covenrochester

This is the flyer for our next free community lecture.

Although we have had several practical, hands-on workdays making a variety of herbal medicines, this lecture will primarily be theory, based on the work of Wise Woman Elder and Priestess, Susun Weed.

There will be some practical information on nourishing herbal infusions, electuaries (medicinal preparations using honey or nut butters as a medium), and tinctures, but no hands-on work.

*** Blessed be to those who serve the Great Mother and the Horned Father.

* Copyright to Coven Rochester




Another Herbal Workday has been scheduled.

I'm not exactly sure what the preparations will be. Given that it we will not have had a full flowering of plants, we will be somewhat limited compared to the last Herbal Workday, where we had fresh Comfrey, Hypericum, and Motherwort right out of the garden. Still, I envision the following preparations to be quite possible:

Stomach Syrup
Elderberry Tincture
Healing Mouthwash
Garlic Syrup or Garlic Honey
Arnica Liniment
Rose Vinegar or Rose Liniment
Sleep Pillows
Slippery Elm Lozenges
Echinacea Root Tincture
Plantain Liniment
The Feverbreak Potion
Horehound Cough Syrup
Horseradish Tincture

We will not make the Feverbreak Potion, itself. Rather, we will compile the dry ingredients to send home with you, along with instructions in how to make the potion when it is needed.

Elderberry and Echinacea Root Tinctures can be used after six weeks, but they will be at their strongest after one year.

Garlic Honey and Horseradish Tincture are ready within 24 hours. The Syrups are effective as soon as made,l as are the Mouthwash, the Pillows, and the Lozenges.

So, it will not be a waiting game for everything.

I happened to notice that a friend of mine was having stomach/intestinal issues with increasing regularity. "What does your doctor say about this?" I asked him. "Nothing much. I've mentioned to him for years that I've had stomach problems, but he does not think it is anything serious. I just use over-the-counter remedies." "Oh," I replied, "if modern medicine has abandoned you, then you are under my jurisdiction!" I told him I would bring him a bottle of my stomach syrup. "Keep it in your refrigerator," I said, "and take one to two tablespoons whenever you need to."

That was months ago and anytime he has a stomach/intestinal issue, the syrup clears it up in 20-30 minutes. "It works better than Pepto-Bismol," he told me. Do you know why Pepto Bismol is dyed Pink? Because the combination of bismuth subsalicylate, the active ingredient, mixed with the sulfur of certain proteins makes the medicine look like black goo. So, a colorant is added to make it look more appealing(?). So, now have electric pink goo.

You can dispense with all of that nonsense, and make a stomach syrup, too. Here is the page reproduced from my Greenbook. Sometimes I make it in a slightly different way (I've written a previous entry on it), but it makes no difference. They are equally effective.

There are, of course, a couple of ways, to supercharge a medicine. The easiest way to do it for this syrup would be to harvest your Ginger within the first half hour of dawn on a Tuesday during the waning moon. Then harvest your Fennel Seed and your Mint within the first half hour of dawn on a Wednesday during the waxing moon.

Not harvesting the plants yourself? Well, a weaker substitute, but still worth doing, is buying the Ginger during the appointed time, and the Fennel Seed and Mint at their appointed times. You'll need a 24-hour grocery store or a local grocer with insomnia, naturally.

Can't manage any of that? Don't worry. Victorian-era magicians gave us all the erroneous idea that if we don't have the perfect tools, the perfect timing, the perfect ritual, the perfect colors, and so on, one's magic was doomed to failure. Witches follow these rules, instead:

1. Whenever you need it.
2. Whatever you've got.
3. However you can.

So, get to brewing.

Want a mnemonic?

Three Blessings to Digestion: Ginger, a root; Fennel, a seed; Mint, a leaf.

I would give it to my own children because they have no allergies and are of strong constitution. Lots of children these days have various congenital infirmities, allergies, dietary restrictions, weak constitutions, etc., so parents must make their own decisions.

Vegetable Soup

It is likely that, before a Witch teaches you herbalism, she will talk about nutrition. It has long been known by the Wise and traditional medicine practitioners that daily food can be our daily medicine, too. One thing that people seem to have difficulty with is getting enough vegetables every day. Women tend to do better at that than men, I have noticed. In any event, a good solution to the issue is a vegetable soup, made in the simple style of old crone cookery. This is actually a very common soup made throughout France, and thousands and thousands of people---adults and children---eat some almost every day as part of supper. It couldn't be easier.

It is usually made with a peeled POTATO, a peeled TURNIP, a trimmed and cleaned LEEK, two peeled CARROTS, and two stalks of CELERY.* Dice everything into a rough chunk of the same size. Put it in a pot. Add water to cover, plus a bit, and then put it on stove and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are soft. When it is done, let it cool a bit, and then blend** it in batches in a blender, mixing all the blended soup together in another big bowl or pot. Now you can add SALT, PEPPER, a pinch of CAYENNE, some stripped leaves of THYME, CURRY powder, or whatever you like. You can freeze some of the soup, and put the rest in the refrigerator. Eat 12-16 oz. of it to start dinner, or with some buttered bread, and a nice piece of cheese or sausage, it could BE dinner. Sometimes the French will stir in a bit of cream or creme fraiche, or add a piece of soft cheese to melt into the soup.

This soup is packed with nutrition. You are using the water in which the vegetables have boiled as the base for the soup. You have cooked it long enough that the cell walls of the vegetables have been broken down, giving maximum acceess to vitamins and minerals. You can add and subtract vegetables as you like. Perhaps an onion instead of a leek. Or add a hot pepper, an eggplant, some chopped kale or dandelion greens or collards, a clove or two of garlic. It is a blank canvas for your experimentation and delight. Like a thinner soup? Add more water. Thicker? Add less.

* And if you like old crone cookery, you'll be saving and freezing those vegetable trimmings and scraps for when you have some bones and want to make a meat stock.

** Or use a hand blender right in the pot. Or, if you are very old school, strong, and patient, a potato masher.


*** Blessed be to those who serve the Great Mother and the Horned Father.

* Copyright to Coven Rochester

The Table, Before We Began

We held an herbal medicine workday today from 12 to 4, and it was a great success in productivity, with the participants learning a great deal about remedies made in the wisdom tradition. We managed to make 10 different herbal products.

-- Elderberry Tincture: This will be ready well in time for the winter cold and flu season! One of the Great Medicines of humanity.

-- Calendula Tincture: Antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral in effects, it has so many uses. Another of the Great Medicines.

-- Motherwort Tincture: Against menstrual and menopausal discomforts, against anxiety and pain, and helps promote sleep. Also a tonic for the heart when used daily. A third of the Great Medicines. We used fresh plant material, as I had sufficient in my garden. It is the blooming tops that contain the medicine.

-- Blackberry Throat Spray: Against sore throat. The recipe may be varied, but it should always contain tincture made from Echinacea angustifola (not purpurea), which has a numbing effect on mucosal tissues. Other ingredients included home made blackberry brandy, raw and organic honey, and Yarrow Tincture.

-- Healing Mouthwash: We made three variations. In an earlier posting, I gave the recipe for the one I use.

-- Toothpaste: A Sage-Myrrh toothpaste flavored with Mint. Also included Calendula and Yarrow Tinctures for broad spectrum coverage against bacteria in the mouth.

-- Plantain Liniment: There was sufficient Plantago major in the yard that we were able to use fresh! Another of the Great Medicines.

-- Cramp Bark Tincture: For stopping cramps and muscle seizures anywhere in the body. Good against menstrual pain and female pelvic congestion. Viburnum opulus by name, you may know it as the Snowball Bush. Alas, you must be taught when to harvest the bark in order to secure the medicinal virtues.

-- Hypericum Lotion: May be used as a sun screen. Against nerve pain and muscle pain. It will stop the development of Shingles if applied to the affected body part when you sense it potentially coming on. Another of the Great Medicines.

-- Comfrey Lotion: Another of the Great Medicines. I had sufficient in my garden to bring fresh. For repairing the skin, joints, and ligaments.

As you can see, we seemed to focus a lot on the Great Medicines. That was not purposeful. It is simply that the Great Medicines are so effective and have such varied uses, that they naturally find a place in witches' apothecary cabinets.

I also reported on recently making a Thyme Lotion from Thyme in my garden. It has been found effective against yeast and fungal patches on the skin.

I've had so many good ideas for the next workday, it is difficult to choose the next topic!

*** Blessed be to those who serve the Great Mother and the Horned Father.

* Copyright to Coven Rochester

We have our mnemonic rhyming poem for the twenty-five Great Medicines.
There should also be one for the twenty-five Great Poisons.

Your coven's list will vary, of course, depending on where you live in the world.

THE GREAT POISONS

These plants may lay your health to waste,
Be careful in your touch and taste.

Ivy, Oak, and Sumac,
First-named Poison all,
The lordly Giant Hogweed,
White-flowered, umbelled, tall.

The wine-skinned Elder berries
Should not be eaten raw,
And those of Deadly Nightshade
Must never pass your jaw.

The eyes of the Pea Rosary
Will stare you down to death,
And Castor Bean or Wolfsbane
Will stop your lungs and breath . . .

*** Blessed be to those who serve the Great Mother and the Horned Father.

* Copyright to Coven Rochester

I happened upon a recipe for a healing herbal mouth rinse, and thought what an excellent idea it was. The recipe was not set, but offered a list of potential plant tinctures that one could use, depending on one's situation and oral care needs. I decided to make just a general mouth rinse, especially because I had all the ingredients for it in my potion cabinet in my basement.



Dragging up the ingredients in my basket.



Calendula Tincture, harvested and made in the Summer of 2020

Here was my recipe:

1 1/2 (12 ounces) cups of Water
1/2 cup (4 ounces) of Vodka
1 teaspoon each tinctures of Marigold (Calendula officinalis) and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
1/2 teaspoon of tincture of Cayenne (Capsicum annuum).
Optional (for flavor): 1 teaspon of Tincture of Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) or Peppermint (Mentha piperita)



My completed medicine. I added Tincture of Cloves, since I had it on hand.

TO USE: Dilute 1-2 Tablespoons of the rinse in some additional water. Use the dilution as a mouth rinse. Don't swallow it, but expel it from the mouth. FREQUENCY: Once or twice per day.

The Calendula and Yarrow tinctures are broadly antimicrobial, and Yarrow tightens tissues and prevents bleeding. The Cayenne is also antibacterial, but also stimulates blood flow to the tissues. I used the Cloves for flavor, but it does have an analgesic effect, too.

*** Blessed be to those who serve the Great Mother and the Horned Father.

* Copyright to Coven Rochester

. . . The Rod-of-Gold, and Boneset,
Tall Helen-of-the-Fields,
The Coneheads, Rude or Kindly,
And Plantain Wounds-Are-Sealed . . .

-- From The Twenty Five Great Medicines

Plantain is one of the great medicines of humanity. Last autumn, I wrote an article on Goldenrod (Solidago spp. -- the Rod-of-Gold, above) for a local twice-a-year newsletter. For the upcoming summer newsletter, I will write an article on Plantain. I had hesitated on Plantain because I could not think of easy herbal projects for beginners. Other than, say, chewing a fresh leaf and applying it to a bug bite or bee sting. But then, I realized that it could be made into a salve with coconut oil easily enough. Secondly, fresh leaves could be blended with a bit of water, and the mixture poured into ice cube trays and frozen. When frozen, removed to a plastic freezer bag. Those Plantain Ice Cubes could then be kept through the fall and winter months, and used, when necessary for all sorts of remedies: for the mouth and throat, to soothe the esophagus burned by acid reflux, against gastritis and stomachache, against mild diarrhea and inflamed intestinal mucosa, to calm the skin, against venomous bites, for removing slivers, for closing wounds, to assist expectorants, to soothe the urinary tract, against gout, as an eyewash. Plantain so versatile in use and is readily available everywhere. So, this season, I will sing the praises of Plantain.

*** Blessed be to those who serve the Great Mother and the Horned Father.

* Copyright to Coven Rochester

A Vial of Rose Vinegar

Over the summer, I followed the suggestion of Dr. Burrough (1624) in making a liniment of Rose Vinegar for joint pain. I was impressed with his traditional explanation of joint pains -- that the Earth humor in the body is deposited in the joints and then, if there is excess Fire humor in the body, the Fire will cook the Earth humor, which will become like vitrified grains of sand. These glass-like grains cause the sharp pains in the joint. I was also impressed with Dr. Burrough's proposed remedy: Rose Vinegar, topically. The acidic vinegar helps dissolve the glass-like particles, while the Rose, which is a plant high in the Air element, will penetrate to the joint and act as a counteractant to the Earth humor (Air and Earth are opposites).

What is even more impressive is that, when we look at a medical diagnostic horary, a prime culprit for the affliction of stiff and painful joints is Mars in the first 12 degrees of Capricorn . . . which perfectly matches the Fire (Mars) cooking the Earth (Capricorn) into glassy particles (exaltation). Here is such a chart:



4 February 2022, 8:40 AM EST, Rochester, NY

In this chart, Jupiter is the Querent. Mars in Capricorn is in perfect sextile to Jupiter while simultaneously carrying Jupiter into the debility of fall. At the same time, Mars has a lot of power over Jupiter because Jupiter is in the triplicity of Mars.

What does Dr. Saunders say of the Mars in the first 12 degrees of Capricorn afflicting the Querent? "Stiffness of the joints, dryness of the sinews."

So, the Rose Vinegar of Dr. Burrough seemed like a good option.

It is worth remembering, however, that diseases of the Earth humor are not as quickly cured as diseases of the other elements. Rose Vinegar needs probably at least 3 topical applications per day for 15 days in order to digest the Earth humor. The old doctors of past centuries would then suggest that the digested humor be purged, either by vomiting or an induced evacuation of the bowels. In the above instance, the Rose Vinegar gave nearly complete relief without purging.

Keep in mind that this is the people's medicine, backyard medicine, weed medicine (albeit, with a touch of astrology for confirmation purposes). We are not talking about modern technology/drug medicine. The whole of this entry is probably complete nonsense from the latter perspective. I don't even know if modern technology/drug medicine would consider it possible that vinegar or the oil of roses (extracted into the vinegar) would penetrate to a joint.

The important point, though, is that someone has been relieved from suffering from joint pain.

*** Blessed be to those who serve the Great Mother and the Horned Father.

* Copyright to Coven Rochester

Ere we depart from this lovely realm (in years and years and years to come), and we bid you hail and farewell, we hope to leave our magical healers and astrologers with a better understanding of astrological herbalism in the treatment of the unwell. This is not a terribly complex thing, but you must have wits in your head or you will get lead astray.

An important thing to understand is that every plant that is used for medicine can be assigned to one of the seven ancient planets -- Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn (please disregard that the first two are technically luminaries and not planets).

For instance, the above plant is Yarrow. It is a plant of Venus. Venus is a cold and moist planet. But Yarrow's action in the physical body is to heat it up and dry it out. In other words, to expel excess water from the system, yes? Fire heats Water, Water turns to steam and billows away. Earth covers Water, the Water is absorbed and sunk into the Earth. One movement upward, one movement downward, so to speak.

It may seem strange that a COLD and MOIST plant should have HOT and DRY effects, but so it is. Mother Nature works in various combinations throughout the Kingdoms, even in seeming opposites. Many a demon have worn the opulent vestments of Roman Catholic priests and bishops in the last 1000 years. Many soiled and poorly clothed saints have seemingly defied physics with miraculous feats in the marketplaces of India in those same years. Appearances can be deceiving, and the human eye is the greatest of slanderers, as you know.

So, Yarrow is a plant that works by OPPOSITES and not by SIMILARS. The relationship between its NATURE and EFFECT is DIVERGENT.

Those terms, however, should not be confused with SYMPATHY and ANTIPATHY. Those have more precise applications when looking at the actual horary or decumbiture chart. Sympathy and Antipathy involves an evaluation of the essential strength of the Lord of the Querent (or the Moon) and the essential strength of the afflicting planet. Keep in mind, too, that the method of diagnosis differs between horary and decumbiture charts. Dr. Lilly and Dr. Saunders failed to make that clear to their readers, and their works have therefore led many self-studying students astray over the last 400 years.

Mother Nature, of course, gives us plants that work as SIMILARS in this arena. For instance, Ginger is a plant of Mars.[1] Mars is a hot and dry planet, and its action on the body is to heat it up and dry it out. Therefore Ginger is a plant that works by SIMILARS. The relationship between its NATURE and EFFECT is CONVERGENT.

The heat and dryness of Yarrow, however, is gentler and slower than the heat and dryness of Ginger. Therefore, if you are given a Yarrow remedy (Yarrow Tea, the Feverbreak Potion, etc.), you are likely to be told to take it while in a hot bath, or to take it and then go sit by the hearth-fire in a blanket, or go immediately to bed, well-covered. Yarrow is effective, but she wants a bit of a boost.

Yarrow and Ginger are both antiviral medicines, too. But in different ways. Yarrow will disintegrate the membrane wall of a virus. She is like a solitary ninja sneaking into the fortress and killing everyone she meets, one by one. Or, in Greek mythology, perhaps like Penthesilea arriving to help the Trojans after the death of Achilles (Yarrow is Achillea millefolium, named after Achilles).

Ginger, on the other hand, stimulates the immune system to make certain cells to combat the viral infection. It's like a wizard summoning an army to storm the fortress. Or, in Greek mythology, perhaps like Cadmus sowing the teeth of a dragon to call forth warriors.

Yarrow is a defense TO THE BODY. She comes in from outside and opens a can of whoop-ass.

Ginger stimulates the defenses OF THE BODY. He wakes up the immune system and pep talks its soldiers onto the field of battle.

These are simplifications, of course, but useful ones.

[1] Dr. Blagrave, in his supplement to the work of Nicky Culpeper, gave Ginger to the Sun. That is incorrect. Ginger bears every resemblance to a plant of Mars, and no resemblance to plants of the Sun. Both Sun and Mars, however, are HOT and DRY, so Dr. Blagrave may be forgiven his confusion.

*** Blessed be to those who serve the Great Mother and the Horned Father.

* Copyright to Coven Rochester