Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) Seeds

Description ShareTweetPinLinkedInPrintEmail Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) Seeds HERB COMMON NAME :  Fennel HERB SCIENTIFIC NAME :  Foeniculum Vulgare OTHER NAMES :  Samar, Sweet Fennel, Sheeh, Hinijo, Fenkel, Finkel FAMILY :  Apiaceae (formerly Umbelliferae) ASSOCIATIONS & CORRESPONDENCES : Element: Fire Planet: Mercury Direction: South Zodiac Sign:  Virgo Chakra: 3rd Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura) Energy: Yang Gender: Masculine Rune: Dagaz Animal:  butterflies, rabbits, bees, ladybugs Sabbat or Holiday: Litha / Midsummer / Midsomer / the Summer Solstice (btw June 19-24) Deity or God / Goddess Association: Prometheus, Dionysus, Adonis, Hephaestus   Parts Used:  Seeds Description:  Fennel is a bulbous, flowering plant that is original to the Mediterranean region and now cultivated in India, Russia and France. From the feathery leaves to the large bulbous root, the entire plant exudes a licorice-like aroma. When cooked as a vegetable, fennel is sweet. The seed is equally pleasant, lending a warm, spicy-sweet aroma and flavor to foods and teas. Fennel history dates back to Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79), the Roman author of The Naturalis Historie. He believed that snakes ate and rubbed against fennel because it was able to improve their eyesight after shedding their skins. Following that observation, Pliny believed fennel was so powerful that he used the aromatic herb to treat 22 different ailments. The volatile oil in fennel relaxes the smooth muscles of the intestines thus relieving flatulence.  Fennel is also anti-inflammatory in the intestines. Fennel was a staple in the household of King Edward I of England, used as a condiment and an appetite suppressant. On church mandated fasting days, the faithful used fennel to get through the day, a tradition brought to the United States by the Puritans. They would bring handkerchiefs with fennel seed to nibble on during long services to stave off hunger; which led to fennel seeds often being referred to as “meetin’ seeds”. Hippocrates suggested fennel could aid wet nurses to increase their milk supply. Fennel was used as an antidote to poisons by the Romans, Chinese, and Hindus. Culpepper also believed fennel to be an effective antidote for poisonous mushrooms and snake bites. A plaster of fennel roots was a traditional treatment for the bites of mad dogs. Some curanderos (Spanish folk healers) brush the body of a patient suffering susto (shock) with fennel branches as they read psalms over them, so various cultures have valued fennel’s ability to protect and purify. Fennel tea is used to help hangover. Historical Uses:  stomachic, carminative, anti-inflammatory, phytoestrogenic, low estrogen, galactogogue, dyspepsia, gas, flatulence, nausea, gastrointestinal spasm, abdominal spasm, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), appetite suppressant, nursing, breastfeeding, poison antidote, snake bites, parasitic infection, diuretic, cellulite, antiseptic, antispasmodic, depurative, emmenagogue, expectorant, spasmolytic, vermifuge, digestive disorders, colic, bronchitis, respiratory conditions, infertility, endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), menstrual problems, menopause, detox, fluid retention, hangover Mystical Attributes:  Fennel is mentioned in the Nine Herbs Charm, a 10th-century Anglo-Saxon poem about the magical uses of common herbs. It is believed that Prometheus brought fire down from Mount Olympus to Earth in a fennel stalk. Fennel is a classical witching herb and, when taken under the tongue, can be used to add power to speech, making the speaker eloquent and sweet of tongue.  It gives extra force to the spoken word, helping to carry it over long distances. Fennel is often included in incense recipes for summoning spirits, giving them speech. Athenian women practiced a ritual to mark the death of Adonis every year in midsummer. Pots and baskets would be planted on rooftops with fennel, lettuce, barley, or quick-growing flowers. These were the Gardens of Adonis. While the plants grew, the women would feast and revel on the rooftops amongst the plants. When the plants died, the pots would be thrown into the river with great mourning. Some believe this festival to have been a fertility ritual or ritual of sexual relations. Chew fennel before giving an important speech to feel more confident and eloquent, also before meeting important people or trying to convince someone of something. Use fennel in a beverage or inhale its fragrance to strengthen the mind and memory. Chewing fennel while studying will help you maintain focus and retain information. Fennel was historically used to ease hunger pangs for those fasting of necessity or for religious reasons, thus fennel can be included in spells to combat cravings. Fennel seeds can be used in charms and spells to repel interference from outsiders, particularly to keep law enforcement from bothering you. During medieval times, evil spirits were thought to roam freely as the sun turned southward. Fennel was hung over windows and doors to protect the home and its inhabitants from these spirits, particularly at Midsummer. Fennel seeds were inserted into keyholes to protect a dwelling from ghosts on any night but particularly Midsummer’s Eve. Grown around the home, fennel confers protection. Fennel was used by the Saxons and by Jewish mystics as a purifying herb. The thyrsus, which figured in Dionysian ceremonies, was often made of giant fennel stalks with pinecones attached to the ends. Wearing a piece of fennel in the left shoe will prevent wood ticks from biting your legs. Fennel is used in purification sachets, as well as in healing mixtures. This bulbous plant and stringy herb are ideal for weather-related magic.  An offering of fennel can bring much-needed rains or keep severe weather at bay. Mystical Intentions:  public speaking, communication, summoning spirits, calling ancestors, confidence, courage, convincing, memory, focus, hunger, legal problems, unwanted visitors, home protection, protection from fire, protection of crops, commanding, summer rituals, divination, transformation, fertility, sex magic, sexual desire, weather magic, calling rain, protection from storms and lightning Other Uses:  Fennel is often used with preparing fish. In the mid 1600s, one noted physician, Nicholas Culpepper, approved of it’s use stating, “it consumes that phlegmatic humour, which fish most plentifully afford and annoy the body with, though few that use it know wherefore they do it; I suppose the reason for its benefit this way is because it is an herb of Mercury and under Virgo, and therefore bears antipathy to Pisces.” For the ancient Romans, fennel was mainly a salad vegetable, but the stalks were also used to weave beehives. In Early Modern England, fennel seeds flavored apple pies and breads. The Hopi Indians smoked fennel leaves as a substitute for tobacco. Because fennel seeds are an important ingredient in Italian sausage, they can add a sausagey taste to non-meat dishes.   Taste & Smell:  A pleasant, warm, sweet, spicy, and licorice-like aroma. When cooked as a vegetable, fennel is sweet. The seed is equally pleasant, lending a warm, spicy-sweet aroma and flavor to foods and teas. Botany, Cultivation & Harvesting:  Fennel is native to the Mediterranean, now naturalized throughout Europe, Asia and North America. This plant attracts swallowtail butterflies to the garden, and the boldly striped caterpillars will eat the leaves but not harm the plant. Its decorative leaves look great planted behind flowers. In spring you might see birds harvesting the tender leaf tips to add aromatic protection to their nests. Fennel is a hardy perennial herb of the Apiaceae family (formerly Umbelliferae) with a characteristic anise or licorice scent. Some types are hardy in zones 4-9, but it is often grown as an annual in cooler climates. Fennel has a thick, perennial root-stock, stout stems, 4 to 5 feet or more in height—erect and cylindrical, bright green and so smooth as to seem polished, much branched bearing leaves cut into fine segments. The bright yellow flowers, produced in large, flat terminal umbels, with from thirteen to twenty rays, are in bloom in July and August. Seeds of wild fennel look like the fennel seed commonly used as a flavoring in foods: they are oblong, dorsally compressed, and ribbed. Fennel has become naturalized along dry, sunny roadsides, in pastures, and in other open sites in many regions. It is considered to be an invasive species and a weed in Australia and the United States. Fennel will grow in any ordinary garden soil, though it may have more yields on rich fertile or sandy soils. Fennel is easily propagated by seeds, sown early in April in ordinary soil in a sunny location. It is considered to be invasive in some areas, so take care in selecting the location as a stand of fennel may last for many years. Barely cover to germinate at room temperature in 1-2 weeks. It’s best to start them in spring and sow them either directly in the ground after your last frost or grow as transplants. Transplant to full sun, spacing 2-4″/5-10cm apart. Watch your fennel plant as the yellow heads fade into light brown and the seeds start to form in tight clusters. They will have a light green hue until they are ready to pick—when you see stripes start to form on the individual seeds you’ll know it is time to harvest. Snip off the heads as a whole and let them sit out over night to dry, this will make seed collection easier the next day. Dry seeds thoroughly, and use whole or powdered. Store whole seeds or powder in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Contraindications & Toxicity: Fennel oil can be toxic at 1-5 ml May cause skin irritation, N/V, seizures, pulmonary edema, liver lesions   Constituents: Volatile oil (up to 8% consisting of anethole, estrogole, fenchone) Flavonoids (rutin, quercetin, kaempferol glycosides) Coumarins Sterols     Sources: https://spiritartsandherbs.com/sources **IMPORTANT INFORMATON: Products are sold as curio items for entertainment purposes only and based upon historical and magical uses.  We do not imply or guarantee that any items provide specific abilities, powers, outcomes, remedies, or treatments. Any information provided on listings or through private conversation is intended for educational purposes only and are based on historical folklore and traditions, and should not replace the advice of a physician. Use our products at your own risk. By purchasing this item, you understand and release Spirit Arts & Herbs Inc from any liability. 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