Tanacetum
vulgare
Tansy
This plant has long
played a role in
funeral rites, in particular, those that speak of death and rebirth.
The leaves of this magick herb were tucked around the body before
burial, and the herb's
pentrating scent was thought to help guide the spirits of the dead on
their
journey. The name "tanacetum" apparently came from the Greek word for
immortality,
because the flowers take a long time to fade (and perhaps because of
the plant's association with the dead). Indeed, when Zeus fell in love
with the beautiful young man Ganymede, he was
given tansy to make him immortal. The rebirth theme is carried through
in this magick's herbs use in
celebrating Ostara, a festival of rebirth (and fertility). Tansy is
sacred to Mary, but consider this Venus
herb when honoring dark
goddesses, due to its connection to death. This magick herb also is
helpful in
protection spells, especially in terms of protecting against the
authorities and for journeys. It is excellent for strewing or for
cleansing the space of the magick circle. It is associated with Gemini.
In the Victorian language of
flowers, this herb represents a declaration of war upon the recipient,
perhaps because of its traditional association with death.
Mundane Uses
In England, it was incorporated into cakes during Lent, perhaps in
memory of the Jewish
use of bitter herbs at Passover, or perhaps as a nod to its use as a
spring tonic. Together with lovage and yarrow, it was made into a
cordial once popular in Britain. You can rub this herb on meats to give
them a flavor like rosemary. The flowering tops make a mustard yellow
dye on wool with an alum mordant,
and the young shoots make a green dye. Tansy has a nice herby smell
that repels bugs both in dried
form and in the garden - plant it at the four corners of your
vegetable or henbane plot to help repel bugs like the Colorado potato
beetle. It also repels flies, ants, and fleas, but its flowers will
attract beneficial insects like ladybugs and green lacewings as well as
bugs that are just nice to look at, like butterflies. It's a
good herb for composting, because it concentrates minerals in its
leaves, but consider that it can also draw up heavy metals from the
soil, so if your soil is contaminated, you can use tansy as a removal
system. Just remember not to compost the vegetation in that case.
Instead, bag it and take it to the landfill.
Toxicity
Don't make a tea of this plant - it can kill. Generally, herbs that are
good pesticides should not be taken internally, although this is not
true of plants in the mint family (tansy is in the aster family). Don't allow
dogs to chew on it, as it can kill small ones who eat it. It is toxic
to all mammals. Although we have noticed that our cats
ignore it. Most animals avoid strong-smelling plants.
This European native has become naturalized in North America, so much
so that some consider it a weed (as with many herbs), and it is indeed
a very hardy plant, practically rambunctious in its liveliness.
However, it is
not the same thing as tansy ragwort, which is considered a noxious weed
in many
states and which is much more toxic. Tasnsy spreads by rhizomes and
like human beings can be a rampant colonizer, so grow it in a container
or surrounded by turf that is regularly mowed if you want to contain
it. But this desire to spread together with its insect repelling
abilities make tansy a
good choice for growing around fruit trees and berry bushes. Tansy is
also known as bachelor's buttons, bitter buttons,
buttons, ginger plant, and gold-buttons.
How to Grow Tansy
Sprinkle
on the surface of moist planting medium and gently press in with your
fingertip. Use bottom watering or misting so as not to dislodge the
seeds and put them in indirect light and room temperature to germinate
in one month. If they are balky, give one month of cold stratification
at freezing temperatures. Our founder started the tansy in the photo from seeds sowed simply in cellpacks. Tansy gets 24-36in/60-90 cm tall
and is hardy in zones 3-9 (down to -40F/40C). Tansy needs full sun and
can tolerate wind but not salt. It can grow in pretty much any
conditions except shade. In rich soil it will spread much faster. General
growing info
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Tanacetum
vulgare
Tansy
100 seeds $3.50
This seed cannot be shipped to Montana or Wyoming.
Uses
in Witchcraft & Magic:
Honoring the Dead
Celebrating Ostara
Protection Spells
Connecting to Gemini
Venus Herb
© 2000-2023; No reproduction without permission
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