Tag: herbalism
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Building an Alchemical Incubator: Modern Heat for Ancient Work
In our series on spagyric alchemy, we mentioned the benefits of letting an alchemical preparation extract or mature at a consistent temperature. In herbal spagyrics, and doubly so for more advanced types of alchemy, there is a distinct benefit to being able to hold the work at some prescribed temperature for a long period of…
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Materia: Echinacea – Echinacea spp.
Overview Of all the plant medicines in my home, a tincture of echinacea is perhaps the most used. When I wake up with the beginnings of a scratchy throat, or notice that my lymph nodes are swollen, echinacea is the first thing I reach for. It is a plant of resilience and fortification, standing as…
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Spagyric Alchemy III: Bringing It All Together
Over the course of the last couple posts, we’ve been discussing the field of alchemical spagyics: the application of alchemical principles to create plant-based medicines. In the first post, we talked about the high level theory of alchemy – solve et coagula – and different theoretical models for how that separation can be effected in…
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Spagyric Alchemy II: The Selection of Ingredients
In last week’s post, we talked about the general theory of alchemy – solve et coagula – and how it relates to the vegetable kingdom in the form of spagyric alchemy. We covered a number of different theoretical frameworks for how alchemical separation can be effected, but stopped short of actually delving into the specifics…
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Spagyric Alchemy I: Theory of Herbal Transformation
For centuries, alchemy has been seen as a transformative art – a mystical science wherein base lead is turned into gold, the mundane elevated into the extraordinary. While the scope of alchemy as a whole is huge and sprawling, many texts recommend students start first with spagyric alchemy: the application of alchemical principles to extract…
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Materia: Lemon Balm – Melissa Officinalis
Overview Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is an herb of gentle power, offering profound rejuvenation to body and spirit alike. Its cooling, drying energetics, combined with its uplifting nervine properties, make it a soothing remedy in times of turbulence. It calms the anxious mind, brightens melancholy, and eases digestive discomfort born of stress, embodying the nurturing…
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Materia: Garlic – Allium Sativum
Overview Garlic is pure Mars. Its essence is one of violent, transformative fire – a potent force that cleanses body and spirit alike. This humble bulb hides within it a warrior’s heart, driving out corruption and restoring vitality. Medicinally, garlic is a protector, its antimicrobial action expelling parasites and infections, invigorating the blood, and dissolving…
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Glossary of Herbal Preparations
This post is a counterpart to the Glossary of Herbal Actions, found here. In a previous post, we covered herbal actions, this one covers standard herbal preparations. These herbal preparations offer a range of methods for using plants to support health and magical practice. Just as different herbs hold unique properties, the ways we prepare…
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Glossary of Herbal Actions
This post is a counterpart to the Glossary of Herbal Preparations, found here. In addition to my work with magic, I’ve spent some time studying herbalism – a practice I find complements natural magic wonderfully. Herbs not only provide a source for a wide range of medicinal remedies, they also have a long history of…