1. Crush the garlic with the flat side of a chopping knife (you can leave the skins on) and leave to rest for 10 - 15mins.

2. Put the water in a pan, add the garlic, ginger, herbs, cinnamon, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat slightly. Leave it to bubble away gently for 15 minutes.

3. Juice the lemon and the orange and stir in the turmeric.

4. Once the boiled liquid has cooled slightly, strain it through a sieve and add it to the juice and turmeric mix. If you're using honey, add that now. Take a moment to breathe in the mixture of scents and connect to the healing gifts being offered to your body through the spirits of nature. Give thanks and enjoy!

NOTES

• Allowing the crushed garlic to rest for 10-15 minutes before adding it to heat apparently allows the allicin to form and stabilise. Allicin is the compound responsible for most of garlic's medicinal properties. 

• I use a small amount of honey only if I’m actually sick, to reduce the demand placed onto bees for honey production, which is just one of many magical processes that these alchemists are responsible for. I avoid commercial brands of honey due to the harmful processes they employ and buy from small, local producers making sure it’s raw (unpasteurised), unfiltered, and unadulterated.

• The act of doing seemingly small rituals like this, with intention and awareness for the life giving elements, helps bring us into deeper states of presence with the rich tapestry of life we are participating in, in every single moment.