The Sacred Hearth

The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all loved calendula and used it for culinary and healing purposes. During the medieval period it was considered a cure for just about everything. During the Rennaissance, it was a popular garden flower and commonly used as a pot herb earning it the name pot marigold.

Shakespear honored the flower in a verse in A Winter's Tale
""Hot lavender, mints, savoury, marjoram;
The marigold, that goes to bed wi' the sun
And with him rises weeping: these are flowers.""
It was said that if marigold didn't open by 7am there would be a thunderstorm.

One medieval belief about marigold was that it would strip a witch of her will.

The world laurel comes from the Celtic lawr, meaning "verdant" and nobilis from the latin meaning "noble" or of high rank.

The Greek word for Bay is dhafni, after the nymph Daphne who was changed into a bay laurel tree by Gaea (or her father Peneus, or herself, depending on who's telling the story) to protect her from the unwanted advances of Apollo. The tree is sacred to Apollo and it is said that the Oracle at Delphi chewed the leaves and inhaled the smoke when seeking visions. It is also associated with honor and glory and kings, heroes, triumphant athletes, poets and other great men and women were crowned with it to signify their greatness in both ancient Greece and Rome. Garlands of bay laurel were traditionally bestowed upon the winners of the Pythian games in Greece and later the Olympic games (prior to the change, olive leaves were used).

Today, grand prix winners are given wreathes of laurel. The world laureate as in poet laureate and baccalaureate (lit "laurel berry") are additional reminders of the high status of this tree.

Laurel wreaths were worn for their protective properties. They were believed to protect against the anger of sky Gods and the Emperor Tiberius always wore laurel during thunderstorms to prevent his being struck by lightening. Doctors also wore laurel as it was considered helpful in curing nearly everything.

Ocimum is from the Greek, meaning "to be fragrant"
The word Basil comes from the Greek, meaning "King"
Basilisicum is from the Latin for Basilisk, a creature that could cause madness and death. It was carried or ingested as a charm against attacks. It may have been used to cure madness, or it may have been attributed with causing madness.

Basil may have been brought to Greece by Alexander the Great around 350BCE

African folklore claims that basil protects against scorpions, while Greek lore said that scorpions would breed in the presence of basil.

European lore claims that it belongs to Satan and you must cursei the ground as you plant it in order for it to grow properly. This is where the French idiom, semer le basilic "to sow the basil" came from, it refers to ranting.

Basil was used in English folk magic, like so many other things, to ward off harmful spells as well as to keep away pests.

Apparently, witches drank basil juice before flying on their brooms. Perhaps it aids in astral projection.

During Tudor times, small pots of basil were given to guests as a parting gift. Perhaps it would be useful in traveling spells.

Also, several sources say that if a gift of basil is given to a member of the opposite sex, he or she will fall deeply in love with the giver and be forever faithful. In Romania, this act is representative of an official engagement.

In India it is highly revered, Holy Basil being sacred to the Hindu religion as a manifestation of the Goddess Tulasi.
According to lore, the God Vishnu seduced her in her husband's guise and, horrified when she realized she's been unfaithful, however unknowingly, she killed herself.

Another version claimed that the mortal Tulasi, whose name was Vrinda, threw herself onto her husband's funeral pyre because she was so upset that he died.

Either way, Vishnu deified her and declared that she should be worshipped by wives and would prevent them from becoming widows. Her burnt hair was turned into the Holy Basil, which is called Tulsi in reference to her, is a Hindu symbol of love, fidelity, eternal life, purification and protection.

So important was this plant that in some Indian courts, people swore oaths by a basil bush. According to sources, some Hindu households keep their own basil plant, pray to it, and keep a lamp burning by it at night.

In Haiti, Basil is sacred to the goddess of love, Erzulie.

It is a symbol of love in Italy. A pot of basil placed on a balcony meant that the woman who lived there was ready to receive suitors.

It is believed that the West got its first taste of cardamom when Alexander the Great brought it back from India. It was used widely in Europe to treat digestive problems.

In Asia and Africa, cardamom has been used to flavor food for centuries and has also been used as an aphrodisiac. It is a very important part of Indian and Arabic cuisine.

Cardamom is an important ingredient in coffee in many cultures. For Arabic coffee, seeds are ground and added to coffee grounds before brewing, or pods are steeped in the coffee itself. In Bedouin traditioni, cardamom pods are placed in the spout of the coffee pot so just the right amount of cardamom flavor is added as the coffee is being poured. In Ethiopia, coffee beans are roasted together with cardamom seeds and other spices immediately before the coffee is prepared. Alli of these are parts of important hospitality traditions within their cultures.

The word Thyme comes from the Greek meaning to "fumigate". This indicates that it was used as a smudgingi herb. The Greeks thought very highly of Thyme. It was mixed in drinks to enhance intoxicating effects and induce bravery and warriors were massaged with thyme oil to ensure their courage. Women wore thyme in their hair to enhance their attractiveness. The phrase "to smell of thyme" meant that one was stylish, well groomed, poised, and otherwise attractive.

Thyme is a Mediterranean native spread throughout Europe by the Romans. Their soldiers added it to their bathwater to increase bravery, strength and vigor.

It enjoyed a long association with bravery. In Medieval England, ladies embroidered sprigs of thyme into their knights' scarves to increase their bravery. In Scotland, highlanders brewed tea to increase courage and keep away nightmares.

Thyme was used as early as 3000 BCE by Sumerians as an antiseptic. It does indeed have impressic antiseptic qualities.

It was used as an embalming herb in ancient Egypt and was burned in other places as offerings to celebrate Rites of Passing. It was placed in coffins throughout Europe to ensure passage into the next world.