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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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In Japanese legends incense is believed to attract goblins jiki-ko-ti and negative spirits such as the souls of men who during their lives had not honored truth and beauty. As a result they were doomed to be attracted to incense smoke and wafted away on it. Religious rituals all over the world use fragrant burning plants to cleanse space, to sanctify, and communicate with their deities.
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HOLY BEADS
I can’t be sure but I believe that ‘rosaries’ were once literally made out of strings of rose beads. They were certainly traditionally made of some sort of scented beads as the fragrance released as you handled them was meant to make its way to God and encourage him to answer your prayers. Making rose beads is a labor of love – like an ongoing sacred offering. It was once carried out with reverence and much prayer. |
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COLLECTING BEAUTY
You will need a small mountain of rose petals - the more scented the better. Collect them when the dew has dried. The traditional method was to put the petals a little at a time into a pestle and mortar and grind them to a paste. In this day and age you can put them in a blender. Then you need to put the paste in a cast-iron saucepan. It is the reaction of the rose-petal paste with the iron that will make the beads black. Pour in just enough water (or even better, rose water) to cover the paste and gently heat it for about an hour. Don’t let it boil. Allow it to cool then heat for another hour. Put the paste back into the pestle and mortar and grind again. If your patience has run out and your paste is quite thick you can try making the beads now. For a really top-class job, however, grind the paste a little every day for another week, or even two. |
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Now for the fun bit. Spread a little rose oil on your hands for extra fragrance and, taking a small amount of the rose-clay, roll it into a bead about twice the size of the bead you want to end up with. Push a large needle through the bead to make a hole (heat the needle if necessary) and string it onto fishing line or florist’s wire. Repeat the process until you have used up all the rose-clay. Then hang up the florist’s wire or fishing line so the beads can dry. Turn them every day so they don’t stick. In about two weeks they will have shrunk to half their original size and be ready for finishing. Take a soft cloth and polish them until they look like old ebony. You can then string them onto a necklace in whatever way you like. When worn against the skin they will release the most beautiful captured scent of your roses. |
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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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