Oregon Grape Root has been used in the Pacific Northwest by Native American tribes for generations and long utilized in Traditional Chinese Medicine for many medicinal purposes. European folk wisdom has adopted similar uses, while also keeping the enemy at bay when posted at your threshold. A plant embodying the feminine, Oregon Grape Root builds bridges between energies in combination…
The “Spirit Plant”, Ling Zhi, is more affectionately known in Western culture as the ‘Reishi mushroom’. This mushroom of immortality was held in the highest regard by the first emperor in the line of rulers in ancient China, Emperor Yan, who founded the agricultural tools and practices for farming. Its latin name is Ganoderma lucidum, originally meaning “shiny, brilliant skin”.…
Agrimony, from the Greek ‘Argemone’, was originally known as the ‘herb that could heal the eyes’. Known by Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder, as “an herb of princely authorité”, Agrimony has been used in folklore (though known as ‘Cocklebur’, then) for ailments of the body and protection of the mind, body and spirit. In Complete Herbal (1653), Nicholas Culpeper noted…
Damiana has a generational history of use as a tonic for the nervous system and an assistant in relieving symptoms of anxiety and stress. It works to help soothe the hormonal system and welcome ease and balance into ones’ life. With lineage spanning back to Aztec and other indigenous cultures, Damiana has since been found to be a native of…
The longest living “fossil” of gymnosperms, the Ginkgo tree, is the single remaining representative of the order Ginkoales, which has been dated back to the Permian period over 270 million years ago. Alongside its 19 family members, the Ginkgo stood up to fifty to eighty feet tall while the dinosaurs roamed the same lands. Its biology astounds scientists, as it…
Native to parts of Asia, the Middle East and India, Licorice Root has a long reputation both as a medicine and food additive. Despite its name, Licorice is not typically used to flavor “licorice candies” in today’s society. This “Sweet Root” has been used as an expectorant to remove phlegm from the system, while its demulcent effects form a protective…
Flax Seed has been used for thousands of years as a staple in both cuisine, health, magick, and the production of linens and cloths. Its usefulness is presented by its Latin name, Linum usitatissimum, which translates to “thread most useful”. One of the oldest cultivated crops for humankind, Flax Seed’s uses have been passed down through traditions dating back to…
A temperate native to Europe, East Asia, and parts of North America, Hawthorn sits proudly on the lawns of many, boasting its bright red berries and lavish green leaves. Now wildcrafted (gathered in the wild) in native and non-native areas around the world, Hawthorn’s generic name, Crataegus, is rooted in the Greek word ‘kratos’, meaning ‘hard’ or ‘strong’. Many species…
Eleuthero has been used for over 2,000 years, beginning in Northern China, Japan, Southeastern Russia, and North and South Korea. Not to be mistaken for American Ginseng, Eleuthero is more commonly sold as Siberian Ginseng in your local health supplement aisle. This adaptogen helps aid the body in how it processes stress and stimulates body function. It invigorates the central…
One of the oldest plants used for medicinal purposes, Fenugreek Seed continues to be used by many cultures, though its regular use as a sultry Kyphi incense is rooted in Ancient Egyptian culture, as the plant grows natively in India and Northern Africa. It was used as a spice for cooking, as well as ground and mixed into a paste…