GreyWing's Herbal *********************************************** ***WARNING!!! The followoing information is**** ***for educational purposes only. The author*** ***of this page dose not endorse or reccommend* ***any medicinal uses of this information****** *********************************************** 1.About the Garden 2.What is an Herb and A Few Definitions 3.On Herbal History 4.A Few Definitions 5.Definitions of Medicinal Actions 6.Magickal Correspondences 7.Horticultural Terms 8.Harvesting and Drying 9.Bibliography 1. About the Gardens Purpose The Cottage Garden started as just that, a garden at the front of the house that this gardner, and passers-by on a busy street, could enjoy. It is now also a test garden to establish what will actually grow in the area without protection. This is not a pampered garden in any way. Mostly organic, the only time any chemicals are used is in years when either the ants take over and heave up the garden soil and destroy root systems, or the years when the grasshoppers are thick. One year the grasshoppers ate the buds off all the flowers. It was a year of growing stalks. Not a pretty sight. Garden location These gardens are located in the State of Maine, U.S.A. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map divides the U.S. into 11 Plant Hardiness Zones based upon average minimum temperatures. These gardens are on the edge of zone 4 and 5. We enjoy temperatures as low as -30 degrees F. Most zone 5 plants will not survive the winter without protection. This is not a public garden, it is an attempt by the author to discover what will grow in her climate, and to learn about the plants themselves. There are three distinct areas in GreyWing's Garden The Cottage Herb Garden This is a relatively small garden, being about 35 feet by 20 feet. It contains perennial flowers, herbs and wild roses. The Field Herb Garden A small field on one side of the house furnishes the field-type herbs on this site. Examples are goldenrod and Queen Anne's Lace. The Woodland Herb Garden A small wooded section of the yard at the back of the house provide woodland type herbs such as sarsaparilla and starflowers. We also have a small vegetable garden that gets destroyed by the woodchuck living in the back yard wooded section. 2. What is an Herb? The word "herb" is from the old Sanskrit bharb, meaning to eat. This in turn became the Latin word berba, meaning grass or fodder. In early English usage the word "herb" was synonymous with vegetables. It later became restricted to parts of vegetables that grow above ground. For example a turnip was a vegetable and the leafy top was called an herb. The botanical definition of an herb is "a plant with a fleshy not a woody stem, which, after the plant has bloomed and set seed, dies down to the ground". This is not a perfect definition because herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary have more or less woody stems, although they are not covered with true bark. An herb is a plant whose properties allow its use as a medicine. Most of the herbs we use today as seasonings were originally medicines. They served for centuries as the principle medicines of the times. They were kept in in pharmacies in dried form for availability all year. The English word "drug" is from the Anglo-Saxon drigan, to dry. For Wiccans an herb is also a plant capable of producing magickal effects. Methods of gathering the herbs depended on the surround culture. For instance in Babylon magickal herbs were gathered by moonlight. They were considered to have to have the most power of the moon god Sin at that time. For the cook, an herb is primarily a plant which adds flavor to food and drink, a seasoner. In medieval times is was customary to precede and follow a meal with an herbal drink. 3. On Herbal History And Healing In the ancient past, women were the gatherers of food. As they gathered and ate the plant life that surrounded them, they found that each plant seemed to have an effect on the body. They learned that some would heal and some could harm. These women remembered what plants affected them and in what way. This accumulated knowledge was said to be passed from mother to daughter, generation to generation, as an oral tradition. The oldest known written records of herbal information are said to be found in China, Egypt and India. There is an ancient Chinese herbal written in 3737 B.C.E. that contains over 300 herb formulas and healing remedies. The Chinese also used what were called oracle bones. The names of plants and the diseases they would help were written on these bones. Three Chinese Emperors were said to have an influence on the advancement of herbal knowledge. Fu Hsi was the theorist for yin and yang. The male and female need to be in balance for good health. Agriculture and herbal medicine were said to be a development of the Emperor Shen Nung. Somewhere between 2697 and 2595, the Emperor Huang Ti is said to have written Nei Ching. This book on herbal medicine is still in use in China to this day. India uses the system of Ayurveda, an ancient medical program. Earliest writings of this system date circa 2500 B.C.E. The idea behind Ayerveda is that all creatures can heal themselves. This system is found the writings of the ancient scriptures known as the Vedas. It is a system of balance that includes exercise of the body and mind, diet and environment. Many common herbal remedies of today are said to be in these texts. The structure of the culture of the Hindu people may also be found in these ancient writings. According to ancient clay tablets, herbal knowledge showed a corresponding development in China, Assyria, Egypt, Sumeria, and India. In 2300 B.C.E., Egypt's Queen Mentuhetop was said to be the first in a long line of Egyptian healing women. The first medical schools were said to be in that part of Africa. Egyptian Papyrus of 1700 B.C.E. contain many common herbal remedies. A Hebrew woman named Zipporah is said to have learned herbal healing from the Egyptian Queens and brought the skill to her own culture. Herbal knowledge and practice was then spread through all of Africa, the Mediterranean, Greece, and Rome. The skill of healing with herbs was then said to spread across Europe, to blend into all cultures. Hippocrates (468-377 B.C.E.) established a system of diagnoses and herbal treatments that did away with the notion that illness was from the gods. He had 2 strategies to treat the sick. Hippocrates would find a way to bring an end to the symptoms, and then help the patient back to health. He believed that the illness was still in the body, in a lesser degree, even though the symptoms of the illness were gone. After the start of treatment, the body reacted by eliminating the toxins in a reverse order. This action, according to Hippocrates, should not be interfered with, and was the natural way a body heals itself. Ancient Greeks thought that the body contained 4 humors, or body fluids. These humors were called phlegm, blood, black bile, and yellow bile. Herbs and food items were categorized by the attributes of hot or cold, damp or dry. The Elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water were thought to be connected to the humors and the attributes. It was thought that one of the four humors would dominate and decided the personality type and also dictate the most typical illnesses this personality type would suffer. Around the first century B.C.E., two men, both Romans, were to become important in the development of Western herbal medicine. The first, Pedanius Dioscorides, wrote 5 books on medicine that included the kingdoms of animal, vegetable and mineral. Around 60 B.C.E., Dioscorides, who may have been the physician to Antony and Cleopatra, wrote the De Materia Medica. This book was to become the standard herbal text for 1500 years. As time passed, the human body was seen more as a machine, that when ill, needed to be repaired. Expensive medicines and compounds were said to be the way to health. This lined the pockets of the physicians and the owners of apothecary shops. Claudius Galenus, also known as Galen (131-199 B.C.E.) was the physician to the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Galen advocated a return to the simpler use of native plant life and devised a system by reworking ideas of Hippocrates. The work of Galen then became the favorite text of the Romans and was picked up by the Arabs. Galen's work was mixed with Egyptian and Islamic influences after the fall of Rome in the 5th century. The text was still popular with physicians of Medieval times. The Doctrine of Signatures had been developed around this time and was used until the Middle Ages. According to this principle, a plant's use may be determined by its appearance and structure. Each plant was thought to give a hint, or sign, as to what illness the plant would help. A plant with a yellow flower was thought to be good for liver problems, and an herb for healing of wounds had leaves in the shape of a shield, such as comfrey. Burdock was thought good for the hair because the burs clung so easily to hair. The 10th century brought with it the Anglo-Saxon herbal called The Leach Book of Bald. This book, written by a monk, contained extensive herb and medical traditions of the Druids in Wales and combined them with Greek and Roman information. Medical schools flourished through Europe. The healing arts were also a major part of the church. Agriculture and herbal knowledge was preserved by the monasteries after the fall of Rome. All monasteries were growing their own herbs and helping the sick. A treatment would include the herb selected for the healing of the illness and prayers to aid its working. In the 10th century there was a school of medicine in Salerno Italy. This school assembled information from Europe, Persia, India, and the Far East. It incorporated all these teaching into the ideas of Hippocrates. It is also famous for its use of astrology in medicine. Astrology was said to aid in the selection of herbs and treatments of illnesses. At the time, this was the only school of healing that allowed women students. It is thought that the school was headed by a woman named Trotula, or Dam Trot. The Salerno school instructed their students in the ways of Arab physicians. As with most herbalist, the Arabs believed that nature provided cures to all ills. They researched plants in their country and surrounding lands. The Arab physicians were also business men, opening the first pharmacies and shops as early as the 9th century. They were also the first to use astrology for diagnosis of illness and treatment. Few individual women herbalists are known by name from past. The Christian convents throughout Europe were learning centers for the herbal arts. This freedom of herbal knowledge was said to have stopped around the 12th century. One well known woman who had herbal knowledge was Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard (1098-1179) was a German nun who wrote music, science material and books on herbal medicine. She was born in the Rhine Valley and claimed to have seen visions and heard messages as a child. Hildegard was said to be tutored by an unnamed women hermit and educated in a convent in Disenberg by Benedictine nuns. She was named prioress of the convent in 1136. Hildegard left the Disenberg convent in 1147 for Bingen. She became a well-known healer in her time and was the author of 2 medical books, Psysica, and Causa et Curae. These books were consulted by physicians into the 15th century. Hildegard of Bingen also wrote an herbal titled Liber Simolicis Medicinae. This book contains listings of 213 plants, 55 trees, charms and goddess magick. No other prominent woman healer emerges from history. Healing was the business of men. This appears to be the end of women's outward involvement in healing. Many feminist writers claim women with the knowledge of herbal medicine then conducted their business in secret. It is claimed that the Inquisition and the persecution of witches sent the women healers and midwives into hiding for their safety. Some healers may have done this, but there is no historical evidence for this claim. Some historians claim many women healers actually helped the Inquisitors in their searches for victims. Expensive and exotic herbs were still popular after the Crusades, the old folk medicine not being in favor with the learned doctors. The old traditions were perceived as a threat to the medical schools. Latin was the language of physicians taught in colleges, historians say to keep the teachings out of the hands of the common people. After 10th century, more herbals were written in native languages. This trend made herbal knowledge accessible to more people. Learning was moving from the cloisters of the monasteries to the land of the townspeople. Later, in the 1530s, Paracelsus continued to encourage the writings of medical texts in native languages and advocated a return to the Doctrine of Signatures and the use of local herbs. Paracelsus was a well known alchemist and worked on the mineral side of medical treatments. He considered the physicians from the medical schools con men that received too much money for imported herbs. Historians say that during the passing of centuries local women herbalists, known as wise women, were acting as family physicians. During the Renaissance women were said to be making preparations, compiling notes, and passing information and recipes from mother to daughter. Every town was said to have its own wise woman the locals would visit in time of need. A rise in herbals was seen in the 15th century as a result of the invention of the printing press. The Herball or General Historie of Plantes was published by John Gerard in 1597. This book is one of the first of the English herbals. Gerard based the book on works by a botanist named Rembert Dodens, a resident of what is now known as Belgium. Gerard was a surgeon, physician to the Tudor family, and an apothecary who kept a garden of medicinal herbs in London. He combined his own findings with that of Dodens and added 1800 woodcuts to the book. The herbal is considered a classic in herbal literature. Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654) translated the work of the College of Physicians into English. Culpeper tried to inform the people that there was no need to buy the expensive compounds prescribed by the physicians and sold by the apothecaries. It is safe to say the College was not pleased with Culpeper's action. Conflicts between the physicians and the local women herbalists and midwives are said to have continued into the 17th and 18th centuries. In North America, the Native Americans had their own knowledge of herbal medicine. The settlers of this country were taught herbal medicines, how to set fractures, heal wounds and help women have safer births. The tribes each had their own shaman that claimed the herb's use was given in a vision They also thought that each plant gave a clue to its medicinal use in its appearance. It was their use of a Doctrine of Signatures. The plants introduced to the settlers include, joe-pye weed, goldenseal, may apple and sassafras. Most of us have heard the tale of the healer woman, the unmarried woman living in a clearing in the woods. A garden of healing herbs surrounds her cabin. She is free to do as she wishes, unencumbered by a man. Many of the local people visit her for her knowledge of herbs and midwifery. Something goes wrong in the town. Suspicion grows and she is accused of witchcraft. It is said she is sentenced to die because of it. Her knowledge of herbs and her skill as a midwife are their reasons for her to die, as much as her alleged pact with the devil. How else could she have such knowledge? It has been said that most of the accused in the Inquisition were healers. It is thought by most historians that this is not true. It is hard to say in the story of the woman/healer/midwife what is true and what is not. Much of the writing of women's history is in the hands of feminists. Many of these writers are described as radical feminists. It is claimed by generally accepted historians that there is a serious lack of detachment in judging and evaluation in the feminist view of women's history. It appears that we are expected to identify with the pain and suffering of the women accused in such a way as to hate men, and further the political causes of feminists. Much of the writing of the feminists is said to be a way for self-acceptance and pride, to regain the power of being a woman. This, in itself, is a good idea, but male bashing is not a necessity. There is no hard evidence that the majority of women accused were healers and midwives. Many women healers are said to have actually helped the Inquisitors in their searches for witches, and many of the women healer/midwives used the folk knowledge of herbal medicines to help their family and friends throughout this period and were not accused of witchcraft. According to feminist historians, the people singled out as witches were the women with herbal knowledge and who were sexually free, the midwife of the village. These women were denounced as witches because their knowledge was perceived as a threat to the school-trained physicians. It is said to be a part of the continued battle that was waged by the male physicians to oust the healer women of the villages. Many of the accusers had something to gain if the woman was convicted of witchcraft. The accused were usually older women, widowed or a spinster, and wanted to live on their own. Many were semi-dependant on the community for their survival. This could put a burden on the community and was resented by the residents. Many times the gain was in property when neighbors accused neighbors. What actually happened is an ongoing debate. The story of the witch has moved from historical to emotional. It has become a way for women of today to identify with women of the past in a search for female strength. It is a way for women to unite and to find themselves. Feminist see a correlation of the persecution of the witches in the Burning Times to the struggle of today's women. Today we are struggling for women's rights and the right to control our own bodies. Physically abused and mentally battered women need to see that there is a way back. For many, the way back is made easier by identifying with others who were persecuted in the past. Many women of today, struggling to make sense of the world, find strength with the myths of the witch. She is the woman with the power to heal, not only the mind and body, but she is also healer to the earth. Text copyright © 1997-2000 AutumnCrystal GreyWing and The Manor-House For Wiccan Studies, 4. Herbal Preparations Warning: Never use poisonous plants in any preparation. Any poisonous herb to be listed is for educational purposes only. Before using any herbal preparation consult a professional. Decoctions A decoction is herbs that have been simmered in water. It is the best method for drawing the healing elements from tough plant parts such as bark roots, stems and heavy leaves. To make a decoction use 1 ounce of dried herbs to 1 pint of water that has been brought to a boil. Keep water just below boiling for about 30 minutes and let herbs simmer. Simmering may take up to 1 hour, depending on plant used. A higher heat than infusions is necessary because of the toughness of the plant parts. Decoctions should always be strained while hot, so that the matter that separates on cooling may be mixed again with the fluid by shaking when the remedy is used. Use glass, ceramic or earthenware pots, or clean, unbroken enameled cast iron. Do not use plain cast iron with astringent plants. Electuary When powders are mixed with syrup, honey, brown sugar, or glycerin to produce a more pleasant taste or to make them easier to use internally, they are called electuarys. These are rarely prepared in advance, but are done when needed. Different substances need different proportions of syrup. Light vegetable powders usually require twice their weight, gum resins 2/3 their weight, mineral substances about half their weight. If an electuary is made up in advance and it hardens, add more syrup. If it swells up and emits gas, merely beat it in a mortar. Extracts Extracts are solid substances resulting from the evaporation of the solution of vegetable principles. The extract is obtained in three ways: by expressing the juice of fresh plants, by using a solvent such as alcohol, or simmering a plant tea and reducing it to a thickened state. The last is done by simmering a plant and by repeating the process until most of the water used has evaporated, making a decoction. This gives a distillation of the most active principles in the plant. Add 1/4 teaspoon of alcohol (brandy, gin or vodka will do), glycerin, or tincture of benzoine to preserve the extract. Fomentations A fomentation is a strong herbal tea in which a clean cloth is dipped. The cloth can be filled with herbs. The cloth is then applied to the affected part. Infusions This is the origin of the idea of witches potion. It is a process of soaking herbs in water. Hot Infusion : To make an infusion boil water. Add the boiled water to 1 teaspoon dried herb. Cover and let steep for 9-13 minutes. Strain, cool. Infusions are drunk as teas, added to bath, rubbed into furniture and floors, and to anoint body. Powdered Bark, root, seeds, resin and bruised nuts, seeds, bark and buds may be used in hot infusions. Cold infusion : Steep in cold water or cold milk for several hours. Wet, mashed herbs can be used internally as a tea or ad poultices on body. Oils Aromatic oils and rectified alcohol can be combined. The oils seep into the alcohol to produce and essence. Oils may be captured by evaporation from flower petals. Vegetable, nut, or fruit oils can be used as a medium for steeping aromatic plants to extract volatile oils. Aromatic oils can also be steeped in alcohol to extract essence. To make an oil, pick your own fresh herbs or purchase dried herbs form a reputable source. Pack a large jar with the chosen herb and pour in any favorite mono unsaturated or polyunsaturated oil. Use enough to cover the herb. Close tightly. Label the jar and place in a sunny place for several weeks. Strain out the herb by pouring through cheesecloth into a fresh jar. Hold the cheesecloth over the opening of the jar containing the herbs and secure with a rubber band. Invert the jar and pour the infused oil through the cheesecloth. Before discarding the herbs, squeeze all the oil out of them. Repeat the entire procedure. Repack a clean jar with more of the same herb. Add the infused oil, plus enough additional oil to cover the herbs. Store again in sunlight. Strain again through cheesecloth. Pour the oil into a labeled jar and store until needed. Syrups Medicinal syrups are formed when sugar is incorporated with vegetable infusions, decoctions, expressed juices, fermented liquors, or simple water solutions. Sometimes tinctures are added to a simple syrup, and the alcohol is evaporated. The tincture is sometimes combined with sugar and gently heated, or exposed to the sun until the alcohol is evaporated. The syrup is then prepared with the impregnated sugar and water. Refined sugar makes a clearer and better flavored syrup. Any simple syrup can be preserved by substituting glycerin for a certain portion of the syrup. Always make syrups in small quantities. To make an herbal syrup, add 2 ounces of dried herb with 1 quart water in a large pot. Boil down and reduce to 1 pint, then add 1-2 tablespoons of honey. If you want to use fresh fruit, leaves, or roots in syrups, you should double the amount of herbs. Store in refrigerator for up to a month. Honey-based syrups are simple and effective way to preserve healing qualities of herbs. Syrups can soothe sore throats and provide some relief from coughs. Teas Home-made herbal teas are much more potent than the store bought teas. Their flavor can be quite strong and sometimes unpleasant. To make a tea, boil 1 pint of water. Add 1 ounce of dried herb tops ( leaves flowers, stems) steep 3 -5 minutes. Tinctures Tinctures are solutions of medicinal substances in alcohol or diluted alcohol. To make a tincture, grind plant parts with mortar and pestle (or a blender). Add just enough high-quality vodka, whiskey or grain alcohol to cover herbs. Let sit for 21 days then add a small quantity of glycerin (about 2 tbs per pint) and about 10 % volume of spring water. Strain and store in airtight amber colored glass. If kept cool and dry it will last for up to 5 years. Dose is usually 20 drops in a cup of tea or warm water, 4 times a day. For a stronger tincture place herbs in a cone-shaped piece of parchment paper. Pass alcohol repeatedly through the powdered or cut herb. Catch the slow drippings in a jar. When it has passed once, you may use it, but the more you repeat the process, the stronger the tincture will be. It is acceptable to dilute any alcohol tincture with water. Add 4 ounces of water and 1 teaspoon of glycerin for every pint of alcohol .The glycerin is optional, it is an additional preservative. Non Alcoholic Tincture: Alcohol is a near perfect preservative of plant attributes. If for some reason you wish to evaporate the alcohol, add the tincture dose to a cup of water then add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of boiling water. Some herbs can be steeped in milk to make a milk tincture. Strain out the herbs, and store in a labeled jar in the refrigerator. Ointments An ointment is a soothing, healing, slightly oily or fatty substance into which the essence of a healing plant has been dissolved. This is done by heating the fat or oil with the plant until it loses its normal color and the oil or fat has absorbed the healing chemical principles. the plant is then strained out, and beeswax is added to harden the ointment. Preservatives such as drops of tincture of benzoin, poplar bud tincture, or glycerin are optional additions. If you make ointments in small batches and keep them tightly closed with paraffin wax, they don't decompose. The traditional folk, herbal, and pharmaceutical base for ointments is pork lard. Purify it by simmering and straining. It has healing abilities even without the addition of herbs, but so do a lot of fats and oils. It is said to have great drawing power. Purified, liquefied anhydrous lanolin is also used as a base for ointments. Lanolin is the substance washed from the wool of sheep. It comes in many levels of purity, so the results vary depending on the product. This oil is the closest to skin oil. Almond oil, cocoa butter, wheat germ, and vitamin E are neutral bases for ointments. If no other product is available, Vaseline may be used, but is listed here in case nothing else is available. All ointments must contain one substance that will thicken the final product. Lanolin is a thickener, as is cocoa butter. Both are non sticky and mix well with most other oils. Other useful but sticky thickeners are glycerin, honey, or liquid lecithin. Also, various powdered resins and gum swell up and thicken when first soaked in cold water, then simmered in gently boiling water, and added to preparations. Agar-agar and Irish moss are seaweed thickeners. Green apples provide and excellent acid fruit pectin that is a good addition to creams and ointments. While any of the above sticky and non sticky thickeners will help swell a product and keep it emulsified, you will still need some wax to harden a cold cream or ointment. Beeswax is perfect, although expensive. It may be combined with paraffin wax. Poultices A poultice is a raw or mashed herb applied directly to the body, or applied wet directly to the body, or encased in a clean cloth and then applied. Poultices are used to heal bruises, putrid sores, soothe abrasions, or withdraw toxins from an area. They may be applied hot or cold, depending on the health need. Cold poultices(and compresses) are used to withdraw the heat from an inflamed or congested area. Use a hot poultice or compress to relax spasms and for some pains. To make a poultice, use fresh or dried herbs that have been soaked in boiling water until soft. Mix with enough slippery elm powder to make poultice stick together. Place on affected part then wrap body part and poultice with clean cloth. Vinegars Herbs that are soluble in alcohol are usually soluble in vinegar, and are useful for salad vinegars, cosmetic vinegars, some liniments and preventive sick room "washes". Waters Steeped herbs, water, and alcohol and steeped herbs plus honey and other fruits are often called waters. Sometimes extracts or spirits of various herbs, such as lavender, are also called waters. 5. Definitions fo Medicinal Actions According to Alma Hutchens book, Indian Herbalogy of North America Alterative - Producing a healthful change without perception Anodyne - Relieves pain Anthelmintic - A medicine that expels worms Aperient - Gently laxative without purging Aromatic - A stimulant, spicy Astringent - Causes contraction and arrests discharges Antibilious - Acts on the bile, relieving biliousness Antiemetic - Stops vomiting Antileptic - Relieves seizures Antiperiodic - Arrests morbid periodic movements Anthilic - Prevents formation of stones in urinary organs Anti rheumatic - Relieves rheumatism Anti scorbutic - Cures or prevents scurvy Antiseptic - aims at stopping putrification Antispasmodic - Relieves or prevents spasms Anti syphilitic - Having affect or curing STD Carminative - Expels gas in the bowels Carthatic - Evacuating from the bowels Cephalic - Remedies used in diseases of the head Cholagogue - Increases flow of bile Condiment - Improves flavor of food Demulcent - Soothing, relieves inflammation Deobstruent - Removes obstruction Depurative - Purifies the bloodDetergent - Cleansing to boils, ulcers, wounds etc Diaphoretic - Produces perspiration Discutient - Dissolves and heals tumors Diuretic - Increases flow of urine Emetic - Produces vomiting Emmenagogue - Promotes menstruation Emollient - Softens and soothes inflammation Esculent - Eatable as food Expectorant - Facilitates expectoration Febrifuge - Abates and reduces fever Hepatic - For diseases of the liver Herpatic - Remedy for skin diseases of all types Laxative - Promotes bowel action Lithontryptic - Dissolves calculi in urinary organs Maturating - Ripens or brings boils to a head Mucilaginous - Soothing to all inflammations Nauseant - Produces vomiting Nervine - Acts specifically on nervous system, stops nervous excitement Opthalmicum - For eye diseases Parturient - Induces and promotes labor at childbirth Pectoral - For chest infections Refrigerant - Cooling Re solvent - Dissolves boils and tumors Rubifacient - Increases circulation and produces red skin Sedative - Nerve tonic, promotes sleep Sialogogue - Increases secretion of saliva Stomachic - Strengthen stomach, relieves indigestion Styptic - Stops bleeding Sudorfic - Produces profuse perspiration Tonic - Remedy which is invigorating and strengthening Vermifuge - Expels worms from the system 6. MAGICKAL CORRESPONDENCES RULING PLANETS SUN - Legal matters, healing, protection MOON - Sleep, prophetic dreams, fertility, peace, healing MERCURY - Mental powers, divination, psychic powers, wisdom VENUS - Love, friendship, fidelity, beauty, youth MARS - Courage, strength, lust, sexual potency, hex-breaking, protection JUPITER - Money, prosperity, legal matters, luck SATURN - Visions, longevity, endings RULING ELEMENTS EARTH - Money, prosperity, fertility, healing, employment AIR - Mental powers, visions, physic powers, wisdom FIRE - Lust, courage, strength, protection, health WATER - Sleep, meditation, purification, prophetic dreams, healing, love, friendships, fidelity GENDER MALE - Strong fiery vibrations, uses: protection, purification, hex-breaking, lust, maintain sexual potency, health, strength, and courage FEMALE - Quieter, subtle, soft in effects, uses: attract love, increase beauty, youth, aid in healing, developing psychic powers, increase fertility, draw wealth, promote happiness and peace, aid spirituality, cause visions. The planet, element, and gender of each plant are related and provide a great range of magickal information. 7. Horticultural Terms These are terms you will encounter as you stroll through the garden. Some people may not be familiar with botanical terms. GreyWing hopes this list will help. This list will grow as each herb is added to the site. It will not be a complete horticultural glossery, but will contain words found in GreyWing's Herbal. ADVENTITIOUS: Arising from places where growths do not normally occur, for example, adventitious roots may be found on stems AERIAL : Above ground ALTERNATE (leaves) Occuring successivily at different levels on opposite sides of the stem APICAL, also called TERMINAL : At the tip of a stem or branch, usually refering to a flower or bud APPRESSED : Lying flat or pressed slosely against something AXIL : The upper angle between a leaf and a stem, between a main stem and a lateral branch or between a stem and a bract BIPINNATE : Having opposite leaflets subdivided into opposite leaflets, as compound leaves. BRACT : A modified leaf at the base of a flower or flower cluster. It is often protective. Bracts may be large and brightly colored, or small and scalelike. BRACTEOLE : A small or secondary bract CALYX (plural calyces) : The outer whorl of segments that enclose the flower in bud. It is a collective name for sepals.Calyces are usually green in color. COROLLA : The interior whorl of a flower, made up of several free or fused petals LANCEOLATE : Narrow and tapering at each end. OBOVATE : Egg shaped, with the narrow end attached to the stalk. OVATE : Broad and rounded at the base and tapering toward the en PINNATE : Having leaflets, lobes, or divisions in a featherlike arrangement on each side of a common axis. SEPALS : One of the sections forming the calyx 8. Harvesting and Drying In your harvesting of herbs, avoid stalks that are too thick and woody. The wood of a plant refers to a large branch or small trunk that can be cut into manageable pieces. Wood is probably the least used part of plant for medicinal purposes. It is more suited to adding flavor and smoking foods. The term herbage means the combined leaves, stalks, and flowers collected together when plants begin to flower. How you harvest herbs depends on what you are harvesting and what you will do with them. There are, although, a few general rules. Be familiar with the different parts of plants. The first harvest is in spring when herb seedlings are thinned. Harvest sparingly early in the season and make several major harvests as the herbs come into bloom. Never collect or store poisonous and non-poisonous plants together. Do not handle plants when you have open cuts or sores on your hands or skin. This is to prevent direct absorption of chemicals or irritants. Start your harvest in early morning, after the sun has evaporated the dew, but before it has dissipated the plants essential oils. Do not gather more material than you can work with in one morning. The essential oils are most concentrated when the flower buds are just about to blossom. There are of course exceptions: hyssop, oregano, thyme, and the mints are harvested when their blossoms are at peak. Yarrow, camomile, and goldenrod are also harvested at peak of bloom. Select for harvest only the best fresh greens and handle them as little as possible. When gathering herbs for immediate use, snip at the center of single stemmed herbs such as basil to encourage bushy side growth. Harvest the outermost leaves leaving the crown to continue growing undisturbed. Trim back perennials by about 1/3 of their seasons growth. For shrubby plants such as rosemary, prune the plant to about 1/2 of years growth. The major harvests are in July and September. The actual times will vary according to weather and locale. Tradition has regarded September as harvest season. Toward the end of month is the harvest moon, the full moon that appears nearest the autumnal equinox. For centuries farmers have harvested crops under the light of the Harvest Moon. Harvesting can continue as the need and plant growth permit, usually until early fall. Annuals can be harvested until first frost. Perennials should be allowed to grow unimpeded for 40-60 days before the first frost so they can harden off. Cut flower stalks before the blooms are fully open. They will continue to open as they dry. Hang in a dark place with freely circulating air. For the harvesting of seed, cut stalks before seeds begin to shatter from seed heads. These may begin to ripen late summer to early fall. Tie up seed heads on stalks in a paper bag hung upside down. The seeds will dry and fall into the bag. Shake loose any remaining seeds. Store the seeds in an airtight jar for sowing next year or future culinary use. Collect leaves when they are young but full grown. Make sure they are free of debris. When harvesting leaves, always cut the stems, do not just strip off individual leaves. Lay the stems in a single layer so leaves do not overlap . Turn or stir herbs once or twice a day until they are dry. Roots and rhizomes are usually dug up at the end of summer into fall. Hard, woody roots need to dry and be stored in a cool, dry place. The longer herbs are kept whole, the longer they maintain their strength. Be sure to shake off soil before storage. Bulbs and tubers are also dug in the autumn. Be sure to wait for the leaves and aerial parts to fade and turn brown. Bark is collected in the spring when the flow of sap is at its peak and active principles are most powerful. Make parallel cuts up and down a branch and lift off portions of bark. This will allow the plant to heal properly. Do not girdle tree or shrub: it will die. Girdling is removing the bark in one continuous circle. Collect fruit when it begins to ripen. Ripening will continue after harvesting. Remove the seeds from mature fruit if the seed is wanted. Any fleshy covering is removed from the seeds to prevent spoilage or germination. Herbs are dried and stored in different ways according to their consistency. Eliminating the damaging effect of heat and light is the key to drying. You must also pay attention to a plant's water content. The parts with the most liquid require the most effort to preserve. Special attention is given to the drying needs of each plant and each part of the plant. 1 square yard of open space is needed to dry 1 pound of flowers, which must be spread out to allow maximum circulation of air. Many flowers can be dried between layers of stacked newspapers as long as the ink used is non toxic. To be successful with drying, you will need specific conditions of shade, air circulation and warmth. There are several methods for drying herbs. Hang drying is simplest. Tie herbs into bunches and hang in an airy, shady place such as an enclosed porch or attic. Hang from rafters or use a clothes drying rack. Be sure to label each herb if you are not be able to identify the plants in a dried state. It may take weeks to dry herbs in humid coastal areas. The disadvantages to this method is the dust that settles on the leaves and the possibility of mildew. Leaves and blossoms may be air dried on a tray covered with a screen or cheesecloth in a shady, dry room. Even air circulation is necessary. Herbs with thicker leaves with a higher water content may be dried in a controlled heat environment, such as a gas oven with pilot light or an electric oven at the lowest setting. The plants are dry when the stems are brittle and break readily. For large woody plants, hang in bunches upside down and store in a dark place where air is able to move freely. To dry bulbs, remove the outer coat of the bulb. Slice and dry in an oven with heat not over 100 degrees. To dry bark, let it dry under the sun. The exception to this is wild black cherry, which should be dried in shade. A heat source is needed to dry roots. Slice the root evenly and place on a screen. Put it into an oven set at lowest temperature (140-180). The roots will feel and sound brittle when dried. Store away from heat and light in airtight jars. Do not forget to label the jars. Freezing is fine for some herbs such as mints, tarragon, parsley, chives, and basil. Be sure to shake loose dust and dirt. Place the herbs uncovered on cookie sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours. Remove herbs from the freezer and place in tightly sealed, labeled freezer bags. Frozen herbs will become wilted when thawed, so they do not make suitable garnishes. Salting is a very old method for preserving herbs. The process uses layers of coarse sea salt alternated with layers of herbs in wide mouth crock. Be sure to end with a top layer of salt 1/2 inch deep. To use herbs preserved in this way, remove herbs from the crock and gently shake or rinse in tepid water to remove the salt. Try to save the salt, as it will have taken on the flavor of herb, and use it for seasoning. Store dried herbs in airtight containers. Amber or green glass jars are best to block light. The flavor and essential oil properties deteriorate when exposed to light and heat. Check the jars after a week for signs of moisture and redry if necessary. Be sure to label your jars. Do not keep dried herbs more than year. Bark may be kept up to 3 years. 9. Bibliography Buchman, Dian Dincin. Herbal Medicine. Wings Books. New York. 1996. Fell, Derek. Essential Herbs: The 100 Best for Design and Cultivation. Crescent Books, New York, 1990. Grieve, M. A Modern Herbal. Vol. I and II. Dover Publications. New York. 1971. Hoffman, David. The Herbal Handbook: A Users Guide to Medical Herbalism. Healing Arts Press. Rochester Vermont. 1988 Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Rodale Press Inc. Emmaus Pennsylvania. 1987. Hutchens, Alma R. Indian Herbalogy of North America. Shambala Publications Inc. Boston. 1973. Williams, John. Perennial Gardens. Harper and Row. New York. 1988.