The Sacred Hearth

The United States Declaration of Independance was written in fermented pokeberry juice.

European settlers were introduced to pokeweed by Native Americans. They liked it so much they took it back to Europe where it grows wild today. Native Americans used pokeweed for food, medicine, dye and to paint their horses. Poke salet (young poke greens, boiled twice) is historically a popular southern dish.

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.

Plantago seeds are often found in grain seeds and that is how they have spread all over the world. It was called "White man's footprint" by Native Americans because it sprouted up wherever European settlers had spent any amount of time. It was also called "Soldier's herb" due to its use as a field dressing.

The "waybread" mentioned in the Nine Herbs Charm of Wodin or Odin is believed to be plantago.

The genus Circaea is named after Circe, an enchantress featured in the Odyssey by Homer. Some say this plant was part of the potion she used to turn Odysseus's companions into swine. Since this is a native American plant, I doubt she or Homer ever actually saw it. However, she is not the only Homeric hero associated with this herb. The common name Sorcerer of Paris and Paris Nightshade alludes not to the city in France, but to Paris of Troy from the Illiad.

Enchanter's nightshade is listed as an ingredient in many of the "ancient" herbals and magical compendiums, but berries are often mentioned. Since this plant has sticky burrs, not berries, one can only assume that these texts were referring to a different (probably European native) plant.

In the language of flowers, enchanter's nightshade means witchcraft or sorcery.

The name Mugwort is said to have come from the plant's traditional use of flavoring drinks- which you drink out of mugs, see?

Another theory suggests that the name came from a word meaning "moth" alluding to the plant's usefulness at keeping away pests.

"Wort" is an old term for "plant", especially one of a useful nature.

Roman soldiers put mugwort in their sandals to keep their feet from getting tired.

In Holland and Germany the plant was considered sacred to John the Baptist who presumably wore a girdle of Mugwort. The plants are gathered on St. John's Eve, made into a crown and worn to protect from possession, disease and general misfortune.

Poultry and grazing animals enjoy this plant, and it may be the same Artemisia of Pontos lauded by the ancients as excellent for fattening livestock.

In Wales, mugwort was tied to the left thigh of a woman having a difficult labor. But it was believed that if the mugwort was not immediately removed after the birth, she might hemorrhage.

The latin name Pulmonaria comes from "pulmo" which means, the lung. In English, Lungwort and the German Lungenkraut also refer to the lungs. Some Eastern European names refer to honey instead, such as the Russian "medunitza" and the Polish "miodunka"

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.

Cantua buxiolia, aka Kantuta, a phlox native to South America is the national flower of Bolivia and Peru and is known as the "magic flower" and "sacred flower of the Incas". It is red, yellow and green, to match to Bolivian flag!

Over 40 species of phlox were used by Native American tribes for various purposes including decoration, food, medicine and hygiene products.

The word Phlox comes from the Greek meaning "flame".

Most phlox is native to the US but was brought to Europe in the 1700s where it enjoyed popularity as a cottage garden plant and was bred for many color and form variations.

In the language of flowers, phlox means: Our souls are united. or We think alike.

The word asparagus comes from the Greek and it refers to any young, tender shoot that can be eaten.

Asparagus was prized by the ancient Greeks over 2500 years ago. It was considered to be a cleansingi and healing herb and used it for many medicinal purposes. The Romans in their turn also prized asparagus and cultivated it (the Greeks wildcrafted it) from the and spread it throughout Europe on their conquests. Emperor Augustus coined the term “velocius quam asparagi conquatur” which means to do something quicker than you can cook asparagus. Similar to our phrase “two shakes of a lambs tail”. So much did the Romans prize asparagus, that in the first century, runners took asparagus from the Tiber River valley to the Alps so that it could be frozen and thus preserved for the Feast of Epicurus

King Louis XIV had asparagus grown in his greenhouses so that he could enjoy it year round, he dubbed asparagus the King of Vegetables. It was also popular in England and other parts of Europe and colonists brought it to America where Native Americans used it for medicine.

Asparagus was considered a phallic symbol banned from girls schools in the 19th century, but Victorian women were taught to detect the scent of this aphrodisiac on their husbands- a sure sign that he was behaving improperly!

It is said that the plant was named after a Native American healer who used it to treat typhus.

The name Eupatorium comes from the name of King Mithridates Eupator who lived in Parthis from 120 to 63 BCE who is said to have discovered the medical effectiveness of the Eupatorium family, which includes the European native Boneset.

Joe Pye Weed was used by many Native American tribes for healing and magic. It was used as a diuretic, to treat colds and fevers, as a love medicine, as a poultice for wounds, as a wash to strengthen children and for joint pain and the flowers were used as good luck charms.