Lavendula

( Lavender - member of the Labiatae family )

Lavender Lavender Flower
Lavandula multifida canariense (California Lavendar)

Habitat

Lavendar is a shrubby plant that is indigenous to countries located on the western Mediterranean mountains. However it is now grown and cutivated all over the world, especially in France and England for its aromatic flowers. Lavendar is cultivated mostly for purfumery but is also used to some extent medicinally through the use of its essential oil.

Botantical Names

These are just some of the major varieties from which many cultivars and hybrids have been spawned.

Medicinal Preparation

Infusion: 1 oz of flower per pint of water, but is typically used with other herbs as a flavoring. It also blends well with chamomile.

Parts Used

Flowers

Active properties

Medicinal Uses

History in Myth and Magick

In Pre-Christian Europe lavendar was known as the magickal and religious herb.
It has long been used in love spells and sachets.
When burned it can help induce sleep and restfullness.
Just the sight of lavendar has been known to help lift depression.

Other

Lavender is a wonderful herb that can be used for a great many things. You can use it in culinary projects as well as medicinally. For culinary you can add the flowers to jams, ice cream, and vinegar for flavoring as a fun medicinal for indigesion, depression, anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, tension headaches, and migraines.

If you want to create a nice tissue restorative for burns including sunburn, rheummatism, muscular pain, neuralgia, skin complaints, and cold sores. Though the latter two are best helped with the essential oil the others can be aided by infusing a carrier oil like sweet almond oil with lavender. You can infuse an oil like this by getting a glass jar like a large pickle jar or large mason jar and loosely fill it with your fresh or slightly dried lavender sprigs (ie. not too tight but not too little) then fully cover with your choice of carrier oil and place a secure fitting lid onto it. If as you are putting in the oil the sprigs compress add more flowers depending on how much you wish to make. You only want to just cover the flowers to get the best infusion. Next in order to help the extraction process out you will want to place the jar in a nice dark yet relatively warm space like a water heater closet. Preferably placed on top of the water heater where it can stay very warm. Then simply shake twice a day for no less then 1 and half moon cycles but better if left for at least 3.5 cycles or longer. Always starting the process at new moon and ending with full moon. The waxing moon helps to draw out the essences of the flowers into the oil in the same manner that it affects the tides and any other water based element like all of us. At the end of the extraction process pour the contents out through a jelly bag or muslin cloth that is placed over a glass collection container (make sure it has a large mouth like a mixing bowl). When all of the material is poured through the cloth, pull up the corners and twist to squeeze as much of the oil left in the flower mash as you can. Now store in dark glass containers for best life. Some of the things you can use the oil for are as a massage oil to help muscle aches or you can make a cream out of it for the skin.

Bibliography

Copyright © 1999 Author: Michael A. Silveus