Often called water infusions, Herbal teas are potent herbal medicine and are easy for our bodies to digest. These are the easiest and most effective way for herbal medicine, especially for young children and those with delicate stomachs.
Water Infusions made at standard Tea strength can be used as gargles, lotions, douches, compresses, rinses and fomentations. Fomentations improve circulation, and will warm cold and stiff joints. To make one, dilute your tea with a litre of hot water, dip in your cloth and just apply where needed.
So all we need is a teaspoon of herb and a cup of boiling water. Simple eh?????? Well, maybe. It depends on what herb you are using. You need to give the herb time to seep through the water. Flowers will need 1-3 minutes, and leaves will need 2-4 minutes. If you wish to do seeds, bark or root, it is coming up next.
Chop the herbs you are using, whether they be dried or fresh. One herb teas are the simplest, but it is also possible to make blends of 2 or 3 different herbs. This you might have to experiment with a bit as some herbs work well together and some don't.
Invest in a teapot for this one. As soon as you have poured the boiling water over the herb, place the lid on and leave sit. Don't use milk as this can suppress the flavour. If you need to sweeten it, use honey or lemon juice. Depending on what the teas was made for, a pinch of cayene pepper goes well too. An example would be: if you made a sage tea, you could add honey to soothe a throat or add cayenne to help break the fever.
Herbal Teas can be drunk warm or cold, and even iced, depending on the ailment. For Example, Hot sage tea before going to bed promotes sweating so is good for helping to break a fever. Iced sage Tea on the other hand would cool your system and help refresh.
So in summary, Hot teas are warm and stimulating, Iced ones are cooling.
Following is a herbal blend to try.
Calming Heaven Digestive:
15gr Parsley
8gr Fennel
8gr Peppermint &
1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
A Decotions is also made usong herbs by boiling in water. It is generally used for harder herbs, seeds, bark or roots, which need a bit longer to seep than a simple infusion, in order to extract he herb. We also call this method a water extraction.
Decoctions are excellent for childrem, and those with weakened constitutions. They can be drunk neat, or used as a base for syrups, gargles, compresses and douches. Use also in baths and as a base ingredient of creams.
Decoction is slightly different to a simple infusion, again we only use herb and water, but the infusion is much slower.
Start with 40gr of dried herb (60gr if using fresh), and crush in a pestle and morter to bruise. Place it in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand overnight.
Next day, place it all into a saucepan, topping up the water to 900mls if needed, and bring it all to the boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down and let simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Remove and strain through a fine cloth placed in a strainer. Squeeze out all the liquid and discard the herb.
This is a standard decoction and will keep for 2-3 days. In this form it can be drunk like a standard tea.
You can also make a reduced decoction by returning the liquid to the heat. Heat gently until it begins to steam. Once you see steam, turn the heat down very low and let the liquid steam until it is reduced to approx 200mls. Once reduced, allow to cool and pour into clean bottles.
A reduced decoction will keep for 4-5 days in a cool place.
In a tincture, the properties of the herb are extracted and preserved in alcohol. They can be made with either dried or fresh ingredients. Because the essence of the herb are preserved in alcohol, they will keep indefinately, and usually the dosgae then is very small.
A normal dose consists of 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. As a tonic only 1 teaspoon a day is needed, If conditions are acute, 6 teaspoons a day. For those that cannot for some reason take alcohol, put the dose in 50ml of water and leave uncovered for several hours until the alcohol evaporates. Tinctures can also be used by diluting 1 teaspoon in a cup of water. This can then be used as a gargle, a wash or a compress.
You will need 15gr of your choice of dried herb. Chop or bruise the. Mix 200ml of spirit (either brandy or vodka) with a tablespoon of water. Place the herb in a large jar (must have a lid) and add the alcoholic liquid so that it covers the herb. Label and date it, then stand in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks. Shake it daily.
After 2 weeks, the liquid will have drawn all it can from the herb, and likely to have changed colour. Do not leave any longer than 2 weeks as after this time the herb will start to break down, and does it no extra good. Strain the liquid through a loose-weave cotton cloth place in a strainer. Sqeeze and wring the herb to get every last drop. Discard the herbs.
This is your finished tincture, pour into clean glass bottles (amber ones are best), and label and date. Make sure your bottles are sterlized for tinctures. Because of the strenght of tinctures it is also best to label with the dosage and some idea of its use.
Magickal Tictures are made in exactly the same way, tho magickal tinctures shoul never be taken internally. They are instead used to annoint your skin or magickal tools, added to baths, mixed with oils or added to annointments.
With Magickal Tinctures as you grind the herb, you need to empower your mixture with what you intend. When you shake the bottle every day, visualise the tinctures magickal goal. For Magikal ones it is sometimes best to repeat the process to get a stronger tincture, tho gums like myrhh and frankincense should be OK after the first 2 weeks.
A few drops of castor oil in these will help stabalise the scent and is recommended for Magickal tinctures. As some tinctures can be irritating to the skin, be sure to do a test first.
Following is something from Scott Cunninhams The Complete Book Of Incense, Oils and Brews. I just thought it appropiate for this section and a good way to use Magickal Tinctures
Incense Paper:
Take some white blotting paper and cut it into 6 inch strips, 1 Inch wide. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of potassium nitrate to a cup of very warm water and stir until dissolved. Soak the paper in the solution until it is saturated. Hang them up to dry.
Empower your tincture, then pour a few drops onto a strip of paper, add more drops until completely coated on one side. Dry and store in an airtight container.
To use the Incense Paper, Light one end with a match, and after it is completely in flame, blow it out. Place it in your censor and let it smoulder.
Incense paper should burn slowly and emit a pleasant scent.
**Unsceted incense papers can be used instead of charcoal blocks. Simple light and sprinkle a thin layer of incense on the paper.
To make an infused oil, herbs and soices are heated in a fat base. Traditionally this was olive oil, clarified butter, hog's fat, goose grease or suet. Today though sunflower oil is most often used, being much lighter.
When heated, the oils take on the theraputic values of said herbs and spices. It can be used as a massage oil, a rub, bath oil, skin lotion or used as a base for ointments, salves, creams suppository, plaister or liniment. Se either dried or fresh, tho for this I prefer fresh.
Start by chopping 100gr fresh herb or 75gr dries herb. Add half of the herb to 300ml of unblended vegetable oil in a container that has a tight lid. (make sure this container is heat proof). Place the container in a pan filled with water to within an inch of the top, and simmer slowly for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, allow the mixture to cool slightly, then strain it. At this strenght it can be used for infants, either straight on the skin or as a bath oil. Discard the used herb. Refill your cannister with the remaining herb, and cover again with the same oil. Simmer again for 2 hours. (did you remember to add the lid) Check periodically to make sure the water has not boiled away, be sure to keep it topped up.
When done, cool again, then pour it through a bit of cheesecloth in a strainer. If using fresh herb, there may be watery green liquid at the bottom, this must be seperated and thrown away otherwise it may spoil the oil. Gather the herbs in the cloth and squeeze every drop out you can.
The oil will keep freah for a year, but will eventually become rancid. This can be delayed by adding wheatgern oil at a proportion of 5-10%. Pour into clean bottles and label. Store in a cool, dark place.
Another way to infuse oils (this is how I do most of mine) is just by adding the herb (fresh, dried, chopped or whole) to th oil and leaving it in a very warm place for about a month.
I have done it this way very successfully. Once I made some rosemary oil, and Hubby nust have put it away in the cupboard for me and I forgot about it. I found it 6 months later and boy, it sure was strong. I loved it. If using flowers for this method, do it over summer and sit it out in the sun. You may need to change the flowers up to 15-20 times before you get the smell of the flowers. So this could take all summer.
As stated earlier, infused oils are used as a base for many things. To turn it into a solid salve, melt it together with beeswax in the ratio of 4:1. (4 parts oil to 1 part beeswax.) calendula and rose oils make excellent salves as do wild herbs like chickweed.
To make a liniment rub for tired and aching limbs, you need to mix one part herb oil with one part of herb tincture. Shake well before applying. Rose oil and chamomile tincture is very soothing and relaxing. Thyme and rosemary oil with peppermint tincture (with optional pinch of cayenne) is good for aches and pains, especially after the flu.
Pessaries for thrush and infections can be made by melting together 2gr beeswax, 10ml of infused oil and 15gr of cocoa butter and pouring them into pessary moulds. Suppositories are made in the same way.
Vinegar is a secondary bacterial fermentation of alcohol, made previously by a yeast fermentation. It is weaker than spirits, but much cheaper, better tolerated and more in keeping with the acid pH of our skin. It is useful for skin and hair preperations, washes and douches.
Use sterlised untensils in vinegars to prevent contamination.
QUICK, EASY CIDER VINEGAR:
You will need the waste of apples of at least 12 apples (peel and core) tho if you wish you can use the flesh as well (but not necessary). Place in a wide- mouthed crock pot, and just cover with water. Cover, and plce in a warm place to ferment. Check it for taste every few days and also to give it a stir. When it is to your taste, strain it into a large bowl.
Empty the crock in readiness for the next batch. Rinse with water or wipe, but never use soap or detergent. To make a freah batch, add fresh apples, and about a cup of the vinegar mother, enough water to cover and repeat the process again.
Pour the majoroty of the vinegar into sterilized bottles, lable and date it. Once the vinegar has reached full taste, there is no more alcohol to evaporate and it becomes a very stabalized product. Return a small amount to the crock to become the vinegar mother. (see above).
To keep the "mother" alive until you are ready to make another batch, add peel and water occassionally to the liquid left in the crock.
SAGE AND VINEGAR POULTICE:
Bruise whole, fresh sage leaves byr flattening them with a rolling pin. Try not to tear of break them Put the sage leaves in a pan and cover with just enough vineger. Simmer gently for 5 minutes on a very low heat. The vinegar should not be allowed to boil, but should steam, so the sage leaves will soften and blanch.
After 5 minutes, take the leaves out and lay then on your bandgae. Work quickly as the leaves will be hot. Fold the cloth into a package that is just big enough to cover the affected area. Apply as hot as can be bourne and cover with a towel to help hold in the heat. Leave for an hour or so, or until the sweeling has gone down.
Vinegar can also be diluted with warm water and used as a fomentation for sprains and bruises. Dilutes with cold water makes an excellent compress for hot swollen joints ot hot tension headaches.
OTHER USES:
To make a herbal vingar, boil the herb in red or wine sherry. (much like you did for oils)
A vinegar hair rinse keeps your scalp healthy and your hair conditioned. Dilute 1 tablespoon of herbal vinegar in 250mls water. Rub thouroughlt through your hair and scalp and leave for 5 minuted before rinsing out. Use sage to darken hair, and chamomile to lighten it, parsley for dandruff, and rosemary to condition dry, thin or falling out hair.
