not to really derail the topic here, but what else can you use honey on the skin for? Like cuts and stuff or…?
i think you can use it for open wounds - i remember reading a long time ago they used to use honey on wounds like that because it kept other stuff out of the wound and disinfected it.
i use it on my face, too. i lived in chicago and it gets cold enough there that just walking outside can make your face hurt, so my skin got totally screwed up and dry, and it really does seem to help.
when honey contacts the skin it reacts to create small amounts of hydrogen peroxide. it also creates a seal over the area keeping other things out and the honey you should be using (unpasteurized, high quality) contains propolis which is highly antimicrobial. honey is also moisurizing to the skin and to the digestive tract. it is a good, gentle remedy for mild constipation due to dryness - particularly in the elderly. similarly, it can be used for a dry throat.
you can use it on wounds, infections, burns, etc. just make sure it’s good quality.
Ai’ve been seriously considering a small tattoo on my chin (admittedly in imitation of a tattoo used by various tribes in my region), but ai’m at a loss as to what plants to use. Ai’d like to get black and medium to dark green. Plants in the southwest region or common cultivars are apreciated!
I just got a tattoo a few weeks ago. My friend used one sewing needle, a bit of thread, and india ink, easy right? The honey was great on it, they healed in a week.
I was inspired and tried to ink myself. I now have a tiny dot on my leg. I just can’t hit myself with a needle hundreds of times! Oh well, gotta find another budy to do it is all.
i did my tattoos myself with india ink and a needle with thread wrapped around it to hold ink. tattooed wild life on my nuckles, a nettle leaf on my arm, and a bitty deer hoof on my wrist
i wonder if one can use a yucca leaf for tattooing. the point at the ends is really sharp, and the curl seems like it could hold ink… ?
Hey all, The needle and India Ink method is often referred to as stick and poke around here. I wanna see if somehow we can mount a needle on a toothbrush or something to stabilize it (they slip through fingers pretty easily.)
It gets a little difficult. Having such easy access to a tattoo system (like an ambitious rommate, a sewing needle, and a never-ending bottle of india ink) can end badly. But it seems really rad. I haven’t done it, but want to. Both mine ended up being from guns, but they were still very positive experiences for me… I’m gonna get a stick and poke some day soon, but like to give myself some time to let the idea stick.
In Somoa (polynesia island) they have a yearly tatoo festival, mostly with tatoo guns but I wanna see a traditional one someday. I’ve seen pictures of their tools, and the look like a shaft that holds the ink, which drips into the “needle”/sharp thing. It looks like they will (more or less) gently tap it into the skin, keeping it steady for precision, keeping tje ink flowing, etc…It’s rad. The designs are beautiful…
Going back to the bit about honey:
It contains(not forms) hydrogen peroxide, which is one reason it never really goes bad. It’s been found crystallized in ancient tombs.
Hospitals have been known to use it on severe burn victims. It prevents any infection and promotes fast healing, while protecting/moisturizing the area. Sometimes has negated the need for skin grafting.
The book “Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers” (which tells you everything you could want to know about honey) claims massive, bone deep wounds can be quickly healed with honey.
Maybe mix some yarrow or similar herb with it for extra healing.
I’d imagine balsam fir blister resin would also work.
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Honey is a rare gem indeed… Bees need more appreciation!!
Chase, where are you located? I’m in Los Angeles and you’re comment on the dots-on-chin sounds awfully like the tribes that live here.
All right… past that invasive comment. Not a native but grows locally, I know the skin of the black walnut produces a black dye. Charcoal was common. There’s also a fungus that grows on the agave that produces a red dye. Unfortunately, I don’t know if the black walnut or the fungus would be any good for tattooing but I’ll check into it a little more.
Best
Bill Maxwell
[quote=“TwoRoadsTom, post:23, topic:721”][quote author=chase link=topic=771.msg8965#msg8965 date=1205956314]
Ai’ve been seriously considering a small tattoo on my chin (admittedly in imitation of a tattoo used by various tribes in my region), but ai’m at a loss as to what plants to use. Ai’d like to get black and medium to dark green. Plants in the southwest region or common cultivars are apreciated!
[/quote]
Chase, where are you located? I’m in Los Angeles and you’re comment on the dots-on-chin sounds awfully like the tribes that live here.
All right… past that invasive comment. Not a native but grows locally, I know the skin of the black walnut produces a black dye. Charcoal was common. There’s also a fungus that grows on the agave that produces a red dye. Unfortunately, I don’t know if the black walnut or the fungus would be any good for tattooing but I’ll check into it a little more.
Best
Bill Maxwell[/quote]
Aim in southern Orange County. Yea, general trend of tattooing in this region.
Also, ai didnt know there was a red fungus that grows on agave. All ai know of is the stuff on prickly pears that was so valuable to the Spanish as a red dye? Same stuff?
Hey coastal cousin! Good to meet you. Ayep, we’re thinking of the same thing; white fungus, bleeds red. Found on cactus – ack, agave! What was I thinking?! – that gives us prickly pears and nopales.
If you have a chance, talk to the Tongva about their tattoo practices. You doing the Ancestor Walk this year (sacredsitesca.org)? You might be able to talk to some folks in the aftermath of that.
Best
Bill Maxwell
If it is the same thing then ai think its an insect eggcatch. Ai might go on the ancestor walk; ai was also thinking of going to the agave harvest (not sure about details, just heard about it). But this is sorta getting off topic…
Just a general warning to everyone about tattooing: while finding inspiration in tribal tattoos is harmless, directly copying the tattoos that you see on indigenous people is often a mistaken idea. Those tattoos can have meanings you don’t know about (many tribes use tattoos for indicating family lineage, for example) and of course it would be extremely disrespectful to take the meaning away from the people it belongs to… so it is always a good idea to research the tattoos you want to get and if you are at all in doubt, please use them just for inspiration instead of duplicating them directly.
Lets create our own tattoo style !
(i <3 tattoos, designed a few for my mates >.<)
so, i’ve found out that around here people have used hawthorn thorns for needles, and devil’s club ash mixed with bear fat for ink. but i’m having a real hard time finding more detailed info (paleoplanet was no help), like what’s a good way for making devil’s club ash? how much should i mix with how much bear fat? how would i sterilize a hawthorn thorn? anyone found more detailed info?
you want devils club charcoal, not ashes. t
cool, do you know a good way to make it? thanks.
In search of germanic tattoos I came across this blog with a compilation of good ones. I would like to know the stories of each of them.