Storing Your Herbs.

Get a large quanity of bottles, dark-glassed ones being the best. Make sure that each is equipped with an air-tight stopper, cork or lid. Have a good range of sizes. Wash and dry well. (Many magical herbalists load their dishwashers with the jars and let them run through the "sanitize" cycle, or through the whole cycle without adding any soap.) Now make up a list of the herbs that you have to store (both those you have collected yourself and those store-bought). These will become labels. Beside each herb record the date picked (or bought), location grown (if known), and any other information you deem important. Cut these labels out. As you gently fill each jar, paste on the appropriate label. Cork or screw on the lid, making sure that the seal is tight. Ideally, herbs are kept in a specially constructed herb cabinet with sufficient space to allow some separation by planetary ruler, basic uses, etc. Realisticallly, this isn't always possible. The important considerations are: be sure the herbs are out of direct sunlight, thta the room has some air circulation, and that the cabinet, if possible, is made of wood without nails or metals of any kind. Herbs cannot last forever, even dried herbs. New supplies should be obtained every seven months or so, or as stock dwindles. The store-bought herbs might be replaced sooner, since you can never be too sure how long they sat on shelves in the store. When herbs have lost their energies and new supplies have been obtained, return them to the earth and work them into the soil. This way they can become once again a part of the earth. Above all, keep your herb cabinet clean, orderly, and up to date. It is the powerhouse of your magic, and so deserves special attention. Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham

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