Wild Medicine - An Illustrated Guide to the Magick of Herbs

Informationen zum Autor Bundy, Shelby Klappentext "A gorgeously illustrated herbal from the witchy experts at Tamed Wild, this handy guidebook introduces readers to the most common and powerful healing herbs and the wisdom gained over centuries of use. Ideal for green witches and budding herbalists!"--Provided by publisher. Leseprobe How to Work with Plants   Tea A beautiful and easy way to work with herbs is to brew them into a cup of tea. This can be done with a strainer, reusable tea bags, or disposable tea bags. You can blend mixtures of herbs, add boiling water, allow the mixture to steep, and then sip away! Different herbs have different steeping times, so as you get to know the plants, you’ll get to know the ideal amount of time to brew your favorite cup. Teas are a marvelous way to bring herbs into your daily rituals. They are delicious, affordable, and supportive, providing a pause for quiet contemplation or shared enjoyment. Infusion An infusion is a wonderful way to receive the nutrients of the plants and herbs you’re working with. The first step is deciding whether it will be hot or cold. Some herbs respond better to cold infusions, others to hot infusions, so you’ll want to assess your herbs and your intention before deciding (for example, mucilaginous herbs respond better to cold water!). For a hot infusion, add herbs to a boil-safe container such as a mason jar (be careful that the jar isn’t cold, because adding hot liquid can cause it to crack!). Then, boil your water and pour it over the herbs in the jar. Cover the mixture with a lid, to keep volatile oils in, but don’t over tighten—it’s better to keep a little bit of give. Allow the jar to sit in the refrigerator for a period of time. Some herbs are best left overnight, while others need only a few hours. With time and experimentation, you’ll discover what works best. When the infusion is ready, strain the mixture, pressing out the plant material to release the fullest amount of nutrients. Don’t throw away the spent herbs—compost the plant matter to return it to the earth. (Note that some plants can be used in a second infusion.) Get to know your plants and try an infusion—they’re delicious. Drink them much like a tea! (That is, a tea with more nutrients packed in.)   Tincture or Glycerite A tincture is a method of preparing plant-based medicine that uses a solvent like vodka, brandy, vinegar, or glycerin to extract nutrients from the plant. There are a few different methods of tincture making, but the kind that I’m most familiar with is the folk method. First, depending on what you have on hand, decide whether you will be using fresh or dried herbs. Next, macerate the herbs, which entails chopping them up to help the tincturing process along. Take your fresh or dried herbs and fill a mason-type jar 1/2 to 2/3 full of the plant material. Then, pour your solvent over the plants, filling the jar to the top. Store the jar in a dark and dry place for six weeks, shaking it every couple of days. The final step is to decant the tinctures: strain the mixture through clean cheesecloth, squeezing the out the plant material before pouring the mixtures into dropper bottles. If your process calls for a more exact method, you may want to learn the weight method of making a tincture. We don’t cover that here, but you can find explanations online or study with a more experienced herbalist. Elixir An elixir is similar to a tincture, but with a touch of added sweetness, ideally from honey! This is delicious and works especially well with plants like elderberry. Infused Oil To make a plant-infused oil, first select your herb(s) and an oil—olive, sunflower, and jojoba are a few favorites. If the herbs are fresh, allow them to dry for one or two days, because water in the oil will cause mold to grow. Fill the jar with plant material, and...

Product details

• Authors: Kate Belew, Shelby Bundy
• Publisher: Random House USA
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 17.10.2023
• EAN: 9781632174970
• ISBN: 978-1-63217-497-0
• No. of pages: 272
• Dimensions: 135 mm x 185 mm x 28 mm
• Subject: Guides > Spirituality > Ancient knowledge, ancient cultures