Category: Materia
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Fire Cider: A Spicy Winter Remedy
It’s getting to be the time of year where viral illnesses run rampant. As the weather cools off, people spend more time inside. Coupled with travel and large group gatherings around the holidays, this creates the perfect circumstances for germs to spread. Everybody I talk to this week (particularly those with school-aged children) has a…
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Materia: Marjoram – Origanum Majorana
Overview Closing out our coverage of the three cleansing herbs mentioned in the Grimorium Verum, this week we’re looking at the properties of marjoram. Marjoram is a close relative of oregano, and its medicinal actions are largely similar. In terms of character, marjoram is a little less bold: lighter, sweeter, and more citrusy than its…
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Materia: Peppermint – Mentha x Piperita
Overview Continuing with our treatment of purifying herbs, our next entry is on mint. Mint is mentioned in several grimoires – such as the Grimorium Verum and the Greater Key of Solomon – among the herbs used to sprinkle holy water when consecrating implements for ritual work. While the variety of mint to be used…
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Materia: Rosemary – Salvia Rosmarinus
Overview Rosemary has a fascinating dual nature, associated both with the sun and with the sacred feminine. Like many solar herbs, it has a long history of use for protection and the banishing of baneful influences, sometimes being burned as a stand-in for frankincense. However it is energetically nurturing, rather than combative. This balanced nature…
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Materia: Frankincense – Boswellia spp.
Overview Few substances are associated as strongly with the Solar current as frankincense. Tapped from the wounded bark of desert-dwelling trees, the fiery breath of frankincense serves as both balm and offering. Physically, it soothes pain and inflammation, tightens the tissues, and combats microbial infection. Magically, it cleanses and uplifts the spirit, clears the subtle…