VERVAIN - Holy Herb
Verbenaceae
Common Names: Simpler's Joy,mosquito plant, van van, ferfaen, dragon’s claw, enchanter’s plant, Juno’s tears, pigeon grass, altar plant, holy herb and herb of grace.
Common vervain is a spiky looking plant about two feel tall with opposite lanceolate, deeply divided leaves. The flower is small, tubular, and purplish- or pinkish-white and located at the top of the plant.
Two of the MOST important functions of this plant are that it is an undisputed vampire repellant and a powerful ingredient of love potions.
A member of the Verbenaceae family, vervain was considered sacred and powerful to the Romans. The Latin name of the genus comes from “sacred boughs” and Romans placed vervain on altars in honor of Venus and Diana. King Solomon is said to have cleansed the temple with vervain. Roman soldiers carried vervain with them into battle as a protection and homes were sprinkled with an infusion of the herb to keep out evil. It was used medicinally as a remedy for snakebite and diarrhea; chewing the plant and root was believed to strengthen gums and teeth.
In ancient Egypt, vervain was said to have originated from the tears of Isis, the goddess of birth, as she wept for the dead god Osiris. Druids revered vervain with the same regard as mistletoe, a holy herb for sacrificial rites. They gathered the herb when Sirius, the dog star, was on the rise and in the dark of the moon. Vervain was utilized in divination, consecration and ritual cleansing of sacred places. A magical drink called the Cauldron of Cerridwen is said to have contained rowan berries, sea water, lesser celandine, flaxweed and vervain. It inspired creative energy for bards, poets and prophets.
In the ancient British Isles, people held vervain over the fire to protect their livestock and strewed it over their fields at the summer solstice to insure fertility and a good harvest. Even today, pagans strew the herb over their gardens for the same reason. The concept of vervain as a sacred, purifying, protective plant later carried over into Christian culture, and folk legend stated that vervain was used to stanch the wounds of Jesus. Thereafter, it became known in the British Isles as “holy herb” or “devil’s bane.”
Health Benefits
Medicinally, vervain has a long list of uses and an apparent broad range of healing powers, from febrifuge to astringent to blood tonic. The court physician to Theodosius I gave a remedy for tumors of the throat: cut a vervain root into two pieces. Tie one around the patient’s throat and hang one over the fire. As the heat of the flames begins to dry out one root, the tumor in the patient will correspondingly begin to shrivel as well. A suggestion in medieval times to banish pimples, which could be used today , was to stand outside with a handkerchief containing a handful of vervain. When a shooting star is streaking by, rub the vervain over the blemish and it will disappear. Be sure to not use your bare hands, though, as the pimple will transfer to your hands.
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