Author Archives: Fehmida

Winter Garden

The intending depth of winter infers us to look inwards, to reflect, and feels drawn to the warmth of indoors. Those of a melancholic constitution, may feel this need with more severity, with feelings of sadness and maybe even loss. Uplifting essential oils I like to use includes orange and bergamot, cinnamon to add cosiness, and black pepper to lift sluggish spirit.
However the garden right now is not lifeless, it is transiently quite, and looking inwards as nature intended. Peeled back, the energy within the roots of the plants gently brew for the preparation of spring. There is internal life and light still, and the moments spent outside in between the dappled light, and the colours of gold, browns and fawnlike beige are beneficial places for contemplation.
I do not weed – at all, merely sweep up the leaves from the slabs. Otherwise all is left to fall, grow and decay as it wishes. Images below are from my garden right now.

New! Dream Pillows

I have wanted to make these for a while, with the Lavender, Rose and Mugwort I have in the garden every year. These handcrafted dream pillows are made with herbs that are intuitively gathered, wild-crafted and selected for aiding and enhancing sleep. Choose from:
– simple lavender for it calming effects.
– a restful blend made with lavender, chamomile and hops to aid sleep.
– a mugwort and rosemary blend for enhancing and recalling dreams, and faciltating lucid dreams.
– a mugwort and herbs blend (rose, lavender, chamomile, mugwort and hops) for enhancing and facilitating lucid dreams and aiding sleep.

The mugwort and lavender have been infused with the full moon. According to Unani/Greek medicine, the moon has cooling and moistening qualities.

These Dream Pillows are so gentle and a natural method of using herbs in a traditional way to help with dream and sleep. 

mugwort and herbs lucid dream pillow
Lavender dream pillow
mugwort and rosemary
restful sleep dream pillow
mugwort and rosemary dream pillow
Lavender dream pillow

Summer Garden

This time of year, when the sun is infusing its potency in to the blooms, everything can seem mesmerising. I’m not one for very hot summers, and the UK did not have the sweltering heat like last year, nevertheless, the sight and scent and the high vibration of the flora in my little garden feels other worldly. The early mornings are dew filled and my favourite time to harvest. I have been gathering the garden roses for incense, enfleurage and scented oils, and Helichrysum and St. Johns wort to prepare infused oils. My Mum gave me the Scabiosa, a beautiful lilac flower used folk medicine to treat scabies, hence the name, which currently I am just pressing.  I’m contemplating what to do with the Cistus – maybe a hydrosol or a flower essence with those fleeting papery flowers? I’m drying the feverfew for now. Other plants that are in profusion right now are the Lavender, Rosemary and some Star gazer lilies. Its an abundant season, and so am mostly occupied with infusing under the sun and the moon, enfleuraging flower heads and drying herbs.

Herbal Pain Ointment Recipe

herbal salve

Pain Ointment

I usually make a version of this ointment once a year for general aches and pains, for a sore back or neck and shoulder pain . Also works well for arthritis and joint pains. The herbs are selected intuitively, what I have available, and also what is growing at the time when needed.

Ingredients
20g of your chosen wax
120ml herbal infused oil *
25 drops of essential oil (optional)

* The infused oil was made with things that I had on hand. From the garden – rosemary, lavender, pine needles, juniper leaves, and new comfrey shoots that were just emerging. From the kitchen – ginger and chilli, and some dried herbs I had from last year – arnica flowers and some plantain leaves.

To make the infused oil:
a) Place olive oil in a large glass jar or a glass bowl or jug (glass jugs are easier to pour later) and add the herbs: rosemary, ginger, comfrey leaves, dried plantain, dried arnica flowers, chilli, pine needles, juniper leaves and lavender flowers or the stems.
b) Place the glass container over a bain-marie (a saucepan of water) being careful not to let the water splash in to the oil. Turn the heat on low and slow cook for 3-4 hours or longer if you prefer. Leave the oil to one side.

To make the ointment:
a) Melt the wax in another glass container. This can also be done over a bain-marie.
b) Once the wax is melted add the herb infused oil you made earlier and stir.
c) Optional: If you would like to add therapeutic essential oil, then do so now.
I used wintergreen, peppermint, turmeric, rosemary and lavender.
Mix and pour in to containers and use went set.
Apply to the problem area and deeply massage in to the skin.

Please note: Wintergreen essential oil is not suitable for children, or those with bleeding disorders, during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Free Luna Calendar 2023

Free luna Calendar for 2023. Based on the moon phases of the Northern hemisphere. Perfect for tracking all the various phases, ideal for herbal medicine making, cupping/hijamah, moon gardening or anything else. This is an A4 size.

To download the free calendar, click on the link here!

Farishta – New Botanical Perfume

botanical perfume

The perfume Farishta acquires its name from the Persian word ‘angel’ or ‘divine messenger’. It has a gentle floral breeze that whispers an odour of elapsed memories, of past monuments, and of unearthed images of native flora and aromatic herbs interlaced with stories of untamed resins, kept clandestine and immersed by the transient Near East desert sands.

My new scent Farishta is herbaceous, floral and resinous. Not cloying or overpowering, I wanted to create a scent that was ethereal but earthly, with a character of true flowers, herbs and resins that were mentioned in ancient manuscripts.

The soul of this scent, delicately interweaves Angelica archangelica and Egyptian lotus flower, both renowned and revered by the ancients. Ensuing notes of Champaca unfolds to create a trio of soft fluttery florals, that lie on a herbaceous bed of dill, myrtle and tarragon, evoking a sense of elevated awareness, heightened by cardamon and clove, and then tempered with vanilla and mellowed with saffron. The Resinous final layer is a merging of Amber, Labdanum, and the sweet balsamic notes of Gurjun.

New Essential Oil Blends

essential oil roller blends

New essential oil roller blends that I have been working on! A range of beautiful therapeutic aromatics, diluted in golden jojoba oil. Essential oils not only work on a physiological level but they also have a subtle element that works on the human consciousness. Indeed throughout history aromatic botanicals have been used across many cultures and civilisations for healing the mind, the body and the soul, each of which are intrinsically linked. These six new blends have been carefully and mindfully chosen for their therapeutic, as well as subtle vibrational properties.