GC: March Week 5 - Catch Up
Lily of the Valley
Folk names: Fairy Cups, Jacob's Ladder, May Lily, Our Lady's Tears (there are many) Planet: Mercury (and associated with Gemini) Element: Air Mythology: Goddess Maia (May; “Grandmother of Magic”)
Folklore: The flowers are said to ring when fairies sing and to form ladders fairies use to reach reeds from which they weave their cradles. Blooms on the grave of someone who was executed for a crime they did not commit.
Correspondences: mental powers, happiness, peace and tranquility, the return of happiness, humility, purity and sweetness.
Other attributes: repels negativity. Draws fairy folk. Use in magickal workings to stop harassment. Married couples should plant Lily of the Valley in their first garden to promote longevity of the marriage. Noted in ceremonial magick. A great oil for aiding divination by soaking the flowers in almond or olive oil. Make a number of macerations in the same oil to get a good buildup of scent.
Medicinal: Less poisonous substitution for foxglove. It was believed to strengthen memory, restore speech and was used as a liquor smeared on the forehead and the back of the neck, to make one have good common sense.
Culinary: Somewhat TOXIC. Do Not Ingest.