KETTLEBY HERB FARMS
Volume 1 Issue 4 "WE ARE GROWING FOR YOU" November
1997
This is the season of magic
and wonder and yes herbs do have a magical and fantastical element. Just
recently I attended a meeting of the York-Durham Region’s unit of the Herb
Society of America where a member, Dee Smith, gave a report on a recent trip
she had made to the Great Lakes District Symposium. Part of the visit included
a lecture on a "Herb Fairy Garden"
......well, she had my attention! She talked about a Fairy Time Tea and what
things needed to be put into a garden for Fairies, like a small bench to sit
on, a miniature bird feeder etc. I couldn’t resist the appeal of this, so I
headed to the bookstore (Garden Possibilities in Newmarket)
to find out whatever I could about the connection of Fairies to Herbs...... to
my surprise I discovered a whole set of books on the "Flower Fairies"
a reprint of the 1923 series by the late Cicely Mary Barker, and when I
mentioned it to my children they informed me that a new movie is soon to be
released called.... "Fairies".
As I have been looking
through these books the past couple of weeks, not only was I enamored by the
art work of the author, but also by the folklore/fairylore
provided and couldn’t resist sharing some of it with you!
Cowslips-flowers provide umbrellas for the
fairies for shelter from the rain and because they resemble keys they are
believed to unlock the way to fairy treasure.
Lavender-brides are advised to bring a sprig
of Lavender into the house for protection against martial cruelty. Lavender if
burned on St. John’s Eve is believed to keep witches away.
Marigold (Calendula)-eating a jam made from
this flower is said to enable one to see the fairies.
Primrose-this flower is a common ingredient
in numerous magical spells, and if you touch a fairy rock, with the correct
number of flowers the way to fairyland will be open to you, but if the number
of flowers is wrong.......you will meet your doom.
Agrimony-ingredient in a potion that allows the you to recognize witches.
Chicory-has many magical powers including
the ability to make one invisible. Carrying the root in your pocket,
is believed to bring luck.
This is
just a sampling and even if you don’t have a child on your gift list to buy one
of these books for, buy one for yourself.
May the magic of this season touch us all!
Frankincense and
Myrrh
Frankincense Boswellia
thurifera-known as the symbol of Gift giving,
this herb has been used for centuries to perfume the air in religious rites and
services in the Catholic and Jewish faiths. It has been used in Asia for
centuries to treat internal and external ailments. Since it was such a precious
commodity of ancient trade, it was a fitting gift for the Christ child. It is a
gummy resin found in small thorny trees in East Africa, Yemen and the Red Sea
countries. The aromatic white sap oozes from cuts made in the bark to form pea
size drops. These drops eventually harden and turn yellow and after four months
are collected from the trees and shipped world wide.
Medicinally it is used for bronchial and urinary infections and externally as an inhalant for mucus and as a douche for vaginal
infections. It is also important in aromatherapy for relieving anxiety.
Economically the gum is an ingredient of some anti-wrinkle creams.
Myrrh:Commiphora sp.-known as a symbol of suffering, myrrh was one
of the three gifts presented by the Magi to the infant Jesus and was used to
embalm Christ’s body after the Crucifixion. Chinese medical texts first
described this herb in 600 AD. It has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine as a rejuvenative.
It has been a standard medicament in the Middle East since biblical times for
infected wounds, bronchial and digestive complaints and is especially
associated with women’s health and purification rituals. About 180 species of
small deciduous shrubs and trees belong to this genus found in Eastern and
Western Africa, Arabia, India, South America and the West Indies. They exude an
oleogum resin known as myrrh. One of the species
commonly used as a source of myrrh, C.mukul,
has recently been found to contain unique saponins
known as guggulipid, that have anti-inflammatory
effects in arthritis and lower blood cholesterol.
SCENTED
FIRE LOGS:
Any type of wood will
do, as the fire will smell like the wood from which the essential oil you use
came from.
To Make: Put 5-10 drops
of the Essential Oil onto the log and allow it to soak in for several hours or
overnight. You can prepare several logs at the same time and use them as
needed. Suggested firewood oils include: Cypress, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Frankincense and Myrrh.
*Use only one scented
log per fire.
Advent and Manger Herbs:
You can use the following
biblical lore to create an advent wreath or center piece.
Juniper-represents
life and hope.
It protected the Holy family when they were persued
by Herod’s soldiers
Ladys Bedstraw-was used to provide a bed
for the Christ Child
Costmary-used by Mary Magdalen to make the precious ointment
Horehound-a
Palestinian herb which offers a wish for good health
Rue- a symbol of virtue
which banishes evil
Sage- a symbol of health,
immortality, and domestic happiness
Thyme-a manger herb
symbolizing bravery
Rosemary-a
symbol of remembrance. The branches of this plant were said to have kept silent as the Holy
family fled from Egypt while the other branches crackled.
Lavender-beloved by Mary,
representing purity, cleanliness and virtue
Myrtle-symbol
of the highest good, love, domestic happiness and virtue.
Use equal parts of the
following dried herbs:
Fennel seed-lightly
ground
Dill seed-lightly ground
Anise seed-lightly
ground
Chamomile flowers
Peppermint Leaves
To Make: Pour 250 ml (1
cup) of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of the above blend, cover and steep 10
minutes. Then strain and drink warm. Honey can be added if desired.
Try
this tea blend for a "Hang-Over"
Equal parts of fennel
seed-lightly ground, Meadowsweet-cut and Lavender flowers-crushed.
To Make Tea: Pour 250ml
(1cup) of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of the above blend. Cover and steep for
10 minutes, then strain and drink warm. Honey can be added if desired.