Dear Friends, January 2016
I hope you’ve enjoyed your holidays and you are starting the new year with health, joy and prosperity …and if this hasn’t been the case, may the universe whisper in your Angel’s ears and make it so.
I would like to talk about scullcap (Scutellaria ocmulgee)
Scullcap is a powerful medicinal herb, that is used by herbalists as an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and nervine. The word, “nervine” can be used as an adjective, meaning: (of a medicine) used to calm the nerves, or a noun, meaning: a nervine medicine.
It is an emmenagogue, which means that it stimulates blood flow in the uterus and pelvic area. This is especially helpful for women during the childbearing years who deal with premenopausal syndrome. That said, it should not be used during pregnancy, as there is some indication that in may be a mild abortifacient.
Scullcap, being a native of North America is found from south eastern Canada and southward to South Carolina. It is an erect, perennial herb in the mint family that stands 12 to 28 inches tall and bears small blue flowers. It prefers moist or wet soil and can usually be found growing on the shores of rivers, lakes, rich woods, thickets, bluffs and along roadsides in wet ditches. The common name of the plant is derived from the Latin word, “scutella” meaning, “little dish” as the upper lip of the flower resembles a small helmet
How Our Native Ancestors Used Scullcap
Cherokee women use skullcap to maintain healthy menstrual cycles, and a root decoction is taken after the birth of a child to stimulate the reproductive system. Scullcap is also used in purification ceremonies to regulate menstrual cycles. The Iroquois use an infusion of the root to keep the throat clear. Other Native American tribes use closely related species as bitter tonics for the kidneys.
Scullcap is a soothing and relaxing herb that is restorative to the nervous system. It is helpful for insomnia, because it quiets nonproductive worrying and relieves restlessness and hyperactivity in the body. It is an effective remedy against stress, anxiety and depression.
This gentle member of the mint family has a powerfully relaxing effect on the neck and head, making it a useful treatment for tension headaches and neck strain. It is also a beneficial herb for tremors, seizures and epilepsy because of its relaxing antispasmodic properties.
Scullcap’s nourishing effect on the nervous system makes it a supportive therapy during withdrawal from substance addiction, as well as getting you through an anxious situation, even helping restless leg syndrome.
How I use Scullcap
I use scullcap in my tincture called Fibro-Nervine. Fibro-Nervine is a crucial herbal treatment for fibromyalgia; it is for fibromyalgia sufferers who have generalized fatigue; sleeplessness; digestive disorders; suffer with insomnia or any problems with the nervous system, as it has a calming and nourishing effect on the nerves. Fibro-Nervine also is an antispasmodic, which helps irritable bowel syndrome. This formula is for those with neurological disorders that range from peripheral neuropathy, Bell’s Palsy, Autism Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia sufferers with insomnia to ADD, ADHD and MS.
“In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.”
~Fred “Mister” Rogers~
Love and Light,
Lori
