protection
Betony
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Wed, 04/15/2009 - 14:22.- astringent
- Attracts bees
- betony
- bishop's elder
- bishopwort
- Brid
- Bridget
- Cancer
- common hedgenettle
- Crafter's Herb
- Imbolc
- Juno
- Jupiter
- justice
- lousewort
- Mercury
- Midsummer
- nervine
- Partial Shade
- Perennial
- protection
- purification
- purple betony
- Sagittarius
- sedative
- spiked betony
- St Brid's Comb
- St Brid's Day
- Stachys betonica
- Venus
- woundwort
stachy officinalis or betonica officinalis
Betony is a woodland perennial and a member of the mint family with its characteristic square stem and bilabiate flowers.
The name betony is said to derive from a Celtic word bewton which means "good for the head".
Makes a chartreuse dye with an alum mordant.
Identified with attorlothe of the Nine Herbs Charm
Betony can be added to any protective mixtures, grown around the home to protect it or carried on the person (especially under one's hat) to protect from negativity, misfortune and hexes. Scattered near doors, it prevents unwanted energies (and people) from entering. It can has been planted in graveyards to prevent evil spirits from escaping.
Betony can be stuffed into a pillow or placed underneath to prevent nightmares and night terrors.
Stinging Nettle
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 12:08.Urtica dioica
Stinging nettle is a common weed found in moist shady places in Europe, Asia and North America. They are perennial, growing up to 4 feet tall in the summer and dying back in the winter.
Plant nettles six to twelve inches apart in moist, rich soil that gets some shade. They will grow like a weed and spread out like crazy. They do grow well in a pot. If grown in the garden they should be surrounded by an underground barrier to prevent them taking over. Stinging nettles are best grown in their own patch.
Cut nettles back after they flower but before they seed so they don't spread out of control.
Stinging nettle is mentioned in the Nine Herbs Charm. It has been used in Europe for centuries as food in early spring when other sources of food were scarce, as a nutritive spring tonic and to build the strength and milk production of pregnant and lactating women and livestock and as medicine for various conditions. Hippocrates recorded 61 medicinal uses of the plant in the fourth and fifth centuries BCE.
Nettle was once widely used for its stem fibres which were retted and spun like flax. In Denmark, burial shrouds made of the resulting cloth have been found dating back 5000 years or more. Native Americans used the fibre for making fishing nets and for cordage.
Nettle leaves produce a green dye which was used in war time Europe the make camouflage and is used to this day in Germany to keep canned vegetables looking a healthy green.
Make sure you wear thick gloves and long sleeves and jeans when harvesting nettle. Their stingers can pierce through thin fabric. Pluck young nettle leaves in the spring and dry or steam and then freeze to store. Cooking or drying will destroy the sting. Do not harvest or eat later season leaves because they will starti to get tough and grainy. The grainy bits are said to cause urinary issues.
Cut the stalks to the ground in the autumn, strip off the leaves (and add them to your compost bin make a nettle tea fertilizer for your plants) and lay flat to dry. Once dried, the stalks can be broken up to retrieve the long fibers for handspinning or shredded to make paper.
If you wait till after the first frost to harvest your nettle for fiber, you will find them much less stingy.
The long soft fibers from stinging nettle can be spun into thread or yarn and woven into fabric that is said to be as strong as hemp and as soft as cotton.
The stalks can be shredded and made into paper.
Cut and dry nettles to add to winter fodder for horses, cattle, goats, pigs and sheep.
Nettle leaves make a lovely green dye. Add and iron mordant and the dye turns black, copper produces a lovely grey-green (like for camouflage). The roots can be boiled with alum for a nice yellow dye.
Nettle is male in action and associated with the sign of Scorpio (some say Ares) and the planet Mars and element of Fire.
Nettle can be burned to drive out negativity or unwanted spirits. It can also be used in protection bags, our ground into powder and used in spells to break curses.
Stinging nettle tea is a great spring tonic and a good addition to the diet of anyone recovering from a long illness or who has chronic weakness, fatigue or anemia. Steep the dry or fresh leaves in boiled water for 10 minutes and strain. The steeping process will destroy the steam and what you have left is a delicious and nutritious green broth. It is also a great internal cleanser, useful for urinary tract problems and inflammatory conditions and is said to be helpful to and protective of the prostate.
Freeze dried nettle tablets are useful for hayfever. Freeze drying retains the sting chemicals which are helpful with allergic conditions.
Nettle tea, steamed nettles and other preparations containing nettle may be given to pregnant and lactating women and animals to keep them strong and healthy and to increase milk production.
A traditional remedy for rheumatism calls for smacking the affected area with fresh nettles, sting and all to relieve pain and inflammation.
Nettle leaves make a fabulous tea or soup stock.
Steamed nettles are a great side dish all their own. Try topping with vinegar, sesame seeds and sesame oil or almondi slivers. Add them to any recipe calling for spinach or greens.
Nettles are high in protein, vitamin C & A and Iron
Lavender
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 16:32.Lavandula spp
Lavender is an aromatic member of the mint family native to the Mediterranean region, Northern and Eastern Africa and parts of India.
Most lavenders prefer a warm, sunny spot with well-drained soil. Lavender is a plant that doesn't like its "feet wet" so well-drained soil is of the utmost importance. It will tolerate some drought and heat quite well, however. Most lavenders will grow well throughout the Southwestern United states, but more Northerly regions may have trouble. Try the Hidcote or Munstead variety in the North. The humid deep South may have trouble with any variety of lavender.
The good news is that it grows reasonably well in pots and can be brought indoors in cold or wet weather. Lavender doesn't need a big pot. Just an inch or two wider than the root ball is sufficient. The important thing is that the pot drains well. Mix your potting soil with equal parts sand and put a layer of loose gravel in the bottom of the pot before adding your soil. This will encourage drainage. Water when the soil feels dry and try not to wet the leaves. Make sure your lavender plant gets plenty of sun.
Plant your lavender where it will get full sun but be sheltered from harsh winds and not be in a drain path. Space the plants well apart to allow air circulation. It should be fed some compost the first year to get it started; After that, ignore it except for providing some protection from cold and wet. A thick layer of mulch after the first frost will protect the roots in areas where repeated thawing and freezing may stress the plant.
For best fragrance and essential oil production, the soil should be nutrient poor and alkaline.
Lavender is a good companion for fruit trees, rue and any plant that might be troubled by white fly or that would benefit from bees and other pollinating insects lavender attracts.
Lavender deters fleas and moths. Place sachets of lavender buds or lavender wands in cupboards and closets or stuff them into pet bedding to help deter pests from these areas.
Lavender is masculine in action and associated with Mercury, the element of air and the astrological sign Virgo.
It may be used as an asperging herb (to sprinkle water for purification purposes) and dried lavender sticks or wands can be burnt like incense.
It is also useful in spells to sharpen the mind, to encourage or strengthen pure love (as opposed to the naughty sort) and to encourage fertility.
The scent of lavender is relaxing and uplifting all at once making it a great aromatherapy for stressed out or depressed individuals. Try adding some lavender oil to your bath or add it to grapeseed or a similar oil for a relaxing massage at the end of a hard day.
Stuffing a pillow with lavender buds may help insomniacs relax and fall asleep and soothes headaches.
Lavender is a good addition to wedding cakes because of its delicate flavor and its association with love and fertility.
To make lavender flavored sugar, layer dried lavender buds and sugar in a jar and let it sit in a dark place for about a month. Sift out the lavender buds and enjoy your sugar in delicately flavored cakes, custards and tea.
An easy way to scent your clothing and bedding is to stuff a knee-high stocking with lavender and knot it. Throw this in your dryer with your drying laundry. It'll come out smelling divine!
Mulled Cider
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Mon, 07/28/2008 - 11:32.½ gallon apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
1 orangei, sliced
Put it all in a saucepan. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Strain and serve hot.
This beverage is traditional at harvest gatherings and as a special treat when the kids come in from Trick or Treating on Halloween, or to warm up your hands sitting around the bonfire on Samhain. It's a great warm up on a brisk autumn day.
We use apple cider for our harvest and Samhain libations. It is great for giving thanks for successes in the areas of prosperity and love, and for drawing prosperity and love. This beverage features both sun energies and cthonic energies.
You can buy mulling spices at most grocery stores in the late autumn. Follow the directions on the package.
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Feverfew
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Mon, 07/14/2008 - 10:59.- ague plant
- antiinflammatory
- Antispasmodic
- aperient
- bachelor's button
- bitter
- carminative
- devil daisy
- Emmenagogue
- feather-fully
- featherfew
- featherfoil
- feverfew
- flirtwort
- Full Sun
- maid's weed
- matricaria
- midsummer daisy
- missouri snakeroot
- nosebleed
- Perennial
- prairie-dock
- protection
- rainfarn
- sedative
- Stimulant
- stomachic
- Top Healing Herb
- vasodilator
- Venus
- vermifuge
- vetter-voo
- Water
- wild chammomile
Tanacetum parthenium, Chrysantheim parthenium or Pyrethrum parthenium
Feverfew is an short lived perennial native to southeastern Europe which is now widespread across North America, Europe and Australia.
Feverfew can be grown from seed, cuttings or by division. It is not picky about soil as long as isn't soggy and prefers full sun, but will also do well in partial shade. Feverfew is also a good container plant but should not be brought inside to overwinter but instead placed in a sheltered area so that it can have a dormant period. It'll die anyway if you bring it in.
It will reseed if seed heads are left on the plant at the end of the season. Due to the fact that it reseeds like crazy, this plant can be very invasive. Deadhead spent flowers to control its spread and save the seeds to plant them where you want them later.
It is said the bees do not like this plant. I can't vouch for the truth of this, but you may want to keep it in mind when placing it in your garden.
Feverfew was used by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians for inflammation and menstrual pain as well as general aches and pains.
Dioscorides documented feverfew's use for inflammation and swellings in the first century of the common era.
In medieval Europe it was used for just about everything and it has enjoyed long popularity in cottage gardens. During the time of the plagues, it was planted around houses to protect those inside from the disease. (It may have actually prevented plague carrying vermin from entering)
The name parthenium is from the Greek meaning "girl" and alludes to its traditional use for female complaints.
Cut fresh leaves as needed or lay flat on a screen to dry and store in an airtight container away from light and heat.
Feverfew can be used to keep away bees and other insects.
Feverfew is masculine in nature (though it has always felt feminine to me) and is associated with the plant Venus and the element of water.
Feverfew is often use in mojo bags. Alone or combined with hyssop and rosemary in a bag it is used to prevent general accidents. To prevent accidents while travelling, put it in a bag with comfrey root and a St Christopher medal and put it in your glovebox, rearview mirror or carry on bag. Likewise, using feverfew as a bath tea will help break hexes designed to make you more accident prone.
Growing this plant around the ouside of your home is said to prevent illness from entering.
Binding the flowers to the wrist is said to assist in drawing out pain as well.
An infusioni of feverfew is good for migraines and other headaches and PMS symptoms. Chewing the leaf at the first sign of a migraine is traditionally affective at stopping it in its tracks. Because the leaf tastes aweful and can cause blistering inside the mouth, it is suggested that you add it to a sandwich instead of eating it straight. Drying seems to weaken the medicinal effect of this herb.
Feverfew can be used as an infusion (or tea) but tinctures are much more effective.
Feverfew has blood thinning qualities and should not be used by anyone who is taking blood thinners or who is planning to undergo surgery.
Pregnant women should not use feverfew.
Feverfew doesn't taste very good and large quantities aren't very good for you. It can cause sores to form on the inside of your mouth, can cause stomach upset and thins the blood.
Mayapple
Submitted by DawnBlack on Mon, 01/07/2008 - 22:24.- abortifacient
- Alterative
- American mandrake
- Attracts faeries
- Cathartic
- cytostatic
- Devil's apple
- Emetic
- Fertility
- Fire
- full shade
- Groundcover
- hog apple
- Indian apple
- laxitive
- may apple
- May Flower
- Perennial
- Podophyllum peltatum
- Poison
- protection
- purgative
- Sagittarius
- Saturn
- secrets
- success
- umbrella plant
- vermifuge
- wild lemon
- Woodland Plant
Podophyllum peltatum
Mayapple is an American native member of the plant family Berberidaceae common to woodland clearings in the Northern and Eastern United States and Southern Canada.
Mayapple spreads from underground rhizomes to quickly form a colony that shades out smaller plants. It makes an excellent groundcover for unused areas and grows well in dappled shade. It likes light, loamy soil, shade, but not deep shade and plenty of space to spread out. You can gather seeds or rhizomes to plant or you might find a transplant in a native plant nursery. (I got mine from the local plant conservancy- they gather wild plants from construction sites and then sell them to the public.)
It's good to keep them moist, not wet, and free of weeds until established. Once they are established, they will spread like crazy and crowd out weaker plants. Remember that it will take a few years before they starti producing fruits.
According to lore, Native Americans used this plant for its healing attributes but also to commit suicide.
The botanical name Podophyllum peltatum comes from the greek "podos" and "phyllon" meaning "foot-shaped leaves" and "Peltatum" meaning "shield".
The root (which is extremely dangerous to handle or ingest) should be dried away from sunlight. The effective constituents are not water soluble and must be dissolved in alcohol.
The fruit may be made into jelly or sliced thin and dried or dried whole for use in spells.
Make sure to wear gloves while handling the foilage or roots of this plant and wash your hands thoroughly before touching your face or eyes.
The poisonous rhizome can be boiled and used to kill insects on crop plants, especially potatoesi. Make sure that the resulting potion is only sprinkled on the inedible (to humans) parts of the plants, such as tomato leaves and the aerial parts of potato plants.
The powdered root is used in powerful protective magic. Mayapple is extremely irritating to the eyes and Mayapple root is used in spells to keep things (like diaries, books of shadows, etc.) hidden from prying eyes. The powder can be sprinkled around the storage area or on the object itself, or around the perimeter of an area where you do not wish to be disturbed. (Remember that Mayapple is a topical poison while doing this. Take care not to let the powder sit on your skin or come in contact with your eyes.)
The dried fruit can also be added to sachets and mojo bags to similar purpose, that is to allow the bearer to work in secret, or to allow his or her actions to not be revealed too soon.
The whole root can be tucked under the mattress to ensure the fertility and verility of the couple who sleep upon it.
Kept in a high place in the home, Mayapple root is said to draw prosperity to the home and protect it from bad luck.
This herb is commonly used as a substitution in spells calling for Mandrake (Atropa mandragora)
Mayapple is listed as "unsafe" by the FDA and most experts agree that its action is too strong for self-medication even by experienced herbalists. Every part, excepting the ripe fruit, is deadly poison and can kill an adult human within 24 hours.
It was used by Native American tribes, who dried and powdered the root, as a laxitive and to remove worms and as a topical treatment for warts and skin cancer.
Modern medicine has found compounds in the rhizome that are useful against cancer and it is used in the treatment of genital warts and skin cancers in Asia. It is also under study for use against dropsy, dispepsia, biliousness, and various liver conditions.
Symptoms of mayapple poisoning are salviation, vomiting, diarrhea, excitement, fever, headache, coma, and death.
Only the ripe fruit or "apple" of the mayapple is edible. The fruit is ripe when it is yellow and slightly soft. Dispite its name, the flavor is more like lemon than apple. Mayapples may be eaten raw, but they are best cooked or made into jelly. They may also be juiced and mixed with sugar and water to make a beverage similar to lemonade(remove all seeds before juicing). These fruits should be eaten only in moderation and only when perfectly ripe. It has been known to cause technicolor diarrhea.
Here's an article from Mother Earth News about cooking with Mayapples. An excellent idea for your Beltane celebrations (assuming you've got some ripe, if not, hold off till Midsummer)
If you're using an old European spelli that calls for Mandrake, you can use this plant instead. But remember, both plants are very poisonous and substitutions of dangerous plants should never be made with other dangerous plants when you are making things that are to be administerd topically or ingested. I suggest using the fruit instead of the root as a much safer alternative. It is slower to action and not as intense, but it is still effective.
Hawthorn
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Mon, 01/07/2008 - 21:37.- Albesyne
- Attracts faeries
- Attracts Wildlife
- Belenus
- Beltain
- Beltane
- Bread-and-Cheese Tree
- Cardea
- cardiac tonic
- Craaegus spp.
- death
- Deciduous
- Fairy Bush
- Fertility
- Fire
- Flora
- Gazels
- Hag Thorn
- Hagedorn
- Halves
- Haw
- Hawthorn
- Hazels
- health
- Hedge
- Hedgethorn
- Hymen
- Ladies Meat
- Love
- L’Epine Noble
- Maia
- Mars
- May blossom
- May Bush
- May Flower
- May Tr
- oaths
- Partial Shade
- protection
- Quick
- Quickset
- Thorn
- Tree of Chastity
- White Goddess
- Whitethorn
Craaegus spp.
This is a tree that will grow to a height of 30-40 feet. The fruit is a bright red to dark purple that is enjoyed by many birds.
Hawthorn is a deciduous tree that can grow in most temperate climates. It is tolerant of most soils, but prefers moist, alkaline soils.
The name Crataegus oxyacantha comes from the Greek kratos, “hardness”, oxcux, “sharp” and akantha “thorn”.
In Teutonic lore, hawthorn symbolized death and was used in funeral pyres.
In ancient Greece, married couples were crowned with hawthorn blossoms and the wedding party carried torches of hawthorn. The tree was also associated with Cardea, the Roman Goddess of marriage and Childbirth.
During springtime festivals in England, large Hawthorn boughs were cut and stood up in the ground outside houses. They were called May Bushes and decorated with wildflowers. Although it was permissible to decorate outside with hawthorn blossoms, bringing them into the home would surely bring illness and death.
This tree was considered beloved by fairies who lived within. Cuttingi down a Hawthorn tree is very bad luck!
Harvest the fruit in early autumn and spread out to dry or make into wine or jam.
Flowers can be harvested in May and dried in the sun. Leaves can be harvested any time. Be sure to ask permission and leave an offering.
Collect fallen limbs after storms to use for carving or making wands.
The wood of the hawthorn tree has a fine grain and takes polish well. It can be used for carving and making wands. It produces a very hot fire when burned.
Gods associated with this tree are Belenus, Cardea, the “White Goddess”, Hymen, Maia and Flora.
It is considered masculine, associated with Mars and Fire.
Hawthorn is a sacred tree in many Pagan religions. The blossoms, called May Flowers, are used in spring celebrations. The May Pole is traditionally made of hawthorn or decorated with hawthorn flowers. As the tree is sacred to fairies, one must ask permission before taking the blooms or sprigs and must certainly leave an offering when cutting down a whole tree.
Placed around doors and windows, hawthorn will prevent people from entering your home in an astral state. It will also prevent spirits from entering a place. Planting hawthorn around other trees, or near your home is said to protect them from lightening strikes. Planting it as a hedge around your home will keep out unfriendly spirits. Adding hawthorn to an amuleti will protect you from spirits and harmful magic.
Thorns can be used to mark wax, to write with magical ink, or to fix something for magical purposes.
The phrase “by Oak, Ash and Thorn” referred to Hawthorn (the Thorn part) used in blessing and rituali. These three trees were considered portals to the realm of the fae.
Hawthorn is associated with love, marriage, health, fertility, chastity, protection and death.
The bark of the hawthorn tree can be used as a sedative, anti-spasmodic, diuretic and to help regulate blood pressure. It is used as a heart tonic and for kidney troubles.
The flowers and berries are astringent and can be used for sort throats.
Use a decoction of flowers and leaves to stabilize blood pressure.
A tasty liquor can be made from the berries. Both the blossoms and berries can be made into wine and jellies.
Hawthorn leaves can be eaten and were once referred to as bread-and-cheese.
Garlic
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Mon, 01/07/2008 - 20:49.Allium sativum
Garlic is similar to onion, except the bulb, rather than being one large bulb, is made of several cloves. It has long slender leaves that emerge directly from the ground and a striking flower head.
Propagate from cloves. Garlic needs a cold period to trigger growth, so your cloves should be planted in the late fall. Plant the cloves with the pointed side up. Do not separate cloves from the bulb until just before you are ready to plant them, or they may dry out.
The young plants look like newly sprouted grass with a lovely garlici smell. These are great on potatoesi and in salads. Store in a cool, dark and dry place.
Garlic prefers loose, rich, well-drained soil.
Garlic has been part of horticulture for at least 5000 years and was grown by the ancient Egyptians, Indians, Chinese and Babylonians.
Its image has been found in Egyptian tombs depicted as an offering to the Gods. The pyramid builders of ancient Egypt were paid partially in garlici and Egyptians swore oaths on cloves of garlic.
Roman soldiers at garlic before battle for strength and bravery.
It was used to maintain health during the plague, as well as to ward off evil spirits, vampires, the evil eye and various spells.
It was first brought to the Americas on Columbus's second voyage.
An Islamic legend claims that when Satan left the Garden of Eden, garlic and onions grew from his footprints.
Harvest garlici by pulling up bulbs in late June or July, or when the lower 1/3 of the leaves starti to yellow and the bulbs have segmented into cloves. Stop watering about two weeks before harvesting.
Lay out the bulbs in a well ventilated area with high temperature and low humidity for two days, then braid the tops together and hang for at least two weeks.
Garlic may be pureed or minced in olive oil and stored in the freezer.
Garlic flowers dry well and last a long time in flower arrangements.
Growing garlici near other plants will help protect them from pests.
Rub cloves of garlic on your fingernails and let it sit for a bit to strengthen them.
Garlic is masculine in nature and associated with the planet Mars, the element Fire and the sign Aries. It is sacred to Hecate and is a suitable offering to her left at a crossroads.
A spelli from the American West to dispatch an unwanted lover: Place a clove of garlici intersected with two crossed pins where he is sure to walk. When he walks over it, he will lose interest.
A potion with the opposite affect was made of a strand of the target's hair, threads from his or her clothing, ruda leaves, alcohol and garlic. Somehow you had to make the poor victim ingest this, and then he or she would fall madly in love with you.
Garlic cloves can also be used, with other things, to stuff poppets intended for negative magic.
Garlic braids hung over the door repel thieves and envious people as well as bring good look. Change the braid every year. Hanging garlic over a bedroom door will draw lovers into it.
Garlic is said to have aphrodisiac powers when eaten.
Wiping a knife with garlic juice empowers it against negative energies.
A clove of garlic can be added to any mojo bag to strengthen its energy.
Garlic is used for exorcism, spell-breaking, invoking passion, protection and strength.
Also used to protect against psychic vampirism.
Garlic has antibiotic properties, but should not be used directly on wounds or in poultices or salves because it can be irritating to the skin and may inhibit blood clotting.
Regular consumption of garlici may help lower HDL cholesterol and raise LDL cholesterol.
It has also been indicated in cancer studies.
To enhance garlic's natural healing properties, let it sit for 20 minutes or so after preparation (chopping, crushing, etc.) before cooking. This allows certain chemical reactions to take place that activate its active constituents.
Garlic may inhibit the formation of blood clots. Use caution if you are taking blood thinners or use aspirin regularly.
Do not give garlic to pets as it can destroy red blood cells causing possibly fatal anemia. (Please don't panic if you dropped some garlic off the cutting board and your dog snapped it up, these problems tend to occur with regular consumption rather than the occasional nip.)
Breastfeeding mothers who eat lots of garlic have occasionally found that their babies became more colicky, or refused to nurse until they stop eating garlic!
Large amounts of garlic may cause stomach upset.
Garlic is an indispensable seasoning for many dishes.
Reduce garlici breath by chewing parsley or fenugreek or cardamom seeds after your meal.
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Hellebore
Submitted by DawnBlack on Mon, 01/07/2008 - 20:14.Helleborus spp.
Native to much of Europe. Helebores are members of the family Ranunculaceae, which is often confused with members of the Rosacea family.
Hellebore will grow in any well-drained garden soil and is extremely shade tolerant. It is great for underplantings around shrubs and troublesome shady spots in the garden. Seedlings can be directly sowed or started indoors and transplanted no later than their second year. Sometimes it takes a few years for flowers to appear. Be patient and your Hellebore will bloom by its third year.
Divide as necessary in Mid to late summer once the root stock is big enough to be cut.
Hellebore is extremely poisonous. It is best to wear gloves when working with it to avoid absorption through the skin.
Ancient herbals distinguish between Black Hellebore and White Hellebore. White Hellebore has been identified by modern scholars as a plant now known as False Hellebore. Black Hellebore, on the other hand has been identified as Helleborus officianalis, a native of Greece and Asia Minor.
The genus name, Helleborus comes from the Greek elein, meaning "to injur" and bora, meaning "food" alluding to the plant's poisonous nature.
Melampodium, an old name for Hellebore, refers to the ancient physician Melampus who used Hellebore to cure the daughters of the king of Argos of the madness of the maenads. Where they drunk? Did the herb make them vomit themselves sober?
Some have speculated the Alexander the Great died of Hellebore poisoning while being treated for an illness.
In Christian lore, the first Hellebore grew from the spot where a little girl's tear dropped onto the snow because she had no gift for the Christ child.
According to some sources, Hellebore was an ingredient in the legendary "flying ointmenti".
Wear gloves while harvesting. Harvest hellebore just after it blooms, on a moonless night, if you want to get fancy. Hang to dry and store in a sealed container away from moisture and light.
Hellebore will brighten up the shady corners of your garden and perhaps discourage critters from raiding it.
Hellebore is associated with Mars and Saturn and corresponds to the element water.
It is used in magic for healing of mental/emotional afflictions and for banishing and exorcisms. It has been used also for increasing intelligence and for protection and invisibility spells. Apparently the plant was dried and powdered and scattered around the person to be made invisible. Ancient magicians also used hellebore to change the nature of other plants, to make their fruits have various unpleasant and uhealthy properties by either grafting the plants together or using hellebore as fertilizer.
This is a banefuli herb which should never be ingested and you should wear gloves when handling it.
Hellebore was traditionally used as a cure for poisoning of livestock and was considered by the ancient Greeks to be a cure for insanity. It was also used as a powerful purgative. Its use is not advised by anyone today.
None. This is a poisonous herb.
Although Hellebore is extremely poisonous, it is also extremely unpleasant to put into one's mouth. Thus, it's not as dangerous as it could be. Animals and children who may put it in their mouth will likely spit it right back out. However, handling it extensively is not advised either because toxins may absorb through the skin.
For magical purposes, roses can be substituted for hellebore.
False Indigo
Submitted by DawnBlack on Mon, 01/07/2008 - 20:10.Baptisia australis
False indigo, baptisia, is a member of the Fabacea (aka Legumacea) family with distinctive blue pea-like flowers about an inch long.
Baptisia may be propagated by cuttings, division or by seed. It enjoys full sun to part shade and prefers that its soil not be too alkaline. This plant can run wild and take over, so it is best to deadhead it before the seeds fall and periodically divide the rhisomes to keep it manageable.
The genus name Baptisia is derived from the greek bapto, meaning "to immerse", in reference to the plant's for creating dyes for cloth. The specific name australis is Latin for "southern".
False indigo is native to North America and is most common in the midwest. It was used by many Native peoples for various purposes including medicine and dye, which the Europeans later did as well. Its common name comes from this practice, as it was often used by Europeans as a substitute for true indigo Indigofera tinctoria.
Flower and seed stalks can be hung upside down to dry and added to wreathes and floral arrangements.
The seed pods of wild blue indigo yeild a lovely blue dye similar to that of true indigo. The dried seed pods are also quite pretty in floral arrangements.
This plant is said to repel flies from animals. To try this, hange a bunch of fresh flowers in your barn.
Feminine in Nature, false indigo is an excellent protective herb. Plant it around your home for general protection, wear it on your person or use it in spells and amulets of a protective nature. It is especially useful for spells and amulets designed to protect pets and familiars- just make sure they don't get ahold of it and eat it!
Baptisia is toxic and should not be used except under the care of an experienced practitioner. This herb should never be used by pregnant women.
This plant has been used as an antiseptic, a purgative and to combat coughs and fevers.
A tea of the roots has been used as an emetic and purgative, a poultice of the roots as an anti-inflammatory and small pieces were held in the mouth to treat toothaches.
A decoction of the stems has been used to stimulate the immune system and help the body fight of pneumonia, tuberculosis, influenza and other serious illnesses, espcially of the upper respiratory system. It may also be used externally as a wash for smallpox and similar illnesses.
Side effects of ingesting blue indigo may include vomiting, diahrrhea and gastrointestinal spasms.
This plant is poisonous and should never be ingested
False indigo is an excellent choice for a natural dye for robes and altar cloths and for paper and wicker crafts.
