Sweet Dreams: Herbal Dream Pillows
Herbal pillows are made by sewing dried herbs into a square of cloth or bag, but without a fixative, their aroma is short lived. Many herbs lose much of their original scent when dried. The lovely scent of the rose for instance, is greatly diminished when dried. Fixatives help to retain and develop the fragrant combination of herbs used in making potpourri, the base material for making herbal pillows.
Traditionally used animal fixatives are ambergris, civet, and musk. Ambergris is a secretion obtained from the intestines of the sperm whale, civet from the African civet cat, and musk from the male musk deer of Central Asia. These extracts are available in synthetic form, a product equally suitable, and more sensitive to the preservation of wildlife.
Orris root and benzoin are suitable plant fixatives, and are widely available. Orris root is obtained by sun-drying and peeling the fresh root of Iris florentina. After drying, the root is stored for two years to develop a delicate violet scent. Orris root is usually purchased in ground form. Benzoin, once called Benjamin or Java Frankincense, is a gum which exudes from the Stryrax benzoin, a shrub native to Java and Siam. Benzoin is a common ingredient in incense.
Spices add an interesting scent to the potpourri mixture, and also act as fixatives. Cinnamon is derived from a tree (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), grown in China, India, and the East Indies, and was used during Biblical times to make holy oils to anoint priests and altars. The familiar sticks, obtained from the inner bark of a young tree, may be ground and added to the potpourri mixture.
Sandalwood (Santalum album), native to the Malabar Coast, is another enticing additive. Since ancient times the wood of this tree was used for making fans, musical instruments, and to line closets to ward off moths. Sandalwood is also burned at the altar, and eventually became an important ingredient in incense burned in synagogues. The chips, or shavings, are most suitable for potpourri.
The bark of Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) is highly fragrant and was valued as an embalming agent in Egypt, and as a perfume by the ancient Hebrews. Native to Arabia and Ethiopia, the bark of this tree produces a bitter tasting gum once used as a cure for sore throat, and was burned by the sun worshippers of Heliopolis each day at noon until the mid-1700s. A powder form of myrrh is easily obtainable, and best
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