Secret Potions,Elixirs & Concoctions

BOTANICAL & AROMATIC RECIPESfor MIND, BODY & SOUL

by Marie Anakee Miczak

Published by:Lotus Press

P.O. Box 325,Twin Lakes, WI 53181 USA

DISCLAIMER

This book is a reference work, not intended to diagnose, prescribe ortreat. The information contained herein is in no way to be consideredas a substitute for consultation with a licensed health care professional.It is designed to provide information on traditional uses of herbs andhistorical folklore remedies.

COPYRIGHT ©1999, Marie Anakee Miczak

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced in anyform or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storageand retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, exceptby a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Cover Design: Irene ArcherBook Design & Layout: Irene Archer

For inquiries contact Lotus Press,P.O. Box 325, Twin Lakes, WI 53181 USAe-mail: lotuspress@lotuspress.comweb site: www.lotuspress.comphone: (800) 824-6396

First Edition, 1999Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Catalog Number: 98-75822ISBN: 0-914955-45-4

Published by Lotus Press, P.O. Box 325, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin 53181

Contents

Introduction by Dr. M. Miczak...............................................viiPreface ......................................................................................ix

CHAPTER ONE:Using the Formulas in This Book & Special Precautions .......1

Choosing Herbs & Spices to Use........................................2Equipment You May Need..................................................2The All Important Patch Test .............................................3Other Words of Caution .....................................................3

CHAPTER TWO:The Wonderful World of Essential Oils, Herbs & Spices ........5

Essential Oil Chart ..............................................................5Herbal Chart........................................................................8Spice Chart ........................................................................12

CHAPTER THREE:Perfume Blending...................................................................17

Essential Aromatherapy Oil Blending Chart ...................17Fragrance Oil Blending Chart ..........................................19Amorousness Perfume ......................................................21Oriental Song.....................................................................21Silver Moon .......................................................................22Sea Zephyr .........................................................................22Tropical Sun.......................................................................22Overview of famous perfumes

and more advanced blending ......................................23

iv Contents

CHAPTER FOUR:Skin & Body Care ...................................................................27

Honeysuckle Body Elixir...................................................28Amazon Rain .....................................................................29Cleopatra’s Milk Bath........................................................29Shanghai Salts....................................................................30Crystal Salts .......................................................................30Love Bath ...........................................................................30Peppermint Candy Soak ...................................................31Mermaid’s Lagoon.............................................................31Star Burst ...........................................................................32Queen of the Night Body Butter ......................................32Complete Body Treatment

Almond Body Polisher ..................................................33Rose Water Clay Mask ..................................................33Cherry Bath Oil.............................................................33Violet Body Splash ........................................................34

Youth in a Bottle................................................................35Rose Oil Rejuvenator ........................................................35Rose Facial Steam ..............................................................35European Milk Cleanser ...................................................36Strawberry Yogurt Mask ...................................................36Cleansing Rice Mask .........................................................36Ginger After Shave for Men..............................................37Love Potion Lip Balm .......................................................37Love Potion Lip Balm II....................................................37Galaxy Gloss ......................................................................38Acne Poultice .....................................................................38Acne Salve ..........................................................................39Soothing Acne Bath...........................................................39Natural Sunburn Treatment .............................................40Eagle Talons .......................................................................40Mehndi Henna Hand Designs..........................................40

Contents v

CHAPTER FIVE:Hair Care ................................................................................45

Essential Oils That Are Great for the Hair & Scalp.........45Herbs That Are Great for the Hair & Scalp .....................45Basic Natural Shampoo ....................................................46 Commercial Shampoo Additive .......................................46Color Enhancement for Dark Hair ..................................46Color Enhancement for Light/Blonde Hair.....................47Rose Petal Hair Conditioner.............................................47Exotic Fruity Hair Mask....................................................48Natural Hot Oil Treatment ...............................................48Shiny Locks Conditioner ..................................................49Herbal Dandruff Help.......................................................49Hair Growth Tonic ............................................................49Complete Hair Treatment

Natural Hair Purifier.....................................................50Deep Conditioning Almond Hair Mask......................50Shine Boosting Rinse ....................................................51

CHAPTER SIX:Mood & Environment Aids....................................................55

Victorian Potpourri...........................................................55Candles...............................................................................56Dream Pillows ...................................................................59Room Mists........................................................................61Love Sachets.......................................................................62Letters with Real Meaning ................................................62Homemade Incense...........................................................63Soothing Almond Tea .......................................................66Dandelion Tea....................................................................67Love Potion Tea .................................................................67Royal Russian Tea Blend ...................................................67Rose Hip Tea......................................................................68

vi Contents

Violet Sleep Elixir ..............................................................68Sleep Syrup ........................................................................68Spirit Lifter ....................................................................... 69

CHAPTER SEVEN:Share the Secret of Potions.....................................................71

Pixie Dust...........................................................................71Homemade Body Soaps....................................................72Spicy Hard Perfume ..........................................................74Oriental Five Spice Soap ...................................................75Mint Foot Soak..................................................................76Love Potion Massage Oil for Men....................................76Aromatic Fire Place Logs ..................................................77Mint Lollipops...................................................................77Candied Orange Peel.........................................................78Banana Bubble Bath..........................................................79Calming Hard Perfume.....................................................79Healing Salve .....................................................................80Aromatic Stones ................................................................80Friendship Tea ...................................................................81Gift Presentation ...............................................................82

Conversion Chart ....................................................................85Common & Scientific Names of Herbs, Essential Oils

& Spices...............................................................................87Glossary ...................................................................................91Resource List............................................................................95Index......................................................................................101

Not too long ago in man’s seemingly distant past, weenjoyed an intimate relationship with the earth & all it

produced. Each culture developed around its own use ofherbs, fruits & other botanicals that later became their unique“ethnobotany”, literally meaning the knowledge of plantsused by a specific ethnic group for food, medicine & healing.Secret Potions, Elixirs & Concoctions offers an open doorpassage to the healing wisdom of ancient cultures fromaround the world. The combining of folklore & science makesfor an enjoyable, easy to follow guide that you will delight torefer to again & again. In our busy world today, stress is per-haps the greatest stealer of good health, manifesting itself inhypertension, heart disease, anxiety attacks & gastrointestinaldisturbances to name only a few. Therefore, whatever we cando to diminish this eroding factor in our lives will add notonly years to our life, but life to our years!

As you move through the sampling of these exotic, timehonored formulas, you will gain confidence in your profi-ciency to truly effect your own personal physical & mentalstatus. From the soothing bath oils, to the delicately fra-granced candles & sachets, you will find yourself wishing toshare this fountain of joy with loved ones and fully under-

Introductionby Dr. Marie Miczak

stand what living well really means. The ingredients in thesepotions are not costly and there is no need to check yourselfinto an expensive spa to have them prepared. This wonderfulworld of scented earthly delights awaits with health benefitswhich are sure to last a lifetime!

viii Introduction

Dragons blood, bat wings, wine, spider webs and a pinchof ground mummy. Sounds like the quintessential

brew, right? This is certainly most peoples view of a potion.Although it is true that in Medieval times some herbs weremixed with blood and that pulverized mummy was used inVictorian times for various complaints, the majority of con-coctions passed down for generations were quite simple toprepare and used common ingredients. Likewise all of theingredients used in this book may not be what you wouldthink to use on the given applications but are safe and easilyfound in most supermarkets and health food stores.

In this day and age when it seems like a new break-through in medicine is found everyday, it’s intriguing thatpeople are looking to ancient teachings to heal themselves. Beit Aromatherapy, Ayurveda, Chinese, etc. people want theholistic option which these modalities offer instead of a onetreatment fits all approach. During the Victorian periodmainly in America, people started to put a large amount offaith into science and inventions. Herbal concoctions werenow thrown into the Ùwives talesˆ and Ùsnake oilˆ categoryand subsequently looked down upon. Although a largeamount of the elixirs produced and sold by salesmen were of

Preface

no help or even harmful, many of the traditional healingpractices brought over from immigrants’ homelands werequite helpful. In lands where western medicine had not yetreached, people continued to treat their ailments and enrichtheir lives with homemade brews.

In this book you will find many recipes that were usedlong ago but remain beneficial even today. You will find themquite pleasing and easy to make as well. Since they are freshlymade with no chemical preservatives, you are getting the fullbenefit of the herbs, botanicals, etc. that are essential in thehealing process. Most concoctions are made in ten waysdepending on the application in which it will be used and thetype of herb/plant material if any. The easiest and probablymost likely method you yourself already use frequently is theclassic infusion. A more in depth explanation is found later onin the book but it simply entails pouring hot water over freshor dried herbs. This works on delicate parts of a plant such asthe flowers, buds and leaves. The plant material is steeped,strained off and the liquid is ingested as a simple tea. This andthe decoction method was and still is heavily practiced inChinese medicine. A patient would be given a prescriptionand be instructed to visit a herb shop to pick up the neededitems. The Chinese way is to make a very strong brew whichis taken in specific doses throughout the day or week.

Tinctures are another ancient form of extracting thehealing effects of the herb or plant. Most tinctures are madeby pouring alcohol over the plant matter and letting it sit fora period of time. Wine was often used but today vodka is rec-ommended because of the high alcohol content. Syrups arealso effective in treating various ailments. Being that it ismade with honey, it helps cover any unpleasant taste that theherb might hold. First a decoction or infusion is made

x Preface

depending on the plant material and honey is added while themixture is still hot. The ratio is 1:1 or uses equal parts honeyto decoction/infusion. Both of these methods were used byEuropean peoples to cure a great many illnesses such ascoughs, sleeplessness, etc.

Other potions are made utilizing the hot/cold infusion,salve, compress, or poultice technique. If you look closely atmany of the recipes you will see that they fall into one of theabove categories or use some of the methods to make a morecomplex brew. Once you master the different ways of prepar-ing concoctions it will be easier for you to formulate your ownor add to the recipes in this book.

Another extremely important potion is perfume.Perfumery was not only used by peoples in ancient times topleasantly scent their surroundings but also to heal and wardoff what were thought to be air born diseases such as theplague. Herbs, spices, and botanicals were either burned,placed in water which was heated to carry the scent in theform of steam, or added to oils and other ingredients to forma perfume to be applied to the skin. Many cultures kept the artof perfumery and the essential oils used therein sacred. TheEgyptians used cedarwood, frankincense, myrrh and otheroils for embalming. The Greeks were probably the most lav-ish, using perfumes to scent their clothes, bedding, bodies,hair, walls, and more. Throughout Asia perfumes were turnedinto all sorts of incenses which were made and burned torelease the potions into the air. Due to the rich history behindperfumery I thought it only fitting to teach you how to makeyour own... naturally. Today preparing your own fragrances issimple and you can choose from a large array of pure essen-tial and fragrance oils. People have even found that wearing asingle essential oil or note is quite pleasant.

Preface xi

xii Secret Potions, Elixirs and Concoctions

There are so many potions and brews made by people allover the world. This book contains an exceptional samplingwhich I have personally experienced and modified for today’slifestyle. The ingredients are fairly easy to find and to help Ihave also included a resource area that contains mail ordercompanies in which you can find many of the componentsneeded for the recipes. Whether you are new to the world ofpotion making or a seasoned alchemist you will find theseconcoctions enjoyable to create, use and even give away asgifts. Why not benefit from what the past has to offer?

Before preparing a formula in this book, be sure to lookover the entire recipe first. Take the time to see if you

have all the needed ingredients or if substitutions can bemade to fit the materials you have on hand. With some of themore botanical based recipe make sure you have the freshestproduce possible. If fresh fruits and/or vegetables are notavailable, use frozen with your last resort being canned. If youhave no other choice than to use canned, wash thoroughly toremove any impurities such as sugar, salt etc. Fresh fruits andvegetables should if at all possible be organic. If this is not fea-sible make sure to use a special wash made for fruits and veg-etables to remove any wax, colorants or chemicals that may beon the skin. Other botanical ingredients such as eggs, yogurtetc. should also be as extremely fresh for the best results. Youwill probably also notice once you flip through the recipesthat they have a short shelf life and some must be kept in therefrigerator. This is due to the fact that there is no chemicalpreservatives added except for natural honey in a few. Oncemade most of the recipes should be used right away as theystart to lose their effectiveness over time. Another threat toyour creation is molds. If you see even a hint discard and startover again.

Using the Formulas in This Book& Special Precautions

1

2 Secret Potions, Elixirs and Concoctions

Choosing Herbs & Spices to Use

Fresh organic herbs are of course the best. Dried will alsowork well in many of the recipes found in this book. Manyhealth food stores carry a wide variety of loose, dried herbs.You can also buy herbal teas and use the contents of the bagin your concoction. If you will be doing this make sure youfind pure herbal teas that do not contain a large amount offillers such as black tea, etc. Wild crafting is another way ofobtaining herbs. Keep in mind though that plants next toroads can have high levels of lead and other chemicals frompassing vehicular exhaust. Look also to see if the area in whichyou are picking herbs has been sprayed with pesticides or her-bicides. Many park systems do this so try to find out beforetaking anything home. Growing your own herbs in a little gar-den is undoubtedly the best. Which ever route you choose,rinse your herbs well and spray with a fruit/vegetable wash ifyou think it’s needed.

When it comes to spices the fresher the better. Look tomake sure spices are vibrant in color and aroma. Whenground spices are around too long they start to lose their heal-ing qualities. Always make sure caps and lids are on tight andherbs are kept in a cool, dark place. Whole spices like cuminand coriander can be placed in pepper mills and freshlyground.

Equipment You may Need

Here is a list of items that will come in quite handy whenmaking the recipes found in this book:

• Sauce pan and/or small pot• Wooden, glass and/or ceramic bowls• Blender or coffee grinder• Small metal whisk

Using the Formulas in This Book & Special Precautions 3

• Wooden spoons• Chinese hat (sieve)• Glass bottles and/or ceramic cups• Measuring cups (wet and dry) and spoons• Cheese cloth• Mortar and pestle• Wood chopping block

The All Important Patch Test

You will see references to a patch test throughout thisbook. Just what is it? Well, a patch test is taking a smallamount of the formula you’ve just made and applying it to theskin on the inside of your arm. If after 24 hours no rash ortenderness appears, then the recipe is safe to use. If even a hintof irritation shows up do not continue use and discard. If youdo find you have a reaction that persists go to a dermatologistor doctor as soon as possible. Do this with each and everyrecipe in this book. It is an extremely important step thatshould not be skipped.

Other Words of Caution

Just like with OTC products you buy, keep all formulasout of the reach of children. Make sure you clearly mark theconcoction you just made and are now storing in the refriger-ator. A child unknowingly could mistake it for a beverage orfood item, ingest a bit and become ill. I highly suggest gettinga pack of peel and stick labels and a black marking pen. Coverformula containers with plastic wrap and stick on a label.Write the recipes name and date of preparation. This wayother family members may not take it for moldy food and tossit! Also you can keep an eye on the date to make sure you’renot storing it too long.