The following is a listing of the most basic
tools you will need before you begin making any of your own remedies.
�Remember to wash all material thoroughly with pure soap and hot water,
rinsing until all residue is gone. �Tools must also be completely cleansed
between uses, for the Magickal Herbalist this will mean not only the physical
cleansing of the tools but the spiritual
cleansing of them as well to remove any energies which have settled upon
them or may be left over from the previous patient.
THE MORTAR and PESTLE
� � This is the tool most visually associated with the traditional
herbalist as well as your local pharmacist. �For those of you who don't
know, the mortar is the bowl or cup shaped part and the pestle is the part
used to grind down the herbs. �These may be of any size and style or
your choosing but the more porous the interior the better, try to chose something
which has an unglazed interior. �Glazed interiors are quite beautiful
but the mere fact that they are not porous
detracts from your purpose here, the glazing will simply cause the herb to
fall back to the bottom of the mortar instead of using friction to grind
the herb efficiently. �Contrary to their appearance, herbs really are
tough little things and it takes a heavy pestle to grind
them down. �
� � In place of the mortar and pestle, or until you can find a
set you like, you may use an electric coffee bean grinder. �Do not use
this for the purpose of grinding down resins such as dragons' blood, frankincense
or myrrh as they do not grind in this manner and will eventually muck up
your machinery. �They must be ground with mortar and pestle or purchased
already powdered.
DIARY
� �Is an essential tool! �In it you will record ALL of your
work as an herbalist, from when you harvested to when you made your remedy,
how much herb(s) you used, how long you let the remedy boil or stand, who
you gave it to and what the progress was. �Also for each individual
you will want to keep a separate index card file, you will record their name,
age, weight, height,
physical condition, physical symptoms and what you did to help them and how
long it took to work. �In this manner you will be able to more accurately
judge your own actions as an herbalist as well as having
a better overall picture of each person you have treated. � Never trust
to Ginko what you can write down!
PHILTER
� � Is a very old way to say strainer. �This object should
not be made of metal. �Plastic works well but so does a regular throw
away automatic drip coffee filter. �If you are going to use a coffee
filter for this purpose be sure it is Unbleached. �Also, pieces of
cheesecloth and linen work well for this purpose. �Once you have made
your remedies most of them will need to be strained
through a filter before using them.
INFUSER
� � Is an egg shaped object that you can pick up at any "gourmet"
coffee shop. �It's basically just a re-usable tea bag and is good when
you are only making one dose of remedy at a time rather than trying to store
a large quantity. �This should be ceramic and not metal.
SCALES
� � These may be of any size and design of your choosing but try
to purchase scales which will show you measurement in ounces as well as grams,
this will help greatly when trying out new things.
GLASS BOTTLES and JARS
� � Again these may be of any size, shape and design of your choosing
but they should be dark in color either brown, blue or green and have tight
fitting lids. �It is good to have several different sizes on hand ranging
from small one to two ounce bottles to larger ones which are eight ounces
and over. �You will use the smaller ones for things such as oils and
ointments, the larger will be
used to store leftover infusions and decoctions as well as for making
tinctures.
EARTHENWARE POT
� �Again not a pot made of metal, do not use a tea kettle or other
metal object for herbal purposes. �"She keeps saying that! �Now
tell me why!" �OK, the metal when heated can and often does slightly
alter the property of the herbs you are working with and can interfere in
your goal as a healer. �Also depending on the amount of chemicals in
your local water supply it can alter the
natural properties of the water as well. �It is best to always use something
ceramic for purposes of working with herbs. �The pot may be of any style
and design of your choosing, big or small it's up to you.
MISCELLANEOUS TOOLS
� �You will also wish to have several sizes of bandages on hand
as well as gauze and tape. �First aid bandages are important as well.
�A few eye droppers normally turn out to be very helpful, when you purchase
them be sure the rubber squeeze thing on the top can be removed easily
for complete cleaning. �For those of you
who will harvesting herbs you will want your own pair of
sheers or sharp knife for this purpose, this cutting instrument should not
be used for any other purpose than harvesting your herbs. � You will
want a good bunch of string for tying your herbs together for drying (we'll
discuss drying, harvesting and purchasing later). �Also labels are
important, always label your jars with the name of the herb and the date
you made the remedy.
 Drop me an�e-mail
 Return to�Magickal Herbalism
 Visit the Library
 Sit in the Magick Gardens
 Take a Magickal Odyssey
|