Garlic

Garlic
(Allium sativum) N

Folk Names: Ajo (Spanish), Poor Man's Treacle, Stinkweed
Gender: Masculine
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Deity: Hecate
Powers: Protection, Healing, Exorcism, Lust, Anti-Theft
Ritual Uses: Garlic was eaten on festival days to Hecate, and was left at a crossroads as a sacrifice in Her name.
Magickal Uses: Garlic was once worn to guard against the plague. It is still used to absorb diseases. Simply rub fresh, peeled cloves of garlic onto the affected part of the body, then throw into running water. An old spell utilized garlic in protecting against hepaitis. To do this, simply wear thirteen cloves of garlic at the end of a cord around the neck for thirteen days. On the last day, in the middle of the night, walk to a corner of an intersection of two streets,, remove the necklace, throw it behind you and run home without looking back.
   Garlic is also extremely protective. Sailors carry some while on board ship to protect against its wreckage. Soliders wore garlic as a defense in the middle ages, while Roman soliders ate it to give them courage. It is placed in the home to guard against the intrusion of evil, to keep out robbers and thieves, and is hung over the door to repel envious people. Garlic is especially protective in new homes.
   Worn, garlic guards against foul weather (mountaineers wear it) as well as monsters, and it also shields  you from the blows of your enemies.
   When evil spirits are about, bite into garlic to send them away, or sprinkle powdered garlic on the floor, (if you don't mind smelling it for some time). Garlic is also placed beneath children's pillows to protect them while asleep, and brides once carried a clove of garlic in her pocket for good luck and to keep evil far from her on her big day. Rubbed onto pots and pans before cooking in them, garlic removes negative vibrations which might otherwise contaminate the food.
   When eaten, garlic acts as a lust-inducer, and when a magnet or lodestone is rubbed with garlic it loses its magical powers.
[From: Cuningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs]

Garlic:  excerpts From Kate West's "The Real Witches' Year"

    While it has already been mentioned about warriors using garlic to give strength and courage before a battle, it was also given to their horses.  Another way to use garlic for home protection besides hanging it by the doorway is to plant it in tubs near the doorway or in hanging baskets.  To deter insects from entering the home, rub garlic arund the edges of all doors and windows. If you are badly troubled by insects sprinkle garlic powder on the floors to drive them out, but beware it will smell!
   It is used medicinally in a number of ways. A garlic solution can be used as an antiseptic and to wash and dress wounds. Garlic syrup was used to treat many respiratory complaints, from sore throat through to consumption. Certainly taking garlic helps to prevent colds and defends against winter infections, and it is an excellent aid to digestion. If you want to minimize the smell, chop rather than crush it before adding to dishes.
   Garlic is sacred to Hecate and the Greeks would leave it at the crossroads as a sacrifice in her name. Place garlic on your altar when working magick for protection, healing and when banishing unwanted influences. Rub a clove on the skin for protection prior to working on the psychic plane.

 Garlic does indeed have scientifically-proven medicinal properties. It contains a substance called Allicin, which has anti-bacterial properties that are equivalent to a weak penicillin. It appears that cooked garlic weakens the anti-bacterial effects considerably, however, so don't count on cooked garlic with meals for much in the way of a curative.


Garlic appears to have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. The list is long when it comes to its uses as a remedy. This list includes wounds, ulcers, skin infections, flu, athlete's foot, some viruses, strep, worms, respiratory ailments, high blood pressure, blood thinning, cancer of the stomach, colic, colds, kidney problems, bladder problems, and ear aches, to name a few. It is believed to cure worms in both people and animals - try giving the dog a clove of garlic daily (but he's not gonna like it).

For most internal problems, eating garlic raw is probably the most potent way to take it. However, due to the obvious lingering odors associated with this, a tincture can be made by soaking 1/4 pound of peeled and separated garlic cloves in 1/2 quart of brandy. Seal tightly and shake every day. Strain and bottle after two weeks of this, and take in drops - 25-30 a day, if desired.

For cough, flu, and respiratory ailments, make a cough syrup out of garlic. Slice 1 pound of fresh garlic and pour one quart of boiling water over it. Let sit for 12 hours, then add sugar until you reach the consistency of a syrup. Add honey for better taste, if desired.

For sore throat, make a garlic tea by steeping several cloves of garlic in half a cup of water overnight. Hold your nose and drink it.

Externally, garlic is a known anti-bacterial and anti-infection agent. An interesting use for ear aches is to slice a garlic clove, heat briefly in a small amount of virgin olive oil, and let cool. Then use a drop of two in the affected ear (strain the mixture beforehand, of course).

Make an Ointment out of garlic (use cloves instead of leaves, stems, or flowers as described in Ointments) for wounds, cuts, athlete's foot, or any other external skin irritation, fungus, or infection. Also, try a few drops of Oil on a toothache for pain relief.
[From: http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbGarlicMed.htm ]

This popular herb lowers cholesterol levels and blood sugar which helps prevent heart attack and stroke.


It may also reduce risk of blood clots and tumors.

It is useful in treating atherosclerosis, and high cholesterol.

This herb's antibacterial and antimicrobial properties make it useful in treating bladder and kidney infections, yeast infections, strep throats and ear infections.

It also contains compounds that prevent tumors from growing and works well with other anti-cancer treatments.

Lowers blood sugar levels in people with diabetes and has been shown to cut the risk of 2nd heart attack by one half.

It is an effective remedy against bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic infections, and Candida albicans.

When crushed, raw cloves releases allicin, which has been shown to be a more potent antibiotic than penicillin and tetracycline.

It can be used for sore throats, colds, flus, bronchial and lung infections.

When there is infection in the gut, it is used to help re-establish beneficial bacterial population after orthodox antibiotic treatment.

This herb improves digestion, relieves wind and distension, and enhances absorption and assimilation of food.

Garlic also enhances the production of insulin, making it a useful remedy to lower blood sugar in diabetics.

Can be used as raw cloves, in oils, or in capsules.
[From:  http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com/GARLIC.html ]

Garlic, From Your Kitchen Pharmacy


By Betty Bennett, RN

Herbal Medicine is often thought to be a secret practice known to only a few specialists, whether they be Chinese Herbalists, Naturopaths or Appalachian Wise Women. But, in fact, our kitchens contain plants that can double as prescriptions for common ailments.

Consider garlic: This great tasting addition to any cook's kitchen has a number of properties that make it a useful medicine. Garlic has been used as an antibiotic for years. More recent research has demonstrated activity in cancer prevention and treatment, control of hypertension and diabetes, thinning the blood much as aspirin does, and cholesterol management.

Garlic's use as an antibiotic dates from the ancient times of Egyptian pyramid builders. During the days of the Black Plague, people who ate large amounts of garlic were spared from sickness. The French town of Marseilles was protected from a plague that was raging through France in 1722, largely due to a preparation of vinegar and garlic. During World War I British field physicians soaked sterilized sphagnum moss in garlic juice and applied it to wounds, greatly reducing deaths from infection.

But aside from these anecdotal reports, there is solid research behind the use of garlic as an antibiotic. In 1935 two Japanese researchers found that the antiseptic properties of garlic were found to be superior to penicillin in treating the typhoid bacillus.

Modern researchers have found garlic effective against Candida, Histoplasma, Cryptococcus, Tuberculosis, Influenza B, Herpes Simplex, Staphylococcus Aureus, Leprosy and even the Aids Virus.

As a flea, tick and mosquito repellent, garlic protects against diseases caused by these pests.

Evidence points to a role for garlic in preventing cancer. Because of its high selenium content, garlic prevents the production of free radicals which causes many cancers. Researchers in Japan have demonstrated a reduction in breast cancer, for instance. Furthermore garlic protects against stomach and colon cancer by blocking the formation of nitrosamines which are made from the nitrates used to preserve foods such as ham and sausage. In a controlled experiment, Chinese volunteers were given 300 mg of nitrates and 500 mg of proline (a proven chemical that produces nitrosamines). The subject's blood level of nitrosamines rose as expected. But subjects who ate 5000 mg of fresh garlic before their dose of nitrates and proline had no detectable levels of nitrosamines in their blood.

Reports have been published in Science Magazine and The America Journal of Urology and Cancer Research showing that compounds in garlic inhibit a needed chemical reaction inside cancer cells. The John Wayne Cancer Center in Santa Monica, CA, uses garlic as part of the treatment protocol for leukemia. In another cancer treatment center, garlic extract is administered to treat bladder cancer. Crushed garlic, applied to the skin, has reduced the size of, and occasionally eliminated, basal cell carcinoma. Natural killer cells (white blood cells that kill invading or abnormal cells) became more aggressive in patients who ate raw garlic or took a garlic preparation, called Kyolic.

Other scientifically demonstrate that the medicinal effects of garlic include small but significant reduction in blood pressure (2-5 points), anti-clotting properties similar to aspirin, reduction in blood sugar and triglycerides, reducing LDL and raising HDL, inhibiting inflammation, controlling asthma and bronchitis, increased life span, detoxification from heavy metal poisoning, and improved learning and memory performance.

The way that garlic is administered varies, and the effects of garlic vary with the method of administration. The easiest way is just to eat the raw cloves. The disadvantages of this is that the garlic odor exudes from the pores which can cause some social repercussions. One aficionado claimed that after he persisted in using garlic at a rate of 2 cloves a day for three weeks the effect was not so noticeable. There is no mention of his friends reaction.

There have been some successful attempts to solve the odor problem. Doctors Eugene Schnell and Manji Wakunaga working in Japan discovered a method for cold pressing whole garlic cloves and aging them for 20 months. The end product, called Kyolic, comes in capsules. Kwai is tablet form of dried garlic. Ajoene is a liquid derived from garlic. Manufacturers of the products claim that they are not only odorless, but contain increased levels of some of the key nutrients, including selenium.

And there we have it, the story of the humble garlic. Is it a delicious condiment or powerful healing herb? You decide.

No article on garlic would be complete without a few recipes to try.

Garlic Spread

One popular method, not exclusively for medical use, is to slice the tops off the clove, drizzle with olive oil, place in a garlic baker (or wrap loosely in foil) and bake slowly until soft. The cooked cloves can be squeezed onto bread or crackers as a spread.

Garlic Syrup

Peel and mince 1 lb. fresh garlic. Place in wide mouth jar. Add equal parts of vinegar and distilled water to just cover the garlic. Close tightly, shake well and let stand for 4 days. Shake the container at least twice daily during this time. Add 1 pint of glycerin, shake well and let stand another day. Force through strainer. Filter liquid through linen cloth. For topical application use as is. If given as an oral medication add honey and stir until blended.

An alternative to the above recipe is to replace the vinegar in the recipe above with the following liquid: add 3 oz of powdered caraway seeds and 3 oz of sweet fennel seed to 1 Qt. of vinegar. Boil for 15 minutes closely covered. Strain and cool. It can then be used in the above recipe.

Garlic Syrup can be used for asthma or cough: 1 tsp. every 15 minutes until spasm is controlled followed by 1 tsp. every 2-3 hours for the remainder of the day, then 1 tsp. 3-4 times a day.

Garlic Paste

Peel and mash one raw garlic clove. Apply directly to bee stings or other inflamed insect bites or stings.

Garlic Plaster

Peel and mash several cloves into a paste. Spread onto cheesecloth or muslin. Fold to close. Apply to skin, taking care that the raw garlic does not come in contact with skin. This is useful for fungal rashes or boils.

Garlic Compress

Boil water. Peel and chop several cloves of garlic. Add to boiling water, turn off the heat, cover and steep for 15 minutes. Cool to less than 180 degrees. Soak small soft cloth in the liquid, wring slightly and apply. Cover with a dry towel and leave until the warmth is no longer felt. Replace with new warm cloth and repeat until tingling is detected (about 30 minutes). Useful for fungal rashes or boils. One resource says that this is effective for muscle spasms as well.

Ear Ache Remedy

Make garlic oil by slicing a peeled clove of garlic into a small quantity of olive oil. Heat briefly. Cool and strain to remove the chunks. Apply a few drops of warm garlic oil extract into affected ear and seal with a small bit of cotton.

[From: http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com/garlic-article.html ]
 
And this from http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/g/garlic06.html
 

The Common Garlic a member of the same group of plants as the Onion, is of such antiquity as a cultivated plant, that it is difficult with any certainty to trace the country of its origin. De Candolle, in his treatise on the Origin of Cultivated Plants, considered that it was apparently indigenous to the southwest of Siberia, whence it spread to southern Europe, where it has become naturalized, and is said to be found wild in Sicily. It is widely cultivated in the Latin countries bordering on the Mediterranean. Dumas has described the air of Provence as being 'particularly perfumed by the refined essence of this mystically attractive bulb.'


---Description---The leaves are long, narrow and flat like grass. The bulb (the only part eaten) is of a compound nature, consisting of numerous bulblets, known technically as 'cloves,' grouped together between the membraneous scales and enclosed within a whitish skin, which holds them as in a sac.

The flowers are placed at the end of a stalk rising direct from the bulb and are whitish, grouped together in a globular head, or umbel, with an enclosing kind of leaf or spathae, and among them are small bulbils.

To prevent the plant running to leaf, Pliny (Natural History, XIX, 34) advised bending the stalk downward and covering it with earth, seeding, he observed, may be prevented by twisting the stalk.

In England, Garlic, apart from medicinal purposes, is seldom used except as a seasoning, but in the southern counties of Europe it is a common ingredient in dishes, and is largely consumed by the agricultural population. From the earliest times, indeed, Garlichas been used as an article of diet.

Cultivation---The ground should be prepared in a similar manner as for the closelyallied onion.


The soil may be sandy, loam or clay, though Garlic flourishes best in a rich, moist, sandy soil. Dig over well, freeing the ground from all lumps and dig some lime into it. Tread firmly. Divide the bulbs into their component 'cloves' - each fair-sized bulb will divide into ten or twelve cloves - and with a dibber put in the cloves separately, about 2 inches deep and about 6 inches apart, leaving about 1 foot between the rows. It is well to give a dressing of soot.

Garlic beds should be in a sunny spot. They must be kept thoroughly free from weeds and the soil gathered up round the roots with a Dutch hoe from time to time.

When planted early in the spring, in February or March, the bulbs should be ready for lifting in August, when the leaves will be beginning to wither. Should the summer have been wet and cold, they may probably not be ready till nearly the middle of September.