Chamomile

Chamomile

🌿 Herb Identification

  • Common Name: Chamomile
  • Botanical Name: Matricaria chamomilla (German chamomile)
  • Also Known As: Blue Chamomile, Wild Chamomile
  • Plant Family: Asteraceae (Daisy family)
  • Plant Type: Annual flowering herb
  • Native Region: Europe & Western Asia (now widely naturalized)

Note: Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is similar but milder and more bitter; the medicinal dosing below reflects German chamomile, the most commonly used.

🔍 Physical Description

  • Flowers: Small white petals with yellow cone centers
  • Leaves: Fine, feathery, aromatic
  • Aroma: Sweet, apple-like, soft, calming
  • Taste: Mildly sweet, slightly bitter, soothing

🌱 Growing & Harvesting

  • Sun: Full sun to partial shade
  • Water: Moderate
  • Soil: Light, well-draining
  • Harvest Time: When flowers are fully open
  • Harvest Method: Pinch flower heads regularly to encourage blooming
  • Drying: Air-dry flowers in a single layer, away from direct light

🔮 Magical Correspondences

  • Element: Water
  • Planet: Sun
  • Zodiac: Leo
  • Gender/Energy: Feminine
  • Chakra: Solar Plexus, Heart

✨ Magical Properties

  • Calm & peace
  • Emotional soothing
  • Gentle protection
  • Luck & prosperity
  • Healing & comfort

🕯️ Magical Uses

  • Sleep and dream magic
  • Stress-relief rituals
  • Healing sachets and baths
  • Gentle cleansing (non-banishing)
  • Comfort work during grief or exhaustion

🌿 Medicinal / Folk Uses

(Traditional and educational reference — not a substitute for professional medical advice)

Chamomile is one of the most gentle and universally used medicinal herbs, often called a remedy for everything gentle. It is especially valued as a nervine, digestive relaxant, and anti-inflammatory, making it suitable for children, elders, and sensitive constitutions.

🧠 Nervous System & Emotional Support

Traditionally used to:

  • Calm anxiety and nervous tension
  • Ease irritability, restlessness, and emotional overwhelm
  • Support emotional regulation in children

Chamomile is classified as a mild to moderate nervine—soothing without being strongly sedating.

😴 Sleep Support

Used to:

  • Promote relaxation before sleep
  • Ease difficulty falling asleep due to tension or worry
  • Support restful sleep in adults and children

Chamomile is especially helpful when sleeplessness is tied to digestive discomfort or emotional stress.

🫃 Digestive Support

A classic remedy for:

  • Gas, bloating, and cramping
  • Nervous stomach
  • Indigestion
  • Infant colic (very dilute preparations)

Chamomile works by:

  • Relaxing smooth muscle
  • Reducing inflammation
  • Calming gut–brain signaling

🩹 Anti-Inflammatory & Antispasmodic Uses

Traditionally used for:

  • Menstrual cramps
  • Muscle tension
  • Headaches related to stress

Also used externally for:

  • Skin irritation
  • Rashes and eczema
  • Minor wounds

🦠 Antimicrobial & Immune Support

Used in folk medicine to:

  • Support recovery from colds
  • Soothe sore throat and inflamed tissues
  • Gently discourage infection

🧪 Preparations & Traditional Dosage

🍵 Infusion (Tea) — Primary Method

  • Dose:
    • 1–2 tablespoons dried flowers
    • Per 1 cup hot water
  • Steep Time: 10–15 minutes (covered)
  • Frequency:
    • 2–4 cups per day

✔️ Suitable for daily and long-term use
✔️ Can be taken stronger for acute stress

🌙 Sleep Tea (Stronger Infusion)

  • 2 tablespoons dried flowers
  • Steep 15 minutes
  • 1 cup 30–60 minutes before bed

💧 Tincture

  • Dose:
    • 1–4 mL
    • Up to 3 times daily
  • Useful for anxiety, digestion, or cramping

🧴 External Wash / Compress

  • Strong infusion applied to:
    • Irritated skin
    • Eye compresses (cooled, well-strained)
    • Muscle tension

🫖 Children’s & Infant Use (Traditional)

  • Very dilute tea (½–1 teaspoon flowers per cup)
  • Used for colic, teething discomfort, or restlessness

⚠️ Always strain well and use small amounts.

⚠️ Safety & Contraindications

  • Very safe for most people
  • Possible allergy in those sensitive to plants in the daisy family
  • Large amounts may cause mild nausea in rare cases
  • Safe for children and elders when properly prepared

Chamomile is considered one of the safest gateway herbs in herbal medicine.

🌕 Ritual Timing

  • Moon Phase: Full Moon
  • Best Days: Sunday
  • Seasonal Alignment: Spring–summer

🧙 Witch’s Herbal Wisdom

“Chamomile is the herb you give when you don’t know what else to give.”

Chamomile is best used:

  • When the body or spirit is overwhelmed
  • When gentleness is more effective than force
  • As a base herb to soften stronger medicines or spells

 🗂️ Keywords

Calm · Comfort · Sleep · Digestion · Gentle Healing · Emotional Ease


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