Spirit Food – Aloe Vera
ORIGIN
Aloe Vera is grown commercially for the health and moisturising benefits found inside its leaves. An adult Aloe Vera plant takes three to four years to grow to maturity and can reach a height of 30 inches with up to 21 leaves. Aloe Vera has about 300 varieties and is known by many names including as the Wonder Plant, Miracle Plant, Wand of Heaven, and Plant of Immortality. Aloe is native to East and South Africa, and it grows well in sunny, warm and dry climates.
Aloe Vera is one of the oldest known plants on record. In ancient Egypt around 6,000 years ago Aloe Vera was regarded as a sacred plant that held the secrets to beauty, health, and immortality. Both Cleopatra and Nefertiti greatly valued Aloe’s nourishing juice and used it as a part of their daily skin and beauty care. Aloe Vera was also used in the mummification process. The dead were embalmed with Aloe Vera because of its anti-bacterial and anti-fungi qualities.
Alexander the Great, in the years around 350 B.C. employed the use of aloe juice for healing. He conquered the island of Socotra upon the advice of Aristotle to secure supplies of Aloe Vera to treat his soldiers of wounds and burns.
Aloe Vera played a major role in the everyday life of the Chinese and Indian cultures. There it has been an important ingredient in medical treatments since the times of the Marco Polo. In Indian Ayurveda medicine, Aloe has many applications including rejuvenating remedies, supplying the energy of youth to women with menstrual issues, and to stabilise the cardiovascular system. Aloe is highly regarded as the plant of choice for balancing pitta, kapha and vata.
The Japanese also greatly value the aloe plant where it was known as the “royal plant”. The juice was consumed as an elixir and the samurai used it as a liquid for rubbing on the body to relieve pain from sprains and strains. In 1944, Japanese who were exposed to the atom bomb reported less scarring and faster healing after applying aloe gel to their wounds.
CHAKRA – Solar Plexus
PHYSICAL BENEFITS
Aloe Vera‘s exceptional healing properties are linked to 140 individual substances, 70 essential nutrients, including a wealth of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, protein, phytosterols and amino acids. These support a healthy digestion, reduction of harmful toxins, enhances antioxidant support, increases absorption of nutrients, moisturises and hydrates skin, balances stomach acidity naturally, soothes muscle and joint discomfort, and supports a healthy immune system.
Aloe Vera is famous for its soothing properties when applied on the outside of the body to burns, cuts, scrapes, bruises, bug bites, and sunburn. Also, consuming Aloe Vera provides a powerful colon cleanse and is wonderful for relieving constipation.
Aloe Vera also possesses more than 70 trace minerals that are grouped into undiscovered medicinal alloys. These alloys work together to calm inflammation in the gut thus helping to relieve irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and colitis. This anti-inflammatory nature rejuvenates the appendix as well as the ileum where the body produces vitamin B12 when the digestive system is functioning normally. Aloe rehabilitates the ileum and also delivers a very bioavailable form of B12.
Aloe Vera is antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal including anti-mould, and anti-parasitic including anti-worm. It is incredibly useful for killing off the pathogens that create colon cancer, stomach cancer, and rectal cancer as well as supporting the pancreas. It also has the unique ability to stop the growth of polyps and reduce the growth of haemorrhoids. Aloe Vera has beta-carotene combined with lignin which helps to remove radiation from the body.
Aloe Vera also helps with acid reflux, fatigue, constipation, bloating, anxiousness, dark under-eye circles, food allergies, stomach aches, abdominal cramping and pressure, dysfunctional liver, hormonal imbalances, and low hydrochloric acid.
SPIRITUAL BENEFITS
In ancient history, illnesses were regarded as demonic possession of the body and only a divine plant such as Aloe Vera had the natural power to exorcise the demons. It is believed that its presence on a spiritual and energetic level cleanses the surrounding environment from evil spirits.
There are many shamanic uses for Aloe Vera, particularly in Africa, where it is used for protection, good luck, cleansing, spiritual baths, elevating spiritual energy and the making of protective devices.
Aloe Vera’s wild nature is always intact including all its healing properties. Aloe was known as the “plant of eternity”. A common belief was that in stopping the physical decomposition process eternal life could be attained both on a physical and a spiritual level.
CONNECT WITH ALOE VERA
Aloe Vera is perfect if you have gone through a major transition such as moving to a new home. It helps calm the mood when you are left feeling empty, nostalgic, alone, and lost. This wild healing food helps you feel at peace with your surroundings.
Have an Aloe Vera plant at home for protection and good luck. To use this plant as medicine all you have to do is remove the skin, blend the gel in a blender, and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to use or consume it.
Large aloe leaves are available from many grocery stores. Discard the base and top of the leaf and cut off a four-inch section from the middle of the leaf. Then fillet the leaf, removing the green skin and scooping out the clear, gelatinous flesh. Eat the flesh as is, blend it with water, or add it to smoothies as part of a healing diet.
Consume fresh aloe on a daily basis as part of an overall healing diet if you’re dealing with dark under-eye circles or you want to a youthful glow to your skin.
Aloe actually helps skin more from the inside out.
For pets, aloe gel fresh from the plant is incredible for applying externally to scratch rashes, tick and flea bites, and any areas of hair/fur loss.