HAZELNUT TREE


Hazelnuts provide significant amounts of protein, dietary fiber, vitamin E, thiamin, phosphorus, manganese & magnesium, several B vitamins, vitamin K, calcium, zinc & potassium.
Vitamin B aids in efficient protein, carbohydrate & fat metabolism.
In the right amount, these vitamins help maintain normal cardiac rhythm, nerve functions & red blood cell production.
Vitamin E provides the body with the right amount of antioxidants that helps get rid of cancer-causing free radicals.
Vitamin K helps normalize blood clotting,which means hazelnuts can boost the body’s ability to stop excessive bleeding during injuries. Vitamin K also works synergistically with other nutrients for bone health. This is why hazelnuts are great for treating osteoporosis.
Hazelnuts are exceptionally rich in folate- an important B-complex vitamin that helps prevent megaloblastic anemia & most importantly, neural tube defects in the newborn.

Hazel leaves are a great natural source of antioxidants & flavonoids, which posses anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-carcinogenic & anti-viral properties.
Hazel leaves can be used to treat ulcers, varicose veins, infections, eczemas, swellings & rashes.
The infusion prepared from hazel leaves may be used to cure a number of conditions related to the bloodstream, such as phlebitis & varicose veins.
It may also be used for treating a number of heart conditions.

Extracts from the bark or leaves are used externally to treat skin irritations, sunburn, diaper rash, scalds, bedsores, eczema & insect bites.
Internally a tea can be used to relieve sore throat or diarrhea.
Bark tea is used for hives & fevers.
The bark poultice is used to close cuts, treat tumors, old sores & skin cancers.
Like hawthorn, hazelnut is known to improve the heart & to prevent hardening of the arteries.
The twig hairs has been used to expel worms.


PRECAUTIONS:

Some people are allergic to hazelnuts & can have serious allergic reactions including life-threatening breathing problems (anaphylaxis).
The allergic symptoms may include itchiness around lips, tongue & throat followed by swelling of lips & throat leading to breathing difficulty.

People who are allergic to peanuts, mugwort pollen, Brazil nut, birch pollen & macadamia nut might also be allergic to hazelnut.

In general, the allergic reaction may be more commonly precipitated on exposure to tree pollen.

RECIPES:

Hazelnuts can be eaten on its own, roasted, salted, or sweetened.
Hazelnuts are widely used in the confectionery, as an addition to chocolates, biscuits, sweets & cakes.
They are also used to make hazelnut butter, which is popular alternative for peanut allergy sufferers. It is also less salty in taste. It contains, however, more fat content than soy or peanut butter.
Mix with honey.

Hazel Leaf Infusion:

2 tsp of mashed leaves place in 250 ml of boiling water.
Cover for about 10 min & strain.

Hazel Leaf Tincture:

To prepare a tincture with hazel leaves place a 1 part of grounded leaves in 5 parts of vodka or brandy.
Maintain this mixture at room temperature for about 15 days. Shake this mixture once a day.
Strain.
Dilute this tincture by adding 100 ml water to it.
To treat lighter conditions, take 10 drops of this diluted tincture at least 3x every day.
This tincture may also be used for prolonged treatments.

Hazel Leaf Powder:

Dried leaves of hazel are grounded using a coffee grinder.
Take the finely grounded hazel leaf powder on the top of a knife & place it below your tongue for about 10 min & swallow the powder with some water.
Repeat this 3x every day.

Hazel Bark Macerated in Wine:

Put about 50 g of pounded hazel bark in 1l of white wine & allow it to remain for a week. During this time shake the container several times & strain.
This mixture may be employed both internally as well as externally to cure injuries, stomach ulcers, varicose veins & old wounds.
When you are using the mixture internally, take 50 ml 3x every day when you need to rejuvenate the blood &/ or heal any type of wound.

Hazel Buds Tincture:

Prepare a mixture by adding 1 part of freshly mashed hazel buds to 5 parts of 40 % alcohol.
Keep for about 15 days, shaking the container at least once a day.
Strain & store it in little bottles in a cool place.
When the hazel bud tincture is blended with chestnut tincture in a ratio of 1:1, it is extremely effective in treating conditions related to the bloodstream as well as paralysis.
The standard dosage of the hazel bud tincture for children is taking 5-15 drops diluted in tea 3x daily, depending on their age & body weight.
The normal dosage of this tincture for adults is consuming 1 tsp 3x every day.
Hazel bud tincture may also be employed for a number of conditions related to ageing.


BEAUTY:

Hazelnut oil helps keep skin well protected from dryness.

MAGIC:

Hazel works for healing, protection, luck, clairvoyance, divination, inspiration, wisdom, defense, fertility & wishes.
The air surrounding hazel trees is said to be magically charged with the quicksilver energy of exhilaration & inspiration.
If you need a magical protection, quickly draw a circle around yourself with a hazel branch.
Place twigs of hazel in window frames to protect your house from lightning.
Three pins of hazel wood driven into your house will protect it from fire.
Hazelnuts can be carried as charms. They ward off rheumatism & lumbago.
Hazel branches were woven into headpieces that were worn to protect warriors from evil. A ship master who wears such a cap is guaranteed to weather any storm.
Old, supple twigs of  Hazel were woven into crowns & called “wishing caps”, which when worn & if you wished very hard, would make all your desires come true.
Sailors, believing them to offer protection against bad storms at sea, also wore wishing caps. 
The ancient druids believed they could induce invisibility by wearing them. 
String hazel nuts on a string & hang them in your house. Fairies will come to your aid.
Twigs of Hazel placed on window ledges give protection against lightening & 3 pins of Hazel hammered into a wall of the house would protect it from fire.

Because the nut reminds of a baby in the womb it is believed that it carries powers to enhance fertility.
To increase fertility carry a nut on your person.
Also drink a tea made from the essence of the nuts & include hazel nuts in your meals.
In Devon an old woman would give a gift of hazel nuts to a bride to ensure fertility.

A rod made from hazel wood will protect against evil spirits. It awakens inner intuition & insight & can stimulate poetic & artistic skills, calms passions & improves virtues.
Hazel wood magic wands must be made on holy days like Good Friday, St John's Day, Epiphany or Shrove Tuesday during the evening hours. If the night is a full moon they are even better.
The wood must be cut from the eastern side of the tree by a cutter facing east. It is then presented to the rays of the rising sun.
A virgin branch (one with no side shoots) is the most powerful.
If you cut a hazel rod on Good Friday or St John's Eve, you can swish it through the air while naming your enemies. It will cause them pain, no matter where they are.

Hazel has the power to draw on magical & other energies in the earth.
Forked hazel branch is used as a divining rod. Held by the ends of the fork with the longer end held straight in front of you, you move around looking for water.
When the end dips toward the ground you have found water. The harder it points down the better it will be to dig a well.
The divining rod can also be used to find other treasure as well.

Fishing rods made of hazel wood will give you the knowledge of the best place to fish.
Then the fish are drawn to the magic of the hazel in the rod. You will have a good catch.

Carrying a piece of hazel cut that was cut on midnight on Halloween will keep you from getting drunk.
On Halloween young people in love celebrate Nut-Crack Night.
They cook hazel nuts over fires. The way the nuts burn will determine the course of their love over the next year. Either the nuts will burn together or fly apart.
Cattle were driven through Beltaine & Midsummer fires. Their backs were singed with hazel rods to protect against disease & the evil eye.
The scorched rods were used the rest of the year to drive the cattle.

If the hazel trees have a lot of catkins, there will be a lot of babies. The saying is "the more catkins, the more prams".

There is an old saying that if a girl goes nutting on Sunday, she will meet the Devil & have a baby before she can marry.

If you find a double hazelnut you will have twins.
A double hazelnut will also prevent toothache.

If the hazelnuts have thick shells, the winter will be bleak; if their shells are thin, the winter will be mild.

To dream of a Hazelnut tree predicts wealth as well as unexpected good fortune.

Hazel is an ancient Celtic tree of wisdom, inspiration & poetry.
Hazel tree was revered by the ancient druids & is the ninth tree of the Celtic tree calendar, dated 5th Aug – 1st Sept.
The Celts were of the view that people consuming hazelnuts were provided with knowledge & motivation.

In Prussia a sign of the cross was made from a rod cut in the spring during the first summer thunderstorm.
It would bless all rain for the coming year.

Mythological characters that used hazel rods are Thor, Hermes & Mercury.
Norse mythology considered the hazel tree to be sacred.
Thor used hazel as a protection against lightning.
Apollo gave Mercury a hazel rod to help him maintain his godly virtues.
Hermes hazel rod made him the personification of intelligence.
Christian pilgrims often carried hazel rods as staffs. They used the same rods their whole lives & the rods were often buried with them.

In Wales if you make a cap of hazel leaves & twigs you can make a wish & it will come true.
 In Merionethshire in Wales corpses were buried with hazel rods to protect from witchcraft.

In Scotland the hazel grove is called calltuin. A Calton is considered to be an entrance to the Otherworld.

In England hazel branches are gathered on Palm Sunday & kept alive in water inside the house.
They will protect the house from thunder & lightning.

In Germany hazel is a sign of immortality because it flowers at the end of winter.

A hazel wand cut on the Sabbath day before rising is used as a charm to protect against evil witches.



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