Making Dried Root Tinctures
I strongly prefer to make tinctures from fresh plants.
But many people have a hard time getting fresh plants.
Most books therefore ignore fresh plant tinctures and
focus on making tinctures only from dried plants. The
only dried plant parts I use to make tinctures are roots
and seeds. All other plant parts I use fresh when making
a tincture. And I actually prefer to use fresh roots
too.
To make a tincture from dried roots:
Buy an ounce of dried Echinacea augustifolia or Panax
ginseng root.
Put the whole ounce in a pint jar.
The dried root should fill the jar about a third full.
If not, use a smaller jar.
Fill the jar to the top with the alcohol. Cap tightly
and label.
Almost any alcohol can be used to make a tincture.
My preference is 100 proof vodka. A lower proof, such
as 80 proof, does not work nearly as well. Higher proofs,
such as 198 proof or Everclear, can damage the liver
and kidneys, so I don't use them to make medicine.
The tincture is ready in six weeks, but gets stronger
the longer it sits. I like to wait about six months
before using my ginseng tincture and a year before using
my echinacea tincture.
Making Fresh Root Tinctures
Roots generally hold their properties even when dried.
But two of my favorite root tinctures must be made from
fresh roots are the dried ones have lost much of their
effect.
Making a tincture with a fresh root is similar to making
one with a dried root.
With great respect for the plant, dig up its root.
Gently rinse mud away. (For more about digging dandelion
root, see Healing Wise.)
Chop root into small pieces and fill a jar to the top
with the chopped root.
Fill jar to the top with alcohol. Cap tightly. Label.
Fresh root tinctures are ready to use in six weeks.
Making Fresh Leaf and Flower Tinctures
I use only fresh flowers and leaves in my tinctures.
These delicate plant part lose aroma and medicinal qualities
when dried.
Tinctures can be made from dried herbs, but I find
them inferior in in both effect (how well they work)
and energetics (how many fairies are in it), not to
mention taste (how many volatile substances remain)
and somatics (how something makes you "feel").
What if the plants you need to make all the tinctures
in your medicine chest don't grow where you live or
you can't find them? Try one or more of these solutions.
Take a vacation to a place where the plant you need
does grow. And make sure to go at the best time to gather
it.
Find an herbal pen-pal who lives in the area where the
plant you want to tincture grows. Have your pen-pal
make a tincture of the fresh plant for you. You could
make a tincture of something you have lots of to give
to her, too.
Even if the plants do grow where you live, it may take
a year or longer for you to find them, harvest them
and make tinctures. While you are "in limbo,"
it's fine to buy tinctures to use in your herbal medicine
chest.
When you finally find the plants you want, don't be
afraid to make several quarts of tincture. Tinctures
last for hundreds of years if protected from heat and
light.
St. Joan's wort tincture: Eases muscles spasms, anti-viral,
pain-relieving.
Pick yellow Hypericum perforatum flowers in the summer's
heat.
Fill, don't stuff, a jar with the blossoms and leaves.
Fill jar to the top with alcohol. Cap tightly. Label.
(It will turn bright red.)
Your fresh St. Joan's wort tincture is ready to use
in six weeks.
Motherwort tincture: Eases menstrual cramps, mood
swings, stress.
Pick Leonurus cardiaca flowering tops (leaves and flowers)
in early fall or late summer.
Fill, don't stuff, a jar with coarsely chopped blossoms
and leaves.
Fill jar to the top with alcohol. Cap tightly. Label.
Your fresh motherwort tincture is ready to use in six
weeks.
Skullcap tincture: Pain-relief, headache remedy
Pick Scutellaria lateriflora flowering tops when there
are seeds as well as flowers.
Fill, don't stuff, a jar with the blossoms and leaves.
Fill jar to the top with alcohol. Cap tightly. Label.
Your fresh skullcap tincture is ready to use in six
weeks.
Wormwood tincture: Counters food-poisoning and parasites.
Pick Artemisia absinthemum leaves in the late summer
or early fall, when mature.
Fill, don't stuff, a jar, with the coarsely chopped
leaves.
Fill jar to the top with alcohol. Cap tightly. Label.
Your fresh wormwood tincture is ready to use in six
weeks.
Yarrow tincture: Counters all bacteria internally
and externally, repels insects.
Pick Achillea millefolium flowing tops, white ones only,
when in bloom.
Fill, don't stuff, a jar, with the coarsely chopped
herb.
Fill jar to the top with alcohol. Cap tightly. Label.
Your fresh yarrow tincture is ready to use in six weeks.
Double and Triple Tinctures
An herbalist in Austin Texas shared her special way
of preparing a tincture that helps her keep her cool
in stressful situations. She tinctures fresh lemon balm,
gathered before it flowers, for six weeks, in 100 proof
vodka. She pours that tincture over a new jar of fresh
lemon balm leaves. After that sits for six more weeks,
it's a double tincture. She then pours the double tincture
over another new jarful of fresh lemon balm amd lets
that sit for six weeks. After which she has a triple
tincture. She uses: "A dropperful sublingually
works absolute wonders for me when I'm stressed out
and ready to scream."
Plant Poisons
You remember that there are four types of poisons in
plants: alkaloids, glycosides, essential oils, and resins.
The first three are fairly easy to move from plants
to a tincture.
Resins, because they "fear" water (hydrophobic)
are difficult to tincture. When I want to tincture a
resin I do use high proof alcohol. Some examples would
be: pine resin tincture, balsam bud tincture, calendula
flower tincture.
Taking Tinctures
I see many people put herbal tinctures under their
tongues. I prefer to protect my oral tissues from the
harsh, possibly cancer-causing, effects of the alcohol.
I dilute my tinctures in a little water or juice or
even herbal infusion and drink them.
Using Your Tinctures
Here are a few of the ways I use the tinctures in my
herbal medicine chest. For more information on using
these tincture, see my books and my website.
Acid indigestion: 5-10 drops of Dandelion
root or Wormwood tincture every ten minutes until relieved.
I use a dose of Dandelion before meals to prevent heartburn.
Bacterial Infections (including boils, carbuncles,
insect bites, snake bite, spider bite, staph): 30-50
drops Echinacea or Yarrow tincture up to 5 times daily.
For severe infections, add one drop of Poke tincture
to each dose.
Colds: to prevent them I use Yarrow
tincture 5-10 drops daily; to treat them, I rely on
Yarrow, but in larger quantity, say a dropperful every
3-4 hours at the worst of the cold and tapering off.
Cramps during menstruation: 10 drops
Motherwort every 20 minutes or as needed. Used also
as a tonic, 10 drops daily, for the week before.
Cramps in muscle: 25 drops St Joan's
every 25-30 minutes for as long as needed.
Cramps in gut: 5-10 drops Wormwood,
once.
Diarrhea: 3 drops Wormwood hourly for
up to four hours.
Energy lack: 10 drops of Dandelion
or Ginseng tincture in the morning.
Fever: 1 drop Echinacea for every 2
pounds of body weight; taken every two hours to begin,
decreasing as symptoms remiss. Or a dropperful of Yarrow
tincture every four hours.
Headache: 25 drops St Joan's plus 3-5
drops Skullcap every 10-15 minutes for up to two hours.
5 drops of Skullcap may prevent some headaches.
High blood pressure: 25 drops of Motherwort
or Ginseng tincture 2-4 times a day.
Hot Flashes: 20-30 drops Motherwort
as flash begins and/or 10-20 drops once or twice daily.
Insect: prevent bites from black flies,
mosquitoes, and ticks with a spray of Yarrow tincture;
treat bites you do get with Yarrow tincture to prevent
infection.
Nervousness, hysteria, hyper behavior:
15 drops Motherwort every 15-20 minutes.
Premenstrual distress: 10 drops Motherwort
twice a day for 7-10 days preceding menstruation or
10 drops daily all month.
Sore throat: Gargle with Yarrow tincture.
Swollen glands: 1 drop Poke root tincture
each 12 hours for 2-5 days.
Viral infections (including colds and the flu):
25 drops of St. Joan's wort tincture every two hours.
Add one drop of poke root tincture 2-4 times a day for
severe cases.
Wounds: I wash with Yarrow tincture,
then wet the dressing with Yarrow tincture, too.
In the next installment of Be Your Own Herbalist,
you will learn about herbal oils, inlcuding infused
and essential oils. Future lessons will explore the
difference between fixing disease and promoting health,
applications of the three traditions of healing, and
using the six steps of healing to take charge of your
own health and make sense of medicine.
Experiment Number One
Choose one plant and make several small tinctures of
it using different types of alcohol. Taste and smell
each tincture every week or so for 6-8 weeks.
Experiment Number Two
Buy or make different tinctures of the same plant: dried
herb, fresh herb, timed with the moon, in different
menstrums, made by different people, harvested in different
places. Can you taste differences? Are the effects different?
What else do you notice?
Experiment Number Three
Make a double or triple tincture of motherwort, skullcap,
or lemon balm. See if it relieves anxiety , hyperactivity,
emotional distress, headaches. I use a dose of 5-30
drops. Remember skullcap can induce sleepiness.
Experiment Number Four
Tincture four plants that are common to your area. Learn
at least three things they can each be used for and
if at all possible, use them.
Further study
1. What is osmosis? Why is 100 proof vodka make stronger
tinctures than 80 proof?
2. What is a menstrum? What other menstrums are used
to make tinctures?
3. Of the four plant poisons, which are present in each
of plants used in the medicine chest?
4. Why don't I consider vinegars tinctures?
5. How is a glyceride different from a tincture?
Advanced work
* Make a tincture from a resinous plant.
* Make a glyceride.
* How is a standardized tincture made?
Healing
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I just started reading your book, Healing Wise. Your
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Study with Susun Weed in the convenience of your home!
Choose from three Correspondence Courses: Green Allies,
Spirit & Practice of the Wise Woman Tradition, and
Green Witch - includes audio/video tapes, books, assignments,
special mailings, plus personal time.
Learn more at www.susunweed.com or write to:
Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081
Visit Susun Weed at: www.susunweed.com and www.wisewomanbookshop.com
For permission to reprint this article, contact us at: susunweed@herbshealing.com
Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered
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teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She
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Welcome sisters, you are invited to join us, announcing:
Green
Goddess Apprentice Weeks
http://www.susunweed.com/greengoddess.htm
$800-1000 per week; $100 deposit Enrollment limited to ten
women.
For ages 14 and up.
Two one-week apprenticeships for aspiring herbalists who want
to learn from and play with the Green Goddess. And for past
apprentices to share their wisdom and knowledge. Here in the
safety of the Wise Woman Center we will play with the fairies,
dance with the devas, sing with the stars, and reweave the
healing cloak of the Ancients. We hope you can join us!
"I learned more from spending one day with Susun than
I have in months of study with others."
The fee includes all meals, lodging, instruction, textbooks,
and supplies.
* Organic vegetarian meals (dinner Monday through lunch Sunday)
* Camp site or shelter in our tipi or studio
* Twenty hours of class time with Susun
* All supplies, including materials for making herbal medicines,
and textbooks valued at more than $100: Field Guide to Wildflowers
(Peterson)
Healing Wise (Susun Weed)MoonDays (Premo-Steele)
City Herbal (Silverman)
Witches, Midwives, Nurses (Erenreich)
Natural Health Bible
* Tarot reading with Susun
* Classes with visiting teachers and past apprentices
* Campfire singing circles
* Yoga instruction
* Tai chi instruction
* Moon lodge gathering
* Talking stick ceremony
* Optional initiation as a green witch
During your Green Goddess Apprenticeship you will also:
* Learn how to identify plants
* Learn how to use common plants for food and medicine
* Learn about plant families and botany
* Make one or more herbal remedies to take home
* Enjoy Goddess archetype presentations
* Go for walks in the woods
* Connect deeply with plants and the planet
* Be supported by the spiral of sisters
In addition to studying you can:
* Swim in the pond or the river
* Paddle the canoe
* Visit Woodstock, Colony of the ArtsSchedule
Your Green Goddess Apprentice week begins at noon on Monday
and ends about 4pm on Sunday. You may arrive as early as 11am
if you wish to settle in first. If you are flying in, please
check with us about options for arriving early or staying
later. There is a $5 pickup fee to get you from the bus in
Woodstock or Saugerties.
Our days begin with breakfast (out from 8:30 until 9:30),
followed by class (10am - 1pm), then lunch and talking stick
(1:30 - 3:30), afternoon class (3:30 - 6pm), dinner (6:30
- 8pm), and finally evening campfire circle of stories and
songs (8pm - 10pm). On Monday, we will choose our goddess
archetypes and our green allies and pick a wild salad for
an early dinner. On Friday, we will also eat one hour earlier
since the moonlodge starts at 7pm. On Sunday, we will have
a lavish high magic ceremony followed by a late lunch and
a final talking stick. Many surprises await us on all the
days in between.
To
Register
Please send your name, age, address, phone number, e-mail
address, and letter of application (words or images) with
your $100 deposit -- which will be returned if we cannot accept
your application. A color photograph is helpful if you can
include one. Tell us which week you wish to attend and whether
or not you could come to the other week if your first choice
is full. Payment for this event may be made in installments
charged to your credit card. All Green Goddess Apprentices
must be paid in full ten days prior to their arrival.
Mail your application to :
Wise Woman Center PO Box 64, Woodstock, NY 12498 Fax questions to: 1-845-246-8081
Work-exchange
There are three work-study positions open at each Green Goddess
Week. Each position requires 50 hours of work over an eight
day span (the seven days of the green goddess week plus the
day before it begins or the day after it ends) plus a payment
of $500. You will not miss any class time if you do work exchange;
you will be busy from 8am to midnight. To apply for one of
these positions, please write. Tell us of your willingness
to work and your desire to participate.
You may use work-exchange credits from any work exchange weekend
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Past Apprentices
Are you a past apprentice of Susun's? If so, you qualify for
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(Offer good only to apprentices who graduated.) If you completed
a live-out apprenticeship, you may take 25% off , bringing
your cost to $600-750 for the week.
Class Size
We will accept ten students in this program, plus three work-exchange
students, plus apprentices who may be here already as well
as visiting apprentices. Please register early.
Blessings,
Karen Joy
wisewoman@herbshealing.com
www.susunweed.com
To register for Wise Woman Center workshops and intensives,
send deposit (see specific workshop for deposit amount) and
indicate which workshop you want to attend and contact info:
Wise Woman Center PO Box 64, Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax questions to: 1-845-246-8081
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