Olde Wyves Tales

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Wild plants

One of the most engaging aspects of herbs is their lore. Women in particular spent a significant amount of time growing, gathering, processing, and using herbs all day, every day, for much of humanity, so of course a literature of its own grew around them. Because herbal knowledge was passed on through oral tradition, many rhymes and rhythms were involved for easier memorizing. Keep in mind that for most of humanity’s time, the majority of people were not literate, and even when the populace started to learn to read and write, it was the males who were educated long before females. Grandmothers had no other options for passing along remedies, rituals, and traditions than through songs and poems. By the way, I recently learned that wife (wyfe in old English) was just another word for woman before it had the marriage connotation, just as ‘wort’ is the old word for herb. When you see a plant with wort in the name such as mugwort, motherwort, St. John’s wort, etc, then you know it’s had a long history of herbal usage.

Herbs have such rich lore attached to them that they can be tied to certain planets and/or astrological signs, or the moon or sun, they are said to govern over certain professions and/or aspects of life such as willows are the tree of poets and artists while bay laurel is the herb for creativity, they of course each have many medicinal attributes, divination use, and roles in rituals and rites. They also have their own language such as a red rose given from one person to another means romantic love, while rosemary means friendship and remembrance. There are many charms and symbolism with herbs as well, and since we could all use a bit of luck, protection, and magic, here are some ideas to consider:

Growing sedum, known as hens and chicks, will protect your home and garden, especially from lightning. Here’s a traditional rhyme about it:

“Round and green, hen and chick Sting of burns allay Rosy leaves will stick and prick But keep lightning away”

A white hawthorn hedge protects the garden and home from bad luck and mischievous spirits.

Feverfew hung in the house cleanses it and wards off disease as well as treats melancholy when applied to the head. (Make a crown of feverfew and I’m sure you will be jolly indeed!)

Garlic wards off evil and disease. Putting a sprig of mugwort in your shoe prevents weariness, however, if you do this on Midsummer’s Eve you run the risk of being carried off by a white fairy horse which will then leave you stranded! This one is timely for the quarantine I’ve heard~ if you have had a falling out with your spouse, you are to each give each other pennyroyal to make amends. Growing sage assures a happy house and that the woman there is the master. Eating sage ensures a long life as this traditional rhyme promises: 

“Those who would live alway Must eat sage in May.”

I don’t know about you but I want to plant all the plants possible just to be on the safe side because it seems they all have their specific domains to give luck and protection to. This is a very small snapshot of herbal lore of course because it is a vast history with variations as plentiful as the individuals who passed this history on. If you enjoy this aspect of herbalism, I recommend the book, Mugworts in May by Linda Ours Rago, which is where I got most of the above little tidbits. I hope your July is magical and your hearth and home are protected and graced with luck for the rest of the year.  

 

 

After Sun Spray DIY

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Happy July and Happy Canada Day to all of the Canadians! I’m sure we are all pretty happy to enter into the second half of this unusual year. Here in the Seattle area there is a common understanding that summer weather does not begin until July 5th, and true to form it’s windy, drizzly, and cool this morning (see above pic). The sunny days are coming though and if your skin tends to burn easily, this after sun spray is easy-peasy to make.

Peppermint and lavender will be the stars for this after sun spray, as well as aloe vera juice and/or witch hazel. Peppermint needs to be used with care because it can irritate sensitive skin, so although it is cooling, use it in moderation. Lavender’s healing effects on burns started the study of aromatherapy as we know it, so it’s fabulous on its own in this recipe if you don’t have peppermint or are too sensitive to it. Aloe vera is a great plant to have around your house in case of burns, or the juice can even be used as a facial mask for its firming action. Witch Hazel has tannins which help soothe sun burned skin and you can use it alone as the base if you don’t have aloe on hand.

–2 oz spray bottle (preferably dark glass)

–1oz witch hazel (can be plain or infused)

–1 oz aloe vera juice

–10 drops lavender

–5 drops peppermint

–Store in the refrigerator for up to one month, or use 2 oz witch hazel instead of aloe and store for 6 months in a cool, dark place.

Don’t forget to label your bottle with what it is and the date you made it. Writing down your recipe for next time is always beneficial too, as well as any notes such as ‘too much peppermint’ or ‘try aloe juice next time’.

May your July be a fresh start to this year with many happy summer days ahead.

 

Another Update and St. John’s Wort Folklore

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Summery path through greenery

In last week’s post I mentioned HopTea but hadn’t tried it yet. From the packaging to the taste, this is so similar to beer that honestly I didn’t care for it because I have never liked beer. My sons both liked it though (what is it about males and that beer taste? I swear it’s innate!) but my oldest liked it best and drank the bulk of it quite happily. He would love me to keep in stock so now I have another thing to add to my grocery list! They have ones with caffeine too, which seems ideal for people who want a beer taste without the alcohol or the sedative effect. Although I don’t care for the beer-like taste, I still think this just a really cool, unique herbal product and appreciate the simple, clean ingredient lists. The packaging is excellent too although it was a bit confusing at first to figure out if it had alcohol in it or not. I scoured the can, then their website, and it seemed not to have any, but just to make sure I did ask the company and it is indeed free of alcohol.

Aiden enjoying HopTea

Since this is St. John’s Day (June 24th) which is why St. John’s Wort is named such (blooms this time of year and considered the best day to harvest it), I’d thought I’d share a fun little folklore of the herb. Most know this herb for its anti-depressant actions, and some know it is also anti-viral and externally eases aches and pains, but there is still more to this herb.  St. John’s Wort has been used for hundreds of years as a protector and wound healer, and also used in divination. Because it is flowering around summer solstice, there are many variations of rituals for young women to divine who their future husband is and/or how long it will be until they are married. One way is to pluck a few flower tops in the dewy morning on solstice, in secret of course, then place them under your pillow and you will then dream of your future husband that night. Or, hang the fresh cut solstice flower tops on your bedroom wall and again, you will dream of your future husband. Another version actually begins the entire story line of a cute little-known book called The Lark by E. Nesbit where the main character uses St. John’s Wort on a summer solstice night along with an accompanying magical rhyme to see the face of her future husband. This takes place right after World War One and I love how herbs were still such a part of life in the not so distant past. E. Nesbit is known for her children’s stories by the way, so although The Lark is not labeled ‘young adult’ it would fall into that category I believe if it were written today. It’s a fun little read for an adult too, but perfectly appropriate for young adult or even middle grade readers if you are looking for summer reading options for your kids. And if you are disappointed that you missed this magical night of marital prophesy and now have to wait an entire year, rest assured you can sleep with a rose petal under your pillow and dream of your future spouse any night of the year.

If you are the crafting sort, I have a couple of videos on making St. John’s Wort tincture and several on making herbal oils so you can follow those directions using fresh St. John’s Wort. I don’t have a video making St. John’s Wort because it is one of the only herbs that does need to be fresh, not dried, in order to make oil and I have never had access to a large amount of fresh flower tops.

Enjoy the magic of summer.