A Special Guest Post by the Owner Of:
Herbalism is not my strong suit. It is theirs. So, as I was venturing into needing some Tribute Oil for my Work, I reached out to an expert for some help. The thought of Tribute Oil came to me as I was doing some of the research for my book.
From the translation by Morgan Daimler's Cath Maige Tuired: A Full English Translation:
"After the battle then the champion Ogma found Orna, sword of Tethra king of the Fomorians. Ogma unsheathed the sword and he cleaned it. Then the sword recounted everything it had done, because it was the way then when unsheathed [for swords] to reveal the actions they had done. Because of that legacy swords are given the tribute of cleaning them. "
Since then, I have used a tribute oil with the metal items that I help me with my Work. I get my oil from Spiral Grove Apothecary, and I asked if they would talk about it. So, here you are!
Tell us about your Herbal Tribute oil. I created this infused oil to use as an anointing or, well, tribute oil for sacred items,
specifically, metal, but it can be used for other things as well. It has passionflower, mugwort, sage, tulsi (holy basil), meadowsweet and rosemary, all sacred herbs grown here on our land, Shadow Sanctuary.
How did you choose the herbs for it?
These are all traditionally magical or sacred herbs that I have a relationship with and used in my work before, but never all together. I had a list in mind when I started this project, but it changed a bit as I got into it. Like you when you work with metal, I see this as a total collaboration with the plants themselves. So, I like to do a plant spirit meditation before proceeding with any sacred work I do with them. I had a couple of others show up for this project that I added to my list, and I actually had one on the list that didn’t want to be included, so I left that one out. Again, this is a collaboration, not a dictatorship.
How did you make it?
Ritual harvest, then a bit of drying in my herb room. (Fresh herbs have a lot of water content and need to dry a little to increase the shelf life of an infused oil.) Then I infused them in organic sunflower oil for a couple of moon cycles. Sunflower oil is exceptionally light and ethereal, letting the energy of the herbs shine, and allowing a very light coat on your metal. As the oil was infusing, it sat on my altar with the Ogham fid (letter) Tinne, which symbolizes craftsmanship and especially metalwork, just to kick it up as an ally for your sacred forge bling.
How would you use the tribute oil? Obviously for the metal pieces you make and share- I’ve used mine on my copper, steel and bronze pendants, as well as the wand you made me. A little goes a long way, just a drop or two is sufficient. This would also work to anoint candles, stones or other sacred items.
I hope this gives you some ideas on making your own. Or if you would like to purchase some of this oil, head on over to the Shop and get some. A sample of this oil was included in this month's 'Moon Bling' as an extra gift.
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