Perhaps my favorite salve to make in terms of both aesthetic pleasure and a feeling of accomplishment is the one made with the legendary oil from the St. John's wort plant. This oil has a long history and is deeply rooted in Greek tradition.
St. John's wort oil is of a characteristic deep red color and it is said that the deepest the red, the greater the medicinal properties of the oil.
This year's St. John's wort oil, or sword oil, as is traditionally known in Greece, from the legend that ancient Greek warriors used it as a healing agent for wounds suffered in battle, turned out to be of a particularly deep red color.
I attribute this in part to the fact that this year we used a more scientific method in making the oil, instead of the folk method we had been using. The folk method does not rely on any specific measurements of the plant material or the oil. The method I followed this year called for a significantly increased amount of plant matter per oil unit and this made the process much more time-consuming and tedious. Also because of the labor-intensive process, the yield was not as much as I would have hoped. But seeing the oil that resulted from this, I believe it was worth it.
Making the herbal salve always consists of a few simple but meticulously executed steps and the making of the St. John's wort salve is no different.
Icon of the Unmercenary Physicians Kosmas and Damian
First and foremost comes the prayer to Saints Kosmas and Damian, Wonderworkers and Unmercenary Physicians, for their intercession so that I may be made worthy to make something good out of God's gifts. I make the sign of the cross over my ingredients.
It is desirable and something I strive for, to be in a prayerful state of mind throughout the salve making process.
Here are the practical steps of the process:
Step 1: Depending on the quantity of salves I wish to make I weigh the grated beeswax and herbal oil quantities that will be required. There is a certain beeswax to herbal oil ratio I have to follow to achieve the desired consistency, one that I have reached through a process of trial and error in the first period of my salve-making journey.
Step 2: At low heat, I heat the mixture of beeswax and herbal oil in a bain marie. While the beeswax slowly melts into the oil I stir these two ingredients with a wooden skewer.
Step 3: When the beeswax has dissapeared entirely in the oil and there is no visible trace of solid beeswax, the herbal oil-beeswax mixture is ready to be poured in the salve containers, that, before I have even begun the process of heating the two ingredients, have been arranged on my counter to receive their contents. I turn off the burner, lift the upper part of the bain marie that contains the mixture, whipe it underneath to prevent any drops of water from falling in the salve containers, say a prayer for a steady hand, and carefully pour the mixture in the salve tins or jars.
Step 4: Cover the salves and let the mixture solidify for some minutes. It is critical not to disturb the salves during this time in order not to risk having the still liquid content spill from the jars.
After the salves have solidified I let them cool for some hours, covered with the net, and then secure their lids on.
Our St. John’s wort salve in the new 1 oz format
After that the benefits of St. John's wort can be enjoyed in the form of a salve.
Glory to God for His garden!
Penelope
Visit the pages of our St. John's wort salves at the store: