Kit's Random Stuff of Randomness

mothernaturenetwork:

Man-made environmental catastrophes come in varying degrees of tragic, but none is as awful as when human action renders once-pristine land uninhabitable.
10 places ruined by man-made catastrophes

(Source: itsnotcontagiousiswear)

tal9000:

[Image text: “The human femur is strong enough to lift over 500 pounds, but not strong enough to say ‘I Love You’”. Credit to facts-i-just-made-up.tumblr.com]

communalgrimoire:

Sage -
(Salvia Officinalis)
Gender: Masculine
Planet: Jupiter
Element: Air
Associated Deities:
Consus, Jupiter, Zeus
Magickal Uses:
Cleansing the Aura, Longevity, Protection, Purification, Wisdom

Uses of Sage
Sage has soft grey-green colored leaves, and it is these leaves that are put to various household as well as commercial uses. The 75cm tall sage shrub also sports violet-blue flowers in spring. I present the various sage herb benefits in the paragraphs below:

Culinary Uses
Generally, it is the plain narrow-leafed varieties and the non-flowering broad-leafed varieties of sage that are used as cooking herbs. It is a common condiment for Mediterranean dishes, specifically Italian foods. It is generally used in marinades for meat, fish, pork sausage, lamb and even vegetables like peas, eggplants, lima beans and carrots. It is the perfect seasoning for poultry. Interestingly enough, sage is used in the preparation of English Sage Derby cheese and other soft cheeses. It is also used as a flavoring in certain biscuits, scones, breads and other baked foods.

Culinary sage is very abundant in the vitamins A and C. Generally sage should be used sparingly as a culinary herb as it has a very strong flavor that tends to override everything else. When added in small quantities at the start of cooking, it pairs up nicely with other cooking herbs, like rosemary, thyme and oregano. Salvia elegans (pineapple sage) is a strong pineapple flavored herb that works wonders in deserts and drinks. Bergatten sage in particular has the strongest flavor in this herb family and must always be used at half strength, in any food.

Garden Decorations
Sage herb comes in many decorative varieties. Their flowers also vary within the species and are often bright in colors. Including sage in your garden ensures added color to your yard and a steady supply of the herb to your kitchen. Various sage varieties like the tricolored sage, the purple sage and the golden sage are a perfect addition to well-manicured gardens and lawns. Sage is also easy to grow and is often easier to tend in the garden, perfect for those who have limited gardening skills, but like a garden anyway. No herb garden is complete without sage shrubs.

Medicinal Uses
This is where this article gets hectic. Sage has so many amazing medicinal qualities, that its medicinal uses are going to run along like a never-ending papyrus scroll. Sage is used to counteract endless list of problems in humans. It curbs excessive sweating, treats depression, nervous anxiety and liver disorders and is also a miracle skin cure. It is also used for treating painful jellyfish stings and spider bites. Sage herb is the perfect antiseptic wash for dirty wounds and forms a part of most concoctions that treat persistent and recurrent coughs. The mixture of sage, white vinegar and water forms a good astringent for oily skin.

Sage is known to contain natural estrogens and hence is used in most homeopathic medicines that improve circulation and treat menopausal symptoms. It is also used to relieve suppressed menstruation problems in women, as well as in the regulation of abnormal flow. Sage acts as a central nervous system stimulant and is also used in the treatment of varicose veins. This herb is also used in gargling solutions used to ease laryngitis and tonsillitis.

Since ancient times, sage has been believed to give eternal youth and immortality. Consumption of sage still keeps you mortal (come on now, you really didn’t think that was true, did you?) but you can certainly try to retain your youth, as scientists have found anti-aging compounds in it. The July 2003 issue of the ‘Pharmacological Biochemical Behavior’ claims that sage has the power to improve memory. Sage is an all-in-one herb. It is also an antifungal antiseptic. This estrogenic agent works miracles in women. It is also a hypoglycemic astringent and is a good antispasmodic agent.

Miscellaneous Uses
Sage has an interesting use as a mouth freshener and a tooth cleanser. Sage finds herbal uses in many forms, i.e. freshly picked leaves, dried leaves as well as leaves picked before and after flowering find different uses. When in flower, their leaves are used specifically for oil distillation. Sage is used in many homemade cosmetics and personal care products. Sage essential oil is a good calming oil but contains thujone (an addictive hallucinogenic), which may affect human health adversely when used in excess. Sage also finds its uses in the perfume industry for being an aroma compound.