Aren't we Witches
famous for our Witches Brew? No, a brew isn't necessarily boiled in a
big cauldron, made from ingredients such as "eye of newt" and "brain
ofbat"...it can be much more simple than this. A brew
simply is an herbal
infusion - a tea of sorts, and they have many uses. The brews I've
included here are easy to prepare, and store quite well in your herb
cabinet.
One thing you must
remember about brews is the type of water used to make them. The water
must be as pure as possible. Rain water is your first choice, since it
has come straight from the Earth. However, pure water from any stream
or body of water is also fine. If you cannot do either of these,
distilled or spring water is better than tap water. Sea water or
mineral water is not recommended.
I think a brew is best
made over an open fire, either in a fireplace or outdoors somewhere.
After all, it's how our ancestors had to do it. But in our modern
age, sometimes this
isn't an option, so a stove can beused. When boiling the water, and
steeping the herbs, try to stay away from metal, as the metallic
properties can altar
the magickal properities of the brew.
Basically, there are
two ways to infuse the brews.
First way is to
gather, grind and empower the herbs.
Heat two cups water to
boiling, and place about one handful of the herbs in a heatproof,
non-metallic container. Pour the water over the herbs and cover
with a steam-tight
lid. Let the herbs brew for about 13 minutes, then strain and bottle
for use. Typically, a brew should be used as soon as possible, but some
can be stored in the
refrigerator for three or four days. After this, return them to the
Earth and make a new batch.
Some of the brews
below were taken from Scott Cunningham's book, "The Complete Book of
Incense, Oils and Brews."
