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

The Maceration of The Two Cardinals of The Flower
The Refinement Process: The Complex of the Flower
The Druidic Workshop

Maceration is the first step in the crafting of the individual cardinal essences of the plant. This is where the cardinals of the flower are soaked in an alcoholic spirit for a number of days or sometimes even weeks. During this process the cardinals give up the greater part of their physical and magical (spiritual) attributes to the alcohol spirit, and this empowered spirit is the beginning of the cardinal essence that we desire.

Maceration always takes place immediately following the separation of the cardinals, so normally there would be a work table prepared close to the working stone in order to begin without delay.

Maceration: The Working

For this working you will need:

· The vessels holding the two separated cardinals of the flower.

· Two (250 ml) powder jars with screw caps, to hold the macerating plant material and spirit of alcohol.

· Spirit of alcohol (40% by volume). I use proprietary poteen, sufficient to cover the plant material in each of the powder jars.

· The spatula or stirrer, to stir the macerating plant material.

Begin by putting each of the cardinals into its own powder jar. Cover each with sufficient spirit of alcohol to just cover the plant material in the jar. Stir the contents of each jar well and tightly seal both jars with their screw caps. Label each jar with the name of the flower (the bird’s-foot trefoil), the name of the cardinal it contains (either the male petals or the female flower heads), and the date on which the maceration began.

Store the jars in a cool, dark place for the period of maceration. Return to the jars each day and shake them vigorously to ensure that all the plant material is being immersed in the spirit alcohol. If the level of spirit alcohol falls below that of the plant material, top off the jar until all the plant material is submerged.

Macerating cardinals of the flower

After five days you will begin to notice a difference in the appearance of the plant material. The petals in the first jar will still be bright yellow but they are becoming translucent, and the spirit of alcohol in which they are macerating will take on a light yellow hue. The flower heads in the other jar will be losing their vivid green appearance and taking on a much paler color, and the maceration liquid will be turning a light greenish yellow. Continue to shake each jar every day to ensure even maceration of the plant material. After three weeks the maceration of both cardinal essences will be complete and they will be ready for the leaching process.