St. John's Wort...One for Marian...

St John’s Wort: hypericum perforatum

Wild herb: reasonably common

Parts used: Parts above the ground

Gathering: The plant should be collected when in flower.

Actions:

Anti-inflammatory,

Astringent

Sedative

Vulnerary 

Indications: St John’s wort works as an effective sedative and pain reducer when taken internally. It therefore has a place in the treatment of anxiety, low mood, Neuralgia and similar complaints. This herb should always be considered for cases of fibromyalgia, sciatica and rheumatic pain.

The tetchiness and fretfulness caused by menopausal problems can be eased with this wonderfully calming herb.

Externally the oil or lotion is a beneficial anti-inflammatory and healing remedy, which can be used on bruises, mild burns and varicose veins. Furthermore, and without hyperbole it can be stated that Saint John’s wort oil is nature’s perfect answer to sunburnt skin.

Preparation and dosage: Infusion: Take 1-2 teaspoons of dried or 2-4 teaspoons of fresh herb to one cup of boiling water. Infuse for 10-15 minutes. Drink a cupful three times a day.

Tincture: take 1-4 ml of the tincture three times a day.

Folklore and Kitchen witch: St. John’s wort is a herb of the Sun and it is said to be at the zenith of its power on 24^th of June, which is both the feast of St John and midsummer’s day. This date is, of course, also very close to the summer solstice, which explains both its appropriation by the Christian saint and the relationship between St. John’s wort and midsummer in neo-pagan circles.

Robert Chambers (1802-1871) recorded in his Book of Days that: ‘The people also gathered on this night (midsummer’s eve) the rose, St. John's wort, vervain, trefoil, and rue, all of which were thought to have magical properties. By tradition it was on the day of the ‘feast of Saint John’ that garlands of St John’s wort and other flowers were hung at doors and windows to ensure protection for the occupants. So great was the protection of this wort that a house that had it hung above the door was considered to be safe from thunder, lightening and fire; and neither evil witches or the devil could cross the threshold.

St John’s wort’s remarkable protection abilities are recognised in this traditional rhyme:

St John’s wort doth charm all the witches away

If gathered at midnight on the Saint’s holy day

Nor devils nor witches have then power to harm

The man that doth gather this plant for a charm

Rub lintels and posts with this red juicy flower

No tempest nor thunder shall then enter your door.

(Author unknown)

Gerard called the oil ‘a most pretious remedie for deep wounds and those that are thorow the body, for the sinues that are prickt, or any wound made with a venomed weapon’ … he was obviously impressed. As was Culpepper who recorded that St John’s wort was ‘by no means least valuable for its efficacy in the cure of wounds, hurts, or bruises, by being boiled in wine and drunk’.

Orphic hymn 1 to Hecate

Hecate of the wayside ,who frequents crossroads, Lovely dame, of earthly, watery and celestial frame, around tombs, in a saffron veil arrayed, pleased with dark ghosts that wander through the shade;  destroyer, solitary goddess, hail! The world’s key bearer, never doomed to fail; In stags rejoicing, huntress, nightly seen, and drawn by bulls, unconquerable queen; leader, nymphe, nurse on mountains wandering, hear the suppliants who with holy rites thy power revere, and to the herdsman with a favouring mind draw near…

I've further refined this so it can be sung in verse..

Lady Hecate of the wayside crossroads
Ruler of the heavens the earth and seas
Frequenting tombs in a veil of saffron 
With ghosts in shadows she speaks.

Hail the destroyer and solitary goddess 
The bearer of the wold's keys never shall fail
Rejoicing in stags, huntress seen nightly
And pulled by bulls unconquerable queen.

leader, nymph, wandering nurse on the mountains
in all our rites your power we reverie
draw thou near to the humble herdsman
with a favoring mind draw near.

Brown and Black Bitches..

Fox

Fox and Raven being inquisitive 

Raven 

Raven

The old girl prompted my hand to acquire a beautiful black bitch in time for this new moon in Leo. I have had her for about a month now and she and her sister 'Fox' are settling in very well.

Happy Hecate Day (August 13th)

Thanks to an overwhelming desire to do some research, no doubt a nudge from the lady herself, it has come to my attention that today August 13th is one  three festival days ascribed to Hecate, the other two being May 3rd and November 16th. 

and as we all know even as far back as 350-300 BCE  there can be no festival without dancing... so here is an Etruscan image of Hecate holding two torches and dancing in front of an altar beyond which is a cult statue

 later I will be raising a chalice of mead to the waning moon and the torch bearer herself.. happy hecate day to you all ...

for working tonight... 

Colours-black

Gems- obsidian, hermatite, black onyx

Symbols- crossroads, blazing torch, black hounds

Moon phase- waning to dark moon (but especially dark moon)

Call on Hecate for - justice, banishings, protection, prophecy, divination and inner self

Number - 3

Herbs - mugwort, wormwood, aconite, willow, mandrake, garlic, lavender....

Mugwort: artemisia vulgaris

Mugwort: single flowering tip

Hedgerow herb: very common

Parts used: leaves or root

Gathering: the leaves and flowering stalks should be gathered at flowering time, which is usually between July and September.

Actions:

Bitter tonic

Emmenagogue 

Nervine tonic

Stimulant

Indications: Whenever a digestive stimulant is called for mugwort should be considered because it not only contains a bitter to stimulate the digestive juices but also carminative oil, which soothes the digestive process and relieves any bloating or trapped wind.

Kloss calls mugwort ‘a safe and excellent medicine for female complaints’. Women of all ages may find mugwort a useful remedy in cases of suppressed menstruation because it can gently aid a return to the normal cycle.  It is particularly useful when these symptoms are related to stress, as mugwort is also a mild nervine that is useful for easing tension and mild depression.

Preparation and dosage: Infusion: 1-2 teaspoons of the dried or 2-4 teaspoons of the fresh herb to each cup of boiling water. It is vey important to cover the pot as much of the plants active ingredients are in the steam which must not be allowed to escape the brew. Infuse for 10-15 minutes. A cupful should be drunk three times a day.

Tincture: take 1-4 ml of the tincture three times a day.

Folklore, History and Kitchen Witch: Mugwort is under the dominion of Venus and the strong association of this herb with the activity of the Womb bears this out.

In Anglo-Saxon times mugwort was used in the preparation of a herbal steam to cure those people and animals who had been shot by ‘elf’s arrows’. There are directions for the preparation of this steam, which is a time-honoured method of curing not only elf shot but also any other kind of demonic possession, in the Leech Book of Bald. This text, which is the oldest surviving leech book available, records that: the Anglo-Saxons took a huge quern stone, which had been in the fire on the hearth all day and placed on it the prepared herbs (in this case wallwort and mugwort) the herbs were scattered upon the stone, cold water was poured on to produce a steam and the patient was reeked with it. According to the manuscript the steam should be ‘as hot as he can endure it’.

One cannot fail to see the connection between this burning of plant material, the burning of frankincense in Christian ceremonies, the burning of incenses in neo-pagan rites and the ‘smudging’ of participants and items with the smoke of white sage in First Nation American ceremonies.

Mugwort has also been identified as one of the herbs mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon lay of the nine herbs, which is a poem in praise of their most effective medicines. One surviving manuscript says of mugwort:

“Eldest of worts

Thou hast might for three

And against thirty

For venom availest

For flying vile things,

Mighty against loathed ones

That through the land rove.”

Harleian MS. 585.

The 1526 Grete Herball has an interesting use for mugwort in the nursery…it says: ‘to make a child mery hange a bondell of mugwort or make smoke thereof under the chylde’s bedde for it taketh away annoy for hem’.

Mugwort is one of the most popular herbs used in protection amulets. As early as the fifth century the Herbarium of Apuleius we read of mugwort: “and if a root of this wort be hung over the door of any house then may not any man damage the house.”  Pliny wrote of it as an amulet for travellers saying: ‘the traveller or wayfaring man that hath mugwort tied about him feeleth no wearisomeness at all and he who hath it about him can be hurt by no poysonous medecines, nor by any wilde beaste, neither yet by the Sun itselfe’.

Mugwort has been used as an oracular herb John Chambers (1802-1871) reported in his Book of Days that on midsummer’s eve: ‘Young women sought for what they called pieces of coal, but which in reality were certain hard, black, dead roots, often found under the living mugwort, designing to place these under their pillows, that they might dream of their lovers’.

Mugwort is also used by some neo pagans to cleanse and refresh all magical or healing items by either by smudging or by washing the item in a strong infusion. This is especially important to maintain the clarity of items used for scrying such as crystal balls or tarot cards.

Mugwort seedlings

Mature mugwort plant

Mugwort seed are available from

http://www.naturescape.co.uk/acatalog/I_-_M_Individual_Species.html

Hey look at this.... I think that, despite my reticence to accept it, this is a sign that aforementioned Goddess has been communicating with me.. I found the following about yesterday's new moon at http://darkstarastrology.com/new-moon-july/..The New Moon on July 19 is at 26º Cancer and on fixed star Procyon in the crazy little doggy (canis minoris). We have a melancholic and slightly rabid Moon who “vants to be alone” since it is widely square Saturn and conjunct asteroid Hekate.... the rest of the article is also worth linking into.... AND since my earlier post a so far unidentified bird of prey fetched down a bird in my garden (sorry about the quality of the pic it was all over before I could get a good one).. do all birds of prey belong to her too I wonder?

Wormwood...?

During the new moon in Cancer..  The old gal (Hecate)spoke to me... Wormwood, it appears, must be in the garden so I've been out in the wild photographing said plant and have put together some ideas for it's use together with some historical research...

Wormwood

Parts used: leaves or flowering tops

Gathering: May to September preferably when flowering is almost done

Actions:

Bitter tonic

Anthelmintic

Anti- inflammatory

Carminative 

Indications: This common wayside herb stimulates and strengthens the whole digestive process. It is very effective in the treatment of heartburn or other manifestations of indigestion.

As its common name suggests this herb is effective in the treatment of worms particularly thread and roundworms.

Wormwood is a good general tonic and is useful for many diverse maladies. It will help the body deal with fever and infections.

Preparation and dosage: Warning - this brew is bitter!

Infusion: 1-2 teaspoons of the dried or 2-4 teaspoons of the fresh herb to each cup of boiling water. Infuse for 10-15 minutes. Take a cupful 3 times a day.

Tincture: Take 1-4 ml of the tincture 3 times a day.

Folklore, History and Kitchen Witch: Wormwood is governed by Mars. Its generic name is derived from the Greek goddess Artemis. As testament to the value given by classical herbalists to of this group of herbs an early translation of the Herbarium of Apuleius (Circa 550 – 625) states that: 'Of these worts that we name Artemisia, it is said that Diana did find them and delivered their powers and leechdom to Chiron the Centaur, who first from these Worts set forth a leechdom, and he named these worts from the name of Diana, Artemis, that is Artemisias.'

Presumably, Artemis gave Chiron the herbs dedicated to her so he could try them on himself…Chiron the centaur was a Greek God renowned for his healing skills and art as a physician. Nevertheless, when poor Chiron was accidentally shot in the knee by his friend Hercules with an arrow poisoned with the venom of the hydra he was unable to successfully treat the wound. After this incident Chiron became known as the 'wounded healer'.

The Bible often references wormwood usually in relation to its intense bitterness. In Proverbs V King Solomon says: Mind not the deceit of a woman. For the lips of a harlot are like a honeycomb dropping, and her throat is smoother than oil. But her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword...What an old cynic… maybe he was just unlucky in love?

And whilst of the subject of the relationship between love and wormwood, Mrs Grieve sourced a lovely old love charm in her Modern Herbal it runs thus: 'On St. Luke's Day, take marigold flowers, a sprig of marjoram, thyme, and a little Wormwood; dry them before a fire, rub them to powder; then sift it through a fine piece of lawn, and simmer it over a slow fire, adding a small quantity of virgin honey, and vinegar. Anoint yourself with this when you go to bed, saying the following lines three times, and you will dream of your partner "that is to be":

‘St. Luke, St. Luke, be kind to me,

In dreams let me my true-love see’.

Wormwood has always been associated with visions in one-way or another and Wormwood and debilitating alcoholic beverages seem to go hand in hand. Jeremiah in his lamentations complains: ‘He hath filled me with bitterness: he hath inebriated me with wormwood’. Of course, this may not mean that he had actually drunk any thing with wormwood in it but rather that it just that it felt like he had. Pliny the elder makes numerous references to wormwood as flavouring for alcoholic beverages and it is well known that it was once used to flavour beer in the absence of hops. Wormwood is also an ingredient in Pernod and Vermouth but it is as a vital component of the, very naughty, absinthe that wormwood is best known.

To make your own absinthe

First make a tincture by soaking a couple of large sprigs (more or less to taste) of fresh wormwood, a teaspoon of fresh lemon balm, I star anise, a small pinch of fennel seeds (crushed) in a pint of vodka for 6 weeks (shake daily).

Strain the tincture and combine it with a bottle of Pernod, Anisette, Ouzo or Ricard (my personal favourite)

And now it’s time to party like its 1899…

How to drink it… it’s bitter so you need sugar… Absinthe drinkers, romantics one and all, seem to have formulated their own set of rituals around the drinking of their own particular poison. The idea is that the sugar is placed on the spoon (the one in the picture is the classic bistro spoon) and cold water is poured over the sugar to dissolve it. Of course you can simply use sugar syrup or dissolve granulated sugar in the glass it’s just not so … well… theatrical…. (If you really like drama you can drench the sugar cube in absinthe and set fire to it) the ratio of water to absinthe is a matter of taste and don’t over do it or you will regret it … but don’t let that put you off the green fairy is actually very good