We received the Parrot's Beak for the Best Herbal Smoking Blend today. We mixed equal parts of skullcap, indian warrior, and parrot's beak. The result was similar to just the skullcap and indian warrior, with a little more pronounced effect. I have still been doing research, and we are going to take another step back and do something that I have uncovered in my research. It involves soaking the ingredients and taking the liquid from the soaking (extract), pouring that over mullein leaf and letting it dry. This gets all the goodies out of the ingredients and places them in the mullein leaf, then you smoke that. After we have had some success with this method I will post exactly what we did to get there.

The Next Ingredient - Parrot's Beak

We've chosen another member of the pedicularis family, Parrot's Beak (Pedicularis racemosa), as our next ingredient for the Best Herbal Smoking Blend. Plants in the pedicularis family are also known as louseworts, because of the belief that ingesting them can cure an infestation of louse. They are used medicinally as a muscle relaxant and sedative. The flowers of the plant are a bright orange, and the petals are shaped like parrot's beaks. In some societies the leaves and buds are smoked or made into a tea. We've ordered some Parrot's Beak, so stay tuned - we'll post when it arrives.

We received the Indian Warrior yesterday. It has a dark color, and the dried flowers are a deep purple. It has no noticeable odor. We mixed equal portions of skullcap and Indian Warrior and tried it. The skullcap, when smoked by itself, has a harsh flavor - the Indian Warrior completely smoothed out the harshness. A very mellow smoke. The results were promising, with a calm, relaxing feeling that lasted for quite a while. But we are still not where we need to be yet, so we will continue researching our next ingredient. So stay tuned, we will post when we decide on the next ingredient.

Just a quick update to let you know that we are still waiting on the Indian Warrior. Meanwhile, we're hard at work researching our next ingredient. We'll let you know as soon as the Indian Warrior arrives.

We could not find the Indian Warrior locally, so we are ordering it online. Bouncing Bear Botanicals is sold out presently, and Azuregreen does not carry it, so we had to locate another source. We located some at KT Botanicals (be sure and get the buds, you can grind them in a coffee grinder or good blender). So we have the Indian Warrior. We will let you know the results as soon as we receive it.

Indian Warrior - The Next Ingredient

Our next ingredient for this mix is Indian Warrior (Pedicularis Densiflora). There are several varieties of (Pedicularis), one being called Elephant's Head. My research has shown that Indian Warrior has a more pronounced effect than Elephant's Head. Indian Warrior is often used as a skeletal muscle relaxant and sedative. It was used in smoking mixtures by at least one Native American tribe. So we have decided on the Indian Warrior. It is about the same price as Elephant's Head, but should produce a more pronounced effect. We found from making our first mix that it is best to add the ingredients one at a time, so we will be adding this and trying it next. We'll keep you posted, so check back soon.

Taking a Step Back

After taking a step back and doing some more research, we have decided to start over with our mix. We are up to six ingredients, and we are still not where we want to be with the present mix. One of the problems that we have is that the mullein leaf is like fine hair , clumps up, and will not mix with the other ingredients. If you recall, the mullein leaf is supposed to be the base for the mixture, so this is not a good thing. After some research, I found that skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) is often used as a base. We found some locally, and it is a has crushed leaves that has a tobacco look to it, except that it is bright green, even after being dried. If you recall, skullcap was added to our previous mix, and is supposed to have a relaxing, calming effect. There is a good article about skullcap here. I will continue our reasearch and we will keep you posted on our next ingredient, so check back soon.

Our second mix is complete. The results were somewhat disappointing. We added the skullcap and doubled the sacred lotus. The blend had a slightly more calming effect (from the skullcap), but that was about it. I am going to take a step back and do some more research. We already have 6 ingredients, and we are trying to keep the cost down, so we do not really want to keep adding ingredients. There are literally hundreds of herbs out there that have been used in smoking mixtures by the Native Americans and other societies, so I have plenty of ingredients to choose from. So check back soon for an update on our progress.

We completed our first mix today by using equal portions of each ingredient. The results were a little disappointing, with a pleasing, somewhat relaxing effect and a mild taste, but something is missing. The overall sense of well-being is not there, which is supposed to be the effect of the sacred lotus. I believe we will double the amount of sacred lotus for the next mix. Also, I did a little more research and found that skullcap, an herb that was widely used by Native Americans, would be a good addition overall. I believe we will try to obtain some skullcap locally and try it in tomorrow's mix as well. There is a local herb shop near where I live that has it. So check back tomorrow and see what progress we have made.

We received the remaining three ingredients for the Best Herbal Smoking Blend today. The mullein leaf is soft with hairs like velvet. It has a light spice smell to it. The damiana is light green and finely ground. It has a slightly minty aroma. The sacred lotus is short stems, some are actually woody. I believe we will have to get dried petals rather than the stamens, which is what we ordered. The sacred lotus has no noticeable smell. Check back tomorrow, when we should have our first mix. I'm sure we will have some adjustments to make, but we are a lot closer than we were. See you soon.

While waiting on the ingredients, I thought I would digress a little and talk about the medicinal uses of some of the ingredients in our herbal smoking blend. Passion flower, passiflora, has since ancient times been used to treat anxiety, hysteria and seizures. It is still used to treat anxiety today, and is said to better than kava, another herb used to treat anxiety. Damiana has also long been known for its relaxing qualities, and Mexican and South Americans make a tea from the leaves. As mentioned before, damiana is good for the libido and is and aphrodisiac. Blue lotus has a mild sedative property, and has since ancient times been drank as a tea or the petals of the flower were simply eaten. Blue lotus is also used today to make martinis. In addition, blue lotus has a pleasing smell and is popular in aromatherapy. Mullein leaf has many medicinal uses. It is useful as an astringent, emollient, and is also known to contain anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties. It has been used since ancient times as treatment for burns, fungal infections, bacterial infections and for pain relief. Check back soon, we should have the other ingredients tomorrow.

We received the Sacred Lotus and Blue Lotus from Bouncing Bear Botanicals today. Both have a not unpleasant smell, and a soft, velvety consistency. The 1 oz. bags are larger than I expected, about 4in. x 4in. So stay tuned, when we get the rest of the ingredients we will start mixing!

Ordering the Ingredients - The Vendors

I've spent the last two days researching herbal companies on the internet, and have found two that between them have all of the ingredients we need. Just to refresh your memory, the ingredients we've chosen are: Mullein Leaf Damiana Passion Flower Blue Lotus Sacred Lotus The first site I ordered from is Bouncing Bear Botanicals. They have a large site with a good selection of herbs, and a good description of each one in its listing. They tend to deal in larger quantities, but I was able to find the Blue Lotus and Sacred Lotus in a 1 oz. (28 grams) size. The search engine on the site is very good, so use it to look for the ingredients you want. The next site I ordered from is Azure Green. They have what they call 1618 Gold 1 oz. packs of a huge variety of herbs. Their search engine also works well. I ordered the rest of the ingredients from this site in 1 oz. packs. Well, you can order the ingredients now, and go along as we experiment with proportions, or you can wait until we have a final mix. Stay tuned for an update when we receive our ingredients.

Ordering the Ingredients

Now that all of our ingredients have been selected, what's next? Well, we here need to get the ingredients ordered. You can order them, but may want to wait until we've experimented with proportions before buying them - this could save you quite a bit of money. As for us, I've spent the last day or so researching sources for ingredients and will probably decide on vendors and place an order today. I'll keep you posted tommorrow where to find the vendors and what to order.

All the Ingredients are Chosen

All of the ingredients have been chosen, so what's next? Well, don't go out and get the ingredients and mix them together yet. We have ordered the ingredients, and will spend our time finding the proper proportions when they get here. Proportions are important because some of the ingredients are stronger than others, a little dab'll do ya. We will keep you posted on our progress.

The Sacred Lotus Flower

The next ingredient I have chosen is the Sacred Lotus flower. This flower has been known by the Chinese for thousands of years to produce a sense of euphoria, making it a very important ingredient in our blend. The plant is important in the religions of both Buddhists and Hindus. We will use the dried petals from the flower of the plant, which is the most potent part of the plant. The scientific name of Sacred Lotus is nelumbo nucifera. There is a good article about it here. This plant is more expensive than the other ingredients in our blend, but is still priced reasonably in quantity. This is the last ingredient I have chosen for our blend. Stay tuned for the next post, when we order the ingredients.

The Blue Lotus Flower

Blue lotus is the next ingredient I have chosen. It was highly revered by the ancient Egyptians as a symbol for the origin of life. The petals of the blue lotus (nymphaea caerulea)flower act as an intoxicant, which should help give our blend a relaxing effect as well as a sense of well-being. Blue lotus is also respected in Buddhism and often the dried flowers are steeped in water or wine to make a tea. It is also used in making martinis. We're getting close to having the recipe complete, so check back tomorrow for the next ingredient. If you want to know more about Blue Lotus, check this article on wikipedia.

Ingredient 3 - Passion Flower

I have chosen passion flower as the next ingredient for our blend. This beautiful flowering plant has long been known mainly for its sedative properties. It has been used to control anxiety, epilepsy and as a sedative for treating insomnia. The Native Americans were aware of the plant's properties, and the Europeans have used it for controlling anxiety. The flower of the plant is thought to be the most potent part of the plant, but the leaves possess all of these properties as well. Since we are making a smoking blend, we will use dried leaves (foliage) rather than the powder that is usually made from the flower. Given its known properties, passion flower should make a good addition to our blend. If you want to know more about passion flower, here is a good article. Be sure and check back tomorrow for the next ingredient.

Damiana - The Next Ingredient

Damiana (turnera diffusa) is the next ingredient I have chosen. Damiana has two properties which are important to us. One is that is it sometimes used as in treating depression, which should make it a good mood enhancer. Damiana is also an aphrodisiac - women in Mexico drink a tea made from damiana before sexual intercourse. The plant is also known to help male sexual function. From my research, I have found that damiana is a popular ingredient in herbal smoking blends, so I believe it should help produce a good effect for our smoking blend. For more information, see this article. Check back tomorrow for the next ingredient, passion flower.

The First Ingredient - Mullein Leaf

The first ingredient I have chosen is mullein leaf. Its scientific name is verbascum thaspus. From my research, I have found that mullein is often used as a filler for smoking blends. The plant has been used since ancient times, primarily for the treatment of coughs and congestion. It is supposed to be good for the lungs, which is a good thing since we are going to smoke this. It has also been known to be used to treat skin ailments, such as sores, infections and rashes. Mullein leaf is also a mild sedative, which should help give our smoking mixture a relaxing effect. It is inexpensive, which makes it ideal as a filler. I could not find a description of what mullein tastes like, but this should not matter since I plan to use natural ingredients for flavoring the finished mixture. If you want to know more about mullein leaf, here is a good article. Check back tomorrow for the next ingredient.

Searching for Ingredients

Searching for the right ingredients is the first step in our adventure. There are literally hundreds or thousands of herbs with known effects out there. How to narrow this down to a manageable list is the first question. Fortunately, the web has plenty of good sites to help with this. Search terms such as "herbal products" and "herbal incense" brings up plenty of good results on Google. I found several sites that have descriptions of a variety of herbs, with details about where they are found, what they look and taste like, and what effect they have. Several of these sites also have ready-made recipes to produce desired effects, including medicinal, mood, preventative, healthful and the more esoteric. The only problem is, many of these recipes do not include proportions, so some experimentation is going to be in order. I have selected several sites/recipes as a starting point, so my next several posts will be a discussion of these, including the ingredients and the effects they are supposed to produce. Check back often, as I plan to try to write one post a day until I achieve my goal.

In Search of the Best Herbal Smoking Blend

Since the latest Federal ban on certain herbal incense products, many of the best herbal blends have been removed from the market. My wife and I both enjoy smoking herbal blends, and there were some available legally before the ban that were really good - I mean really good. But now, none of the head shops and related businesses in our area have anything good. So I started doing some research. I started researching various herbs and discovered that there are many legal, 100% natural herbs that produce pleasing effects. My wife and I plan to experiment with these herbs, and come up with a smoking blend that will be at least as good as some of the better products that were banned. You can follow our adventure here. I plan to write about the ingredients we use and the effects they produce, and to publish the ingredients and proportions when we come up with a suitable recipe. And then we will tweak it to make it even better, or come up with blends that produce differing effects. So check back soon.