Let us take a walk through the garden of an imaginary
mystic. A witch or other gardener of the
dark and see what they have planted in their garden.
As we look in we first see Monkshood (aconite) so poisonous
that it was used to poison arrows (in WWII, the Nazi’s put it on their
bullets). Witches believed it could make them invisible if they tied the seeds
to them wrapped in lizard skin. It also protected one from vampires and
werewolves.
The Winter Rose (Black Hellebore) sits in the corner in full
bloom. Thought to be a cure for insanity, it was believed it would also help
one become invisible.
There in the back is a lush bunch of Witches Bells (Foxglove).
They seem to be growing in each corner of the stone fence. Ahhh, for
protection. I imagine if we looked in the cottage, we’d see black stone floors
– dyed with the leaves of the Foxglove - to keep negativity out.
What self-respecting witch would be without Moonflower
(Datura) with white flowers that bloom in the night and give off an
intoxicating fragrance? Used as a hallucinogen, and to increase physic visions
allowing communication with friendly spirits, the plant is poison to even
handle.
Overgrowing anything in its way, the deadly nightshade knows
it will always be the Devil’s favorite plant. Often nightshade was put in
‘flying’ ointments, but was also handy for helping one forget an old love. Some
believe the more nightshade in a garden, the greater the protection from evil.
All alone in a corner are the Mandrakes smiling evilly at us
– waiting for some poor fool to pull them out. They say the mandrake will
scream when it is ripped from the ground, and any person or animal hearing the
scream will immediately perish. Used for dark magic, this plant was sacred to
Aphrodite and used as a powerful aphrodisiac. Too strong, some say. Its roots
have the shape of a human and carrying even a tiny piece insures good health
and much more.
It hides from man, you know, and it glows in the dark.
The following was taken from an old English Herbarium from
1000 AD:
Harvesting Mandrake:
- Before sunset -draw a
circle around it with an iron tool lest it flee from you.
- While facing west, cut off
the top of the plant.
- Being careful not to touch
the plant, dig around it with an iron tool.
- When you see its hands and
feet, fasten them. Take the other
end of the rope and tie it around a hungry black dog’s neck.
- Throw meat in front of the
black dog so he cannot reach it unless he pulls up the plant.
- Run fast lest you hear the
screams and perish with the dog.
Difficult, yes, but Mandrake (a masculine plant of the fire
element) was one of the best plants for hexing, and black dogs were come by
easily.
Against the wall sits the Thunder and Lightening, believed to protect
one from being struck by lightning. Thought to keep vermin and bugs out of the garden,
it’s beautiful deeply lobed dark green with purple tinged leaves and odd
looking red flowers call your attention to it.
But don’t get too close –all of its parts are poison.
Who among us didn’t feel we were being poisoned when we were
given the dreaded castor bean oil when we were kids? But the old woman knows of far more uses for
toxic protein contained in this tree… ricin. She will deny it all, of course,
as others have, and claim it is for pest control only.
At the end of the poison garden sits a combination of
similarly shaped flowers. I believe I
see fennel, and yes, that’s caraway beside it and one of my favorites,
dill. But what is that one among
them. It doesn’t look familiar but its
flower is so similar in shape –somewhat like an umbrella, but this one has
purple in its stem.
Oh, of course, the poison hemlock sits ominously among its
relatives. The other seeds can be given
for sleep or flavor, but one can only guess why one of the deadliest plants
around is hidden in plain sight. I don’t
think I want to know.
We need to move away from this deadly brigade before we befall a more serious fate.
