Autumnal Equinox || Instruments for turning inward
September 29, 2016 
The autumnal equinox was last week, September 22, when we have equal parts day and night. At the Soapwalla studio we’ve been feeling the transition for a few weeks now: changing temperatures, shorter days, and we’re starting to see the efforts of projects we started in the spring and summer. Below is our favorite way to incorporate the wisdom of the season.
“The lungs are the rulers over autumn. Since the lungs correspond to the large intestine both organs have to be treated together. The lungs are the stronghold and the root of breath. Their condition manifests itself in the skin and body hair.” Chinese Folk Medicine
This is the perfect time to incorporate garlic into your routine because garlic is an important lung aid that also facilitates cleansing and healing.
Garlic, a well-documented vampire repellant, also has many medicinal properties that have been documented for centuries. When the plague overtook Europe in the late middle ages, many people ate garlic as a protective measure against the disease. The smell wasn’t the only thing keeping the infection at bay. Garlic’s star healing property is in the allyl-sulphur bonds which contribute to its germ-killing powers. In 1858, Louis Pasteur verified garlic’s antiseptic properties. During WWI, garlic soaked bandages were applied to wounds to accelerate healing and stave off infection.
Garlic contains protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins B and C, and potassium. Garlic is an antispasmodic, diuretic, disinfectant and germicide. It is also established to be effective in reducing cholesterol and hypertension, and is often used as an expectorant in respiratory ailments.
Follow these steps to create your own garlic oil.
Ingredients ||
1 glass quart jar
2-3 garlic blubs from your local farmer’s market
1 bottle of cold-pressed olive oil
A sun filled windowsill
Preparation ||
Peel and roughly chop enough cloves to fill half of a quart jar and cover with the olive oil about 1 to 1 ½ inches above the garlic and leave the jar in a sunny windowsill for seven to ten days giving it a good shake once a day. Strain oil through a cheese cloth. The oil will last for several months and can be used both internally and externally.
Tip: Keep the cloves in your refrigerator and incorporate in cooking.