sliced
1 tsp chopped parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
250 g frozen peas
500 g boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup calendula petals
In a saucepan, combine stock, rice, onion, half of the garlic, salt, pepper & bay leaf; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Meanwhile, saute the green pepper, onions, parsley, thyme, hot pepper sauce & remaining garlic in oil for 2 minutes.
Add mushrooms.
Cook until green pepper is crisp-tender.
Add tomato & peas; heat through.
Discard bay leaf; add rice mixture to vegetable mixture & keep warm over medium-high heat.
Cook chicken.
Mix rice & vegetables with chicken & calendula petals.

Pickled Calendula Flowers:

1 kg calendula flowers

0,5 l apple vinegar
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 branch of peppermint, chopped
Boil everything,covered for 5 min.
Lift into the small sterilized jars & close air-tight.
Goes well with cheese & rice.

BEAUTY:

Make a simple homemade facial by boiling a handful of fresh petals in milk.

Calendula Mask for Dry Hair:

125 ml fresh cream
1 egg yolk
125 ml calendula infusion
Mix everything & massage into the dry or slightly moist hair.
Cover with cling film & leave for 10-15 min.
Wash out with warm water.

Firming infusion:

Take cornflower, calendula & chamomile flowers.
Place into the thermos with boiling water 1:10.
Use at the mornings for washing face, neck & chest.

Age Spots & Freckles:

Fresh juice from dandelions & calendula or tincture made from dandelion leaves, -flowers & -roots:
2 tbsp boil with 500 ml water for 20 min.
Clean face twice a day.

Good Night Sleep Bath:

Add Calendula flowers, Peppermint & Oregano to your warm bath water.

Brighten up your eyes:

1 tsp of mix of these herbs:lime flowers, calendula flowers, cowslips.

Pour over 1 cup of boiling water. After 5 min strain & cool.
Wash your eyes at the morning & evening with it.

Dry Skin Bath: 

These herbs have a soothing, lubricating effect.
Make a tea from calendula flowers, chamomile flowers, comfrey leaves, elder flowers, fennel seed, jasmine flowers, lavender flowers, oatmeal, rose buds & violet leaves.
Add to the bath water.
Or let the hot water run into the bath tub over the flowers.

MAGIC:

Plants which flower at the most important points in the course of the sun & whose shape resembles the sun have always been considered sacred. Other such plants are the Daisy, St. John'swort & Chicory.
As magical plant Calendula was an essential part of any love charm. If a girl planted or sowed the "Niewelkblume" in the footprints of her loved one he would have to – whether he wanted to or not – come to her for ever.
In Spain, too, sorcerers were convinced of its magical powers & always carried it with them as talisman.
A medieval author called Macer, who described Calendula in his Herbal, thought that merely to look at it would improve eyesight & draw out evil 'humours' from the head.

Makes you feel happy:)

Calendula is useful for prophetic dreams, protection, respect & psychic powers & benefit when legal matters arise.
For legal matters, carry Calendula petals in the pocket for a favorable outcome in court matters or meetings related to the law. For protection, hang garlands of Calendula over entry doors to prevent evil from entering. Scatter petals under the bed for prophetic dreams & for protection while sleeping.

Calendula can be used to remove negative energy. An oil can be used to consecrate tools & the petals can be used as part of an incense for divination, or sprinkled on the floor under the bed to bring prophetic dreams.

Walking barefoot through calendula flowers grants an understanding of the knowledge of birds to girls.

Old lore tells of the plant’s use to grant a vision of anyone who has stolen anything from the bearer, as well as to engender a good reputation for himself.

An old love spell dictates that a woman should collect soil that her prospective partner has stepped on & pot it up with a calendula plant. The health of the plant indicated the health of the relationship. 

Mix dried Calendula flowers, Marjoram, Thyme & Wormwood & grind them into a powder.
Simmer in honey & white wine.
Rub over the body to induce prophetic dreams about your future husband or wife while chanting your wishes. If the candidate is good to you in the dreams, they will make a loving spouse, but if they treat you badly in the dream, they will be disloyal & uncaring.

Calendula can be used for the purpose of bringing good luck in money matters & especially at games of chance through the sending of a lucky dream. Place a green flannel bag filled with golden calendula flowers beneath the pillow when going to sleep, breathing the fragrance of these flowers may bring a dream of winning numbers & winning names.