"Oh, of course. It's never wise to dive into something complicated. It'll only serve to give you a headache, and then you'll need to make a potion even more." But she smiles and flips through the book, settling on a page on aloe vera. She points to the etching of the plant and describes the best way to grow it for medicinal use.

"It's an easy one to start with, because all you need to do is cut off a leaf and squeeze the gel inside onto the skin. There's no need to boil the leaves, or distill the chemicals from it."