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BOTANICAL BREAKDOWN
BOTANICAL NAME - Salvia rosmarinus
AKA - Compass weed, elf leaf, sea dew
PARTS USED - Needles, twigs
ROSEMARY: THE PLANT THAT LONGS FOR THE SEA
With a history of use dating back as far as 5000BCE, when it was used as an emblaming herb in ancient Egypt, the herb has been used for thousands of years around the globe, from ancient Rome to Han Dynasty China. Charlamagne himself ordered that monasteries grow it in their gardens during the 8th century, and it was a primary ingredient in one of the first alcoholic perfumes, distilled alongside thyme to make the iconic Eau de la Reine de Hongary, aka Hungary Water.
Its proclivity for growing on coastlines, where many plants are unable to endure the salt content of the soil, gave it its moniker of sea dew, and it is commonly used even today as an herb strongly linked to memory and remembrance, being worn or used at funerals or commemoration events. In the Catalan fairy tale The Sprig of Rosemary, rosemary is used to restore the memory of the protagonist. Even Shakespear wrote of this herb in his plays, where it was used in funerals as a symbol of remembrance for the dead.
BOTANICAL PROPERTIES OF ROSEMARY
Rosemary is a fragrant, woody, evergreen shrub with needle leaves native to the Mediterranean. It is tolerant to salt, drought, and temperature, making it a hardy and, in some places, potentially invasive plant, despite its low germination rate. In warm climates, rosemary can maintain a near constant bloom, and there many variants grown for ornamental, culinary, or ecological reasons.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF ROSEMARY
| This article is not medical advice, it is just a description of how this herb has been used and is for informational purposes only. Many herbs may have adverse or even dangerous effects when misused. |
Rosemary has remained a popular medicinal herb for thousands of years, still today being touted as a hair and scalp care ingredient and used to prolong food shelf life due to its antimicrobial properties. In folk medicine, it has been used as an antispasmodic, headache cure, and for managing depression and distress. Research in modern medicine suggests antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic, and neuroprotective properties, as well as notable impacts on mood, learning, memory, anxiety, and sleep
MAGICK & MYTHOS
ELEMENT - Fire
PLANET - Sun
MOON PHASE - Waxing
TAROT - Death
CHAKRA - Third Eye
DEITIES & ENTITIES - Amokye, Ananse, Ancestors, Aphrodite, Charon, Freyja, Hades, Hel, Meng Po, Mnemosyne, Mímir, Nephthys, Paimon, Rán, Shinigami, Thoth, Virgin Mary, Yama
MAGICKAL USES OF ROSEMARY
From thousands of years ago to modern clinical studies, rosemary has claimed a strong link to memory and emotional state, making it perfect for spellwork around remembrance, mental acuity, dream magick, and purification. Rosemary may be used as a substitution in spellwork that calls for frankincense.
A few ways to use Rosemary in spellwork:
- Burn rosemary to purify vibrations and cleans negative energy
- Place a sprig or sachet of rosemary beneath your pillow before sleeping for good dreams and to promote lucid dreaming, or to strengthen dream magick spells
- Hang a sprig or sachet of rosemary over a doorway or under an entry mat to keep thieves and enemies at bay
- Anoint your house with rosemary oil, rosemary incense, or rosemary sachets to protect it
- Offer a sprig of rosemary on altars to ask for protection of hearth and home
Organic, sustainably harvested rosemary is available in our store right here. Pre-mixed spell ingredients that include rosemary are available in our store:
CLEANSE - to purify negative energies from yourself or your target
BLESS - to manifest positive intentions for yourself or your recipient
PROSPER - to manifest fortune, luck, and prosperity
PROTECT - to protect against negative energies and influences