Yarrow, with its botanical name Achillea millefolium, is a perennial medicinal plant popular throughout Europe. The Latin name goes back to the Trojan hero Achilles who came to Troy in search of the king of the Mysians, Thelephos. He injured Telephpos on the thigh, and healed the wound with a medicinal plant, which was later…
Category: Essential Oils
Frangipani – An Intoxicating Seducer
Frangipani (Plumeria alba) is a genus of flowering plants in the Apocynaceae family, containing seven or eight main species of shrubs and trees. They are native to Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America but have been spread by missionaries and early travellers throughout the world’s tropics, especially Hawaii. The name Plumeria can be…
German Chamomile Oil – Caring and Motherly
Chamomile ‘matricaria’ contains the latin word ‘matrix’ in its botanical name – meaning ‘caring for the womb’. This finds its echo in folk medicine which has always emphasized Chamomile’s emmenagogue properties and its connection with the female system. The word ‘Chamomile’ is derived from Greek ????? (chamaí) ‘on the ground’ and ????? (m?lon) ‘apple’ hinting…
Cardamom – Healthy Breathing, Healthy Feeding
Cardamom is a perennial plant and grows up to 2-3 metres in height. It has white flowers with reddish stripes in the centre. The fruit capsules (pods) grow near the ground and contain the seeds which are used as spice. They are gathered before they are ripe to prevent bursting during the drying process which would…
Lemon Balm – Healing with Angel Wings
Balm or Lemon-Balm was introduced to the monastic gardens in Europe by Charlemagne in the early 9th century. The plant had been known for its sedative, anti-depressive as well as carminative effects long before. Due to its fresh lemony fragrance Balm was also called Cedronella. The botanical name Melissa (greek for “honey bee”) indicates the…
Neem – The sacred tree of Ayurveda
The Neem tree (Azadirachta indica) is a tropical evergreen tree native to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Burma. It belongs to the plant family of the Meliaceae related to the Mahagony tree. It is a fast growing tree that can reach a height of up to 35-40 metres. Its leaves have a very bitter taste, whereas…
The Artemisia Oils – Part 2: Thoughts on Malaria and Cancer
Artemisia annua, also called “Sweet Wormwood”, is another amazing medicinal herb from the Artemisia genus. Extracts of Artemisia annua have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for over thousands of years. The plant has stirred up strong interest over the last decades because of its highly efficient results on treating Malaria. Until today Malaria…
The Artemisia Oils – Aromatic Challengers and Benefactors, Part 1
The genus “Artemisia” belongs to the Asteraceae family – the “star blossomers” (lat. “aster” = star), so called because of the star-like structure of their blossoms. It was also called before the “composite” or “daisy” plant family. “Composite” because of their special way to compose their flowers in a circular group together, giving the impression…
Rose – Making A Myth Our Fragrant Reality
Mankind has given to the Rose the name ‘Queen of the Flowers’ – and this is certainly not a misnomer… Rose, this wonderful floral being has always – and particularly since the beginning of historical writing – held a particular fascination in the awareness of mankind. It inspired men of so many cultures to create…
Ginger – An Ancient Universal Healer
The name Ginger stems from the Sanskrit word “shringan” meaning “horn of a dear”. It refers to the special form of the Ginger rhizomes which have been used in Asian cooking and medicine over thousands of years. Ginger has abundantly been used since old in the Ayurvedic kitchen of India. Confuzius has already praised the virtues…