Herbology: Whole Herb or Extraction?

I'm often asked why we should bother with recipes and decoctions, with tinctures and poultices, when we can simply eat the herbs in question to get the desired results. Well, there's a problem with that particular approach. It's true that if you eat an awful lot of a certain herb, some of its healing properties may be imparted to you, but you'd have to practically eat yourself sick to get enough of the herb. Also, some of the active ingredients in the herbs simply will not pass into your system through ingestion.

Okay, so we can't always just eat the herbs we'd like to use. But why are there so many preparation methods? Why can't we just always brew a tea, or burn the herbs so that we inhale the active ingredients? Again, these methods work fine for some herbs but are useless for others. If the active ingredient you need isn't water soluble, a tea isn't going to help. A tincture, which uses alcohol to extract the active ingredients, might. As for using smoke, this only works for a few specific herbs and it's no good at all for anyone who can't inhale smoke (like my entire family).

The Pagan community often works on the premise that if it feels right, it is right. This is a dangerous idea when it comes to herbs because herbs are really a little more scientific. Does it feel right to use the plant in your backyard to cure your headaches? Oops, that was nightshade. Unless you understand the dosage and extraction method of nightshade, you could be in real trouble. It is poisonous, after all.

It is vitally important that you understand an herbs properties and the forms in which it is safe to administer. Some herbs are fine to ingest, but toxic when inhaled. Others are safe to inhale, but will give you a blistering rash if applied to the skin. And there are a few herbs that are safe to ingest as tinctures but toxic as teas. Knowledge of the herb as a whole is necessary before you begin working with any plant.

As an example of this, consider cinnamon. It's a common herb in both spellcraft and cooking, so you're highly likely to use it often. It can be used during ritual baths by adding the whole herb to your bath. It can be used in cooking in its powdered or shaved form. Its oil can be used to anoint candles and other items. But if you put the powdered version in your bath, you'll have a mess on your hands. Add the oil to your bath (or apply it directly to the skin) and you'll burn yourself. Add the whole form (or even the shaved form) to your candles during recipes and you'll start a fire.

Basil is another example. In its dried form, you can use it for money spells. Its fresh form can be rubbed on beestings to lessen irritation. But the dried form doesn't help beestings at all, while the fresh form can be used in spells if you like.

As you can see, you can't always take the easiest route. If a recipe calls for the oil form of an herb and you use the dried form, you may not get the results you desire. Easy doesn't always equal best, so tread with care. Study the herbs you'd like to use to best discover what method of herbal preparation is best suited for your purposes.

Herbology: Storing Herbs

Unless  have a greenhouse where you can grow fresh herbs all year 'round, at some point you'll have to store herbs for future use. Fresh herbs can be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator, usually with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture, but this only works for a week or two. Eventually you'll have to store dried herbs.

Before you even attempt to store your herbs, make sure they're truly dry. Any hint of moisture and they're mold in short order. So give your herbs time to dry thoroughly before you attempt to store them.

Once they are dry, the best way to store them is with a vacuum-pack system. You can purchase these systems at most cookware or home stores. There are two downsides to a vacuum system. First of all, they can be expensive and not everyone wants to spend that money for storing herbs (even though the vacuum system can be used for other foods as well). The second problem is one of convenience. Every time you open a package to get a teaspoon of herbs, you have to cut open a package and reseal it with the vacuum system. That can get annoying.

So if you opt not to use a vacuum-pack system, your next best choice is glass jars. You can get jars in all sizes from almost any grocery or home store, and you can get them in a variety of sizes. I like the smaller ones because I rotate my stock frequently, though I use larger jars for the herbs I use a lot of. Before you actually store anything in these jars, sterilize them with boiling water and dry them thoroughly. This will help protect the herbs from bacteria and keep them fresh longer.

Always store dried herbs in cool and dry place. They should also be kept out of direct sunlight. I use a cupboard with a solid door and good ventilation, one that I only open one or twice a day. This seems to work well, but any place that keeps the herbs cool and dry should work well enough.

Even dried herbs don't last forever, so make sure you rotate your stock. I like to make sure jars are emptied and replaced at least every six months. Since I use my herbs faster than that, this isn't usually an issue. But I do write dates on my jars just in case. After six months, dried herbs really do lose their potency, so make sure you're not using herbs that have been in the jars for a year.

Some fresh herbs can be frozen, but this doesn't work as well as drying them and storing them appropriately. Whatever method you choose for storing your herbs, make sure you label your herbs. It's not going to help to have no idea what's in each jar or bag.

Herbology: Drying Herbs

In many cases drying herbs is unnecessary and just a little silly. If you have fresh lavender growing in your windowsill and want to make lavender cookies (which are a staple in our household), there is no reason to dry the lavender first. No reason at all. Simply pluck the lavender, remove the parts you won't be using, and toss the fresh lavender into the cookie dough. The same rule applies to just about any herb you have growing at the time. Fresh is generally better.

Bear in mind, however, that when using fresh herbs, you'll usually need more than you would if the herb was dried. This is because fresh herbs contain a great deal of water, water that is removed through the drying process, making the dried version much more potent. As a general rule, you'll want to use three times the amount of fresh herb, so if a recipe calls for 1 tbsp of dried lavender, you would use 3 tbsp of fresh lavender.

So fresh is better. But what if you have a bunch of herb on the vine that needs to be harvested all at once? It happens, and quite often. In this case, you'll want to store them for future use. You can, of course, store fresh herbs in a plastic bag for up to two weeks. Simply fold them inside a paper towel, place the entire thing in the plastic bag, and place the bag in the fridge. But what if you're not going to be able to use all your herbs within those two weeks? Well, drying is your best option. There are different methods for drying, each one dependent on the part of the plant being used.

Drying Leaves

Leaves are the probably the most common item to dry, at least in a home setting. They're also pretty easy to dry. Simply separate the leaves and place them on a drying sheet. If you don't have a drying rack, use a cooling rack, the kind you put cookies on to cool. Place this rack in a location where it will not be disturbed by anyone, making sure not to expose the leaves to direct sunlight or sudden changes in temperature. Turn the leaves twice a day until completely dry. Under normal conditions, your leaves should be dry within a week. If mold develops, discard affected plant material.

Drying Flowers

If you really get into growing your own herbs, you'll often find yourself drying flowers. There are basically two ways to do this--on the stalk and off the stalk. If you dry them off the stalk, you can dry them just like leaves. Personally, I prefer to dry them on the stalk. I've just had better results. Take your stalks, complete with flowers, and invert the entire thing, then hang it that way. I like to use clothespins on a string in my temple, but you can use any system you like. Just make sure your herbs have a steady humidity and temperature, and give flowers at least a full two weeks to dry.

Drying Berries

If you're drying berries, which I do all the time, it's best to dry them on the stalk just like flowers. Absolutely keep them out of direct sunlight and give them a full month, sometimes six weeks, before you try to bag them. Make sure they'll fully and completely dry before you even attempt to bag them.

Drying Seeds

I love drying seeds because it's just so easy. First, separate them from the plant and remove any excess plant material. then get a piece of cheesecloth or an organza pouch or something similar. Hang the bag just like you would hang berries or flowers, making sure to shake the bag once a day to rotate the seeds. Seeds normally take two to four weeks to truly dry, so be patient.

Drying Roots

I hate roots. Hate them, hate them, hate them. Why do I hate them. Because they take forever to dry. And when I say forever, I mean about a year. Seriously. They might look dry after a month, but the inside is not dry. Not at all. They really need nine to twelve months. You can use drying racks, but since the roots have to dry for such a long time, I prefer to use organza bags (pretty ones) and hang the roots like I would seeds. Then I can ignore them for a year. Just remember to check for mold periodically.

There are other ways to dry herbs, including using a food dehydrator or even the oven, but the faster you dry herbs, the more of their potency you'll lose. So take your time, dry them naturally, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Ashling Wicca, Book Two

For those interested in a continuing study of Ashling Wicca, the second book in the series is available for purchase through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers. Just like with Ashling Wicca, Book One, there is an accompanying workbook that can be purchase in either paperback or ebook format.

From the back of the book:

This book, continuing where Ashling Wicca, Book One left off, takes the student even further into the mysteries of this wonderful tradition. Begin learning what it is that makes Ashling Wicca so beautiful. This book is the second of five in total and serves to bring the student deeper into Ashling Wicca. Lessons include both the practical and the theoretical. Because initiation into this tradition can only be acquired under the direction of a High Priest/ess of Ashling Wicca, this material is presented by an expert on the tradition, a woman who has been trained to teach Ashling Wicca to students of the Craft. Here you will find the information necessary to continue following the Ashling path.

From the back of the workbook:

This workbook, which is designed to complement Ashling Wicca, Book Two, will further deepen your understanding of the Ashling tradition. Full of tests, exercises, journal entries, and reflections, it can help you further grasp the material presented in the master book. It also provides various rituals vital to the practice of Ashling Wicca. This book should be used in conjunction with Ashling Wicca, Book Two. The units in each book are identical, allowing you to easily line up the written information from the master book with the tests and other materials in the workbook. Use both to begin an earnest study of the art of Ashling Wicca.