Yet another reason that SCA is good for me, is that it’s turning into a hub of all the things I like to do, or have a yen to try.

Knitting?  Check.
I want to learn spinning, though spinning the cat’s fur isn’t exactly period.  So what.
Costumes? Duh. With much embroidery.
Fencing? Maybe, maybe…
Bellydancing?  Oh, please!
Geneology?  As much as I can stand.
Organic gardening?  Yup.
Herbalism?  Double yup.  I think Greet should be an herbalist, it gives her a good reason to go check out the yummy Crusaders who might need a poultice.  And then I can make soap again.

I was watching the 60 Minutes interview clips of J.K. Rowling (Even Potterdom!) online this morning, and she quotes a book that I would like to find (cough**Christmas**cough) called Culpepper’s Complete Herbal, that she uses when she’s "potioning."  POTIONING!!  Love it, love it…though honestly I would also like a more modern ‘herbal’ so I can learn something that actually works.  Our Country Wisdom book has some info.

From Mastering Herbalism, quoted in the Handboke (but is it this one, or this one, or some other?) -my comments in italics.

1. Pluck herbs with the left hand.  When the right hand is used, it must be poked furtively out through the loose left sleeve of the robe, pick-pocket fashion, for the less Mother Earth knows about what is going on the better!
2. Never face into the wind when plucking an herb.
3. Never glance behind you.
4. Never touch the herb with cold iron, as iron destroys all ancient magic.
5. Always address the herb as you cut it and tell it what you are going to do with it.  (That’s nicely like the Native American tradition of thanking the corn, the deer, the rabbit.)
6. Never let the herb touch the ground once it has been picked, or its power will leak back into the earth again.  (Or the E. Coli from the manure you put on the veggie bed will poison you.  Just kidding.) Use a cloth or basket to lay it in.
7. Ideally, you must wear white linen and no shoes OR no clothes at all when you pluck the herb.  (So that’s why herb gardens were enclosed – and perhaps my front yard isn’t the most opportune place…)  No jewelry should be worn either.  Also, more power can be infused into the herb if the operator fasts and refrains from sexual contact for a day or two beforehand.  (!)  No doubt these observations help to reinforce the concentration which is necessary to "impress" the plant and turn it into a psychic battery.
8. The earth has to be rewarded with a little gift of some sort, usually an offering of wine, honey, mead, hydromel (?) bread, corn, or a small coin.

I’ll let you know when I’m potioning.  Test subjects are always welcome.