Granny Tackett's Healing Balm

I recently made a healing salve, so I thought I'd share it here.

I had wildcrafted Yarrow & Heal-All plants last year and they had dried beautifully (sometimes plants don't, so this isn't a "duh" kind of statement). 

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Granny Tackett's Healing Balm
Ingredients
3 Yarrow flowerheads (minimum)
1 Heal-All plant (including roots)
4 Plantain leaves**
1 tablespoon Rosemary Essential Oil
Emulsifier
1 cup Vegetable Shortening or Coconut Oil
1/8 cup Vegetable Oil (olive or sunflower being the best choices)
Mortar & Pestle
Small pot
Clean jar with well-sealing lid

Instructions
On a very low heat, melt the vegetable shortening (or coconut oi) & oil together.

Grind the yarrow & heal-all in the mortar & pestle. Most of it will powder, but some will not, don't worry about it.*

Add the plant material and the rosemary essential oil to the melted oil in the pot, stirring to mix well.

Pour the mixture into the jar and let cool completely. The plant material will rise to the top.

Once totally cooled, stir thoroughly to completely mix the plant materials into the balm.

Store in a cool place.

Use for scratches, wounds, burns, as an ointment or on a warm, hot cloth as a poultice.

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Notes:* If you don't like the idea of the plant materials staying in the balm, then leave them whole and strain & press them once they've been infused into the oils.

**Another excellent plant that could be added (which I didn't think of at the time), is plantain.

The yarrow, heal-all & plantain plants can be wildcrafted from just about anywhere - which is free. Drying them is free. Most people have vegetable oil & shortening for cooking, in their kitchen. The rosemary oil is optional, so if you don't have it, don't worry about it. And a clean jar can be found by saving a jelly jar or baby food jar when it's empty.

So the cost for this excellent healing balm is basically free!

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Yarrow:

Anesthetic, Anti-inflammatory, Antiseptic, Bleeding & clotting, Blood purifier, Colds & flu’s, Coughs, Fever, Headache, Pain killer

Heal-All:

Antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of pseudomonas, Bacillus typhi, E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculi, which supports its use as an alternative medicine internally and externally as an antibiotic and for hard to heal wounds and diseases; Antiseptic, Eye wash for sties and pinkeye, Styptic

Plantain:

Antimicrobial, Anti-inflammatory, Blisters, Coughs, Cuts,Fever, Headache, Hemorrhage, Hemorrhoids, Poison neutralizer, Scratches, Stings, Styptic, Wounds