Making your own potions & using herbs for healing

[MysticDreamFaerie]

I'm having a hard time, how do you brew up your own potions. I don't have a cauldron or anything, I want to make oils for myself, preferably healing oils. It looks difficult to me and I'm a very stubborn person and I don't want to give up cause this is something I want to do. Is there a book for beginners that will make it easier for me to understand. This all seems so frustrating to me.

[Shub Niggurath]

Hey MysticDreamFaerie,

You mean potions? Traditionally. potions are used for spells and rituals which means that most often they're not made for consumption. You don't need a real cauldron for that either! Most of the modern witches brew their potions in regular pots (unless you have a high quality copper cauldron without any coating on it).

But anyway, if you're interested in making your own healing oils and other herbal wonders for healing I can recommend you Mountain Rose Herbs channel on YouTube. They explain everything really well

Here's a video on how to make herbal oils. They can be used for healing, massage, aromatherapy or as an ingredient for herbal salves and other useful things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e095va7iAX0

Keep in mind that it's important to pick the right herbs if you want to make a healing oil. Every herb has its purpose and healing properties so you need to know what exactly you want it for. If you need any suggestions or herbal blends ideas just ask

[MysticDreamFaerie]

Oh dear, I did a typo there I'm sorry. I should have double checked my post before making the post. Another new question I have is does Green Witchcraft use these herbs mostly like this? Or do they just grind herbs and mix certain ones up together. See I'm beginner to the craft and this is why I have so many questions.

[Siona]

Another new question I have is does Green Witchcraft use these herbs mostly like this? Or do they just grind herbs and mix certain ones up together. See I'm beginner to the craft and this is why I have so many questions.

A green witch (or any witch who is interested in herbalism) can use herbs in a variety of different ways, from making infused oils, to making teas, tinctures, salves, balms, infused wines, vinegars, making incense, herbal baths, poppets (dolls), sachets, using herbs in candle making, making bundles to hang around the home, or cooking with them... there are tons and tons of different ways one can use herbs.

[Seraphin]

There are many things one can do with herbs:

• Prepare a Herbal Tea
  
  I'm an herbalist and spiritual healer and so I use herbs for healing. I do this by making remedy teas. If you want, I'll share the basic procedures of making a cup of healing tea.
• Make Magick Ink
  
  While I don't make herbal oils and herbals charms that often, I do make talismans a lot.
  
  In making talismans, I use water color paper (as Xiao Rong wisely suggested), and a herbal infusion or tea and sometimes I would mix it with acrylic paint to make magickal ink for drawing the symbols with.
• Let the Herbs Simmer
  
  Most of the time, I also use my herbs and spices to make raw incenses but I find that simmering the herbs on water in an aromatherapy oil diffuser is a wonderful alternative. This make my life easier as you dont need to tend to the candle flame and it doesn't suffocate me with the smoke.

[Shub Niggurath]

Another new question I have is does Green Witchcraft use these herbs mostly like this? Or do they just grind herbs and mix certain ones up together. See I'm beginner to the craft and this is why I have so many questions.

It all depends on what you like to use the herbs for and how. As a green witch you might probably want to maintain your connection with Mother Earth and "feel" the herbs you're using. You need to find your own way of maintaining the connection but there's no wrong ways of doing that
The best way I could imagine would be planting your own herbs or gathering the ones growing wild in nature. And not only using the herbs to make something out of them but also learning how to tap into the plant's spirit and learn from it, allowing the plant spirit to heal you.
As Siona mentioned, there's tons of ways to use herbs and tons of things you can make out of them and it's okay for a green witch to do all that. In fact the more you practice the more you understand herbs and plants. Just make sure you use what you make out of the herbs or you gift it to someone, don't waste them.

[AnaisStar]

Making "potions" isnt like what you see in movies.

If you are interested in working with herbs in a healing capacity I would study herbs. Looks for courses, go on herbs walks in your area, read books, etc. Im studying to be an herbalist now.

I make my own infused oils, tinctures, salves, etc. There are so many ways you can use herbs for healing and magic, even to cooking with them.