Stachys
officinalisBetony
Some (such as Culpeper, who recommended it for headaches and indigestion) consider this a Jupiter herb, and some connect it to Juno. In the British Isles, this magick herb was associated with deities of Justice, but because of its use as a nervine and for headaches, it sounds like a Mercury herb to me. This herb is thrown on the fire at Midsummer to help with purification. It is also considered protective, especially against fearful visions and despair. Hildegard of Bingen (12th century Germany) recommended stuffing dream pillows with betony to protect the sleeper from nightmares. A different way to take advantage of this herb's protection is to dye some wool with it--it makes chartreuse on wool with an alum mordant. For extra oomph, dye some Z-twist yarn you have spun yourself (the twist slants in the same way as the diagonal bar in the letter Z). Z-twist is considered magickal and has been used historically in various cultures for items associated with shamanism. Only a small amount of yarn would be necessary to add to a garment as a decoration and protective amulet. Incorporating such a yarn into a bed blanket would be a handy way to ask betony's protection against nightmares. Top
In
Britain, an ointment made of rosemary and betony was applied on
adder bites. Interestingly enough, a Gaelic prayer said on the
feastday of St. Bride (betony is also known as St. Bride's Comb), runs:
"Early on Bride's morn shall the
serpent come from the hole. I will not harm the serpent, nor will the
serpent harm me." Another version of this prayer sounds much older and
feels like it has nothing to do with snakes or saints; it involves
making a
snake shape out of peat and saying, "This is the day
of Bride. The Queen shall come from the mound. I will not touch the
Queen, nor will the
Queen touch me." St. Bride is a Christian version of the goddess
Bridgit (the Church of St. Bride in London's Fleet Street was built
over a temple to Bridgit, for instance). In another tradition, Asatru,
betony is sometimes identified with attorlothe (OE
attorlađe
/ poison-hater) and
included in the
Nine Herbs Charm (Mugwort
(“most senior of herbs”), Plantain (“mother
of herbs”), Lamb's Cress (“resolute”), Betony (“fought the
serpent"--interesting in connection with the snake associations of this
herb in Ireland), Chamomile
(“never for infection should anyone yield their life”),
Crab-Apple, Chervil
and Fennel). In
Wales, wood betony was worn in the
hat to keep off witches. Top
Herbal Uses. This sedative, astringent herb makes a good
aromatic, nervine tea (use
1 heaping teaspoon/cup). It makes a fine tonic for head injuries and
head-associated problems. In the past, the dried herb was made into a
snuff to help
relieve headaches through sneezing, and it was sometimes combined with
coltsfoot and eyebright and smoked for headache relief. It is
considered helpful for hysteria, vertigo, nervousness,
anxiety,
poor memory, and tension, and it has been used to aid people who are
unassertive, passive, and feel ungrounded. Historically it was even
taken before
drinking as a way to decrease the chances of hangover and to lessen
intoxication generally. It has also had Venus-connected
uses as a
wound dressing (like its relative, Stachys lanata) due to the amount
of tannin in the leaves and as a calmative to PMS. It is
sometimes combined with scullcap for headache. Top
This plant can still be found growing wild in New
York and Massachusetts, but
it is protected some places, like in Northern Ireland. It likes to grow
in the dappled
shade of woodlands, along woodland paths, or even in meadows where the
sun is not too intense. Flowering stalks shoot up 1.2-2 ft/0.6m-0.45m
from a rosette of leaves, and the plant will spread from clumps to
cover the ground. It is perennial from the far South to the North
(zone 4 - down to -25F/-32C). You can divide mature clumps in the
spring to make more
plants. Like most members of the mint family (which is easy
to
distinguish by its
square stems--just feel it), wood betony is a favorite of bees. This
herb is also known as Stachys betonica, woundwort, common hedgenettle,
lousewort, purple
betony, bishopwort, bishop's elder, spiked betony, and St. Bride's
comb. Top
How
to grow betony: Sow on Winter
Solstice (see the Solstice
Sowing page). Or sow at 41F/5C to germinate in
30-90 days. This
would probably be a
good seed to try cold moist stratification. You can sow in a paper
towel that has been wet and wrung out, then put in a baggie and into
the fridge, checking periodically for germination. Once you see it
start to germinate, plant root size down in a tiny hole in the soil
(don't touch the root). Or you can try soaking in cold water in the
fridge, with water changed daily, and then plant after two weeks. Or
just plant outside in fall. Transplant to dappled shade and rich, moist
soil.
Harvest the budding tops in the morning after the dew has dried. This
is a great bee herb! General
growing info
Top
Stachys
officinalis
Betony
100 seeds $3.75
Uses
in Witchcraft & Magic:
Justice
Celebrating Midsummer
Purification
Protection Spells
Dream Pillows
Honoring Juno
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