Re: tincture/press

[Guest guest]

Shari Viger wrote:

"Our recipes may not state it but we

almost always suggest people to tincture on the new moon and press on

the full."

Thanks, Don, Suzanne, & Penel

for being gentle with me! Now I have a question about the above quote

from Don.

Does tincture mean to mix or

prepare? And press? Not sure, is it literally to press a preparation?

Any good beginner books I might find

at my local library?

Thanks to all - Shari

===========================

Hi Shari,

No problem. Tincture means to macerate and soak your herbs (either

fresh or dried) in a menstruum (either alcohol, glycerine, vinegar or

water; there are others but they are toxic chemicals).

On the new moon one would place their herbs into a container and add

the menstruum. Cap it and set it some place warm and out of light. Then

they would take it out on the full moon and press it. Yes it literally

means to press the remaining menstruum from the herbs to get as much as

possible out. There are various ways to do this. A tincture press

(fairly pricey but really great to have all the way to straining

through several layers of muslin and then folding up the corners and

squeezing out as much as possible or twist/squeezing out as much as

possible and anything in between).

Now I won't go into great detail but herbalists of old also gathered

their various herbs according to the moon, planets, time of day etc.

Each hour of the day being ruled by a specific planet and every plant

falls under one of them. Quite a science. Whether it is all hogwash or

not, well it seemed to work quite well for them. ;-)

-- Peace be with you,

Don "Quai" Eitner

"Spirit sleeps in the mineral, breathes in the vegetable, dreams in the animal and wakes in man."

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