Nature Awareness - Lavendar

Many people appreciate lavendar (lavandula agotifolia or lavandula officinalis) for its wonderful and delicate fragrance, used in soaps, shampoos and sachets for scenting clothes. The name Lavender comes form teh Latin root lavare , which actually means "to wash" . And lavender may have earned this name because it was frequently used in baths to help purify the body and spirit. However, this herb has also been used as a remedy for a range of ailments from insomnia and anxiety to depression and fatigue, and relatively recent research has indeed confirmed that lavender produces slight calming , soothing and sedative effects when its scent is inhaled and /or consumed.

The cultural symbolism and communication message medium came to full expanse and an d'culmination during the victorian ers. Many flowers during that time were thought to culturally embody a different emotion or characteristic, which was then used to communicate messages , allowing individuals to express felings which otherwise could not be spoken.

Traditionally sprigs of lavander were placed in the hands of women in labour. Squeezing the fragrant bundles was said to give them strength and courage during childbirth and i guess it didn't hurt to have those mildly sedating effects as well. Lanvender posies were given to newly married couples to bring good luck and sprinkling dried lavender flowers in the home is said to bring peacefullness.

Folk magic was associated with lavender during the same time frame, Carrying or inhaling lavender was reported to enable one to see ghosts. A sprig of lavender carried in combination with a sprig of rosemary was said to preserve chastity, too! Lavender was also worn as a protection against the evil eye

going further back, During Roman times , flowers were sold for 100 denarii per pound, which was about the same as a a months wages for a farm labourer or fifty haircuts from the local barber. Lavender was commonly used in Roman Baths to scent the water and it was thought to restore the skin. The Greeks discovered early on that lavender if crushed and treated correctly would release a relaxing fume when burned.

Symbolism: Devotion, purity, solitude, strength, courage, peace, protection and good luck

Written by Jennifer Adele