VERVAIN

Also known as Wild Hyssop.
Will strengthen the nervous system while easing depression & melancholia.
Good for fever & best for colds.

Vervain is known to invigorate the contraction of uterine muscles during labor & herbalists suggest that it is best to avoid using the herb during pregnancy. However, vervain may be used during labor as it makes child birth easier.

The diuretic features of the herb make it beneficial for retaining fluids as well as treating gout.
The herb encloses substantial amount of tannins that makes it an effective astringent & useful as a mouthwash to treat bleeding gums & mouth ulcers.

Remedies prepared with the herb are also used effectively to treat sores & wounds.

Vervain possesses anti-depressant properties & so it is particularly used to cure anxiety & the fatigued nerves owing to prolonged period of trauma.

Vervain is known to offer relief from headaches.
Chinese herbal medicine practitioners recommend it for treating migraine problems related to the menstrual cycle.

Vervain can be also used treat jaundice, asthma, gallstone, pre-menstrual anxiety, insomnia & especially at the beginning of flu.

It kills and expels worms in the belly & causes a good colour in the face & body. 

It strengthens as well as corrects diseases of the stomach, liver & spleen. 

It helps the cough, wheezing, shortness of breath & defects of the bladder, expelling gravel & stone. 

It is used in treating snake & other venomous bites.

The root of vervain can be chewed to strengthen teeth & gums. 
The herb is considered to be an effective sedative or tranquilizer, anti-spasmodic that reduces cramps & muscle pains & an aphrodisiac for arousing sexual desire.

The bitterness of the herb serves as a liver tonic & improves digestion.

Vervain enhances the lactation & also induces menstruation cycles.

Vervain’s most common usage is as a diuretic & it’s commonly implemented as part of a plan to detoxify the liver, kidneys & urinary tract.
Herbal specialists suggest beginning treatment with vervain to promote a healthy liver by drinking large amounts of the tea once per year for a small period of time.
Additionally it has been used to treat diarrhea.

Use externally for cuts & grazes, eczema, neuralgia & as a hair rinse.

Due to the beneficial detoxifier properties of vervain tea, it may be part of a colonic cleansing.
Used with honey it heals old ulcers & fistulas in the legs.

Used as a poultice or ointment, vervain may be used as a natural remedy for bruises, skin infections, insect bites, eczema & other skin disorders.
It has also been used to alleviate sprains.

Lotions or ointments prepared with vervain act as valuable medication for insect bites & skin disorders. 

Ointments or lotions prepared with vervain are effective in curing eczema, injuries & even weeping sores.

The ointment may also be applied to get relief from excruciating neuralgia or nerve pain.

Infusion prepared with vervain aerial parts may also be used as a mouthwash to treat ulcers in the mouth & soft, spongy gums.

PRECAUTIONS:

It is recommended to avoid vervain in pregnancy as it is uterine tonic, may be used in labor.

Due to its purgative effects, excess dosages may lead to vomiting.

RECIPES:

Vervain tea is prepared by steeping 1 tsp dried herb in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes.
The dosage for children is ½ of what an adult would drink.

Standard infusion: 

3 handfuls of fresh/30 g dried plants to 500 ml water.
Take 1 cup a day.
Use a standard infusion internally to treat asthma, depression, liver & gall bladder problems & migraine.

MAGIC:

Vervain was used as a love potion for the medieval witches & a substance to cure people from the influence of the ominous spell cast by these witches.
Legends held it that vervain protects people from vampires, by mixing it in a herbal tea, keeping it near you, or using oil extracted from it in a bath.
There is also a heavy religious significance to the herb, sometimes called "herb-of-the-cross." Some believe that it grew on the hill of Calvary & was used to stop the bleeding of Christ's wounds when he was taken down from the cross.
In ancient Rome it was considered one of the sacred herbs & highly powerful.
It was often used to "sanitize" their homes & temples.
It has been called "holy herb" & "devil's bane."
In the British Isles, people held Vervain over the Beltane fire to protect their livestock & strewed it over their fields at Summer Solstice to make sure they would be fertile.
Vervain is a plant favored by the Gypsies for the drawing of love, as well as for the attraction of good luck.
Carry its dried flowers in a putsi or place them beneath your pillow before you sleep & according to Gypsy legend, the love of another you will invite.

It can be buried in a field to make crops abundant & burned to attract wealth.

When hung in the home it offers protection from negative spells.

It is also hung out of reach above a baby's crib for protection & to enable the child to grow up.
The herb can be placed above a bed to prevent nightmares.

It is said that vervain must be gathered on the first day of the new moon before sunrise or it will not be magickally effective.