====== Lavender ======
---- dataentry herbs---- latin_names: Lavendula officinale or L. vera folk_names: Elf Leaf, Nard, Nardus, Spike gender_tags: Masculine planet_tags: Mercury element_tags: Air deity_tags: effect_tags: Love, Protection, Sleep, Chastity, Longevity, Purification, Happiness, Peace, Health, Conscious Mind part_tags: fresh flowers, dried flowers, essential oil ----
===== Magical Uses ===== Lavender has long been used in love spells and sachets. Clothing nabbed with the fragrant flowers (or lavender placed in drawers with clothes) attracts love. A piece of paper on which you've rubbed lavender is excellent for writing love notes. The scent of lavender particularly attracts men, and lavender water or the essential oil was worn by prostitutes several centuries ago to both advertise their profession as well as to attract (through magic) customers. Lavender also protects against cruel treatment at the hands of a spouse if worn. These flowers are also burned or smouldered to induce sleep and rest, and are scattered about the home to maintain its peacefulness. The plant is so powerful that, if when depressed one gazes upon the plant, all sorrow will depart and a joyous feeling will settle upon the observer. Indeed, the odor of lavender is conducive to long life, and so should be smelled as often as possible if this is a concern. Lavender is also used in healing mixtures, carried to see ghosts, and worn to protect against the evil eye. It is added to purification baths. Despite lavender's love associations, in the Renaissance it was believed that lavender together with rosemary, if worn, would preserve a woman's chastity. A wish divination: Place lavender under your pillow while thinking of your wish. Do this just prior to retiring for the night. In the morning, if you have dreamt of anything relating to your wish, it will come true. However, if you did not have dreams, or if they were unconnected with your wish, it will not manifest. Lavindin is a type of lavender that was bred for its powerful scent. It is a particularly good choice for sachets and pillows. ===== Aromatherapy ===== ==== Lore ==== Well known to the classical Greeks and Romans, lavender was used to perfume bath water and was burned as incense to the deities. In North Africa, women used this plant to guard against maltreatment from their husbands. The scent is said to calm untamed lions and tigers. ==== Magical Uses ==== Just before you step into the water, add nine drops of lavender essential oil to your bath while visualizing good health. Have a lavender bath once daily for a week as a health-maintaining ritual. Lavender has long been associated with spiritual love. Because it is ruled by Mercury, the planet associated with the conscious mind, lavender’s effectiveness in promoting love seems to lie in its ability to change the way we think about love. In other words, performing love-drawing rituals with lavender stimulates the emotional centers and, there by, reprograms our conscious minds. Smelling lavender with visualization causes us to send signals to others of our need. The scent can also be used to maintain celibacy with the proper visualization. Though the complete lack of sexual thoughts or sexual activity (even if performed alone) is contrary to the human experience, there are times when it may be necessary. Lavender can be used to help create this precarious state. Lavender induces peace and dispels depression. The fragrance has been used for this purpose from very early times. Gerard states that “the distilled water of Lavendar smelt unto, or the temples and forehead bathed therewith, is refreshing to them ... that used to swoune much.” It relieves headache as well. Lavender calms stormy or uncontrolled emotional states by bringing our feelings under conscious control. Too often when we’re in such states we kill off all thoughts save for those that prolong our misery. Lavender corrects this imbalance, tempering our emotions with a healthy shot of rationality. The fragrance is also used to generally strengthen the conscious mind. (I should have used it when I was trying to compute the tab for an essential oil order I wrote up yesterday afternoon.) Sprinkled on the pillow, it encourages sleep.