Alchemy of Water and Spirits
Alchemy of Water and Spirits: A Guide to Herbal Extraction and Earth Medicines
When it comes to crafting herbal teas, tinctures, and balms, we step into the sacred art of alchemy—where earth’s raw elements are transformed into healing medicines through the mediums of water, oil, and spirit. What may seem simple at first glance reveals itself, with time and intention, as a deep practice that blends science, tradition, and intuition.
Like farming or cooking a nourishing meal, herbal medicine-making is a skill that anyone can learn. And in fact, that’s part of what fueled the modern pharmaceutical revolution: somewhere along the way, we lost touch with our ability to create our own remedies. While synthesizing an Advil might be out of reach, tincturing aspen bark for pain relief was once common knowledge—and it can be again.
Plant medicines, when used consistently and correctly, don’t just mask symptoms—they have the power to help reverse chronic imbalances and guide the body back to wellness. Unlike many pharmaceuticals, which often come with long lists of side effects, herbal remedies tend to work in harmony with the body’s natural processes.
Welcome to the Apothecary
When you step into our apothecary, you’ll find a wide array of potent, handcrafted medicines—each designed to support and fortify the body, mind, and spirit. But how do you know what’s right for you?
This guide offers a simplified overview of three core herbal preparation techniques: water infusions (teas), alcohol extractions (tinctures), and oil infusions—and how each one supports different systems in the body. Whether you're new to herbal medicine or refining your practice, this breakdown will help you make more informed, intuitive choices.
1. The Medicine of Water: Infusions & Decoctions
The most classic form of herbal preparation is tea, also known as an infusion or decoction.
Infusions are made by pouring hot water over delicate plant parts like leaves and flowers, then steeping for 15–20 minutes.
Decoctions involve simmering tougher materials like roots, bark, and berries to draw out their full medicinal potential.
In both cases, water is the solvent—the sacred carrier that draws the medicine from the plant into a drinkable form. Water is called the universal solvent for its remarkable ability to extract vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals from plant matter. Because our bodies are primarily made of water, herbal teas integrate easily into our systems, offering deep hydration and a direct route to the blood, tissues, and organs.
Teas are ideal for:
Urinary tract and bladder issues
Digestive complaints
Blood cleansing and detox
General hydration and nervous system support
Think of tea as medicine that moves with fluidity—it’s perfect for when you need to flush, nourish, or soothe from the inside out.
2. The Medicine of Spirits: Tinctures & Alcohol Extractions
Tinctures are concentrated herbal extracts made by soaking plant material in a mixture of alcohol and water—an ancient method that preserves and intensifies the healing compounds of the plant.
A single dropper of tincture can equal the strength of an entire cup of tea.
Unlike tea, tinctures have a long shelf life, making them ideal for travel, daily use, and long-term storage.
Alcohol is not just a preservative—it’s a powerful extractor, drawing out volatile oils, alkaloids, and other spirit-like compounds that might be lost in boiling water. These are the elements that stimulate, calm, focus, and awaken us—the "soul" of the plant, if you will. Interestingly, spirits like gin (from juniper) and vodka (from potatoes) are plant-based too, and carry their own botanical legacy.
Even in tincture-making, water is never excluded—it plays an essential role in accessing minerals and hydrophilic compounds. This dual-extraction approach ensures a broader medicinal spectrum.
Tinctures are ideal for:
Deep healing and chronic issues
Nervous system, endocrine, or hormonal support
Quick absorption and fast-acting results
People who need medicine in small, potent doses
Tincturing is often done through maceration, where plant material (called marc) is submerged in a water-alcohol blend (menstruum) for about a month. There are also more advanced techniques like percolation and spagyric tincturing, which includes calcining the plant material into ash to return the mineral salts back to the final medicine.
3. The Medicine of Oil: Salves, Balms & Fat-Based Extractions
Oil infusions create another layer of medicine, bridging the gap between topical and internal applications. These infusions are typically used to make balms, salves, and body oils.
Unlike water or alcohol, oil has a unique affinity for fat-soluble compounds like resins, pigments, and certain phytochemicals. These are the parts of a plant that nourish the skin, hair, joints, and nervous system—places where oil speaks the body’s native language.
Oils are ideal for:
Skin conditions, inflammation, and pain relief
Joint health, muscle tension, and massage
Hair and nail care
Internal support via edible oils (olive, coconut, etc.)
Heat gently accelerates extraction, though a cold-infusion over several weeks can also be effective. Unlike alcohol, oil cannot pierce plant cell walls on its own, which is why warmth is often used. Still, what oil lacks in sharpness, it makes up for in deep nourishment and cellular affinity.
Each of our cells has a lipid membrane—meaning fat is a necessary nutrient for hormonal communication, energy flow, and even emotional balance. Herbal oils, therefore, offer more than skin-deep healing—they speak directly to our structural and energetic systems.
The Old Language of Medicine
Beyond these three foundational methods, herbalism is rich with other forms of preparation:
Honey infusions, flower essences, smoke medicine, vinegars, oxymels, cordials, elixirs, tonics—each with its own history, energetics, and language.
Over time, terms have overlapped or shifted. “Elixirs,” “tonics,” “potions,” and even “tinctures” are often used interchangeably depending on culture, lineage, or preparation method. For example, a “tincture” might be made with honey and alcohol and called a “cordial” in one tradition, while a “tonic” might refer to a fermented herbal drink elsewhere.
Even tobacco, now misunderstood, was once a revered therapeutic plant, prescribed for ailments of mind and body across cultures.
Finding Your Formula
The best way to discover which form of herbal medicine is right for you is through a personalized consultation. Our clinical herbalists offer discovery calls where we explore your health goals, imbalances, and body systems in need of support.
From there, we’ll create a custom team of plant allies—not just a formula, but a relationship between you and the healing intelligence of nature.
These herbs aren’t just remedies.
They are living guides.
They are ancient teachers.
They are reminders that the body is not broken—only in need of remembering how to heal.
If you’re ready to find your formula, book a session with one of our practitioners or visit our apothecary to explore our handcrafted offerings. We’re honored to support you on your path to wholeness.
