Beltane Herb of the Day
Angelica
Dead nettle, Archangel, Masterwort, Wild celery
Angelica is a good herbal tea to take for colic, gas, indigestion, hepatitis, and heartburn. It is very useful to add in remedies for afflictions of the respiratory system, as well as liver problems and digestive difficulties. It promotes circulation in the body. Angelica is an excellent tonic in diseases of the lungs, gout, and stomach troubles.
It is used for lack of appetite, dyspepsia, gastrointestinal pain, gas, sciatica, and the heart.
An infusion of dried root can be used as a remedy for coughs and colds and to dispel gas and to soothe intestinal cramps. It is also used to stimulate the kidneys. It is often used to stimulate the circulation in the pelvic region and to stimulate suppressed menstruation.
In China, angelica has been used for several thousand years to treat many kinds of female problems. It has been used for abnormal menstruation, suppressed menstrual flow, painful or difficult menstruation, and uterine bleeding. As well as for hot flashes associated with perimenopause.
Magickal uses: Grow it in your garden as a protection for garden and home. The root is often used as a protective amulet, and has been used to banish evil by burning the leaves. It is also used to lengthen life, and is used in protection against diseases, as well as to ward off evil spirits. Adding it to a ritual bath will break spells and hexes. It has often been used to ward off evil spirits in the home. Some American Indian tribes carried a talisman of this root for luck in gambling.
Properties: Stimulates appetite, carminative, expectorant, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, diuretic’ Contains essential oil with phellandrene, angelica acid, coumarin compounds (bergapten, linalool and borneol), bitter principle and tannins
Growth: Angelica needs rich, moist garden soil in partial shade. It prefers wet bottomlands and swamps, and prefers the cooler northern regions to grow best. It is a perennial that can reach up to 6 feet tall. Angelica is a biennial producing foliage the first year and stems and flowers the second. Flowering time is June to August.
Angelica should not be used by pregnant women or diabetics.
Source:
Author: Crick
Website: The Whispering Woods
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