A Druid's Handbook to the Spiritual Power of Plants: Spagyrics in Magical and Sexual Rituals - Jon G. Hughes 2014

Refinement Tools
The Druidic Workshop

Even to achieve the simplest results in the workshop, every practicing Druid must gather around him or her a collection of tools and equipment. Some may be everyday items borrowed from the kitchen or toolshed; others will, of necessity, be especially procured for the purpose. We have already mentioned some of the ritual tools, such as the dagger and rope, so what we need to look at next are the special tools and equipment needed to craft our complexes and incenses.

We have seen previously that there are three complementary schools of thought relating to the tools we need—the traditional, the functional, and the scientific—and I have already expressed my preference for a combination of these approaches in my own work.

In combining all three I believe we may maintain the traditional validity of the ritual workings while still ensuring that the most modern and effective methods of hygiene and conservation are not compromised. With this in mind, I have compiled the following list of tools and equipment from my own workshop, with a brief explanation of their use in the refinement of the complexes and incenses described later. In most cases, I have listed the option of a traditional or household alternative to the piece of scientific apparatus described.

Traditional tools

Functional tools

Scientific tools

1. For the Separation and Preparation of the Harvested Plants

Practical Items

· Cutting board. During the initial stages of separating and preparing the various parts of the plants we have harvested, we’ll need to cut or chop the plant material in order to fit it into the vessels we’re using. In order to do this, we will need a durable cutting board. I use a marble cutting slab or sometimes a nylon cutting board. The important thing is not to use a wooden cutting board, as splinters from the board (which is often of unknown origin) may contaminate your material. Nylon cutting boards are practical and hygienic and do not blunt your knife blades, but they are unattractive and utilitarian. Marble is a little more aesthetically pleasing and equally as hygienic, but it does ruin the cutting edge of your knives if you don’t maintain them regularly. Other synthetic materials may be used, but be sure they do not contain any materials that may conflict with the plant material you are cutting. The board will need to be at least big enough for you to cut up an eighteen-inch (45 cm) branch. Traditionally, this work would have been carried out on a stone surface, either a smaller stone slab in the workshop or on the actual working stone of the protective Circle.

· Knives. You will find during the various processes and workings you undertake that you will need a selection of good-quality knives of various sizes. In most cases, however, all of the workings may be carried out by one or another of the three different knives that follow.

A heavy, ridged knife with a blade of approximately eight inches (20 cm). This is used for cutting through branches and chopping branch wood and bark. I may also use a heavy cleaver for the same purpose.

A light paring knife with a blade of approximately four inches (10 cm). You’ll need this to strip bark, to slice, and for general-purpose cutting.

A surgical scalpel with a straight, disposable blade. Used for the more delicate stripping operations and to separate flower parts.

· Grater. When reducing branch wood to a size suitable for maceration, it is often necessary to cut the wood into small, almost powderlike particles. This can be done through repeated chopping with a knife on the cutting board, but I have found that this is usually a tedious and time-consuming process (though traditional in its nature). I now use a grater on the “green” branch wood to achieve the correct consistency. Mine is a standard chef ’s manual grater, the type used in every kitchen for grating vegetables and cheese, and it does a fine job. There is no real traditional equivalent to the grater. I was taught to chop the branch using a knife as described above.

· Mortar and pestle. To reduce any of the materials that are mentioned above to a fine aggregate, it is best to use a mortar and pestle. The material they are made from is not really important; stone, earthenware, and glass are equally effective. Avoid wood, as this may contaminate your materials. The traditional alternative to the mortar and pestle is the maen melin, or millstone—two medium-size flat stones with the material placed in between. As the stones are moved back and forth, the material is slowly ground finer and finer.

· Tweezers. Not a traditional instrument, but useful for removing small petals, and so on.

Ritual Items

· The candle triangle. The familiar triangle of candles used in most rituals and ritual workings. The center candle, in the tallest candleholder, burns the flame that represents the collective energy. The flames from the other two candles represent the sun and moon, respectively. If a Druidic priest is facilitating, the sun candle is placed to the right of the central candle and the moon candle to the left. If a priestess is facilitating, the moon candle stands to the right of the central candle and the sun candle to the left. The sun and moon candles, along with their candleholders, are usually decorated to distinguish one from the other. The moon candle and holder are usually adorned with silver; the sun candle and holder are decorated in gold. The flames often represent the fire element in purification workings, as they do here.

The candle triangle on the working stone of a male Druidic priest

· A vessel of moon-cleansed water. Moon-cleansed water is used in most Druidic rituals, ritual workings, and potions. The process of its crafting is described here. In this particular instance, the vessel of water is used to purify the harvested plant materials before their refinement begins, so the moon-cleansed water needs to be in a vessel around twelve inches (30 cm) in diameter and about two inches (5 cm) deep. Moon-cleansed water is used instead of ordinary water in most Druidic practices. It often represents the water element in combination with earth, fire, and air. All four elements play their part in all purification workings, just as they do in this one.

· An incense burner or crucible. As the candle flames and moon-cleansed water represent the fire and water elements, respectively, so the smoke from the burning incense represents the air element. Traditionally in Ireland the incense is heated on a bed of peat; in Wales, charcoal is most often used. I prefer peat: First, the aroma of burning peat is wonderful in itself, and second, to be truly traditional the charcoal must be made from the same wood as the incense in order not to contaminate it. This can be difficult if working with unusual woods and impossible when working with flowers. In these cases, yew charcoal is considered neutral, but you will most likely have to make it yourself, as it is not a wood often used in making store-bought charcoal. Peat, however, is always considered a neutral agent.

· A suitable incense. As the purpose of the incense on this occasion is one of purification, it would not be appropriate to use one of the incenses crafted from the refinement of the complex. A simple purification incense such as lavender, pine, or rosemary is best.

2. For the Maceration, Maturation, and Storage of the Plant Materials (Cardinals) and Their Essences

Practical Items

· Measuring beakers. I use 400 ml glass beakers, but any clearly marked measuring vessel will work just as well. A kitchen measuring jug is probably the most readily available functional substitute. Traditionally, any vessel of a suitable size would have been used, as the objective is just to measure equal quantities rather than specific amounts. Thus, as long as the same standard measuring vessel is used to measure all the liquids in equal amounts, the actual vessel is immaterial. It is worth considering, however, that you do not want the measuring vessel to be either too large or too small as to render it awkward to use. Something of a capacity of 400 to 500 ml will be most suitable. If you use a vessel with a pouring spout or lip, you will find it more convenient.

· Glass bottles and stoppers. These bottles will be used in nearly all stages of the refinement process, so they need to be of good quality. I use a variety of sizes of glass reagent bottles with ground-glass stoppers, mainly 100 ml, some in clear glass and others in amber. Any airtight vessel of a suitable size will work, but it must be made of an impervious material such as glass or ceramic. Avoid metal storage vessels of any kind.

· Powder jars with screw-on caps. The distinguishing feature of all powder jars is their wide neck. This means we can place plant material in them without difficulty. Bearing in mind that the plant material will expand during maceration as it absorbs the liquid it is being soaked in, we also need the wide neck to remove the plant material at the end of the process. I use 250 ml clear glass, wide-mouthed powder jars with a bakelite screw cap with faced liners. The liner is inside the cap and produces the seal. Any wide-mouthed storage jars will be adequate, such as kitchen storage jars, reused jam jars, and pickle jars, as long as they have an airtight seal. Traditionally, earthenware jars with cork and linen stoppers were used; in fact, I still regularly use the ones from my youth.

· Spatula. A long-shanked, small-cup spatula has many uses in the workshop. It may be used as a stirring device, to remove plant material from bottles and jars, and as an instrument to press plant material against the walls of a funnel to extract the last drops of essence. I use both a micro-spoon spatula and a Chattaway spatula, both of which fit the bill perfectly. A small, long-handled spoon would suffice, as would a glass stirring rod. From a purely functional point of view, a long cocktail spoon or drink stirrer borrowed from the kitchen or bar would also work well. There is a special bronze spoon that was traditionally used for this purpose, one of a collection of various spoons owned by most Druidic priests and priestesses, although I would think it very difficult to obtain a set like this nowadays. The important thing is never to use a wooden spatula or stirrer, as again you will be contaminating your essences.

3. For the Leaching and Filtration of the Cardinal Essences

· Flat-bottom flask. The stability of flat-bottom, conical flasks makes them ideally suited to be the receiver below the funnel when filtering liquids. I use 500 ml conical flasks with ground-glass stoppers. I prefer the standard-mouth aperture to the wide-mouthed version, as it can then double as a fermentation flask. You can, of course, use the measuring beaker mentioned above as a receiver, but then you will have to obtain some form of fermentation flask as well. Any glass or ceramic vessel of suitable size will work as a receiving vessel, and traditionally any handy vessel would have been employed.

· Glass funnel. Many of the operations of the refinement process involve the filtering of liquids. Today, this is usually accomplished with paper disks placed inside conical funnels. The exact method of doing this is explained in detail here, but you will see that it employs a glass funnel. I use a 100 mm diameter glass funnel that I find best for the volume of liquids used. Funnels made of polythene, H.D.P.E. plastic, or ceramic are also suitable. A small kitchen plastic funnel will work, but I prefer the rigidity of glass. Traditionally, brass, bronze, or copper funnels were used, and there is also a filtering funnel used especially for this purpose.

· Filter paper. The circular filter paper is folded into a conical shape and placed inside the funnel in order to filter the liquid passed through it. It is important, therefore, to ensure that the correct grade of filter paper is used. As grades and definitions vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, the best thing to do is look for a filter paper with the following specification: “A general-purpose ashless filter paper with medium speed and particle retention.”

In order to fit the 100 mm diameter glass funnel mentioned above, you will need to obtain 150 mm or 185 mm diameter filter paper circles. From a functional point of view, I have seen some practitioners use coffee filtering cones, but I was not overly impressed by the results. Traditionally, the filtering processes moved progressively through a series of filtering mediums, usually a combination of linen and sheep’s wool, until a clear essence was produced. This was a very wasteful process, as on each successive pass the filtering agents absorbed more and more of the precious essence. It was also unpredictable; if the filtering pad was too dense, the liquids would not percolate through, and if left too loose, the resultant liquid would not be sufficiently clear.

· Retort stand with clamp. I always clamp the filtering funnel into a retort stand and place the receiving vessel, usually a flat-bottom conical flask, below it. This makes the funnel rigid and totally independent of the receiving flask. It is possible, of course, to place the funnel directly into the mouth of the receiving vessel, but I have found from repeated experience that this produces an unstable and precarious situation. I use a retort stand with a rubber jaw clamp to hold the funnel securely above the receiver flask. This means I have a secure funnel to receive the filter paper and liquids, and I am able to remove or replace the receiver flask below it without hindering the process. This is not an essential piece of equipment, although it is very useful. With a little imagination and creativity, an alternative means of securing the funnel over the receiving flask could be devised with bits and pieces from the kitchen or toolshed.

4. For the Fermentation of Flower Essences

· Flat-bottom flask. See above.

· Fermentation air lock. Made of plastic or glass, the air lock prevents air from entering the fermentation vessel while allowing the gases created by the process to escape. The base of the stem of the air lock is designed to fit into a cork or rubber stopper, which in turn fits into the neck of the fermentation vessel. Because most fermentation equipment is designed for home brewing and fermenting homemade wines, the majority of the air locks and stoppers are made to fit demijohns and not the conical flasks that I recommend. It will then be necessary for you to trim down the cork or rubber stoppers to fit firmly the neck of the fermentation flask. This is done quite easily using a sharp knife and a degree of care. Traditionally, a bung of linen was placed in the neck of the fermentation vessel, and that worked reasonably well. The gas produced inside the vessel leached out through the linen, and as the vessel is always under positive pressure, no air entered inside. The linen also prevented airborne bacteria from entering the ferment and disrupting the process.

· Heater/temperature regulator (optional). Fermentation heaters and temperature regulators are also designed mainly for the homebrew market, unless you are prepared to pay a large amount for a laboratory heat bath. They come in many different designs, but I prefer the collar or belt type. These fit around the fermentation flask and, when connected to the electrical supply, maintain the flask and its contents at a constant temperature suitable for optimum fermentation. A practical alternative is to place the fermentation vessel in an airing cupboard, or hot press, as it is known in Ireland, or any other place where it may be maintained at a relatively stable warm temperature. The traditional method is possibly a little unpleasant by modern-day standards. The fermentation vessel was placed in a bucket containing a mixture of straw and cow dung. As the straw and cow dung mixture decomposed, it generated a consistent heat source of exactly the right temperature to aid the fermentation. This is not a method that would go down well in most homes today.

That completes the list of equipment needed to begin our work. There will be one or two small additions as we go along, but the list above covers nearly all eventualities.

Almost all the “scientific” apparatus mentioned above may be bought at reasonable cost from any supplier of laboratory equipment. You will find these in your local telephone directory. It is often a good idea to try to source the equipment from suppliers that cater to schools and universities, as they usually stock a wide range of cheap, durable equipment designed to withstand the rigors of enthusiastic students. Alternatively, there is a range of mail-order suppliers available on the Internet. In my experience, it has never been difficult to obtain these items; every town has a school, and every school buys its laboratory supplies from somewhere. If you have difficulty, call your local high school or a nearby college and ask where they source their apparatus—you can be sure they are buying good-quality equipment at a competitive price.

I have indicated that some of the equipment is used in home brewing and in fermenting homemade wines. Where this is the case, the equipment may be purchased in any homebrew store, by mail order, or on the Internet.

None of the items listed above should cost more than a few dollars, but bear in mind that you may need more than one of each item, and in some cases you may need dozens. Build your stock of equipment as you develop your art.

The shopping list on the facing page provides all the necessary equipment to begin your work and allows you to craft two initial complexes concurrently.

You may substitute any or all of the items with their practical or traditional alternatives. It will be possible, particularly in the early stages of your work, to save quite a bit of money by raiding the kitchen and toolshed. However, if you discover that you wish to continue in your work past the basic introduction, I strongly suggest you begin building up your equipment supply as soon as you can. There is no real substitute for the right tools for the job at hand.

I have not included any of the ritual tools in the shopping list, as you may already have much of this equipment. If not, again I recommend you begin gathering these items so that they are readily available when you need them.

Once again let me stress the need to maintain the highest standards of hygiene at all times, and here this means sterilizing all your equipment before and after it is used. This may be done quite easily using proprietary sterilizing agents bought from any drugstore. In every case, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Now, having looked at the fixtures and fittings of the workshop and the equipment it contains, we are ready to begin our exploration of the refinement process itself.