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Merry Meet,
This months herb is Cinnamon. I was really happy when I chose this herb because of its versatility. Cinamon is in nearly everyones cupboard and it seems people dont realize how many different ways we can use it from culinary to magickal. Along with sage and rosemary, cinnamon is one inexpensive readily available herbs no witch should be without.
Cinnamon
Gender-Masculine
Planet-Sun
Element-Fire
Deity-Venus and Aphrodite
Cinnamon and cassia.
When you buy cinnamon you may be getting cassia. Most of what we call cinnamon is actually cassia. In the United States we use approximately six times more of the milder tasting cassia than true cinnamon. Both are basically the same plant, cassia is native to Vietnam and the eastern Himalayas while cinnamon is native to Ceylon (AKA: Sri Lanka) and southern India. The Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 permits spice traders to label cassia as cinnamon. Both come from the inner bark of tropical evergreen trees, have similar flavor and are used interchangeably. But aficionados insist that cassia -darker, stronger, less expensive- is inferior to true cinnamon. Sold as ground powder or as bark.
Parts Used
Bark (The commercial Cinnamon bark is the dried inner bark of the shoots. )
Description
A tropical evergreen tree. The tree grows from 20 to 30 feet high, has thick scaborous bark, strong branches, young shoots speckled greenish-orange, the leaves petiolate entire, leathery when mature, upper side shiny green, underside lighter; flowers small white in panicles; fruit, an oval berry like an acorn in its receptacle, bluish when ripe with white spots on it, bigger than a blackberry; the root-bark smells like cinnamon and tastes like camphor, which it yields on distillation. Leaves, when bruised, smell spicy and have a hot taste; the berry tastes similar to Juniper and has a terebine smell; when ripe, bruised and boiled it gives off an oily matter which when cools solidifies. It is called cinnamon suet. Cinnamon has a fragrant perfume, taste aromatic and sweet; when distilled it only gives a very small quantity of oil, with a delicious flavor.
Cultivation
Grows best in almost pure sand, requiring only 1 percent of vegetable substance; it prefers a sheltered place, constant rain, heat and equal temperature.
Medicinal Action and Uses
Cinnamon has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Modern science has confirmed its value for preventing infection and indigestion and has also discovered a couple of new therapeutic uses for the herb. Ancient Chinese herbalists mention it as early as 2700 B.C., and Chinese herbalists still recommend it for fever, diarrhea and menstrual problems. Cinnamon was an ingredient in ancient Egyptian embalming mixtures. Several toothpastes are flavored with cinnamon, and for good reason. "Like all the spices used in curries," says Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D., director of the American Phytotherapy Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, and author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, "cinnamon is an antiseptic that helps kill the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease." Cinnamon also kills many disease-causing fungi and viruses. One German study showed it "suppresses completely" the cause of most urinary tract infections (Escherichia coli bacteria) and the fungus responsible for vaginal yeast infections (Candida albicans). Like many culinary spices, cinnamon helps soothe the stomach. But a Japanese animal study revealed that it also may help prevent ulcers.It also appears to help people with diabetes metabolize sugar. In one form of diabetes (Type II, or non-insulin-dependent), the pancreas produces insulin, but the body cannot use it efficiently to break down glucose-the simple sugar that fuels body functions. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers discovered that cinnamon reduces the amount of insulin necessary for glucose metabolism. It stops vomiting, relieves flatulence, and given with chalk and astringents it's useful for diarrhea and hemorrhage of the womb. Add cinnamon to remedies for acute symptoms, as this herb is a stimulant to other herbs and the body, enabling herbal remedies to work faster.
To brew a stomach-soothing tea
use 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of powdered herb per
cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 20 minutes.
Drink up to three cups a day.
Warnings
Do not ingest cinnamon oil. Cinnamon Bark oil should never be used on the skin. Be when using Cinnamon Leaf oil as it can cause irritation to skin if not handled properly.Taken internally, it can cause nausea, vomiting and possibly even kidney damage. Don't ingest cinnamon oil. Cinnamon has been shown to alter insulin levels. So please be when using it if you are a Diabetic. The oils should be avoided during pregnancy, since they have been linked to miscarriages. In powdered form, culinary amounts of cinnamon are nontoxic, although allergic reactions are possible.
Culinary
Ground cinnamon enhances many curries and meat stews especially those made with lamb. One of the oldest spices known, cinnamon is a treasured ingredient in baked goods, gracing everything from cinnamon rolls, oatmeal cookies, bread puddings and coffee cakes to fresh fruit pies and chocolate tortes. It's also a key seasoning in Greek moussaka and Turkish pilaf dishes. Cinnamon sticks are often used in hot drinks such as mulled wine , hot chocolate and coffee to add just that extra zing on a cold night.
Tropical Cinnamon Spice Shrimp
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1 tablespoon olive oil
Romaine leaves
Combine sugar and spices in a glass bowl. Toss shrimp with the oil and thread onto skewers. Sprinkle with spice mixture. Grill over medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side. Serve on a bed of Romaine lettuce.
Cinnamon Rose Syrup
3 cups apple juice, cider or pear-apple cider
8 Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Rose Tea Bags
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 3/4 oz package of apple pectin
2 cups honey
Heat 3 cups apple juice, cider or pear apple cider to a boil. Add 8 Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Rose tea bags and steep 20 minutes off the heat.
Remove tea bags. Add 3 Tbsp. lemon juice. Add 1 3/4 oz. package of apple pectin.
Bring to a boil while stirring. Add 2 cups honey. Return to a boil.
Bottle and keep refrigerated.
Use on pancakes, waffles, ice cream. Drizzle over baked apples or stir into yogurt.
Apple Cake
1 cup applesauce
cup unsalted butter
1 cup demerata sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour (half whole wheat/half white)
2 teaspoons baking powder
cup raisins
cup sultanas
1 cup walnuts (chopped)
teaspoon salt
teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
teaspoon nutmeg
Bake in an 8 inch ring pan.
Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, add the eggs, one at a time. Sift together the flour, spices and baking powder. Toss the fruit and nuts in 1 tablespoon of flour. Gradually add the flour mixture and applesauce alternately to the sugar/butter/egg mix. Fold in the dried fruit and nuts.
Pour into a greased baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until you can insert a pick and it comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan
Cosmetic
Cinnamon has many uses besides being a condiment, the oils of the leaves, bark and roots add their scent and flavor to incense and perfumes. The leaf oil can used in tonics, antiseptics, and in remedies for intestinal gas, nausea, colds, and hypertension.
Cinnamon After-Shave
2 c witch-hazel extract (preferably grain-alcohol based)
2 T distilled water
1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced
1 sprig fresh mint, minced
1 cinnamon stick
2 strips orange-peel spirals, chopped
2 strips lemon-peel spirals, chopped
15 drops benzoin
Combine all ingredients except cinnamon stick in blender for 60-90 seconds. Pour into a bottle and add cinnamon stick; shake well and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine strainer to remove solids. Apply to damp skin after shaving. Rinse if desired. Store unused portion in tightly sealed container for up to 5 days in refrigerator.
Cooling Cinnamon Body Powder
1/2 cup cornstarch (you can also use arrowroot powder)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Try this fragrant cooling powder to soothe heat rash on a hot summer day. It contains ground cinnamon which has a sweet, woody scent and feels great on your skin. The largest producer of cinnamon in the world is Sri Lanka, where the bark of a tropical evergreen tree in the laurel family is rolled into quills or sticks and left to dry. These dried quills are finely ground to a powder and used for a variety of purposes the world over.
Mix together the cornstarch and the cinnamon until well blended. To use, sprinkle on skin or use a powder puff. Old Spice containers make nice powder shakers.
Yield: 4-1/4 ounces
BODY LOTION
1/4 cup peanut or groundnut oil
3 tablespoons whipped margarine
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain curd
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup eau-de-cologne
1 cup apple juice (fresh or bottled)
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 tablespoons rose-water
1 teaspoon glycerin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder (optional)
Warm the margarine gently and add the oil, mix well and cool mixture completely.
Add the egg mixture till smooth.
Beat w/ egg beater, adding other ingredients one at a time, beating well before adding the next ingredients.
Refrigerate and use when required.
Apply all over body, leave it on for half an hour and then have your bath.
Aromatherapy Uses
(Oil)Lice; Scabies; Wasp Stings; Poor Circulation; Childbirth (stimulates contractions); Anorexia; Colitis; Diarrhea; Dyspepsia; Intestinal Infection; Sluggish Digestion; Spasm; Flu; Rheumatism; Warts; Coughs; Colds; Viral Infections; Frigidity; Infectious Disease; Stress Related Conditions; Tooth and Gum Care; Nervous Exhaustion. Key Qualities: Warming; Reviving, Tonic; Strengthening; Aphrodisiac; Restorative; Uplifting.
Massage Oil:
Infuse some oil (massage oil,vegetable oil ) with ground Cinnamon,whole Cloves and Orange Zest. (very sexy stuff)
Magical Uses
One of the most useful and versatile herbs, cinnamon is used to draw money, raise spiritual vibrations,aid meditation, inspire creativity and promote healing, power, love, sleep, lust, protection, success and psychic powers. Cinnamon is a wonderful herb to either burn as an incense or make into a sachet. Fill a green or gold sachet with Cinnamon to draw money and success or to use as a healing charm. A purple sachet can be used to increase your magickal and/or psychic powers. A pink or red sachet to draw love or white to insure protection. It's used to stimulate the passions of the male.
Basic Happy Home Simmering Potpourri
Mix together cinnamon chips for prosperity and protection, cloves to stop hostility and gossip, orange peel for joy, lemon balm for cheer, rosemary for purification, mint for health, sage for wisdom, and dill seed for prosperity. Charge under three day's sun and moon if possible, asking the blessing of the Lord and Lady. To use, mix a small amount (2 spoonfuls) with water and heat in a simmer pot or in a pot on the stove.
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