Willow bark jar

I love herbs.  One of my personal goals is to know what any local plant is that I spot, whether in a store or in the wild.  My progress is slow because few people have that sort of knowledge these days.  Once upon a time, though, when we did not go to the store for pills for every sort of ailment, people knew what to gather in order to fix what.

I started on this little quest not just because I love history and pagan practices.  There is a more basic reason:  I wanted to stop paying for stuff.  Thus I have been learning to make my own tools, and slowly gaining herbal knowledge.  So far I know how to cure a headache (willow bark) and how to cure nausea (blackberry leaves).  The best part is that I never get headaches, and the people I know wouldn't ever take willow bark tea if I offered it to them.  Ah well.  On to the fruit of my efforts.

I want to save at least a jar full of every herb I know about. This is a jar of willow bark, the first one I learned of.  Dried raspberry leaves will come next.

I make my window into a display, because our apartment is small and shared by three people.  This is my only space to show the world that I am awesome. (This is just a temporary picture.  I'll take another tonight after I get my lights all set up.  The willow bark jar is to the right of the lantern, though, if you can see it.)

My herb books don't have instructions for doses, but this website (http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/willow-bark-000281.htm) suggests the following: Boil 1 - 2 tsp of dried bark in 8 oz of water and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes; let steep for ½ hour; drink 3 - 4 cups daily.