My hands have been super dry recently, with peeling skin, rough knuckles and have been pretty irritated and sore. I’ve tried loads of hand creams and moisturisers, but nothing has really helped. So, I decided to make something that would help! I started with a sweet almond oil base (around 200ml), as this type of almond oil is excellent for moisturising and caring for your skin. It is deeply moisturising, whilst being gentle on sensitive skin, and also has regenerative properties. Chinese cultures have been using almond oil as a natural medicine to treat dry skin and scarring since ancient tim ..read more

I decided we needed a bit of decadence in our lives and also to attract a bit of abundance and good luck, after a period of illness and just generally being down in the dumps. We all love flapjacks (the English version, not the American version, which is another name for a pancake) and you can load them with anything you want, but I decided to make them with dates, maple syrup, goji berries and barberries. Dates The date palm tree yields an abundance of fruit, and due to this, is considered potent for magick concerning abundance. Dates are also associated with bountifulness, opulence and luxur ..read more

I’ve been having a really upset stomach recently, due to a reaction to a second lot of antibiotics and steroids in two weeks, so I’ve made this infusion to help settle my tummy. Here’s what I used: Barberry (five teaspoons) Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) is a bush native to Europe, North Africa and in many regions of North America. The medicinal use of barberry dates back over two and half thousand millennia and has been widely used as a folk medicine to treat diarrhea, reduce fever, improve appetite and relieve upset stomachs, in addition to promoting vigor and to bring about a sense of well be ..read more

As I’ve been really poorly for the past few weeks, I feel like I’ve neglected my lovely hubby a bit. He understands completely though, but you know how it is when you’re ill…..intimacy kind of takes a back seat. I wanted to find a way to thank him for looking after me, being patient with me and generally being a great husband, so I decided the best way was to cook him something lovely, as the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach (apparently). However, I wanted to use ingredients to signify love and lust. I decided to make a homemade crumble, to be served hot, with vanilla icecream. ING ..read more

I am suffering with a nasty chest infection, my second in 12 months, and I’m feeling really ill with it. I’ve been to the doctors and have been prescribed antibiotics, steroids and an inhaler, but I want to boost my immune system as much as I can at home too. Therefore I’ve developed this tea today and am brewing up a large batch (enough for about 4 cups worth) to last me throughout the rest of the day and evening. **Disclaimer: Any medicinal benefits given here are a product of my own research and as such should not be taken over the advice of trained medical professionals. If you are ill, pl ..read more

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a plant found throughout Europe and Asia and displays as a spiny, thicket-forming shrub, often found in sand dunes along the coast of England. It is most obvious in autumn, when it is full of bright orange berries. Sea buckthorn berries are a source of omega-7 fatty acids and an array of vitamins, including beta-carotene, vitamin C and E. Omega-7 helps body cells retain moisture in the mucous membranes. They are also a great support to the immune system and overall wellbeing. They can also be dried very well to store for future use (I use them dried ..read more

A rare super blood moon will be over the UK’s skies tonight as two rare lunar events coincide. The event is a combination of a lunar eclipse and two more unusual occurrences – a ‘super moon’ and a ‘blood moon’. A ‘blood moon’ is when the Moon appears to turn red during a total lunar eclipse. This happens the only light reaching the Moon is from the edges of the Earth’s atmosphere and this has caused all the blue light to be ‘scattered out’, leaving red light to be reflected off the Moon’s surface and making it appear red in the sky as we look at it from Earth. A ‘super moon’ is actually a coll ..read more