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Beltaine Treasure Hunt '08: MARIGOLDS AND MAIDENS
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Hedge School lesson on Calendula (Marigolds)
 Marigolds are one of my favorite summer flowers! They're very useful for healing as well as have a lot of interesting folk beliefs connected with them. When I talk about marigolds, I mean the ones that grow nicely in pots as well as in the garden, also known as English marigolds or Common Marigold. Their botanical or scientific name is Calendula Officinalis. These are not to be confused with the wild marigold, Tagetes, which was sacred to the Aztecs and whose petals are strewn on the graves of loved ones during the Mexican Day of the Dead. My marigolds are the true pot-marigolds, the ones Shakespeare called "flowers of Middle Summer" because they are at the peak of their blooming right about now. These plants first grew in the Mediterranean area ages ago, and now they brighten up the Summer in all parts of the world. The name "marigold" probably came from the old Saxon word 'Ymbglidegold' (try saying that ten times fast!) which means "it turns with the sun." They are one of the easiest flowers to grow because they like any kind of soil and will flourish in sunshine or shade. If you have Calendula growing in your garden now, be sure to keep picking off the flower heads as soon as they get seedy if you want them to keep blooming. Marigolds are good self-seeders but there's always a chance they may just die off when they go to seed. If you've missed the Spring planting, you'll have another chance to sow Calendula in late August or early September for fall flowering. If you don't have a garden, you can plant the seeds in pots. There are a lot of old stories about Marigolds. In Brittany, there's a folk belief that if a maiden touches a Marigold with her bare foot, she'll understand the language of birds. The flower is thought by many to be the herb of love and clairvoyance. In Welsh folklore, if the Calendula flower did not open before seven, it was an omen that there would be thunder that day. In Devon and Wiltshire, they believed that if you picked Marigolds, thunder would soon follow. In astrology, this cheery golden flower is a Sun-blessed plant and goes with the sign of Leo. It was thought in the olden times that simply looking at a Marigold would banish anyone's sadness. In the medieval era, it was said that the petals may be ingested in a conserve of sugar to be taken during times of plague and pestilence, or dried and added to broths. And if you were robbed, marigold was supposed give you a vision of the thief. But it must be taken “only when the moon is in the sign of the Virgin and not when Jupiter is in the ascendant, for then the herb loses its virtue. And the gatherer, who must be out of deadly sin, must say three Pater Nosters and three Aves." And here's how to use marigolds to see the fairies! Take 1 pint of virgin olive oil and wash it with rose water and marigold water until it is white. The roses and the marigolds are to be gathered towards the east and the water thereof to be made of pure spring water. Put the washed oil into a vial glass and add hollyhock buds, marigold flowers, wild thyme tops and flowers, young hazel buds, and the grass of a fairy throne*. The thyme must be gathered near the side of a hill where fairies used to be. Set the glass in the sun for three days so that the ingredients can become incorporated. Then put it away for use. (formula dated 1600 and also seen in Eleanour Rohde's "A Garden of Herbs".) But let's get back down to earth and see why Calendula is really so useful to us, especially in Summertime. For at least seven centuries, people have been using it as medicine, most often in oil applied directly to the skin. And this makes it the perfect summertime herb because its petals can be made into either salve or tea to heal the most common skin irritations for this time of year - namely bug bites, sunburn, chapped lips, cuts and bruises, or just dry itchy skin. It's even good for diaper rash! Calendula tea is a good mouthwash for sore gums or a toothache, and you can gargle with it to soothe a sore throat. The petals are what to use for making salve or tea, since they are full of stuff called flavonoids which are plant-based anti-toxins that protect your body against viruses, inflammations and bacteria. Marigolds are also rich in Vitamin C and phosphorus. You can get readymade Calendula salve, gel or cream in pharmacies or health food stores. Or you can easily make your own. The flowers should be gathered early in the day, when in full bloom, after the dew is dried but before the sun soaks up all the essential oils. They can be dried whole, but dry faster if the petals are pulled off, separated and spread out to air-dry. Mix in a new handful of petals every few days until you have enough. The dried petals can be saved in a dark-colored glass jar and stored in a cool, dark place to use whenever you want. To make Sun-Soaked Midsummer Marigold Salve, you'll need these ingredients: 1/4 cup dried Calendula flowers 1/2 cup exta virgin olive oil 1/8 cup grated beeswax 40 drops lavender essential oil Put the dried flowers into a pint sized canning jar. Add oil and stir well. Cover with tight lid and set on a sunny windowsill. When the oil turns a deep golden color, usually in about 2 weeks, strain the oil through several layers of cheesecloth or fine linen. Then, combine the oil with grated beeswax in a small, heavy saucepan. Heat gently to melt wax. Add lavender oil. Carefully pour mixture into a widemouth glass jar, let cool, then cover tightly with a lid. Store in a cool dark place and it will be good for a year. Keep some salve in your first-aid kit or medicine cabinet. To make tea, just steep a heaping teaspoon of dried flowers in a cup of hot water. Strain. Use as a mouthwash, gargle, or soak a clean cloth in the tea and dab gently on the skin. No need to rub it in. CAUTION: Since Marigolds are in the same family as daisies, chrysanthemums and ragweed, DO NOT use them if you have allergies to these other plants or anything in the Aster family because you could break out in a rash! Also, do not apply the salve to open wounds or to stitches. If a wound is oozing, don't use the salve, but you may gently apply Marigold tea. Marigold is used for healing but some people eat the petals too. They add a pretty dash of color to salads. And by the way, this plant is the official 2008 Herb of the Year. Marigold plaque created especially for the Beltaine 08 Treasure Hunt by Fedelm Cruithni Sources: http://www.gardenbuddies.com/forum/messages/1228646/1229148.html http://pinkfuzzyslipperwriters.blogspot.com/2007/08/finding-gold-in-herbal-lore.html Mastering Herbalism by Paul Huson |
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~ Table of Contents ~
Feverfew
Lavender Ladybugs Thyme Bay Laurel Mint Answers to Spring Equinox Quix Dandelion for Spring Tonic Sun-Infused Calendula Healing Salve Fiddleheads Nettles for Spring Daffodil Quiz Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: THE SACRED OAK Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: VERVAIN Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: GREEN WHEAT EARS Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: FLAX BLOSSOMS Beltaine Treasure Hunt '08 - GARLIC Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: EGLANTINE Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: Mystic Mistletoe Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: Magical Fern Seeds Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: Hawthorn Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: BOX SPRIGS Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: APPLE |
