Welcome to our new herbal section. Hopefully this part of the site will be worth the effort. we have so many folks ask us so many questions, that we wish we really knew......So we have been inspired to put together this section to maybe help folks find the answers they are looking for.

We are dedicating this page to our herbal friends. It isn't going to be extensive, or as in depth as some may want. It will be mostly about the Herbs we grow, and are readily available in the wild nearby. Some of the info will be our own feelings and words, but for the most part we will stay in the mainstream with what qualified herbalists say. We will be listing mainly researched info, from a variety of good books, which we will list also. But to our own feelings, we believe that Richo Cech is probably one of the best herbalists on the planet, so thats why we have his book Plant Medicine as a feature down below with Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, which we also hold in high regard.

There will be links to the books we use research from, they will be towards the bottom of the page. If they don't have links to the Publisher, they will have Name/Author/Publisher/Date Published. We hope this section will be of some use to you.

***Element is Earth***Magickal Powers are Prosperity and Money...A good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. We grow it to help our soil, and feed it to our chickens to make them healthy, and lay better.

***Element is fire***Magickal Powers are Protection, Exorcism, Healing, and Visions***Take before meals to help with indigestion. Angelica tea can help reduce nausea, sneezing and coughing. Can be used to boost immunity. Plant Medicine goes further says it is an anti-inflammatory for treating rheumatism and asthma. Note: Do not use during Pregnancy.

***Element is Air***Magickal Powers are Protection, Purification and Youth. Very good flavor booster, also mix with other herbs that are really bitter. Stimulates digestion, expectorant to treat dry cough and colic.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Peace, Love, Protection, Wealth, Harmony, Flying, Divination. Of course everyone knows the culinary value of Basil, But did you know that up til the early 20th century basil was used to keep you from becoming inebriated while drinking. It is a wonderful medicinal treasure ranging from sharpening the mind, to ulcers, increasing sexual stamina, lowering stress, leveling out blood pressure and helping with sugar imbalances. There is "One Kind of Basil" (Holy Basil) that is said to be prophylactic against prostatis, cancer, and leukemia, which are often caused by exposure to toxins and radiation." (Plant Medicine)

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Healing, Strength, Purification, psychic powers. Bay is used for Clairvoyance. Use in stews, soups, sauces, marinades, put some leaves in your flour bin to keep weevils out. Infuse leaves as a digestive aid and to stimulate the appetite.

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Money, Healing, Protection. Blackberries are delicious, and no one makes a better Blackberry jam than NatureSpirit #1 does. There are many ways to use the leaves for scalds, and the vines for rheumatism.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Protection, Purification, Love. Bloodroot was listed until the early 20th century in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a powerful medicine for skin cancers, and had significant success as an anti-tumor medicine, especially with breast cancers. It also is an expectorant which makes it good for dry coughs. The root is a bright red, thus where it gets its name. It is loaded with an alkaloid called Sanguinarine, that is an anti-cancer agent

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Love, Beauty, Happiness, Psychic bonding with Animals, and Courage. Catnip attracts bees to the garden, It was popular as a tea even into the 20th century. The tea will relieve gas, and indigestion, good for insomnia, headaches, and fevers. Use the flowering top for colds and fevers, its high in vitamin C. You can use the infusion externally for soothing scalp irritations.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Healing, Purification, Money, and Protection. Use it to repel moths, and lice. Breathing in cedar aroma can ease headaches, simmer some on the stove to ease head colds.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Spirituality, Success, Healing, Power, and Psychic Powers. Burn it as an incense to raise spiritual vibrations. Used in many ways for food and snacks. Its a good antiseptic, astringent, and stimulant to relieve nausea, flatulence and diarrhea. I carry a bag of cinnamon sticks to take deep breaths of when I feel a headache coming on, it really seems to help me, definitely raises your spirits.

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Money, Sleep, Love, and Purification. Chamomile tea goes back as far as or farther than catnip tea, and has basically the same uses as catnip tea. Use in a bath to relieve sun or wind burned skin, use as an eye compress to reduce dark circles caused by fatigue. Plant near ailing plants to perk them up.

***Element is Air***Magickal Powers are Removing obstacles, Invisibility, Favors, and Frugality. Use to flavor coffee, pickle the flower buds, or use flowers in salads. Poultice from the leaves soothes inflammation, use the infuse dried root to make a tonic that is a mild laxative, and diuretic. The blooms of the flowers stay open only 5 hours varying with latitude, but the leaves always align with true north.

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Travel, Safety, and Money. Oil from comfrey is said to be very affective on skin eczema and other skin irritations.Make a poultice from the leaves for rough skin, aching joints, sores, burns, cuts, sprains, and to reduce swelling on fractures. It sends down a tap root 10 feet or longer, so where you plant it, make sure thats where you want it. Its very good for the soil and the old leaves and stalks make an excellent fertilizer. The plant has more protein in its leaf structure than any other plant know to man. The leaf and roots contain allantoin a protein that encourages cell division. All in all its a very good plant to have around.

***Element is Earth***Magickal Powers are Good luck, Healing, Protection, Rain making, and Fishing. Of course cotton is used as cotton, plant medicine lists the use of the root bark of full size plants dug in late summer or fall, stripped while fresh, not dried, improves the tone of the uterus and male sexual organs.

***Element is Air***Magickal Powers are Divination, Wishes, and Calling spirits. Roast the root, grind like coffee and make a tea out of it. Its a blood cleanser, use the leaves in salads if you don't like the tea. Reported to be good to improve liver functions.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Protection, Money, Lust, and Love. Folklore says if you add dill to your bath, it makes you irresistable. Breath in the aroma of dill in deep breathes to cure hiccups. Drink dill water to relieve indigestion, flatulence, hicupps, stomach cramps, insomnia, and colic. Dill is very rich in minera salts. Carry around a little pouch of dill seeds and nibble a few every now and then to kill bad breath, much better than tic tacs, besides some of its majical properties is love, and lust, a tic tac can't do that!!

***Element is Air***Magickal Powers are Strenghtening spells, and courage. This is an ancient american herb they held sacred as a miracle herb. It grows nearly every where, but once it loses its bloom, its really hard to find. Its main purpose is to build up the immune system (thus the miracle of the herb) use as a salve to tone skin, but the juice will sure help take the sting out of a yellow jackets affections.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Protection, Healing, and Purification. From the Roman up to the Victorian era, ladies ate fennel to prevent obesity. It is one of the sacred herbs of the Anglo Saxons. The seed can be used basically as the dill seed, even to sweeten breath, of course it hasn't the same majical properties though. Fennel is a good aid for digestion.

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Protection. Eat four or five leaves a day in a salad or on a sandwich for relief of migraines. Leaves are bitter, so best mix, and not eat alone. Use an infusion of the leaves and flowers as a sedative to relieve mild muscle spasms and increase appetite.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Money, Protection, Beauty, Psychic powers, and Healing. Very beautiful purple flowers, used to make linen. An infusion of crushed flax seeds can bring relief to constipation. Drink one cup morning and evening.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Protection, Healing, Exorcism, and Lust. Amazing culinary tool, bug repellant, natural antibiotic, one of my favorites, onion has most of the same qualities as garlic does, garlic just gets more attention. Onion is as strong an antibiotic as garlic, I'm not prejudice, i like them both. Garlic helps digest fats. Find the purest garlic powder you can find, or make your own, and you can dust your plants every week or so, and even sprinkle it around in your carpet. It is an excellent bug repellant.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Protection, and Purification. A stimulating expectorant, gets rid of toxins by causing sweat. Good for relief of the common cold. Small amounts of leaf aids in digestion of fatty tissue, flowers toss in salads. Plant near cabbage to lure away cabbage white butterflies.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Protection, Rolls back hexes,Love, Exorcism, and Health. Rheumatisum, bruises, ulcers, and wounds are said to be relieved by juniper poultices and rubs. Adding a handful of leaves to a bath is said to sooth aching muscles. For poultices, berries can be simmered in olive oil or simply mashed and applied to the sore.

***Element is Air***Magickal Powers are Protection, Sleep, Chasity, Longevity, Purification, Happiness, and Peace. Lavender is most famous for its uses of bathes and oils. You can infuse flowers as a tea for headaches and to calm your nerves, of course a nice bath in lavender will do the same thing. You can use a lavender infusion as a face wash to help with acne. A lavender flower infusion 3 times a day can be a good pick me up for depression, espically if you mix it with rosemary. Lavender can also be used as a tea after a hectic day to calm and tone the nervous system. I believe just having a bunch growing around would do that. We have lavenders bordering all the way around the herb garden, they really add to the aroma. The herb garden is our favorite place...*S*

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Love, Success, Healing, and Strength. Rub on bee hives to attract new bees and keep the old ones there. The tea helps to control high blood pressure, has a calming effect to assist in controlling hysteria, melandcolia, aids with goiter, hyperthyroidism and graves disease. Put fresh leaves in salads, jellies, custards, fruit drinks. You can add a leaf to furniture polish. Infuse as a tea also for chronic bronchial catarrah, feverish colds, and tension headaches it has a mild antidepressant action.

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Beauty, and Love. Chinese lore holds it sacred. The extract of the leaves improves memory. Indicated for treatment of beginning phase of alzheimers. Gingko is just now really being explored for its possibilities in the west. The far east is well aware of its importance.

***Element is Air***Magickal Powers are Protection, Love, Happiness, Health, and Money. Marjoram is the sweet version of oregano. It has all the same qualities as oregano, but it is just a tad weaker in the medicinal qualities. Oregano is an antioxidant, antiseptic, preservative, and antifungal. Drink teas for an excellant cold/flu remedy.

***Element is Air***Magickal Powers are Monry, Lust, Happiness, Healing, Travel, Exorcism, and protection. We grow several different kinds of mint, but they are all pretty much the same. Mint tea is as famous, or more so than chamomile tea or catnip, its a soothing digestive, good for hicupps. Pinch off a leaf and chew for heartburn, works pretty good. "Do not consume pennyroyal however".

***Element is Earth***Magickal Powers are Strength, Psychic powers, Protection, Prophetic dreams, Healing, and Astral projection. One of the 9 sacred herbs of the Anglo Saxons. Mugwort leaves have a sage like smell and are used to repel mothes. Mugwort teas are not safe for internal use. Add mugwort and agrimony to chamomile for an herbal bath to relieve aches in muscles and joints. Stuffed mugwort pillows were once used for good and vivid dreams.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Courage, Love, Protection, Health, Divination, and Exorcism. Medicinally a good soothing agent for the throat, bronchi and lungs. Tea is good for diarrhea, also relaxing. Herbal oil can be used for ear infection, cuts, scrapes, rashes, etc. Poultice is good for skin ulcers shrinking tumours, good for upper respiratory tract infections.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Fertility, Protection, and Mental powers. Mustard plaster is a old home cure for chest congestion. The plaster causes the skin to feel warm and opens the lungs to make breathing easier. Pure powder or oil should never be put directly on the skin because it will eventually blister you. You can use mustard seeds in making pickles or chutney. Most people grow mustard just for the greens.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Protection, Exorcism, Healing, Money, Prophetic dreams, and Lust. Anthelmintic, calmative, expectorant, diuretic, and antiseptic. Use for indigestion, nervous disorders, kidney problems, high blood pressure, asthma, and headaches. To make a cold extract, soak a chopped onion in one cup of water for 24 hours. Drink 1/2 cup daily. A decoction made from chopping and simmering an onion gently in water (1cup). The juice can be taken in 1 teaspoon doses 3 to 4 times a day, or add honey to make a good syrup for hoarseness and coughs. Onions are eaten raw for their nutrition and medicinal values. Slices of raw onion, can be placed on an insect sting. A poultice of chopped onion can be applied to bruises or sprains, for chest congestion, consume clear soup made from lots of onions, or the strained mixture poured off of onions and honey heated, but not boiled on the stove for several hours. Like garlic, onions reduce the tendency of blood plate;ets to clot, which may lessen the risk of heart attack or stroak should a clot block an already narrowed artery.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Strength, Protection, and Peace. You can rub pennyroyal on you to repel insects, keep your appetite intact, and your skin pleasantly fragrant. Sprinkle it around the kitchen counters and cupboards to repel ants. Some say that pennyroyal can be used as a tea like other mints, as long as you don't take large doses. WE prefer to use it as a insect repellant and aromatic, we have plenty of "safe" mints to use.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Purification, Sleep, Love, Health, and Psychic powers. Aromatic, carmative, diapheretic, and stimulant for chills, upset stomach, and headaches. An infusion should be taken in 1 cup doses, three times a day. To open up the sinuses drop 5 to 10 drops of peppermint oil into 2 quarts of hot water, then breath the vapors in through the mouth and nostrils. Peppermint is one of the oldest home remedies.

***Element is Air***Magickal Powers are Protection, Money, Love, Fidelity, Exorcism, and Success. Use as a poultice for lesions. Helps maintain estrogen levels during menopause. It is a blood thinner. Red clover is praised in "plant medicine" as being one of the best single supplements for prevention and treatment of cancer! Lets all plant red clover everywhere. The other clovers are potent herbs also, but red clover tends to step out in front.

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Love, Psychic powers, Healing, Love divination, Luck, and protection. Rosehips are the parts mainly used. Rosehips are so rich in vitamin C, that they should replace oranges, ounce for ounce they are far more loaded with the vitamins. They are also rich in vitamin A, B, and K, organic acids, and pectins. The acid and pectin make rosehips a mild laxative and diuretic. It is also aperient, astringent, and stomachie. The syrup is good for sore throats, and the infusion, one cup at a time makes a very good remedy for colds and flu.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Love, Lust, Protection, Mental powers, exorcism, Purification, Healing, Sleep, and Youth. Diaphoretic, antiseptic, astrigent, stomachie, and carmative, for headaches, insomnia. A very good digestive, nerve and circulatory tonic, taken 2 ounces at a time, no more than three times a day. Improves Memory, lifts the spirit, and gives courage. Rub freely into areas of poor circulation. Taking deep breathes of the aroma of a live plant is relaxing and eases headaches. This is NatureSpirit #1 favorite herb.

***Element is Air***Magickal Powers are Immortality, Longevity, Wisdom, and Protection. Its a antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. Stimulates memory, good for cold systoms and digestive upsets. Use leaves as an infusion taking 1 to 2 tablespoon at a time, hot or cold as preferred, as needed, up to 2 cups per day for all cold systoms, as well as dizziness, nausea, headaches, gas, and weak digestion. Use the tea as a gargle for sore throat and laryngitis. As a tonic add 1/2 ounce of fresh sage leaves to the juice of one quart boiling water, remove from the heat, strain and serve either hot or ice cold. Taking a fresh leaf and scrubbing your teeth with it once a day helps your gums and whitens your teeth. Sage is one of NatureSpirit #2 favorite herbs.

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Healing, Love, and Mental powers. Twist or bruise 1 cup spearmint leaves, place in clean 1/2 gallon container, fill with fresh cool water. Chill in refrigerator, then strain, and serve on ice, its a refreshing drink. Spearmint does not contain menthol and is basically used for flavor. 1 drop of spearmint essential oil in water can be sipped for headaches and menstrual cramps; also pouring around the water with the oil in it repels black ants.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Fertility, Health, Wishes, and Wisdom. Seeds help you hens lay better. Grow as a colorful windbreak or focal point. Eat raw buds in salads, or steam and serve like artichokes. Flower-boil for a yellow dye. Leaf-can be smoked, dried. Folk medicine herbalist recommend eating a handful or boiling seeds for 20 minutes and taking as a tea to relieve coughs and inflamation of the kidneys.

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Health and Longevity. Tansy is a strong antiseptic. Stew the leaf with rhubarb rub on meat for a rosemary like flavoring. Tansy added to bath water is said to ease soreness in limbs and reduce fevers. Use tansy leaves fresh and minced in pancakes, waffles, cookies, puddings, cakes, teas, liqueurs, salad dressings, and marinades. Tansy lotions are highly reccommened for their cleansing and soothing properties. They are espically effective for controlling acne. Plant tansy around fruit trees to repel fruit flies, and other pests, hang freshleaves near entrances to repel flies. Sprinkle dried leaves to deter ants, put dried sprigs under carpets. Also deters mice. The leaf is very rich in potassium so it is very good for your potassium levels.

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Sleep, Healing, Psychic powers, Health, Purification, and courage. Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, carmanative, and antispasmodic. For infections and inflammations. Mastitus, fever, digestive disorders, headaches, and nervousness. Use tops as an infusion taken frequently a mouthful at a time up to 2 cups per day. Good for all throat and bronchial problems as well as stomach and intestinal problems. Personally I prefer it in food as a seasoning, because the tea is a bit lacking, but thats my opinion.

***Element is Air***Magickal Powers are Health, Courage, and Protection. A very good flavoring for meats. Although mainly a culinary herb. Tarragon has been used to stimulate the appetite, relieve flatulence and colic, and relieve rheumatism. Tarragon is also used in perfumes, soaps, cosmetics, in condimonts, and liqueurs. Use the leaves fresh in salads, as garnishes, or in sauces. Do not cook the herb too long or add too much or you will bring out its bitter side.

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Love, Sleep, Purification, and Protection. Parts used, rhizome and roots. Natures best tranquilizer, don't need a prescription, just an herb garden. An infusion can be made by using 1/4 teaspoon of the dried root in 1 cup of water. Make a tea of the root, the fresher, the more potent, but let the plant mature before attaching its root system. Valerian is a natural tranquilizer that doesn't interact with alcohol, but too large of doses can bring on depression.

***Element is Earth***Magickal Powers are Love, Protection, Purification, Peace, Money, Youth, Sleep, Healing, and Chasity. One of the 9 sacred Anglo Saxons herbs. Dried leaves are taken to treat nervous depression, and used externally to treat wounds. Infusion as a tea for a digestive and/or a nightcap after nervous exhaustion. Also good for colds and flu. Poultice has been said to ease the pains of rheumatism.

***Element is Air***Magickal Power is Mental Powers. Same peppery spice as its annual counterpart. It is considered an antiseptic herb beneficial to the whole digestive tract. It is also a stimulant, and was in demand as an aphrodisiac. Savory is suppose to be very beneficial when planted near beehives. During Roman times in Northorn Europe savory was a valued disinfectant strewing herb. Infuse the top as tea to stimulate appetite, ease flatulence, ease indigestion, also use as an antiseptic gargle.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Protection and Chasity. Internal use in a tea form is anti-inflammatory and hemostatic, will help with internal bleeding. Used externally its good for treating hemmoroids and healing surgical incisions.

***Element is Fire***Magickal Powers are Psychic powers, Love, Protection, and Calling spirits. Not for long term use medicinally tea is used for getting rid of intestinal worms. It also helps digestion, improves appetite, and tonifies the stomach and gallbladder.

***Element is Water***Magickal Powers are Love, Psychic powers, and Exorcism. Basic antiseptic and hemostatic for treating bleeding. Anti-spasmodic, will improve digestion if you take it before eating. Yarrow tea is used to treat colds and fevers. The decoction is a good wash for chapped hands, wounds, and sores. A few small leaves thrown in your compost heap will speed up the process of decomposition. Plants that are growing around Yarrow are more resistant to disease.

Alterative

A substance that gradually alters or changes a condition. Often, it is a medicine that cures an illness by gradually restoring health.

Analgesic

A substance that relieves pain by acting as a nervine, antispasmodic, rubefacient, antiseptic, antibiotic, or counterirritant.

Antipyretic

A substance that tends to reduce or prevent a fever. Such medicines are also referred to as febrifuges and refrigerants.

Antispasmodic

A medicine that relieves or prevents involuntary muscle spasms or cramps, such as those occuring in epilepsy, painful menstruation, intestinal cramping, or even "charley horses."

Aperient

A mild and gentle acting laxative medicine.

Balsamic

A substance that heals or soothes.

Calmative

A substance that allays excitement; usually less strong than a sedative.

Carminative

A substance that checks the formation of gas and helps dispel whatever gas has already formed.

Catarrh

An inflammation of any mucous membrane, but especially one affecting the respiratory tract.

Cathartic

A laxative or purgative that causes the evacuation of the bowels. A laxative is a gentle cathartic, while a purgative is much more forceful and is used only in stubborn conditions.

Demulcent

Oily or mucilaginous substances that soothe and moisten, providing a protective coating and allaying irritation.

Diaphoretic

A substance taken internally to promote sweating, usually through expansion of capillaries near the skin. Also called sudorifics, they have been used along with sweat baths to promote general and specific health.

Diuretic

A substance that promotes the flow of urine.

Emollient

A substance that, applied externally, softens and soothes the skin.

Febrifuge

A substance that helps dissipate a fever. Sometimes called antipyretic.

Flatulence

Gas in the stomach or bowels.

Hemostatic

Any substance used to stem internal bleeding.

Hepatic

Any substance that affects the liver, whether helpfully or harmfully.

Nervine

A substance that calms or quiets nervousness, tension, or excitementerants.

Pectoral

A substance that relieves ailments of the chest and lungs.

Rubefacient

A substance that increases blood circulation to the area where it is applied, usually on the skin but sometimes internally.

Soporific

A substance that tends to induce sleep.

Stomachic

A medicine that gives strength and tone to the stomach or stimulates the appetite by promoting digestive secretions.

Surdorific

A substance that promotes sweating. Much like diaphoretic.

Tonic

A substance that invigorates or strengthens the system. Often tonics act as stimulants and alteratives. Bitter tonics stimulate the flow of gastric juices, increasing the appetite and promoting the intake of food, which strengthens and invigorates. Whether an herb is regarded as a tonic, a nutritive builder, or a stimulant often has to do more with the dose or quantity used than with its actual properties.

Vermifuge

A medicine that destroys intestinal worms and helps expel them. Also called anthelmintic.

Vulnerary

A substance used in treating wounds, usually an antibiotic, antiseptic, styptic, and/or plant that promotes healing through cell regeneration.

End of Terms

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Would you like to know what a tincture, Infusion, Decoction, or Tea is , or how to make it? That's what this area is for.

Infusions and Teas

To make a true herbal infusion, you'll need the following materials. 1) Fresh or dried herbs, 2) Measuring spoons 3) A glass, ceramic, or plastic infuser, cloth tea bag, or a metal tea ball 4) A teapot 5) A measuring cup 6) A kettle or pot.

1)Start with fresh or dried herbs. Measure the herbs and put them in an infuser, tea bag, or tea ball, then place it in a teapot, as shown. Or put loose herbs into the pot and strain them out when you pour the tea. Use 2 tablespoons of dried herbs or about a handful of fresh herbs to a pint of water.

2)Boil, then brew. Place water fresh from the tap or bottle in a kettle or pot and bring it to a boil. When the water boils, remove it from the heat until the bubbles subside, then pour it over the herbs in the teapot, cover, and steep for 10 to 20 minutes. (you can also use a large travel mug with a cover to brew just one cup. The lid prevents the herb's essential oils from leaching out in the steam.)

Decoctions

Here's what you'll need to make your own herbal decoctions. 1)Fresh or dried herbs 2)A cutting board and knife(if using fresh herbs) or a coffee grinder 3)A glass or stainless steel pot large enough to hold the herb and liquid 4)Pint or quart glass jars 5)A fine-mesh plastic strainer 6)A wooden spoon 7)A coffee filter

1) Prepare the herbs. To break down the cellular structure and make it easier to extract their maximum medicinal value, herbs for a decoction need to be crushed, chopped, or wellbruised. If you plan to make herbal remedies regularly, consider getting a sturdy coffee bean grinder(such as Krups or Braun) to chop hard, woody herbs easily.

2) Simmer gently. Place the herbs in a pot and add water. Bring to a full, rolling boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let the decoction simmer gently for 10 to 20 minutes. Keep the pot covered so that the herb's essential oils don't leach out in the escaping steam.

3) Strain the decoction. When the decoction has finished simmering, strain it through a fine-mesh plastic strainer into a glass jar or a mug. Press on the herbs in the strainer with the back of a wooden spoon in order to extract as much liquid as possible. If you've used a fuzzy herb like rose hips, line the strainer with a coffee filter to eliminate any irritating particles.

Tinctures

Here's what you need to make a tincture. 1)Fresh or dried herbs 2)A cutting board and knife or a coffee grinder 3)A clean glass jar large enough to hold the desired amount of tincture 4)Menstruum (solvent) of your choice 5)Labels 6)A wire-mesh strainer 7)Cheesecloth, muslin, or a coffee filter 8)A 2-cup glass measuring cup 9)A funnel 10)Dark glass bottles

1)Chop the herbs finely. You can cut them by hand, as shown, or in a coffee grinder (such as Krups or Braun). Don't forget to clean fresh herbs first.

2)Combine. Place 1 part herb to 2 parts liqued in the jar, with 1 to 3 inches of liquid above the herbs. Close it tightly and label with the name of the herb, the menstruum, and the date. Place the jar in a warm, dark place and steep for at least four weeks--the longer the better. Shake the jar daily and add more liquid if necessary.

3)Strain the tincture. Pour the liquid through a wire-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth, muslin, or a coffee filter into a glass measuring cup.

4)Fill the bottles. Using a funnel, carefully pour the tincture into clean, dark bottles(such as amber or cobalt blue). Label them with the type of tincture and the date.

End of Teas, Infusions, Decoctions, and Tinctures

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"Click on the Button To See Some Magickal Herb and Plant Properties"

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Listed left and right as Illustrations of the books, and listed below as info or links are the books we have in our collection we use for our research. Each book is very useful in one way or another, there are some we didn't include, because we feel that they are substandard. These listed are very good books to learn with.

Herbs for Use and Delight---"The Herb Society of America" Dover Publication Inc. New York 1974---This 1974 Book is a collection of 61 selections of the Herbalist A publication of the Herb society of America from 1935. A very interesting book. They didn't restrain their opinions as much back then.

"A Pattern of Herbs" Dolphin Books Doubleday and Co. By Meg Rutherford 1976

"Herbal Treasures" Garden Way Publishing by Phyllis V. Shaudys 1990

"The Complete Book of Herbs" Smithmark Books Anness Publishing by Andi Clevly and Kathern Richmond 1994

"Handbook of Herbal Health" Leopard Books London by Kitty Campion 1985

Readers Digest Home Handbook "Herbs"
Readers Digest Association LTD (Canada) "The Complete Book Of Herbs" By Lesley Bremess 1989
"The Women's Book of Healing Herbs" by Sara Harrar and Sara O Donnell 1998
"Rodales Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs" Published 1987

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We Hope That You Like This New Section And Find It Useful In One Way Or Another. Please let us know, sign our Guestbook, fill out our feedback form, or Email us. Your Comments and Suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank You.

The NatureSpirits

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