There are several different varieties of fennel, but I will be referring mostly to the common fennel seeds found in most grocery stores.  The seeds are inexpensive and can usually be bought by the ounce so you can get as much or little as needed.   If you have a spot in your yard for a lovely six-foot plant you can easily grow one from seed.   But be prepared to have a lifetime of seeds for you and everyone you know!

For Magick:  It seems that fennel has been used for centuries as a protection from evil.  During the Middle Ages sprigs of fennel were hung and rubbed on doorways and grown around the outside of homes to ward off evil spirits.  The tiny seeds were even put into keyholes to keep ghosts from entering.  The seeds have also been been used by crushing them to use in purification and healing ceremonies.  This makes sense because some components of fennel oil actually have an anti-bacterial action making it's use very symbolic of purification.

For Healing:  One of the easiest and most common medicinal uses I have found for fennel is in treating digestive ailments. A good cup of fennel tea can greatly reduce discomfort from overeating, indigestion even colic in children.  It can also be used as a soothing eyewash, and even increase milk flow in nursing mothers.

To make a good cup of fennel tea:
Seed infusion: Crush 1 tsp-1 tbsp of the dried seed, add to 1 cup of water in a non-metallic pot.  Bring to a boil;  then steep, covered, for about 10 minutes.  Strain.  If using as an eyewash be sure and strain well.  ( a coffee filter works well).  A standard dosage of the tea is two to three cups per day.

Precaution:
Pregnant women should not use the herb, seeds, tincture, or essential oil of fennel in medicinal remedies.  Small amounts used as a culinary spice are considered safe.  In large doses fennel acts as a uterine stimulant.

For Dinner:  My favorite use of fennel happens to be in the kitchen. It's licorice-like flavor adds a freshness to many foods that would otherwise seem heavy or greasy.  The seeds can be used in cookies, breads, with fish and meat. The fine feathery leaves can be added to salads, dressings, meats and fish to add a new crisp flavor.

One of my favorite uses for fennel is in spaghetti sauce. It you haven't ever tried it you owe yourself the opportunity. It adds so much and doesn't require much. I don't ever make it without it. Click here for my own Spaghetti Sauce with Fennel Seed Recipe

History:  Fennel Seed's history is colorful and varied. The Romans believed that snakes drank the juice from the Fennel plant to improve their eyesight and doctors of the time recommended it for "dimness of the human vision".
The Greeks noted fennel for Fennel Seed's a ability to suppress the appetite - it was one of the earliest diet aids. Their name for fennel is marathron which is thought to be from a verb which means 'to grow thin'.
By medieval times chewing fennel seeds gained great popularity as a way to stop your stomach rumbling during long church sermons!
Fennel is found growing as a weed in waste places in much of the United States, in southeastern Canada and in southern British Columbia. It is also cultivated for commercial demands in the warmer parts of Europe and in many parts of Africa, Asia, and North and South America. The plant is native to Mediterranean Europe where it is also found growing wild.

So get yourself a handful of these little seeds and try something new with it. All you have to do is chew one little seed to get a taste of it's magic!

Fennel
Hill, Marian
5 in. x 7 in.
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