It’s May, and with the sap risen and the world coming into blossom, this month’s Blog Party will be focusing on herbs for sexual health and vitality — from aphrodisiacs to contraceptives to herbs for the reproductive system to herbs that help to heal our emotional and spiritual relationships to our bodies and our sexuality.

this month’s blog party is hosted by sean donahue of green man ramblings. go to his blog to see all the posts writing about this subject this month!

when considering herbs for sexual health and vitality, many exotic herbs come to mind. when trying to focus on regional herbs, the herbs may sound less exotic but pack the same punch as the foreigners! so if you are looking to try some herbs for sexual health and vitality, i highly recommend you start with the herbs in your back yard.

hawthorne is the first herb that comes to mind when i think of matters of the heart. hawthorne is supreme as a cardiovascular strengthener and tonic. not only does hawthorne work physically on the heart, but he works emotionally on the heart as well, uplifting the emotions and making one feel more at peace and happy. i love taking hawthorne in an elixir form. to make an elixir, fill a jar 1/2 full with hawthorne berries. fill half full with brandy and top off with local raw honey. shake and let sit for at least 2 weeks, shaking daily. after 2-4 weeks, strain off and use. i find hawthorne elixir a great addition to my morning herb teas. i add 2-3 droppers full.

rose is another emotional mood enhancer. is there any reason why roses are the symbol of love and passion? there is more to it than just a pretty flower with a nice scent.  they are an aphrodisiac and help with opening the heart and helping to heal emotional imbalances. rose is also calming and sedating. kiva rose taught me the recipe for wild rose elixir and i’ll forever more make as much as i can when it comes time to harvest rose petals and rose hips! i generally fill about 1/3 of the jar with rose hips before adding the petals but either way, it is good! take liberally as needed.

red raspberry leaf is a nourishing and tonic herb for the female reproductive system. red raspberry has lots of vitamin c plus contains vitamins a, b complex, e, calcium, iron, phosphorous and potassium. red raspberry has many good effects on the reproductive system including increasing fertility (both in men and women), eases morning sickness, reduces pain during and after labor/birth. raspberry also can help prevent miscarriages and hemorrhaging during pregnancy and birth. raspberry also encourages the uterus to return to its normal shape after birth, making recovery much quicker. red raspberry also encourages the flow of mama’s milk and makes the milk rich for baby. raspberry infusions are the best way to take this herb! to make, add 1 handful of dried raspberry to a quart jar. place a metal utensil in the glass jar and fill with hot water. remove the metal utensil (keeps the jar from breaking from the heat of the water), cap and let steep overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours. strain off and drink in a 24 hours period. the infusion can be heated or iced as you prefer.

vitex is an interesting herb as she decreases a man’s libido but increases a womans! while this herb does not grow natively in my area, she is hardy enough to be planted here. she also seems to increase fertility in women. vitex can be made into an elixir (follow hawthorne’s recipe above) or as a tincture. to make a tincture, fill a jar 1/2 full of vitex berries. fill the jar with everclear or another 100% grain alcohol and let sit for 3-4 weeks, shaking daily. to take, add 2 droppers full to a glass of water or herb tea 3 times a day.

oats a.k.a milky oats are considered to be a sexual appetite booster. this wonderfully nourishing herb assists with the blood flow, keeping the arteries to the pelvic region open for both men and women. oats is a gently stimulating nervine, nourishing and calming the nerves while increasing sensitivity to touch. milky oats are a different part of the plant from oat straw. milky oats are the unripened tops of the oats which exude a milky substance when squeezed at harvest time. They are wonderful used dried in a tea or tinctured up on a formula. to make a milky oat tincture, fill a jar full with milky oats and cover with grain alcohol. let sit for 3-4 weeks, shaking daily. strain and use as needed. you can also make an infusion following the directions above for red raspberry.

ginkgo is not only a memory enhancer, it enhances and brings blood circulation to other parts of the body as well. particularly useful for men with arterial erectile dysfunction, ginkgo boosts the blood flow in the penis without raising blood pressure the way some pharmaceutical drugs can do. ginkgo is also good for stimulating the adrenals, assisting with energy levels. make a tincture (see above for oats) and take 1 dropperful 3-4 times a day. it may be helpful for men to take a dose about 30 minutes before love making to help enhance blood flow.

feeling exhausted continuously can cause a strain on sexual desire and stimulation. nourishing and restoring the adrenals can do wonders for the sexual appetite as well. a blend i have had good results with for restoring adrenal health is as follows:

4parts:
borage

3 parts each:
gota kola
milky oats

2 parts each:
licorice
ginkgo

mix together and take 2 droppers full 3 times a day. i have found borage to be a little over stimulating at times and sometimes will keep the borage tincture separate from the rest of the blend, only taking 1 dropperful of  borage with the blend in the morning and afternoon and leave it out for the evening dosage so that i can go to sleep at night.