Class #5 Herbs

Class #5: Herbalism
by Reverend Dawn's Heart
aka Reverend S. Marie deFerbrache
of The Live Oak Experiential Church
02/23/99
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Herbal Preparation; Infused Oils & Essential Oils. These are methods that you can do at home to get good quality oil for personal, medicinal and magickal use.

As with all medicinal programs, you should consult your licensed physician before trying anything on your own. If you have any unfavorable reactions, consult a professional immediately. Attempting any herbal program means you do so at your own risk.

These recipes are given for use with a Microwave oven. If you are using a double boiler and cooking on a stove top, multiply the cooking time by 4.

Oils
I devote an entire class to oils because of their aromatherapy uses, magickal applications, perfume (purification / cleansing) qualities and medicinal / message uses. Not to mention, they're just darn fun to work with.

There are basically two methods: extracting the oil from
and infusing the oil with

People will debate for hours which is better. I simply smile and know that it all depends on what you're doing with the oil. Because an infused oil is cheaper to make (less equipment and time involved) people view it as being of a poorer quality. In reality, many companies use the infused process versus the extraction process, because of cost differences. They just don't tell you, and you don't think to ask (when buying that $50.00 bottle of perfume) what method they used to obtain the scent from the plant.

Infusion                                            back to the top
     Making an Infused Oil, although a delicate process, is not really that difficult. However, before we get into that; to make a flower essence (like rose water) simply substitute distilled, filtered water in place of the oil.
    The type of oil you use should be the lightest, clearest you can find. Touch several brands until you find an oil you like. Yes, I'm talking about things like sunflower or grape oil (cooking oils). Also, take note of the scent of the oil. Try to find one that either you like, will blend well with the flower you're going to use, or that has little to no scent at all. I prefer little to no scent as I like to get the purest fragrance I can. I, personally, use sunflower oil a lot.

Choosing the fragrance: Use only one kind of plant / flower per infusion. You can mix them when you're done. When viewing the plant take note of where the smell is strongest. Is it in the leaves, the petals of the flower, the fruit, the stem? You want to use the strongest area. If you're concerned about color, use only the flower petals (or fruit). Most plants have the strongest scent at either sunrise, or sunset. Study the plant in question to find out when its most pungent.

In preparation: About an hour before you are ready to collect your plant, bring your oil to a rapid, rolling boil and allow it to boil like this for 10 minutes, careful not to let it scorch. Then remove it from the heat and let it cool by itself. This breaks up some of the properties of the oil you've chosen and prepares it to accept the infusion better.

Collection: When it's time to collect your plant parts bring the pan you're going to cook them in, and an extra bowl, with you. One of the secrets is NOT to touch the plant very much and NOT to bruise it in the collection process. Be careful and delicate. I often use a tweezers or needle nose pliers (for sturdier plants). Fill the pan half full, gently slide that collection into the bowl, then fill the pan half full again. Also collect on sturdy stem. You'll use this to remove petals and stir. By using a sturdy stem from the plant, you don't add any foreign smells to the oil. If you can't find a sturdy stem buy a pack of wooden shish kabob sticks, use one per oil, and throw it away after it's use.

Preparation: Don't wait! Immediately bring them in. Gently poor your oil over what you've collected in the pan. Fill this to just over the plant parts (no more then a 1/2 inch over) (*) Heat it quickly (high heat) just until you see little bubbles forming (just prior to boiling). Reduce heat and simmer for 1 full hour. Don't walk away from it! If the phone rings, ignore it. You must watch it and keep it at that 'just about to boil stage'. This means you will be adjusting the heat many times. (*) After the first hour, pour the mix into a cheese clothe (or wine press if you have one) and squeeze all the oil out. Then slide the other half of the plant parts into the pan, gently poor the first batch of oil you just squeezed over it. Add more oil, as needed, to bring it back up to just over the plants. Repeat from the (*). Again, pour the mix into a cheese clothe (or wine press if you have one) and squeeze all the oil out.
NOTE: If the plant has a very light, delicate scent, you may need to repeat this process one or two more times. Use your nose. When it smells exactly like what you want, then it's done. Viola, you have a highly potent, infused oil that you can use for many things.

Extraction back to the top
If you have a professional steam distillation set up (still), you can do a great job at extracting oils, however, I don't (I've asked the birthday elf for one :-) maybe this year). Extracting essential oils can be dangerous as many of these oils are flammable (ever hear of stills blowing up?) so the only method I'll share with you is the Microwave method. If something ever should catch on fire in your Microwave (I've never had this happen) turn the power off and leave the door shut. You'll ruin your Microwave, but save your home and body. Which ever method you choose, expect to spend some money for equipment. An entire still set up (with all the gadgets) will run you between $300.00 and $500.00. The Microwave items will run about $90.00 *1.

The Cooking Container *1: You need a three part, see through microwave cooking container. The bottom part should be about 2 - 3 quarts in size. You'll need a colander that fits snugly inside about half the way up the inside of the bottom part. A 2 qt. bottom should have about a 1 qt. colander. A 3 qt. bottom should have about a 1.5 qt. colander. The third part is a cover that fits very snugly on the set.

Collection: Again, collect your plant parts when they smell the best. Bring the colander you're going to use and an extra 2 bowls, with good tight seals so the aroma says in. One of the secrets is NOT to touch the plant very much and NOT to bruise it in the collection process. Be careful and delicate. I often use a tweezers or needle nose pliers (for sturdier plants). Fill the colander half full, gently slide that collection into a bowl, do it again and slide that collection into the next bowl, then fill the colander half full again.

Preparation: Don't wait! Immediately bring them in ready to go. Fill the bottom container with water until the water is just touching the bottom of the colander.
    Place the cover on and put in the Microwave; cook on high for 10 minutes, at 70% power for 10 minutes, then at 50% power for 10 minutes. DURING COOKING NEVER REMOVE THE COVER. Next: You're going to have to be quick here and be VERY careful because steam burns. Quickly, quickly - remove the cover, dump one of the bowls of plant parts in, replace the cover. Trust me, you get good at this after a while. The steam is where the oil is.
Note: If you don't think you can be quick about this, let it cool, CLOSED, and then do it. It won't hurt anything, it just adds more time.
    Then put it back in the Microwave; cook on high for 10 minutes, at 70% power for 10 minutes, then at 50% power for 10 minutes. DURING COOKING NEVER REMOVE THE COVER. Next: You're going to have to be quick again and be VERY careful because steam burns. Quickly, quickly - remove the cover, dump the last bowl of plant parts in, replace the cover. If you need to let it cool. Remember, just until the steam has settled, don't leave if for hours.
        Then put it back in the Microwave; cook on high for 10 minutes, at 70% power for 10 minutes, then at 50% power for 10 minutes. DURING COOKING NEVER REMOVE THE COVER. Remove the container from the Microwave and put it someplace where NO ONE will disturb or touch it. DON'T REMOVE THE COVER. Leave it alone for one hour.
    Repeat this last process, NEVER REMOVING THE COVER, two times, leaving it sit for an hour in-between cooking.
    The last time you cook it have a tall, thin, clear glass, wide mouth jar ready (a vase works wonderful if the top is wide enough) (experiment here until you find what works best for you). Take it out of the microwave and let it cool until you no longer see drops of water on the top or, when you shake it gently the drops don't return. Open it and discard the spent plant parts. Poor the water mixture into the clear glass container and wait for about 2 hours. The oil will either be heavy and sink to the bottom or light and raise to the top. Now you can get the essential oil by using an eyedropper. The shape, tall and thin, is so there is a longer area of oil / water which makes it easier to remove using the eyedropper. Viola, you have essential oil that you can use for many things.

Just a note here: Some plants do not give up their oils easily, and because of that you may only get a tiny bit. This is one of the reasons why essential oils are so expensive (such as rose, it takes pounds and pounds of petals to make just a little oil).

Also note: Standardization on Microwaves hasn't yet happened and every Microwave is a little different. The Microwaves age plays a part and also the time of day (high electric usage will reduce wattage, there by causing differences). YOU WILL NEED TO EXPERIMENT WITH YOUR EQUIPMENT. You don't want to burn these plants, just pass the steam over them. If you notice burning reduce the power level, in increments of 10 %, until you get the desired effect. Half the fun is in the experimentation - remember to take notes.

Information shared on this site and/or during class is not intended to be a replacement for medical advice. Any person with a condition that requires medical attention should consult a licensed physician, qualified practitioner, or therapist. In addition; any herbal remedies that you try, you use at your own risk. This site, and the class, highly recommends you consult your health professional before trying anything new. Herbal remedies can be dangerous in certain circumstances and, there are no guarantees of potency or purity. The Live Oak Experiential Church, NightMoon, all other affiliates, all creators of this site, teachers, and contributing editors, can not be held responsible for your experimentation.

*1 Okay, I'm not trying to promote a company here but we have to be real. The best product for this is Tupperware's Stack Cooker and Colander. Not to mention you can use this for cooking, where as the still is only a still. I know these things can be shipped directly to you. If you like I'll talk to my consultant and get actual prices and such. Just e-mail me if you're interested.

Classes: Herbalism 101 (preparation) | PathWorking | Ritual Design

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