[Guide] Herbs

[Bamfiz]

Basil (Ocimum Basilicum)

Day: Tuesday Planet: Mars Element: Fire Gender: Masculine Quality: Yang Zodiac: Scorpio, Leo, Gemini and Aries Month: April Rune: Pertho

History: It has not always been associated with romance, there was a time when people feared the herb.
Medicinal: It is recommended for digestive complaints such as stomach cramps, vomiting and constipation. Since it has a sedative action it is sometimes recommended for nervous headaches and anxiety. The seeds do exhibit an antibacterial effect.
Culinary: For the best flavor use fresh leaves. You can use them cooked or raw and the flowers are edible too. Basil is superb with veal, lamb, fish, poultry, white beans, pasta, rice, tomatoes, cheese and eggs, it also blends well with garlic, thyme and lemon. It adds a snap to mild vegetables like zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, parsnips, spinach and to the soups, stews and sauces in which the vegetables appear. You can make basil vinegar; dark opal basil makes a particularly attractive and tasty vinegar. Basil is best stored in an oil, vinegar or frozen paste, it can also be stored in tightly sealed containers.
Aromatic: The fragrance smells great indoors, just by putting the herb in potpourris and sachets.
Ornamental: The flowers colors come in white, yellow, lavender and red.
Cosmetics: Basil is widely cultivated for lotions, shampoos, perfumes and soaps.
Cultivation: The herbs sensitivity to the cold makes it easier to plant it in the spring and when the temperature has reached about 50 degrees F. The seed should be planted 1/8 inch deep. It germinates readily to soil temperatures 75 degrees to 85 degrees F. The herb likes well drained, rich soil. Cut the branches every two to three weeks. To harvest cut sprigs when flower buds form and they have opened. Basil can be harvested till the first frost.

If you have any other information, questions or comments you that you would like to share go ahead and post them. >^.^<

BASIL IS SAFE TO EAT

Homework: The homework this time is to write a spell that includes basil.  

[Velloxys Twilight]

With leaves of green, bring prosterity
help our business grow
Oh Basalia, Goddess of plenty,
this is the magic i do sow.
(so i dont really know if this works...but i tried)


It is also used for acne, loss of smell, insect bites and stings, snakebite and skin irritations.  

[Bamfiz]

Rose (Rosa Spp.)

Day: Friday Planet: Venus Element: Water

History: Roses captivate anyone who looks on them or breaths in their lovely fragrance, they are the greatest symbol of love and beauty. Greek colonists were probably the first to bring the rose from Greece to southern Italy. Romans cultivated Rosa Gallica, crowning bridal couples with it and using it in banquet centerpieces. Rose water was prepared all the way back in tenth century and attar or otto of roses in the sixteenth century. For many centuries the production of attar of roses was an almost exclusively French industry, but it later moved, in part, to Bulgaria. William Penn(1699) returned to the colonies from England with 18 rosebushes. John Adams was the first to plant roses near the White House. American Indians used roses for both ornamental and medicinal uses. Young braves gathered them for the hair of their brides. They combined the petals with bear grease to cure mouth sores. Powder made from petals was applied directly to fever sores and blisters. Flowers soaked in rainwater bathed sore eyes, and the inner bark of the root was applied to boils. The rose is also considered the queen of all flowers in many traditions. Greeks said the red rose came from the blood of the goddess Aphrodite whose foot got stuck on a thorn while trying to help Adonis. The Turks say the red rose is stained from the blood of Muhammad.
Uses: This herb provides practical uses in medicines, cosmetics, foods and fragrances.
Medicinal: Rosehips are so rich in vitamin C that they are even more rich than oranges. All health food stores sell rosehips as staple. Some herbalists recommend rosehip tea for kidney stones, but even if they won’t help with those; the vitamin content alone justifies their use. They are also rich in vitamins A, B, E and K, organic acids and pectin. The acids and pectin make rosehips mildly laxative and diuretic. The petals are astringent, containing quercitrin, volatile oils, and coloring agents. The coloring agents and flavor make them useful for adding to medicines. Rose petals have generally been used in tonics and gargles to cure catarrhs, sore throats, mouth sore, and stomach disorders. Several commercial eyewashes contain rose water. The roots have, also, been used for their astrinnent properties in tea. Large amounts of petals or hips may give some people diarrhea, although some herbalists recommend roses as a cure for diarrhea. Other than that there is no reason other indication that roses are toxic. Externally, oil of roses is sometimes used to cool inflammatories.
Culinary: Rosehips are famous for their high vitamin C content and are used to make syrups, jellies, conserves, teas, wines, soups, purees, pies, tarts, quick breads and muffins. Rose petals are used in salads, as garnishes, candied to decorate pastries and to make rose water.
Aromatic: Rose is one of the best loved fragrances. It is known to be wherever a floral scent can be enjoyed. Rose water and rose oil of the natural variety are very expensive and reserved for special nonallergenic ointments, creams and fresheners. A perfumer needs 60,000 roses to procure one ounce of pure essential oil.
Ornamental: The flowers come in the colors of white, pink, crimson, rose-red, bright pink and rich crimson.
Cosmetics: If you splash rose water on your skin for fragrance you will also benefit from its astringent and cleansing properties which help to keep skin healthy.
Cultivation: Roses require more attention, more frequent water and more feeding then other flowers. Roses should be cultivated frequently to prevent weeds but carefully. The herb grows best in regions with no frost; withdraw water to provoke dormancy during the winter.
Harvesting and Storage: Petals should be gathered before the flower is completely open. They should be separated from the center, or claw, and dried in the sun , carefully and quickly. Store them in a dry place while they are still crisp. The odor of some kinds improves with drying. Rosehips, for medicinal or culinary use, are sometimes dried but are more often made into vinegars or conserves.

If you have any other information, questions or comments you that you would like to share go ahead and post them. >^.^<

ROSE IS SAFE TO EAT

Homework: Name three deities that correspond with the herb rose.