Herbs: Medications, Power and — Poison

       The history of herbs used as medications rises from time immemorial. And presently lots and lots of followers of the phytotherapy rejoice its revival all over the world. Nations of the ancient world had more than 21,000 species of herbs available. In the eyes of scientists one of ancient records describing healing properties of herbs goes back to Sumerian age. The clay plate inscribed with 15 recipes has survived into our times. In historians’ judgment it was made in 3rd century BC. The people of ancient China, Tibet, India, Africa, Babylon and many other countries used such herbs extensively. More than 2 thousand herbs were known and utilized within Chinese medicine and a little bit more than 1 thousand herbs were used by the Hindo. The herbal practice was the most common in Ancient Greece in those days. Also, Hippocrates’ papers have come down to us. They include more than 2 thousand names of medicinal herbs. Hippocrates reasoned upon the fact that when medicinal herbs were used there was no necessity in their primary processing. He also laid special emphasis on juices and pulp to be taken.
       However, Galen of Pergamon suggested the converse thinking that herbal raw material contains quite a few of substances that are needless and even harmful sometimes. He proposed to make use only of substances that may be extracted by preparing decoctions and tinctures of medicinal herbs.

       The usage of herbs as medications obtained a wide circulation in European countries as well as within the territory of Ancient Rus’ and did not lose its importance in China, Arab countries and of course in India. The «phytotherapy» was for the first time ever introduced by French doctor Henri Leclerc.
        In the course of the development of medical knowledge and the making of new discoveries when practicing medicine many newly-invented curatives did not prove their value and had a number of side effects exerting a harmful influence on a human body. After a while doctors consigned them to oblivion. But time passed by and old curatives were replaced with new ones, some of which gained general recognition only after all-through and long-term studies. And these very curatives have survived to our times.
        Many people feel that a good half of all existing illnesses may be treated with healing herbs. However, such statement is not always true.
        Speaking of healing herbs, or rather their curative effect, it is essential to keep in mind that what a human body is influenced with is the complex of biologically active substances (BAS) that are contained in herbs. Also, such herbs contain attendant substances that slow or hasten the assimilation of BAS, which in turn enhances or weakens healing properties of BAS.

        However, the question now arises of whether all components of healing herbs are beneficial? Not by a long shot! Many of them are toxic and harmful. Therefore, the improper use of healing herbs as well as medications sold in drug stores may lead to undesired side effects. Also, many medicinal herbs contain mutagens and carcinogens.

       Of course, herbs don’t like being picked up and eaten. They secrete a good few of protective agents that scare away and punish so called murderers. Therefore, all is not safe that is natural.
        In the eye of folk healers, there is the special time to gather herbs since it is worth hoping for the healing power of herbs only in case they are picked up at so called «secret time» when day is breaking at cockcrow as well as on the date of the Holy Trinity and St. John the Baptist.

        The best time to gather medicinal herbs is the period of their flowering, which occurs at the time of St. John the Baptist feastive occasion for many species. Leaves contain lots and lots of BAS so they are gathered on the day of Holy Trinity, which is at the end of May – the beginning of June.
         It is the slowness of the curative effect manifestation that people consider a grave disadvantage of the phytotherapy. Substances synthesized in labs are not phytotherapeutic since their influence differs from the effect of potions and tinctures made of herbs. It is important for many patients to be sure that the usage of healing herbs will let them avoid taking synthetic chemical medications at full stretch.
         And even when using herbs and plants as medications, the issue is clear in principle if all ins and outs are taken into account. However, the issue of Herbs of Power is somewhat different.

        Nowadays, Herbs of Power are mostly «entheogens» or «psychodelics». Most of them grow on the American continent but presently there are lots and lots of herbs of a like nature, which are able to adapt to our climatic conditions.
        Concepts of «Power» and «biologically active substances» are attributed to different portraits of the world and, naturally, effects of Herbs of Power and their BAS are far apart from one another.
         What on earth is the essence of the mentioned Power that is given to plants?
          It is justified in assuming that this Power may manifest itself not only in case of ingesting the herb or adding it to the food.
         Even long time back Druids were able to take the power from trees by adjusting to them being connected with trees in a special way.
But it is essential to take into account that the same Druids were accustomed to prepare potions and tinctures of all sorts and kinds from healing herbs as well as Herbs of Power.
         The mistletoe was especially honored by Druids. Everything growing on that tree was considered by them as a gift from above.
Druids felt that it was the mistletoe that was able to stand up to any poison as well as cure any illness. They declared that the said plant was neither a bush nor a tree and grew neither in the soil nor in the water. Also, Druids stated that it was possible to get cured only by touching the mistletoe.
This plant is able to cure many illnesses such as the ulcer and epilepsy, favors the conceiving and protects from evil spirits.
         At the time of the winter solstice curative properties of the mistletoe are the most powerful that is why this plant is used as a decoration at Christmas.
         The Welsh superstition has it that it is possible to find a buried treasure under the ash tree where the mistletoe grows. But nobody think of the fact that in XVI century that superstition said that there was a snake with a ruby in its head that lived under the tree’s roots. After some time people forgot about the snake but remembered only a precious stone. Also, it was considered that the mistletoe’s magic and curative power would disappear in case it was cut with an iron tool.
         That is why Druids used to cut the mistletoe’s shoots with a silver knife. Also, Druids decorated their trilithes with those shoots.
The mistletoe is also well-known as a «plant of a crossroad». A stem with white berries that branches out in the middle reminds of an ancient crossroad, which meant the material differentiation. This very name also means another crossroad – the crossroad of the Worlds that is also attributed to the mistletoe.

        The usage of the mistletoe as a medication dates back to 5th century BC. In 1st century Pliny wrote that the mistletoe was a great remedy for curing the epilepsy and giddiness. As for ancient herbalists, they leant towards the view that that plant was able to heal the paralysis and epilepsy as well as to bring relief in case of shocks and strikes. The mistletoe was a parasitic plant, therefore it was considered to be able to cure the cancer. Hieronymus Bock and P. A. Mattiolus declared that the mistletoe healed abscesses, sores and septic wounds. Also, Sebastian Kneipp advised to use that plant to suppress the bleeding and cure blood circulation disorders.

       So, where does the mistletoe’s power lie? Druids supposed that the mistletoe accumulated the quintessence of the tree it grew on. And the said tree was correspondingly connected with the place of its location. Therefore, the properly gathered mistletoe could be a «power concentrate».
As for ancient Irish scripts, the mistletoe represented the abolition of diseases and evolution of the spirit. In view of all the above mentioned, that plant had pride of place in magic and witchcraft. The mistletoe was useful to ensure the rise in cropping power, cast the love binding over and do many other things. Women who wanted to get pregnant carried the mistletoe’s branch at their waist.
        Even nowadays there is a very interesting tradition to kiss one another under the mistletoe’s branch on New Year’s. This tradition rises from marriage ceremonies that were performed at the time of Saturnian winter carnivals in ancient Rome. With the advent of orthodox Christianity these carnivals were replaced with Christmas festivals. Warriors, who were at swords’ points with enemies, had to lay down arms till the end of the day when meeting under the mistletoe’s branches.

       It is obvious that there are two different areas of application of the mistletoe - magic and medical ones. These two areas have special approaches to choosing herbs and periods of their gathering. And their goals are widely different. But, unfortunately, this fact is left behind more often than not and therefore the biological effect is confused with magic one.  
        As for the mistletoe usage to cure the infertility and epilepsy, it is attributed to the medical application.
However, in case the smoke produced by the burning mistletoe is used as «Threshold smoke» to open doors between worlds, such application is something quite different.
        Therefore, it allows of conclusions that from the standpoint of magic all herbs of Power are intended to facilitate the transition between the worlds i.e. seid and trance states of consciousness.

        We have already discussed much of these ways. So it may be said with every reason that herbs of Power carry us away to the verge of the worlds. There are benefits and implications of being in the trance state. But the effect of psychotropic substances contained in plants shall be also taken into account. Correspondingly, it may be said that hallucinations and apparitions have much in common with one another whereas differences between them are even greater. The hallucination is oblique perception of the present world either inner or external one with respect to the operator’s creature. The apparition is the understanding of the other worlds existing by some laws. One and the same plant may invoke both apparitions and hallucinations. And as in the case of all concepts that are geared to the self-consciousness going out of control, the ingestion of herbs shall be well-grounded, otherwise a magician may become an addict. The getting in touch with plants without ingesting them is a different story. The mistletoe is also able to provide a key to the perception of something being neither picked up nor ingested. Even the jimson weed may show you the essence of the worlds staying alive.
 
         There are much more examples. As the saying goes, St. John's wort picked up at the time of St. John the Baptist celebrations is helpful to confront all magicians. If you weave St. John's wort into a wreath in the morning or make a wreath of this herb, wear it and dance all the night round the fire, you’ll be completely protected from the evil curse through all 365 days of the year. Also, if you weave a belt of St. John's wort and wear it, this belt will take upon itself all the evil. Anf then if you throw the said belt into the fire on November 1st, all the evil accumulated will drop back to a person who cast the evil over. There is a deeply rooted belief that the lime tree protects from lightnings and also if a person happens to stay under the lime tree when it is raining, there is no need for him te be afraid of lightnings and thunder.
People in ancient Greece thought that the aconite grew from the foam falling out of Cerberus’ mouth. In case the aconit grows in the garden, it protects this territory. If this plant’s tuber is placed into a small bag and worn around the neck, it shall  bring good luck without fail.
          Also, when magicians died, the thistle was seeded and grown on their graves so that it would block the evil spirits trying to take magicians’ souls to the hell.
And there are lots and lots of such examples.

        It was considered earlier that internal parts of plants of Power were beneficial for use at the beginning of practicing magic only in order to make the consciousness free and facilitate the shaman’s first transition to the other worlds. In case plants of power were of frequent use, it was thought to be a bad habit and believed to be the obscession with those evil spirits.

       All the above stated allows of the following conclusions :
1- The usage of plants as medications demands great care as is the case with synthetic drugs.  
2- As for Herbs of Power that contain BAS, it is essential to differentiate their pharmacological effect and effect of the Power.
3- To get the Power, it is nor obligatory to pick up plants or especially ingest them.
4- In case you ingest a plant, the well-based approach as well as trance practices are essential.