Organic Chamomile Flowers
Matricaria recutita

This magick herb is an old favorite for divination and dreamwork. It makes a nice addition to a dreampillow (together with other dream herbs like passionflower, bay leaves, cinquefoil, yarrow, pot marigold, and mugwort), or try combining it with other herbs for a dream tea. It's good for anointing scrying mirrors, and you can also add it to a bath before bed to promote dreamwork and to help prevent nightmares - or to attract love (it was a component in medieval love potions). Culpeper believed that the ancient Egyptians deemed this a Sun herb, and like a Sun herb, it does encourage a general feeling of well being, but others consider this a Moon herb because of its aid in dreamwork and sedating effects. One can nevertheless see some Venus in its uses as a money attractant (some put a few flowers in their wallet) or to bring money luck (washing ones hands in chamomile water before gambling). It is one of the nine sacred Anglo-Saxon herbs. In the Middle Ages it was a strewing herb, and some nowadays still sprinkle it around the house to keep out negative magick. Its scent is said to help bring understanding in confusion, especialy spiritually. Chamomile is also an ingredient in one of Bardon's Fluid Condensers. Top

Mundane Uses
Chamomile has good antiseptic properties and in the past has been made into a fomentation for infections, like abscesses. A tea is good for indigestion and is drunk against ulcers in Germany. It's also mildly sedating, suitable for use with children and for people who are having difficulty enduring constant pain. This is one of my favorite teas for relaxing at the end of a long, difficult day.  Keep covered when infusing for tea in order to preserve the volatile components (or Philosophical Mercury) as long as possible. It's also nice to add to a relaxing bath, and a rinse made from the flowers gives highlights to blond hair. In the 1600s, it was even made into a medicinal ale. It is said that people allergic to pollen should not use chamomile, but I have many pollen allergies and have never had a problem with this herb, which I use more than any other. The name of this magick herb comes from the Greek for "ground apple," due to its scent, which some people think resembles that of apples. I think it smells like sun-warmed summer flowers, so to me it makes perfect sense that it is associated with the festival of Midsummer. Chamomile is also known in old grimoires as the Blood of Hestia. Top

Organic chamomile flowers, whole
1 oz. $3.85

Grow your own
Go to chamomile essential oil

Uses in Witchcraft & Magic:

Dreamwork
Celebrating Midsummer
Love Magic
Money Charms
Moon/Sun Herb

© 2006, 2013 Harold A. Roth; No reproduction without permission