Flowers are the food of fairies. Indeed, edible flowers offer extremely light diet, but also the looks of butterflies and fairytales. What a better nutrition for a fairylife!
Flowers have been eaten since the ancient times. In the Bronze Age, dandelions were mixed to stews. Nowadays flowers are part of the recipes of top notch restaurants around the world. Even the corner stores carry edible squash and violet flowers during the season.
Traditionally flowers have been used to create beauty (as accessories or in cosmetics), in foods (as decoration, to create flavour or because of their chemical attributes), to carry wordless messages, in religious rituals and to medical purposes. But, in addition to these uses, flowers have always been used for their magical properties too.
Three Magical Flowers in Your Backyard
Marigold (Calendula officinalis) is one of the best known edible flowers with plenty of magical uses as well. Marigold is one of the nine sacred herbs of Lughnasad. It is also popular in divination: its petals can be mixed with water or oil used in divination. Incense used for reading Tarot cards includes one part marigold, one part Arabic gum and lots of lavender. If you rub marigold to your eye lids, especially together with meadowsweet and thyme, you’ll have a chance to see fairies. Marigold is also said to be excellent in banishing demons and as an amulet. Marigold garland on the door will keep evil away.
Love and magic have always gone together as far as love potions are considered. Marigold tea and colourful petals in food increase happiness. It is also effective as a salve for treating all kinds of skin problems. Be careful though before using marigold internally. It contains estrogen and should not be used while pregnant or breastfeeding. If you have pollen allergies, try it first with caution.
If you have a garden, you’ve probably come across with yarrow (Achillea millefolium). This originally European wildflower has spread all around the world. Yarrow has been part of the human life for tens of thousands of years.
The legend says that Achilles’ mother made her son invulnerable by holding him at night in the fire of the sky and by healing him in the morning with ambrosia. Only the heels were left weak, as Achilles’ mother held him by his heels. As a young soldier, Achilles was a student of Keiros and learnt how to use herbs in healing. In the Trojan war Achilles staunched bleeding of his soldier mates with yarrow. In the Roman army, all soldiers were ordered to carry “millefoil soldier’s gras” with them for wounds, thus the name herba militaris. It is even said that when Joseph hurt himself in carpentry work, Jesus used yarrow to staunch bleeding.
After all this legendary fame, it is no wonder that yarrow was an integral part of the medieval herb gardens. It is one of the nine wild herbs eaten at spring time. After having ate yarrow soup or yarrow pancakes, a person is connected with the greenery and revival of the nature.
Yarrow is a favourite herb of witches and sacred to the Horned God of Wicca. It can be used in all incenses and as tea. It is also one of the nine sacred herbs of Lunghnasad. Yarrow is used in divination and in love magic, but it has also protective properties. Yarrow in the wedding bouquet guarantees happiness at least for seven years – hence the name seven year’s love.
Yarrow in the magic pouch brings courage, banishes negativity and increases awareness and love. If you add nettle, your fears will fade away.
Take care with internal use: allergic persons can get a rash from touching the plant. Yarrow contains tujon, which causes miscarriage.
Third staple of the flower world is dandelion (Taraxacum). A weed cursed by many gardeners, it is also a valued herb and an edible plant. It can be eaten in a salad or its buds used to make mead. If you want to enhance your ability to interpret dreams, fill your pillow with dandelion flowers. Steaming dandelion tea on the bedside table before you go to sleep will call in spirits.
Pick a dandelion blowball on a full moon night and blow the seeds to four directions and your wishes will come true. If you can blow all seeds at once, you’ll have the same result. And your love is passionate. If there are a few seeds left, your relationship will be unfaithful, if there are plenty of seeds left, there is indifference. Better think through whether you want to try blowing all seeds at once or not…
A dandelion picked on Midsummer will protect from witchcraft.
Word of caution: dandelions are not recommended for those allergic to them. Don’t pick flowers from polluted places. It strengthens the diuretic effects of other plants and it may disturb sugar metabolism. Don’t use it if you have gall problems or bowel
Susan