One of my favorite daydreams is the one in which I am an old gnarled woman living in a cabin in the woods. And people come to me for earth-based ointments and potions. I have taken the first step. I made my first salve.
I’ve been reading books about Afro-Indigenous farming. And I still live in a small apartment not suited to farming, but I was on the Soulfire Farm website and I saw this DIY salve kit. Was I horribly intimidated? Oh yeah! Seriously!?!?!? But it ain’t brave, if you’re not scared.
First, I had to infuse the oil with the plants and flowers. I emptied the bags into a Mason jar of coconut oil, submerged the jar in water in my crockpot, set it on low, and waited 8 hours. The oil dissolved and turned a beautiful golden color that smelled like healing itself. I strained it through cheesecloth. I’m not particularly domestic, so I don’t know why I have cheesecloth. Additional proof that I might have a ghost or secret roommate.
All I still had to do was add the beeswax and stir until it dissolved and poured it into the tin. It cooled and hardened and I was completley unmannagable with pride.Ordinarily, the first mosquito bite of the season is a downer. But I couldn’t wait to apply my salve. No itching or inflammation. Once the real estate market is less nuts I shall buy my cabin in the woods. I have already begun to appear gnarled with age.
