Herblore 1

by **Gemma Parker** on February 24th, 2019, 5:08 am

Summer 45th, 512 AV

"Gemma, are you there? Come here for a tick." Gemma's father called from the kitchen.

"Hey dad, what's up?" She asked, coming into the kitchen from her bed room.

"Come over here, I want to show you something cool." He said. Gemma rolled her eyes, but a smile played across her lips.

"It wouldn't happen to be another herblore technique, would it?" She asked.

Her father looked slightly abashed. "Well, yes, but it's a cool one, I promise!" He said.

She laughed. She really did enjoy her time with her father, even if the topic wasn't so interesting.

"So I want to show you how to make a tincture. Remember that word, because you'll use it a lot in healing and in medicine." He said.

"Tincture. Got it." She said.

"Yes, so a tincture is a type of concentrated extract in liquid form using alcohol as a liquid base. They can be taken orally or used externally, depending on what's in it." He said. "So today we're going to use this little plant called goatweed. This works as a strong antidepressant, and is also an antiviral plant that also helps with wound repair. It's very useful. You can tell it's goatweed because it has these jagged edges and black flecks on the yellow flower. They also grow in clusters. Here, let me show you." He said, waving her to come outside where he had his little garden.

"So this is goatweed." He said, showing her the plant. "To harvest it, take the top third part in mid summer and use it right away, let it wilt, or dry it. Got it?" He asked.

She nodded.

"Go ahead and try to harvest one stalk of this." He said.

She took her scissors, approached the stalk and took it in her hand.

"Here?" She asked, holding her scissors at a spot.

"Maybe a little higher. That's more like half." He said.

She adjusted and he nodded. "Looks good!" He said. She cut the stem and looked to her father, receiving a nod of approval.

"Great, now bring that inside." He said.

"So to use it in a tincture we want to wilt first. I can show you that process later. For now, I already have wilted goatweed here inside." He brought her back inside to the table. "Go ahead and put your goatweed to the side for now.

"So we're not going to crush this or anything. Today we're going to put it in two jars." He gave her a jar to begin filling it with the wilted herb.

"For this tincture, we're going to do a three to one. So that means we're going to use three units of water for every one unit of herb. That will let us cover the herb in liquid." He said.

"So let's measure how much goatweed we have." He said. "So there's some math involved here, but don't worry too much if it's not super exact. So how many units of herb do we have?" He asked her, showing her the measurement.

"Four eighty... eight." She said, looking up at him to make sure she had done it right.

"That's right! So get your paper." He said. She took out a piece of paper and put it on the table with a pencil. "So what's 488 times 3?" He asked. She slammed the pencil down after writing it down.

"I don't know, that's way too much!' She said.

"Ok, well what's five hundred times three?" He asked.

She looked at the paper for a long moment.

"1,500?" She asked.

"Ok, and what's 500 minus 488? He asked.

She counted on her fingers under the table to count from 488 to 500.

"12!" She said.

"Ok, and what's 12 times 3?" He asked. This took her less time.

"Thirty six!" She was excited.

"Ok, and what's fifteen hundred minus thirty six?" He asked. She had to count on her fingers a few times, but finally she got the answer. "1466!" She said.

"Yeah, good! So write that down." She did.

"That's the number of units of liquid we need. But this next part is a little harder." He said. "For goatweed, we only want 3 parts alcohol with one part water. So we need to do some more math." He said.

"Aww, more?" She complained.

"It's ok, we're almost done." He said. "So what's 1466 divided by 4?" He asked.

She looked at him like he was insane for asking her this.

He just laughed. "All right, I'll help. What's 300 times 4?" He asked.

She looked at her paper as she thought. "1200." She said.

"Right, so we need something higher than that, right?" He asked.

"Right." She said, but she doubted.

"So what's 400 times 4?" He asked.

"1600." She said after a moment of thinking.

"So we want something lower." He said. "Let's just say it's in the middle. What's 350 times 4?" He asked. This took longer. She tapped the pencil against the paper as she looked at the problem.

"What's 50 times 4?" He asked.

"200." She replied.

"Ok, and what was 300 times 4?"

"1200."

"So what's 1200 plus 200? He asked.

"1400." She said quicker.

"Yeah so we need just a little bit more than that. Let's say 360. That's the water content. And we need three times that number for the alcohol content, so what's that? 360 times 3?" He asked.

"1080." She said after finishing writing out the problem."

"Good! So there we go. It's not super exact, but for our needs it's good enough." He said. "So let's measure out the water first." He said, handing her the pitcher. She tried to pour slowly, but her arms weren't strong. Soon she felt the steadying hand of her father, and she poured the right amount into the measuring container.

"Ok, so pour that in the jar." He said. She did so, watching the water filter through the wilting plant.

"Next the alcohol." He said. They measured out the alcohol in the same way and poured it into the jar.

"Great! Now here's the really cool part. Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said, looking close.

"The goatweed is about to start bleeding." He said. "In about three to five chimes you'll see this go all red." He said. They watched in silence as the mixture turned red. "See that? It's like magic!" He said.

"Now we seal the jar." He said, and he shook it a few times.

"Now with this, you can see that the herb is really fluffy, so maybe next time we should make it a 1 to 4. Or we can push it down so it's all in the alcohol like this." He said, uncapping it and pushing the herb down with a thin wooden rod. "We want it to be all covered in alcohol." He said.

"Let that sit in a dark place for fourteen to thirty days and you'll have a potent goatsweed tincture!" He said. And what's that good for?" He asked.

"Depression, viruses, and... wounds?" She asked, reciting from memory.

"That's right! Now let's see if you remember that in thirty days." He said with a wink. She groaned. She knew she should be writing all this down.

"That's all right, you can write it down after we're done and I can check your notes." He said.

"That's it, kiddo! Go on and play."

Later...

Gemma took a long break after listening to her dad drone on about herbs and force her to do math. That had to be child abuse. But in the end, she knew it was just a way for her dad to spend time with her. Her mom had explained it to her one day.

She sat in her dad's garden now, with the sun still casting enough light for maybe half an hour of light. She held her journal and pencil on her lap and sat in view of the goatweed, taking notes as she had told her father she would.

At the top of the page, she wrote "Goatweed". On the side of the page, she did her best to sort of draw or sketch the flower as she saw it. It was a horrible drawing, of course, comparable to a stick figure. But she drew lines to the parts of the flower and described them, taking note of where she was supposed to cut to harvest the herb. She drew the looping flowers, making note of the jagged edges, and marked the color - yellow. She also noted the transparent dots on the green leaves lower down the stem.

She was not at all happy with the flower drawing, but she kept it for now. She could keep practicing.

She then went on to list what it was used for. Depression, wounds, and to purify wounds.

She noted that it was best to use it wilted, and also that it should be made into a tincture or oil extract. Her father had not shown her what an oil extract was yet, but she thought it should go in the notes. Her dad would check her notes every once in a while, and it was good to make sure those little details were in the notes.

She then turned to another page and wrote Tinctures at the top. She noted all the things her dad told her about them. She didn't bother drawing anything for this, but she did make sure to note that it was best to let the flower be wilted, and that you needed to cover the herb in alcohol, depending on what strength was needed.

by **Gemma Parker** on February 24th, 2019, 7:02 am

After she was finished with her drawing and note-taking, she went back into the house to find her dad waiting for her. The table was all set up similarly to how it was before, but this time he was waiting with oil on the table rather than alcohol.

"Hey, pumpkin!" He said as she came in.

"We have a little time before the rest period, so what do you say we finish talking about this?" He suggested. It wasn't really a suggestion.

"Sure, what's next?" She asked. The faster she got it over with, the faster she could go to bed or do something else.

"Next we're going to make an oil extract." He said. "So with this one, there's not so much math because the proportions aren't as important. So this will probably be easier for you." He said.

She sighed with relief.

"But that means I want you to be taking notes as we go, ok?" He said. This brought a groan, but in a moment her notebook and pencil were ready to take notes.

"So be sure the oil covers the herb, because if anything is sticking out it'll go moldy or rancid. That's bad. So cover it completely with the oil." He explained.

She took the wilted herb and packed it lightly into a jar, following her dad's instructions. He then handed her a jar of oil and let her pour the oil into the jar. When it looked full, he told her to stuff it down a bit with a wood rod to make sure there were no air pockets. Then she added more.

"So that was olive oil, but you can use any kind of edible oil." He said.

"Now this will require some heat, which is another reason to do this in the summer. So we're going to close the jar and put it in a place where it can be warm, but not with direct sunlight. So we'll put a bag over it and put it in the window." He said, handing her a sackcloth bag. She put it on the jar and put the jar in the window area.

"Now we want to make sure that any moisture can evaporate out, so that's why we covered it with a cheesecloth rather than a hard lid." He said. "Then after about two weeks you'll have a bright red goat's blood oil extract that you can make into a salve, for example, to put on all sorts of skin sores and wounds. Aside from that, the flower absorbs the sun's energy and light and when you drink it, it makes your mood brighter." He said. "In fact, even picking it and being around it can have that effect. Can you feel it?" Gemma had to admit. She was feeling brighter and better.

She was sure to write all this down as her dad spoke, making careful attention to the details and trying not to miss anything.

Journal Page :

by **Gemma Parker** on February 24th, 2019, 5:22 pm

Summer 46th, 512 AV

It was another day and Gemma was only just waking up when her father called her into the kitchen again.

“Gemma! Come here, I want to show you something!” He called.

Gemma groaned. “Five more minutes!” She called.

“No, come on, you can sleep after this. This is really cool!” He said.

“Ugh, fine!” She called. But then she didn’t move, trying desperately to sleep again.

“Gemma! Come on, it’ll be quick!”

“Fine!” She called, finally getting up. She was in her pajamas and her hair was a mess, but she trudged into the kitchen and looked at her dad.

“What’s up?” She asked.

“I want to show you how to make an infusion!” He said.

“Isn’t that just tea?” She asked. “I can make tea.” She said.

“It’s similar to tea, but stronger. Come on, it’ll be fun.” He said, waving her over.

Gemma walked over without saying more, plumping herself down on the stool and resting her tired head on a hand.

“Ok, so like you said, an infusion is similar to a tea. But its function is actually different. So an infusion is good for pulling out the oils from an herb. It also pulls out the parts that disolve in water. It’s best for delicate parts of the plant like flowers and stems, not so much for roots and seeds. For those, we’ll use a decoction, but we’ll talk about that later.” He said.

“I can’t wait.” She grumbled.

“Are you taking notes? If I don’t see this in your notes I’ll give you the class again.” He said with a smile, but he was not joking.

She gave him a look that could kill, but then got up and went to her room to retrieve her notebook, coming back and sitting down again to start writing the notes.

“Ready.” She said after she had summarized what he had said so far.

“Ok, so to take an infusion, you can drink it hot or cold, or apply it topically to the skin.” He said, waiting for her to write that down. She did.

“You can also inhale the vapors, depending on what herb you’re using and what you’re targeting with the treatment.” He said.

To make an infusion, take a ceramic pot like that one and put the herb inside.” He said. Gemma followed his instructions.

“Good, now I’ve already brought some water to a boil, so we’ll use that. I do remember how to boil water, don’t you?” He asked with a churlish grin.

She gave him a look. “No, I forgot to write down the steps.” She said.

“Well anyway, you want about 2 teaspoons of fresh herb or half that in dried herbs per one cup of water. So this pot holds two cups, so we’re using two teaspoons of dried herb. Pour the water over the herbs and cover them right away.” He said, waiting for her to follow his instructions.

“And now we wait for fifteen chimes!” He said.

“Once you have the infusion in the water, you’ll need to strain out the herb through a strainer or cheese cloth. Then drink it within 12 bells and throw out what’s left. Drink 3-6 per day depending on how severe the illness is. “

Gemma finished writing her notes. “Anything else?” She asked.

“Nah, not for now. I’ll call you in like ten chimes so you can strain the infusion.” He said with a smile.

Ten chimes later he called her and she came to complete her practice, straining the liquid through cheesecloth.

“And there you go! It can be bitter so put in a spoonful of honey while it’s hot to make it easier to taste. Now run along, I know you’re a very busy young girl.” He winked.

Journal Entry :

by **Gemma Parker** on February 26th, 2019, 4:31 am

Summer 47th, 512 AV

"Gems, get your notebook, I want to show you something!" Her father always started his lessons this way, but today Gemma didn't actually mind. She was in a good mood.

"Hey dad, what do you have for me today?" She asked.

"I'm so glad you asked! Today we're working on... decoctions!" He said, pulling out a jar of dark liquid to show her.

"Decoctions are like infusions, but where infusions are for the delicate parts of the plant, decoctions are for seeds, berries, roots, and barks. You can drink them hot or cold, or inhale the vapors while they boil, depending on what you're using and what it's for. It can be kept for about 24 bells, but then you have to throw it out." He said.

Gemma opened her notebook to a clean page and started writing.

"To make a decoction, you take the herb you're using and break it up into small pieces." He slid the mortar and pestle over to Gemma and gave her a root she hadn't studied yet. She didn't ask what it was, she knew he would tell her soon enough.

She used the pestle to crush the root, putting her elbow into it.

"Now depending on what you're using, you might even need a hammer to bruise and crush the material. But this is fine for now." He said.

"So now put the herb into an enamel pan." He said, putting a pan in front of her. She swept the herb into the pan, scraping out the pieces from the mortar.

"And cover it with cold water." He put a pitcher of spring water in front of her, and she used it to cover the herb in the pan.

"Now we're going to boil it, so put it on the stove and start it up." He said, not moving from his seat.

Gemma took the pan over to the stove and set it down. She gathered kindling, tinder, and firewood from the wood pile and put it under the stove. When that was ready, she lit the stove, taking a few tries to get it right, and before long the fire was ready and the pan was heating up.

"Very good! So once that boils, we'll let it simmer for 20 chimes, then strain it into a cheese cloth. So go ahead and clean up what you've used already while that's boiling." He said.

Gemma didn't complain this time. She cleaned up the table, washed the utensils they'd used, and even had time to write a few more notes in her notebook before she had to adjust the stove's heat on the pan to let it simmer. They waited for the chimes and talked about other things, then when the decoction was ready, Gemma used a towel to bring the pot over to the ceramic tea pot they would be using. She poured the decoction through cheese cloth and covered the pot as soon as she was done to keep the vapors inside.

"Great job! You even remembered to cover it. Now, this is a decoction and it'll work, but if you want something stronger, depending on what you need, you can reduce the decoction by letting the water boil down. The less water, the stronger the decoction. You can add honey to sweeten it, and boom! You've got yourself a decoction."

Journal Entry :

by **Gemma Parker** on February 26th, 2019, 5:39 am

Summer 48th, 512 AV

"Gems, come here, I want to show you something!" Miles called to his daughter.

Gemma came without needing to be asked again, her notebook already under her arm. Her dad called her at roughly the same time each say, so she was ready.

"Yeah dad, what's on the agenda for today?" She asked.

"Today we're making Calendula salve." He said, waving his fingers and saying the name with a creepy voice.

"So Calendula salve requires infused oil, so we'll make that first. First we gather the ingredients. We need half a cup of Calendula flowers, a cup and a quarter of olive oil, and an ounce of beeswax to make the oil. We have the beeswax and olive oil here, so we just need to go cut Calendula flowers." He said.

He showed her out to the garden and helped her identify Calendula. It looked a lot like Marigold, but her dad helped her identify the difference before they cut off the flowers they needed and returned to the kitchen.

"So we need to put the Calendula flowers into a clean dry jar, and we need to make sure the jar is super dry because any moisture can cause it to spoil." Her dad said. Gemma checked the jar to make sure it was clean and dry, and they moved on.

"So put the Calendula into the jar and cover it with oil." She did so, pushing down some of the flowers that poked above the oil.

"Good, now cap it and we're ready to move on." Gemma put the lit on the jar.

"So now we have two options. If we're not in a hurry, we can let the Calendula infuse in the oil for about thirty five days." He said, waving his hand in the approximate motion. "If you do that, be sure to store it in a dark, warm, and dry place. You'll want to shake the jar every couple of days and also make sure that the flower stays under the oil. This goes for any oil infusion." He looked at Gemma and she nodded as she took notes.

"However, if you want to speed things up, which we do so we can make the salve, you can use heat to make the oil infuse faster!" He gestured to the stove.

Gemma got the stove ready and soon water was boiling in a pan.

"All right, so for a double boiler system, we want to suspend one pan over another so that only the vapor of the water touches the pan with the herbs. We also have to be very vigilant to make sure the herbs don't cook, and the water doesn't boil out. So you and I can take shifts for the next four to eight bells while this infuses!" He sounded so excited, but the length of time he was suggesting finally cut through Gemma's positive mood.

"Eight bells?!" She complained.

"Well, four to eight, and I'll be helping you all the way!" He beamed.

The next six bells were not as bad as Gemma expected. They just had to check the stove and add water sometimes. Her dad helped her make sure the pot wasn't too hot, and before long, they were done.

"Now that that's done, set up a few layers of cheese cloth and we'll strain the infused oil through it." Gemma did so, and they poured the oil through the mesh so that the now discolored flowers would not go into the final oil product.

"And there you go! We have Calendula infused oil! Next we'll make it into a salve." He said.

"But you can go ahead to bed. I know you missed nap time."

Journal Entry :