Amanita muscaria how your little red & white polka dotted body delights me when I spot you popping up in the dark autumn forest. You awaken my imagination as I recall the stories of flying reindeer & tonttu elf spirits who have befriended you. For years I admired you from a distance, enchanted but afraid to even touch you. But this autumn I got the message that it was time to encounter & learn from you. And by getting to know you, I also come to know myself.
At first I wondered if poison would seep into my skin and I would start flying. No that didn’t happen. But I do feel very lightheaded & ethereal when we touch. I rinse my hands in the nearby lakes after touching, because I respect how strong & potent you are.
As finnish legend goes, 1-3 drops of Amanita tincture applied externally to the back is a remedy for sciatic pain. The drops are applied to the spine over the area where the pain starts. 1-3 drops rubbed into the skin. This tincture is only used externally, drinking can be fatal. Do not ingest.
Only 1 or 2 small Amanitas, less than 10 cm tall, is all that is needed. The Amanitas are cut a bit above the ground. The bottom of the Amanita stays in the ground. Dice the Amanita, add to a 500 ml jar. Cover with 80 proof vodka. LABEL the jar Amanita tincture, date, write: DO NOT INGEST. Steep for 2-3 weeks in a cabinet. Everyday give the jar a little shake. After 2-3 weeks strain the liquid, it is important that you do not press the Amanitas when sieving. Pour the liquid into a tincture bottle and label, remember to write the warning on the label. Store this tincture away from your other tinctures so that you do not accidentally ingest.
Kiitos to the elderly lady who shared this recipe with herbalist Henriette Kress, who shared it with us in her book Practical Herbs. Kiitos to all of the folk healers who have shared this remedy over the ages. My relationship with Amanita began with the old stories & tales over time, then observation and watching from a distance, then encounter at first touch. And now exploring her alchemy and listening to what she wishes to share.
