Charms

Whenever I hear charm, I think of a little figure on a bracelet.
This isn’t what I’m talking about today though.

In magic or witchcraft, a charm is/are magical words, phrases, chants, incantations, or prayers when verbal.
They’re also incantations or symbols drawn on paper, parchment, wood, or other materials including the body.
There are other charms that include phrases and actions like spitting.

They’ve been common since ancient times and can be used for any purpose: find love or riches, fertility and potency, or to make a man impotent, revenge, to keep a lover faithful, protection of self, property or animals, or to get rid of pests.

Folk witches, and cunning folk were often sought to create a charm to break or repel spells of other witches, ill-wishing, evil eye, etc.
The church promoted the use of holy charms like rosaries, and holy relics. In the 17th Century, the rosary was blessed as a charm/amulet against fire, tempest, and evil spirits.
Abracadabra was originally a charm from around the 2nd Century Rome, probably older, and was believed to cure fever.

Folk witches renowned for their healing abilities used many charms creating the name Charmers for themselves. I’m sure charmers became a nickname the townsfolk called them.
They used Christian prayers spoken or written in Latin. The church was okay with the use of these prayers and scripture quotes for protection and cures, but they didn’t like Charmers and witches prescribing them.
In the 17th Century a sorcerer from Nottingham began selling a charm against witchcraft, copies of St. John’s Gospel, and to break the spell he prescribed herbs and the recitation of five Our Fathers, five Hail Mary’s, and one Creed.

In the 19th Century, England poems similar to nursery rhymes were said to protect against witchcraft. Witches had their own good luck charms too. They were also used for other purposes like gathering medicinal herbs.
The belief in charms started to dwindle in the 17th Century. There are some we still use today though, Ladies –guys too- how many times did you pluck petals from a flower while saying, “He loves me…. He loves me not”? I know my friends and I plucked every flower and clover we could find one year.
Wiccans replaced the word charm with chant or incantation.

Images found on Google search

Ashes

Vampire ashes cure vampirism!

A story from 19th century Romania tells of an old woman who died, a few months later her oldest son’s children began to die one by one. Then the youngest son’s children.

They exhumed her body because they suspected she’d turned into a vampire. They cut her body into two pieces and reburied her. The children’s death’s continued. The dug up the body a second time.

This time they found it in one piece and without any wounds. They were astonished, they took her body deep into the nearby forest. Under a tree they disemboweled the corpse and removed the heart.

Fresh blood flowed from her heart as they cut it into four pieces. The pieces of heart were burned, the ashes saved, the rest of the body and entrails were burned to ash then buried..

The sons mixed the ashes they saved with water and made the remaining children drink it. There weren’t any more attacks.

There are other cases from the Cusmir area of Romania. Two well-known stories envolve a family member dies, then his relations become sick. When the villages exhume the corpse, it’s usually full of flesh blood. His heart and liver are removed and burned. The ashes are mixed with water. The ill family members drink this potion and miraculously become better.

Some places believe the smoke of a burning vampire heart will protect from evil. Villagers walked through it to become protected.

n 18th and 19th century New England several bodies were exhumed and the organs burned. (Remember Consumption and Mercy Brown) The ash potion was given to people suffering from consumption.

Witches and Herbs

Here ye! Here ye! Let it be known the witching hour is about to commense.

Today we’ll look at herbs.
Some witches use herbs and plants in their magic. Much, like naturalists do. Their knowledge of plants would impress anyone. They’re walking encyclopedias. Their medicinal gardens can rival any modern pharmacy.
Their spells usually involve plant life. Some plants are believed to have the power to increase or diminish emotions.

These witches go by many names: Hedge Witch, Green Witch, Kitchen Witch, and Cottage Witch.
They usually have a large gardens or pot gardens, if you’re allowed in their homes; you will find herbs and plants being dried for later use.

There were some wise enough or lucky enough to learn the ways of these Wise Ones. Some of the knowledge passed from generation to generation. Some families were able to keep themselves fairy healthy.

My family has always had some small knowledge in herbs in home remedies. Chamomile tea to ease stomach upset. Drinking hot water with lemon and honey to relieve sore throats. When I became a mom, I learned more still from my In-laws and friends. Tea made of any one of the mint family also helps upset stomachs. Soak a candy cane in warm water and give the water to an infant (check the temperature first) to ease colic. Cabbage tea helps to heal and relieve the discomfort of ulcer pains. Stomach problems dominate my household, that’s where my interest is.
I’ve recently learned Lavender widely believed to help promote relaxation can also promote sleep and help relieve headaches. I suffer from chronic migraines and insomnia so I will be searching for a Lavender sachet or potpourri to keep at my bedside.

In recent years, a surge of scientific studies has proved the power of herbs in health. A Google search will bring more site and studies than a single person could read in a week. There’s also a wide array of books, about herbs and plants used to promote health or what herbs/plants you could eat if you were stranded without food.

Most of our current medications originally started as a plant compound, with time scientists have found a way to make a synthetic copy of those compounds and mass-produce our medicines. New plants are being found in the depths of the remaining rainforests that are promoting our health too.

The old Wise Ones were wise beyond their time.

Photo Credits:

Drying Herbs    http://usesofherbs.com/
Bundles of Herbs http://frugallysustainable.com/2012/01/day-13-growing-your-own-herbs/
Mortar and Pestle http://integrativeveterinarycenter.com/services/chinese-herbal-medicine/
Inside Mortar http://www.thehealersjournal.com/2012/08/31/how-knowing-your-ayurvedic-dosha-can-change-your-life/