Rosemary Charm hotsell

Rosemary for Remembrance (Rhosmari in Welsh) - so spoke Ophelia in Shakespeare's play Hamlet and it has long been associated with remembrance of the dead and improving memory. Rosemary branches were often woven into wreaths worn by brides at weddings and decorated rosemary branches were presented as gifts to wedding guests. In Wales, it was distributed to funeral guests to throw into the hole as the coffin was lowered. It is said that a man who is indifferent to the fragrance of rosemary is unable to give true love to a woman and those who smell rosemary frequently will retain their youth.

Christian folklore hotsell says that rosemary will grow for 33 years, until it reaches the height Christ was when he died, and then it will grow no more. Apparently, Rosemary's flowers picked up their blue color and acquired their fragrance when Mary spread her blue cloak over a rosemary bush to dry while they were on their way fleeing to Egypt. It was an embalming herb and sacred in Egypt. It was also a sacred herb to the Greeks.

Rosemary is also associated with Aphrodite and appears in many ancient images of Her. Rosemary is believed to attract faerie and good energies. Rosemary in twigs hung over cradles prevented faeries from stealing infants. It was also used to ward off evil spirits and nightmares. Carrying a twig protected the wearer from the evil eye.

An old saying says "Where Rosemary flourishes, the Woman rules" and in England it was believed that rosemary could not grow in the garden of the home unless the mistress was the master. In France, Rosemary was burnt, along with Juniper berries in sick rooms and hospitals to purify the air.

Rosemary was also given as a gift for New Year's Day, along with an orange, stuck with cloves and it was used with holly and mistletoe to decorate for Yule. The wood was used to make musical instruments.

I gather most herbs and flowers locally and dry them on the farm. Care is taken to ensure that the herbs and flowers are at their strongest and most powerful when they are gathered. None are collected from areas close to a road. They are placed in this lovely miniature glass flask and added to a real silver chain so that you can carry them at all times.