Meadowsweet

Meadowsweet
(Spiraea filipendula, Filipendula ulmaria
  Spiraea ulmaria)

Folk Names: Bride of the Meadow, Bridewort, Dollor, Gravel Root, Lady of
   the Meadow, Little Queen, Meadowort, Queen of the Meadow, Steeplebush,
   Trumpet Weed
Gender:  Masculine
Planet: Jupiter
Element: Air
Powers: Love, Divination, Peace, Happiness
Magical Uses: Fresh meadowsweet is placed on the altar for love spells, or dried is used for various
love mixtures. Also strewn about the house to keep peace. The scent of meadowsweet cheers the heart.
  If gathered on Midsummer, meadowsweet will give you information regarding thieves; if you have been robbed, place meadowsweet on water. If it sinks, the thief is a man. If it floats, a woman.
[From Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs]

Meadowsweet - Queen of the Prairie

   This blooming herb is almond-scented with creamy white flowers. This was a popular flower in bridal bouquest, which helped earn the flower some of its folk names, like bridal wort. This was a classic strewing herb in medieval times, for not only the flowers were fragrant, but the foliage had a clean hay scent as well. Meadowsweet was also popular for use in the creation of perfume, as oil from the flower buds is sweetly scented. It is also a classic drying herb, the flower tops yield a yellow-green dye, the leaves and stems a blue tint, and the roots yield a black dye.

   This was a sacred herb in the Druidic tradition, and it formed a sort of magickal trio of herbs with vervain and mint. Meadowsweet is popular to work into faerie magick, as the fae vaue strongly scented flowers and herbs. In magick, the meadowsweet flower is worked into spells, arranged into tussie-mussies, and tucked into sweetly fragranced charm bags and sachets to encourage love and good cheer. Meadowsweet promotes peace and contentment, and it also aids in divination. It is one of the fifty ingredients in a drink called 'Save,' mentioned in Chaucer's Knight's Tale, in the fourteenth century being called Medwort, or Meadwort, i.e. the mead or honey-wine herb, and the flowers were often put into wine and beer. It is still incorporated in many herb beers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epbAHFSOMdM

   Filipendula ulmaria, commonly known as Meadowsweet, is a perennial herb in the family Rosaceae, which grows in damp meadows. It is native throughout most of Europe and western Asia though it has been successfully introduced and naturalized in North America.

The stems are 1–2 m (3-7 ft) tall, erect and furrowed, reddish to sometimes purple. The leaves are dark green on the upper side and whitish and downy underneath, much divided, interruptedly pinnate, having a few large serrate leaflets and small intermediate ones. Terminal leaflets are large, 4–8 cm long and three to five-lobed.

   Meadowsweet has delicate, graceful, creamy-white flowers clustered close together in handsome irregularly-branched cymes, having a very strong, sweet smell. They flower from June to early September.

    The herb is probably best known for its chemical components, which have made it popular throughout history as a remedy for aches and fever.  Meadowsweet was the key headache-busting ingredient from which aspirin was synthesized; Bayer Pharma-ceuticals used dried meadowsweet leaves for its original methyl salicylic acid formulation. In Colonial times, meadowsweet was used as an anti-inflammatory to reduce the symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism. And, because the herb is gentle on the stomach, it also was used to treat stomach upsets, feverish colds, diarrhea and heartburn. Meadowsweet belongs to the rose family (Rosaceae), and was Queen Elizabeth I’s favorite strewing herb. The 16th-century herbalist Gerard believed it outranked all other strewing herbs because its aromatic leaves didn’t cause headaches, unlike many other strongly scented leaves. Meadowsweet’s popularity as a strewing herb at weddings earned it its alternate name, bridewort.

    And throughout history, meadowsweet has maintained its usefulness in the home. Housewives used the plant in their cleaning routine, drying clusters of tiny white florets and placing them on the floor and in cabinets to mask unpleasant odors. Cooks used the herb to flavor beers, meads and wines and added it to soups for an interesting almond flavor. As a cosmetic, it was soaked in rainwater and used as astringent and skin conditioner.

    Plants grown in organically enriched, well-watered soil will produce a healthy rhizome. Meadowsweet is a good candidate to grow in moist meadows or near bodies of water, where the herb blooms from June through August. And while the versatile herb can grow in full or partial sun, in boggy soil where summers are cool, or in latitudes where summers are warm to hot, meadowsweet does require some attention. It reacts well to heavy compost at least once each season. And if leaves become tattered in the summer, severely prune them and keep soil moist until new leaves emerge.




Use fresh leaves to flavor sorbets and fruit salads. You can infuse the flower to make a mild diuretic tea. Meadowsweet has a sharp flavor, somewhat like burnet, so you can drop a leaf into a cup of claret wine and enjoy the bite it offers. When making tea, cover the brew and let it steep to bring out the salicylic acid before serving to guests. No one will leave with a headache.

Indian Pink

Reading about this plant intrigued me and so I am first posting here the entry that caught my attention in a group of Granny Moon's....  then afterwards I did some research on it.



Pinkroot, Indian Pink


Spigelia merilandica

Other Names: Indian Pink, Maryland Pink, Pinkroot, Wormgrass, American Wormgrass, American Wormroot, Starbloom

Caution : Toxic! Useful only to experienced herbalists familiar with its use.



Habitat

Southeastern N. American native perennial herb, found in rich woods from New Jersey to Florida and west to Texas and Wisconsin, primarily in the Southern States. Indian Pink is fast disappearing, due to over harvesting. Cultivation: a very ornamental plant, Indian Pink succeeds in most fertile soils in semi-shade, transplant root cuttings in rich well drained soil. The leaves are pointed, stemless, alternate and opposite growing from 2 to 4 inches long, and up to 3 inches wide. The showy flowers are tube-shaped, bright scarlet red outside, opening into a bright yellow 5 pointed star, flowers bloom from May to July atop a smooth simple erect stem from 6 inches to 2 feet high. The roots are rhizome, knotty and dark-brown externally, with many thin, long, wiry rootlets attached to it, marked with scars of the stems of former years, internally the rhizome is whitish, with a darkbrown pith. Collect rootstock, after the flowers fade. The root is best used when fresh but can be harvested in the autumn then dried for herb use.

Properties

Pink Root, was being used medicinally by the Native Americans long before America was even discovered. Long used as an alternative medicine its proven medicinal constituents are Spigeline, Lignin, tannin, albumen, and myricin. Some of these are showing promise as antiHIV, anticancer and anticoronary. Other medicinal properties include antibacterial, antidiarrheic, antioxidant, antiviral, anthelmintic, and laxative. It is most popular as an anthelmintic and is most potent for tapeworm and for the round worm. It is a safe and efficient drug, if administered in proper doses and always followed by a saline aperient, such as magnesium sulphate. Otherwise unpleasant and serious side effects may occur. Said to be narcotic in large doses, causing increased heart action, dizziness, vertigo, disturbed vision, muscular spasms, convulsions and possibly death.

Folklore

Used by the Cherokee and other American Indians tribes as a ritual and ceremonial herb to induce visions and foretell the future. Also used as poison in some suicidal ceremonies.

Goddess Bless!

GrannyMoon

Indian Pinks are bright red on the outside and creamy yellow on the inside.

Here is a bigger close of the flowers:

This plant sometimes forms fairly large colonies in open woods.

Magical properties, well not really I guess, but this is still a good plant to know about but as is mentioned use with great caution.  Maybe it would just be a nice plant to grow just for show in your witchy garden.

Fly Agaric

Fly Agaric
(Amanita muscaria)


Back to mushrooms again.....  This morning I watched this video and found it be very interesting on sepeculative link made between the fact that reindeer seek these mushrooms out and eat them as do Siberian shamans.... which could perhaps be the basis of Santa and his flying reindeer.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkCS9ePWuLU

    From Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs:

Folk Names: Death Angel, Death Cap, Magic Mushroom, Redcap Mushroom, Sacred Mushroom, Fly Fungus
Gender: Masculine
Planet: Mercury
Element: Air
Deity: Dionysus
Powers: Fertility
Ritual Uses: There is speculation that at least some of the mystery religions of classical times centered their secret rituals around the use of the amanita.
Magical Uses: Place on the altar or in the bedroom to increase fertility.

Unfortunately, the amanita is so virulently poisonous that it is unwise to use it.

From Ellen Dugan's "Garden Witch's Herbal" :

   Common names include agaric, Deadly Amanita, death cap, redcap mushroom, and raven's bread. Technically, this is not a botanical; it is a fungus. This storybook-looking toadstool comes into fruiting in the autumn. It can grow up toten inches in height and is described as having a 'fuit body,' with a stem ringed with remnants of a veil and bright red cap dotted with white warts. This fungi's bright red color boldly declares its lethal nature.

The cap is large (four to six inches) and spread out quite horizontally. This mushroom's habitat is birch, pine, spruce, and cedar forests in Europe and North America. It grows in poor soils in marshes and along roadsides. The quintessential of toadstool, it is one of the most recognizable of the gothic plants today.

  Though it is considered highly poisonous, Amanita Muscaria is believed to be the world's oldest hallucinogen. It was used by Siberian and Lapland shamans in vision quests and in healing rituals, which gave them a sense of flying. This mushroom is reported to be a popular food for reindeer. Interestinglyl, the shaman in Lapland ate it for enlightenment - which may explain where the legends of flying reindeer and Santa all dressed in red and white came from!  In Europe, these mushrooms were thought to be symbols of good luck at the winter holidays and New Year's Day. This red and white mushroom also became a popular motif in early twentieth-century European postcard art.

  Magically, the fly agaric is associated with the Norse god Odin, who was a shamanic god of knowledge. According to old folklore, these fungi bring good fortune and luck to you and they also open a doorway to the world of the fae, elves, and other earth elementals. The astrological association is Mercury. The elemental correspondence is Air.

Warning: While researching this fungi, I discovered a lot of conflicting information about its legality. In some countries, it is considered illegal to grow, sell or to possess the fly agaric mushroom. Other places warn that it is a Class A drug - meaning possession could get you a fine and up to seven years in jail. Finally, this toadstool, while gorgeous, is considered intensely poisonour. Should you stumble across some growing wild in the woods, leave them be. I suggest that you leave these toadstools alone and work your spontaneous magick for good luck right there while leaving the plant untouched.

As I do every autumn about this time I am reading the book "Harvest Home" by Thomas Tyron... and yesterday I reached the part where the main character is out in the woods with local wise woman called Widow Fortune.  She finds a large ring of these mushrooms/toadstools growing and she becomes quite excited... "She quickly knelt and began breaking the stems at the base and handing them to me. I examined one: though it was handsome, it certainly looked like the most poisonous thing nature could provide. The cap was about four inches across, a brilliant red, with small warty bumps on it. The surface felt sticky, and bits of pine needles had adhered. The stem was white and pulpy-feeling, and the gills on the underside were a delicate formation of pale white. I had never seen the old woman so excited, her face was flushed from her exertions as she demolished the ring little by little. Then she carefully wrapped each mushroom in a piece of tinfoil. When she had finished, she gave me her hand and I helped her to her feet.

  'There,' she exclaimed with pleasure, dusting her dress and handing me the basket to carry, 'I knew we'd find some fly today, if we persevered.' 

   'Fly?'

  'Those ,' pointing to the mushrooms, 'are fly agaric,' They were called 'fly', she explained because they were once used to kill flies and other insects. 'If it would kill flies, how about humans?' I asked. She laughed.

  'I expect it could, you eat enough of them. Or at least they'd make a body mighty sick.'

  'What do you use them for?'

  'A woman always thinks it takes two to keep a secret, but I'm here to say it takes one.'  "

Of course late in the story he finds out more of what the good Widow Fortune uses them for.

Deadly Nightshade/Belladonna

Deadly Nightshade/Belladonna
(Atropa belladonna)

   Also known as nightshade.  Folk names include bane wort, fair lady, and Witch's berry. It is also fascinating to note that this particular plant was referred to as 'the mandrake of Hecate.'  Both Mandragora, the classic mandrake, and Atropa belladonna come from the nightshade family (Solanacene), which they share with other plants such as potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, tobacco, and chili peppers. The nightshade is a native plant to the Mediterranean and Eurasia. It is also sacred to the triple goddess Hecate.

  This herbaceous perennial has red stem sap and solitary trumpet-shaped purple flowers that blossom from mid-summer through autumn.

The flowers are followed by shiny black berries. (the berries are the most virulent part of the plant)

 This perennial is described as short-lived and may reach heights of up to five feet. In the past, an extract of the belladonna plant was used to dilate the eyes; this was through to make a woman look more beautiful. This practice is not recommened today.

  The botanical name for this plamt, Atropa belladonna, may be linked to one of the three goddesses of Fate, also called the Norns. One goddess wove the strand of each person's live, another sister measured it, and the third cut the strand when the mortal's life was to be ended. Atropos is the name of the goddess that snips the thread of life.  How every appropriate.

  In the language of flowers, deadly nightshade whispers of fascination and Witchcraft. Magickal associations are varied; this plant was once used in charms to encourage visions (because of its hallucinogenic properties, I'm sure). It will also protect against evil and manipulative magick. Atropa belladonna is also thought to have the ability to make you forget your old flame. Classified as a feminine plant, its astrological influence is Saturn. The elemental association is water. Belladonna is thought to be the its most powerfulo at Beltane.

Warning: Subject ot legal restrictions in many countries. All parts of this plant are extremely poisonous and should be handled with extreme caution. Do not take internally.
[From:Ellen Dugan's "Garden Witch's Herbal" ]

Description---The root is thick, fleshy and whitish, about 6 inches long, or more, and branching. It is perennial. The purplishcoloured stem is annual and herbaceous. It is stout, 2 to 4 feet high, undivided at the base, but dividing a little above the ground into three - more rarely two or four branches, each of which again branches freely.


The leaves are dull, darkish green in colour and of unequal size, 3 to 10 inches long, the lower leaves solitary, the upper ones in pairs alternately from opposite sides of the stem, one leaf of each pair much larger than the other, oval in shape, acute at the apex, entire and attenuated into short petioles.

First-year plants grow only about 1 1/2 feet in height. Their leaves are often larger than in full-grown plants and grow on the stem immediately above the ground. Older plants attain a height of 3 to 5 feet, occasionally even 6 feet, the leaves growing about 1 to 2 feet from the ground.
The whole plant is glabrous, or nearly so, though soft, downy hairs may occur on the young stems and the leaves when quite young. The veins of the leaves are prominent on the under surface, especially the midrib, which is depressed on the upper surface of the leaf.

The fresh plant, when crushed, exhales a disagreeable odour, almost disappearing on drying, and the leaves have a bitter taste, when both fresh and dry.

The flowers, which appear in June and July, singly, in the axils of the leaves, and continue blooming until early September, are of a dark and dingy purplish colour, tinged with green, large (about an inch long), pendent, bell-shaped, furrowed, the corolla with five large teeth or lobes, slightly reflexed. The five-cleft calyx spreads round the base of the smooth berry, which ripens in September, when it acquires a shining black colour and is in size like a small cherry. It contains several seeds. The berries are full of a dark, inky juice, and are intensely sweet, and their attraction to children on that account, has from their poisonous properties, been attended with fatal results. Lyte urges growers 'to be carefull to see to it and to close it in, that no body enter into the place where it groweth, that wilbe enticed with the beautie of the fruite to eate thereof.' And Gerard, writing twenty years later, after recounting three cases of poisoning from eating the berries, exhorts us to 'banish therefore these pernicious plants out of your gardens and all places neare to your houses where children do resort.' In September, 1916, three children were admitted to a London hospital suffering from Belladonna poisoning, caused, it was ascertained, from having eaten berries from large fruiting plants of Atropa Belladonna growing in a neighbouring public garden, the gardener being unaware of their dangerous nature, and again in 1921 the Norwich Coroner, commenting on the death of achild from the same cause, said that he had had four not dissimilar cases previously.

It is said that when taken by accident, the poisonous effects of Belladonna berries may be prevented by swallowing as soon as possible an emetic, such as a large glass of warm vinegar or mustard and water. In undoubted cases of this poisoning, emetics and the stomach-pump are resorted to at once, followed by a dose of magnesia, stimulants and strong coffee, the patient being kept very warm and artificial respiration being applied if necessary. A peculiar symptom in those poisoned by Belladonna is the complete loss of voice, together with frequent bending forward of the trunk and continual movements of the hands and fingers, the pupils of the eye becoming much dilated.

Its deadly character is due to the presence of an alkaloid, Atropine, 1/10 grain of which swallowed by a man has occasioned symptoms of poisoning. As every part of the plant is extremely poisonous, neither leaves, berries, nor root should be handled if there are any cuts or abrasions on the hands. The root is the most poisonous, the leaves and flowers less so, and the berries, except to children, least of all. It is said that an adult may eat two or three berries without injury, but dangerous symptoms appear if more are taken, and it is wiser not to attempt the experiment. Though so powerful in its action on the human body, the plant seems to affect some of the lower animals but little. Eight pounds of the herb are said to have been eaten by a horse without causing any injury, and an ass swallowed 1 lb. of the ripe berries without any bad results following. Rabbits, sheep, goats and swine eat the leaves with impunity, and birds often eat the seeds without any apparent effect, but cats and dogs are very susceptible to the poison.
From: http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/n/nighde05.html
 
 
 

Herbal Wines

Herbal Wines in Ancient Egypt


Picture this. At the market, you run into an old friend you haven’t seen for a couple of years; he happens to be the head chef for the Pharaoh. He invites you over for a goblet of wine that evening. When you visit and he offers you white or red, you break out into a hacking cough.

“Wait,” he says, “have some of this instead. I made it for the Pharaoh’s son.” Out of an amphora in the storage room, he pours you a goblet of special wine—medicated wine, infused with terebinth, a turpentine-fragranced resin from a small Mediterranean tree called Pistacia terebinthus. “Sip this,” your friend instructs. “It will take care of that cough.”

   As it turns out, wine was not just for indulgence at the evening dinner table in ancient Egypt—Egyptians added various herbs to create medicated wines. A new study by Patrick McGovern and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology provides biochemical evidence of medicinal herbs and tree resins dispensed in the grape wines of ancient Egypt. Researchers found the intriguing evidence inside jar number 156, one of 700 jars retrieved from the tomb of Scorpion I, who lived at the very beginning of Pharaonic Egypt, about 3150 b.c.—more than 5,000 years ago.

   Until now, Egyptian papyri, such as the famous Ebers papyrus and others dating to the New Kingdom period (about 1550 B.C.), provided the primary evidence of medical practices and herbs used in ancient Egypt. Plant hieroglyphics in these documents have indicated that herbs, such as celery, onion, garlic, frankincense, myrrh, terebinth, bryony, coriander, cumin, dill, aloe, wormwood, mints, hyssop and sweet flag, were used to make medicated alcoholic beverages.

   Now, recent advances in chemical analytical methods have yielded hard scientific evidence about the medicinal compounds in these ancient alcoholic beverages. Other exciting discoveries about the early uses of plants throughout the world are sure to follow. —


Did You Know?

Amphorae, tall, narrow-necked jugs, were used as wine vessels in centuries past. When retrieved from ancient ships wrecked in the Mediterranean, they offer little evidence of their contents. But if the amphorae were stored in a dry climate, such as the tomb of Egyptian royalty, there is a good chance researchers will find residues to be analyzed for information about ancient daily life. In 1990, a groundbreaking study by Patrick McGovern and a team at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology provided the first biochemical evidence that amphorae once contained wine.

This link takes you to an article on "How to Make Herbal Wines"


http://www.herbcompanion.com/Cooking/A-Worty-Wine-is-a-Worthy-Wine.aspx


And this link will go to an article on making Grape Leaf Wine:
http://www.herbcompanion.com/Cooking/A-Worty-Wine-is-a-Worthy-Wine-Grape-Leaf.aspx

Enjoy these during this time of the Vine/Grape.

Grape Vines

Grape Vines and their fruit.....

  OK, so this seems a little bit odd to find in a herb study blog... but I think by now we all know that most plants have 'herba' qualities, but we unaware of them.  Also this is the time of Muin/Vine lunar cycle of the year.

From Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs:

Grape
(Vitis vinifera) G



Gender: Feminine
Planet: Moon
Element: Water
Deities: Dionysus, Bacchus, Hathor
Powers: Fertility, Garden Magic, Mental Powers, Money

Magical Uses:  Pictures of grapes can be painted onto garden walls to ensure fertility, as done in ancient Rome. Eathing grapes or raisins increases fertility, as well as strengthening  mental powers. Place grapes on the altar during money spells.

From: http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/v/vine--09.html


The name vine is derived from viere (to twist), and has reference to the twining habits of the plant which is a very ancient one; in the Scriptures the vine is frequently mentioned from the time of Noah onward. Wine is recorded as an almost universal drink throughout the world from very early times. The vine is a very longlived plant. Pliny speaks of one 600 years old, and some existent in Burgundy are said to be 400 and over.


The stem of old vines attains a considerable size in warm climates, planks 15 inches across may be cut therefrom, forming a very durable timber.

Artificial heat for forcing the grapes was not used till the early part of last century and the first accounts of vineries enclosed by glass date from the middle of that period.

The vine is propagated by seeds, layers, cuttings and grafting and succeeds in almost any gravelly soil; that of a volcanic nature produces the finest wines. It is a climbing shrub with simple, lobed, cut or toothed leaves (seldom compound) with thyrsoid racemes of greenish flowers, the fruit consisting of watery or fleshy pulp, stones and skin, two-celled, four-seeded.

---Constituents---The leaves gathered in June contain a mixture of cane sugar and glucose, tartaric acid, potassium bi-tartrate, quercetine, quercitrin, tannin, amidon, malic acid, gum, inosite, an uncrystallizable fermentable sugar and oxalate of calcium; gathered in the autumn they contain much more quercetine and less trace of quercitrin.

The ripe fruit juice termed 'must' contains sugar, gum, malic acid, potassium bi-tartrate and inorganic salts; when fermented this forms the wine of commerce.

The dried ripe fruit commonly called raisins, contain dextrose and potassium acid tartrate.

The seeds contain tannin and a fixed oil.

The juice of the unripe fruit, 'Verjuice,' contains malic, citric, tartaric, racemic and tannic acids, potassium bi-tartrate, sulphate of potash and lime.


---Medicinal Action and Uses---Grape sugar differs from other sugars chemically. It enters the circulation without any action of the saliva. The warming and fattening action of grape sugar is thus more rapid in increasing strength and repairing waste in fevers but is unsuitable for inflammatory or gouty conditions.

The seeds and leaves are astringent, the leaves being formerly used to stop haemorrhages and bleeding. They are used dried and powdered as a cure for dysentery in cattle.

The sap, termed a tear or lachryma, forms an excellent lotion for weak eyes and specks on the cornea.

Ripe grapes in quantity influence the kidneys producing a free flow of urine and are apt to cause palpitation in excitable and full-blooded people. Dyspeptic subjects should avoid them.

In cases of anaemia and a state of exhaustion the restorative power of grapes is striking, especially when taken in conjunction with a light nourishing diet.

In cases of small-pox grapes have proved useful owing to their bi-tartrate of potash content; they are also said to be of benefit in cases of neuralgia, sleeplessness, etc.

Three to 6 lb. of grapes a day are taken by people undergoing the 'grape cure,' sufferers from torpid liver and sluggish biliary functions should take them not quite fully ripe, whilst those who require animal heat to support waste of tissue should eat fully ripe and sweet grapes.

Dried grapes; the raisins of commerce, are largely used in the manufacture of galencials, the seeds being separated and rejected as they give a very bitter taste. Raisins are demulcent, nutritive and slightly laxative.

Eyebright

EYEBRIGHT
(Euphrasia officinalis( G

Folk Names: Euphrosyne, Red Eyebright
Gender: Masculine
Planet: Mars
Element: Air
Powers: Mental Powers, Psychic Powers
Magical Uses: Brewed into a tea and drunk, eyebright clears the mind and aids the memory.
  The infusion applied to the eyelids on cotton pads induces magical clairvoyance, but it must be persisted in before results are achieved.
  Carry to increase psychic powers. Also, use when  you need to see the truth in a matter.

From: Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs"

A lovely little plant here photographed on Brading Down - a fabulous stretch of chalk grassland and well worth exploring. Interestingly it is not a single species

of plant at all but is in fact a group name for around twenty closely related plants (which even experts have difficulty telling apart). Eyebrights are semi-parasitic and feed from the roots of other plants, particularly grasses.
    In Greek mythology it was the linnet who first used eyebright to clear the sight of its fledglings. Eyebright has been used for making eye lotion.


Found in the pastures of Europe, the plant known as the eyebright of the Euphrasia genera of plants, is a hardy and small annual plant native to Europe, it is characterized by the presence of deeply cut leaves. The eyebright grows abundantly in the heaths and the pastures of European countries such as Britain, it is also found throughout much of the European continent, and some populations of the plant can also be found in the sub-arctic regions of the North American continent. The eyebright - Euphrasia is hemi parasitic and in this it resembles plants found in several general of the plant family Scrophulariaceae all of which are characterized by this hemi parasitic feature in the root system. In these plants, food gathering nodules are found on the roots, these nodules are attached to the roots of any plant nearby in order to parasitize food materials from neighboring plants. Due to this hemi-parasitic mode of life, cultivation of the eyebright is very hard to accomplish, the wild populations of the plant are the virtual source for the entire supply of eyebright used in herbal remedies - and the plant is collected with very little regard to the difference between species. The time for floral blooming of the eyebright is between the months of July to September, the plant bears many small flowers during this time, these are white or purplish in color and at times variegated with a yellowish tinge. The flowers resemble bloodshot human eyes due to the presence of the various spots and stripes on the surface of the flowers - giving the herb its name. This peculiar appearance of the flowers is one of the reasons, that the herb was used in the treatment of eye afflictions since the middle Ages in Europe.

Here in this picture your can see the 'bloodshot'

eye image that is spoken of.

To treat conjunctivitis and other eye problems, an herbal lotion or whole plant infusion made from the aerial part of the eyebright is normally prescribed by most herbalists to their patients. Traditionally, the same infusion was consumed and many ancient writers on herbs, like Culpeper and Parkinson, suggested the drinking of such herbal infusions for the treatment of eye afflictions in patients. Many places in Europe still use the eyebright for the treatment of such eye problems in their folk medicine, this practice is prevalent especially in the Eastern European countries, in these countries both the topical as well as the internal remedy made from the eyebright herb is used in the treatment of disorders such as blepharitis and conjunctivitis. The folk medicine in these places also lays stress on the use of an eyebright poultice for direct topical treatment of styes in the eye and in the treatment of eye fatigue in patients. A number of plant based organic compounds have been identified during chemical studies carried out on the eyebright herb. The herb has been analyzed and found to contain chemicals such as the aucubin, the organic compounds caffeic and ferulic acids, various plant based sterols, compounds such as choline, a variety of basic organic compounds, and a plant based volatile oil unique to the eyebright. There have been no conclusive scientific tests which can prove that the eyebright is effective in treating eye disorders, and at the same time, no useful therapeutic properties or effective healing powers have been detected in these compounds. Some bactericidal activity seems to be present in the compounds called the phenol-carboxylic acids, found in the eyebright herb. A potential risk for infection and complication exist when using home made herbal products which are not sterilized on the eyes, and such practices are not advocated and cannot be condoned as it can lead to serious complications for the person. The danger increase of a large number of unknown principles of dubious safety and healing efficacy are contained in the unsterilized home made herbal lotion. The risk is also from many modern herbalists, who often suggest the ophthalmic use of such non-sterilized remedies and these remedies are strictly not recommended for potential patients as the complications are many. Our knowledge of the herb is as limited as it was during Culpeper's time, and the properties of this herb still require extensive investigations in a modern setting.

[From: http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_eyebright.htm ]

And here are excerpts from:  http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/e/eyebri20.html

The Eyebright is the only British species of a genus containing twenty species distributed over Europe, Northern and Western Asia and North America.

---Description---It is an elegant little plant, 2 to 8 inches high, an annual, common on heaths and other dry pastures, especially on a chalky soil, and flowering from July to September, with deeply-cut leaves and numerous, small, white or purplish flowers variegated with yellow.

It varies much in size and in the colour of the corolla, which changes to quite white and yellow. On the mountains and near the sea, or in poor soil, it is often a tiny plant, only an inch or so high, with the stem scarcely branched, but in rich soil it assumes the habit of a minute shrub and forms a spreading tuft, 8 or 9 inches high. The leaves, also, are sometimes almost round, and at other times pointed and narrow, their margins, however, always deeply cut into teeth. The variability of the Eyebright has led to much discussion as to how many species of it are known: continental botanists define numerous species, but our botanists follow Bentham and Hooker, who considered that there is only one very variable species, with three principal varieties: officinalis proper, in which the corolla lip equals or exceeds the tube and the bracts of the flower-spike are broad at the base; gracilis, more slender, the corolla lip shorter than the tube, and the flower-spike bracts narrowed at the base, and maritima, found on the shores of the Shetland Islands in which the capsule is much longer than the calyx.



The stem is erect and wiry, either unbranched in small specimens, or with many opposite branches. The leaves are 1/6 to 1/2 inch long and about 1/4 inch broad, opposite to one another on the lower portion of the stem, alternate above, more often lance-shaped, though sometimes, as already stated, much broader, and with four to five teeth on each side.



The flowers, white, or lilac and purpleveined, are in terminal spikes, with leafy bracts interspersed. The structure of the flower places the plant in the family of the Foxglove and the Speedwell - Scrophulariaceae. The corolla is two-lipped, its lower, tube-like portion being enclosed in a green calyx, tipped with four teeth. The upper lip is two-lobed and arches over the stamens, forming a shelter from the rain. The lower lip is spreading and three-lobed, each lobe being notched. A yellow patch emphasizes the central lobe and purple 'honey guides' on both upper and lower lips - marked streaks of colour - point the way down the throat. Four stamens, with brown, downy anthers lie under the upper lip, in pairs, one behind the other; on the underside of each anther is a stiff spur, the two lowest spurs longer than the others and projecting over the throat of the flower. The upper spurs end in miniature brushes which are intended to prevent the pollen being scattered at the side and wasted. When a bee visitor comes in search of the honey lying round the ovary at the bottom of the petal tube, it knocks against the projecting anther spurs, which sets free the pollen, so that it falls on the insect's head. On visiting the next flower, the bee will then rub its dusty head against the outstanding stigma which terminates the style, or long thread placed on the ovary and projects beyond the stamens, and thus cross-fertilization is effected. But though this is the normal arrangement, other and smaller flowers are sometimes found, which suggests that self- fertilization is aimed at. In these, the corolla elongates after opening, and as the stamens are attached to it, their heads are gradually brought almost up to the stigma and eventually their pollen will fertilize it.



The seeds in all kinds of the flowers are produced in tiny, flattened capsules, and are numerous and ribbed.



The Eyebright will not grow readily in a garden if transplanted, unless 'protected' apparently, by grass. The reason for this is that it is a semi-parasite, relying for part of its nourishment on the roots of other plants. Above ground, it appears to be a perfectly normal plant, with normal flowers and bright green leaves - the leaves of fully parasitic plants are almost devoid of green colouring matter - but below the surface, suckers from its roots spread round and lie on the rootlets of the grassplants among which it grows. Where they are in contact, tiny nodules form and send absorption cells into the grass rootlets. The grass preyed upon does not, however, suffer very much, as the cells penetrate but a slight distance, moreover the Eyebright being an annual, renewing itself from year to year, the suckers on the grass roots to which it is attached also wither in the autumn, so there is no permanent drain of strength from the grass.


Part Used---A fluid extract is prepared from the plant in the fresh state, gathered when in flower, and cut off just above the root.


Euphrasia is best collected in July and August, when in full flower and the foliage in the best condition.



---Constituents---The precise chemical constituents of the herb have not yet been recorded; it is known to contain a peculiar tannin, termed Euphrasia-Tannin acid (which gives a dark-green precipitate with ferric salts and is only obtainable by combination with lead) and also Mannite and Glucose, but the volatile oil and acrid and bitter principle have not yet been chemically analysed.

Here you have an idea of how small these flowers

are on the Eyebright plant.

And here is information on this herb from a new herbal book I got yesterday: "The Green Wiccan Herbal" by Silja

Planet: Sun

Deity: Zeus, God of Fatherhood and Protection

Magical Uses: Memory, divination, telling the truth.

Non-magical uses: As the name suggests eyebright is said to help with eye problems - the herb can be rubbed gently on closed eyes - although there is no scientific proof for this. Eyebright tea also helps cleanse the liver after a heavy night of drinking.

Spell: Keep an eyebright plant where you store your tarot cards, scrying mirror, and similar witchy divination tools. Of, if you cannot find a plant, sprinkle some dried eyebright over the tools. As the name suggests, eyebright helps the eyes, not just physically, but also by opening your 'third eye', which sees unseen things, future things, and other planes of existence.

Tobacco

TOBACCO

(Nicotina spp.) poison

Folk Names: Tabacca, Tabak, Taaba

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Mars

Element: Fire

Powers: Healing, purification

Ritual Uses: Candidates for some shamanic systems must drink tobacco juice to induce visions as part of their training. Tobacco has long been used in religious ceremonies by some of the American Indians. Indeed, many peoples still regard the plant as sacred.

Magical Uses: South American Indians smoke tobacco to allow them to converse with spirits. Tobacco is also thrown into the river when beginning a journey by boat to propitiate the river gods.

  Burning tobacco as an incense purifies the area of all negativity and spirits (both good and bad), and to cure earaches tobacco smoke is blown into the ear.

   If you have nightmares they may cause sickness. To prevent this, immediately upon waking wash in a running stream and throw tobacco into the water as an offering to the Water Spirit who has cleaned you of the evil.

   Tobacco is a magickal substitute for sulpher, as well as for datura and nightshade, both of which are related to tobacco. Althought it is regularly smoked by millions, tobacco is a very poisonous plant and can kill.

[From Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs)

Rabbit Tobacco, Everlasting

Gnaphalium obtusifolium                      

Unmistakable by its creamy appearance in the still green background of the early fall meadows. Leaves long, elliptical and silver green colored.

Plant up to one meter high. Unusual fragrance. Can be smoked for respiratory ailments or made into a relaxing tea. A common tobacco substitute used by young boys in rural areas.

Photo and description by Karen Bergeron, Copyright 2001


WILD TOBACCO (Nicotiana attenuata, N. trigonophylla, N. glauca) Other names: Punche, Indian Tobacco, Coyote Tobacco, Mustard Tree, and Tree Tobacco (N. glauca).

Nicotiana glauca, Tree Tobacco, is a perennial plant and not native, but originally from Peru. It has naturalized in Southern California and has even spread out to the southern regions of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The true native tobaccos are annuals, coming up in the spring after rains and not lasting long after the heat of summer arrives. They like dry stream beds, meadows, flats, flood plains, rocky outcroppings and the desert. Both the leaves and blossoms are used.



The various species of Wild Tobacco are mainly used externally as an analgesic poultice and in liniments and salves for its analgesic qualities on sore muscles and joints, sunburns, or any external pain. Add a strong infusion of the leaves to bath water to relieve the pains of hemmorrhoids, menstrual cramps, muscle bruises or muscles sore from over use. Tobacco neutralizes skin reactions to bites and stings, stopping the swelling, burning and itching. Fresh leaves can be crushed and applied to insect bites and stings, dried leaves should be moistened before applying. Even processed commercial tobacco (N. tabacum) can be used on insect bites and bee stings, so if no tobacco plants are nearby, look for a cigarette butt and moisten the tobacco in it to apply as a poultice.



A liniment for sore joints and muscles can be made by steeping one cup of dried wild tobacco leaves and one tablespoon of cayenne pepper powder in a quart of alcohol for at least two weeks. An olive oil base may also be used if the alcohol liniment is too drying to the skin. Tobacco is also useful as an insecticide: steep one cup of dried, crumbled leaves in a quart of boiling water for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add one tablespoon of liquid detergent; cool to room temperature. Strain and spray onto plants. Do not use commercial pipe, cigar or cigarette tobacco as an insecticide on plants in the Solanaceae family, such as peppers, tomatoes and potatoes, as it often contains the mosaic virus which will infects plants of this family.

Tree Tobacco Blossoms

Tobacco should not be taken internally.                                             


The smoke from tobacco is also used ceremonially as a means of communication with spirit and to facilitate peaceful communications between those in the ceremony. It emphasizes the inclusiveness of those partaking. The smoke travels to the land of the spirits and it is thought that the ancestors remember the pleasure of tobacco smoke used in ceremony and thus return to partake of the essence of the tobacco, bringing with them their wisdom and assistance. Tobacco and tobacco smoke were used in divination among some indigenous peoples.



(Refer to Moore, Michael, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West Museum of New Mexico Press, 1979; Savinelli, Alfred, Plants of Power, Native Voices, Summertown, TN, 2002.)

Herbs of Mabon

Herbs of Mabon


From the website: http://www.earthwitchery.com/mabon.html

comes this list - rose hips, bittersweet, sunflower, wheat, oak


leaves, dried apple or apple seeds.
 
 
From this website: http://www.wicca.com/celtic/akasha/mabon.htm
 
comes this list - Herbs of Maybon:


Acorn, benzoin, ferns, grains, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, myrrh, passionflower, rose, sage, solomon's seal, tobacco, thistle, and vegetables.
 
And from this website: http://www.newmoon.uk.com/bos/81.htm
 
  comes these suggestions:  Herbs of Mabon: acorn, benzoin, ferns, grains, honeysuckle,


marigold, milkweed, myrrh, passionflower, rose, sage, solomon's seal, tobacco, thistle, and vegetables.
 
   Some of these I might not necessarily consider herbs yet as I study up on herbs and plants I am finding that often there are healing qualities to a plant that is not list as a herb.  So I will explore some of these pertaining to the season we are moving through now.
 

Hops (Humulus lupulus)

  Hops

Hops are the female flower cones, also known as strobiles, of the hop plant (Humulus lupulus). The hop is part of the family Cannabaceae, which also includes the genus Cannabis (hemp). They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine. The first documented use of hops in beer as a bittering agent is from the eleventh century. Prior to this period, brewers used whatever bitter herbs and flowers were around. Dandelion, burdock root, marigold and heather were often used prior to the discovery of hops.[1] Hops are used extensively in brewing today for their many purported benefits, including balancing the sweetness of the malt with bitterness, contributing a variety of desirable flavors and aromas, and having an antibiotic effect that favors the activity of brewer's yeast over less desirable microorganisms.


Hop cone in a Hallertau, Germany, hop yardThe hop plant is a vigorous climbing herbaceous perennial, usually grown up strings in a field called a hopfield, hop garden or hop yard when grown commercially. Many different varieties of hops are grown by farmers around the world, with different types being used for particular styles of beer.

Hop bines are a climbing plant, similar to beans and peas in that respect. 'Training' (or twiddling) the bines up strings or wires supports plants, allowing the plants significantly greater growth with the same sunlight profile. Energy that would have been required to build structural cells is also freed for crop growth.




Until mechanisation, the need for massed labor at harvest time meant hop-growing had a big social impact. For example, many of those hop picking in Kent, a hop region first mechanised in the 1960s, were Eastenders. For them, the annual migration meant not just money in the family pocket but a welcome break from the grime and smoke of London. Whole families would come down on special trains and live in hoppers' huts and gradients for most of September, even the smallest children helping in the fields.[11][12]

In Kent, the numbers of hop-pickers who came down from the city meant that many growers issued their own currency to those doing the labor. In some cases, the coins issued, often adorned with fanciful hops images, were themselves quite beautiful. As the currency could in the main be spent only at the company store, this was effectively a truck system.[13]



Sonoma County in California was, pre-mechanization, a major US producer of hops. As in other hop-growing regions, the labor-intensive harvesting work involved large numbers of migrant workers traveling from other parts of the state or elsewhere for the annual hop harvest.[14][15] During the Great Depression, many workers were migrant laborers from Oklahoma and the surrounding region who had recently come to California. Others included locals, particularly older school children. Sometimes whole families would work in the harvest. The remnants of this significant hop industry are still noticeable in the form of old hop kilns that survive in Sonoma County. In part because of the hop industry's importance to the county, local Florian Dauenhauer of Santa Rosa, the seat of Sonoma County, created one of the earliest and most significant hop-harvesting machines but ironically this mechanization helped destroy the local industry.[14] It enabled large-scale mechanized production which moved to larger farms in other areas.

                                            Mature hops growing in a hop yard. (Germany)
 
    Hops have been a key constituent in the production of beer since Viking times.  But Hops have many other uses. The stems are used in Sweden to create rough cloth, and also paper. The young shoots were eatch as a vegetable by the ancient Greeks. The leaves and flower heads produce brown dye. The fruit, or cones. of the female which are used in brewting are also steeped hot water, which is nused as a tonic to improve the appetite and as a digestive. At one time a cup of Hop tea taken daily was thought to produce good health and prolong life.
 

                                                     Ready  to  Harvest
 
 
Strictly speaking Hops belong to the stinging neetle family and as such are in fact relatively easy to grow. Their historic susceptibility to aphids is easily solved if you 'import' some ladybirds as pest controls. Plant Hops in the ground or in deep tubs and give them wires or supports to grow along and they take off at a considerable pace. They can be trained up walls, into arches, or if you have enough you can make a semi-sheltered soporific. Indeed Hop pillows are making a comeback as a really effective alternative solution to insomina.
 
 Hops are often used in healing incenses and are incorporated in sachets for household protection. Strings of dried Hopsw, often seen today as decoration in retaurants and bars, were thoughts to drive out evil spirits, dispel all bad humor and encourage liveliness of energy. Give chains of Hops as a blessing on a new home.

The Low-Tech Art of Drying Herbs

The following article comes from a recent issue of Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter. I find it to
quite informative and some really good ideas as well knowledge that re-confirms the confidence
I need for drying my herbs.  I felt I had to share this one here.



The Low-Tech Art of Drying Herbs

Harvesting herbs is an odd blend of glamour and strain.

Ultimately, there is great satisfaction in the large, filled harvest baskets.



-Margaret Brownlow, Herbs & The Fragrant Garden (1957)









A bumper crop of basil, lemon balm and savory is wonderful, but what you do with it after you bring it in is every bit as important as the harvest itself.





Although I preserve herb flavors in jellies, vinegars and pesto, air-drying is still my favorite way to store the major part of summer's herbal bounty. I prefer this method over others because it reduces large quantities of herbs to amounts that are easy to store (10 pounds of fresh herbs equals about 1 pound of dried herbs) and easy to use. And my methods, as low-tech as you can get, are accessible to anyone.





Low-tech does not equal surefire, however. I often meet gardeners whose experiences drying herbs have been devastating. They harvested their favorites and dried them, and ended up with brown straw. I have devoted many years to refining the art of drying herbs and I maintain that a wide range of home-dried herbs - including those not usually recommended for drying, such as basil, retain their colors and distinctive flavors for a surprisingly long period of time if certain principles are followed.





The problem with most instructions for drying herbs is that they are too generalized and don't allow for differences in herbs and how they're harvested. The secret to success is to treat herbs individually according to their needs and to dry them as fast as possible after harvesting.





I divide herbs for drying into two basic groups: those such as mints (with the exception of apple mint) that are quick-drying and can be dried by the traditional bunching method, and those such as lovage, parsley and basil, which don't dry well by bunching and should be chopped, then laid to dry on trays or screens. If followed correctly, this approach guarantees a product as green as the living plant. No more limp, yellowed parsley; no more brown, tasteless basil.





Those herbs that really don't dry well, such as chervil and salad burnet, can be preserved in vinegars or only used fresh.





Timing is Everything

Success begins in the garden. The importance of harvesting herbs at their peak of flavor cannot be stressed often enough. Overripe herbs become stalky as the plants direct their energy toward flower and seed production at the expense of their leaves. The longer after their peak you wait to harvest most herbs, the less flavor they will have. The right time varies according to the specific herb and the part that is harvested. Foliage should be picked when the plant is beginning to form buds, at which time the leaves have the highest concentration of essential oils. Herbs such as German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), whose flowers are used for teas, should be harvested when the blooms are newly opened.





There are always exceptions: With lavender, it is the flower buds that contain the most flavor and fragrance. If you want to preserve herbs for dried flower crafts, the right time for picking also varies, depending on the desired effect. For more detailed information on preserving herbs for crafts, see The Complete Book of Everlastings: Growing, Drying and Designing with Dried Flowers by Mark and Terry Silber (Knopf, 1988).





A Bunch of Tradition

The harvesting and bunching method is used to dry herbs quickly. (See the chart below for information on what part of the herb to harvest.)





On a sunny day after the dew has dried, I cut herbs with a stout pair of kitchen scissors or clippers to the lowest set of clean leaves. I grasp a small bunch in one hand and cut the stems with the other, quickly checking each handful for weeds, discolored leaves, debris and insects - all of which are easiest to discard at this point. Then I lay down the stems in my gathering basket so that they all point in the same direction for easy bunching. I secure bunches with a thick rubber band wrapped tightly about 1 1/2 inches from the end of the stems. Rubber bands are far more efficient than string, because the bands contract as the herbs dry so bunches remain intact. You probably want between 12 and 15 stems to a bundle, depending on the type of herb, the amount of foliage and the thickness of the stems.





I hang these bunches from hooks on beams in our kitchen. I prefer them in the kitchen not only for their looks, but because I can keep a close watch on them. You can hang herbs in any room as long as it is cool, airy and doesn't get direct sunlight. (Light destroys an herb's essential oils and color. To see what light can do, check bottled dried herbs on supermarket shelves.) Wherever the herbs are hung, they should have plenty of room so air circulates around the bunches to speed up the drying process. Some people tie a brown paper bag around each bunch to prevent dust from accumulating on the herbs. I've tried this and find it cumbersome, and with dubious benefits. Besides, I like the panache that herbs and drying flowers add to kitchen decor. Decorating with dried bunches is a legitimate way to enjoy herbs, so let them hang and don't feel guilty. If you intend to use them, of course, the bunches should be taken down as soon as they are dry because they will collect dust and could take up moisture during a damp period.

Most fast-drying herbs are crispy dry within a week or less, depending on the moisture in the air. In a period of humid weather or if you're in a hurry, you can finish drying the herbs by laying them out on a cookie sheet (don't crowd them), then removing some of the stems to reduce bulk. Place the sheet in an oven on the lowest setting, no higher than 150 degrees. Stir them regularly. If you smell the herbs as they're drying, the temperature is too high.





Once the leaves are crispy dry and the stems are brittle, it's time to strip the leaves. On a flat surface, spread a double sheet of newspaper under a large, wide bowl. Hold the bundle of herbs over the bowl, pull off the rubber band, then, taking one or a few stems at a time, remove the leaves with a quick downward motion of your free hand. An alternative stripping method is to roll the whole bunch back and forth between the palms of your hands. I leave the herbs as whole as possible for herb teas, or rub them through a colander to produce uniform flakes for herb mixes. Store herbs in labeled jars in a cupboard away from light, where they keep in prime condition for a year or more.


To read more of this article go to:  http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/newsletter/09/september/dryingherbs.php


Article reprinted with permission from The Herb Companion magazine, a division of Ogden publications.

To learn more about The Herb Companion magazine please see... http://www.herbcompanion.com/

To subscribe to The Herb Companion magazine please see... http://www.herbcompanion.com/view.asp?page=subscribe



Article written by Jo Ann Gardner.



Jo Ann Gardner is a gardener, writer and cook living in the Adirondacks of New York. One of her recent projects included serving as contributing editor to Flora: A Gardener's Encyclopedia (Timber Press, 2003).









All rights reserved.

Copyright Ogden Publications, Inc.







Resources from Mountain Rose Herbs:





Bulk Herbs & Spices

Containers

Herb Seeds

Your Own Faery Garden

Faeries, Elves, & Other Kin


From: http://paganpages.org/content/2009/09/faeries-elves-other-kin-5/

Your Own Faery Garden



Faeries aren’t as cute and innocent as authors like Shakespeare has made them

out to be. Granted, there are good faeries but with the good, you always have

to expect the dark side ) If you believe and love faeries, then you may

want to attract them into your home at times other than Midsummer. A good

way to attract faeries to you is to give them their own little garden. It

doesn’t have to be elaborate (keep in mind they don’t like metals, iron,

etc.). As a matter of fact, a small container garden would do just fine.

Here’s a list of flowers that are said to attract them and why.

Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea)

Foxglove - Name is derived from “Little Folks’ Glove”. They use the blossoms

for hats and boots

Campanile-they use for drinking vessels

Bleeding Hearts

Bleeding Hearts – they use to store faerie dust and other treasures

Tulips – are used as cradles for their young

Monkshood

Monkshood-are worn as helmets by faerie guards and knights

Lily of the Vallkey

Lily of the Valley – it said their little bells rings when faeries are

singing

Ferns-make excellent privacy screens

Moss and thyme are favorites for bedding material.

Primroses

Primroses–make the invisible visible. Eating them lets you see faeries. If

one touches a faerie rock with the correct number of primroses in a posy, the

way to faerieland and faerie gifts is made clear. The wrong number means

certain doom.

Ragwort

Ragwort-used as makeshift horses by the faerie.



Wild Thyme-part of a recipe for a brew to make one see the faeries. The tops

of the Wild Thyme must be gathered near the side of a faerie hill.

Cowslips (Primula veris)

Cowslips-these are loved and protected by the faeries. They help one to find

hidden faerie gold.

Pansies-the flower that was used as a love potion by Oberon, a faerie king

thought to have been invented by Shakespeare.

Bluebell-one who hears a bluebell ring will soon die. A field of bluebells

is especially dangerous, as it is intricately interwoven with faerie

enchantments.

Clover-a four-leafed one may be used to break a faerie spell.

Hazel-Celtic legend says it is the receptacle of knowledge; the hazelnut is

a symbol of fertility in England.

Rowan / Mountain Ash / Sorbus Aucuparia

Rowan-protects against bad spirits. Used in butter churns so that the butter

would not be overlooked by faeries. Bewitched horses may be controlled by a

rowan whip. Druids used rowan wood for fires with which they called up

spirits whom could be forced to answer questions when rowan berries were

spread over the flayed hides of bulls.



Fairy Ring Mushroom-marks the boundaries of faerie rings.



Plants and the Fae who are attracted to it:



Basil- The Fae of the Basil help us awaken greater discipline and devotion

Buttercup- This flower and its Faerie bring healing energies, They help us

rediscover our self worth

Carnation- Their energy is healing to the body, contact with them strengthens

the aura

Clover- The clover Faeries assist in finding love and fidelity

Daisy- The daisy is a favorite of Dryads (wood nymphs) The Faeries help

awaken creativity

Gardenia- This special Faerie stimulates feelings of peace, The Fae of this

flower are VERY protective towards children

Heather-The Fae of this flower are drawn to humans who are shy

Jasmine- These Fae love to invoke pleasant dreams, They have also been known

to help develop mental clarity

Lily- These Faeries help in the development of purity and humility

Rose- The Faerie of the rose can help in all aspects of love and fertility

Sage- They awaken a sense of wisdom in your life

Snapdragon- These bring humans great protection

Thyme- Thyme draws the wee Folk into your sleeping chambers



Some more flowers that Fae are attracted to:



Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)

Aster novi-belgii (New York aster)

Chrysanthemum maximum (shasta daisy)

Coreopsis grandiflora/verticillata (coreopsis)

Agastache occidentalis (western giant hyssop or horsemint)

Lavendula dentata (French lavender)

Rosemarinus officinalis (rosemary)

Thymus (thyme)

Buddleia alternifolia (fountain butterfly bush)

Buddleia davidii (orange-eye butterfly bush, summer lilac)

Potentilla fruitiosa (shrubby cinquefoil)

Petunia hybrida (common garden petunia)

Verbena (verbenas, vervains)

Scabiosa caucasica (pincushion flowers)

Cosmos bipinnatus (cosmos)

Zinnia elegans (common zinnia)



Light



Faeries also love light so putting many bright white flowers would also

welcome them into your little garden.



If you want to attract water spirtes

Incorporating the sound of water somehow (like a little fountain statue)

would definitely make them happy. And also, pay attention ) Work with them,

make them your allies. . .learn about the elemental realms and learn to work

with energy



Here’s a little ritual to make faerie allies:



Air Fairy– Nature: Cloud, Storm Elemental: Slyph



The power of the eagle

the power of the storm

And the hand of valor

Which a blade well becomes~

Come now breath of Dana



The air fairy is easiset to make contact with during sunset, or on a foggy or

misty day. To connect with this ally means allowing time for cloud watching.

The air fairy is the sculptor of the imaginary world and will

reveal itself through the a cloud formation, in a thunder cloud or a

glittering glimpse from the corner of the eye. To call this ally, you must go

outside in an open space, turn 3 times in a deosil circle, each time throwing

up a handful of glitter into the air. On the completion of the third round,

lay down and say the chant above while looking at the clouds. The use of a

flute or whistle will help call the slyph. They love music and vibrations.

The whistle or flute will help you attune yourself with the air fairy. Once

an Air ally has been found, theirs is the energy of inspiration. They will

help free the mind by drawing you into the imaginary realm, floating you into

unfettered territory so the mind disengages the ego, and your inner

child can dance freely. You will know you have made an ally if you return

from your day dream feeling refreshed and inspired. Don’t forget to ask the

air fairy to identify themselves, providing instructions on how to further

communicate with it. It is also important to present their realm with a gift

(the glitter won’t work).

I would encourage leaving a decorated feather which is to be tossed in the

air and left behind for your new Ally.