hypericum

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To make St John’s wort oil pick the flowers every day as they appear, and put them straight into a clear glass jar of olive oil with a sealable lid. Place it out in a sunny spot, or on a sunny window ledge and leave it for 4 - 6 weeks. It will turn a delicious deep red colour. When it is ready strain it out and decant off any water, so you are left with the pure red oil. Keep it in a dark glass bottle somewhere cool.

St John's Wort

Hypericum perforatum

St John's Wort has become well known as a popular remedy for mild to moderate depression, as its effectiveness in this area is undeniable. The orthodox view has been that it is not suitable to treat major depression, as this is solely the preserve of the drug companies and academics who choose to define the terms of the illness, and concoct a barrage of mind warping drugs to treat it. However, this should all be about to change. A recent Cochrane Collaboration review (Linde, Berner, Kriston 2008) concluded that St John's Wort is as effective as standard anti-deperessants in treating major depression, with fewer side-effects. Of course, it'll probably be another 10 years or so before the giant tanker of vested interests finally manages to change its course (or sinks without a trace!) and accepts that a mere plant can out perform the efforts of a thousand PhDs.

It is actually only comparatively recently that St John's wort has been known as an antidepressant. Other herbs, such as mugwort, were better known for treating melancholia. St John's Wort was primarily seen as a healing herb, for wounds and abrasions - particularly where there has been nerve damage. As a general nervine tonic herb it has few peers. It helps greatly with many types of insomnia, particularly when due to over-stimulation (although it can cause insomnia in people prone to manic states). It can facilitate lucid dreaming.

It has antiviral properties, specifically against the herpes zoster virus, which is responsible for cheicken pox and shingles. As a wound herb it is excellent for any inflammatory skin problems. This would be using the oil as a salve, which can also be mixed with other water based herbal extractions to make a cream. A mixture of calendula and hypericum oils is a great treatment for psoriasis, particularly on the scalp.

It is a coling herb, and can be useful in treating hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms.