Herbal Study Group...Lavender

I thought to start the ball rolling with one of my favorite all-use herbs!

Lavender is wonderful for so many things, and I have a nice relationship with this plant.

For a long time, I grew French Lavender and a type of White Lavender in my mother's garden. I discovered that after five years, it ceased to flower...but the green stems still smelled wonderful and pungent.

My favorite tea used to be with Lavender, spearmint and chamomile...all grown in my back yard. It made me feel relaxed to drink it right before any tarot readings.

I found that I enjoy lavender best as an essential oil, or using the flower buds. I can't stand most commercial bath products that use Lavender...I don't know, maybe it's the other ingrediants that they mix in with it.

For magical uses...it is said that lavender is sacred to Aphrodite, and sometimes used in love spells.
I like that it is ruled by the planetary influence of Mercury...which also rules my sign Gemini!
I have used it in many talismans for travel...as does Sally Morningstar, in her book called "spellweaving."

I think my favorite use is still...in the little silk, scented eye pillows that are made to relax, mediate and help with insomnia (something I suffer dreadfully from on a semi-regular basis!)

Anyone else? What do you love about Lavender? How do you use this wonderful plant?

Kids going crazy, pets going nuts? Use lavender incense and watch the remarkable transformation!!!!

I actually watched this happen..... where there was insanity, lavender produced calm!!!

Lavender is my favorite too..... If i could grow a garden of all the varieties, I would (I will!!)

It is also known to bring faeries into ones' life. They love Lavender!!

Very magickal plant.... I thank Goddess for it!!!

Lavender

A few years ago I had such severe tension headaches that I sometimes threw up (sorry, it's a little gross). A friend gave me a lavender candle and I realized that while it was burning, my headaches vanished.

I love it for a lot of other reasons, but it's such a relief to be rid of the headaces. I had been taking so many aspirin and tylenol, which didn't even block it that much, that it worried me.

VIVA LE LAVENDER!

I love lavender and grow it in my garden.
I use the oil in my bath water and I weave lavender stalks with the dried flowers on top to hang around the house just because I love the smell.

Here are a few interesting things I found out about lavender.
Great for headaches Red Emma!
One of the old time remedys for headache was marjoram, cloves, carnations, betony, lavender buds, and rose leaves worn in a little bag around your neck helps get rid of and prevent headaches.

It's a good bug repellant.
Pots of lavender set on your porch will keep the bugs away.
So you can enjoy sitting outside.

Planet is : Mercury
Element is: Air
Influences: Health, Love, Celibacy, Peace, and Conscious Mind

I use lavender to make "monster-be-gone" spray for my children. Lavender, water in a little spray bottle that we decorated with stickers.

Lavender is calming, soothing, antidepressant and emotionally balancing (just what I need! runs off to get the monster spray)

It's antiseptic, antibacterial and painkilling properties make it valuable in treating cuts, wounds, burns, bruises, spots , allergies, insect bites, and throat infections.

Also, its a decongestant and is effective against colds, flu, and catarrhal condiitons. Tension, depression, imsomnia, headaches, stress, and hypertension respond well also.

Also an insect repellant. And prevents scarring.

Historical Tidbits about Lavender

Here are a few morsels from "The Magic and Power of Lavender" Tisserand and Jünemann (Lotus Light publishers).
"
500 BC - facts indicate lavender probably brought to area around Marseilles by Greek colonists

Ninth century writings by monks about healing arts

Twelfth century writings by Hildegard von Bingen
"
I'd no idea it was cultivated so long ago. One of my absolute favorite scents for overall well-being. Great as a "spritzer" for clothing, body, linens. Freshens woolens and linens between washings. Great as a body spritz any time, especially summer!

Use Dr Bronners lavender castille liquid soap in bowl of water when flea-combing cats. They (the cats!) love the treatment, despite the water -- must be the beautiful scent! ]

I LOVE lavander.. I too used to suffer from tension headaches ( I blame the stress on my job) I use a silk "stress pillow" with lavander and chamomile over my eyes to aliviate the pain. I have a larger one that I use over my shoulders to get rid of the aches.
Sure beats taking pills

I sometimes just use the little pillow to relax. My mom used to put lavander sachets in all of our dresser drawers to keep things fresh, and in all of the boxes she packed out seasonal stuff in to keep moths out.

I googled lavander but I could not find anything that you guys did not already mention.

Except I saw something about lavander being used in cooking.. does anyone do this?

Majecot said:

Except I saw something about lavander being used in cooking.. does anyone do this?

Click to expand...

I used it with roasted chicken once. Good idea, but use it sparingly! I overdid it and it was too sweet. Probably good when combined with something earlthy like thyme to reground it!

Have seen a bakery recipes with it, tho haven't tried any. Maybe a look at Epicurious.com could produce interesting results!

Lavender

Ah, yes, cooking with lavender. For several years I've subscribed to "Herbs for Health," a magazine put out by people who know how to create a really attractive journal, which is medically accurate. In an issue a couple of years ago there was a good article about cooking with lavender. I especially remember lavender teas. I'll look it up tomorrow and see if I can find anything else of use.

Oooh yes! I remember taking an herbalism workshop at the local Conservatory...and it was all about edible flowers.

We made lavender(and vanilla) Ice cream! It was heavenly!

I can also recall making lavender sugar...putting the buds in a sugar bowl, and we used it to sweeten other herbal teas.
It was fabulous!