A Tribute to The Wild Blackberry

 Many years ago, I attended a ritual led by a Druid.  At the end of the ritual, we had to go off and find ‘our tree’.  In the dusky evening, we were to walk towards a tree that called to us, greet it and welcome the message it gave.

 In the lousy light, I meandered off towards the dark tree line, thinking I’d find a native tree that would impart some deep and meaningful message, either directly or when I looked up the meaning and history of that tree.  Then I walked into a large patch of wild blackberry.

 Fucking Blackberry!! I was horrified and decided that it didn’t count.  It wasn’t a tree.  I went around the patch and moved forward again into the shadows and straight into another patch of blackberry.

 I was mortified.  I’m a weed.  I’m a nuisance plant that everyone is trying to get rid of. 

 It stayed with me for ages.  It undermined my self-confidence. All I could see was the brutality of the thorns, the way they grab and don’t let go, they rip your skin apart. The weedy nature of blackberry, the way it springs up where it’s not wanted and blocks paths, fills pasture and chokes waterways.

 Over the years, I’ve thought about it often.  More so since moving to our block where we have a lot of wild blackberry. Every summer, I spend hours picking the sweet and juicy berries.  My husband often talks about putting up fences and wires where the blackberries grow to tame them and make them easier to pick. 

 All this time spent around the blackberry has taught me many things that weren’t immediately apparent. 

 Blackberry is resilient.  It is always springing up where you don’t want it because it’s almost impossible to knock back entirely.  It always gets back up again and thrives.

 Blackberry can produce lovely sweet fruit in the harshest of conditions.

 Blackberry can accept support without doing damage to what is supporting it.

 Blackberry thorns protect the plant.  The thorns will stick in your skin and make sure you treat it with respect.

 Blackberry can’t be tamed.  You can cut it back and try to restrain it, but it will find a way to come back.

 Symbolism and spiritual meanings are varied.  As always there’s no consensus and you can always cherry pick one that means something to you.

 I choose to own all the wonderful things that blackberry is, I am fiercely protective, I am resilient and I produce many sweet things.

 All hail the blackberry.

Blessings

Debbie

Medicinal and Magical Herbalism

I've always been fascinated by Herbalism.  Once upon a time, I had fantasies of having a cupboard that I could go to and be able to cure any ills that beset my family.  It fitted in with the idealistic image I had of a Traditional Cunningwoman.  Herbs hanging from the rafters, jars filled with remedies, cures and charms and the ability to fix everything.  I pictured myself as an infallible healer of all things physical and spiritual.

Then I spent a year training at the Canterbury College of Natural Medicine.  I have a Certificate of Natural Health.  In that time, I learned that it's really not that simple and is usually a lot of work, trial and error.  There is so much more to it than reaching for the right herb or even the right part of the herb.

My certificate was a taster in a variety of modalities.  There were more in depth and advanced courses that could be taken to specialise in any of the areas that we studied.  While I did learn a lot of useful things that have made a difference to most minor ailments in my family, I recognise that it does not qualify me to treat anything more serious and I wouldn't try.

With this background in place, I am frequently horrified by herbal recommendations that I see online.  Many groups now have rules against giving medicinal herbal advice and with good reason.  Many apparently safe herbs have nasty contraindications and bad interactions with medication.  You can't know for sure when reading someone's question what the source of the problem is.  You can't know that they're telling you the whole truth, learn about family history and you can't know anything about their physicality - all of which are important.

Now there comes people wanting to be special and create their own websites.  I wrote about Mr V and his appalling website just a couple of days ago.  I am not going to provide a link to his website, because he takes page views and shares as validation - even though I know many of those views and shares are people reading it in horror and sharing it to other places as a warning about bad and dangerous information.

Instead, let me do a screenshot (he gave permission for this) of his latest offering, under the heading Angel's Turnip: A Monograph:

I guess we got lucky in that he's now citing sources.  But I also read up on one of those sources, the Plant Biographies by Sue Eland and found that he missed out some really important information.  To be specific:

Warning – bitter root is poisonous and should only be used under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. It can cause nausea, purging, lowered heart rate, vomiting, appetite loss and death. The milky juice can cause blistering on the skin. Livestock have been killed by eating the leaves.

I'm quite sure that any of you reading can see why this is problematic.  On his website, he recommends chewing on a root as a cure for "some weird western medication" while one of his sources says it's poisonous and should only be used under qualified supervision.

This was raised, and well, I'll give you a snippet of how the conversation went:

This is a fairly standard response from this chap.  I pointed out that I have a herbal that recommends white lead and mercury in salves and ointments but so far that appears to have been ignored.

What really, really scares me about this is that people share his view that warning about the dangers of untrained, unqualified advice like this is just fear-mongering and that it's all perfectly safe.  He has no formal training - he has freely admitted this, he is picking and choosing what information to share from useful websites (leaving out the safety warnings) and using other questionable websites.

If a few leaves can kill livestock - animals with a digestive system designed to process many things that will kill people and weighing at least three times the average person and usually more like five or six times the weight of the average person - imagine what it will do to you.

Sadly, he just doesn't seem to take any of it seriously and beyond giving out warnings, I don't know what else I can do.

Will it take a death and a lawsuit before it stops?

Still disheartened




Debbie

Magickal Herbs - The Uses of Juniper

The traditional, herbal and magical uses of Juniper are varied.

The Juniper shrub, or Juniperus communis, grows freely throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It's typically found in places where lime is present in the soil. Folk names for Juniper include enebro, gemeiner wachholder, geneva, gin berry, ginepro and gin plant.

Juniper berries take several years to ripen, so it is not unusual to see a tree covered in berries of differing colours and ripeness. Only the blue berries are harvested which are slightly dried which changes their colour to the black that we commonly see.

Traditional Uses of Juniper

Juniper berries are probably best known for their use in making gin. In fact, the distinctive flavour of gin is from the Juniper berries. Some recipes for making Sauerkraut include juniper berries in with the cabbage. Most commercial Juniper berries seem to be harvested for making essential oil, or a berry extract called ‘Roob’ or Rob of Juniper.

Different varieties of Juniper are well known as traditional Japanese Bonsai trees, usually the dwarf Juniperus procumbens varieties, as they have a spreading, cascading habit.

Ancient Greeks burned Juniper to fight and prevent epidemics, including the plague, this continued even into the 19th Century when French hospitals burned it in an attempt to prevent the spread of smallpox.

In the Middle Ages, Juniper was believed to ward off demons, disease and venomous creatures, and it was planted around homes to protect them against the evil eye and to keep snakes away.

Herbal Medicinal Uses of Juniper

Juniper oil is used for various complaints involving the digestive system, and illnesses of the kidney and bladder, although it should be avoided by those with kidney disease. The berries, when chewed, sweeten the breath and help to heal infected gums.

In aromatherapy, Juniper oil is used as to detoxify the body and is often used in massage blends for this reason.

Before taking any herb internally, be sure that it is correctly identified first and check with a qualified medical herbalist.

Magical Uses of Juniper

Juniper is a masculine herb, under the element of Fire, and the influence of Jupiter. It is considered to be a protective herb, and specifically guards against theft. Wearing a sprig of Juniper is believed to protect the wearer from accidents and wild animal attacks. Hung at your door, it's said to protect you and your home from evil forces, evil people, ghosts and sickness.

Juniper has been used as incense for a very long time, and used in exorcisms, to help psychic powers, to break hexes and curses and to attract good, healthy energies.

When added to love mixtures, or amulets, it is believed to increase male potency. Dried Juniper berries can be strung together like beads for a simple amulet or charm.

Sources:

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham, Second Edition, Llewellyn Publications, Minnesota, 2002.

Wylundt’s Book of Incense by Steven R Smith, Samuel Weiser, Inc, Maine, 1996.

The Master Book of Herbalism by Paul Beyerl, Phoenix Publishing Co, Washington, 1996.

Botanical.com – retrieved 10 December 2010.

Magickal Herbs – The Uses of Dragon's Blood

The Traditional, Herbal and Magickal uses of Dragon's Blood resin.

Dragon’s Blood is the name given to the resin harvested from the fruit of the Dragon’s Blood Tree. Several different palms are given the name Dragon’s Blood Tree, Daemonorops draco, Dracaena cinnabari, Dracaena draco, Croton draco, Croton lechleri and Calamus draco (although this has been renamed Daemonorops draco, it is still a name used)

Dragon’s Blood is usually founds as a bright red resin, in powder or granule form. When larger pieces are broken, the inside is glossy and bright. There are unscrupulous vendors who sell “poor man’s Dragon’s Blood” which looks and smells the same, but is a blend of talc, red sandalwood and frankincense.

Traditional Uses of Dragon’s Blood

Dragon’s Blood has been used as colouring for various goods like varnishes, toothpaste, tinctures and for dying horn to look like tortoiseshell. Many violins are still varnished with Dragon’s Blood, which gives them that beautiful rich colour. The ‘tears’ named for the shape they form when ‘bleeding’ from the trunk or fruit have been strung to make stunning jewellery.

It was believed that a woman burning Dragon’s Blood while sitting near an open window at night would entice a straying lover to return to her, and that a stick of Dragon’s Blood placed somewhere near the bed, would cure impotency in men.

Herbal Medicinal Uses of Dragon’s Blood

The different varieties of Dragon’s Blood Trees have been used for many different herbal remedies. One has been said to cure syphilis, while another is used as an astringent and vulnerary (effective in treating wounds, cuts and burns) and yet another is used to make an intoxicating drink.

Correct identification of which type of Dragon’s Blood is used for which ailment is essential, and as such, it would be advisable not to make assumptions, but to see a qualified Medicinal Herbalist before trying any remedies using Dragon’s Blood.

Magickal Properties of Dragon’s Blood

Dragon’s Blood is under the planetary influence of Mars and its elemental association is fire. It is said to be sacred to Shiva, so it's burned as an offering to Him.

Dragon’s Blood is an ingredient in many loose magical incense recipes as it adds power and strength to any spell or working. It is said to increase the power of any ritual energy. On its own, Dragon’s Blood is considered to be a protective herb, with the ability to drive away negativity and evil spirits.

Dragon’s Blood Ink is used to seal and protect magical writing, such as agreements, oaths and vows. It is also used for love or protective talismans and sigils.

Sources:

Botanical.com – retrieved 26 September 2010-09-29.

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham, Llewellyn Publications, Minnesota, 2002.

Wylundt’s Book of Incense by Steven R Smith, Samuel Weiser Inc, Maine, 1996.

The Master Book of Herbalism by Paul Beyerl, Phoenix Publishing Co, Washington, 1984.

Magickal Herbs – The Uses of Mugwort

The Traditional, Herbal and Magickal uses of the very versatile herb mugwort.

Mugwort is the common name of Artemisia Vulgaris, and is also known as Moxa, Felon-weed, Sailor’s Tobacco, Artemis’ Herb, Naughty man, Old man, Old Uncle Henry, Muggons, St. Johns’ Plant, and Cingulum Sacti Johannis. Mugwort is a member of the Daisy family and grows like a weed in many places.

Traditional Uses of Mugwort

Many medieval stories and legends tell of shoes stuffed with mugwort to prevent the traveller from fatigue and sore feet. When dried and rubbed, the leaves become quite woolly, so it certainly would have cushioned the feet and perhaps kept them warm. In England of long ago, mugwort was used as a tea substitute, and was used in beer-brewing, and many Eastern European countries used mugwort in poultry stuffing. Mugwort repels some insects, and can be laid between rows of vegetables to deter moths.

Mugwort was believed to protect against poison, wild beasts, demons and sunstroke. Ancient tradition says that placing mugwort in a building prevents elves and “evil thynges” from entering. Legend tells that St. John the Baptist wore a belt or cingulum woven from mugwort when he was wandering in the wilderness. In China, the Dragon Festival sees bunches of mugwort hung around the home to keep away evil spirits. In Japan, the Ainus burn large amounts of mugwort to remove the evil spirits of disease.

Herbal Medicinal Uses of Mugwort

Medicinally, mugwort is listed as being good for all things female, especially childbirth and menopause as endorsed by Culpeper, Hippocrates and Dioscorides. As a tea, mugwort is a diuretic and can be used for treating feverish colds. In a bath, it is also good for feverish colds, but is recommended for rheumatism and aching legs as well. In Chinese Traditional Medicine, mugwort is known as Moxa and used in the process called moxibustion.

Before taking any herb internally, be sure that it is correctly identified first and check with a qualified medical herbalist.

Magickal Properties of Mugwort

In Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Scott Cunningham describes mugwort as being feminine, under the influence of Venus, the element of Earth and sacred to Artemis and Diana. Wylundt’s Book of Incense mostly agrees, but gives mugwort to the element of Air, although this may be because Wylundt is talking about using mugwort incense.

The most common magickal usage of mugwort involves prophecy and divination. A dream pillow of mugwort is said to produce prophetic dreams and aid in achieving astral projection. An infusion of mugwort is used to wash magic mirrors and crystal balls or any other scrying tools that can handle being wet. Mugwort can be stuffed into a pillow to rest a crystal ball on when scrying or leaves can be sprinkled around the base. A tea made from mugwort and drunk before beginning a divination can enhance psychic ability and development.

Mugwort is also used for protection. An incense including mugwort can be burned to protect the home. An amulet or mojo bag stuffed with mugwort is said to protect the traveller from misfortune.

In Shamanic practice, mugwort is used for consecration and purification. Burned in a manner similar to smudging or as incense, mugwort is used to clear the messy energies of the day and the outside world. Paul Beyerl also lists mugwort as being traditional for consecration of all silver tools.

Mugwort is quite a commonly used plant, and an essential component of any Witches herb cabinet.

Sources:

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham, Second Edition, Llewellyn Publications, Minnesota, 2002.

Wylundt’s Book of Incense by Steven R Smith, Samuel Weiser, Inc, Maine, 1996.

The Master Book of Herbalism by Paul Beyerl, Phoenix Publishing Co, Washington, 1996.

Reader’s Digest Magic and Medicine of Plants, Readers Digest, Australia, 1994.

Northernshamanism.org – retrieved 3 September 2010.

Making Magickal Incense – How to Make Homemade Incense

Magickal incense is a wonderful tool in ritual, spell-crafting and meditation. There are stores that sell magickal incense, but it is very easy to make.

Incense is a blend of herbs and resins, ground together for a magickal purpose. There are plenty of books and websites that provide recipes, these can be followed exactly or used as a place to start.


Most incenses utilize a resin as a base. Resins used in magickal incense include:

• Frankincense;
• Myrrh;
• Copal;
• Benzoin; or
• Dragon’s blood.

Woods or roots can be added to these substances. Some common choices include sandalwood, cinnamon, galangal, angelica or lotus root or some seeds and leafy herbs such as juniper berries, star anise, patchouli, mugwort or cloves.

Choosing which ingredients to use is as simple or complicated as you choose to make it. Some recipes have only 2 or 3 ingredients; others like Kyphi can have up to 20 ingredients. It comes down to personal preference. Some like to look up which herbs are suitable for a purpose, and others prefer to stare at their herbs for a while, and use whichever herbs catch their eye. Both systems can work equally well.

Magickal Herb Substitutions

If the herbs that are listed in a recipe are unavailable, or difficult to obtain, substitutions can be made. Pagan or Wiccan Herbal books often feature an appendix that list herbs by magical intentions and by planetary ruler.

Depending on the purpose and intended usage for the incense, substitutions can be made using either list. For example, if the purpose of magickal incense was communication, then any Mercury ruled herbs would be appropriate, as Mercury is the planet of communication.

Making the Incense

The process of empowering magickal incense begins as soon as the decision is made to make it. However, grinding the incense is a tedious process, and this provides an opportunity to raise energy and infuse the magickal incense with a purpose. The chosen herbs are placed in a mortar and ground with a pestle. Some leafy herbs like mugwort and bay leaves can be very hard to grind, so it is worth cutting them finely first, and grinding the smaller pieces with the rest of the incense. How fine the incense is ground is entirely personal choice, but it is important to ensure that the ingredients are well mixed.

When the magickal incense is sufficiently ground, remove it from the mortar and pestle and put it in a jar. An opaque glass jar is usually recommended for storing incense. Hold the jar with the incense in your receptive hand, and hold your power hand over the top. Visualise your magical purpose, see it working, and send that image or feeling through your hands into the incense. Completely fill the incense with the magickal purpose until it seems to glow. The incense is now ready to use.

Using Magickal Incense

This form of Magickal Incense is also known as loose incense and is burned on a charcoal block. Charcoals are often round (although not always) with a depression in the top. The charcoal is held over a flame with tongs or tweezers to light it. There will be sparks and spits glowing across the surface, and generally, a lot of smoke. When the entire block has sparked it will then begin to glow and smoulder. It is now ready to be placed in a burner, also known as a thurible or censer, on a bed of river sand, small stones or soil. As most burners are brass, salt or sea sand will corrode the burner. Sprinkle the loose incense lightly on the top, and enjoy the incense.

Making incense really is a simple process, and one that can be rewarding as it won’t have anyone else’s potentially conflicting energies infused in the incense. Magickal herbs are readily available and easily researched for intentions. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never be caught without the right incense for the occasion again.

Sources:

Complete Book of Incenses, Oils and Brews by Scott Cunningham, Llewellyn Publications, Minnesota, 1989.

The Incense Bible by Kerry Hughes, MSc, The Haworth Press, New York, 2007.