Rosemary

Origin: Asia and the Mediterranean region

Family: Lamiaceae
Subfamily: Nepetoideae
Tribe: Mentheae
Scientific Name: Salvia rosmarius

Folk Names: Compass plant, compass weed, dew of the sea, elf leaf, guardrobe, incensier, libanotis, polar plant, rosmaris, rosmarine, rosemarie, sea dew

Magical

Element: Fire
Day: Sunday
Planet: Sun
Zodiac: Aries
Associated Celebrations: ShadowFest, Yule
Deities: Athena, Kupala

Magical Properties: Cleansing, exorcism, healing, intellect, love, lust, protection, purification, remembrance, sleep, vitality, youth.

Substitutions: Due to its extreme versatility, rosemary can be used in place of more or less any other herb.

Lore

• The first written reference to rosemary comes from cuniform tablets c. 5000 BCE.
• Rosemary was used in the Egyptian embalming process from c. 3500 BCE.
• Dioscorides' Materia Medica notes that the Romans used it for wreaths, recommends drinking a decoction of rosemary (libanotis) before exercise, and notes its use in remedies against fatigue.
• Pliny’s Natural History notes its use for cleansing, repelling snakes and fleas, and for a variety of medicinal uses, including improving eyesight.
• Rosemary is believed to have been brought to England by the Romans, and was naturalised in China by 220 CE.
• Nicholas Culpeper notes its use in improving memory, eyesight, fatigue, and mental skills. He attributes it to the Sun and Aries.
• Shakespeare refers to rosemary’s use in burial and memorial rites in several of his plays.
• In the Catalan fairy tale The Sprig of Rosemary, the heroine uses a sprig of rosemary to restore the lost memory of her beloved.
• Rosemary is listed as an ingredient in Four Thieves Vinegar.
• In the 17th century, rosemary was a commonly used as a Christmas decoration.
• Due to its long history of use as a funerary herb, and its growing wild on the Gallipoli Penisula, rosemary has been used as a symbol of remembrance for war commemorations, such as ANZAC Day and sometimes Remembrance Day.

Magical Uses:

• Grow rosemary to attract elves.
• Use rosemary in purification baths.
• Burn rosemary as a substitute for frankincense.
• Wear a chaplet of rosemary to stimulate the memory.
• Burn rosemary and juniper as a healing and recuperation incense.
• Add rosemary to protective foods, especially those utilizing tomatoes.
• The smell of rosemary wood preserves youth. A decoction of it can also be used for this.
• Hang rosemary near the entrances to the home to protect the house from illness and thieves.
• It’s used for both weddings and funerals due to its associations with love and remembrance.
• Place rosemary beneath the pillow to ensure good sleep, protected from nightmares and other harm.
• Wash hands with a rosemary infusion before doing healing works, or stuff healing poppets with rosemary for its curative powers.
• It has connections with the sea and so is used in all sea rituals, as well as in sachets designed to ensure a safe, easy passage on the water.
• A good protective sachet for boat or ship passengers can be made up of rosemary, garlic (to stop storms), and mistletoe (to guard against lightning storms).
• Rosemary makes for a powerfully-cleansing and purifying incense, and has been used for this for thousands of years. It can be burned to rid a space of negativity, particularly prior to magical workings.

Aromatherapy

Part Used: Leaves
Extraction Method: Steam distillation
Flash Point: 43°C

Scent Type: Herbaceous
Perfume Note: Middle/top
Scent Description: Crisp, minty-herbaceous, with a woody undertone

Aromatherapeutic Uses

• Rosemary oil on the forehead is said to strengthen memory and clarity of thought.
• Rosemary essential oil has a stimulating aroma that relieves fatigue and strengthens an exhausted mind.

Warnings:

• Should not be used on or around children under 5: can result in suffocation due to paralysing of autonomic nervous system functions.
• Not safe for use for folks with epilepsy/seizure disorders or high blood pressure.
• Avoid during pregnancy.
• Can be a skin irritant: use only in low dilutions.

Practical

Rosemary has a long history of use in perfumery, landscaping, medicine, and cooking.

Botanical

Rosemary was known as Rosmarinus officinalis until 2017 when it was reclassified into the sage genus. Rosemary plants can live for up to 35 years.

Type: Wvergreen shrub
Plant Height: up to 1.5-2m
Leaves: Fragrant, needle-like leaves, with light/white undersides
Flowers: Usually blue, also white, pink, purple

Etymology: ‘Rosemary’ comes from the Latin ros marinus (‘dew of the sea’).

In the Garden

Type: Perennial
Sow: Spring
Light: Bright light
Water: Keep moderately dry
Soil: Well-drained

Companion Planting: Sage, garlic

Tips:

• Do not over-water seedlings
• Feed only after flowering