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Decoctions, Essential Oils, Infusions and Tinctures Decoctions are a liquid product produced from boiling an herb in water. Related to an Infusion the difference is that the water is kept at boiling for some period of time; typically twenty to thirty minutes. The resulting product is usually more concentrated than an infusion, but longer processing times will actually reduce the effectiveness of the decoction by leaching out the essential elements of the herb.
Commercially, essential oils are used in three main ways: as odorants they are used in cosmetics, perfumes, soaps, detergents, and various industrial products ranging from animal feeds to insecticides to paints; as flavors they are present in baked goods, candies, confections, meat, pickles, soft drinks, and many other food products; and as pharmaceuticals they appear in dental products (oil of clove for instance) and a wide, but diminishing, group of medicines. For our purposes they are important for preparation of Balms and Salves, making Incense, and for Aromatherapy. It is hardly practical to attempt to prepare essential oils yourself mainly because of the equipment and training required. Fortunately there are numerous reliable organic and wildcrafted sources for them. Essential oils are outrageously expensive due to the cost of production but a little goes a long way. NOTE: Essential oils may cause allergic reactions depending on your personal skin conditions. Always test one drop of essential oil on the inner side of your wrist to determine if you are highly sensitive to them. It is strongly recommended not to apply them directly except for this test. Infusions are the original 'potions' so identified with Witches. It is simply a process of soaking herbs in hot water. As with decoctions, earthen, glass or enameled containers are recommended. Cunnigham believed that using metal containers interferes with the herb's powers; judge for yourself.
Herbal tinctures are one of the oldest forms of medicine made from plants. Alcohol is used to extract and preserve the active ingredient of the desired herb. Much like essential oils, it is not really practical to prepare tinctures yourself. There are any number of satisfactory sources for tinctures.
Baths are often used in herb magic; they are an easy way to spread an herb's power over the entire body. One method is to make a sachet (use about one half to one cup of the appropriate enchanted herb) of cheesecloth. Drop this into the bath water. Soaking in such a hot tub can not only provide ritual cleansing but can also be an effective method of relaxing the body and spirit prior to meditation and for general healing.
Cleansing with these items is not restricted to the body. A decoction of lemon for instance will effectively clean and deodorize furniture and floors. Be sure to dry thoroughly on wood to avoid damage. Additionally certain herbs have unique magickal properties that make them useful in ritual. As mentioned before, they may used to anoint the body or to prepare an area for an event. Nothing is more satisfying than gathering a basket of fresh blossoms on a warm summers day and then preparing your own infused oil unless it is using those oils for a pleasant massage or applied to aching muscles. Here are three methods for preparing an infused herbal oil. You can use fresh or dried herbs.
15 gm (1/2 oz) dried or if fresh use 30 gm (1 oz) herb (this is the total amount so if you are using a blend make sure you do not have more than this) 1 cup of oil (mineral or grape seed oil preferred) Measure the herbs and oil and mix the oil with the herbs in a stainless steel bowl. Heat over water bath (a saucepan 1/4 filled with water) also known as a double boiler, which should be simmering. Make sure the bowl is not sitting on the bottom of the pot but is floating in the water. Keep the lid on the oil.
Use the same quantities of herbs and oil as for the water bath method or approximately 3 tablespoons of finely cut herbs to 300ml (10 oz) of oil. The quantity of herb can be increased to produce a stronger oil. Put the herbs in a jar with a tight fitting lid and pour over the oil. Make sure the herbs are completely covered with oil. Add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or white wine to help break down the plant material. Leave the jar to sit in the sun all day and in a warm cupboard at night for two weeks. Strain through four layers of muslin. This process can be repeated two to three times to give a stronger oil. The final product should be strong enough to leave an aroma when massaged on the skin. Always test infused oils on the skin. Don't rely on just your nose. Use the same quantities of herbs and oil as for Water bath method. Place the herbs and oil in a crockpot and leave on a low heat for two hours. Follow the recipe above for straining. This is only necessary if you are preparing large quantities that you intend to store.
NOTE: Essential oils may cause allergic reactions depending on your personal skin conditions. Always test one drop of essential oil on the inner side of your wrist to determine if you are highly sensitive to them. It is strongly recommended not to apply them directly except for this test. Please read the following section for more information. back to top
First infuse the plant in oil using one of the above procedures. Grate beeswax and add to hot oil, heating again over a double boiler on the stove. Add gradually until the mixture acquires a consistency of a smooth paste. Pour into jars and allow to cool. Keep in the fridge for a longer shelf life. Allow to come to room temperature before use. Adding vitamin E oil to the mixture helps preserve it and adds additional healing attributes. You can also make a product that uses petroleum jelly (Vaseline®) or Aloe Vera gel as a base. In this case the carrier is heated to melting and various essential oils are added. Numerous recipes are available in books and on the web. The following is just one example. One of the most popular liniments for muscle-, head- and backache is Tigerbalm. Legend would have it that the Mongolian Horsemen from Genghis Khan, roaming the plains of central Europe, had a very effective ointment against saddle and back ache. Part of this ointment came from the Siberian Birch Tree.
First you have to make the oil. You can use it as is (NOT recommended for direct application to skin) or add it to petroleum jelly later on to make the balm.
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By Leslie Quinn ©1996 Incense has been burning on alters and in homes for over 5,000 years. There are four basic forms of incense - loose, cone, cylinder or stick. Choices of scents come from berries, bark, flowers, gums, leaves, roots, seeds, spices, wood. Some herbs do not burn like they smell, such as peppermint, which smells quite unpleasant when burned. You can test a scent by sprinkling a pinch of your mix on charcoal first, keeping a record of what works and smells pleasing. A recipe for incense always has five ingredients: an aromatic substance, a base of wood powder (sandalwood, vetiver, cedar etc..) saltpeter or potassium nitrate (the igniting substance), a glue (gum arabic or tragacanth) and liquid (water, wine, brandy, olive oil, rosewater, etc.). Frequently used ingredients are frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, copal, rose petals, bay, cinnamon, pine needle resin and others. Loose noncombustible incense is easiest to make. Combine finely powdered leaf, bark, flower, root etc. with a few drops of liquid or oils. Mix by hand, label and store in a jar. Burn this incense on charcoal. You may also scent a "blank" incense stick with a few drops of your favorite essential oil - very simple!
Mix all ingredients in the order given and weigh. Add 10% of total weight of saltpeter, mix and add gum arabic "glue" one teaspoon at a time - it's a bit messy and sticky. Roll cones thin and shape approximately 1 3/4" long. Cones will shrink and dry in two to seven days. Continue to turn cones to assure even drying without cracking. Start drying in upright position. Cones will burn 10-25 minutes. Stick incense involves dipping bamboo sticks repeatedly into your cone incense mix until your desired thickness is achieved, changing the mixture between dippings. Are there "rules" for making combustible incense? YES: Never add more than 10% saltpeter of total incense weight, keep woods and gum resin in proportion--use twice the amount of powdered woods as resin. Frankincense, myrrh etc. should never be more than a third of the final mixture. For more wonderful formulas and recipe ideas, refer to the source books listed below. Add the magic of scent to your daily ritual, personally created by you! Sources: |
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