Basil

Herb Magic

Cooking With Basil

Magical Herbs

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Herbal Magic - Basil

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Porter Springs, TX (diamondrocket.com) Sunday, April 01, 2007 - 

Easy to grow and easy to cook with, basil has long been a favorite herb in kitchen gardens as well as in fine restaurants.  But the ancients knew far more about this humble herb than we could ever dream today.

Magical Uses of Basil
Without question, basil is one of the most important herbs of love.  A woman ready for romance would place a bowl of the minty stuff on her balcony.  But her prospective suitor needn’t wait for her to reach this conclusion on her own.  Basil could be used in a number of ways to spur love forward.  Its scent, besides simply being delightful, can induce the softer emotions of love and sympathy.  Applying its scent directly to your body or wearing a sachet it can attract the love of the opposite sex.  Certain traditions in Eastern Europe report that when a man accepts a sprig of basil from a woman he is destined to love her forever.  Keep this in mind when accepting a plate of pesto with basil garnish; you may be in for more than some simple pasta!

Basil not only can be used as a catalyst for romance but as a barometer of an existing love.  Place two sprigs of fresh basil on hot coals and watch them.  If they remain still and burn quickly, your romance will remain harmonious.  If they pop and crackle trouble may be ahead.  If the leaves burst apart the relationship is doomed.  Do you suspect infidelity?  Basil will reveal the truth.  Place a fresh sprig in your lover’s hand.  If it wilts immediately then you’ve got trouble.  But if you’d rather not know but wish to have a little insurance basil can help out there, too.  Wait until your lover is asleep then rub basil powder on your body paying especial attention to the heart.  This will insure fidelity.

Basil’s uses aren’t restricted to matters of the heart.  It can also be used to protect the home from evil as well as goats if that’s a particular problem of yours.  A little basil sprinkled on the floor will drive away any evil and is even reported to prevent inebriation.  Not surprisingly, basil also attracts good fortune.  A sprig placed in a businessman’s pocket will assure him success and placing a bit of basil in a cash register will bring customers.

Medicinal Uses of Basil

For medicinal uses of basil we need to move a few organs down from the heart.  As a member of the mint family basil’s ability to soothe digestive complaints should be no surprise.  A cup of basil tea can aid digestion and help expel gas.  It can also be used to provide relief of stomach cramps, vomiting and constipation.  It is also mildly sedative and so can be used for relief of headaches and anxiety.  Its seeds have an antibacterial effect and can be used in a poultice to be applied externally to sores.

Though basil is a common herb used today in kitchens throughout the world and easily grown in almost any herb garden, it possesses some rather uncommon abilities.  It has some very specific properties in the area of love as well as some ability to aid one in overall success.  It might be easy to overlook a humble pot of basil but look again; you might find the love of your life.

Resources:
Carr, Anna, et al.  Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs.  Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1987.
Cunningham, Scott.  Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs.  St. Paul, MN:  Lleewellyn Publications, 2003.