Leechcrafts

12/05/2025

11/12/2023

Scorpio: your Medieval Travel Tips

Scorpio, according to your Anglo-Norman horoscope, ‘Scorpio est une signe ferme, freyde e moyste e fleumatik, de la nature de l’ewe. Donkes est il bon a prendre medicine e a seynner. N’e[st] pas bon de aler par tere ne par ewe, ne arbres planter ne estir blescé en le[s] menbres.’ 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝟭𝟰𝟮-𝟭𝟰𝟰

𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘪𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮, 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘮𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯, 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘥. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘣𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘴.

But today, thanks to airplanes, Scorpio can travel through the air and avoid the hassles of land and sea! Enjoy your new wings, Scorpio!

[Illustration: Medical Zodiac ; Paris, BnF, Latin 7028 f.154 ; 11th century]

11/01/2023

Blōtmōnaþ (modern English: blót month) was the Anglo-Saxon name for the month of November.

The name was recorded by the Anglo-Saxon scholar Bede in his treatise De temporum ratione (The Reckoning of Time), saying "Blod-monath is month of immolations, for it was in this month that the cattle which were to be slaughtered were dedicated to the gods.”
Happy November!

04/24/2023

Love this time of years when the primroses are blooming on the ditches. Every country road you go on, you’ll find a bunch. Took this snap a few minutes ago and was reminded of how I heard these called May Flowers in parts of Mayo. We have a different flower here which we called May Flowers, no right or wrong just a difference.

It was custom (and still is) in some parts of the country to sprinkle primroses on the door steps on May Eve to keep the fairies out. The story goes that ‘the boys’ weren’t a fan of yellow and that’s why the furze was also chosen for the May Bush around the country too - likewise the rowan and the whitethorn.

This sprinkling of the May flowers is still done in pockets around the country from rural South Down to rural North Wexford and it is very strong still, all over Mayo, Sligo and Donegal.

Regardless of the folklore and keeping the fairies/bad luck out, the sight of these growing on our ditches is enough to keep me happy.

Text: Michael Fortune

04/24/2023

Lady’s mantle is just surfacing - in Scottish Gaelic known as deárna-cirdhe (heart palm) or copan an driùchd (shield/round bowl of the dew) fallaing moire (Mary’s cloak) còta-preasach nighinn an rìgh (the wrinkled coat of the kings daughter) or crubh-leòmhainn (lions paw) it’s Latin name is alchemilla vulgaris.

Lady’s mantle has a lot of tannins. These astringent qualities of the tannins suggest Lady's Mantle should be used for disorders including diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, ulcers, organ prolapse, hernias, sores, and wounds that call for tissue toning. Additionally, historically, these astringent tannins have been used to treat "oozing" illnesses like conjunctivitis, pus-filled wounds, and ear infections. The plant may be used to treat inflammatory disorders such rashes, rheumatism, intestinal discomfort, and muscular pain because of the salicylates' anti-inflammatory properties. Since lady's mantle has long been used to repair and join damaged tissues, it is very beneficial for problems including eardrum tears, hernias, torn muscles, tooth extractions, and general wounds. Lady's mantle has been used by herbalists to treat anxiety and insomnia since it is also known to have some nervine effects.

Despite its many uses, Lady's Mantle has become a highly valued herb due to its wide applicability for a number of gynaecological issues. It appears to have a predilection for reproductive organs, restoring uterine tone and vitality. Lady's Mantle has traditionally been used to treat reproductive-related issues such as painful periods, irregularity, lack of bleeding, excessive bleeding, headache, uterine prolapse, abnormal and excessive vaginal discharge, vaginal infections, fibroids, endometriosis, infertility, post-partum disorders and hot flashes.

The plant was originally associated with the Virgin Mary, hence the common name of the plant so has association with Freya.

The Latin name derives from the Arabic word 'alkemelych', meaning alchemy, which was given to the plant due to its many virtues. Alchemists add the dewdrops collected on the plant's leaves to their mixtures, as they believed the water had strong magical powers.

04/18/2023

03/31/2023

One of my favourite plants is totally flourishing by our river.

Sweet cicely (Scottish Gaelic-seanas or cos-uisge which means quick water or wreathed or curled water- or mirr for myrrh). It’s also known as the Roman plant. I think it’s related to water in Gaelic as it grows near rivers and wet places but also maybe because it is a bit of a diuretic - hence swift water maybe and helps with gout. I’m only guessing here …

Myrrhis odorata is it’s latin name with common names cicely , sweet cicely, myrrh, garden myrrh, and sweet chervil is found primarily in the north and it’s a beautiful plant and smells incredible.

The cicely part is due to the Greeks calling it ‘seselis’ or ‘seseli’ and the ‘sweet’ part could have been derived from this also.

Culpeper believed the roots of the plant could act as a natural vaccine against the plague but John Gerard in the 16th Century thought the roots when boiled in water would be a cure for dull people!

People take sweet cicely as a tea or tonic for asthma and other breathing problems, cough, digestion problems, chest and throat complaints, and urinary tract disorders. It is also used as a “blood purifier.”

Bees also love it 🐝 speaking of which you can infuse beeswax with this herb to use as a polish in your house or on wooden tools :)

03/08/2023

NEW ESSAY — “Picturing Pregnancy in Early Modern Europe” — https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/picturing-pregnancy-in-early-modern-europe

When the womb began to appear in printed images during the 16th century, it was understood through analogy: a garden, uroscopy flask, or microcosm of the universe. Rebecca Whiteley explores early modern birth figures, which picture the foetus in utero, and discovers an iconic form imbued with multiple kinds of knowledge: from midwifery know-how to alchemical secrets, astrological systems to new anatomical findings.