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People everywhere are hungry for clear, practical, scientifically-validated information about how to make safe and simple use of herbs in their day to day lives. I too was once hungry for this kind of information. I discovered that working (and playing) with herbs did not need to be complex and confusing. It could be sheer pleasure. For me it was like walking down a path where a wonderful surprise is revealed at every turn. |
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The most wondrous gift herbs ever bring me is not their dazzling power to heal and strengthen, but their magnificent beauty. I am moved to the very core whenever I take time to notice the way a plant looks and smells, when I sense the inexorable persistence of its growing, and the willingness it has to grace our lives with its delicate splendor.
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When you are aware of a plant’s beauty at every level, this makes it possible for you to experience even the most commonplace interaction with it as something sacred. Nature is the carrier of sacred power for most people. This is probably because the energies of nature in which we have been immersed throughout our four million years of evolution as humans are our energies. Through our DNA our bodies and beings are in communication with those of living things around us. Even at a cellular level we know the familiar taste of herbs and the smells of the earth. Such knowing is built into our being. Fill your home with the beauty of herbs, grow plants in your kitchen and your bedroom. Place them on your desk or where you work. For instance, burn sage and copal gold, lavender and natural incense to sanctify the environment. Make gifts for friends. Use herbs to care for your pets, to cleanse the space in which you live and work. This helps remind us of who we really are and what is fundamentally important in the de-sacralised environment in which we spend most of our life. I fill my bedroom with lilies. They are my favorite flowers. Over the years, I have come to know lilies very well. I know for instance that they are most fragrant between two and three in the morning. The beauty of their fragrance is so intense that it often awakens me. Sometimes when this happens, it seems to me that these flowers – so generous with their gifts – are calling to me, asking me to celebrate their wondrous beauty. |
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DRYING HERBS Gather your herbs, flower heads, petals and buds at midday when any dew or rain has gone from them and they are dry. If you can, pick your flowers just after they have opened. This is when they have the highest concentration of essential oils. Spread them out on paper and make sure you throw out any leaves or petals that are going brown, as well as any green parts of roses. Removing leaves from stems and petals from flowers helps them to dry more quickly. Alternatively you can tie flowers and leaves still on their stems in bunches and hang them somewhere warm to dry (my kitchen ceiling is always a good place). You might like to loosely tie a cheesecloth, muslin or paper bag around flowers like lavender to catch the flower heads that would otherwise drop all over the floor. (Remember to discard the centers of marigolds if you are going to use them for medicinal purposes.) Dry your leaves and petals on the paper in a warm airy place, turning them frequently. If you have a drying screen or mesh your mixture will dry even more quickly and preserve more of the essential oils. Orange and lemon peel will dry very easily. Simply remove as much of the fruit and pith as you can, break, grate or shave the skin into small pieces and leave until it’s brittle. Check your drying ingredients everyday so you don’t risk losing them to mold. Once they are thoroughly dry store them in airtight containers. If you conscientiously gather herbs and flowers throughout the spring and summer you will have a wonderful array to play with by the autumn. Store them all in a dark place until you are ready to use them. |
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The classic definition of a herb is a non-woody plant which dies down to its roots each winter. This definition is far too limiting. It was probably made up by 19th Century European botanists who had never seen the rainforest in which, of course there is no winter to die back in. Neither had they ever heard of woody trees and shrubs such as hawthorn and ginko and elder which are some of the best selling herbs on the market these days. I define a herb as a medicinal plant. It can come from any climate and be a leaf, a bark, a flower or a root. It can be home-grown or wild, a weed, a spice, a plant which is used for its healing or culinary or beautifying properties. Once you discover the power of herbs it is easy to become so enthusiastic about them you go overboard trying to use them for everything. It is not wise to take lots of different plants all at the same time. Or you might start to think that since a small amount of something is good for you, taking twice or three times that amount will be even better. It isn’t. If you want safe and sane herbal help here are a few guidelines to follow:
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