Potions: Crafting Liquid Magic
A great many things have been happening at a wonderfully quick pace lately, and while thatâs all fantastic in its own way, itâs left me no time to actually make this post, despite my interest in doing so. However, now that everything is slowing down and Iâm finding the time to catch up on things, and after receiving an ask related to this process, I can finally share one of the most important parts of my practice: Potion Brewing. Iâve made a few small posts here and there about it, and how one might use certain ingredients, but Iâve never really gotten into the process. With that said, here are my thoughts on potions, and why theyâre an incredible part of any witchâs skillset.Â
When approaching potion brewing in witchcraft, there are several things one has to keep in mind. First and foremost, there is very little historical evidence to say that practitioners of either witchcraft or cunning craft ever actually brewed potions. Most of the time, the concoctions were herbal tonics, simples, or other forms of herbal infusions used in medicine (queue the major importance of witches also taking up and learning about herbalism). I have seen posts floating around which indicate that the image of the witch and the cauldron comes from medieval beer brewsters which, while I havenât done enough research on to confirm or deny, would not surprise me in the slightest. Now while their may not have been much actual historical creation of potions in the way we think of today, the lore has always been there. Even if witches never did brew potions in the past, we do now, even if it is an underrepresented subject. To my knowledge, there are only two titles which cover the subject of potions, one of which is so expensive that very few people will be able to purchase it. This means that potion brewing becomes something that each witch must develop on their own, if at all. Some never will, and thatâs perfectly fine. But for those that want to, the road can be quite harrowing.Â
The second things to remember is that Verdant Ones used in the creation of the potion are not just tools. Lavender is not good for love, basil is not good for money, and so on and so forth. Just as you have your own spirit, so do the Verdant Ones, and they are far from simple tools to be used and disposed of when the creation of the work is complete. In truth, the creation never will be complete if the botanicals are treated poorly and never addressed. Many may disagree with this, but how then may any botanical be âgood forâ something or another if not by the agency of the spirit within? Is it the chemical makeup? It is the atomic structure? However you view it, you are tapping into something more than the phsyical body, and must give that aspect the necessary attention. Otherwise all you have done is created a tea with no real magic at all save for whatever power you may have given yourself. This brings me perfectly to my next point.Â
A potion is not just a tea. I have seen several posts which have perpetuated this idea, and itâs something which I vehemently oppose. Posts encouraging the creation of luck and success potions, love potions, and the like which have ingredients seemingly pulled at random from a table of correspondence, all thrown together hastily in a tea-pot or simply set to steep in a cup. Looking at the creation of these, there is little to no respect for the agency of the botanical, and even less towards the actual process. The creation of a potion is not as simple pouring hot-water over an herb or two you got from the store, then drinking it. Potion brewing is an involved process wherein the practitioner must return life to the botanical if they purchased it, or whisper to the living Verdant One from which they wish to take. Potion brewing is the coalescing of spirit into matter, blending power and fragility in a dance that combines the embodiment of the kingdoms of Land, Sea, and Sky. Potions are liquid magic, and their creation is an involved process. With all that said, letâs get on the actual process.Â
This may sound simple, but it is truly the most difficult part of the brewing process. What is it you seek to accomplish through the creation of this potion? This will tell you how it will be used, as well as the medium by which it will be create. Are you seeking out luck? Probably best to stick with a water-base take it internally. Do you seek love and, if you do, are looking to attract a new lover and enfold a specific person in your grasp? If the former, you may elect to go with a potion applied topically, crafted of an oil which will hold the scent well. The latter, theyâll need to take it internally, meaning you could perhaps craft an oil in which to cook their food, or an additive to a drink (bearing in mind that while this may be viewed as an older method, it is illegal in many places to add something to someoneâs drink without their knowledge). This will also tell you what you can and cannot use to create the potion. If taken internally, itâs probably best to avoid botanicals that are known to be offensive to the body. My exceptions to this rule are mandrake and henbane, both being poisonous creatures. However, in my use of them, I have found that they rather enjoy working with people, and not always in negative ways. There is a reason henbane has been reputed be work well in love potions for centuries. Mandrake is glorious when seeking the creation of lust. Mind your experimentation, though. While these beloved ones may enjoy working with people, they are strong and must be treated with respect. When I include henbane or mandrake in a potion, its usually in the amount of Âź tsp per a five-cup potion. If the potion is to be used externally, youâll need to stay away from anything which may irritate the skin. If you are using it to mark a space with protection, to lay a curse, or any other goal, you may decide how best to employ it.Â
Perhaps the most frustrating part of the process, the creation of the recipe for the potion itself. This process may take only a few minutes if your goal is simple. However, I know that this is something that will take me days to complete. As I sit and ponder over how to create something that will properly meet my needs, I look at several factors. How will it look? If ingesting, how will it taste? Is it going to be something you need to keep on the shelf for a while? If so, whatâs the best way to keep it from rotting. Once you have all this information, you can begin formulating. Many people will begin with simple potions consisting of only a few herbs and spices, maybe a little chanting, and that will do. Thereâs certainly nothing wrong with that, as itâs how I started. Itâs when you move beyond this that things get interesting. Something I find often overlooked is the inclusion of tinctures in potions. These little alcohol-based extractions may be considered potions in their own right if crafted with care, but the use of them to expand what may be included in a potion will blow the doors of the potion-brewing process wide open to those who want to use them. Tinctures allow you to add in a more concentrated form of a botanical, as well as include botanicals which you may not otherwise be able to include. A good example here is myrrh. Myrrh resin is a wonderful, and quite oily substance, with many older herbals reporting it to be a wonderful antibiotic. However, rendering it into a potion through boiling in water isâŚnot a good idea. The gum will melt to the bottom of the vessel, and begin to burn, making the whole thing near impossible to clean. But, through the tincturing process, the gum in the resin falls away, and you are left with pure myrrh extract in the alcohol. Now you are able to use it in potions. Formulating a potion is an incredibly fulfilling process, and easily the most rewarding. What you put in it is what youâll get out of it.Â
This is the fun part. Once youâve got your potion formulated, itâs time to brew. But this comes with its own set of difficulties. For me, potion brewing is the perfect union of the kingdoms of Land, Sea, and Sky, all through the heat of the fire that renders all through other. This may also be viewed as the union of the four elements by some, though thatâs not a particular concept to which I pay much mind. It is a delicate process, requiring the brewer to pay attention to the formula they have crafted, and the needs of the Verdant Ones therein. Are there roots or barks/spices in the potion? They will need to decoct for at least 20 minutes covered, and youâll have to chop them beforehand. Flowers? They need to be added only after the potion has been removed from the heat. Any herbs will be best brewed with a low simmer, lest they be burned by the heat. But it can go further than that. Have you included animal parts? If so, what are they? The heart of a chicken will need a different brew time than the bones of a rat to infuse properly into the liquid. I donât deal much with the inclusion of metals or stones, but each of these will also need to be considered as their own bodies which need infusion time. But this has only focused on half the equation so far. Certainly, potions should have the physical attributes of the included bodies. But what of the spirit? This is where the true finesse of the work comes into play. When you are brewing, you are not just crafting a tea, as stated before. You are coaxing the spirit virtue of each material included therein to release itself from the body it has known, and comingle with those other bodies and spirit virtues to create something new. You are not just brewing. You are, through the power of the fire within, creating a new spirit virtue from all those blended together. Those spirit virtues are transformed by the act of brewing, and through the witchâs will, something new is born. This also begs the question of how you will brew. Will you brew over an open flame (my preferred method)? Will you infuse for a full lunar cycle in the windowsill? If so, you will need alcohol to prevent rot. Are you going to be taking any particular ritual actions while brewing, such as stirring certain ways or numbers of times? Are you going to encant a spell while you stir? Will you be able to keep your will and fire focused on the goal if such actions are taken? Are you waiting for a certain moon phase to brew the potion properly? What about after? Will you be working further potency in it by placing it upon the hearth to cool and âcookâ further? Or will you be gathering in the spirits of the home to assist as it is brewed? So very many ways of brewing exist, and itâs up the practitioner to decide how they will best go about the process. All that really matters through the process itself, though, is that the witch bring those spirit virtues out of their bodies, and into the brew. I oftentimes see the cauldron spoken about in books as a tool to âsymbolicallyâ stir in virtue. There is no symbolism here. You are literally stirring the virtue together in the womb/tomb that is the cauldron. Quite an experience when you really get going. This leads to the last part of the processâŚ
After all that work, itâs time to employ the potion however you have elected. Itâs here where you want to begin paying close attention. If your potion was supposed to excite lust, how did you feel after drinking it? Are the effects strong or weak? If you are trying to induce good luck, how was the day/night that followed the drinking of the potion? How did it taste? How did it smell? What did it look like? And most importantly, did it actually accomplish your goal. Donât try to fool yourself here. Potion brewing can be incredible if you are honest with yourself. If it didnât work, what might you be able to do to rectify that? What can you change? Do you think it was something wrong with the formula, or the brewing process? Was your will not focused? Was your mind wandering to places unrelated. Certainly thereâs nothing wrong with thinking of past lovers when working a love potion, but if youâre head was occupied with your late car payment, youâll hardly get the love you want. Conversely, such a thing may work well to help attain money through means of a potion.Â
The art of potion brewing is certainly not an easy one, but it is one that is so greatly rewarding. A witch who can brew a potent potion is a witch who is closer to the the Verdant realms. The spirit interaction teaches the practitioner the respect of each and every body used in the creation of each brew, and help them to foster a closer connection with those spirits in the future. In my own opinion, every witch should have the experience of creating a proper potion, if only for the ability to see if itâs something that fits in with their craft.
 If you want to know more, I highly recommend Daniel Shulkeâs books âArs Philtronâ (a book thatâs literally dedicated to the art of potion brewing, and doesnât skimp on the use of things like mandrake) and âViridarium Umbrisâ (a book about the path of the Verdant Ones, and how a practitioner may comes to know the spirits within the bodies themselves). Theyâre expensive, but both are on the site âScribd,â which has a number of fantastic books on witchcraft. If you have any questions, please feel free to shoot me an ask.Â
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