Candlelight Spells: The Modern Witch's Book of Spellcasting, Feasting, and Healing - Gerina Dunwich 2000

A Glossary of Terms Used in Herbalism
Herbs

ALTERATIVES—Botanicals which tend to alter a condition and restore normal health. Alternatives are frequently combined with aromatics, bitter tonics and demulcents: agrimony, American mandrake, American spikenard, bittersweet, black cohosh root, bloodroot, blue flag root, blue nettle root, dock, horseheal root, mayapple, pipsissewa, scabwort root & speedwell.

ANTI-ASTHMATICS—Botanicals that are smoked or taken internally to relieve bronchial asthma: California gum plant leaves, daisy, nettle, red clover ground blossoms and yerba santa.

ANTISEPTICS—Botanicals which destroy the microorganisms responsible for causing infection: blue gentian extract, costmary, dead nettle, dogwood bark, Egyptian onion, elder, eucalyptus leaves and oil, garlic, horseheal root, horseradish, indigo broom, oak bark, plantain, scabwort root, smooth sumac bark, violet and witch hazel.

ANTISPASMODICS—Botanicals which prevent or relieve involuntary muscle spasms and cramps such as charley horses, epilepsy and menstrual pain: blue cohosh, cajeput, passion vine and roman chamomile.

APHRODISIACS—Plants that stimulate the sex organs and intensify sexual desire: elder, ginger, ginseng, hazel, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon verbena, lovage, mandrake root, serpentaria root and sundew.

AROMATICS—Fragrant herbs used in potpourris, sachets, oils, scented candles, perfumes, etc.: acacia flowers, angelica root, anise seed, bugle, burdock, calamus root, caraway, cardamon seeds, cinnamon, clove, coriander, honeysuckle, lavender, lemon verbena, lilac blossoms, mace, mint leaves, nutmeg, orange blossoms and leaves, orris root, rosemary, rose petals, southernwood, St. John’s wort, sweet peak, violet, wintergreen.

ASTRINGENTS—Botanicals which cause contraction of the skin tissues: agrimony, alder bark, alum root, avens, bayberry bark and roots, bearberry leaves, black alder bark, blackberry root, black birch leaves, black cohosh, bugle, costmary, dead nettle, dock, dogwood bark, eucalyptus oil, European birch bark, fluxweed, goldenrod, hawthorne berries, hepatica, holly berries and leaves, horseheal root, Jacob’s ladder, manzanita leaves and fruits, oak bark, periwinkle, pipsissewa, potentilla, scabwort root, shepherd’s purse, smooth sumac seed heads, southernwood, St. John’s wort, sweet fern, trailing arbutus, wax myrtle, white birch bark, wintergreen, witch hazel and yarrow.

BITTER TONICS—Botanicals with a bitter taste which stimulate the flow of gastric juices and saliva, increase the appetite and aid digestion: black haw bark, blessed thistle, bugle, dandelion, dogwood, goldenseal root and wild cherry bark.

CATHARTICS—Botanicals and other substances which cause evacuation of the bowels. Cathartics are divided into two categories: laxatives and purgatives. A laxative produces gentle bowel stimulation while purgatives induce more forceful evacuation to relieve severe constipation. Laxatives: aloe vera, balmony, boneset, bunchberry, chickory, dandelion, dock, horehound, horseradish, hydrangea, magnolia, olive oil, red mulberry fruit, walnuts, white ash bark. Purgatives: barberry, blue flag, castor oil, chaparral tea (or spurge), fennel, mayapple, poinciana leaves and senna leaves.

DEMULCENTS—Substances taken internally which soften and smooth inflamed mucous membranes and are used to treat coughs and minor throat irritations: blessed thistle, borage, coltsfoot, goldenseal root, hound’s tongue and Solomon’s seal.

DIAPHORETICS—Substances taken internally to increase sweating. Such substances are also called sudorifics and are frequently used to break common colds and fevers, and to promote good health: black cohosh, broom, cajeput, calendula, catnip, chamomile, elder flowers, garlic, ginger root, horseheal, hyssop, Jacob’s ladder, linden flowers, mugwort, oregano, pennyroyal, rosebay, saffron, salad burnet, scabwort, serpentaria root, vervain and yarrow.

DIURETICS—Plants which increase urine secretion and work to correct urinary disorders: agrimony, balm, bearberry, black cohosh, blue cohosh, blue flag, boneset, broom, chicory, cleavers, cucumber seeds, daphne bark and root, garlic, germander, gravel root, ground cedar, horseheal, horseradish, horsetails, hydrangea, joe-pye weed, juniper berries, parsley, pipsissewa, pumpkin seeds, rosebay, rue, scabwort, shepherd’s purse, sorrel, sunflower seeds, vervain, wild carrot, wood sage, wormwood and yarrow.

EMETICS—Plants which induce vomiting: adder’s tongue, bay, black mustard seeds, blue flag, bloodroot, cliffrose, elkweed roots, hedge-hyssop, ilex berries, mandrake, mayapple, wake-robin roots and white mustard seeds.

EXPECTORANTS—Botanicals which loosen phlegm of the mucous membranes and promote its expulsion: benzoin, bloodroot, chokecherry, coltsfoot, garlic, horehound leaves, licorice root, slippery elm bark, storax tree bark gum, sunflower seeds, sweet gum, vervain, violet, white pine dried inner bark and yerba santa leaves.

SEDATIVES—Herbs which sooth, calm nervousness and tranquilize: bugleweed, catnip, chamomile leaves, fennel, Heal-All, hop vine oil, horsebalm, linden flowers, New Jersey tea, passion vine, scullcap, skunk cabbage root, valerian, viburnum and witch hazel.

STIMULANTS—Herbs which increase or speed up the various functional actions of the human body: angelica, bayberry bark and roots, black pepper, bloodroot, calendula, caraway, cayenne pepper, coriander, elder flowers, garlic, horseheal root, horseradish, lavender, mayweed, nettle, nutmeg, pennyroyal, pine, prickly ash bark, rosebay, sassafras root, scabwort root, serpentaria root, sweet flag, vervain, wild ginger, wintergreen, wormwood and yarrow.

STOMACHIC—Plants which have curative properties in easing disorders of the stomach: angelica, avens, blessed thistle, blue gentian, bogbean, burdock leaves, cayenne, elecampane, ginseng, gum plant, hop plant, lemon verbena, oyster plant, peppermint, roman chamomile, rosemary, salsify, spearmint, sweet flag and yerba buena.

TONICS—Plants which strengthen or invigorate the body and stimulate general health: agrimony, avens, barberries, bayberry bark and roots, bloodroot, burdock, chamomile, chickory, coltsfoot, dandelion, ginger, goldenrod, horehound, joe-pye weed, mint, pipsissewa, red clover, rue, sea holly, selfheal, speedwell, sweet fern, sweet flag, tansy, vervain, watercress, witch hazel, wood sage, wormwood and yarrow.

VULNERARY—Herbs which are used to treat minor external wounds such as burns, cuts and scrapes: allheal, comfrey, horsetail grass, marshmallow root and plantain.