Introducing my calendula ointment!
Well here it is, my calendula ointment, and if I’m honest, then I’m proud of myself for it!
Sometimes in life things just happen. Traipsing up to Everest Base Camp as detailed in Namaste was one of those things, so was my water breaking six weeks early while leading a yoga & wellbeing retreat on Herm as detailed in Dancing with the Moon. Not that I’m thinking that my growing pot marigold will lead to me writing and publishing a book but you never know - something things do just happen!
Me seeing Fi’s Facebook post about her organic seeds just happened. Me accepting some of her organic seeds just happened. Me deciding I might grow them on the waxing moon because I thought this might help them grow just happened. Me giving them Reiki also just happened. The seeds growing just happened, and it seemed to happen very quickly.
These were the seeds that germinated before any of the other medicinal plant seeds did, that grew faster than any of the others and demanded the most of my attention and yet I was pleased to tend to them because they were so giving with their cheerful and uplifting energy. These were the plants from whom I learned to transplant into bigger pots and bigger pots and even bigger pots because they just kept on growing!
These are the plants that whispered to me that they needed to go in the ground a few months later and caused me to spend an entire weekend establishing a moon garden on Lammas so I could make sure they were in the ground after this, when the full moon had aded her energy to the prepared soil.
These are the plants that produced the most beautiful yellow and orange flowers which are not only hugely cheerful but calming to the spirit too. I quickly began to love my pot marigolds and have never looked back since; they have been extremely abundant and giving, even now I am still picking the flowers. I struggled with this initially, it seemed such a shame, especially as they attract pollinators, but it is almost as if they like to keep giving more flowers to bloom.
In historic times calendula was used for magical purposes. It was also used by the Romans and Greeks in many rituals and ceremonies, sometimes garlands and crowns were worn that were made from calendula. It is sometimes called ‘Mary’s Gold’ referring to the flowers’ use in early Catholic rituals in some countries. They are considered sacred flowers in India and have been used to decorate the states of Hindu deities since early times, and they were used around the shala at Satsanga Retreat centre in Goa when we were there last year.
They were used for culinary purposes too, both for favour and colour. However it is its long history of medical use throughout the world that has made calendula so popular and continues to make it popular today. It is considered a vulnerary agent, a plant which promotes healing. It has been used internally and externally with above-average results compared to other healing herbs. It has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. When applied to wounds, calendula prevents microbial growth and does not cause skin tissues to retract, thus providing more oxygen to the skin cells to lessen the healing time - as I discovered on a burn recently. The flowers are high in vitamin C and have been used to improve appetite and increase circulation.
I decided that I would use my flowers to make a calendula ointment that could be applied to skin. I started picking them and drying them on a hanging rack I bought for that purpose in our airing cupboard. Initially I picked all the petals from the flower heads thinking it was just then petals that one would add to any oil but then I read more into the subject and discovered, with much relief as it was rather time consuming, that the whole flower head could be soaked, phew!
I researched oils and while I opted for organic olive oil for my lavender, rosemary and sage, I chose almond oil for the calendula, it just felt the right choice intuitively. I covered the calendula flowers with the oil in a glass jar and placed it on a sunny window sill for three weeks or so and over a waxing moon too. Actually during the latter part of the moon cycle from half moon to full moon, I placed the jar outside so that the oil and flowers could absorb both the moonlight and sunlight directly. I’m ever hopeful that this may have increased its potency and healing properties.
After three weeks or so, I don’t know, just when it felt right, I drained the flowers and was left with this most beautiful orange oil. There was something about its colour and texture, like a form of liquid gold, that made me feel very satisfied and very grateful for the abundance of my beautiful plants.
My mum helped me then to melt organic beeswax into the oil so that I could make it into an ointment. This was exciting! It wasn’t anywhere as near as tricky as I had imagined, and extremely pleasing, I felt like I had actually achieved something, made a dream come true that I hadn’t even recognised was a dream, but there was something in me that was delighted to have made a potentially healing potion. I’m a passionate healer and a little bit Wiccan and I guess it was empowering. I infused each jar with Reiki and of course they were made with love too!
So here it is, my calendula ointment…
It can be used to treat acne, burns, scrapes, nappy rash, scratches, minor abrasions, small cuts, insect bites, recurring skin conditions such as dermatitis and eczema, to ease very rough and dry skin, on cradle cap and dandruff, on haemorrhoids or inflammation of the rectal area, peeling and chapped lips, vaginal yeast infections, conjunctivitis, deep aches, muscle spasms and rheumatism. Ointments keep body heat and water in so it shouldn’t really be used on hot, inflamed and weepy skin conditions.
I’ve used it in a few situations and I know I’m biased but it feels good! It eased some sore skin, it healed a burn quickly, it helped my son’s dermatitis and I used it on a sun burned nose too! I’ve given some to my friends to test on their various skin conditions and am hoping it works for them too.
I don’t have many pots, but if you feel it might help you then let me know. I am selling them for £15 for a 120ml pot.
But really they are invaluable to me, because they brought so much joy and it is difficult to put a cost on that!
Apologies for the slightly amateur photos, not my strongest point!!
Love Emma x
