Foraging, Harvesting and Herbal Work

Needless to say, I am not a witch. I do not want to do witchcrafty things. However, that doesn't mean that I can ignore the superior technique of many herbalists who happen to also be witches, or the fact that much legitimate faery lore has made it's way into modern-day witchcraft.

I got rid of all my herbs and oils when I converted to Christianity...not because the materials themselves were bad, but because I had used them in all manner of magick, and I couldn't remember what was for health reasons and what was for magick reasons...oh man, it was hard to do.

In time, I discovered that the need to work with and even commune with plants still ran well in my blood...I missed them. I missed my poisons and I missed my weeds and I missed my flowers. I missed a lot of that, and in a way, it's come back stronger than ever. It's only...now I have to discover a way to preserve that relationship, to keep to the things that I know to be true, without violating Christian tenets. Which means no magick- which is no big loss. BUT, there are things that I know other Christians will scream bloody murder over, yet seem to appear in our own literature- spirit flight, ecstatic experiences and communion not just with God, but with a variety of saints (or a lot of the dead...just don't go summoning them, okay?), angels, faery and other spirits where applicable. I love the folklore attached to my faith, but you have to be very careful with it. (Working on a post about Eithne and St. Patrick, as well as Cuchulain and St. Patrick...St. Patrick was the shiznit, from what I can tell...)

Bottom line...if God made these plants to have natural properties that assist you with certain things, why is it bad to use them, if they're used rightly and not abused? Are the flying ointments of the witches always bad? Are the use of tinctures as medicines or aids to meditation really suspect? If St. Hildegard of Bingen can promote the use of herbs and stones as spiritual aids, then why can't anyone else?



I've really been enjoying getting my hands back on my herbs and oils, making tinctures and getting ready to do ointments and other herbal mixtures. I love it! However, treading the line between magical and folkloric is difficult. I have to be sure of my reasons for making the tinctures and ointments, and I have to be honest enough to know if I'm treading dangerous ground. I'm not always that honest.

I want to share two tinctures I'm working on right now. The first is more medicinal than anything- an experiment with foraged stuff that I wanted to try. The second has a primary purpose that is folkloric and mystical. As I said, it's a fine line. No poison experiments...for now.





Dandelion Spring

So, first, I had foraged about 2-3 cups worth of fresh, yellow dandelions. These petals can be hard to dry out, and they have a sweet, light taste compared to the bitterness of the leaves and roots. Foraging for them was as challenging as sitting in my front yard. In addition, I added:

About 3 tbsp dried red rose petals

About 3 tbsp dried rose hips

About 2 tbsp wildflower honey, from a local source.

My first tincture...gimme a break! Rather than using vodka or rum, I decided to use Christian Brother's Brandy (or other brandies). The mixture has been sitting about a month and I'll be ready to bottle it soon and see how it turned out.

It's medicinal purposes are immune building and as a digestif. Dandelions are rich in vitamins and chemicals which serve as anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-oxidant triggers. It's good for promoting effective digestion. Rose hips are very rich in vitamin C

It's also a mood lifter! Dandelion has been shown to help improve poor mood, and rose has also been shown to be soothing for bruised or broken hearts.

Basically, what I need right now, following my little brother's untimely death.

I did not tabulate the magickal meanings, because that's not what it's for.

Christian Faery Attunement Tincture

1 whole and fresh 3 leaved white clover

1 tsp sweet myrrh gum resin

1 tsp frankincense resin

4 tbsp mugwort

3 tbsp hawthorn berries

2 tbsp red clover

7 tbsp red rose petals

1/8 cooked/leached and chopped acorn

Apple brandy 1 1/2 cups- Harvest Apple (Virginia made)

Meade 1/2 cup- Sky River Honey Wine

Christian Brothers Brandy - 1 cup

3 tbsp wildflower honey

3 1/4 tsp holy water

1 1/2 tsp Lourdes water

I eyeballed a lot of it, but I stuck to some doses for the sake of symbolism. The three-leaved clover is for the Trinity, of course- I used white clover because it is native. 3 doses of Holy Water in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Lourdes water not only for the Blessed Mother, but for the faeries that are said to live there with her. 2 tsps red clover...for the Trinity, and for the Fae that love clover. Which is a bunch. The frankincense and myrrh are for the Lord (I will crush and swirl in some edible gold leaf when I strain it) but the mugwort is for the Faery, same with the acorn...it's so tannic and bitter, I only put a little in after hours of leaching. Red roses are for the Lord, the Blessed Mother and the Fae, and while the Faery connection to Hawthorn is obvious, it was also thought to be the same thorn branches that wove the Crown of Thorns.

For the actual alcohol, I put in meade, apple brandy and Christian Brother's brandy. And wildflower honey. It'll be sitting for a while yet...



For the Seelie Court

However, I am looking to try out a recipe for working with faeries on the lighter end of the spectrum...lighter, not wimpy or even necessarily polite. But here is what I'm working on...

Apple blossom

Elder blossom

Hawthorne blossom

White rose blossoms

Frankincense (small amounts)

Mistletoe (but not too much...I have had tea with very small amounts of this herb in it, but I don't advocate imitating me. It can still kill you.)

White clover flowers

White oak bark powder

Bright yellow/orange marigold

Still experimenting with substitutions and doses...I'll let you know?