Deck the Halls with Boughs

Deck the Halls with Boughs
of… Rosemary
by Robyn Seydel

“’Tis the Season” to bring the evergreen into our homes and our lives. Decking our halls with boughs of sweet-smelling greenery has a long tradition in many cultures. One herb that has traditionally been used in holiday celebrations and ancient rituals is Rosemary.

An herb of legendary proportions, even more fragrant than standard evergreens, as herbalist Maude Grieve says, “It holds a special position among herbs from the symbolism attached to it.” In addition to its spiritual and mythological employ, Rosemary has a long tradition of medicinal use that has been verified by modern research.

An evergreen shrub, native to the Mediterranean, it grows throughout southern Europe, is easily cultivated and rapidly naturalized throughout the world. Its use during the holiday season stems from both its evergreen nature and legends that tie it to the Virgin Mary. Especially popular in Spain, where it is called the Pilgrim’s Flower, it is believed to be one of the bushes that gave shelter to the Virgin Mary during the flight into Egypt.

In old France, it was known as “Incensier,” as it was often used in place of the more expensive frankincense and myrrh as incense in religious rituals. One old legend compares the growth of the plant with the height of Christ and states that after 33 years growth it increases in breadth but never in height.

Even before the Christian era it was revered for its healing and spiritual powers. Believed to strengthen memory and loyalty it became symbolic for lovers, was often worn by the bride and groom and branches of Rosemary were decorated with colorful ribbons and presented to wedding guests. Not only was it used at weddings it decked churches and banquet halls at festivals.

Protection from evil is a common theme for the plant, perhaps due to its ability to clear a foggy brain, lift the spirits, and calm the heart, and was used as protection from witches and “evil” throughout old Europe. In Sicily it was believed that young fairies, taking the shape of snakes would lie among its branches.

Symbolizing immortality, fidelity, and fertility in the next life, and protection from evil for all eternity, it was given to mourners at funerals and placed in coffins and in burials and found in ancient Egyptian mummy wrappings. In some parts of Wales, it is still the custom to give mourners branches of Rosemary to be cast onto the coffin as it is lowered into the grave.

Holiday Healing Herb
Rosemary, with its aromatic volatile oil and evergreen nature, is a perfect herb for holiday decorating. These wonderful live plants can then be planted in the garden if not kept in the warm house for longer than a week to ten days. The wonderful thing is that you still have holiday greenery in the house without cutting a tree.

Burning dried rosemary as incense or essential oil in an aromatherapy burner adds a holiday ambiance that clarifies the mind, awakens the senses, reduces exhaustion and nervous tension and uplifts the spirits. Nothing is more soothing and invigorating, on a long winter’s night, than a warm bath with a few drops of added essential oil.

Burned in medieval times in French hospitals as a purifier, modern Italian researchers have found its constituent, rosmaricine, to have pain-relieving properties, and it has long been known as a circulatory stimulant, bringing blood to the brain, improving concentration and memory.

Taking tests or have lots of schoolwork to accomplish? Try burning twigs of dried rosemary, putting a drop of oil on your temples or drinking a cup of rosemary tea.

Its antioxidant attributes may have been the reason for the legend that it slows the aging process. In a recipe given to her by a hermit, who she believed was an angel, Queen Isabella of Hungary used a tincture of Rosemary flowers, as a rub on her face and limbs.

Curing herself of “gout and infirm limb,” she recovered her health, strength and beauty to such a degree that the King of Poland proposed to this 14th Century queen when she was 72 years old. Rosemary tea wash has long been used to clear complexions and nourish hair.

It also eases headaches and migraines, a drop or two of essential oil on the temples and under the nostrils at the outset of head pain, works especially well in conjunction with skullcap and passionflower tinctures taken internally. It has also been used in cases of epilepsy and vertigo. Its bitter principle stimulates
the action of the liver and gall bladder, increasing the flow of bile and aiding in the digestion of fats.

When a few fresh leaves are chewed, they sweeten the breath and reduce gum infection and tooth decay. A tea is useful as a mouthwash for bleeding gums and loose teeth due to its astringent activity. Applied as an oil, Rosemary eases aching rheumatic muscles, and is used for long-term debility or chronic stress or illness, where it is thought to stimulate the adrenal glands.

A soothing nervine, it lifts the spirits and is useful for mild to moderate depression. Often used to flavor wine, other cordials and oils, Renaissance herbalist Wilhelm Ryff of Strasbourg, said of Rosemary, “The spirits of the heart and entire body feel joy from this drink which dispels all despondency and worry.”

This holiday season, celebrate with a bit of Rosemary!

Robyn Seydel is a faculty member at the North American College of Botanical Medicine.