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Because this herb is considered an aphrodisiac, Culpeper assigned it to
Venus (see the Love Bath recipe), but it is
all Mars--warming and stimulating (check out the nice Mars
incense recipe). It is not, though, a sledge-hammer Martian heat like a
chile but Mars with a light touch, often described as sweet and having
a "grateful
warmth." It is frequently found in love charms (or perhaps better
to say lust charms), but as a Mars herb, it
can be equally effective in magickal protection. It is a
stimulant to the mind and warming to the body, said to uplift the
spirits, calm the nerves, and help clarify thinking. Top In Fragrances This magick herb is an ingredient in some Dark Age versions of kyphi, the ancient Egyptian incense that became a medicine, and is often given as a substitute for cinammon, which is a good match in terms of its strength of warmth. Pliny mentions it as an ingredient in the Egyptian perfume called Metopium, and the Romans incorporated into perfumes as well, often combining it with saffron and myrrh. Cardamom is still often found in perfumes, especially "masculine" ones, and it is especially nice combined with orange, cinammon, cloves, and caraway. Top Medicinal Uses
Culinary Uses This spice is a very popular additive to coffee in Arab countries, where many people believe it detoxifies caffeine. Along with cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and ginger root, it is a common ingredient in chai. This spice is a staple of Indian cooking and flavors Scandinavian liquor. It is much warmer than round cardamom. Cardamom is also known as Amomum Cardamomum, Alpinia cardamomum, Matonia cardamomum, Cardamomum minus, Amomum repens, Cardamomi Semina, Malabar cardamums, Ebil, Kakelah seghar, Capalaga, Gujatatti elachi, Ilachi, and Ailum. Cardamom and Grains of Paradise are from related plants but are not the same. Top |
Cardamom seeds, whole 
Love/Sex Magic
3 parts Rosemary
2 Parts Dragon's Blood © 2004, 2009 Alchemy Works; No reproduction without permission |
Cardamom
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, cardamom clears damp and
phlegm, as one would expect from a Mars herb.
In some parts of the world, people chew the pods or a single
seed to sweeten bad breath (it helps kills germs in the gums). In
India, cardamom is boiled and the steam of the hot
water inhaled to treat headaches. In Ayurvedic medicine, cardamom seeds
are boiled in milk sweetened with honey to make a drink to treat
impotence or depression. It entered
European medicine during the Renaissance, where it
was an ingredient in the Elixir of Life, and was a common flavoring for
masking bitter botanical medicines in 19th-century US. It's good
for the digestion and is helpful against morning sickness in pregnancy.
A digestive, warming tea can be made of 1 teaspoon of freshly crushed
cardamom seeds infused in 1 cup boiled water for 10-15 minutes.