Also known as : Laurel, Sweet Bay, Victor’s Laurel
Scientific Name : Laurus nobilis
Identification : Evergreen Shrub or Tree with leathery dark green leaves. Small yellow flowers and shiny black berries.
Properties : Antiseptic, Antifungal, Mild Sedative, Anti-dandruff, carminative, cholagogue , digestive, diuretic, nervine, and vermifuge, It contains 10 anti-bacterial chemicals.
Uses: Diabetes (It boosts insulin to balance blood sugar), Migraines, Chest infections, Pain Relief, culinary, Cancer, Dandruff and blood pressure.
Try It : Placing a bay leaf under your pillow on the new moon is said to lead to prophetic dreams. Interestingly the priestesses of Apollo went one stage further and chewed the leaves for an extra kick.
Warnings: Never ingest the oil. Patch test the oil as it can cause Contact dermatitis. Sadly some people have died from perforation their intestines with fragmented bay leaf, always remove the leaves before eating the dish. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) and West Indian bay (Pimento racemosa) are highly toxic and should not be ingested
Parts used: Berries, Leaves and Seeds
Magic: Divination (The Delphic Oracle used Bay), Protection (neither poisoners nor witches can harm those who carry bay)
Planet : Sun
Element : Fire
Deities : Apollo, Aesculapius, Ceres, Eros.
Folklore and History: Highly valued by the Ancient greeks and romans it was used as a medicine, as a tea or bath fragrance, a spice in cooking and for decoration. For the festival of Saturnalia (Roman winter solstice) the leaves were picked and twisted with holly to make garlands. Greek students would take the berries to help them study as they are a good stimulant. Lighting is not supposed to land where it is planted. In the 17th century it was carried as a protection against black magic. Today it is used as a fragrance in toothpaste.
Plant Tips : Growing well in almost any soil type it just needs to be well drained. It is very slow growing, so if you are using a pot you will need to use a fertilizer.
The herb rosemary is a strong herb that can be used for love spells.
Here’s how to use rosemary to attract love:
Try adding this herb to a tasty dish for your other half and blessing it with your intent, to ignite the passion in your relationship. Simply having rosemary in your home is also believed to protect a marriage from failing. If you are struggling to conceive, try adding rosemary and some pennies to a green drawstring bag, and hanging it above your bed to increase fertility. Gifting rosemary to a loved one is also a strong symbol of everlasting friendship
I just reorganized my herbs last month and look how everything is adapting well. I did cut my rosemary all the way down, one of them was really stressed after the move, but hopefully will come back.
The highlights are my new free tomato plant, the lemon balm growth
Most of my herbs are potted and buried in the soil. It makes it so much easier to control, but also easy to move around.
All of these were small when I planted them, the three rosemary bushes grew exponentially and they were keeping the sun from hitting the other herbs, so I moved them around.
Hi everyone! I’m Cayla the owner and creator of Sun Tea 7 an herbal tea company curating blends made of flowers, spices and herbs. Blends come in loose leaf or tea bags intentionally reminding everyone to reconnect to nature and to sip with good intentions.
