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This magick herb loves growing
around Water
and is the most common ingredient in herbal
smoking mixtures because it is a demulcent,
that is, it is soothing for the respiratory
system. Smoking the leaves of coltsfoot has
been a remedy for a wet cough since ancient
Greece. Coltsfoot is also said to have the
ability to cause visions and is typically used
in wealth spells and to bring tranquility.
Some align this plant with
Venus, and
thus it is also used in love spells and as an
aphrodisiac. Top In Herbalism There has been some attempt to ban coltsfoot because it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can be harmful to the liver. Its harmfulness is on the order of that of acetaminophen (Tylenol), which has not been banned. Maybe PA-containing herbs are more dangerous because no pharmaceutical corporation has a patent on them. To stay on the safe side, do not ingest PA-containing herbs in tablets, gelcaps, or teas, or if used as a tea, do not use in the long term. One person who got liver damage from drinking coltsfoot tea, for instance, had used the tea 4 times a day for six months. Nausea is often a first sign of liver damage. If you experience nausea upon using this herb, stop using it and give yourself a course of milk thistle extract, widely available at health-food stores and excellent for helping the liver heal. People with liver damage or who have had damage to it in the past should not use this herb (read an article about pyrrolizidine-alkaloid containing herbs). This plant is also known as Coughwort, Hallfoot, Horsehoof, Ass's Foot, Foalswort, Fieldhove, Bullsfoot, Donnhove, and Pas d'âne. Top |
Discontinued 
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Coltsfoot Herb