Love, Peace, Healing, Spirituality
Chinese-named herbs to the rescue again! This time, zhi zi = gardenia.
Fresh gardenia flowers placed in sickrooms will help with healing. The dried petals are often added to incenses and healing mixtures. Dried gardenia is also often used in Moon incenses, and scattering dried gardenia about the room will encourage peaceful vibrations.
Gardenia is used in love magic, and will attract benevolent spirits during rituals.
Drinking gardenia tea is good for fevers and the flu. It’s also supposed to help lower blood pressure, calm heart palpitations, and help ease asthmatic breathing. Making a salve or lotion of gardenia can help treat insect bites, and soothe sores and burns.
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And… that brings us to the end of the A to Z Challenge! (Phew.) It’s always a little bittersweet coming to the end. I had a lot of fun with these posts this year, and I hope you enjoyed reading them. Thank you everyone for stopping by!
Sources:
Cunningham’s Encylopedia of Magical Herbs, Scott Cunningham, 2016, Llewellyn Publications
Edible and Medicinal Flowers, Margaret Roberts, 2007, Spearhead
Hi Sara – I love the gardenia … so it’s good to read about its properties … we probably all need a good sprinkling of gardenia magic just now – cheers and congratulations on an interesting topic … Hilary
http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/z-is-for-zebra-zoo-and-zedland.html
Thanks, Hilary. I’d be happy to have some gardenia magic. 🙂
That’s a pretty looking gardenia.
Thanks for an interesting topic, Sara!
Thanks for swinging by, Michelle! 🙂
I have half a dozen gardenias in my yard. I didn’t know they were good for all this, but I love smelling them, they make me happy. The spring down here is a feast of senses (I love riding a bicycle in the early evening and smelling the jasmine).
A great A-Z theme in which I learned a lot. Thanks for all your work in making this come together.
http://sagecoveredhills.blogspot.com/2017/04/z-is-for-zodiac.html
I adore jasmine, gardenias are an added bonus. 🙂 Thanks for visiting! Glad you enjoyed the theme.
I know what you mean about bittersweet endings. This flower always reminds me of singer Billie Holiday, who wore a gardenia behind her ear when performing — we could end A to Z with one of her songs 🙂 Congratulations on finishing the A to Z Challenge and thanks for visiting/commenting on my blog! Hope to stay in touch during the year.
Billie Holiday is great, I love the idea about ending with one of her songs. Maybe this one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l44_n60QQ8
Thank you! Will definitely try to stay in touch. 🙂
This has been a great series. I need to go back and re-read them all. Congratulations on an A-Z job well done.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
What a perfect ending to a delightful series. I’ve so enjoyed my daily visits. Thank you so much for spending so much time in the odd little village of Amble Bay. The locals will really miss you I’m sure.
Z- It’s farewell to Amble Bay!
Thank you, Keith! I’ve absolutely loved my time in Amble Bay. 😀
Wow. I never knew gardenias had medical benefits. Is Zhi zi a specific type or the Chinese word for gardenias?
Real life kicked me in the butt. I’ll have to go back and read the posts I missed because the ones I read were all fascinating.
I think it’s just the Chinese word for gardenias, but I’m not 100% sure on that. I hear you about the life butt-kicking. It can be a bully like that sometimes. 😛 I’m glad you enjoyed the posts, though!
“Zhi Zi.” I was thinking to myself, what in the world is Zhi Zi. Gardenia, good to know. Another enjoyable post to read. Thanks for all the wonderful plant/herb information I really enjoyed learning it. I am excited to be following you future posts.
Thanks for stopping by Zonked
Shari
Thanks, Shari! You now have a Chinese word in your arsenal. 😉 I’m glad you enjoyed the posts, and thanks for following!
Ooh, Zhi Zi tea sounds like it’s just the thing for me (love the Chinese name) 😉 Thanks for sharing all the interesting herbs this month – especially with a folklore twist 🙂
When people ask what you are drinking, you can tell them “zhi zi” and enjoy the odd looks. 😉 Thanks for hanging out with me this month!
Zhi Zi is a lovely word for the always lovely gardenia. I’ve quite enjoyed your series Sara – thank you!
Thanks, Deborah!
Yay, we’ve reached the end, congrats for making it 🙂
Gardenia sounds like a really helpful flower both in the physical and psychical realms.
Sophie
Sophie’s Thoughts & Fumbles – Dragon Diaries
Thank you, congrats to you as well! 😀
Definitely need some of this to scatter around as any help with peaceful vibrations is always welcome. Have loved your posts this month and glad I found your blog.
Pamela @ Highlands Days of Fun
Very true about the peaceful vibrations. Thanks for stopping by Pamela, it’s been lots of fun. 🙂
This has been fun.
Thanks, Michelle! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Congrats on finishing the challenge. I enjoyed learning about the different herbs.
~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Thanks so much Sara for your always interesting posts! Well done on crossing over the finishing line! Am sure you had a few herbs and spells to help in this magical series. The gardenia is such a pretty flower and it’s scent is divine. I have one in my garden ..
I’d love to have a gardenia, but I don’t think it’d do well here. Thanks for reading Susan! I’m glad you enjoyed the series. 🙂
Such a pretty name for such a pretty flower that smells divine, almost intoxicating. I can see why it would be used in love magic.
I didn’t know there is such a thing as Gardenia tea.
Thank you for your posts Sara. I love growing herbs and using them. And I guess, I can always check your blog if I ever need any herb related information.
Z is for Zagreb and Zindagi
Thanks, Arti! Glad you enjoyed the posts, and good luck with your herb garden. 🙂
I really love the gardenia as a flower, it has a lovely smell. And i didn’t know you can brew a tea with it!!
And so, we made it to the end this year too, in one piece. That’s a fit, isn’t it? 😉
I really enjoyed your posts, very informative. I’m sure I’ll reference back to them in th future.
Thanks so much for sharing.
I didn’t know about the tea either. If it’s anything like jasmine tea, then it’s probably amazing.
Yay! We survived! 😀 I’m glad you enjoyed the posts. Thanks so much for stopping by to read them.
Didn’t know there was another name for gardenia. Sounds like it has lovely, restorative properties. Congrats on getting to the end of the Challenge – I really enjoyed your fascinating posts!
It’s the Chinese word for it, so not really another name, just another language. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Nick, and I’m glad you enjoyed the posts!
Oh, I adore gardenias. They make my summer evenings fragrant with memories!
Congratulations of completing the Challenge. Enjoyed going through your blog!
Thank you! 🙂