Chamomile - Magical & Medicinal Correspondence

MATERIA MAGICA: CHAMOMILE

From Judy Ann Nock in The Modern Witchcraft Guide to Magickal Herbs: Your Complete Guide to the Hidden Powers of Herbs:

A traditional medicinal, chamomile originates from western Europe, India, and Asia.

Its earliest recorded use was as a treatment for fevers by the Egyptians.

Also known as English or Roman chamomile, it is so widely used throughout Europe that it is considered a cure-all.

Chamomile was revered by the ancient Egyptians and was frequently used in offerings to the gods. Characteristics Chamomile is a low-growing perennial that reaches no more than 10 inches in height.

Known for its calming effect, chamomile is also a bitter herb that can aid in the digestion of fats and thereby soothe the stomach.

Chamomile has many varieties, including German, Hungarian, Roman, and English.

The garden variety of chamomile is believed to be a healing presence to other plants, earning chamomile the nickname of the “plant’s physician.”

It is also used in luck and money-drawing spells.

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According to Spells8.com:

This herb, often associated with attracting fortune and money, carries a deep spiritual significance. It is believed to aid those who genuinely strive to improve their financial situation by aligning their intentions and efforts.

Beyond its financial associations, chamomile offers profound spiritual benefits. One of its remarkable qualities is its capacity to promote emotional balance and uplift the spirit.

For those who experience rapid mood swings or find themselves overwhelmed by negative thoughts, chamomile acts as a stabilizer, harmonizing conflicting emotions and restoring inner peace.

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MATERIA MEDICA: CHAMOMILE

Common Names: German Chamomile, Roman Chamomile

Latin Name(s): Matricaria recutita, Anthemis nobilis

Plant Family: Asteraceae

Parts Used: Flowers picked when blooming in summer

Botanical Description: Annual with delicate, feathery leaves growing from a smooth stem. Chamomile can grow anywhere between 6-24 inches in height. Flowers are white with a puffy yellow disk in the center.

Preparation & Dosing:

• Tea: 2 teaspoons infused into 8oz hot water for 5-10 minutes…any longer and it may get bitter

• Bath: (great for helping kids get to sleep), make a large batch of the tea on the stove and add to the bathwater. Allow children to soak in the tub. Also helps to add Epsom salts to the bathwater. You can also use the essential oil

• Tincture: 1 – 4 mL, 1:5 in 40%, three times a day.

Energetics: neutral to cool, very slightly dry, can be bitter if steeped too long

Parts Affected: GI tract, nervous system

Actions:

• carminative

• nervine relaxant

• anti-spasmodic

• anti-inflammatory

• anti-microbial

• anxiolytic

• tonic

• vulnerary

• anodyne

• analgesic

• mild bitter tonic

Biochemical Constituents: volatile oils, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, alkaloids, polysaccharides, coumarins

Primary Uses:

• Primary use is in any kinds of stomach issue

• Is very good for calming children

• Good for IBS

• Relaxes the stomach, decreases stomach sensitivity

• Helps nausea, morning sickness, motion sickness and nervous indigestion

• Relaxant to acid indigestion

• Soothing and tonic for gastric distress 2-3 hours after a meal

• Good for gastric ulcers and gastritis

• Also good for diverticulitis

• Also calming to the nervous system, helps in any situation that has a stomachache and sleeplessness

• Good for colds

• Will decrease hemorrhoid swelling

• Good as an enema for mucous colitis and spastic colitis

• Good to heal wounds faster, internally and externally

• Helps both constipation and diarrhea

• Is a good relaxant and eases menstrual pain

• Good for restless and over complaining individuals, when a person refuses to be comforted

• Also good for allergies and asthma

• Is interchangeable with Roman Chamomile Anthemis nobilis

Cautions:

Is part of the Asteraceae family, which is related to ragweed, so some individuals may be allergic to it.

Invdividuals with FODMAPS intolerances may struggle with digesting chamomile.

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SOURCES

• Nock, Judy Ann. The Modern Witchcraft Guide to Magickal Herbs: Your Complete Guide to the Hidden Powers of Herbs (Modern Witchcraft Magic, Spells, Rituals) Adams Media.

• Spells8.com

• GoldenPoppyHerbs.com (whose sources include the following):

  • American Botanical Council, 2000. Excerpt from Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs.

  • Hoffman, David. (2003) Medical Herbalism. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.