Amazing Artemesias
Artemis - Goddess of the herbalist - gives her name to a genus of marvelously aromatic, safely psychedelic, highly medicinal, dazzlingly decorative, and more-or-less edible plants in the Asteraceae family. I love Artemis, and I love her plants. WHO IS ARTEMIS? Amazonian moon goddess. Goddess of the hunt. Goddess of the wild things. Goddess of the midwife. Goddess of the herbalist. Mother of all Creatures. Leader of the sacred bitches. Great she-bear. Diana. Selene. Ever Virgin; owned by no man. We will visit her sacred wood on a shamanic journey. Who knows what will happen then. HOW DO ARTEMISIAS GROW IN YOUR GARDEN? Most Artemisias are perennials and grow best from cuttings, not seeds. Sweet Annie is the exception, being a self-seeding annual. Although you can buy tarragon seeds, you can't grow true tarragon from them. Wormwood and southernwood and tarragon (the last not winter-hardy in many places) are woody perennials which regreen each year on last year's new wood; I prune only dead wood from them. Cronewort is an invasive perennial that creeps underground; it dies back to the ground each year and can be heavily harvested (clear cuts are ok) without damage to its further prolific productivity. Most Artemisias require little care. Lack of soil nutrients and lack of water do not faze them. Many are native to deserts, and know how to thrive in hot dry weather. Except for tarragon, all can overwinter without fuss. Flowers are usually small and green, in other words, nearly invisible. WHAT DO ARTEMISIAS CONTAIN? - bitter principals: wormwood
- coumarins: cronewort, tarragon
- essential oils (complex, variety specific, with hundreds of components per plant): cronewort (high in camphor, thujone), tarragon, wormwood (high in camphor, thujone)
- flavonoids: cronewort, tarragon
- glycosides: cronewort, tarragon
- hormones: cronewort (sitosterol, stigmasterol)
- sesquiterpene lactones: cronewort
HOW ARE ARTEMISIAS USED? Artemisias, with their grey-green or white-green foliage bring beauty to the garden throughout the growing season. They also make long-lasting, aromatic and beautiful indoor decorations: bouquets, wreaths, swags. They are popular strewing herbs, too. Those which are high in essential oils are thereby antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial. They also improve digestion and appetite if taken in small doses. Any Artemisia growing beside the door - or painted on it - was, in days of old, the sign of the midwife, the herbalist. Magical and folkloric uses are numerous. "Mugwort possesses both natural and supernatural qualities. [It] excels as a woman's herb, easing the pain of labor, menstrual cramps, and effectively treating various uterine complaints."
Gai Stern (1986) Cronewort/mugwort = smudge, dream pillow, moxa, birthing steam, vinegar of roots and young leaves, salad green when young, mugwort noodles, mugwort mochi. American colonists used the sundried leaves as a tea substitute. Formerly a popular beer flavoring (hence the name mugwort). Controls worms in goats. Urinary tonic. Uterine tonic. Digestive tonic. Nerve tonic. Circulatory tonic. Cronewort eases pain and fever, comforts grief and depression, eases irritability and burdened joints, brings peace and sleep, and reassures the nerves. Moxa demonstration and discussion. "That torturous, barbaric practice, the use of the moxa, is closely related to this plant."
Millspaugh (1892) Wormwood = tincture, oil. Ingredient in absinth. Stimulates mid-brain activity and increases creativity, but repeated use disturbs the central nervous system. Prevents giardia, dysentery, amoebas. Cholagogic, digestive, appetite-stimulant, liver-stimulant, wound healer. Caution: Use can lower seizure threshold; interacts adversely with seizure-reducing medications. Sweet Annie = capsules, in fairly large daily dose, to prevent malaria; source of antimalarial drugs. A strong tea, taken frequently, kills giardia and amoebas. Tarragon = vinegar, seasoning. Appetite stimulant according to Herbal PDR. Southernwood = dream pillow, sachet, charms. To see the beloved. SPECIES Some of the many Artemisia species that herbalists and gardeners use: - A. abrotanum (southernwood)
- A. absinthium (wormwood)
- A. afra (African wormwood)
- A. annua (sweet Annie, qing hao)
- A. camphorata (camphor-scented sothernwood)
- A. drancuncula (tarragon, estragon, little dragon)
- A. frigida (fringed sagebrush)
- A. lactiflora (ghost plant)
- A. ludoviciana (silver queen)
- A. pontica (Roman wormwood)
- A. schmidtiana (silver mound)
- A. stellerana (old woman, dusty miller)
- A. tridentata (sagebrush; three-toothed sagebrush)
- A. vulgaris (cronewort, mugwort)
Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion. Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081 Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative. Susun is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women's health. Her four best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions of women around the world. Learn more at http://www.susunweed.com
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
5 Low Cost Ways to Soothe the Sting of Sunburn
Each of us most likely has at least one memory of nasty sunburn. Whether experienced personally, or by a close family member or friend, the symptoms are likely to include anything from red hot skin ? either tender or painful to touch, to nausea, dehydration, blistering and flaking or peeling of the skin.
Bois De Santal: The Source of Tranquility
The near extinct bois de santal has a sensual and exotic scent that gives an elevating experience for those who use it. The oil extraction process of the sandalwood is lengthy; the tree has to be about 30 years old before the process can take place.
Alternative Medicine
Alternative Medicine is the use of natural therapy and medicines to restore and maintain health. Dating back to 420 B.C., around the time of Hippocrates, alternative medicine is also considered a practice beyond the realm of conventional modern medicine - naturopathy, chiropractic, Ayurvedic, homeopathy, acupuncture and so many other alternative medicine treatments are steadily in demand and on the rise.
The Healing Power of Water Gardens
If you experienced a day filled with running from one place to the next, one errand to the next, one meeting to the next, imagine a place where all your troubles can melt away. A place where the stressors of the day are nonexistent. A place where peace and tranquility are norm.
At-Home Relief For Ingrown Hairs
#1 Use Antibiotic Soap
Application Methods For Aromatherapys Essential Oils
BATH:
Add 10-12 drops of a single oil or a blend to 1/2 Cup Epsom Salts or baking soda - or 5 drops to 1 TBSP of Epsom Salts or baking soda. Pour it into a hot bath while it is filling. Soak until water cools.
YARROW TEA (Achillea Millefolium)
An amazing tea that can help with colds and flu, and also help you see in pure colour. Yarrow has an ancient history. The generic name comes from Achilles who, according to legend, saved the lives of his warriors by healing their wounds with yarrow leaves. Crushed and rolled in the hands the plant provides a temporary styptic to check blood flow. Millefolium means 'thousand leaves' which were reputed to help with binding a wound and helping a scab to form. One of this astringent herb's ancient names is 'Soldier's Woundwort', along with 'Carpenter's Weed', 'Staunchweed' and others that show its popularity and prolonged use over many centuries.
Gratitude
Here's a quick question: You've got a bad cold. Do you moan and groan about your misfortune, or do you crawl into bed, grateful to be able to pull the covers back over your head and give your body the rest it's asking for?
Reflexology
Reflexology, an ancient art practiced by early Egyptians. Reflexology is a science founded on the basis that areas of the feet, hands and ears are comprised of zones and reflex areas that correspond to all glands, organs, and bodily systems.
Aloe Vera - The Medicine And Beauty Treatment Of Choice For Millenniums
I can remember as a young boy that my grandmother always had an Aloe Vera plant in our home. While playing with the neighbors' kids, I always seem to end the day with plenty of scrapes and minor cuts. Grandma would break off a leaf from her Aloe Vera plant and come to my rescue. Spread over the affected area, the soothing and cooling effect of the leaf's gel is still fresh in my mind. My mother was also quick to apply the gel to the frequent burns she received while cooking. Although many of the remedies that our grandparents would recommend and use originated out of superstition rather than practical application, I don't think that even grandma knew the true magnitude of healing that lies within the leaves of the Aloe Vera plant.
Magnetic Bracelet Used in Research Study Now in United States
At the end of 2004 results from a study on arthritis patients in the UK was published in the British Medical Journal.
Aphrodisiacs: Increasing Sexual Desire and Capacity
Are you among the millions of people worldwide who are otherwise healthy but who've lost interest in sex? Do you find it boring and routine? Are you so tired that you'd rather nap than make love? Do you think TV is more stimulating than your partner? Do you have physical symptoms, like vaginal dryness or difficulty with erection, that make sex unpleasant?
Three Immune System Building Natural Remedies
Here are three products that can help you elevate your immune system and lessen or prevent you from getting the flu. Use one or both of them to super charge your immune system.
The Honeybush Miracle
Perhaps a little eclipsed by the world-wide success of Rooibos, another natural South African health tea, Honeybush; is finally getting the attention it deserves.
Do-Sa-Do: Square Dancing and Mindfulness
When I was 12, one of my best friends was a square dancer. Twice a week, her family would pile into the Country Squire station wagon and head to the Grange Hall, where they'd gather with their square dancing club for an evening of music, friendship and do-sa-do.
Title: Using Rhubarb for Constipation
Vegetables like fruits and their juices have healing properties because of the fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals they have. For constipation, vegetables are an excellent source of minerals and fiber. In addition there are specific vegetables and their juices that stimulate the colon become more active.
Bach Flower Remedies
Bach Flower remedies are 38 plant and flower based remedies which where created during the 1930s by Dr. Edward Bach. The remedies can address emotional and physical problems (although they are much more suited to emotionally based problems). They are highly potentised, can work effectively and quickly, and they can even be used on children and animals.
How I Was Overtaken By Evil Eye Envy!
You are about to embark on a journey that only a percentage
of the world's population has made. Throughout the journey, you will gain insight that will expand your horizons in the evil eye phenomenon.
Different Detox-cleansing Regimes
Your body should clean itself naturally, but today's diets make that process difficult. Many turn to internal body cleansing to rid the body of waste products and toxins. A detoxification treatment is designed to help the body eliminate stored toxins and strengthen the organs involved in this process.
Cleansing Your Elimination Organs to Achieve Good Health
Benefits of Cleansing Your Elimination Organs
Colon cleansing, kidney cleansing, and liver cleansing routines are key elements to an overall body cleansing and detoxification plan. Proper cleansing of toxins from these important elimination organs frees up your body's resources to more effectively fight disease. In addition, proper cleansing will often help clear up those mysterious symptoms that modern medicine can only hide.
The colon, kidneys and liver are the primary elimination organs ? they eliminate waste and toxins from your body. If they are not functioning properly, there is a likely buildup of toxins in your body. Cleansing these organs is an important part of keeping them healthy.
|
