Dew should be collected from organically grown roses! Non-organic roses are
frequently sprayed with highly toxic chemicals, some which will cause
allergic reactions or worse! They aren't safe even if you have never seen
them being sprayed either, systemic poisons are injected or placed around the
roots of the plant and will result in the same exposure to these toxins. Even
organically grown roses are occasionally sprayed with sulfur and other
solutions to keep fungi at bay, so this will affect the working. Sulfur will
actually oppose this working with its repelling tendencies. Ideally, the
roses will be your own, or from a garden you are familiar with so you know
that it has been at least two weeks since any sprays have been applied. I
spray mine with a mixture of Comfrey, manure, compost, and baking soda,
fermented together and made into a tea, and NO WAY would I recommend
collecting dew off of them for a couple days after the spray!
To collect the dew, have a very clean, well wrung out, natural sea sponge or
color-free cellulose sponge. Armed with your sponge and a small bottle, go to
the roses late at night or very early in the morning, during the waxing moon
is best. Dab the dew from the flowers and some leaves and occasionally wring
the sponge out into the bottle. This shouldn't take long, maybe 15 minutes to
collect what is needed, (depending on the humidity in your area) but get
extra as long as you are there for future use. Separate the excess from what
you will be using for any immediate workings. To the bottle that you will be
putting up for storage add:
3 drops of ethyl alcohol, brandy, or rubbing alcohol OR 9 drops of commercial
vanilla extract AND a small pinch of sea salt.
This will keep it fresh for several months, and I like to refrigerate mine as
well. Exposure to light will ruin the solution, as with many extracts and
infusions, so keep it in the dark or in an amber or cobalt glass phial. If
you cannot collect Rose Dew in this manner, substitute rose water in your
spells. Rose water can be readily purchased from most grocers, drug stores or
Mediterranean food markets.
