Herbology

Natures Pharmacy

The mystery of Herbology

Herbology is the study and use of herbs in alternative medicine. In our research, finding GOOD information about herbolgy and the proper usage of herbs has been daunting.

NOTE: As of March 23 2008 this project has been completed with the information on hand. Once the entire site is completed, we will revisit this section and add additional information.

Disclaimer

The information from or though this section is provided on an "as-is", "as available", and all warranties, expressed or implied are disclaimed (including but not limited to the disclaimer of implied warranties of the merchantabilitiy and fitness for a particular purpse). This information may contain errors, problems or other limitations.

Use this information at your own risk and when in doubt, please check with a professional herbologist. We have made every attempt to list side-effects and poison attributes whenever possible.

The Herbology pages

We have broken our herbology pages into 7 sections to make information more accessible. You can access this information though our herbology database by clicking Below:

The Herbology Database

The most popular Herbology Requests.

These are our 12 most popular requested items.

Tea Average proportions: 1oz. dried (or 2oz. fresh) to 1 pint of water) Pour boiling hot water over herb and steep the herb in hot water for: 1-3 minutes for flowers 2-4 minutes for leaves 4-10 minutes for bark, roots and hard seeds	Oil Infusion You will need 4-8oz. of fresh or dried herbs & some pure unblended vegetable oil (light oil ie. sunflower or grapeseed is better than olive oil which tends to overwhelm the natural fragrance of the herb). Put 1/2 of the herbs in the top of a double boiler. Cover the herbs completely with oil. Simmer gently for about 2 hours (NO direct hear). Strain oil well and discard the spent herbs. Repeat this process again with the other 1/2 of herbs and the strained oil. When done, store in a dark glass bottle in a cool place.
Maceration This is a more gentle process than an infusion and is usually used for delicate herbs, flowers and stones that may be damaged by being heated. It's just like making sun tea. You place your herb (or magickal item) and water into a glass container and seal it closed. Canning jars are good for this. You then sit the container on the windowsill to soak in the sunlight or moonlight. It takes approximately 3-6 hours for herbs and up to 3 days for stones to imbue the water with their magickal properties. You should use a maceration within a few days of making.	Tinctures Average proportions: 7oz. dried (or 14oz. fresh) herb to 2 pints liquid (3 parts vodka & 2 parts water) A tincture is a liquid produced by soaking plant parts (herbs) in alcohol or vinegar to produce a scented liquid. Put herbs in a large clean glass jar. Pour in liquid, seal and store in a cool dark place for 2-3 weeks, shaking occasionally. Strain mix through a cloth and carefully wring out all liquid. Store in dark glass bottle in a cool place. OR 5oz. vodka or brandy to 1oz. of dried herb (stored for 6 weeks)
Decoction Average proportions: 1oz. dried (or 2oz. fresh) to 1 pint of water) Usually made from sees, bark or roots. Will keep on average 3-4 days. Put water and herb in saucepan and simmer gently for approximately 20 minutes.	Vinegar It is considered a "poor man's" tincture because it does not use alcohol. You make a vinegar the same as a tincture put use 2 pints cider vinegar instead of the water/alcohol mixture.
Syrup Make a decoction. Reduce it slowly over low heat to 1/3 the original amount. Then add 2.2 lbs. of cane sugar or honey to every 1 pint of decoction. Store in a clean dark-glass bottle in a cool place.	Amulet An amulet is generally defined as a magically empowered object that deflects (sends away) specific, usually negative, energies. Generally, a protective object. To make an amulet, use a piece of flannel cloth and wrap herbs and/or other magickal items inside and wear. You can use color correspondences to choose color of cloth for your amulet. Some basic coloring however is: Red for protection and healing, and White for blessings and other workings.
Herbal Baths You make a standard tea and use approximately 1 to 2 quarts of tea per bath and soak 20 minutes. Or you can use 1 cup of tincture per bath.	Sachet The major consideration is for the diffusion of fragrance. Sachets are made like an amulet, except from lighter cloth such as muslin so that the fragrance is released. When you make a sachet, it should hold atleast several Tablespoons of the herb.
Herbal Pillow Make a sachet and place it in your pillowcase several hours before you plant to go to bed - so that the scent will diffuse. If you are comfortable with the sachet right under where your head will rest, this is the most effective way to use it.	Potpourri The same as sachets, except that instead of stuffing the herbs in a piece of cloth, you place them in an open bowl or container to release their fragrance into a room.

And finally: How to empower your herbs:

You can further empower the affects of your herbals through magick. Whether it's for a magikal purpose, or if you merely want to increase it's affects, a small ritual can set the intent of your mixture.

The Tools:

A pestle and mortar for grinding
A non metallic bowl to hold the mixture
All the herbs you will be preparing
A candle in a supporting color
The herbal container
If the mixture is to be a brew, add your tea pot and tea cup.
If the mixture is to be an incense, add the incense mold, stick or holder.
If the mixture is for a sachet, add the sachet pillow or case.
If the mixture is for an oil, add the bottle or container. The Altar:

An altar is your personal space for performing magik and spiritual endeavors. Your altar should contain the tools you'll need for this specific ritual, as well as, those items you feel are spiritually significant to you. Images of your chosen deity, spirit guides or whatever you feel increases the sanctity of your altar.

The Timing:

As with any magikal endeavor, the timing of the ritual is important. But at times, planning your herbal rituals may not go hand in hand with timing of the Goddess and her moon phases. For instance, if you have a cold now, you may not want to wait for the 4th quarter moon to roll around.

A Herbal Incantation

Prepare your spell for the specific need the herbs will be used for. When you are ready to cast your incantation:

Open your magikal circle as you normally would.
Request the help of your chosen deity(ies) and spirit guides.
Place the mortar and pestal in the center of your altar and cover them with your hands.
Recite the first section of your incantation stating your purpose and intent of the herbal mixture. I personally like to restate each section of my incantations 3 times, using my fingers to draw my personal sigil over the object.
Add 1/4 of your first herb to the mortar and state the intent of it's use within the mixture. Again I draw my sigil. - This step is repeated for each herb that will be used in the mixture.
Using the pestal, grind the herbs together to the consistency needed. When you have concluded, place the mixture into the bowl you set aside on the altar.
Repeat these 2 steps adding ¼ of each herb to the mortar each time, until all the herbs have been ground and placed in the bowl.
When you have completed the mixing process, place your hands over the bowl and complete you incantation. Again state it 3 times, and if you desire, draw your personal sigil. Set the mixture aside and bring forth the herbal container. If you are brewing the herbs, add your mixture to a tea bag, if you're creating a sachet add the herbs to the pouch and so on. Complete as much of this process as you desire before reciting your incantation one last time over the completed container.