Herbs for
Lughnasadh by Unity
As we are
heading towards Lughnasadh, I thought I'd have a look at the magical properties
of a few herbs and plants that are not only growing at this time of year, but
that are associated with this, the first harvest festival of the year. I'll
also give you a few ideas on how to use these plants in your Lughnasadh
celebrations
Unity
Poppy –
Papaver (various)
Planetary ruler:
Moon
Element:
water
Gender:
Female
Magical
properties: Love, sleep, money, luck, fertility, rebirth, grief, abundance.
The poppy is
an annual plant and they are unmistakable at this time of year with their
bright red flowers, although the cultivated varieties come in various other
colours. They produce a huge amount of seeds which can be used in fertility,
love, luck and money magic.
Poppies were
a traditional offering to the Goddess Demeter along with corn. In the classical
myth Demeter's daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades and taken away to the
Underworld. Demeter sought her all over the length and breadth of the land,
refusing to stop and rest. At last, she felt so exhausted that she sat down and
rested for 9 days and nights. The Gods made poppies grow all around her feet
and their soporific perfume sent her into a much-needed sleep.
In the
ancient world, it was believed that the quality of corn would improve with
poppies growing amongst it in the fields. The poppies are an emblem of Demeter,
goddess of the harvest and Persephone the seed corn of the earth which grows in
the spring and returns to the Underworld at the harvest.
Poppy seeds
can be added to food to induce love and to help conceive a child.
Decorate
your Lughnasadh loaf with poppy seeds to celebrate the harvest, if it's a hot
sunny day you could leave it to rise outside to infuse it with the Suns energy.
Decorate
your Lughnasadh altar with poppies to celebrate the harvest.
Unity
Sources:
A KitchenWitch's World of Magical Herbs and Plants - Rachel Patterson
Herbcraft -
Anna Franklin & Susan Lavender
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