Looking Forward to Litha

Now that Beltane has passed, it's time to look ahead to Litha. Besides being many other things, Litha is the herb harvest and a time for preparing your herbs for both magickal and mundane uses.

Drying herbs is not nearly so difficult or expensive as one might think. All that is truly needed are 2-3 air conditioner filters, 2-4 cement blocks and a box fan. No, I'm not kidding. You will also need a bottle for every herb type you dry. I recommend saving small bottles and jars throughout the year, or hitting up a friend with a baby for baby food jars.

Gather your herbs by the light of the full moon, but before dew has settled on the plants. Remember to thank the plant for its sacrifice and if it is a perennial, reward it with a plant food spike, a dusting of plant food, or a drink of a formula I'll give another day. Treat them well, and they'll reward you year after year. Feel free to name them, if you wish. For instance, my potted basil is called "Lazarus" because he refuses to die, despite being an annual. Every year, he grows larger and healthier. LOL!

Lay your herbs on the filters, using a different filter for each herb. write on the outside of the filter with a Sharpie what the herb is on that filter. Stack the filters as you go on the blocks. If you have the strong-sided filters, two blocks will do, one on each side. If they are the weak, easily bent cardboard, use one block for each of the four sides for better support. Lay the box fan on top of the filters, facing so the air is blown through the filters and out below. Turn it on low and walk away. Turn it off at night. Check the herbs to see if they dried well and are crumbly. If not, turn on the fan again for the day. How long it takes depends on your climate and the humidity conditions.

While the herbs dry, prepare your bottles. There are glass paints such as PermEnamel brand available in most craft stores. Read the bottles carefully to find the ones that can be air-dried and choose dark colors like green, black and brown. Paint your bottles in your chosen color, and then paint on the herb name in white as a permanent label. Allow them to dry completely before filling them with your dried herbs. The dark colors will prevent light from spoiling your herbs before you use them up. (This trick is also good to do for your spices, BTW.)

When the bottles and herbs are dry, put the herbs in the bottles and screw down the lids well.

Store your herbs in a cool, dry cabinet away from light. The colored bottles help, but have only 70-80% reduction in light. The dark cabinet does the rest. Your herbs will now be ready for use throughout the year in creating candles, incenses, vinegars, teas, and potions.