lessons 1-3 THE BEGINNING

[covenofkeys]

:hahugh: hi there all-please advise this class is due to start today.
please have ready for this class some paper and a pencil to take down your notes.
this is what will happen-i will post some information which i advise you to copy down.
as i said to you all-my way of teaching is very different. if you have questions or queries, then you should post them accordingly,{see the other thread in announcements}
when the basic information has been collected by you, i will then set you tasks based on that information you have received.you will be expected to study out side of the class, independantly, and all the information that you learn should be recorded.
you may also want go to your local Herbal supplier shop and get a few inexpensive items.this is optional.but nonetheless will help.
someone asked me how much i charge for this-i was shocked-it is free!!!{other than a few items you may want to buy, to try some of the things i teach you out}
i will try to teach you all alot in a short space of time, so if you like hard work-thats just as well-this is a large subject!!!
DATE OF STARTING:today Monday 6th November 2006
ok i shall make the first post on this date, please keep a look out for the posts i make- i will be writing in here most days, so please try to keep up-any problems please let me know.
when i have posted, i would ask that you acknowledge this by just coming in to say hi. that way i get an idea of who is in fact attending this, and who is not.
more than one failure to acknowledge will result in you being off the course, so advise if you cannot make it, for any reason, pm me asap.thankyou.
at the end of this course, you will have an exam of some sort. you will then if you pass{and this is not going to be easy.}receive a certificate at the end-just a little something that i thought you would all appreciate! a bit of fun to say that you survived me!! lol
well try and include a bit of fun too! ok?
so....as this is my first time doing this online at least {eek}
i would ask that if you have any questions to please not post them in here, but in the announcements thread.{where you signed up!!}
thankyou all so much for your interest and patience-i am honoured to be abled to teach such wonderful people.xx
take care, :cheers:
yours sincerely,
Nightshade HPss{Coven of Keys}


class rules
1>no throwing pens at eachother when im gone or you will be wedgied.
2>no chewing gum under the class chairs and tables
3>no alcohol or cigarettes in class, and i will know!
4>no insults about the teach.
5>no slacking or you will be on detention.
6>no food fights or wrestling matches.
7>no talk of murdering Nightshade{however much youd like to!}
8>no absences or again wedgies will be given.
9>no laughing or joking, i outlaw it!
10>remember to curtsey on entry to the queen of ridiculousness and disorganisation!

LOL

[covenofkeys]

Lesson 1 herbal healing…..
Are we all ready? Right then!!

Lesson1-History

Long before records were kept, man was using wild Herbs for both medicines and food.
Over the years, we learnt what was safe to eat, and what caused poisoning, -even death. It must've been a matter of trial and error.
Mandrake root was one of the first medicinals to be used, widely as a painkiller. Most of the Herbs first used were native to the Middle East.
It was in about 2000BCE in Babylon that the first documented account of Herbs appeared, describing tried and tested medicinals, and even included some well known Herbs, such as Bay tree,Thyme,Caraway, and Coriander.
Detailed instructions were given for their preparation and administration.
The Ancient Egyptians imported many of ytheir Herbs, Spices and Aromatics from distant India, learning and indeed assimilating many traditional methods.
Anise,Caraway,Fenugreek,Opium and also Thyme ans Saffron were amongst others, in great demand for food use,Medicines,Cosmetics and Perfumes.
They were also used for Dyes and Disinfectants and in the highly skilled Art of Embalming.
In turn the Greeks built upon the Knowledge of Herbs gathered over the years, and added greatly to it.
Most famous, were the writings of Hippocrates, the 'father of Medicine', who was both Physician and Teacher.
Roughly around 400BCE his students were learning the value of Herbs in healing, in easing pain and curing many diseases and ailments.
His valuable Teaching and methods of practise, set the pattern for modern Medicine.
In the first century, ACE, the Greek Physician Dioscorides listed over 500 plants and Herbs in Materia Medica. This book was the standard work on the subject.
A century later, Galen also a Physician in Imperial Rome went on to write many more books on Herbal Medicine, which remained in use for about 1500 years. The old word 'Galenical' describing a Medicinal preparation, was in fact derived from his name.
When the Romans conquered most of Europe, they took with them a vast knowledge of Herbs. Such was their faith in the accuracy of appliance by Herbs to disease and ailments, that they would often carry them and the seeds to plant, cultivate and use.
Over 200 different Herbs were introduced to Britain for example, by the invading Romans, amongst them: Fennel,Sage,Borage,Betony,Parsley,Rosemary and Thyme.
During the 400 years of Roman occupation,many Herbs they had cultivated became carefully naturalised and now grow wild in many places today.
Monastries wer used to school and teach in Medicine and even cultivated gardens of Herbs.
Throughout the Middle Ages, Herbal folklore flourished in the towns and villages. During all this time they had known relatively little about Herbs, as most of the information was passed down through word of mouth.
As we became literate, more and more people learned to read and write, and books were published on the subject.
In 1551 ACE Steven Mierdman published the first part of William Turner's
'New Herball' which described some 238 British plants and was the first scientific study of plants.
The two most famous Herbalists, wer John Gerard, and Nicholas Culpepper.

Lesson2 continues tomorrow, with the History.

There is a lot of information here, i would like you all to record this in a note book or something, as i will be wiping the lessons at the end.Please come in and acknowledge below, that you have seen this.
We will continue on the History tomorrow. Thankyou all for your time.
Eternal Blessings,
Nightshade High Priestess.

some information which you may find useful.

USA Herbal suppliers
Borchelt Herb Gardens,
HE 474 Carriage Shop Road,
East Falmouth, Mass.02536
{seeds only}

Caprilands Herb farm,
Silver Street,
Coventry,Conn.06238

Carroll Gardens,
Box 310,
Westminster,Md.21157.
{plants only}

Comstock, Ferre & Co.
236 Main Street,
Wetherfield,Conn.06109
{seeds only}

Gilbertie of Westport,
7 Sylvan Lane,
Westport,Conn.06880.
{plants only}

Hilltop Herb Farm,
Box 1734,Cleveland,
Texas 77327.

Merry Gardens,
Camden,Maine 04843.

Nicholas Garden Nursery,
1190 North Pacific Highway,
Albany,Oregan 97321

Rocky Hollow Herb Farm, Inc.
R.D.2, Box 215,
Lake WallkillRoad, Sussex,
N.J 07461.
{seeds only}


Rosemary House,
120 South Market Street,
Mechanicsburg,Penn.17055.

Sunnybrook Farms Nursery,
9448 Mayfield Road,
Chesterfield,Ohio 44026.
{plants only}

Taylor's Garden Inc.
2649 Stringle Avenue,
Rosemead,Calif. 91770.
{plants only}

Well Sweep Herb Farm,
Mt.Bethel Road,
Port Murray,
N.J 07965.

i will post some more suppliers from UK,Canada,Australia,and New Zealand
tomorrow.

A good reference book to this is Arabella Boxer & Phillipa Back's book: The Herb Book published in 1980, by Octopus Books Limited.

With acknowledgements to them

[covenofkeys]

Lesson2-History continued

In 1557 Gerard, an Apothecary to James I, produced his well known 'Herball'
It was based on the work of the Flemish Physician Dodoens,but included many of the plants growing in America, 'that new lande'.He mentioned both the potato and tomato, which he called 'apple of love', together with those Herbs growing in his own Physic garden.
In 1653 Culpepper, a Physician, brought out a Herbal in which he disagreed with much written by Gerard and other Herbalists.Culpepper made exaggerated claims for the Medicinal power of some Herbs.
He also linked Herbs to Astrology, to such an extent, that though this was popular in England at the time, it damaged his own credibility of his work in the eyes of other scholarly Physicians.
The first Herbal known in America, was published in 1569 by a Spanish Doctor called Nicholas Monardes.
He wrote of the Herbs found by the earliest settlers. The Herb Bergamot, Monarda didyma, commemorates him.
Amongst their few belongings, those first settlers of America took with them treasured seeds and roots of their favourite Herbs. Many Herbs quickly flourished in their new environment and became native plants.
These included: Soapwort, Comfrey, Yarrow, Chamomile, and Coltsfoot.
At the endof such a long sea journey, the pioneers badly needed to eat fresh green food and soon after their arrival, set saladvegetables, such as Sorrel, Parsley, and Good King Henry to grow.
Friendly Indians showed the new inhabitants many plants already growing in the country that had culinary and Medicinal properties and uses.
The best known of these was Bergamot, the leaves of which could be used as a tea, the Indians called Oswego tea.
The cultivation of Herbs in America, reached its peak in the 18th Century with the emergence of the Shakers, so caled, because of their religious dances.
These people dedicated to the celibate lifestyle and were a small group of people.Simplicity was the Key to their way of life and living and they strongly believed that 'beauty rests on utility; the highest use possesses the greatest beauty.'
Shaker economy was based on agriculture:they became America's professional Herbalists, the first ot grow and also the first ot sell Herbs on a large scale.The Shakers cultivated a wide variety about 150 species in all and were soon well known for their high quality of their plants.Among the Herbs sold, were Basil, Tansy, Sage,

hold on not finished.......

[covenofkeys]

Contd......

Horehound, Hyssop and Thyme. They made the herbs into Ointments, Salves, Medicines of all kinds, Pills, and Powders.
The influence of the Shakers lasted for over 100 years, and as a result the interest in Herbs continued in America without interruption.
In Britain, however, the custom of growing Herbs for use in the home had largely died out by the mid-19 th century. The Industrial Revolution brought people flocking from everywhere into towns in search of work.Small terraced houses in the quickly growing towns offered no space for gardens. Much of the knowledge for culinary and Medicinal Herbs use, declined as patent Medicines and table condiments rose in popularity.
In less intensively industrialized countries like France and Italy, the use of Herbs, particularly in cookery has never ceased.
In Europe, where Herbs grew vigorously in the wild, the commercial collection and cultivation of them was organized on a wode scale. Medicinal plants were imported at relatively low cost by Britain. Some dried culinary Herbs were also available, but the quality was poor and as time went on people ceased to use more than the familiar ones, those being: Thyme,Parsley,Sage and Rosemary.
The advances in scientific knowledge during the 20th century, enabled scientists to studt and isolate the chemical substances of the plants, and to also synthesize its peoperties. This then meant that accurate dosage could be administered, and instant medicine from the drugstore became available to all.
Synthetic flavourings sold in little bottles were simple to use in the kitchen.
Modern manufacturing techniques meant that there was no longer a need for the ailing and expensive Herb industry to continue in Britain.
In the countryside, however and particularly in Mediterranean countries, knowledge of the uses of Herbs survived.
During the last 40 years, there has been a dramatic revival in the interest
of the uses of Herbs
on both sides of the Atlantic. Bulk processing and the addition of preservatives to food has resulted in loss of natural flavour,colour and aroma.
The palate is dulled by these artificial agents.
Many people, anxious to use the Herbs again in order to taste the delicious natural flavourings, and to benefit from their nutritional value, are seeking out recipes for meals which include Herbs. Others, sensitive to the possible side effects of certain synthetic products including Medicines, are looking towards the natural therapies, like Herbal Medicines, which can be used to treat many ailments and illnesses.
Thankfully, the values of this knowledge of Herbs and plants are again being recognised.


Herbal suppliers

UK

Ashfield's Herb Nursey,
Hinstock,Market Drayton,
Shropshire.
{plants and seeds}

Daphne Ffiske Herb Nursery
Rosemary Cottage, Bramerton,
Norwich,NR14 7DW.
{plants}

Dobie Seeds
Upper Dee Mills,
Llangollen,
Clwyd,
Wales.
{seeds}

Heches Herbs,
St. Peter in the Woodm
Channel Islands.
{plants}

Hereford Herbs,
Ocle Pychard,
Herefordshire.
{plants}

Hoolington Nurseries Ltd.
Woolton Hill,
Newbury,Berks.
{plants}

Hullbrook House Herb Farm,
Shamley Green,
Guildford,
Surrey.
{plants}

Manor House Herbs,
Wadeford,
Chard,
Somerset.
{plants}

Midsomer Herbs,
Byways,
Silver Street,
Midsomer Norton,
Bath.
{plants}

Old Rectory Herb Garden,
Ightham,
Nr,Sevenoaks
Kent.
{plants}

more contacts to come for Canada ,Australia and New Zealand.

HISTORY LESSON OVER!!

[covenofkeys]

y'all is welcome. see yous tomorrow, my homework is done for the class tomorrow, so im gonna post then run, cos im having a day off! lol
class rules
1>no throwing pens at eachother when im gone or you will be wedgied.
2>no chewing gum under the class chairs and tables
3>no alcohol or cigarettes in class, and i will know!
4>no insults about the teach.
5>no slacking or you will be on detention.
6>no food fights or wrestling matches.
7>no talk of murdering Nightshade{however much youd like to!}
8>no absences or again wedgies will be given.
9>no laughing or joking, i outlaw it!
10>remember to curtsey on entry to the queen of ridiculousness and disorganisation!

LOL

well enjoy, and i'll see you all soon.x ~hugs~

[covenofkeys]

Lesson 3 -50 most popular herbs

NAME LATIN/BOTANICAL

BORAGE-borago officinalis-

COMFREY-symphytum officinale

HOP-humulus lupulus

ELDER-sambucus nigra{EU}sambucus Canadensis{USA}

CHAMOMILE-matricaria chamomilla

MARIGOLD-calendula officinalis

SOUTHERNWOOD-artemisia abrotanum

TARRAGON-artemisia dracunculus{FR}dracunculoides {RUS}

YARROW-achillea millefolium

HORSE-RADISH-cochlearia arammoracia syn. Amoracia rusticana

WATERCRESS-nasturtium officinale

APPLE MINT-mentha rotundifolia

BASIL-ocimum basilicum{sweet}ocimum minimum{bush}

BERGAMOT-monarda didyma

HYSSOP-hyssopus officinalis

LAVENDAR-lavandula spica

LEMON BALM-melissa officinalis

LEMON THYME-thymus x citriodorus

MARJORAM-origanum onites{pot plan}majorana{sweet}vulgare{wild}

PENNYROYAL-mentha pulegium

PEPPERMINTmentha piperita

ROSEMARY-rosmarinus officinalis

SAGE-salvia officinalis

SPEARMINT-mentha spicata

SUMMER SAVOURY-satureia hortensis

THYME-thymus vulgaris

BAY-laurus noblis

CHIVES-allium schoenoprasum

GARLIC-allium sativum

MARSHMALLOW-althaea officinalis

JUNIPER-juniperus communis

PURSLANE-portulaca oleracea

SALAD BURNET-poterium sanguisorba

ROSE-rosa canina{wid dog}rosa rubiginosa{syn}R.eglanteria{sweetbriar}

WOODRUFF-asperula odorata{syn}galimum odoratum

EYEBRIGHT-euphrasia officinalis

NASTURTIUM-tropaeolum majus

ANGELICA-angelica archangelica

ANISE-pimpinella anisum

CARAWAY-carum carvi

CHERVIL-anthriscus cerefolium

CORIANDER-coriandrum sativum

CUMIN-cuminum cyminum

DILL-anethum graveolens

FENNEL-foeniculum vulgare

LOVAGE-levisticum officinale

PARSLEY-petroselinum crispum

SWEETCICELY-myrrhis odorata

VALERIAN-valeriana officinalis

LEMON VERBENA-lippia citriodora


TASK
I would like you all to try and find out one use for each of the Herbs given, using all your resources to hand.


eg-RUE-ruta graveolens-cosmetic use-leaf infusion and use as a bathe to help tired eyes.


This should be completed by:Wednesday 15 th November and should be posted below.
Thankyou.

NEXT LESSON WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW-GLOSSARY OF USEFUL TERMS AND WORDS{will be in a separate thread}

[covenofkeys]

Thread Closed Until Next Course Begins.