Plant Shamanism: For the Love of Rosemary

I love the Rosemary plant.

Rosemary is a great friend of humanity, especially during the colder, winter season. Somewhere, in my many life experiences, I heard that Rosemary can help with depression (and SAD). Since then (I think it was during college), I've always kept a large stock handy in the fall and winter, when I feel particularly blah and lazy and unfocused.


Back in 2011, I learned to approach the Rosemary plant shamanically, with the intent to start & strengthen our relationship. After Journeying to her during my classes, I learned the following:
  • I have a yummy spicy hardy scent!
  • I can dispel Anxiety and Depression, and help to sharpen your focus so that you can Act with Intention:
    • I can stop the feeling of "being trapped in fear" when both depressed and anxious.
  • I am a brain stimulant, and can affect your levels of Serotonin.
  • I can grow in hardier soils, and I call to animals & critters which will eventually enrich the earth.
  • And I am a "conduit for Magical Intent."
Since moving to Maryland from NYC, I've added to the above list: House Guardian. I received a beautiful Rosemary plant as part of a house-warming gift, and she has taken on the role of protector and guardian of my apartment. A few months later, I learned that in old German custom, plants were often given this role: (there should be a link here, but I cannot seem to find the article via Google! Argh!).

So how can you begin a relationship with Rosemary? Talk with her. Ask to use her in cooking. Use all five senses to understand her physical presence.Grow a Rosemary plant in your office/workplace. Hang a sprig over your doorway. Keep some in your bag/pocket, and inhale the incredible scent when you need a "brain break." There's even Rosemary incense!

I enjoy cooking with Rosemary, and asking for her Healing as I eat. She pairs really well with Roast chicken, Beef stew, and sauces. If you are not much of a cook, then head to your nearest grocery store and you will see that Rosemary is used in crackers, breads, frozen dinners, veggie dishes, and even dips!

On this quiet Saturday, after cleaning my apartment from end to end, I asked for her help in relieving some of my own seasonal depression. And I baked some homemade Rosemary and Olive Oil bread:

GF bread = heaven




How will you start a relationship with Rosemary this season?

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