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Inspired by a passage from "Incense, Oils and Brews" by Scott
Cunningham. Adapted by Jeannette
Morrone
One way to help become sensitive to Herbal energies is to take the time to connect with each Herb you are
currently going to use. By handling the Herb, you can get psychic impulses and have strong feelings, while you touch it, and/or
from the smell. This will help you in the future because you will be able to choose herbs by this method, allowing you to
make substitutions if necessary (like you run out of something and can't get it) by matching how the herb "feels." I have
had to do this on many occasions and for me have found that my workings have been just as successful as when I have followed
" the recipe."
The below exercise is not only fun but also will help you learn to trust your instincts on many levels.
Tools;
6 bowls & one towel
5 different types of herbs & one bowl of cool water with a pinch of salt
Pen
and paper (or tape recorder if alone)
Put each Herb in its bowl (don't use combinations for the first time!) Have your
partner get paper & pen. Sit or stand but either way get comfortable. Pull the first bowl in front of you where you can
easily put your hands in it, ground and center. Put your hand(s) into the bowl, move your hand(s) around in the Herb. Tell
the scribe any feelings that your feeling or any images that are coming to your mind, no matter how insignificant they may
seem, just let them flow, and your scribe will write them down. When you feel you are done with an Herb, put your hands in
the water bowl and dry them off, precede with the next bowl of Herbs until all bowls have been felt.
Keep the records
of your Herb feelings or start an Herbal journal as you expand this exercise with more herbs, or combinations of Herbs. It
will come in handy in the future!
Herb Gathering Tips for leaves, flowers & stems
There are many ways
to collect and gather herbs. To me the most important however, is gathering with respect. There is nothing worse then taking
more then you truly need.
If you choose to gather your own herbs, it should be done with care. For example; if you find
a field of wild Yarrow, gather only what you feel you'll truly use until the next growing season. You don't need 3 garbage
bags of the stuff! Be mindful of not trampling other Herbs in your attempt to get what you do want! ALWAYS leave some for
the future, if you need one of something and there are two plants, PLEASE only take just one. This will insure that there
will be more next year!
I always, prior to gathering, give the area that I'm harvesting an offering, usually something
of value such as money, milk, a valued gem etc. I then take the time to state my reasons for my gathering, what and why I
need to have the herbs assistance. This can be done mentally but it's important to take the time to connect to the energy
of the area and show that you are going to be respectful in your gathering.
Take the time to feel the plants energy before
you cut from it, often the plant will physically make a change in a certain area of it's self, thus indicating where you should
cut, this happens often in trees or other woody stemmed plants. (I have personally felt this happen, to me the spot gets cold,
like the tree draws its energy away!) I know that this may seem like overkill but I truly feel that when you take the time
to show respect to nature and it's individual life forms, your rewarded, often by coming across other herbs you need and so
on.
Once you have gathered what you have needed, there are several ways to prepare your Herbs depending on the type and
size of your specimens. Hanging in a ventilated area is one way. It's simply done by gathering the Herbs into a bundle and
using a string or yarn. Tie it around the bundle leaving a loop to which you can hang it from a nail. If you don't have the
space or the desire to have Herbs hanging around your house, you can either lay them on paper towels or on a screen in a single
layer. You'll just have to remember to move them about a couple of times a day, so air can get to all of them. This still
requires that you have sufficient room to do this. I have placed Herbs in the oven on a VERY low heat (about 200 degrees)
and dried them out on cookie sheets. It's faster and I haven't found them to be less effective. Plus I can do several different
types of Herbs within a day.
You can put your dried herbs in storage containers (baby food jars work great!) and most
will keep for about a year, if they are out of the direct sun and moisture free. Be sure to mark your herbs with it's name,
the date gathered and with any other information you feel is necessary. Keeping a recipe box with 3/5 index cards is great
to keep track of what you have in stock and save you from having to dig through your herb supply. I also have found it helpful
to include some of the herbs basic information on each card, such as the Herbs basic properties, date and so on.
If you
come across Resins (pitch or saps) you can gather these by carefully removing them with the tip of the knife or a stick. The
sap is the result of an injury to the tree; think of it as its life's blood. (NEVER cut a tree to just get the sap!!!) Once
you have the resins, you need to let them air dry. This can take a few weeks or more, depending on how thick they are. I have
not found a faster way to achieve drying. Once they are hard all the way through, you can store them in containers or grind
them up. Resins are VERY moisture sensitive so keep them in airtight containers! I think resins keep longer then a year. (I'm
still working on ones I have gotten 16 mo. Ago! They still smell fresh and aren't gummy!)
A Brief herbal musing (a
speculated history)
Through out history, man has looked to nature for everything. For food, clothing and shelter.
It is only natural for man look to what the Earth has given them, for their health. The use of herbs may have been originally
been found out by accident with their uses seeming to be "Magic" as ailments (Ones that may seam trivial to us now) where
suddenly cured. Those with this knowledge where naturally sought out becoming the Village's Medicine Wo/Man, Shaman, or just
plane Doctor. What they could do was considered Magic to those who didn't have this knowledge, thus putting these healers
in the position of leaders or at the very least, as those who have a direct line to divinity making them priestess or priests
of the villages particular deities. How else could these men or woman know or do such wonders!
Up until the time of "modern"
pharmaceuticals and more controlled methods of dosing, there was bound to be problems of overdosing as well as under dosing
any given patient. As well as the possibility of being blamed as causing the persons death, or further injury. The Shaman
of old was held in awe, respected for his or her ability, yet feared because they seemed to hold the keys of life and of death.
There was a time that these healers where conceited Witches, more then likely when Christianity was in it's infancy. Those
who where the Shaman healers and the like, where lumped together with the areas priestess and priests of pagan deities, in
the Christian Church's attempt to promote there own. Thus terming any given areas healers and midwifes with those who practiced
worship of the old Gods. In the Churches over zealousness of converting the Pagan people into Christians, any activity not
approved by the new church and of those designated as approved "healers" where termed witches and theyre for their practices
considered an act of heresy. Amongst all of the other misconceptions of the "Burning times" with anyone and everyone being
a potential victim of accusation, many with the knowledge of herbal usage where more then likely included in the ranks of
the accused.
With in the use of Magic, the use of herbs is long standing. Yes, Witches are notorious for being healers,
many having a solid knowledge of how to use herbs to cure illness. But witches also used herbs in the Religious aspect as
well. As incense in their temples and for offerings to their Deities is but just a few. The Pagan Priest and Priestesses of
old recognizing the energies that where produced such as; purification for example.
The use of herbs in a Magical working
probably stemmed from those who recognized the energy within herbs (priests and priestesses) and they would use this energy
in its self or to add to what they were doing.
Everything has an energy field and there is then, a potential to use that
energy within magic. So this leads me to believe that the Priests and Priestesses of old would use any and all energies that
where available to them for whatever they at that time needed, aiding them in their workings.
In a modern sense, this
still holds true. Many Witches use the energy of herbs to "boost" the spell, simmer for the smell and the element of air to
produce a manifestation, burn to cleanse and purify sacred space and / or the home. The list is endless to say the least.
I should mention however, there are many that do not use herbs in any workings, which of course is fine as well. We are
presenting the use of herbs to you, showing you how they can be of benefit and utilized in your practices as a Witch. Giving
you a base to add too if you chose to continue or start to use them.
(C)2000, Jeannette Morrone
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