Solomon's Seal

  Solomon’s seal; (polygonatum) is a pretty plant of the lily family, a close relative of the smaller lily of the valley.  Found these days mainly in gardens; however it appears that it may have once been a woodland plant, of  late spring. The plant forms a thick creeping knotted rootstock, with many circular scars left by the leaf stems of previous years. These scars bear a mark, said to resemble the Seal of Solomon.

  The Latin  polygonatum means, ‘many angles’ and according to Mrs Grieve ‘is supposed to be derived either from the many knots or swellings of the roots or from the numerous nodes or joints of the stem.’

    Solomon’s Seal is placed under the authority of the planet Saturn. Saturn, it is said, governs those plants that are primarily used for their root. And it is the root of this plant that invites most attention.

 As regards Saturn,   Gustav Holst places Saturn in his  ‘ Planet Suite’ as the bringer of  old age, which  should, also, in theory,  bring with it wisdom

   Kat Yronwode indicates that Solomon’s Seal is named after King Solomon of the Bible, who, it is said, kept demons in a jar by means of a miraculous seal. Due to these associations, this seal is said to be a powerful protector used to ward off evil, increase wisdom and break jinxes

   Culpeper says ‘Of Solomon’s Seal’, ‘Stamped and boiled in wine, it speedily helps, (being drank) all broken bones, and is of incredible virtue that way; as also being stamped and applied to the place, it soon heals all wounds, and quickly takes away the black and blue marks of blows, being bruised and applied to place, and for these, I am persuaded there is no better medicine under the sun.’

He also says ‘Saturn owns the plant, for he loves his bones well. The root of Solomon’s Seal is found by experience to be available in wounds, hurts and out ward sores, to heal and close up the lips of those who are green, and to dry up and restrain the flux of humours of those that are old. It is singularly good to stay vomiting and bleeding wheresoever, as also all fluxes in man or woman; also to knit any joint, which by weakness uses to be often out of place, or will not stay when it is set:’ in fact, according to Culpeper there are very few complaints that Solomon’s seal can't be used as a remedy for. .

   Scott Cunningham indicates that Solomon Seal is; Feminine, governed by Saturn, its element being water; and is said to possess the powers of protection and exorcism. He also says that it has magical use when ‘The root is placed in the four corners of the house to guard it, it is used in exorcism and protection spells of all kinds. And an infusion of the roots sprinkled about clears the area of evil. Solomon’s Seal is also used in offertory incenses.’

  According to Mrs Grieve; ‘Gerard maintained that the name Sigillum Solomons was given to the root partly because it bears marks something like the stamp of a seal, but still more because of the virtue the root hath in sealing and healing up green wounds, broken bones and such like, being stamp't and laid thereon.' Mrs Grieve adds that ‘The name Lady's Seal was also conferred on the plant by old writers, as also St. Mary's Seal’ ‘(Sigillum Sanctae Mariae). No surprise there.

  Kat Yronwode adds Solomon’s Seal as one of the ingredients added to ‘wisdom oil’ it appears to me that I need to get to know this very pretty plant rather better, Wisdom is something I always need lots more of.

Jane

The Elder

The first flowers of my Lady Elder have just caught my attention, they have just begun to open on April 30^th   very early in my experience, so I thought; time to investigate the tree herself..

  The elder is a member of the Sambucus genus which consists of some 20 species of small trees and shrubs. The common elder, Sambucus nigra, is native to Eurasia and northern Africa and has a rough rugged looking bark, and pretty white/cream fragrant flowers, which later develop into bunches of small dark fruits or elderberries. These flowers normally appear early June, however along with every other flowering plant here in the South East of England, they are rather early.

  According to Fred Hageneder in The Living Wisdom of Trees, ‘All parts of the elder can be used in medicine. Traditionally the inner bark has been used as a purgative and an emetic, while the leaves have been applied to bruises, sprains and headaches.’ However, today it is primarily the flowers and berries which are used.  Something I hadn’t noticed previously is that according to Hageneder, a tea made from the flowers ‘has an anti-inflammatory effect on the sinuses, and also helps hayfever.’  He also states that ‘Combined with yarrow, the blossoms are an excellent treatment for colds because they tone the mucous membranes, promote perspiration, and thus lower temperature.’ The berries are said to stimulate the immune system as well as possessing   ant–viral qualities, very useful if you ask me.

   It is very strange that for a small tree the elder has such a lot of folklore attached. According to Hageneder ‘The traditional personifications of the elder spirit, the Scandinavian Hyldemoer (“Elder Mother”) and the old German Frau Holle (“Mistress Elder”), are late expressions of the archaic White Goddess, a benevolent deity of light, life and wisdom.’  According to Hageneder the elder is the chosen tree of the Goddess, and therefore she bestowed abundant healing powers on her chosen one.

   I thought at his point it may be fitting to see what Robert Graves has to say on such matters: I found surprisingly little. He does say it is associated with witches, and ‘In English folklore to burn logs of elder ‘brings the Devil into the house’. ‘Its white flowers, which are best at midsummer, make the elder another aspect of the White Goddess, and the same is true of the rowan.’ (not so this year, we are not out of spring yet) He also indicates that it keeps its fruit well into December and is a waterside tree. Neither are true in my neck of the woods, elder grows on the edge of woodlands, hedgerows and in the not too manicured gardens like mine. And the birds have usually stripped the trees of the berries long before I have organised myself well enough to think it is now wine making time, when off I trundle to the hedgerow, and return rather disappointed. However he does add that ‘in Ireland elder sticks, rather than ashen ones, are used by witches as magic horses.’ Who knows?  Graves also states that; ‘So unlucky is the elder that in Langland’s Piers Ploughman, Judas is made to hang himself on an elder tree. Spencer couples the elder with funereal cypress, and T Scott writes in his Philomythie (1616)

The cursed elder and the fatal yew

With witch (rowan) and nightshade in their shadows grew.

 So I return to Hageneder, who indicates that ‘the elder has also been the traditional guardian tree of the household and farmyard. In countries as diverse as Russia, the Baltic states, Germany, Scandinavia and the British Isles, and throughout the ages, it is said that the good “house spirit” of the home resided in the elder bush, and as recently as the 19^th century it was a widespread custom to bring her an offering of water, milk or beer, together with cake or bread, at least once a week and even daily,’

He goes onto say that; ‘The advance of Christianity led to changes in many such folk traditions. In some cases trees that had been most venerated in pre-Christian times were recast in a negative light once the religion became established. Thus, in the popular imagination, the physical setting of the elder as its actual character gradually became associated with evil, witches and devils.’

However we view the elder now, I still treat her with great respect and ask very nicely when in need of her wonderful, wood, with its soft pith that can be poked out so that a hollow centred stick remains, I thank you Lady Elder.

Marsh Marigolds

“Winking Marybuds begin to ope their golden eyes”.

William Shakespeare; Cymbeline, II, iii:

   Another cheery yellow flower this time of year is the Caltha palustis, marsh marigold or kingcup. This common member of the Ranunculaceae (little frog) or buttercup family, forms large clumps in damp areas and shallow edges of ponds. It looks like a giant buttercup, and is said to be one of the most ancient of British wild flowers;  a survivor from the ice age.  Its name reflects it habitat and shape, as palustris, in Latin, means marsh, whilst caltha, derives from the Latin calathos meaning a cup or goblet.

  According to Mrs. Grieve; ‘The English name Marigold refers to its use in church festivals in the Middle Ages, as one of the flowers devoted to the Virgin Mary. It was also used on May Day festivals, being strewn before cottage doors and made into garlands.’

  Michael Jordan in Plants of Mystery and Magic also indicates that ‘Like others that bloom at the same time of year, it has featured in Mayday celebrations, and was a source of protection against witchcraft on Mayday Eve of Beltane. One of its local names in the Isle of Man was Lud y Voaldyn or blughtan, which means ‘the herb of Beltane’. It has conversely been an unlucky plant to bring into the house prior to the first of May.’ He goes onto say that ‘Bunches were hung in houses during May as a protection against lightening and, if picked with a certain ritual and carried about on the person, it has been believed that the bearer will be protected from having angry words spoken of him or her.’

   The above plant lives in the shallow end of my pond, allowing the tadpoles to happily feed around its roots; however for us, feeding on the marigold is not to be recommended as along with the rest of its family it is poisonous. Mrs Grieve in her Modern Herbal adds; ‘It has been called Verrucaria because it is efficacious in curing warts; also Solsequia and Sponsa solis because the flower opens at the rising of the sun and closes at its setting.’ Not quite so sunny are the toxins contained in this lovely herald of spring. it can be an irritant, and has been known to causes rashes, It is also said to support the treatment of fits. (not sure how) And a tea made from the leaves is said to act as a laxative. That’s not hard to visualise, I feel that if I had ingested something poisonous I would expect (or hope for) a laxative effect. However when cooked, many sources class it as edible; sorry to say I do not intend to try it.

The Humble Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale

What a very pretty little flower the dandelion is, yet very much maligned. Not seen as a friend of the gardener as they can; without a doubt, be very invasive. The very successful seed dispersal method guarantees reproduction, and the long deeply embedded tap roots, are so very hard to remove completely, yet in my opinion why would one want to? The humble dandelion is such a useful little plant, and also very attractive. How pretty this little meadow in South London appears, dappled and golden, as an orange tipped butterfly jitters carelessly over the blooms in the spring morning sunshine.

The dandelion, or dent-de–lion, named, as I had always imagined, as the leaves resemble the teeth of a lion, not that I should think for one moment that the person providing this name, looked the lion, right in the jaw, and thought ah-ha, ‘this resembles the leaves of a little yellow plant I have seen;’ or perhaps, ‘if I was ever to see the teeth of a lion, this is the shape I would imagine them to have’. However it appears I was mistaken on both counts, as according to Michael Jordan in Plants of Mystery and Magic, (2001) ‘The name Dandelion comes from the French dent de lion, not because of the shape of the leaves, but because the lion was considered a symbol of the sun and the flower is sunlike.’

Another French name placed upon the dandelion is piss-en-lit or as I was instructed as a child, wet-the-bed. It does appear that partaking of the dandelion stimulates urination, and Culpeper’s heading for this plant is ‘Dandelion, Vulgarly called Piss-A-Beds’ he goes onto relate how ‘it opens the passage of urine in both young and old; powerfully cleanses the imposthumes and inward ulcers in the urinary passage, and by its drying and temperate quality doth afterward heal them;’

The dandelion is also edible, and Culpeper has this to say; ‘You see here what virtues this common herb hath, and that is the reason the French and Dutch so often eat them in the Spring; and now if you look a little farther, you may see plainly without a pair of spectacles, that foreign physicians are not so selfish as ours are, but more communicative of the virtues of plants to people.’ Don’t you just love him?

The dandelion is of the Asteraceae family, and each flower contains many small flowers or florets together on a composite flower head. The seeds are produced without pollination (very effective) this results in plenty of offspring, and these offspring are identical to the parent plant, unlike the bluebell as seen previously.

It appears, according to Jordan ‘that word Taraxacum derives from the Greek, and means “to disturb or alter the state of something.”’ Perhaps it is worth pausing to consider this. Who as a child has not blown a dandelion seed head, and counted to tell the time, yet perhaps another use of the dandelion seed head could be for bearing messages on the wind, blown afar, and with intent.

Scott Cunningham places the dandelion as ‘Masculine’, under the ‘Element: Air’, and the ‘Deity: Hecate’ and placed the under the dominion of the planet Jupiter which does appear fitting. Plants under the authority of Jupiter demand attention. I certainly couldn’t ignore these plants on this bright April morning. It also appears that Jupiter is ‘the eternal optimist, so its plants never become discouraged, even when growing conditions are less than ideal.’ Jupiter’s plants, ’are extremely hardy, able to survive a crowded urban environment and even inclement weather.’ It is also said concerning Jupiter that, ‘this planet governs the liver and lungs. Its herbs are considered beneficial to these organs and to all diseases that stem from corruption of the blood.’ http://www.stariq.com/Main/Articles/P0001553.htm

The use of the sap from the flowers stem, placed directly to remove warts is a well known country remedy, and the root can be roasted, ground and drank as a coffee substitute. The flower can be made into a country wine, and a summer drink, still sold in supermarkets contains, or is said to contain, dandelion and burdock. What a useful little plant this is.

Merry May

On the 13^th April, while roaming the footpaths home from Eltham, past Eltham Palace, I spotted a hawthorn bush in full flower. Hmm, I thought, one hawthorn does not a May-day make. I contemplated the fact that there are two types of hawthorn found growing in the UK, Common hawthorn, and the smaller Midland or English hawthorn, and in my experience, the Common Hawthorn opens its buds before the English. Yet a little farther along the footpath there was the other species in flower, and then many more, and across the path a blackthorn in full flower also. Wow I thought, I have never seen this before. Now, my own little trees growing in the garden are normally late in comparison with those skirting sunnier paths, so home I trotted to examine the state of play there. Bearing in mind that most years, without fail, the buds in the garden open on the 4^th of May or thereabouts, last year they were very late, nearing the 12^th, but never in April. However on entering the garden, there they were pushing their fully swollen buds towards me, appearing as if they may flower any day now. Then, upon this sunny afternoon, my mind wandered to the lore of the Hawthorn, seeking tales that the white froth of flowers showers upon the reader. And as you pause for a moment Cardea casts her spell upon you with her hawthorn wand. (Robert Graves, The White Goddess 1999, p169)

Let us roam to the shores of Wales, where, according to Graves ‘the hawthorn appears as the malevolent Chief of the Giants, Yspaddaden Penkawr, the father of Olwen (she of the White Track) another name for the White Goddess’ who lived in a castle guarded by nine porters and nine watch-dogs, Olwen wanted to marry Kilhwych, said to be so named because he was found in a ‘swine’s barrow’ Giant Hawthorn, in his wisdom, demanded a dowry of thirteen treasures. (p170) Hmm thirteen and two lots of nine; interesting!

Fred Hageneder in The Living Wisdom Of Trees, also links the hawthorn with “She of the White track”, the Welsh Goddess Olwen, (Oloon) who ‘once walked the empty universe and her white track of hawthorn petals became the Milky Way.’ Graves indicates that ‘Olwen’s hair was as yellow as the broom, her fingers as pale as wood-anemones, her cheeks the colour of roses, and from her footprints trefoil sprang up- trefoil to show that she was the summer aspect of the old triple Goddess.’ (p204) Graves doesn’t overlook an obvious similarity as on page 37 he states Blodeuwedd is another name for Olwen. Blodeuwedd was magically created as a bride for Llew Llaw Gywffes by his great uncle Math and his father Gwydion. If you would like to read an inspirational rendition of this tale I would heartily recommend Evangeline Walton’s The Island of the Mighty. One of the nine flowers that became Blodeuwedd of course was the hawthorn.

Hageneder links the marriage of Culhwych and Olwen with the sacred marriage of a ‘mortal man with an immortal queen or the sovereignty of the land. Olwen evidently means “the golden wheel” which posits her as an opposing force to Arianrhod of “the silver wheel”

Skipping across many lands, as hinted previously, the hawthorn tree was also dedicated to Cardea the Roman goddess of childbirth. And to Zeus’ wife Hera ‘who conceived Ares and his twin sister Eris when she touched the blossoms.’ (Hageneder p71) This male and female birth, according to Hageneder points to the balance of male and female, and interestingly the hawthorns blossoms are hermaphrodite.

Hageneder goes on to share how ‘babies were protected by Cardea’ and according to Ovid were considered as the ‘Heaven-given results of the sacred union of the male and female creative energies.’ Yet conversely Graves states that ‘Ovid’s story is inside out,’(p63) and relates how ‘Cardea was also Alphito, the White Goddess who destroyed children after disguising herself in bird or beast form, and the hawthorn which was sacred to her might not be introduced into a house lest she destroyed the children inside.’ Yet it also appears that Cardea became connected with the hinge of the door and confusingly was given the task of keeping the bogeyman away from the nursery door, not logical if she is the bogey woman herself. (Seems to me rather like giving the job of store detective to a shoplifter.) Graves states that ‘Ovid says of Cardea, apparently quoting a religious formula: ‘Her power is to open what is shut; to shut what is open,” (p64)

Now that Hawthorn buds are opening everywhere, the air in the garden and my local hedgerow will become heady with that very distinctive hawthorn aroma reminding one, as Graves puts it, of the ‘orgiastic use which corresponds with the Goddess Flora’ adding that hawthorn blossom has a ‘strong scent of sexuality.’Nigel G. Pearson in Walking the Tides, adds an interesting slant on sexuality and the hawthorn, which he places as not only having to do with the time of year, rising sap and all that, (inference mine) but to do with the previously mentioned scent of the flowers, or as he puts it ‘as it is the female sexual scent which is give out.’ (p171) He goes on to rather spoil the imagery by indicating that ‘one of the main constituents of the scent is triethylamine, which is also the chemical that corpses give off when they start to putrefy.’ (ibid) Female sexual scent and dead bodies; oh dear, this does appear a rather a heavy handed reminder that death will always follow birth; later rather than sooner in most cases I hope. This also prompts one to consider Pearson’s linking of the hawthorn with ‘Mary altars’ and ‘female powers in all their guises’.

   On that happy note I will move swiftly on, according to Hageneder ‘The prefix haw is derived from the Old German hagedorn (which means hawthorn) Together with the hornbeam, the it was often used to enclose and guard woodland sanctuaries.’ He also indicates that the protective use of the hawthorn can be found in ‘various Hittite texts from 1500 BCE, which asks the tree to “pluck any evil, impurity or wrath of the gods from this initiate, who walks through the gate the gate [of your hedge]”. These references to the “gate” indicate that the hawthorn-enclosed sanctuaries existed in ancient Anatolia (modern Turkey) too.’ Interestingly it appears that the clouties or pieces of cloth hung onto the trees surrounding the sacred wells of Cornwall as offerings or thanksgivings were usually hung on the thorn of the hawthorns always found growing nearby. Its flowers are said to help the prayers reach heaven. The hawthorn, according to Alexander Porteous in The Forest in Folklore and Mythology ‘was considered so holy that no evil spirit could approach it.’(p218) Maybe they didn’t like the smell. ;-)

Spring has Sprung

How wonderful this time of year is. Lively yellow flowers greet the eyes of the woodland , meadow and riverside wanderer.The Coltsfoot is one of these early spring heralds. found in flower at this time of year. The image above was found joyously radiating its springtime illumination along the riverbank. According to Culpeper the Coltsfoot is ‘also called Coughwort, Foal’s-foot, Horse-Hoof, and Bull’s-foot.

He goes on to relate how ‘The plant is under Venus, the fresh leaves or juice, or a syrup thereof is good for a hot dry cough, or wheezing, and shortness of breath. ‘ he follows this by emphatically recommending ‘the distilled water hereof simply, or with Elder flowers and Nightshade, is a singularly good remedy against all hot agues,’ I think the 'simply' bit is the oly recommended remedy to be even considered or maybe you will never be troubled with the hot, or any other form of ague again. So leave out the nightshade please.

Anyway, the cough syrup part sounds good to me.

Woodland Walk at the end of March

The woodland floor, is now carpeted with Wood Anemone, or Anemone nemorosa; the windflower; a joy to behold.

It appears that in Greek Mythology, the Anemois, or wind gods sent forth Anemones as the herald of spring. (Very kind of them too, me-thinks) Culpeper says of the windflower that ‘the flowers never open but when the wind blows’. He then adds, ‘Pliny is my author; if it be not so, blame him.’

Nemorosa, refers to its woodland habitat, dancing in a carpet of froth shimmering across the woodland floor and sharing its abode happily with its neighbour, lesser celandine.

Its bedfellow, the lesser celandine, springs from the Latin chelidonia meaning swallow, as it was said that the flowers bloomed when the swallows returned.

Both plants belong to the genus Ranunculus. And the name Ranunculus is said to be ‘Late Latin’ for ‘little frog’ as they, (all Ranunculus genus) are often found near water, and then of course near the frogs and toads. Although the lesser celandine is found also down by the river and ponds where the frogs and toads live, these images are from the woodland floor. It appears to me that it is perhaps at the time when these pretty little heralds of spring are in flower that you will get a delightful glimpse of the frog and toad population of local ponds and pools.

Culpeper places the lesser celandine, or pilewort under the ‘dominion of Mars,’ and he goes onto indicate that if you dig up the root, you will find they resemble piles, and it appears, according to this learn-ed gentleman that that an oil, ointment or plaster of the root or leaves, will ‘readily cure both the piles and haemorrhoids, and the Kings evil.’ His excitement jumps from the page in this entry, must go try it, well maybe not, forgot I very fortunately don’t suffer from piles or haemorrhoids, nor the Kings evil. (Wikepedia tells us ‘the Kings evil is ‘Tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis refers to a lymphadenitis of the cervical lymph nodes associated with tuberculosis. It was previously known as "scrofula"’)

Now back to the windflower and Culpeper’s wisdom. He places the wood anemone under the dominion of Mars , ‘being supposed to be a kind of Crow-foot.’ He doesn’t sound too sure about that one, but a relatively safe assertion medicinally. However it does appear that the wood-anemone is poisonous, so whatever Culpeper recommends with all conviction, in the way of ingestion, please don’t try it.