| Ambrette Seed
An evergreen shrub, indigenous to India. The seed is used as a stimulant
and to ease digestion. In Chinese medicine it is used to treat headache,
and in Egypt the seeds are made into an emulsion with milk to treat itch.
Anemones
Anemone Believed to have sprung from the blood of the Greek god Adonis after
he was mortally wounded by a boar, anemones were used to cure gout, leprosy
and colds. Greek legends suggest that Anemos, the wind, sent his plants,
the anemones, as heralds of spring.
Native Americans of the Rocky Mountains saw wild anemones swaying in the
breeze and called them "flower of the wind".
Angelica
Angelica has been extolled since antiquity for its curative powers. It
strengthens the heart and stimulates the immune system. Chinese medicine
uses at least ten varieties of angelica, known for its powers of fertility,
fortifying the spirit and treating female disorders. Angelica has been linked
with the Archangel Michael and has been called the Root of the Holy Ghost.
It has also been associated with the Festival of the Annunciation and the
Archangel Gabriel, as well as the Archangel Raphael.
Apple
The planet Venus is an attribute of the apple blossom, who's scent can be
used to attract love and to dispel depression.
Arnica
This perennial alpine herb was used by the Aztecs as a poultice for wounds
and bruises. It stimulates the peripheral blood supply when applied externally
and is considered one of the best remedies for bruises and sprains. It is
never taken internally because of toxicity levels.
Basil
In the West Indies, basil is soaked in water and scattered around shops to
attract buyers and good luck. An old belief said that basil attracted and
possibly begot scorpions. Perhaps its name derives from the basilisk, the
fabulous dragon-like creature that was deadly to anyone who looked at it.
In India, basil was sacred to Vishnu and Krishna, and was regarded as a
protective plant and as a benificent spirit. A basil leaf on the body of
a dead Hindu was his assurance of reaching Paradise. A smaller species of
basil, bush basil, was used in Italy as a love token and in Crete represented
'love washed with tears'. However, to the ancient Greeks, it symbolized hate
and misfortune.
Betony
Betony Betony is the original herb of magic discovered by Chiron the Centaur.
Named after Beronice, a woman healed by Christ, it was believed to cure all
ills, both of body and soul. It was also a powerful protection against witchcraft
and sorcery. Betony was used in amulets, planted in churchyards and sown
around houses.
Blackberry
Blackberry One of the earliest foods known to man and his ancestors, the
blackberry was a holy plant. In the Highlands they called it the blessed
bramble, and evil spirits could be kept off by a wreath of bramble, rowan
and ivy. Brambles of blackberry were planted around graves to prevent the
dead from rising as ghosts. Legend has it that Christ used bramble to drive
the moneychangesrs from the temple. Children were at one time passed through
a blackberry arch as a cure for rickets.
Camphor
Substance derived from the wood of a laurel and believed in Europe to preserve
chastity if carried on the person. In greek mythology, Daphne preserved her
virginity by turning into a laurel tree. In Malaya, those who hunt for camphor
speak a special language and make offerings to the camphor spirit. In its
crude form camphor is poisonous in large doses.
Cedar
This fragrant tree was used by Native Americans of the Plains. Cedar twigs
were placed on hot stones in sweat lodges for purification purposes. The
Pawnee burned twigs of this tree to banish nightmares and nervous conditions.
In the ancient world, cedar from Lebanon was so highly prized as incense
that only a few trees remain. The name Lebanon is derived from the Akkadian
word lubbunu, incense.
Chervil
Chervil comes from the Greek 'to rejoice' because of its delightful scent.
In folk medicine, this delicate annual herb is used to tone up the blood
and nerves. It is used for mental depression and poor memory. The juice from
the fresh herb is used to treat skin ailments such as eczema, abcesses and
slow healing wounds.
Chicory
Chicory Chicory was credited with great magical powers, including invisibility
and opening of locked chests and subterranean caverns for those in search
of treasure.
Cinnamon
Records in stone indicate that the Egyptian Pharoah Rameses III offered 246
bundles and 86 measures of cinnamon to the gods and goddesses on one occasion,
and on another occasion 3,036 logs of the same rare spice. Cinnamon was also
used in embalming. Medicinally, cinnamon has been used for thousands of years
in the East for such complaints as colds, flu, digestive, menstrual problems
and as a general stimulant.
Cumin
According to Pliny, Egyptian women smelled this common herb to ensure conception
during sexual intercourse.
Daisy
In Wales during the Middle Ages, daisies were used to cure insanity, remove
warts, treat smallpox, tumors, jaundice, boils and skin disease. In England,
remedies were brewed from daisies to treat broken bones and bruises. From
this came the old folk names of bruisewort and banewort. Wort was a name
for medicinal plants and bane was an English form of the word bone.
Dill
Dill, which is an annual of the cow parsley family was a popular general
purpose drug in the Middle Ages. Its name is believed to be derived from
old Norse dilla, to lull, from its soothing properites. Dill water has been
used for centuries as a tonic for colicky babies and was once thought equally
effective in driving out witches.
Fennel
Fennel was one of the herbs used in medieval times to keep away evil spirits.
On Midsummer's Eve it was hung over doorways with herbs like St. John's Wort.
Keyholes blocked with fennel seed prevented the entry of ghosts. It was known
to Pliny as a cure for many complaints and for improving sight.
Foxglove
Foxglove is a flower which has a long association with magic and mystery.
The name comes from the Anglo Saxon 'foxes' glove. The fox has a long tradition
of magic in many lands. In China and Japan foxes are credited with the ability
to change themselves into humans. A legend tells how men once killed foxes
for their bushy tales which were a charm against the devil. The foxes begged
God for protection, so he put bell-shaped flowers in the field to ring whenever
hunters would approach. Another story tells how the faeries gave the flowers
to the foxes to wear on their feet when they raided chicken coops at night.
With magical powers, the foxes were able to move without making a sound.
Some believe the name actually comes from 'folk' gloves, since the blossoms
were worn by faeries and wee folk as mittens. In Ireland the flowers were
called fairy thimbles and in Wales goblin's gloves.
Ancient Greeks and Romans used the juice of the foxglove for sprains and
bruises. Medieval witches grew foxglove in their gardens to use as a potent
ingredient used in spells. Perhaps the middle age spell casters used the
chemical digitalis, which is yielded by foxglove, to cause heart failure
or sudden deaths in victims. Foxglove was discovered in the 1700's to stimulate
the kidneys to release excess fluid, and a tea brewed from the foxglove leaves
was used in treating Dropsy, a disease in which water accumulates in the
body and causes it to swell up.
Frankincense
Frankincense has been used since antiquity as an incense in INdia, China
and in the West by the Catholic Church. It was used in ancient Egypt in
rejuvenating face mask, cosmetics and perfumes. Medicinally, the small tree
with white or pale pink flowers has been used for a variety of complaints
including syphilis, rheumatism and respiratory tract infections.
Fuzzy-weed
Artemesia dracunculoides
The Winnebago tribe placed the chewed root of this plant on clothing to attract
love and secure a good hunt.
Hala
Hala is a common polynesian plant that was also used in perfume magic in
old Hawaii. The scent of the male blossom was believed to be an aphrodisiac.
Heather
Popularly thought to bring good luck, white heather is thought to be particularly
effective and is often worn as a charm. At one time heather was burnt to
induce rainfall and the broomsticks on which witches rode to the sabbaths
were traditionally made of heather or broom.
Gladiolus
In the 1500's a mash of gladiolus roots was used for drawing out splinters
and thorns, and the dried seed pods, ground to a powder and mixed with goat
or donkey milk, was used to treat colic.
Iris
Irises grow wild over much of the eastern mediterranean region, growing in
yellow, blue and striped variations. Perhaps it was the blue of the sky or
the stripes of the rainbow which caused the ancient Greeks to name the flower
for Iris, goddess of the Rainbow. As a sacred flower, the Iris was credited
with great healing powers and was widely used in ancient medicine. In the
first century AD, the Greek physician Dioscorides wrote a book in which he
summed up all knowledge about medicinal plants. He recommended iris root
drunk with honey, vinegar or wine for coughs, colds, indigestion and sciatica.
He also wrote that it was useful as a poultice for tumors and ulcers, broken
bones and headache. The Iris remained a mainstay of herbal medicine down
through the time when Puritans settled in New England, and as late as 1938
were listed in the US Pharmacopoeia, the official list of approved drugs.
Juniper
Juniper was burned in ancient Sumeria and Babylonia in sacrifice to gods
and goddesses. It was sacred to Inanna and to her later counterpart Ishtar.
In Europe, Juniper branches were smouldered and carried around fields to
protect livestock. Juniper was widely used by different Native American groups.
In traditional aromatherapy it is used to detoxify the body and as an antiseptic.
Labdanum
Labdanum is one of the early aromatic substances of the ancient world. Externally
used in plasters, the gum was also used to promote menstruation and to treat
diarrhea and dysentery.
Lemon Balm
Paracelsus called this herb the Elixir of Life. It is one of the earliest
known medicinal herbs, and was particularly associated with nervous disorders,
the heart and emotions.
Marjoram
Since ancient Roman times, marjoram has been believed to promote longevity.
The goddess Venus is said to have bestowed upon the plant its fragrance.
It is used to allay anxieties and grief.
Mugwort
In Europe, mugwort has long been associated with superstition and witchcraft
and was seen as a protective charm against evil and danger. Legend holds
that St. John the Baptist wore a girdle of the leaves in the wilderness.
This herb has long been associated with the seer and the Moon.
Neroli
Neroli, or orange blossom flowers, have many folk associations. They were
used in bridal bouquets and to calm nervous apprehension before the bridal
couple retired to the marriage bed.
Orris
Orris was used in ancient Greek and Rome in perfumery, and its medicinal
qualities were held in high esteem. The fresh root causes nausea and vomiting
in large doses.
Peppermint
Mints have been cultivated since antiquity in Japan and China. In Egypt a
type of peppermint has been found in tombs dating from 1000 BC. Used as a
flavoring agent, it has also been used medicinally for such ailments as digestive
problems, sore throat and toothaches. It has also been known as far back
as the Roman writer Pliny as a scent for rousing the conscious mind.
Roman Chamomile
This perennial herb has had a medicinal reputation in the Mediterranean region
for over 2,000 years. It was used by the ancient Egyptians and the Moors,
and it was one of the Saxons' nine sacred herbs, which they called maythen.
It is used in the treatment of anorexia, vomiting, and numerous digestive
complaints.
Rose
The ancient Greeks wore garlands of roses to cure headaches. Cabbage rose
was used for a wide range of disorders, playing an essential part in the
medical knowledge of the Middle Ages. The symbolism of the rose is asssopciated
with Venus, the Goddess of love and beauty. After Europe's conversion to
the Christian religion, the symbol of the rose was deemed unsuitable for
the Virgin Mary, because of its past associations with the lustier Venus,
Bacchus and other classical deities. The purer lily was adopted in its place
for Mary.
Rosemary
Rosemary is one of the earliest plants used for food, medicine and magic.
Sprigs of rosemary were burned at shrines ancient Greece, and used in the
Middle Ages to drive away evil spirits and to protect against plague. It
was believed to remove the effects of poison, assuage gout, make hair grow
and to improve sanity. Rosemary is a symbol of fidelity and was sown into
bridal bouquets.
Saffron
Saffron has a long history of spiritual and magical use. It was a sacred
flower in ancient Crete. Greek gods and goddeses wore gowns dyed with saffron,
as did Buddhist monks. It is an ancient symbol of the sun, and has been used
to dye foods the color yellow as part of solar worship. Saffron has long
been associated with gold and during the Middle Ages, saffron was accepted
as loan securities as gold or jewelry.
Sandalwood
The word sandalwood is derived from the Sanskrit chandana. The scent of
sandalwood has been used for thousands of years to induce calm, spirituality
and peace. Temples built of sandalwood centuries ago still emit the scent
of the wood.
Scotch Pine
Scotch Pine, a tall evergreen tree, was used by the Native Americans to prevent
scurvy, and to stuff mattresses to repel lice and fleas.
Spikenard
Spikenard is mentioned in the Song of Solomon in the Bible and is the herb
that Mary used to anoint Jesus before the Last Supper. It is one of the early
aromatics used by the ancient Egyptians, and was also used by the Roman perfumers
in the preparation of naardinum, one of their most celebrated scented oils.
Star Anise
Star anise has been used in Chinese medicine for over 1300 years for its
stimulating effect on the digestive and respiratory systems.
Tarragon
Tarragon is known as little dragon and is believed to have sprung up, like
mugwort, where the dragon passed on its banishment from Eden. Dragons were
protective and terror-inspiring, and a dragon plant was protective, especially
in its ability to cure snake bites.
Watercress
Known as Berro to the Aztecs, watercress is applied to the temples to cure
headaches.
Yarrow
19th century engraving of Yarrowstalks ritually dedicated
before a smoking incense burner Yarrow is said to date back to Achilles,
who used it to treat injuries caused by iron weapons. It is an age-old herb
medicine used for a variety of complaints including fever, respiratory
infections, digestive problems and nervous tension. Externally it is used
for sores, rashes and wounds. The yarrow stalks are tradionally used for
divination in the Chinese classic, the I Ching.
Ylang ylang
In Indonesia, the flowers of the ylang ylang are spread on the bed of newly
married couples. In the Victorian age the oil was used in the hair product
Macassar oil. The soothing scent of ylang ylang is considered an aphrodesiac
as well as an anti-depressant.
Resource: -"Valley of the Ancients",Interactive
Technologies, LLC |
