Herbs from the garden

 

THYME

 

Thyme is one of Britain’s native herbs. It is a small and creeping plant with tiny dark green oval leaves arranged in opposing pairs along woody stalk and stems, with beautiful intricate trumpet shaped purple/pink flowers that bloom in June and July. The plant is evergreen and can be harvested at any time of the year, and packed in it are medicinal, spiritual and magical properties. Such a wonderful fragrant plant no one should be without!

 

Medicinal Properties

 

Mark where the dry Champaign

Swells into cheerful hills; where marjoram

And Thyme the love of bees, perfume the air,

Their bid thy roofs, high on the basing steep,

Ascend; there light thy hospitable fires.

John Armstrong, the Art of Preserving Health (1744)

 

Bees love Thyme! It is often believed that the medical, spiritual and magical properties are passed on in Honey made from Thyme blossoms. For example, Thyme infused honey has powerful anti-infective wound healing properties. Its powerful anti-infective properties have made it an effective herb in the treatment of septic, bacterial and fungal infections.

Thyme has a very distinctive smell and taste, which has made it one of the most popular culinary herbs. Its high volatile oil content opens the airways which has made it a primary herb for relieving wheezing, excess mucus accumulation and aiding the expectoration of mucus from the lungs. For me, I use Thyme mainly for healing…after all, Thyme heals all wounds!!!

 

Magical properties

 

Thyme creates action; making you closer to your inner being. It can create a willingness to release obstacles that are blocking your true soul’s purpose. Thyme creates an inward journey and directs you through that journey,It can initially have a sedative and calming effect on the physicality, but this is believed to actually be a reflection of how the body’s energy is actually being drawn from the physical deep into the individual, creating a more alert and focused mental consciousness.

This can make Thyme a useful herb when an individual is in need of a sense of direction, or the energy to create effort and movement towards direction and to release any blockages that are preventing this from being achieved. Thyme is a popular herb for helping with past life regressions and the release of negative patterns from the past that may still be holding you back. Thyme is believed to increase the flow between the mental and spiritual bodies..

 

Folklore

 

Thyme is believed to grow in Fairy haunts and is also believed to be one of the herbs laid in Christ’s manger. On the other hand, Thyme is also associated with death and, particularly, in Wales is often laid on graves. The association of this herb with death gave it a dark connotation and was often prepared and dried outside of the home.

Dried Thyme was traditionally used to scent drying linen in the home and was also a primary ingredient in a number of herbal tobaccos. Posies of Thyme were often held or given to Judges to protect against infectious diseases of the poor and of criminals.

In folk medicines, Thyme was used as a treatment for sore throats and also for coughs and colds. bb mandyxxx