Post by Monika (taurean-witch) on May 11, 2016 15:24:39 GMT
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Polar Plant, Compass-weed, Compass Plant, Rosmarinus coronarium, Incensier
Gender: Masculine Element: Fire Planetary Association: Sun
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Sacred to Hebe, Aphrodite, and the Virgin Mary.
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Uses:
- Can be used in spells of fidelity, remembrance, and to dispel jealousy.
- Bathing in Rosemary will enhance your memory, as well as make you more memorable to those
you meet throughout the day. Wear Rosemary oil on those occasions that you want to make a
lasting impression.
- Use for spells to retain youth and burn as incense when you are meditating or doing dream work
to remember your past lives.
- Place rosemary under your pillow to help you to remember your dreams and to keep nightmares
at bay.
- If a bride and groom plant a rosemary plant together on their wedding day, they can watch it as
it grows to divine the family's fortune.
- Make a poppet of yourself and stuff it with rosemary to attract a lover to you. You can also do
this to attract healing energy.
- Burn rosemary and juniper together to aid with healing and drive out negativity.
- In old tales, even the smell of the herb was able to enhance memory and help the wearer get rid of mental disturbances that obscure the mind.
- Prepare an infusion of the herb and apply it to the skin and the hair in order to promote health,
longevity and beauty.
- An old tradition mentioned that a rosemary branch should be dipped in the newly wed couple’s first drink. Then, the couple from a single glass must take a sip in order for their love to remain true and endure any difficulties.
- It can be bundled into a smudge stick with sage to smudge a ritual area or to drive negativity away from any space, object or person.
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Rosemary is okay for dogs and cats to ingest. It is high in Iron, Calcium, and Vitamin B6. It has been shown to act as an antioxidant.
An infusion of Rosemary is great for making a hair rinse. It adds strength and shine to any color hair, reduces dandruff, promotes growth, and Rosemary Oil rubbed on the ends of your hair will help reduce split ends.
Rosemary oil massaged into the scalp is believed to prevent baldness and stimulate hair growth.
Massaging the body with rosemary oil will increase circulation, relieve aches and pains and
warm the limbs.
Used as a toner, rosemary will help bring blood to the surface of the skin and acts as an antiseptic and astringent.
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Harvesting and Storing:
- Use fresh, or hang dry in bunches still on the branch.
- Dried Rosemary should be added early in the cooking to allow the flavors to infuse with the
dish. - Rosemary likes regular pruning. The leaves can be picked, or the branches cut at any time.
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Sun Exposure: Full Sun.
Soil Type: Well-Drained.
Vulnerable to Powdery Mildew, Root Rot, Blight Infection, Leaf Spot, Spider Mites, Mealy Bugs, White Flies, and Thrips.
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Rosmarinus is from the Latin meaning “dew of the sea”.
Christian folklore says that rosemary will grow for 33 years, until it reaches the height Christ was when he died, and then it will grow no more. Apparently, Rosemary's flowers picked up their blue color and acquired their fragrance when Mary spread her blue cloak over a rosemary bush to dry while they were on their way fleeing to Egypt.
An old saying says "Where Rosemary flourishes, the Woman rules" and in England it was believed that rosemary could not grow in the garden of the home unless the mistress was the master.
A man who is indifferent to the fragrance of rosemary is unable to give true love to a woman and those who smell rosemary frequently will retain their youth.
Rosemary also has a lot of fae properties, so it's very good in fairy work. I've seen it used both in boundary spells and welcoming spells, so it's very flexible. Growing rosemary, however, seems to be an invitation, so be cautious growing it indoors if you're not intending to open your space to them.
- meli
- meli
