Remembering Rosemary
Rosemary is one of those allies whose familiar scent instantly warms my soul, grounds me, and firmly plants a smile upon my face, as if being reunited with an old friend, she brings about fond memories and instills a calm and clear mind.
Rosemary is an herb that most people are familiar with, and probably even have at home in their gardens, or at the very least, have accessibility to in nearly all grocery stores or local markets. It is a highly regarded culinary herb, in the mint family, and has been cultivated for centuries for its culinary, medicinal, and spiritual uses. Rosemary claims a long list of beneficial medicinal properties, and paired with its wide accessibility, make it an important herb to utilize.
Family: Lamiaceae
Parts used: Leaves
Biochemical constituents: carnosic acid, carnosol, caffeic acid and its derivative, rosmarinic acid. Volatile oils of borneol, camphene, camphor, cineole, limonene linalool; flavonoids, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid.
Properties: Antioxidant, antiallergic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic (pain relieving), antipyretic (fever reducing), diaphoretic (sweat-inducing), astringent, and spiritually protective among others.
Uses: Digestive upset, headaches, fevers, colds, inflammatory pain (joints, toothaches, etc), scalp and hair rejuvination, spiritual protection, love, and memory.
Rosemary has been approved by the German Commission E internally for the treatment of digestive upset, as it has been shown to be effective against many bacterial strains (including Vibrio cholerae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and others) that frequently cause digestive upset. It is also approved for external use as supportive therapy for rheumatic diseases and circulatory problems (it is a stimulant herb). The leaves can be included in teas and tinctures for colds, sinus infections, bronchitis, and since it is drying and warming, is especially useful to help astringe productive coughs.
Rosemary is also said to be effective for combatting headaches, and other inflammatory pains such as arthritis, achy joints, or even toothaches. Because of its stimulant properties, Rosemary has been used as a hair rinse to increase hair growth, delay graying, and can also improve scalp itching and decrease dandruff.
“Here love, there's rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray, love, remember.” -William Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Another use, and one of my favorite ways to lean on Rosemary as an ally, is for its neuroprotective quality, and its ability to boost brain cognition and memory. Along with Lionsmane Mushrooms, Rosemary is one of my favorite Brain Tonics.
History and Folklore:
It is not known exactly when Rosemary was introduced to Northern Europe, though its healing wonders make mention in manuscripts from as early as the ninth century, such as in the Old English Herbarium an Anglo-Saxon Translation of Pseudo-Apuleius. Though this earliest European mention does not list the herb to be a cure-all, unlike in the anonymous treatise On the Virtues of Rosemary - where it is characterized as “a powerful amulet against all manner of physical ills and spiritual dangers.”
By the 16th century, Rosemary had become a common garden herb, and began its classical association with memory. As is the case in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, quoted above, however this most likely refers to mourners remembering the dead, because Rosemary was a common funerary plant. Interestingly enough, Rosemary was also a common wedding plant, and was often worn by bride and groom to represent their fidelity and commitment ‘til death do us part. The seventeenth-century poet Robert Herrick epitomizes the plant’s significance in a single couplet simply titled “The Rosemary Branch”:
“Grow for two ends, it matters not at all,
Be’t for my bridal, or my buriall”
In the mediaeval Stockholm herbal manuscript, it states that if a man or woman bear a staff or stalk of this plant, it ‘kepyth hym fro thresse’ which is perhaps an echo of Old English þurs ‘malicious or dangerous supernatural beings.’ Rosemary has been used for cleansing and purifying since ancient times, and is one of the oldest incenses. It was often burned with juniper berries to cleanse the rooms of the sick.
Rosemary is associated with the Sun and with Venus, and the greek goddess Aphrodite. It was grown in many kitchen gardens and was said to represent the dominance of the lady of the house. Ancient Greek scholars often wore a sprig of rosemary around their necks to help improve their memory, and Roman priests used rosemary as an incense for protection and to ward off evil spirits and witches. In magickal workings, Rosemary is burned to cleanse energy before magickal workings. It is also used for love, handfastings, memory, protection of the home and warding off of negative energy.
Magickal Associations:
Deity: Aphrodite
Zodiac sign: Leo ♌︎
Planet: Sun ☉ (sometimes Venus ♀︎)
Element: Fire 🜂
Healing Energy: Drying and Warming
Some ways to honor this ally:
Cook with intention, choose herbs mindfully while cooking! Rosemary is lovely on meat and potatoes.
Make a Rosemary tincture to have on hand for colds, fevers, headaches, and memory.
Make a Rosemary Tea (add some mint, lavender, and orange for a lovely blend).
Make a Rosemary hair rinse either by brewing a strong tea and letting it cool, or by making a rosemary infused oil to fortify and nourish your scalp and hair.
Make a Rosemary wreath to keep at your door to ward off negative spirits or energy.
Burn Rosemary incense or smudge sticks when studying to improve memory. Bring a sprig of rosemary into your exams with you to really boost your recall. Channel the ancient Greek scholars and wear it on a necklace.
Burn Rosemary smudge sticks before any magicakal workings to clear vibrations and especially during past life meditations to improve memory and connections.
Incorporate Rosemary into love spells, handfasting ceremonies, or weddings. Give a Rosemary plant to newlyweds as a gift.
Grow Rosemary in your garden to assert your dominance of the household (just kidding, maybe).
Infuse Rosemary into your ritual cleansing baths to enhance them energetically.
If this is a medicine you would like to call home, you can do so here with our Rosemary Tincture
Resources:
Cunningham, S. (2019). Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn Publications: Woodbury, MN
German Commission E Monographs. (1990). Rosemary Leaf. https://buecher.heilpflanzen-welt.de/BGA-Commission-E-Monographs/0319.htm
Luqman, S., Dwivedi, G R., Darokar, M. P., Kalra, A., Khanuja, S. (2007). Rosemary Oil for Drug-Resistant Infections. Alternative Therapies (13)5.
Murphy-Hiscock, A. (2017). The Green Witch: Complete guide to the natural magic of herbs, flowers, essential oils, and more. Adams Media: Avon, MA.
Pollington, S. (2003). Leechcraft Early English Charms, Plantlore, and Healing. Anglo-Saxon Books: Norfolk, England
Stansbury, J. (2018). Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals Volume 1: Digestion and Elimination. Chelsea Green Publishing: White River Junction, VT.
Stansbury, J. (2018). Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals. Volume 2: Circulation and Respiration. Chelsea Green Publishing: White River Junction, VT.
Taheri, J., Azimi, S., Rafieian, N., Zanjani, H. A. (2011). Herbs in dentistry. Doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1875-595X.2011.00064.x
The Virtues of Rosemary. (2012). The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Medieval Garden Enclosed. https://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2012/02/10/the-virtues-of-rosemary/
Tierra, M. (1998). The Way of Herbs. Pocket Books: New York, NY.
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