Today, 24/6, we celebrate St. John's Day and the International Fairy Day.
Imaginarium presents the flower that holds all the magical secrets of the Day and has a special place in all the rituals of Midsummer.
St. John's wort is a plant that lives for many years.
It has small leaves and yellow flowers. It exists in many variations but in this case, we will examine the one that bears the black spots on its flowers. Its red oil can paint the fingers if we rub the flowers or the leaves. It is found everywhere and its flowering stems and leaves are easily collected. The flowering of the plant takes place in summer. Through many studies, the herb has been found to cure depression as it increases the levels of serotonin and adrenaline in the brain. Among them, it was found to contain the active substances hypericin and hyperforin, and because of these, the herb of St. John is considered an excellent mental health healer. Many herbal products today for boosting mood and mild depression, contain this herb.
According to Mara Meimaridis's book, Book of Magic 1, witches believed that the myth of the plant began in ancient times, with a king who feared his people. He lived in his palace locked up and could not sleep at night. He did not even want to see his family. They said he was deeply saddened and called the doctor from the West to cure him. But the king did not improve and the years passed. One day, at the gate of the Castle, entered a cart with an old hunched woman selling herbs. The people of the palace called her and explained that the King did not want to see the sunlight, he did not care if an army would attack the city and he did not care if the trees would give oil or wine. So they asked her to cure him. Legend has it than that, the witch approached the King and did not look him in the eyes, but only asked him:
"Where is she, my king?"
"She's gone," he replied.
"I am a lord and she daughter of humble birth. No one is like her ...", he said and sank back into his depression.
The witch went down to the kitchen and put water on the fire, opened her bag, and threw in the flowers and leaves of an herb that she knew very well. He sat with the king for weeks and they talked about his pain. The witch said to him:
"Your pain will go away, my King. This balsam grass will do the job, your love will fade and you will not be in pain anymore. Joy will come and a smile on your lips again. New love will bloom in your life; of your class this time. I tell you that I see everything. The people around will be happy and serve you".
Early in the morning of St. John's, the king woke up from a deep and restful sleep. He smiled and asked to see his subjects. From that day on, the witches call it the "thorn of St. John" because that day, the king was healed.
So as the legend shows, the plant has been known since ancient times. Specifically, the plant has been used in medicine for over 2400 years and in Ancient Greece. It was used by Hippocrates for the treatment against madness, fevers, and colds. It was also used in the Crusades to heal the wounds of battle as well as there was a general belief that it made soldiers invincible in battle.
The witches, the illuminated ones, used it to fight depression with their symptoms: fatigue, insomnia, frustration, mania, and inactivity. The less enlightened witches fought with this balsam the misfortune and the effects of evil witchcraft.
The reason this happened, as Mara Meimaridi explains, it was because most depressed people used to blame misfortune or witchcraft for their mental state, unaware that they have a mental illness.
St. John's Wort was generally given to those who had depression, sexual frustration, bad mood, and menopause with mental symptoms. It is also found in many love spells as its root was used for happiness and protection.
The herb is male and under the rule of the Sun as of course it belongs to the element of fire.
Tradition has it that if the herb is harvested on St. John's Day and soaked in olive oil then an oil called "Blood of Christ" will be created. There is a connection between the day of St. John's beheading and the herb. The oil produced is used in the exorcism but also the pagan ritual of the Middle Ages. Its red color is associated with death and rebirth and all the rituals associated with them, as well as the celebrations of female mysteries.
Its ancient name was Fuga Daemonico, meaning the terror of the devil, and its Latin name Hypericum means above + apparition and testifies to the usefulness of the plant in expelling ghosts and spirits. Not coincidentally, the herb was hung above the religious icons in the house or people had it as an amulet on them. They were also used to protect against lightning.
There are various precautions regarding St. John's wort. For example, the legend says that if you collect the plant, the fairies will steal you. The herb was also used for divination and longevity. Tradition has it that on the eve of St. Johns or the Mid-Summer Festival, it was hung over the beds of family members to find out who would live longer. The branch that would be more withered the next day indicates who would die faster. In addition, it is said that if you put a branch under your pillow you will see Saint John in your sleep and he will promise you that you will live another year. If the Saint did not pay a night's visit, however, you should expect that you may die soon. Of course, all these, stem from the insecurity of the people of that time and the few medical tools at their disposal.
Finally, in the fires of the Midsummer, they burned the herb or simply bringing its flowers to the house to protect the house from misfortune, evil spirits, disease, fire, and of course evil eye.
The use of the herb should be done with caution and on the advice of a doctor. Also if there is contraceptive protection you should know that the herb can neutralize the contraceptive effect. In the case of depression, it should not be combined with antidepressants. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use St. John's wort as it may cause miscarriage or side effects in the breastfeeding baby.
Magical Secrets
Burn St. John's wort in an iron pot as pot pouri for the house. It is also considered a spell for magical protection against fire!
The same is true in variation. Gather the Wort on the eve of the feast of Mid-Summer (21/6). Place it in a glass container and store it near a window.
A tincture from its flowers and leaves in olive oil protects against the evil eye. Rub your body with it and especially the heels and the back of the neck.
The sister of the herb of St. John's Wort is Artemisia. The ancient Greeks considered that these two together are allies who work to protect us. Artemisia is ruled by Artemis and protects us during the night, while the Wort by Apollo and protects us during the day. One way to get protection is to have pots of both plants, especially if you have them in a circle around the place where you are sitting. You need at least four pots, two of each to create a cross.
Another way is to put the dried leaves and flowers of the herb in a bag or a pendant and have them on you all day, while for the night you will make a dream pillow or another pendant with Artemisia, for protection during sleep.
Gather the St. John's wort on Mid-Summer Eve and hang the branches on the walls or in the high corners in each room so that they can detect bad energy. As soon as some negative energy passes the threshold its flowers will fall.
In case of mental attack, fear is the worst enemy for it and this herb offers relief from the fear of mental attack as well as offers protection but also courage. It is commercially available in spray or alternatively, you can put its flowers in your bathroom.
Any part of the herb placed under the pillow allows unmarried women to dream of their future husbands.
Imaginarium Magazine issue 7, June 2021 Anastasia Diakidi