Garlic

Disclaimer: This information is in no way intended to be a substitute for modern medical care. Do not self-treat any medical complaint without the guidance of a licensed health care provider.

      Known for its pungent odor and taste, garlic is a popular, safe and useful natural remedy. A close relative of the onion, garlic has been cultivated and prized since ancient times. Featured in the Ebers Papyrus, the world's oldest surviving medical text, garlic is one of the earliest medicinal plants known to man, as well. Garlic appears in this manuscript as an essential ingredient in 22 remedies - for scorpion and insect bites, intestinal worms, menstrual discomfort, tumors and heart problems. It was also treasured by the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks, Romans and Indians.
      During World War I, doctors used it juice to dress wounds. Garlic's antibiotic, expectorant and antiviral medicinal effects are still highly valued today; it has been shown to be effective in lowering blood pressure and blood sugar levels, increasing perspiration and thinning the blood. Garlic also prevents and fights chest and throat infections. Research shows that it may even help prevent cancer. Unlike some natural remedies, garlic is safe to use even in large amounts.

Garlic Preparations
      Garlic is available in many commercial remedies sold in pharmacies and health-food stores. Garlic is either pressed to extract its oil or dried, and then processed and packaged by itself or in combination with other natural remedies. You can buy garlic capsules, drops, lozenges, tablets and even juice. Fresh squeezed garlic juice can also be found in some health food stores, but it can be made at home in a juicer for less money, by using a juicer to extract the juice. The freshly squeezed garlic juice can be beneficial for gum inflammations, since it inhibits the growth of germs. Massage it into your gums several times a day for 4 weeks; or less, if the gums are no longer inflamed. Chew fresh parsley to mask the strong odor.
      Wild Garlic can be made into medicinal teas that are effective for hair loss; blemishes, candidiasis of the intestine, joint pain, circulation, gastrointestinal symptoms and for detoxifying the body.

Therapeutic Effect
      Garlic's ability to lower blood cholesterol levels is one of its most important effects. It thins the blood, preventing blood clots from forming and blocking the vessels. It also helps regulate high blood pressure and inhibits the growth of internal and external bacteria and fungi. Furthermore, garlic is valuable in helping to eliminate parasites, reduce infection and alleviate inflammation.

Components:
      Garlic contains protein, fat and carbohydrates. Selenium and vitamins A, B, C and E. Calcium, phosphorus, copper, iron, lithium, zinc and molybdenum are also found in garlic. Its many medicinal effects can be attributed to its volatile oil, which is also responsible for the herb's characteristic scent.

For prevention of arteriosclerosis
      Studies have shown that garlic can help lower elevated cholesterol levels. In one experiment, volunteers who ate garlic with a high-fat meal had decreased cholesterol levels, compared with increased amounts in people who did not eat the garlic. The allicin and ajoene in garlic oil seem to be responsible for this effect. They help to reduce LDL, or "bad," cholesterol and triglycerides, while increasing the proportion of HDL, or "good," cholesterol.

To help prevent cancer
      Researchers have found that eating garlic may help prevent cancer. The garlic oil may ward off cancerous cells and stop their growth.

To inhibit bacterial and fungal growth
      Garlic's antiseptic quality is useful for treating bacterial ailments, such as tuberculosis, food poisoning, diarrhea and bladder infections. It also kills the fungi that cause athlete's foot.

Methods of Administration:

      Garlic's beneficial effects can be enjoyed in any form, but fresh, crushed garlic and garlic juice are most effective.

• To prevent arteriosclerosis
  Eat 2 tsp. of minced garlic every day. You can buy minced garlic in most supermarkets; add it to meat, vegetable dishes, soups, sauces, potatoes and dips. Or try fresh-squeezed garlic juice. If you decide to purchase commercial garlic preparations, follow the directions on the package for dosages. Garlic is very safe, with no harmful side effects.
  
• To soothe insect stings
        Garlic can disinfect wounds, reduce inflammation and relieve swelling. It is especially good for painful insect stings. First, remove the stinger if it is still in the wound. Cut a fresh clove of garlic in half and rub it onto the wound. Repeat several times, as necessary.
  
• For intestinal worms
  Peel and finely chop or press the cloves from 1 large head of garlic. Put them into a pot and add 6 cups of water. Cover, simmer for 15 minutes and strain. Allow the blend to cool. Fill an enema syringe with 2 cups of the lukewarm liquid and use as directed. A bowel movement will occur in about 15 min. Repeat up to 3 times daily for up to 3 days. Refrigerate any unused liquid.

Characteristics
      Garlic is a member of the lily family. The herb forms a round main bulb containing many smaller bulbs known as cloves. The bulb is covered with a white to light-violet, papery skin. Stems that grow as high as 2 feet sprout from the main bulb. Flowers surrounded by a leaf appear on the ends of the stems in the months of July and August.

Care
      Gardeners find that garlic is very easy to care for and is subject to very few diseases or pests. Water garlic regularly if there is no rain to ensure that the cloves mature well. After the leaves start to turn yellow, stop watering and bend the plant over at ground level.

Harvesting and handling
      Harvest garlic bulbs beginning in September, once the leaves turn yellow. Dig up the bulbs and allow them to dry in a warm, humidity-free spot for a few days. Form bunches or braid the leaves and stems together and hang them in a dry, airy place with no chance of frost.
      You can also use the little bulblets, or secondary bulbs, that form inside the flower's sheath like leaf to grow more garlic. However, 2 years will pass before any garlic bulbs can actually be harvested.

Growing Instructions

      Garlic prefers a warm climate, but it can also be grown in protected areas in cold winters. If you want to grow garlic mixed in with other crops, avoid putting it near members of the cabbage family or legumes, such as peas and beans. Garlic loves to be planted among carrots; plus it will repel carrot rust flies. Or try growing garlic near tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, head lettuce and spinach. When planted under roses, it is believed to keep aphids away.

Growing garlic outdoors

1. Prepare the bed in August or September. Loosen and smooth the soil, adding organic materials, if needed. Make the rows 4-6 inches apart.
2. Plant the cloves 1-2 inches deep in rows, with the points of the cloves facing upward.
3. Garlic sprouts quickly. Water regularly if the weather is dry so that the cloves develop well and the bulbs can ripen.
4. After the ground freezes, apply 3 inches of mulch over the plants to prevent the ground from heaving and pushing the cloves from the ground.
5. In the spring when the weather warms, remove the mulch from around the plants. Water regularly if there is no rain. The bulbs should ripen by the end of June or July.

Propagation
      There are several varieties of garlic available from mail-order seed or herb companies. Plants may be propagated in early spring or late autumn in well-drained, enriched soil. When you find a garlic variety that flourishes in your garden, reserve enough cloves from each harvest to plant the following year. Leave harvested garlic outside for a few days to dry, and then store in a cool, dry place.

Folk Names: Ajo (Spanish), Poor Man's Treacle, Stinkweed
Gender: Masculine
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Deity: Hecate
Powers: Protection, Healing, Exorcism, Lust, Anti-Theft


      It has been said that "Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers."

Ritual Uses:
Garlic was eaten on festival days to Hecate, and was left at a crossroads as a sacrifice in Her name.

Magickal Uses:

• Garlic was once worn to guard against the plague. It is still used to absorb diseases. Simply rub fresh, peeled cloves of garlic onto the afflicted part of the body, then throw into running water. An old spell utilized garlic in protecting against hepatitis. To do this, simply wear thirteen cloves of garlic at the end of a cord around the neck for thirteen days. On the last day, in the middle of the night, walk to a corner of an intersection of two streets, remove the necklace, throw it behind you and run home without looking back.
• Garlic is also extremely protective. Sailors carry some while onboard ship to protect against its wreckage. Soldiers wore garlic as a defense in the Middle Ages, while Roman soldiers ate it to give them courage. It is placed in the home to guard against the intrusion of evil, to keep out robbers and thieves, and is hung over the door to repel envious people. Garlic is especially protective in new homes.
• Worn, garlic guards against foul weather (mountaineers wear it) as well as monsters, and it also shields you from the blows of your enemies.
• When evil spirits are about (vampires, etc.), bite into garlic to send them away, or sprinkle powdered garlic on the floor (if you don't mind smelling it for some time).
• Garlic is also placed beneath children's pillows to protect them while asleep, and brides once carried a clove of garlic in the pocket for good luck and to keep evil far from her on her big day.
• Rubbed onto pots and pans before cooking in them, garlic removes negative vibrations, which might otherwise contaminate the food.
• When eaten, garlic acts as a lust-inducer, and when a magnet or lodestone is rubbed with garlic, it loses its magical powers.

Sources:
      All information provided in this article is the result of research using (but not limited to) the following books and guides: Herbs for Health and Healing, Rodale; Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Scott Cunningham; Magical Herbalism, Scott Cunningham; The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, International Masters Publishers; Earthway, Mary Summer Rain; Teach Yourself Herbs, Susie White; Natural Beauty from the Garden, Janice Cox; Nature's Prescriptions, Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing, and The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies, Joe Graedon and Theresa Graedon, Ph.D