Ready Set Write (Herbalism)

[Taithrosa Eldytia]

2nd Day of Summer 510 AV After finished with his medical class Taithrosa didn’t have his other class until later that afternoon. He entered the same class room he had been in before when he had learned about herbs. Unlike his previous time in this room now it was much more noisy as there were a few other students who had joined as well. The desk were situated differently so that everyone would be able to look forwards towards the teacher. Various equipment had been spread around the tables in preparation for the coming class. Taithrosa took a seat near the front and off to the side so as to not block the others view. The tall Akalak still did receive some very strange looks as he sat there waiting. They quickly turned to look back as Drae Sommers walked into the room. She shot them all a glance noticing each and everyone in the room. She acknowledged none and moved to the front of the room. “Alright class, today you begin the basic of learning you herbs. You will have to memeories all of the important basic herbs and be able to know what to uses them for and what parts to use. Open you books and we will begin.” Taithrosa flipped his journal open ready to start taking notes.

[Taithrosa Eldytia]

Taithrosa looked up as the instructor walked over to one of the plants that were spaced around the room. On closer inspection it wasn't a plant, but a branch of a tree. She carefully carried the branch back and placed it at the front of the desk. "Can someone identify this?" She asked looking around with a raised eyebrow. Taithrosa was glade to see that he wasn't the only one who prefered not to say anything. Finally a hand was raised. "It is a branch from a Hawthorn tree." "Correct." She said and then set some berries down next to the branch. "These are the berries that grow on the plant. Memories this plant as you should be able to identify it later." Taithrosa looked over the plant taking in its beautiful white blossoms. The berries were just as read as the blossoms were white. "Can anyone tell me what we use Hawthorn for?" She didn't even look around to see if anyone raised there hand, clearly she hadn't had a lot of luck with that question in the past, or just didn't care. "No. Well take these notes down." Taithrosa watched as she wrote on the board and then turned his attention to his own book and creating a chart entered the information. Name Hawthorn Parts Used Blossoms (fresh or dry), Berries (fresh or dry) Harvest Blossoms ~ Late Spring, Berries ~ Late Summer Served Tincture, Decoction, Powder Uses Kindy and Bladder Stones, Heart problems Circulatory problems Taithrosa looked up as she finished explaining about the plant. "For some reason this plant has always had a positive air about it, it inspires people, and for some reason they will just feel better knowing they are being treated with something like Hawthorn, now use carefully, as it can be very powerful."

[Taithrosa Eldytia]

The next day proved to be different. They were directed to the gardens. There teacher was there ready for working in the dirt. "I felt that we needed a more hands on look at herbalism. You can learn about all the various types of herbs and frankly you will if you contiune down this path. Let us get you real experiences."

She motioned them to gather around her and then gave them instructions. "Several of these plants are ready to be gathered and converted into powder and other such concotions." She described St. Johns wart and told them to begin looking for the plant beliving that identifing the plant was just as important.

So it was that Taithrosa began to walk throught the isle trying not to step on any plants as he walked down the narrow isle. As he walked he remembered wondering through another garden also looking for a plant. It only took a moment before someone found the cluster of saint johns warts. The class joined the finder around the plant and looked it over.

The were shown that the plant was ready for gathering and recieved the intructions on how to gather the parts that were needed. Taithrose despite his big size found that he enjoyed the work. It wasn't overly detailed but it did require focus for him to gather it correctly. Once they had gathered a supply the classes was directed to search for another plant. And so the day contiuned in a similar vein as they were directed to gather diffent plants.

[Taithrosa Eldytia]

"I want you to find Lavander." Drae Sommers said as the contiuned there scavanger hunt for the day. Taithrosa paused trying to remember exactly what the lavander plant looked like. That was part of the reason for this exercises he disided it didn't make sences to just learn about them. You also needed to see them. He vaguly remember that it was a green plant with purple flowers. He contiuned to look, but wasn't the one to find the lavander planet. He joined his fellow students and looked over the lavander plant. His silver eyes looked at it. It was a short plant with a number of stalks pocking up out of the center. It was a rather pritty flower. "Okay everyone the lavander flower is only avaiable at certian times of the year so it is best to build up a supply when you can." She showed them how to cut the flower and gather it. "This plant is one were you have to gather the flowers and replant them instead of getting a seed." Looking around she asked. "Does anyone know what the Lavander flower is good for?" She only waited a moment before answering. "It has a number of uses. Some are clear provable others not so much. Salts mixed with lavander have been used to prevent fainting for as long as we have record. It is used to make Palsy drops which is used to deal with muscle spasams. Basically it is a relaxing agent. Which includes the oil being used to help heal burns."

[Taithrosa Eldytia]

Once Taithrosa had gathered the required amount of Lavander he had need of and the other students were done the konti woman looked around the room again. "Find me the elder bush." She said in her sweet voice. The large akalak then turned his attention towards were the bushes were. He quickly noticed the elder bush though. It stood twelve feet and was fairly obvious. He walked over and pointed out the bush with yellow gray branches. He stood next to the plant and the teacher walked over and gave a smile. "That would be it." She said then motioned the class to come over. "The elder bush's bark and berries have a number of properties. The bark when made into a tea is a laxative. The root bark is used to induce child labor. The inner bark can also be made into a poultices to be placed upon swelling areas. This one is dangerous though as the leaves and steam are a posion." Taithrosa had been write down these different herbs that she told them about these herbs. He currently was writing as she finished. "The flowers can be made into a tea to help with cholic. Be careful with fruit. They can be posinous when to many are consumed at onces. Always cook them first."

[Taithrosa Eldytia]

They returned the next day to the garden to look over herbs. Today though they were told to take seat around a table were they could see several plants that had already been set up. "Herbalism is more then just identifying plants. You need to be able to use them. So we will learn some new plants while at the same time learning how to uses the plants."

She pulled at a plant with yellow pedals, it was a very bright flower. Drae introduced the flower as the Calendula. "Its a simple plant easielly tended. It can be used to made oils and salvas, and can be used in teas." She handed them all some peddals. "Lets work on making a salve."

Taithrrosa took the pedals and followed the directions she gave them as they worked on turning the plant into a salve that could be used. "You would uses this for cuts,and burns. It helps with the healing of the skin. It can also be used as a loction on the skin, and has excellent skin properties. When made into a tea though it can be used to help cure pink eye."

[Taithrosa Eldytia]

With his morter and pestal, as well as water Taithrosa contiuned to work on creating a past that would be able to be spread from the yellow flower. He had a natural advantage that he was strong, but even strength didn't prepare one for the reptative motions that were needed for grinding the pedals into the past. He contiuned with the other students for awhile before he finally had something that looked disgusting but would do the job.

He was finishing about the same time as the others and he looked up to the teacher. She had pulled out more of the flowers. She looked at him, and glanced around the rest of the class. "It would appear that you are wrapping up. In that case we can contiune with out next aspect. Making oils. Oils can be very important. They are a quick way to injest something, but they also can be rubbed into the skin." She began to show them how to make oils.

Like with olives or other plants you have to press the desired part, and as you did so liquid would begin to come out. "Now some planet have a lot of oils in them and others don't, you will just have to learn which ones have what. It also is an indicator of how much to use. That is something about oils and teas, know the correct amount, cause other wise you could kill someone." She said, and then began to hand out the needed equipment to the class.

Taithrosa postioned his bowl as he had been shown and began to press the plant. He had to be careful to keep from just destroying the plant. This was a controlled process that needed to have time taken to get it done and to collect the needed oils.

[Taithrosa Eldytia]

Taithrosa finished class and walked into a currently not being used room. He sat down at a desk and began to write about the things he had learned about herbalism. There was so much to learn. Taithrosa carefully recorded everything he learned each day. He knew there wasn't any way he could remember what he was taught about the properties of various planets.

He knew that not all of these plants would be open for him since some grew in specific place or at specific times of the year. He looked over the growing list in his book, and began to make notes of the ones that he would need to collect. Some were rare and would be used rarely. He wanted to have a good supply of the commonly used ones in his collection.

He went through his book, and selected ones for head aches, and pain numbing. They was always pain involved when he was needed. He enjoyed looking thought his list as he prepared. He knew that he wouldn't always have a nice supply realy at hand.

He finished writing in his journal and closed it. He stood up and walked back out into the garden were he began to walk around looking for the types of planets he would need.

[Taithrosa Eldytia]

Walking through the herb gardens he paused as he looked over this and that planet. There were plunty that he didn't reconize yet but he was sure that he would one day learn them. He paused as he saw some Johns wart. He knelt down and looked over the planet with his healing leaves. He paused and looked over his notes. It was an excellent source for dealing with despression especially mixed in with a tea.

He smiled as he stood up and walked over to some other planets. He contiuned to walk around the room looking at the various plants. He looked at each one taking note of its growth stage. Some plants could be plucked at any time, while others had to be specifically picked at the correct time.

Taithrosa enjoyed just identifying the plants, a few he would collect the leaves for ones that were ready. He spent a while collecting before he returned to the work benches and tables. He sat down and looked over his leaves and sorted them out based upon what there uses would before.

He then began to make some tea bags for those most comanly used. Once he finished he looked at the time and collected the rest of his leaves and carefully stored them for later use.

[Cachet]

Taithrosa : Taithrosa SKILLS Herbalism:111 Organization:1 Writing:11 Gardening:11 Observation:11 Philtering:1 Medicine:1 LORE Herbalism: Uses of Hawthorn Observation: Finding Plants in a Garden Herbalism: Uses of Lavender Philtering: Making a Salve Conclusion: A good training thread spanning several days. I enjoyed the read. Anything seem out of place? Any questions please feel free to contact me ASAP.