Scutellaria
lateriflora
Skullcap
A
tea made from this herb is excellent for preventing nightmares and
as a restorative after spiritual or magical assault or recovery
from exorcism or other trials. In some traditional medicines, skullcap
is combined with vervain. I would recommend
this combination as a restorative for any spiritual work. Although
this is a mint, which is often of Venus,
mad-dog skullcap, because of its effectiveness on the nervous system,
is of Mercury. In Hoodoo, skullcap
is used in charms for faithfulness (consider it also, then, for
honoring Hera) and for attracting gifts of money. A nice herb to
grow that does not call attention to itself of yell "witch!" in your garden but still
has excellent magical uses.
The tea is drunk as a nervine and sedative, calming
anxiety and relieving stress. This
magic herb can grow all over North America. Likes most mints, it favors
water and can grow in swampy areas--or find it a place beneath your
garden hose faucet, where it can make use of the drippings. This
bitter mint has been used to ease the anxiety of withdrawing
from addictive substances, for migraine, PMS, difficult sleep,
and grief. Good tea for workaholics at the end of the day, for restoring
health after a bout with the flu, for people recovering from stroke,
for folks in the aftermath of a seizure, or for those who have endured
a spiritual or magical assault. Typical amount used for a tea is
1/2-1 teaspoon in one cup of boiling water, allowed to steep for
15 minutes; then drink 1/2-1 cup. Or make a traditional tincture
of 1 part herb to 5 parts brandy; a dose is then 30-50 drops in
water. An excellent addition to dream teas or against nightmares.
Nice to combine with hops, passionflower,
and/or wild lettuce for insomnia,
with vervain for anxiety, and passionflower
for hyperactivity or with valerian
(although skullcap does not leave a hangover as valerian can). Some
people smoke this, but I am not sure how that would affect anything.
Rarely grazed on by mammals or fowl, but ring-necked pheasant like
the seeds. Called "mad-dog" because it was once a treatment
for rabies. Also known as Quaker bonnet, madweed.
How
to grow Mad-Dog Skullcap. This seed need cold stratification
to germinate. You can do this by wetting and wringing out a paper
towel, sprinkle the seeds on it, fold closed and press gently, put
in a thin plastic baggie and leave the top open. Then put that in
either the fridge for 3 months or more dependably, outdoors in a
protected area, like a shed or an unheated garage. Check in spring
for germination and then shift seeds into seed-starting soil. See
longer explanation here. Mad-dog skullcap gets 6-26"/15-90cm
tall. Space 15"/38cm apart. Likes wet areas and can grow
in full sun or up to 70% shade. It's a perennial and can grow from
deeply cold zone 3 to hot zone 9. For greatest potency, harvest
the flowering tops in their third summer summer and dry for later
use. The flowers are quite small, something like those of hyssop.
General
growing info. Top
Scutellaria lateriflora
Skullcap
50
seeds $3.75
Uses in
Witchcraft & Magic:
Restorative after magical assault or trial
Faithfulness
Money
Spells
Mercury Herb
© 2011 Harold A. Roth; No reproduction without permission