Hecate
Dandelion
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Wed, 05/06/2009 - 15:22.Taraxacum officinale
Dandelions are common weeds all over the world with varieties native to Asia, Europe and North America.
Dandelions grow everywhere. There's no need to propagate. But it is easier to gather roots from tilled soil than from the lawn, so till, scatter seeds and water. They like full sun.
The name dandelioni comes from the French dent de lion which means "tooth of the lion". The modern French name, however, is pissenlit, which means "to wet the bed". Indeed an English folkname for the plant is pissabeds.
Leaves should be gathered as soon as they appear in the spring as they get bitter after a short while. These do not store well and should be used fresh.
The bright yellow flowers should be gathered as soon as they open. Remove the green bits from the base of the flower before using. These can be added to wines, vinegars or jellies.
The roots should be dug up in the autumn when they are plump with stored starches for the winter or first thing in the spring when they are sweeter. Generally anytime between the first of September and the end of February is good. These can be cut into pieces 3-4 inches long and dried on a screen in an area with good ventilation. Once dried, they should be stored in a cool dry area, sealed in a bug-proof container for no more than one year.
Dandelion leaves are a great addition to the diet of breeding rabbits and lactating cattle and goats.
The dandelioni is masculine in action and associated with the planet Jupiter, the element of air and both Pisces and Sagittarius. It is also associated with any solar deity, Hecate, Brighid and Belenos.
A tea of the flowers and leaves may be drunk to increase psychic ability while pouring boiling water over a bowlful of roots will aid in calling spirits.
Make a wish and blow the seeds off a dandelion head!
Dandelion is most often used as a diuretic and in cleansingi tonics and in cases of kidney and liver issues.
For liver issues, a tincture from the flower tops and/or a broth of the leaves is said to bring relief.
For stones, make a decoction of the root and cool before straining and then sweeten with honey. Drink a mugful morning and night. This is also good for indigestion and other stomach complaints.
A very strong decoction of the herb and root is recommended for many skin eruptions as its cleansing action helps purge impurities that can cause pimples, eczema and other skin issues. Drink a mugful several times a day.
Dandelion flowers can be used in salads, to make jelly, wine and punch.
The young leaves can be used raw or blanched in salads or sandwiches, steamed like spinach or cooked into soup or broth.
The dried root can be ground up and used like coffee. Fresh roots can also be used in salads.
Dandelion Beer is made from the fermented dried leaves, Dandelion Wine is made from the flowers and homemade Root Beer sometimes includes Dandelion Roots.
In the early spring gather dandelioni leaves by the bucketful and boil them up with some sorrel, parsley, carrotsi and onions to make a delightful broth than you can then can or freeze as a base for any number of soups the rest of the year. Use this base whenever you are feeling bloated or have digestive issues or simply feel the need to cleanse.
There are lots of flowers that look like dandelion but aren't! If the leaves are branched, if there is more than one flower on the stem or if the plant is at all hairy, you're not looking at a dandelion! Don't eat it unless you're absolutely sure.
Dandelion Punch
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Mon, 07/28/2008 - 09:28.If you're serving dandelioni wine for your Midsummer gathering, be sure to also serve dandelion punch for the kids and those of us that don't drink!
3 cups dandelion flowers, rinsed and separated
1 gallon orangei juice
juice of 1 lemoni
1/4 cup of sugar
Ginger Ale (Vernors is the only popular brand that actually has ginger.)
Warm the orangei juice and lemoni together, then add the dandelions. Add the sugar, stirring constantly until dissolved. Let cool and then refrigerate overnight.
Dandelion punch is a traditional beverage for MayDay and Midsummer gatherings. It has strong solar energy and strong male energy. Drink it at the beginning of a project (or season) to encourage success in your endeavors and to enhance your health and strength as you move toward completion.
To speed things up, have the kids pick your dandelions for you and use pre-squeezed juice. Otherwise, this couldn't be quicker or easier to put together!
PS Make sure you only use yellow dandelioni flowers, not the green bracts or fuzzy bits!
Mugwort
Submitted by DawnBlack on Wed, 07/02/2008 - 12:11.- Antifungal
- antiseptic
- Artemis
- Artemis Herb
- Chrysanthemum weed
- cleansing
- Common wormwood
- Diana
- Divination
- dreams
- Earth
- Felon herb
- Full Sun
- Hecate
- Libra
- Midsummer
- Moon
- moxa
- Muggons
- mugwort
- Naughty Man
- Old man
- Old Uncle Henry
- Perennial
- Psychic
- sailor's tobacco
- smudging
- St. John's Plant
- Taurus
- travel
- Venus
- wild wormwood
Artemisia Vulgaris
Mugwort is a member of the daisy family (Asteracea) with characteristic disk flowers in panicles,(flower made up of many small flowers, in groups, several off the same stem) very small, reddish or gre
Prefers nitrogenous soil, lots of sun, very hardy. Spreads by an underground root system, so care must be taken that they don't escape. Do not over water. This plant is nearly impossible to kill. Save yourself a hassle and plant it in a pot!
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.
Harvest shortly before the plant flowers and hang to dry.
Collect the root in autumn. Wash and dry thoroughly and spread on a screen to dry. Do not let the roots touch one another or they may mold.
Dried mugwort added to a fire is useful in keeping it smoldering for a long time. The stalks make good kindling.
Mugwort's long stems and nifty leaves make great wreathes and garlands.
An infusioni of Mugwort, or Mugwort oil is a good all-purpose cleaner and insect repellant.
Alli varieties of Artemesia are sacred to the Goddess Artemis who gives comfort (or death) to women in labor. Also, Diana through association and Hekate, Patron of herbalists and midwives.
It is also associated with the moon which in turn is associated with the cycles of womanhood.
Mugwort is feminine in nature, associated with the element of Earth, and either Venus or the Moon (depends who you ask) and ruled by either Taurus or Libra.
Mugwort can be used as a sacred smoking or smudgingi herb for protection or divinationi. It is safe to smoke (as safe as smoking anything is) by itself, mixed with tobacco, or other smokeables in a rituali context and enhances astral projection, lucid dreaming and altered states of consciousness. Some say that simply keeping mugwort under your pillow or in your bedroom will encourage prophetic dreams. (Try making a dream pillow stuffed with mugwort.) Others say you must burn it as incense or smoke it. Burn mugwort as you use divination tools.
Mugwort is also used in protective sachets, especially those created in relation to travel. It is said to prevent delays, and other annoyances associated with traveling, as well as to protect the traveler from accidents, thieves and other dangers associated with traveling.
Mugwort stems also make very nice wands.
Use herbal water made of mugwort to cleanse ritual tools, especially those used for divination.
Hanging mugwort over or on a door will keep unwelcome energies from passing through.
A garland or girdle of mugwort can be worn while dancing around the midsummer balefirei and thrown into the fire at the end of the night to ensure protection throughout the year.
Mugwort is a topical anesthetic with antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Fresh, crushed mugwort leaves applied to the skin relieves burning, itching and pain and, with continued application, can help get rid of warts.
It is also said that coating your skin with mugwort juice before exposure to poison oak will prevent a rash.
It is said that chewing fresh mugwort leaves will help relieve fatigue and clear the mind. A tea of the roots was used also for this purpose.
An infusioni of fresh leaves can be used for chronic stomach complaints and to stimulate the appetite.
Mugwort has also been used in Europe to induce abortions. It helps strengthen contractions and it is used in a compress to promote labor and help expel the afterbirth. It is also used to help regulate the menstrual cycle and ease painful menstruation and the onset of menopause. Use in combination with ginger in a tea to soothe difficult menstruation.
Interestingly, it has also been used in China to prevent miscarriage and ease excessive menstrual bleeding.
It is used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine to make Moxas to cure rheumatism and to correct fetal position prior to delivery. The fluff is carefully removed and rolled into a cylinder which is heated and placed near pressure points to relieve pain. This method is called moxibustion.
It has been used for centuries for disorders and epilepsy, as it has mild sedative and antispasmodic properties.
An infusion of the dried leaves and flowers helps expel pinworms.
Mix the dry herb with honey and apply to bruises to fade them (could try this on hickies too).
Infusioni - 1 ounce dried herb to 1 pint boiling water. 5-10 minutes. Do not make too strong as it is very bitter.
Tincture i- Cover four ounces of fresh herb with 1 pint 100 proof alcohol, vodka, gin or brandy. Cover and keep in a dark place, shaking several times per day for two weeks.
Do not continue to take Artemesias for more than 1 week. Break for several weeks before taking mugwort again as regular use of mugwort can cause nervous issues.
Mugwort has a slightly bitter taste. It is used to season fish and meat, especially game and is a traditional seasoning for Christmas Goose in Germany. It is also used to flavor rice cakes in Asia.
Before hops, it was used to flavor beer. For this purpose, the plant should be gathered while in flower and dried before use.
Mugwort is considered a noxious weed in some of the United States. Check with your States laws before planting as some carry heavy fines for planting certain plants.
Mugwort should never be used during pregnancy or lactation or by anyone who has pelvic inflammatory issues as it causes uterine contractions and can be passed through the mother's milk.
Mugwort should not be used for more than one week continuously. Continued, habitual use of mugwort can cause nervous problems, liver damage and convulsions.
Some people have topical allergies to mugwort. Test some on your skin before using.
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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Cyclamen
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 22:09.Cyclamen spp
Cyclamen is a low-growing perennial native to the Mediterranean region and Northeast Africa where they grow as an understory plant in dry forested areas.
Most cyclamens cannot tolerate any frost, although there are some hardy species available in nurseries. In the North, they are best grown in pots so they can be brought indoors and protected from heat and frost. Allowing the plant to become too warm will cause it to go dormant. Don't throw it away, but be patient and it will return when the temperatures cool down a bit. 65 degrees is the ideal temperature for them.
Plant the corm just below the surface in a rich sandy soil. Water when the soil becomes dry (less often when dormant) and fertilize once a month with a mild fertilizer. It should bloom all winter long for you if you don't keep your house too warm.
Harvest the tuber in it's second or third year in the summer after the plant has gone dormant.
Slice thin and roast slowly until thoroughly dry and then pound into a powder. Store in a sealed container.
Cyclamen was prescribed by Dioscorides for just about everything from snake bite and other poisons to cataracts to boils. It was said also that a woman who walked over cyclamen while pregnant would abort and those who ate cakes made of it would fall violently in love. Added to wine, it ensured the drinker would be thoroughly drunk.
The name sowbread comes from its reported popularity as a food source among wild pigs in its native region.
The name Cyclamen comes from the Greek kyklaminos, meaning circlei. It may be a reference to the spiraling habit of the seed stem.
In the language of flowers, Cyclamen is a gracious way to say goodbye.
For European gardeners- The plant is used as food by the larvae of the gothic moth (Naenia typica) in Europe and may be a useful addition to butterfly gardens enjoyed at night as well as during the day there.
Cyclamen is sacred to Hecate.
It is feminine in nature and associated with the element of water and the planet Mars. It is both passive and active.
Cyclamen may be incorporated into any spell designed to increase joy and happiness in a situation, to increase affection in a relationship and your good old fashioned love spell. Likewise, it can be used to the opposite affect, to gently send away an unwanted person.
Cyclamen hederaefolium is the species most associated with the love spell. Small cakes made of the roasted tuber are said to cause the one who eats them to fall violently in love with the one who bakes them, or become violently ill, whatever. (Please see cautions)
It may also be a useful addition to wedding cakes (see warnings) and is an appropriate decoration for handfastings. It is certainly a suitable houseplant for adorning the bedroom as it increases the libido and fertility. It will also keep away nightmares and prevent negative spells cast at household members from taking effect.
The oil or the flower itself may be worn to protect one against a broken heart. It is also useful for candle-magic love spells.
It's best use, either the oil, the plant itself or the powdered, roasted root, is in spells designed to build confidence, self-esteem and self love.
Cyclamen is used in homeopathic medicine to bring on late menstruation and as a treatment for vertigo and dizziness and various other irritations of the head.
It has also been used to expel worms. 8-10 grains of the dried powdered root are used.
This is an extreme plant. There are safer alternatives.
It is a very powerful purgative.
Eating the raw root can cause violent purging, but this effect disappears after it is roasted. It can then be pounded into a sort of flour for use in cooking and baking. I have found no recipes for this! I do not recommend trying this as I can find no good instructions for how to do it safely and properly. Please contact me if you have more information on this.
Some notes of caution
This plant is poisonous to cats and fish.
Cyclamen is a very powerful, violent purgative! Use with caution and in very small quantities. Pregnant women should never use this plant, internally or externally, for any purpose!
However, it is a very lovely groundcover for those shady spots in your garden.
Comfrey
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 21:48.Symphytum spp
Varieties
Wild or common comfrey Symphytum officinale L
Prickly or rough comfrey S. asperum Lepechin (Do not use this internally)
Comfrey prefers a cooler climate and is hardy down to -40 degrees, so it is a nice addition to northern herb gardens. It prefers full sun, but might need some shade if you live in a very hot place. Soil should be rich, but it's not picky. It appreciates a bit of fertilizer once in awhile.
It is most often propagated by root cuttings. Plant in spring, as soon as you can work the soil. 2-4 inches deep in rich soil. Give it about two feet of space to grow. Comfrey likes it moist, so water regularly if it does not rain.
Flowering stems should be removed in the first year, so that the plant's energy is focused on a sturdy root and leaf system. After that, you can let the plant flower. Growth continues while the plant is in flower.
Comfrey has been cultivated for healing since 400 BCE. It was used by such notable Greek physicians as Herodotus, Nicander, Galen and Dioscorides. It continued to be used throughout history and its use spread throughout Europe.
The name Symphytum comes from the Greek meaning "Grow together" + "plant". And comfrey comes from the Latin meaning to grow together.
The more you harvest this plant, the more it will grow. It should be harvested in early May, just before it blooms, for the greatest potency. Collect the leaves as needed and spread out to dry.
Because comfrey roots dig so deep in search of nutrients, these nutrients are then stored in their leaves, which lack fiber and break down quickly. Thus, comfrey is an excellent compost plant and can be laid in the beds of other plants to act as fertilizer.
It is a great addition to compost in moderation. Make sure you balance it with firmer plant matter, or you'll get gooey compost.
Rot the leaves down in water for several weeks to produce a concentrated liquid fertilizer. Or make comfrey tea.
Boiling the root in water yields a sticky paste which you may or may not find some use for.
Comfrey is associated with Saturn and Water and is sacred to Hecate.
Comfrey is used in protective magic for the traveler and to protect against theft. Try placing a comfrey leaf in your luggage to make sure it isn't lost or stolen. Use comfrey root in sachets for protection while traveling, and to keep your lover faithful while you are gone. Also use it in sachets to protect vehicles. Hang from your rearview mirror or hide it under a seat.
Wrap your money in a comfrey leaf for several days before going to a casino or poker game. It will help keep your bets coming back to you.
Comfrey flowers, especially blue ones, can be substituted in any spelli calling for borage.
Use comfrey in a bath after rituali to relax and cleanse you, especially for healing or love spells.
It can be burned in combination with mugwort to aid in divinationi and concentration and by itself or in combination for spells associated with letting to of unhealthy relationships.
Wild comfrey contains allantoin, which is found in the milk of nursing mothers. It encourages cell reproduction and thus stimulates the healing of wounds. It also has a high mucilage content, which smooths the skin. This makes comfrey a valuable addition to salves and lotions and a soothing addition to baths.
Try adding comfrey to salves for burns, acne, bruising, abrasions and other topical complaints. It can also be used in poultices for breaks and strains and to reduce swelling from any cause.
Comfrey should not, however, be used for very deep or puncture wounds, because it can actually make the surface heal faster than the lower part of the wound, causing abscesses. Make sure a wound has been thoroughly cleaned before applying comfrey, so as not to seal dirt inside the wound.
The boiled roots yield a sticky paste which dries hard, and it has been used to set bandages. Simply spread it on the bandage, and then wrap the wound.
Taken internally, as a tea, the leaves are said to help speed the healing of broken bones and other internal injuries. The root is used for persistent, painful coughs as well as hemorrhage and ulcers.
However, one should be aware that comfrey can cause liver damage and is potentially carcinogenic. Interestingly, the toxic components are similar to those founds in acetaminophen, or Tylenol. But you wouldn't want to eat alot of that either. So keep your internal consumption of comfrey to a minimum and don't use it for long periods of time. Russian and prickly comfrey have the highest concentrations of toxic alkaloids, and the roots of any variety have higher concentrations than the leaves. These alkaloids are separate from the active healing constituents.
Comfrey should not be used internally or externally for longer than four to six consecutive weeks.
Pregnant or lactating women should not use comfrey.
No not use comfrey on deep or puncture wounds! The exterior of the wound where the medicine is applied will heal faster than the inside where the medicine can’t reach and you could end up with a pretty disgusting infection.
Although comfrey has been used for food in the past, recent evidence suggests that it contains carcinogenic compounds and can cause liver damage. Therefore, it is not advisable to use comfrey as a major food product. Russian and Prickly comfrey have the highest levels
of toxic alkaloids. In all varieties, the roots have higher concentrations than the leaves.
Comfrey does provide protein and a little bit of vitamin B12, which is rare in a plant source. The young leaves can be eaten like any leafy vegetable, but the mature leaves are unpleasant.
Comfrey roots, combined with dandelioni roots and chicory roots are said to make a good coffee substitute.
Yew
Submitted by DawnBlack on Sat, 01/05/2008 - 22:32.Taxus baccata
Many people have domesticated yew trees or shrubs in their yards trimmed to perfect boxes or balls. These are lovely, dense evergreens that are easily trained to a hedge or ornamental shape.
The aril (the fleshy part of the berry) is a tasty treat for many types of birds including thrushes and waxwings. They swallow it and the hard poisonous seed whole. The seed passes through them intact and germinates where it falls.
Yew trees are sold as ornamentals in most nurseries. They are very slow growing (and can live for thousands of years) so they are generally kept as shrubs rather than trees.
Like many of the herbs I discuss here, the yew has a long and exciting history. Yew is very strong and resiliant was once considered the material for making longbows. Ideally, the wood for a yew bow was taken from the juncture of heartwood and sapwood, and the bow contained both. Fine bows were traded between the British Isles and the mainland during the Middle Ages and as supplies were depleted, a tax of four bowstaves per tun was imposed on every ship coming into English ports in 1472. In 1562, the Bavarian government sent a plea to the Holy Roman Empire to stop cutting yew, siting damage done to the forests. The great, ancient yews protected other trees in the forest from severe winds. Lucky for the yew trees and their neighbors, guns began replacing bows soon after.
Yew was (and is) also popular in England as a hedge tree, especially in church yards where they stood watch over the headstones, perhaps in reference to their symbolism of immortality, which is likely older than Christianity, or it may have been more practical. Planting trees known to instantly kill grazing animals would have discouraged herders from allowing their animals to trample sacred sites. Some yew trees still stand in church yards that are over 500 years old. Some claim a few of these yews are over 2000 years old and remnants of pre-Christian holy sites that were co-opted by the church. Old Irish tales speak of Baile who died of grief for Ailinn and from his grave a yew tree grew.
The traditioni of planting yews in churchyards and graveyards was immortalized by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in the following poem:
Old warder of these buried bones,
And answering now my random strokes
With fruitful cloud and living smoke,
Dark yew, that graspest at the stones
And dippest toward the dreamless head,
To thee too comes the golden hour
When flower is feeling after flower.
Yew poisoning seems to have been a popular choice for honorouble suicide among the ancient Celts. In their writings, Caesar, Florus and Orosius each recounted instances where Celtic individuals or groups took their own lives by yew poisoning rather than submit to their conquerors.
The Temple of Uppsala in Sweden was a temple devoted to the Norse Gods. There is little archaeological evidence for this temple, but there are a few written accounts from Adam of Bremens, the Norse sagas and Gesta Danorum. No one is sure what happened to it, though it may be speculated that the cathedral that currently stands in the town was built upon its ruins. According to legend, a great sacred evergreen stood in the temple. It is believed by some that this tree was a yew.
Yew are sacred in many Heathen and Druidic traditions. It is one of the five sacred trees of Irish mythology known as the Tree of Ross.
Cut boughs as you need them. They will stay fresh for some time in Yule wreaths and can be burned shortly after Yule in your New Year's cleansingi ceremony. Needles can be dried right on the branch or stripped and laid flat to dry to make incense.
Yew wood is flexible and strong. It is also very pretty and sometimes gnarly in form. This makes it ideal for use to create useful pieces of art. Do not use it, however, to make anything that will be eaten or drunk from.
Yew is associated with death and rebirth and is appropriate for funeral wreathes and memorial plantings. Likewise, it is appropriate for decorating for Yule, as the winter solsticei represents the cusp between the season of life and the season of death.
Although the practice is not recommended, yew may be burned during spells to raise the dead. Their spirits will be trapped within the smoke until you release them.
Yew is associated with divinationi and astral travel, anything that relates to communication or travel between realms. The wood is also very attractive in form and coloring. This makes it especially useful for making runesi, Ogham sticks, frames for scryingi mirrors, talking boards and other divination tools, but it should not be used for goblets or any dishes that will be eaten from. People have died from drinking wine stored in yew barrels!
Extracts from yew have been used for the treatment of cancer. Yew is, however, extremely toxic and should never be used by the lay herbalist. Ever.
The fleshy berry is edible, but the hard seed within is deadly poison. Best to leave it alone. The leaves also are poisonous. It is said that cattle who graze on yew will die within minutes.
The Abduction of Persephone
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Mon, 08/13/2007 - 09:08.Demeter, by whose hand the grain ripens and turns to gold beneath the sun, had a beautiful as lovely as a field of crocus upon whom she doted as much as any mother ever doted upon a daughter.
