The Shamanic Herbal: Freya's Herbs


Cowslip

(Primula veris)

Names: Arthritica, Artetyke, Buckles, Cuy, Drelip, Fairy Cup, Frauenchlussel, Herb Peter, Key Flower, Key of Heaven, Lady's Key, Lippe, Paigle, Paralysio, Password, Peggle, Plumrocks.
Household Uses: Cowslip is traditionally used in jam, wine, and pickle. A wash of cowslip water will improve the complexion.
Traditional Magical Uses: Cowslip preserves youth and beauty, discourages visitors when placed beneath the front porch, and can be used as a dowsing sprig to find hidden treasure.
Shamanic Magical Use: Is sacred to Freyja, and can be used to lead you to her hall, Sessrumnir. It is said to be able to open the door to her hall, thus the names "Lady's Key"and "Password".

Primrose

(Primula vulgaris)

Names: Butter Rose, English Cowslip, Password
Medicinal Uses: Primrose infusion is a good cough and headache remedy and mild sedative.
Household Uses: Primrose flowers are edible and can be put into salads, made into jam, crystallized, or used in an ancient Roman dessert of rice, almonds, honey, saffron and ground primrose petals. Dried flowers and powdered roots are used in potpourri.
Traditional Magical Uses: Protects the garden from adversity, attracts faeries, attracts love and lust, cures madness, and when sewn into children's pillows, makes them loyal to their parents.
Shamanic Magical Use: Also Freyja's flower; works interchangeably with Cowslip.

Strawberry

(Fragaria vesca)

Names: Erdbeer
Medicinal Uses: Wild strawberry leaves are a uterine tonic, and good for pregnant women.
Household Uses: Jam, pie, or just plain eating.
Traditional Magical Uses: Love spells, luck spells, and pregnancy spells.
Shamanic Magical Use: Sacred to Freyja, they can be used to find her when she goes home to Vanaheim periodically.

Daisy

(Bellis perennis)

Names: Bairnwort, Bruisewort, Day's Eye, Llygady Dydd, Maudlinwort, Moon of the Day
Medicinal Uses: Drink in tea for enteritis, diarrhea, coughs and colds. Crushed fresh leaves can be added to a poultice to heal wounds and sprains.
Household Uses: Young leaves and petals are edible in salad; an infusion can be added to a spring tonic bath to revive dull skin. Good nectar plant for be es and butterflies.
Traditional Magical Uses: When worn, helps in flirting. Brings love.
Shamanic Magical Use: Sacred to Freya, it can be used for protection during battle. Its protection extends especially to warriors who are women or nonheterosexuals, as these come under Freya's dominion rather than Odhinn's.

Linden Tree

(Tilia europaea)

Names: Lime Tree
Medicinal Uses: Linden tea is a digestive and calming tonic. Used prophylactically, it heals and relaxes blood vessels and prevents arteriosclerosis.
Household Uses: Flowers are used to flavor sweets and liqueurs, and the blossoms are used in soothing skin salves. A tea of wilted flowers can sometimes produce mild intoxication. Wood is suitable for small, intricate carvings.
Traditional Magical Uses: The branches are used protectively to ward a house; the flowers are used in love spells, and the bark is used to prevent drunkenness. It is a tree of immortality, and can be used in spells of this nature.
Shamanic Magical Use: Sacred to Freyja, the tree can be used as an anchor to visit her hall.

(Upon doing this research, I noticed that the plants associated with Freya seemed to fall into some sort of pattern. For a moment, I thought I heard her voice in my head, giving a snort, and then the pattern clearly fell into place. I could almost hear her "well, of course!" They correspond to her four major "hats", as it were. The Linden tree is sacred to Freya as Love Goddess; the Strawberry (still known as erdbeeren or "earth-berry" in German) to her aspect as maiden of fertility. The Cowslip and Primrose, magically interchangeable except that the Cowslip is a bit more powerful, are for her job as Mistress of Seidhr, and they will supposedly help you to journey to her hall. The Daisy, or "day's eye", oddly enough, corresponds to her role as warrior goddess and leader of the Valkyries. Prettiness aside, anyone who's ever tried to uproot them or weed them all out will know how tough they are. )