Ruta
graveolensRue
Some call this a Sun herb, which fits the yellow flowers, but the Mars connection is stronger. The Romans grew rue around their temples to Mars; it is considered sacred to him as well as to Diana and Aradia. Sensibly enough, this magick herb is good for purifying objects made of iron, Mars' metal, before consecrating them. As a Mars herb, it can be physically fierce--this plant's essential oil can cause blisters on the skin of sensitive people--but as a warrior, it is also magickally protective. During the Middle Ages, rue was hung in doorways and windows to keep evil spirits out and was given as a gift to the parents of newborns for protection; it is still thought to bring blessings and protection to one's home. Rue was sometimes called witchbane because people carried bunches to keep off pesky witches (you know who you are), and the expression "rue the day" is said to come from the practice of throwing rue at an enemy while cursing him. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Italians made amulets called "cimaruta" from tin or silver made to resemble the tops of rue. The tip of each branch was decorated with fertility symbols: phalli, horns, solar disks, crescent moons, fish, and keys. A cimaruta protected the wearer from the evil eye. Rue is also an ingredient in Four Thieves Vinegar. Other spiritual paths have recognized the potency of rue as well. Early Christians called it Herb of Grace because they asperged with it during exorcisms and before Mass, and the Prophet Mohammed blessed this herb alone. Nowadays, rue is thought to be ritually helpful in developing second sight, probably because it has been a medicinal herb for strained eyes since the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. Rue's flower essence helps one connect with the Fae. Rue is also known as Garden Rue, German Rue, Herbygrass, Hreow, Mother of the Herbs, Bashoush, Rude, and Rewe. Top
In Herbalism
Rue
was thought to protect against plague, and since people also
rubbed their floors with fresh rue to repel fleas, it probably actually did
protect them. Like other bitters (wormwood,
for instance), rue has been used to get rid of worms. The rutin in rue is antispasmodic and thus good for intestinal cramps and
coughs. However, an excess of rue causes vomiting, can interefere with the liver, and can even be fatal;
don't use during pregnancy. Fresh leaves can cause dermatitis in senstive people, especially on hot sunny days
when the essential oil is strongest. It can also interact negatively with blood thinning agents. This
plant is bitter enough that overdosing on it is unlikely, showing once again that most plants let us
know right away if they aren't meant to be scarfed down. Top
In Cooking
Fresh leaves are used in cooking in
very small amounts and are said to give a flavor like strong
blue cheese ("graveolens" means strong smell in Latin). Rue is in the citrus family and contains lots
of rutin, the same bitter stuff that is
in the white parts of oranges. As a culinary herb,
it is commonly encountered in ancient Roman cooking and is sometimes still used in Italy; it is a favorite in Ethiopian
dishes. It goes well with acidic flavors and is added to pickles. It also flavors meat, cheese,
or eggs and tastes good with olives and capers in sauces. You can get the rue flavor without its bitterness
by putting it in a boiling sauce for no more than a minute and then removing it. That way only the essential
oils are extracted into the sauce and not the bitter rutin. Extracting into oil should also provide
less of the bitter principle. Rue
sometimes flavors liquors, as in grappa con ruta. Top
In the Garden
This perennial native of southern Europe and North Africa is now
naturalized in North America and the Balkans. It can be grown in pots. Some believe that growing
it near other herbs renders them unfit for use, and other folks do not like its smell, which can
be especially strong if the leaves are bruised. Dogs and cats hate it, but caterpillars of the black
swallowtail butterly love it. It is a semi-evergreen and will get larger in warm climates. Rue can grow in poor
soil, and once it is established, it can stand hot, dry sites; water regularly until it is mature,
though.
It is good in knot gardens because it can be pruned into a hedge (prune in spring or after flowering
to encourage bushiness). It goes well with light-colored flowers and is a nice rock garden plant. Rue can grow from zones 4-9 (temperate), but mulch it
heavily in winter in northern areas to protect
it, especially if you do not get much snow. Top
How to grow rue
Surface sow seed (needs light to germinate) in peaty soil at 68°F (20°C) to germinate in 7-28 days. Transplant to full sun and fertile soil that is not too wet (keep well watered until it is established). This plant enjoys rocky soil. It gets 1.5-3 feet/45-60 cm tall. Prune in spring or after flowering for bushiness. Wear gloves when harvesting and don't touch leaves on hot sunny days; its essential oils can cause photodermatitis. It self-seeds easily when happy, so deadhead it if you don't want a lot more rue. It is perennial down to -40F (zone 4), but mulch in winter in the north. Once it gets going, you can propagate it by cutting off the tips of branches and rooting them. This plant can be fatal if ingested. It does not get along with mint. General growing info. Top
Four Thieves Vinegar/ Grave Robbers' Blend
Various histories of this concoction exist. One is that it was invented by a family of perfumers who occupied themselves with robbing the dead during the Black Death. Another is that four thieves in 18th-century France were condemned to buy the dead during a plague, and they used garlic soaked in vinegar to keep them safe. A third is that during a bout of malaria in New Orleans robbers used this vinegar to protect themselves while breaking into houses. Antiseptic and pesticidal, this vinegar probably protected them from getting the disease by keeping off bugs. More importantly for us, this vinegar protects from magickal attack.
2 ounces lavender tops
1.5 ounces each of rue, sage, mint, wormwood, and rosemary
1/2
ounce clary sage or chamomile
1/4 ounce each of cinnamon, cloves, garlic, and calamus root
Gallon of wine vinegar
(You can make red wine vinegar by adding some wine vinegar to a gallon of cheap red wine and letting it sit open for a week. Old champagne makes excellent vinegar also.)
Add all the ingredients to the vinegar and let sit for a month and a day. Whether you put it in the sun or not is up to you; you could consider how much Sun influence you want this to have. Another way to encourage "digestion" is to bury the body of the bottle in the ground, leaving the neck to stick up; this emphasizes Earth qualities. Keep covered either way. Strain and spray or rub on thresholds, portals, cracks, and corners for protection against unwanted entry by anything.
Ruta graveolens
Rue
135 seeds $4.25
Uses in Witchcraft & Magick:
Consecration
Protection Spells
Asperging
Purification
Honoring
Diana
Celebrating the War God
Sun/Mars Herb
Go to the dried her
Get
some rue essential oil
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