Passion flower has been used as a healing herb for many years.
The passion flower, a popular herb in holistic medicine, is also known as the maypop, apricot vine and passion vine. The plant is native to the Americas, though it is cultivated throughout Europe as well. Passion flower is a vining flowering plant that grows as tall as 32 feet. Each blossoms grows with five white petals and blue-purple sepals. By any name, the passion flower is useful -- as a muscle relaxant, calming agent and natural sedative. You can make your own healing tinctures out of passion flower to use the herb medicinally.
Instructions
1. Harvest passion flower blossoms with hand shears, cutting the blossoms cleanly at the base of the stem.
2. Place flowers on a clean, dry paper towel and allow them to dry undisturbed for seven to 10 days.
3. Wait until the new moon if you want to draw on natural Earth energies. Some herbalists advise following proper moon phases when making tinctures and other natural cures, but there is no hard evidence to show that observing this custom makes a noticeable difference.
4. Measure out 200 grams worth of passion flower blossoms using a food scale and place them in a glass mason jar.
5. Pour approximately 4 cups of vodka, water or vinegar slowly over the herbs in the jar. The liquid should cover the herbs completely and them some, with approximately 1 to 2 inches of excess liquid to spare.
6. Place the lid on the jar tightly to seal it, so the liquid will not evaporate, and place the jar inside a dark paper bag.
7. Leave the jar inside the bag and keep it at room temperature for two weeks, or until the full moon.
8. Shake the jar by hand once daily to mix the ingredients.
9. Place a cheesecloth, swatch of linen or muslin over the mouth of a dark, coated bottle.
10. Pour the herb-infused liquid over the cheesecloth, straining the liquid as it enters the bottle. Squeeze the herb-soaked cloth over the neck of the bottle to remove all drops of the tincture and cap the bottle.
11. Take the passion flower tincture, 10 to 60 drops, three times daily if you are an adult. Children should not take passion flower tinctures without the approval and supervision of a doctor.
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