Before I dive into the herbal history I promised, I’ll explain some practices specific to herbalism, list a few of the plant’s I’ve looked into, and expand on what they may be used for.
One plant may be known by multiple names, depending on the time period and the region. Though we think of plants as stationary (true, they don’t have legs), they are really quite peripatetic.
We forget that plants have been around longer than humans, and they’ve branched out from where they originate, so that there are multiple species throughout the globe.
Angelica is one of these species.
Angelica was the first plant I wrote a poem about, and I realized quickly that I was being snobbish, and writing about only one type of Angelica. I didn’t want to discriminate, so I wrote a poem for the most commonly used forms: of European plant (Angelica archangelica), Chinese plant (Angelica sinensis)and U.S. (Angelica atropurpurea). Thats’s when I realized I needed a better system because this practice could literally take my entire life.
Instead I chose one of the common names of the next few herbs I wrote about, and then listed the herb’s latin name beneath the title, in order to avoid confusion.
Not only do herbalists need to think of the various species of herbs, but they can’t confuse one herb for another. Most people who do not work with herbs can understand this—I’ve seen friends pick spearmint thinking they’re snipping a spring of basil.
Herbalists know that many plants look alike and may be easily confused. For example, mugwort can easily be confused with water cypress. This could be a particularly tragic mix-up since water cypress is deadly.
Not only do herbalists need to distinguish the plants they use, but also the various parts of the plants. Seeds do different work than flowers. Roots have different properties than leaves.
There is more. Next are the many options as to how you want to prepare the plant. Some herbs do better in water, others are fat soluble (then there’s the decision of which kind of fat you want to use). Still others can be prepared with alcohol or vinegar to bring out their properties.
Depending on what effects you desire, you may only want to cook the herb with a meal (concoction), make a tea (infusion), or simmer the herb in a specific ratio of water to plant matter for a longer time, and this makes a concentrated solution (decoction). Tinctures invole soaking the herb in alcohol or vinegar. There are still more ways (syrups, salves, poultices, and (yeah) suppositories etc.) but I haven’t found effective and safe ways to use these as birth control.
Another aspect herbalists consider is the season, or time in the season. Many herbalists, and witches who work with herbs, will also take into consideration the time of day. I remember the first time I realized that the batch of oregano I’d harvested was stronger than previous batches because I’d picked the herb on a nice dewy morning, rather than midday when the oils are not as potent. There is also the moon phase, and if you watch plants close enough you’ll notice that certain plants will flower on the full or new moons. I once harvested mugwort on a full moon, and then promptly had to remove it from my apartment because I had a strong allergic reaction to it, which I’d never had before.
To give some examples of the classifications of herbs I mentioned in my first post (contraceptive, emmenagogic, and abortifacient), here is a short list of the three:
Contraceptive:
Queen Anne’s Lace
Wild Yam
Neem
Emmenagogue:
Parsley
Ginger
Black Cohosh
Mugwort
Abortifacient:
Pennyroyal
Tansy
Angelica
One of the reasons I’m not writing about individual herbs is because if you don’t know what you’re doing, they can be poisonous.
In my research I’ve read some truly hopeful stories, and some downright horrific events. Herbs are so powerful and there are many ways they have shaped our history.
I’ll be writing about the use of them as a form of population control used by the state and by guilds in early Western history, and I’ll explain how mistranslations have changed history and consequently shaped our current outlook on abortion.
If you want to learn more about herbal birth control, I say go for it! There are plenty of resources to learn from, online and in print. Please message me if you want specifics, and I will soon compile a list that will be helpful and publish it.
