Eye of Newt: Mustard Seed

botanical.com

The Mustard Seed Brassica nigra is a potent ingredient in the spells of Witches.  Eye of Newt is said to aid in traveling through the air as well as protect against the cold (and colds of the sniffling type, too!).  Sprinkle Mustard Seed across your door for protection and bury it beneath the doorstep to keep the house free of hauntings.

Legend has it that the tiny Mustard Seed was first discovered by Aesculapius, a pupil of the wise centaur  and surgeon of the gods, Chiron, and therefore is associated with medicine and healing.  As a medicinal herb, Mustard Seed is useful in alleviating sore throats and laryngitis.

Black Mustard Seed from wikimedia.org

Topically, Mustard Seed can be used in footbaths to improve circulation and draw out impurities as well as a poultice to draw blood to the surface and relieve pain and spasms.  As a poultice it can be placed on the chest to help calm spasmodic coughing caused by bronchitis and pneumonia.  Mustard Seeds are an ingredient in

Try incorporating Mustard into your diet by making your own Mustard sauce!  You can add herbs like cayenne and thyme to your blend to make an especially powerful potion against colds and the 'flu.