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Feverfew

Mon, 07/14/2008 - 09:59 — kitchenwitch
Botanical Name:

Tanacetum parthenium, Chrysantheim parthenium or Pyrethrum parthenium

Zones:
most
Other Names:
bachelor's button, featherfew, featherfoil, ague plant, devil daisy, feather-fully, flirtwort, maid's weed, midsummer daisy, missouri snakeroot, nosebleed, prairie-dock, rainfarn, vetter-voo, wild chammomile, matricaria

Feverfew is an short lived perennial native to southeastern Europe which is now widespread across North America, Europe and Australia.

Propagation:

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.

History and Folklore:

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.

Harvesting & Storage:

Cut fresh leaves as needed or lay flat on a screen to dry and store in an airtight container away from light and heat.

Household Use:

Feverfew can be used to keep away bees and other insects.

Magical Attributes:

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.

Healing Attributes:

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.

Culinary Use:

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.

Practical Kitchen Witchery:

Valerian

Sat, 05/31/2008 - 15:36 — kitchenwitch
Botanical Name:

Valeriana officinalis

Zones:
most
Other Names:
garden valerian, garden heliotrope, all-heal, wenderot

Garden valerian, or garden heliotrope (no relation to heliotrope) is native to Eastern Europe.

Propagation:

Valerian is happy in most situations provided it has fertile, weed-free soil and enjoys partial sun. It is best grown from shoots or by division as seeds do not germinate reliably. You should not allow valerian to dry out.
If you are growing to harvest the root later, it is best to cut off the flowers as they appear.

History and Folklore:

The Latin valere from whence the common name of this plant originated means "to be strong or healthy" and it may refer to the healing applications of the plant or it may refer to its strong odor. Indeed the ancient Greeks called this plant "Phu" (like phew!).
It was believed that this plant had the properties of turning anything bad into good.

Harvesting & Storage:

Harvest valerian roots in autumn of its second or third year after the leaves have died back. Wash them and then dry them quickly and put in the oven at 120 degrees until they are brittle. Store in an airtight container.

Household Use:

Cats love the smell of valerian and find it quite intoxicating. It is useful stuffed inside cat toys.

Magical Attributes:

Valerian root is associated with the planet Jupiter and the element of water. It is also useful in Samhain and Yule celebration rituals.

Valerian root is useful in spells related to ending guilt and negative self talk and developing self acceptance. It is also useful in animal magic, especially cat magic and evoking animal spirits. Also, transformation spells, for turning bad situations around into positive ones.

Healing Attributes:

Valerian has a sedative action useful against insomnia, anxiety, and stress. It is also used to treat gastrointestinal pain and irritable bowel.

However, valerian is reported to be a mutagen so it is not recommended for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.

Culinary Use:
Practical Kitchen Witchery:

Angelica

Thu, 01/03/2008 - 21:57 — kitchenwitch
Botanical Name:
Zones:
most
Other Names:
archangel, masterwort, ground ash, holy ghost root, archangel root, dong quai, root of the holy ghost

A member of the parsley family, Angelica has large divided leaves of bright, glossy green and a thick stem, which is hollow and ridged. Grows to 3-8 feet tall.

Propagation:

Angelica is a biennial herb that prefers rich, moist soil and partial shade, like one would find in a swampy area. If it gets too much sun, mulching will help. It grows best in northern regions where there is a cooler period during the winter and the summers aren’t so hot.

Angelica will self-seed. The seeds are only viable for a few months, so it’s best to let this happen, or reseed them yourself quickly. The plant produces a long taproot, so be sure to transplant seedlings while they are still quite small.

Angelica and dill are not good companions. Do not plant them near each other.

History and Folklore:

Believed to have originated in Syria, angelica is now found just about everywhere. In ancient times it was used to ward off the plague and evil and as a cure for poison and… well, just about everything else.

It is believed that the plant's name was derived from the fact that, according to the old calendar, it usually came into bloom around the feast day of the Archangel Michael, who appeared in a vision to explain the plant's protective powers against evil.

Harvesting & Storage:

You should cut stems for crystallizing before midsummer. Select healthy green stems about the thickness of a pencil.

The leaves are best harvested before the flowers appear and the seeds can be collected as soon as they ripen in late summer of the second year. If you’re using the root, you should harvest it in the autumn of the first year.

The leaves and root can be dried and the stems can be crystallized.

Household Use:

The dried seed-heads are attractive in flower arrangements and the root has a wonderful aroma, which it holds for a very long time making it perfect for potpourri mixtures.

Magical Attributes:

Angelica is associated with the angels Michael and Gabriel. It is aligned with the sun and the element of fire and sacred to Venus.

Angelica is commonly used for general protection, especially against evil spirits and hexi-breaking as well as general blessing and is especially useful for the defense of women.

Grow angelica on your property to protect your garden and home.
Angelica root can be carried alone, or added to amulets to increase longevity and ward off illness and evil spirits. It has also been used as a talismani to increase luck in gambling.

The leaves can be added to baths and potions designed to remove curses or spells or they can be burned to banishi evil in an area. Angelica is very useful in home and personal exorcisms.

Keep angelica in a white bag and chargeii it to protect your baby.

Smoking the leaves is said to increase clairvoyance and encourage visions.

Angelica is excellent in incenses for exorcisms, healing and protection. It is also used as a bath to remove curses placed on the individual and sprinkled around a home to protect the house and those within from banefuli magic.

Healing Attributes:

Angelica tea is useful for colic, gas, indigestion, hepatitis, heartburn, nausea, ulcers and various other digestive ailments. It is a good general tonic which strengthens the liver and improves general well-being and mental harmony and is good for chronic headaches, fevers and general body weakness as it improves circulation and increases energy.

Angelica has also been used to bring on sluggish menses, so it carries a miscarriage risk for pregnant women and should be avoided by them.

Externally, angelica can be used to cleanse wounds and promote healing.

Culinary Use:

The leaf has a high sugar concentration and can be stewed with acidic fruits and used in other recipes to reduce the amount of sugar needed. The dried leaves are also great added to tea blends.

The stem can be crystallized and used as garnish.

Practical Kitchen Witchery:

Angelica should not be used by pregnant women as it encourages activity in the pelvic region and may cause miscarriage.

Because of its high sugar concentration, angelica should be used with extreme caution or not at all by diabetics.

Apparently, this plant can be confused with water hemlock, which is deadly poison (I don't see that much similarity except for the family characteristics). So be careful if wildcrafting, or just don't. Buy it or grow your own.

Cardamom

Thu, 01/03/2008 - 21:41 — kitchenwitch
Botanical Name:

Elettaria cardamomum

Zones:
tropical
Other Names:
Cinnamon palm, Cardamon, Bastard Cardamom, Grains of Paradise, Pai-Tou, Sha-Ren, Elachi, Ela, Capalaga, Malabar Cardamom, Cardamom

Cardamom is a member of member of the ginger family and has a thick fleshy root, a rhizome.

Propagation:

Sow seeds in autumn or propagate by division in spring or summer. Prefers rich, moist soil in part shade. In the north, this plant should be grown in a pot and brought in when temperatures drop below 65 degrees.

Cardamom is grown commercially in India, Guatemala, Sri Lanka, Cambodia & Veitnam

History and Folklore:

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.

Harvesting & Storage:

Cardamom pods should be picked when they are plump, but still immature and laid in the sun to dry.

The fruits should be stored whole and dry. The seeds can be removed and ground immediately before use. They lose flavor quickly when outside the pod and even more quickly when ground.

When shopping for cardamom pods, only buy green ones. White pods have been bleached and the brown ones will not have the flavor you’re looking for.

Household Use:

The larvae of the Endoclita hosei use this plant for food and so it can be used in the butterfly garden.

Cardamom seeds can be chewed after a meal to freshen the breath. It has a eucalyptus like flavor.

Cardamom is fragrant and often used in perfumery. Seeds can be placed in sachets and stored with linens to keep them smelling nice. And since Cardamom is an aphrodisiac, their scent might be particularly welcome on your sheets. (If you just want to sleep, use lavender instead). You can also impart their fragrance into your laundry by making a sachet for your dryer.

Magical Attributes:

To encourage a would-be lover, chew some cardamom seeds before talking to him or her. This is also useful in any situation calling for eloquence, when you must charm your audience. Cardamom seeds can also be added to lust drawing sachets. Cardamom is a stimulating herb that relaxes the body and clarifies the mind and should be used in any situation where these are needed.

Healing Attributes:

Cardamom has expectorant, stimulating, tonic, warm, aphrodisiac, antibacterial, antimycotic, antiviral, carminative, antispasmodic and expectorant effects.

Amomum spp is used most widely in Asian traditional medicine, especially in India.

A. subulatum, commonly called Elaichi is used to treat infections of the teeth & gums, throat troubles, coughs, congestion, tuberculosis
Inflammation of eyelids and stomach complaints A. villosum is used in Chinese medicine for stomach complaints, constipation, dysentery called “Tsaoko”

People who have digestive problems, particularly with gluten, may find it helpful to have a cup of cardamom tea after a meal. Or Chai tea, which contains cardamom. It is also excellent for chest congestion.

Culinary Use:

Elettaria cardamomu, or Amomun kravanb are both used for food

Cardamom is used in Turkish, Arab, Indian and African cuisine and some Scandinavian and German cookies, pastries and, of course, sausages. Its addition to a dish immediately gives it an Eastern flair. It is used in Chai tea, Turkish coffee and Belgian ale beers. Ground cardamom seeds are used in baking. You can find white cardamom, that is, seeds that have been bleached, if you do not want the black specks of ground unbleached cardamom seeds in your food.

Cardamom pods and seeds (ground or not) are used to flavor seafood, chicken, rice dishes, and stews. It is an ingredient in curry powder and Garam Masala spice.

You can place whole cardamom pods in stews or rice dishes at the beginning of cooking and remove them at the end, or remove the seeds from the pods and grind them immediately before sprinkling onto your dishes toward the end of cooking.

Practical Kitchen Witchery:

Drink cardamom tea after every meal to aid digestion and prevent gas. Milk boiled with cardamom seeds is excellent with a little honey.

Cardamom should not be used by pregnant women or people with gallstones.

Cinnamon

Mon, 12/10/2007 - 10:16 — DawnBlack
Botanical Name:

Cinnamomum zeylanicum and C. verum

Zones:
tropical

The cinnamon tree is an Asian evergreen member of the laurel family. It has brown, papery bark and leathery leaves. Yellow flowers appear in the summer followed by purple berries.

Propagation:

Cinnamon is a tropical tree that is not suited to propagation in most parts of North America and nor does it enjoy being grown in a pot. Best to buy it.

History and Folklore:

Cinnamon is a much beloved spice with a long and rich history. It was mentioned in Chinese books on healing more than four thousand years ago. It was also used in Egypt and Europe. In Egypt it was part of a mix of herbs and spices that was used to fill body cavities during mummification. In Europe it was such a hit that it was one of the sparks of the age of exploration.

Harvesting & Storage:

Cinnamon sticks, pupularly used for flavoring cider or ground and mixed with sugar for a variety of uses, are formed from the bark. The leaves and buds also contain volitile oils and fragrance and oil can be extracted from any of these. The oil obtained from the leaf is not as strong and also not as likely to cause skin irritation.

Household Use:

Add cinnamon to potpourri. Ground cinnamon sprinkled in cabinets will discourage bugs from entering.

Cinnamon sticks are great in crafts.

Try making this year's yule ornaments out of sweet scented cinnamon clay.

Magical Attributes:

Cinnamon is associated with the element of Fire, the Sun and the God Apollo.

Cinnamon is commonly used in incense. It smells really good and fills the room with a warm, comfy feeling, especially nice on cold winter days. It can be burned to sanctify an area or object, to increase the spiritual "mood", to aid in healing spells or in healing in general (this is appropriate for burning right in the sick room) and also to enhance the male libido. The oil may be used to anoint objects during blessing and protection rituals. (Be sure to dilute this heavily with a carrier if it's going to touch your skin!)

Cinnamon and cinnamon oil can be used in love spells and to make charms to draw love, happiness, and money. Those cinnamon scented brooms you can buy at gift shops can be charged to bring these things to your household and hung up somewhere near the door.

If you are in need of some quick cash, make a bowl out of cinnamon clay, write the amount of money you need on a peice of paper and place it in the bowl with a few coins as offerings of good faith. when you get the money, bury the paper and the coins in the yard and your bowl is ready for your next money request.

Other herbs that enhance cinnamon's money drawing properties are cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and ginger.

Healing Attributes:

Cinnamon is great for upset stomachs, including car sickness and morning sickness, and digestive problems, including gas, vomiting and diarrhea. However, women who are pregnant should not ingest large amounts of cinnamon as it can endanger the pregnancy. I find cinnamon gum or to be very affective for morning sickness without the dangers of actually ingesting cinnamon tea. People with ulcers should also avoid ingesting cinnamon as it can irritate them. Again, chewing cinnamon gum occasionally is a reasonable alternative and effective against mild stomach upsets like that associated with motion sickness. Don't overdo it though, as over-chewing of cinnamon gum can deaden the nerves of the mouth and cause inflammation.

It is called for in teas and other healing beverages when a warming affect is desired. It is also useful in combination as it stimulates the action of other herbs. A cup of cinnamon tea after dinner is said to stimulate digestion and help regulate blood sugar.

Cinnamon should not be applied topically as it is considered a dermal toxin and it is extremely irritating to mucus membranes in particular. Cinnamon oil, however, (not essential oil) can be applied to a toothache to deaden the pain, much like clove oil, but it is not as affective as clove oil.

Culinary Use:

Cinnamon is a common spice in the kitchen often used in combination with sugar. It is especially tasty with apples, and orange squashes, such as pumpkin and acorn squash. It is an important mulling spice, great in cider and wine.

For an exotic flavor, try coating your chicken with cinnamon (no sugar) and browning it before adding stewed tomatoes and chopped peppers, heat and serve over rice. Also try it in chili. Yum! It's an important spice for savory dishes in India, Morocco and Greece.

I also like adding cinnamon to coffee and hot cocoa.

Practical Kitchen Witchery:

Spice up that dinner for two with garam masala. It's a marvelous Indian spice mix containing cinnamon. Trust me. It'll make you and your partner feel extra affectionate.

Motherwort

Thu, 10/25/2007 - 19:59 — kitchenwitch
Botanical Name:

Leonurus Cardiaca

Zones:
3-8
Other Names:
Lion’s tail, heartwort; Agripaume, Herbe battudo, Agripalma, Melissa, salvatica, Aartgespan, Hartgespan, yi mu cao, yakumos

Motherwort is an interesting and distinctive member of the mint family (Lamiaceae). It grows on a single, tall square stem decorated from top to bottom with opposite leaves. The leaf shape varies somewhat by location, but are generally lobed and palmate.

Propagation:

Motherwort is an attractive accent plant that adds interest to the herb garden. It also attracts bees and butterflies. I have never had to plant motherwort myself. It is a volunteer in my yard forming a beautiful natural flower bed along with burdock and pokeweek in the back corner of my yard behind my altar. However, it can be easily grown from seed just like any other mint. If allowed to set seed at the end of the year, it will reseed and return year after year. Take care, as it can be invasive. Cut the stalks before seeds drop to prevent invasion.

Soil should be light, slightly alkaline and well drained. Motherwort likes a sunny spot, but will tolerate some shade and will germinate once temperatures reach 65-75 degrees farenheight.

History and Folklore:

Motherwort was first used by the Greeks to soothe the anxiety of pregnant women. This use continued and spread and gave the herb its common name. The botanical name, Leonurus cardiaca also comes from the greek. Leon=lion, ouros=tail and kardiaca refers to the heart.

Historicallly, the herb has been associated with longevity. An old legend states that there was once a town whose spring ran through a patch of Motherwort. Alli the local townspeople got their daily drinking water from that spring and all of them lived to be over 100 years old. Its association with longevity was widespread throughout Europe and Asia.

Traditional herbals suggest motherwort for "hysterical" conditions and "meloncholy".

In the Victorian language of flowers, motherwort symbolized concealed love.

Harvesting & Storage:

The plants should be harvested while in full bloom. Cut the entire plant at the base of the stalk and hang upside down to dry. Be sure to leave a few stalks to self seed. Once dry, store in an air-tight glass container away from light and heat.

The fresh leaves and flowers can also be preserved as a tincture immediately after harvest.

Household Use:
Magical Attributes:

Motherwort energies promote inner trust and confidence that the ultimate outcome will be best for all involved in the fullness of time. It is also used for counter-magic and associated with immortality and spiritual healing. It is a protective herb, especially in spells designed to protect pregnant women and their unborn children.

Motherwort can be smoked to promote astral projection, but smoking too much can cause reperatory arrest. It is therefore perhaps best used as a smudge or burned as inscense in these cases. It is especially good in combination with mugwort.

Motherwort is associated with Frigga (Freya, Frige, Fricka, Frija) and Ogun
It corresponds to the energy of Leo, Venus, and the element of Water.

Healing Attributes:

Motherwort, as its name implies, is a woman's herb. It has been used in Asia to prevent pregnancy and regulate menstrual cycles. It is used by midwives to help expell the afterbirth, to help get the uterus back into shape after childbirth, to prevent uterine infections and to ease symptoms of post partum stress and depression. Some herbalists recommend drinking motherwort tea during pregnancy, but its other uses indicate that this would probably put the pregnancy at risk of premature termination, so caution is advised. This use of motherwort is only indicated in cases of extreme anxiety during pregnancy when the risk posed by the mother's stress is greater than the risk posed by a cup of motherwort tea. It is most often used in late stage pregnancy and during labor, however, one must take into account the affect the herb may have on the fetal heart rate. Many women swear by Motherwort tea as a treatment for cramps, bloating and irritibility associated with PMS and hotflashes. It is also used in cases where a woman's cycle is disturbed due to stress.

Motherwort is a relaxant that acts on the smooth muscles and vascular system. It is particularly effective in helping to slow the heartbeat that is revved up due to stress.

Motherwort should not be taken by pregnant or breastfeeding women or by anyone under treatment for a thyroid condition. It could interfere with thyroid medications. Individuals who take digoxin should not use motherwort as it can intensify the action of the drug causing heart rate to slow down too much for safety. Also, do not take motherwort in conjunction with other herbs that affect the heart such as ginger, hawthorn, mistletoe, ginseng, pleurisy root, and squill. Motherwort has also been reported to interfere with blood clotting and shouldn't be used by those with blood clotting issues.

Motherwort can cause diarrhea and stomach irritation in large doses. Prolonged use may lead to photosensitivity, so if you use motherwort on a regular basis, be sure to cover up and use sunscreen!

Motherwort may cause drowsiness. Do not operate heavy machinery while under the influence of this herb. If you take any drugs that have a side effect of drowsiness, be aware that motherwort will most likely intensify this effect. This includes over the counter drugs such as diphenhydramine or doxylamine and over the counter sleep aids. Caution should also be taken in combining motherwort with sleep inducing herbs such as catnip, hops, kava, St. John's Wort and valerian.

Use 1-2 teaspoons of dried herb in 1 cup of boiling water no more than twice per day or up to 1 teaspoon of tincture per day. Motherwort should not be given to young children.

Motherwort tea is very bitter. Sweeten with honey.

Culinary Use:

Young shoots can be cooked like any other green.

Practical Kitchen Witchery:

Serve motherwort tea in moments of family crisis. It helps sooth the physical symptoms of stress (and panic) so that you can focus on solving the problem.

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