This is the first of a deeper look into the Nine Sacred Herbs used by Modern American Shamanism. We will look into Each herb and how it has been used by the Native American Indians as well as the Pennsylvania German people after they migrated to this country and had to learn to work with the natural plants of this land. We will look at how to work with the plants as food additives, medicine, and even spiritually.
The Nine Herbs are broken down into three categories, Wood, Field, and Garden and they are as follows.
Wood
Dogwood (Deitsch: Hundsholz): Cornus
Florida
Elder (Deitsch: Hollerbeer): Sambucus
nigra but also Sambucus canadensis
Wintergreen (Deitsch: Bruschttee),
a.k.a. Teaberry (Buchsbeer) Gaultheria
procumbens but also the distantly related
Chimaphila umbellata (Pipsissewa;
Deitsch: Gehlwassergraut)
Field
Cinquefoil (Deitsch: Fimffingergraut):
Catnip (Deitsch: Katzegraut): Nepeta cataria
Ground Ivy (Deitsch: Grundelreewe):
Glechoma hederacea
Garden
Horehound (Deitsch: Edann): Marrubium vulgare; other species
Sage (Deitsch: Groddebalsem; Salwetee): Salvia officinalis and many
other varieties
Thyme (Deitsch: Gwendel): Many varieties, but especially Thymus
pulegioides ("Pennsylvania Dutch Tea"; Deitsch: Deitscher Tee)
Modern American Shamanism uses the same nine herbs that have been time tested and easily found in this country. (These are the same herbs used in Braucherei and Urglaawe.)
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