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Materia Poetica
My dear tall herb friend your heads are so bright
With yellow pillow tops and petals of white
The bees love you dearly, you’re really so sweet
You bring so much joy every single time we meet.
When tummy’s are upset you are always there
bringing calmness to all with support and great care
When your poor nervous system needs a bit of support
One cup of your tea is a great sleep escort
Your name can be tricky, some call you Matricaria chamomilla
where others know your name as Chamomilla recutita.
A wee bit less formal, you’re known as German Chamomile
Not to be confused by the Roman Chamomile
You two are very different, let’s make this quite clear
For this plant monograph, we won’t speak Roman here.
You should pick flower heads every day, yes that’s wise
To ensure the sun blossoms continue to rise.
If you like this short poem and want to learn more
Then scroll down for fun facts and info. galore!
Episode 160
My Shamanic Life Podcast
Hosted by Debbie Philp
What is an Earth Apple? Listen to this podcast and find out.
Matricaria recutita
Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla (syn. Matricaria recutita and Chamomilla recutita)1 is specific to German Chamomile – there is also Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) – and this is the one we’ll focus on here. It is an annual native to southern and eastern Europe and western Asia, but has been naturalized throughout most temperate climates. It is considered a “star among medicinal species”2 and is gentle enough to be used with children and the elderly.
The flowers are beautiful and have a lovely calming sweet smell to them, attracting bees and butterflies as I have witnessed in my own gardens. This sweet little flower has even made its way into the timeless children’s book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, where “Peter was not very well during the evening. His mother put him to bed, and made some chamomile tea and she gave a dose of it to Peter.”
FUN FACTS
- The International Herb Association has designated Camomile Matricaria as the Herb of the Year for 2025!
- Chamomile is derived from the Greek word “khamaimēlon,” which means “earth apple.” “Mēlon” actually translates in ancient Greek as “fruit,” but Pliny (A.D. 23/24-79 CE) interpreted fruit from the smell and thus the word “apple” stuck.3
- Chamomile has been used for thousands of years in Greece, Rome, and ancient Egypt. In China, the plant was first recorded in detail in Uyghur (pronounced, wee·gr) medicine. Chamomile is called “Bamu Nai” in a Uyghur medical work written in the 10th century.4
- Chamomile is the National Flower of Russia.5
Preserving
Harvesting and Drying
Chamomile is another one of those prolific givers, as long as you are respectful and not greedy. Personally, I have one of those chamomile rakes, but I prefer to pick by hand. It is a lot more deliberate to pick each flower head one at a time, showing gratitude to each plant as it shares its delicious medicine with you. Also, the rake can tend to pull fragile plants right out of the ground, not what you want. The bees and butterflies appreciate your deliberate pace so you can choose to leave some flowers for them.
To use the fresh plant for tea or culinary uses, it’s the flower heads you’ll be after. Don’t forget to make any stem offering back to Mother Nature (my offering spot is the outdoor, in-ground compost).
When drying, chamomile prefers gentle drying methods like time. Pluck the flowers as described above, and lay them out on some sort of tray or tight weave rack (like screen). The photo shows a bunch I picked drying in a stainless steel tray, as the wired racks I have would not hold the delicate petals (they’d fall right through). I dry mine in my dehydrator, but only as a place to keep the gentle flowers away from dust or debris – I do not turn on my dehydrator! Check them often as they are drying to be sure they have plenty of air circulating around the plant material.
Because it is ultimately the flowers you are after, harvest during a waxing moon, just before the full moon for full energetic potency.
Herbal Actions & Medicinal Uses
Parts Most Frequently Used: Flowers
Flavors: Sweet, bitter
Properties: Warming & cooling (depends on the specific situation)
Used Most Often As: Tea, infusion, bath soak, salve
With any herbs and supplements, always consult with a licensed health professional before use.
Herbal Actions
This gentle herb is friendly (safe) for most people, including infants, children, and the elderly. It is used as a digestive support, and for emotional and psychological wellbeing. If you are looking for a shift in how your body responds to normal stress levels, chamomile is one herb you’ll want to have around daily. Chamomile can allow a calmer nervous system to welcome sleep more readily.
I personally love a nice hot cup of chamomile and linden tea before bed when my day has been particularly hectic and stressful..
Below are definitions of the herbal actions. These are some of the herbal actions associated with Chamomile:6
- Anti-inflammatory – Supports a reduction in inflammation and/or swelling.
- Antispasmodic – Reduces or relieves smooth muscle spasms.
- Carminative – Relieves gas and cramping from stomach pains, indigestion, and lack of appetite.
- Diaphoretic – Promotes or produces sweating by increasing circulation in the periphery of the body.
- Nerve Tonic – Offers nourishment and calming support for the nervous system.
⚠️ A contraindication for this herb would be to avoid using chamomile if you have ragweed allergies.⚠️
Recipe: Home Version
Glitter Witch Gardens Tranquili-TEA
If you are like me, you like a cup of strong flavored herbal tea. This is the version I make for myself at home, so measurements are “loosey-goosey.” When I make this, I make sure I also set the tone for a relaxed environment, meaning my cell phone gets plugged in for charging for the night (away from me), the TV and/or computer is shut down, the lights are dimmed, and I have calm music playing or a nice book in hand. I never drink more than one tea cup (not coffee mug) or I personally struggle getting up in the morning.
INGREDIENTS & SUPPLIES
- 1 tsp (heaping) of chamomile flowers (I use dried)
- 1 tsp (heaping) linden (dried, cut, sifted)
- 8 ounces water, just off the boil
DIRECTIONS
Fill a tea kettle with water and bring that water to a boil, then turn off the heat. (I) use a tea strainer and put your 2 tsp. of herbs in there. Carefully pour the hot water over the herbs to create an infusion. Cover the strainer and let it steep for a minimum of 15 minutes. Once done, sip on your tea, relax, and enjoy. Sweet dreams… 🥱😴
Horticultural Information
Last winter, I reached out to a local organic farmer and asked if I could buy 150 starter chamomile plants from her. I regularly buy plants and produce from her at my local farmers market. She happily said yes, especially when I offered to pick them up from her farm so she wouldn’t have to load and unload them at the market! This spring, I picked them up (along with 150 St. John’s Wort plants and 50 Lemon Balm seedlings, but those are different monographs), and my husband and I put them directly in our back Glitter Witch Gardens bed. I am in Zone 7b. Being in New Jersey and only 45 minutes from the ocean shore, our soil tends to be somewhat sandy – perfect for chamomile. We supplement our garden beds with organic compost (some we make and some we buy) and have soaker hoses just under the surface of the soil, as chamomile likes regular drinks of water.
It didn’t take long for the plants to grow about 12 inches, maybe three to four weeks. The average is 8″ to 24″ tall. This particular garden bed gets afternoon sun with partial shade for a few hours from a neighboring Rose of Sharon tree. The flowers came up within that 3-4 week timeframe, so picking flowers became a morning ritual. Chamomile is an annual, but readily seeds itself to come back the next year. Constantly picking flowers encourages more flower growth, so pick away!
It is a member of the Asteraceae (daisy) family, so if you type in a search engine “chamomile” for an image, you’re likely to get a whole lot of daisy photos! It prefers well-drained soil with a neutral pH level between 5.6 and 7.5, but will grow in most conditions. Like I mentioned, it does like regular watering, so during this drought we’ve had here in NJ (2024), I have watered using my drip hose every evening as the sun is setting, lessening the chance of water evaporation.
New USDA Hardiness Zone(s), as of 2023: 4-9
Materia Magicka
Chamomile grants us enhanced clarity about our inner spiritual purpose. With clarity of thought, we can be brought to peace and illumination.
Use this herb in spells & rituals where you are looking to bring light and the power of the sun into your space. Whether it is to shine a light and purge negativity, to share the warmth of a blessing, or to light a fire under our prosperity, this herb, while gentle, is powerful and long lasting.
- money spells
- healing & protection spells
- blessing spells
Below is some of the symbolism associated with Chamomile.7-9
| Planets: | Constellations: |
| ☉ Sun | ♋️ Cancer, ♌️ Leo |
| Element: | Chakra: |
| 🜄 Water | ◉ Sacral Chakra |
| Energy: | Crystals/Stones: |
| ☯ Yang | Citrine |
| Day of the Week: | Celebrations: |
| Monday | Litha, Walpurgis, Yule |
| Deities: | Tarot: |
| Norse: Baldr Celtic: Cernunnos Greek: Hecate Egyptian: Ra All Sun Gods |
Minor Arcana: Ace of Swords (The Herbal Tarot) |
Chamomile Self-Love Tea Ritual
There are a few plants that just go well together in physical (taste, smell, and sight) and spiritual correspondence. When we think of ourselves as individuals, we should invite that self-love in the same way. Here’s a little ritual I invite you to spoil yourself with when the moon is full and your power is at its height.
Create your sacred space, whether it is setting up an altar, lighting a candle, or calling the quarters and setting a sacred circle. Your way is yours and nothing is “right” or “wrong.”
*Please note that all spells you read (including this one) should be considered a guide, as your intuition and intention are the power behind them.
What You’ll Need:
- A purple alter cloth
- A dark one is recommended, but use whatever you have. I once used a purple bandana!
- A white candle and a purple one
- Fancy ritual candles are nice, but even birthday candles work.
- Frankincense incense or resin
- An incense burner or heat safe bowl
- A white agate or opal stone
- A white teacup & tea kettle
- The tea kettle can be a different color
- A pint-sized canning jar (heat safe)
- A tea strainer and loose tea (or tea bags) of the following plant material:
- Jasmine (1 tsp loose tea, or 1 tea bag)
- Chamomile (1 tsp loose herb, or 1 tea bag)
- Blackberry (1 will do nicely)
- ¼ slice lemon (with peel, so make sure it’s organic)
Preparations:
- Boil water in your tea kettle, enough to fill your canning jar
- Fill your tea strainer with the loose herbs and the fruit and put over/in the canning jar, or add each tea bag and the fruit directly to the canning jar
- When the water comes to a boil, turn off the water and fill the pint canning jar, pouring it over the herbs and fruit
- Cover the jar and let it steep for at least 15 minutes
While the tea is steeping, set up your alter space using your purple cloth. Light your candles. Light your incense and wave the smoke over you. When your 15 minutes is done, remove the jar lid and wave the incense smoke over the tea, infusing it into the steam of the tea. Imagine a beautiful protective cover of purple and white enveloping you with pure nonjudgemental love.
Pour yourself a cup of this luscious tea and feel the self love pouring into your body, becoming one with every part of your physical and spiritual self. Love yourself fiercely and unapologetically.
Incantation:
While the tea seeps through your body, chant the following:
I acknowledge the strength to be my own ally,
protection and love always by my side.
My body is a temple and is sanctified,
through self talk, deeds, and thoughts only love will abide.
With every sip of your tea, repeat your chant. Feel every part of your being fill with love and be protected by the ever strengthening shield of that love.
✨💖 ✨ Blessed Be. ✨💖 ✨
Herbal Correspondence Reference:
- The ancient magical properties of jasmine include love, meditation, relaxation, money drawing, prophetic dreaming, aura cleansing & confidence.
- Chamomile has historical links to the sun and sun gods, and has been used to enhance positive energy and balance. It’s thought to transform negative energy into positive energy, creating healing and protection.
- Burning frankincense heals spiritually by cleansing the soul while in meditations, can boost energy, and provide an overall calming peace of mind.
References
The following sources were used to research the above information.
- Mahr, S. Chamomile, Matricaria chamomilla, University of Wisconsin-Madison, accessed 16 July 2024, <https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/chamomile-matricaria-chamomilla/>
- Ali, A.E.; Ali, S.M.E.H.; EL-Rhman, S.A.E.A.; El Mohamed, M.A. Brine-shrimp lethality bioassay of different extracts of the medicinal plant matricaria (chamomilla) flowers. Res. Sq. 2020, 10–15.
- Touwaide, A., Appetite, E. 2023, Herbs in History: Chamomile, American Herbal Products Association, accessed 16 July 2024, <https://www.ahpa.org/herbs_in_history_chamomile>
- Singh O., Khanam Z., Misra N., Srivastava M.K. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.): An overview. Pharm. Rev. 2011;5:82–95. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.79103.
- Wikipedia 2024, List of National Flowers, accessed 17 July 2024, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_flowers>
- Herbs With Rosalee 2023, Chamomile Benefits, accessed 17 July 2024, <https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/chamomile-benefits.html>
