Foxglove is a plant believed to attract faeries and serves as a gateway to the realm of the fae. Its flowers and leaves can be used in spellwork for love, protection, and divination purposes. The dew from the blossoms can be used in spells for communicating with faerie folk, but gloves must be worn when handling the plant, as it is very toxic. In Scotland, the leaves from foxglove are used in ritual spells for communicating with Sídhe.
In witchcraft and Wiccan traditions, foxglove is often used in spells related to protection, divination, and communication with spirits. Witches might incorporate foxglove’s toxic chemical, digitalis, which acts powerfully on the heart and kidneys. The plant’s historical and cultural significance is explored, including its symbolism, mythology, medicinal uses, and ecological importance.
The dew collected from the blossoms can be used in ritual spells for communicating with Sídhe. Foxglove is known for its striking beauty, particularly due to its intense colors. Fresh flowers can be used in spells that open one’s heart to love, while dried flowers can be used for the opposite. The extracted juice can be used to charm objects.
Foxglove is also linked to magic and witchcraft, particularly of the baneful kind, due to its deadly nature. In witchcraft and Wiccan traditions, foxglove is often used in spells related to protection, divination, and communication with spirits. The plant is also associated with witches and has protective properties against evil and can foster relationships with fairies.
📹 How This Flower Became Medicine (Foxglove & Digitalis) | Patrick Kelly
Digitalis was a common medication in the mid to late 20th century used to treat heart failure. But it has a history as an herbal, …
Do fairies like foxglove?
Foxgloves bend and sway gracefully due to their sacred nature to fairies and spiritual beings. Wordsworth and Tennyson immortalized the foxglove in their works, with Wordsworth being aware of its deadly qualities. In The Borderers, a woman describes a dream where her child was hushed by a slip of foxglove, and a bee darted into one of the same bells. The child, with joy, held the bee to his ear, and it suddenly grew black as he would die. This legend highlights the power of foxgloves in recognizing and bowing to these beings.
What is foxglove used in?
Foxglove, a plant containing a chemical called digitalis, has been demonstrated to treat heart failure and high blood pressure by increasing blood flow and boosting the body’s defense mechanisms. However, its consumption can be poisonous and cause various health issues.
What if I get touched by foxglove?
Foxglove plant contains digitalis and other cardiac glycosides, which are used in medicine in small doses to treat various health issues. Doctors in England, including William Withering, started experimenting with the use of foxglove around 1776 to treat dropsy or edema, irregular heartbeat, and heart failure. Digitalis slows heart rate, strengthens contractions of the heart muscle, increases heart output, and decreases the size of the heart. However, it is only used in small doses, as half a gram of dried leaf or two grams of fresh leaf ingested can kill an adult human.
Despite the potential dangers of handling and being around Foxglove, it can still be found for sale at garden shops and nurseries in New Hampshire. Bedford Fields advertises the plant for use in gardens, but caution should be exercised when planting it around children and pets. For those in Andover with kids or animals, it is recommended to become familiar with the plant before adding it to gardens or picking it in fields.
What was foxglove used for in ancient times?
In order to objectively demonstrate the efficacy of foxglove in treating dropsy, an edematous bodily swelling typically associated with heart failure, Withering used 156 of his own cases.
How toxic is foxglove to humans?
Foxglove plants contain toxic cardiac glycosides that can cause severe poisoning when consumed. This often occurs due to misidentification of the plant’s leaves as comfrey (Symphytum officinale), which can result in a range of symptoms, including nausea, headache, skin irritation, and diarrhea.
What does foxglove do to a person?
Foxgloves are a common plant in folk medicine, with their cardiac glycosides used to create a heart stimulant drug. However, ingestion of these glycosides can cause a range of adverse effects, including nausea, headache, skin irritation, and diarrhea. In some cases, these effects may lead to visual and perceptual disturbances.
What gods are associated with foxglove?
In Roman mythology, Juno, a woman who was weary of Jupiter’s propensity for procreating with other women, was persuaded by the goddess Flora to touch a foxglove to her belly and breasts. This act resulted in the conception of Mars.
Is foxglove poisonous?
Foxglove, a common garden plant, contains cardiac glycosides that affect the heart. Despite its toxicity, documented cases of poisoning are uncommon. The flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds of the foxglove plant are utilized in the formulation of heart medications, which can result in irregular or slow heartbeats, collapse, and low blood pressure.
Is foxglove a drug?
Foxglove, a plant known for its heart-enhancing properties, is used in the production of the prescription drug digoxin, derived from the plant Digitalis lanata. It is also used for treating irregular heartbeats and heart failure, although there is no strong scientific evidence supporting these claims. Foxglove’s toxic parts necessitate medical professional monitoring. While foxglove may improve irregular heartbeats like atrial fibrillation or flutter, it can also be poisonous. It may also improve heart failure and fluid build-up, but it can also be harmful.
What is the mythology of foxgloves?
The foxglove plant, despite its toxic nature, is believed to provide household protection and attract fairies and elves. The white spots on the tubular flowers are marks left by these fairies, while others interpret them as warnings of the plant’s lethal powers. In Scandinavian folklore, fairies teach foxes to ring bells to alert each other to hunters, and placing foxglove leaves beneath a stolen child’s crib is believed to lure mischievous spirits back.
In Roman mythology, the foxglove plant played a pivotal role in a tale of jealousy and feminine power. Juno, the queen of the gods, was consumed by jealousy and resentment for giving birth to the goddess Minerva without a mother’s involvement. Flora, the goddess of flowers, gently cared for Juno with the delicate petals of the foxglove, resulting in her impregnating herself with the potent magic of the natural world. This immaculate conception led to the birth of Mars, the god of war, born solely from a union between Juno’s feminine power and the mystical properties of the foxglove.
What is foxglove symbolism?
In medieval manuscripts, foxgloves are frequently interpreted as representations of the Virgin Mary. The name Digitalis is thought to refer to Mary’s sewing or spinning activities, while her bell shape is seen as symbolizing her purity and grace.
📹 The Lore and Uses of Foxglove
The green witch takes a look at Foxglove and it’s history. Also looking at some uses of the toxic plant. Join me on Facebook: …
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