* GRIMOIRE *
Magical, medicinal, culinary and practical uses of
herbs,flowers & trees.
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ROSEMARY
Rosemary for Remembrance
Rosemary for memory.
For love and marriage, traditionally added to bouquets and wreaths.
Add to smudge/cleansing sticks. Burn with Juniper to cleanse the air and space.
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Burn the stalks and use the ashes in a powder for magical rites and spells.
Use flowers and dried herb in sachets as drawer scent and moth repellent.
Companion plant Rosemary with cabbage, carrots, broccoli and parsley.
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HEALTH & BEAUTY: Make Rosemary water, use as hair rinse (9 parts rosemary water to 1 part apple or white vinegar).
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Also makes a good floor wash or general cleaner (with a little more vinegar added).
Rosemary water sprayed on leaves also makes a good insect and pest repellent.
Add oils and dried herbs to Epsom salts, and sea salt for cleansing bath.
Steep in oil to make a muscle rub, anti inflammatory and insect repellent.
Good for circulation and a mood lifter.
Herbs placed in hot water used for decongestant steam clean!
Rosemary Tea. (Should not be used by people taking Anti coagulant, blood thinning medications, ACE inhibitors (for blood pressure). Diuretics, Lithium. Or if pregnant.) TEA: Approx 300ml water to 1 spoon herbs. Infused and strained.
Said to have antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti inflammatory properties. Lower blood sugars, improve memory and mood. Support brain health, eye health and vision. Supports heart and digestive health.
THYME
Thyme for Courage
Thyme for transition, mourning, focus and release of old ways.
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Attracts prosperity.
Plant in a sunny spot, with some coins placed at the roots, at the time of a waxing moon. (Basil is also a herb for attracting money).
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Herb of Venus. Water element.
A favourite herb on the Fae folk. An old tale says that, if you lose something, go to the woodland with an offering of honey and fresh thyme for the Faery Folk and ask for their help to find it.
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Burn the dried plant to clear negative energy in the home and settle disputes. Burn with dried Juniper to promote psychic vision and abilities.
Popular use in magical practices, especially in offerings at Summer festivals - Beltane - Litha.
Green magic.
Used in wreaths for the dead and also said to aid the mourner to recover and release the departed spirit.
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HEALTH AND BEAUTY:
Use dried herb in ritual water for bathing, to refresh, cleanse and release.
Use in herb sachets/pillows to aid sleep and relaxation.
MEDICINAL USES: *
Thyme is said to hold natural antiseptic properties as well as antibacterial - insecticidal - antifungal.
A tea/infusion of the herb is believed to be very good for colds and chest infections - or a gargle for sore throat. Thyme may also aid digestion, ease diarrhoea, arthritis and skin conditions and reduce blood pressure.
* (Always seek medical advice before experimenting and don't take too much.... the more is not necessarily the merrier!)
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HISTORICAL USES:
Knights of old often wore a bunch of thyme to give them courage and protection.
It was also used in the embalming process and as a protection against the Black Death.
YELLOW LOOSESTRIFE
Willow Herb for Calming
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MEDICINAL USES:***
Astringent - Wound cleansing/staunch blood flow.
Treatment for gastro-intestinal conditions.
Vitamin C deficiency.
Gargle for sore gums or mouth ulcers.
Eye wash.
Insect repellent
Preparation:
Infusion; 1-2 teaspoons of the dried herb, steeped for 10mins. Strained.
*(Caution; consume in moderation, due to the tannin levels in this plant).
Add a little sea salt if using as eye wash.
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FOLKLORE:
Once believed to have the ability to calm animals, particularly cattle, the herbs being hung around their necks.
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Culpepper says:
"This herb is good for bleeding at the mouth, nose, or wounds, and fluxes of the belly, and the bloody flux, given either to drink, or taken by clyster; it stays profuse menstruation; it is a singular good wound herb for green wounds, to stay the bleeding, and closing the lips of the wound, if the herb be bruised, and the juice applied. It is often used in gargling for sore mouths, as also for the secret parts. The smoke hereof being burned, driveth away flies and gnats, which in the night time molest people in marshes and fenny countries."
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*** Please be cautious before trying any herbal remedies. Consider any possible contraindications with other medicines, check with your doctor or pharmacist before consuming herbal medicine. Also consider any allergens that may be present. If you're unsure, don't do it! Take further advice***
ROWAN
Rowan for Protection
Luis - Mountain Ash - Caorunn.
Tree of Life - The Quickening Tree - The Faery Tree. Tree of Brighid.
Significant to the Beltane festivities.
In the Celtic Ogham calendar Rowan is the birth tree for those born between 21st January and 17th February.
"Rowan Tree and thread of red, Makes the witches tine their speed." This is an old saying to ward off witches! Presumed then to be of evil or malicious intent.
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Nowadays we witches use the Rowan as protection for ourselves, our loved ones and our homes.
Rowan symbolizes Protection, Courage and Wisdom.
She enhances astral travel and brings power and success to the bearer.
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Protection for the hearth and home with a rowan cross or ring of dried berries hung above the doors, windows or over the fireplace.
A Rowan talisman brings courage to the warrior.
A twig, carved with a protective rune and worn as a charm, to ward off enchantment and the evil eye. Or placed around the necks of cows, sheep or goats, to protect them and improve the milk.
Druids used the bark and berries to dye their Lunar ritual robes black.
Red is the supreme colour of protection, Rowan berries also bear the 5 pointed star at the base, the ultimate protector.
Rowan signifies death and rebirth. Often planted in graveyards to help the dead to move along.
Norse mythology writes that Woman is made of the Rowan, Man of the Ash.
It was Rowan who bent over the flowing river to rescue Thor from being swept to the Underworld.
When the (Greek) Goddess Hebe lost the chalice of youth it was recovered by an eagle, who fought to recover it for her. Wherever a drop of the eagle's blood fell, a Rowan tree would spring forth.
Twigs to make charms, wood to carve; rune staves, walking sticks, spindles and spinning wheels.
Excellent divining rods and powerful wands.
The bark was often used in the tanning (leather) process.
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CULLINARY USES:
the berries are used for drinks and Rowan Jelly. The berries MUST BE COOKED before eating.
It has been used to make wine, mead, cider, ale and spirits.
The berries usually ripen in Autumn. but 2020 is on fast forward.
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THE ROWAN CROSS:
To make a Rowan Cross charm for your home, simply take a small rowan twig (approx 6" long) and cut it in half. Form an equal cross (+) and bind together with red thread. The berries can be strung onto thread and dried before use (the ones shown in the photo are fresh, undried berries). Then thread the berries (I use 13) onto a thin piece of wire (copper wire is good as it conducts energy). Join it together to form a circle. Using red thread, join the berry ring to the top of the twig cross. Attach a hanging loop. Hang over entrance ways, windows.
You can also use a small piece of rowan twig to make a protective amulet to wear or carry. Cut a small piece, approx 3cm long, strip off the bark, or at least some of it so you can carve into it. Carve a protective rune symbol. Make a small hole in the top, or tightly tie with thread, to attach it to a cord.
ACORN MAGIC
"Mighty Oaks from little acorns grow"
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The powerful and ancient symbolism of the Oak and Acorn, a sacred tree of the Druids, tree of wisdom and longevity.
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Carry an acorn in your pocket as an amulet, a reminder of strength and resilience, patience and protection, fertility and fruitfulness.
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In a mast year, when the trees produce an excess of fruit, nuts, acorns etc., folklore predicts a hard winter.
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For millennia Oaks have provided us with strong, long lasting wood for building, or slow, warm burn on the fire.
Acorns provide a food source for many of Earths creatures (including us!). Humans cannot eat them raw, they must be leached in water and cooked/roasted to remove the tannins and toxins. A coffee substitute can be made from them, and a nutty flour. (Please do some research and study before trying this yourself).
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Acorns symbolise the turning of the seasons, the cycle of life. They remind us to prepare for winter, the harvest and the storing of provisions.
They remind us of patience and resilience, that important things must take time to develop..... that, from this little acorn, a mighty Oak may grow.
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