St. John’s wort (Hypericum Perforatum) has been used since prehistoric times as a medicinal and religious plant. On close inspection the bright yellow flowers are covered in tiny spots that look like holes but actually contain red oil, hence the Perforatum name, appearing perforated. Hypericum relates to the sun.
Other names I have seen it known by are Klamath Weed, Goat Weed and Amber.
This flower traditionally flowers on St. John’s day, June 24th also known as midsummer day. The actual solstice tends to be before this. I have a friend whose St John’s wort (SJW) is always in flower for the solstice, mine tends to be a few days later.
In the middle ages SJW was an important remedy for psychiatric problems although at the time this was put down to the effects of witches and demons rather than mental health problems. It is still known as a remedy for stress, sleep disorders, depression and anxiety and can be purchased in health food shops. It should not be taken alongside prescription medication for anxiety and depression. It can be used for SAD in the winter, improving gut instincts, chronic fatigue, and stress that is affecting digestion or the urinary tract.
SJW is used for nerve pain where there is sharp shooting pain and inflamed nerves, neuralgia, sciatica and pain from shingles.
Skin preparations can help with burns, ulcers, skin tags, boils and carbuncles. It has been used as an antiseptic wound herb from ancient times.
SJW is known to increase photosensitivity, if you take it and go into the sun you will burn easier. I was once at a herb workshop where we had made SJW oil and I was amazed as we sat outside at lunchtime to see ladies putting St John’s Wort oil on their bodies as we sat in the sun. They told me that if you used it on your skin it offered skin protection. Next time I was out walking on a sunny day I decided to try this and I’m sorry to say dear witches that I burnt badly and will never do this again, but at least I found out for myself!
Energetically SJW is used for protection and to dispel darkness. It supports the solar plexus in the chakra system. In the doctrine of signatures yellow herbs are believed to support the liver and in this case SJW does soothe the liver and the digestive tract.
To harvest, pick the flowering tops of the plant with flowers, buds and leaves when they are dry on a sunny day. When used to create an oil or tincture the sunny yellow flowers make the preparation bright or red.
For a tincture, fill a jar with your St John’s wort and then fill it up again with vodka. use stick to give it a poke around to get rid of air bubbles. Put the jar out of sunlight for a month, shaking occasionally and then strain, bottle and label the ruby red tincture. It’s handy to put it in a dropper bottle, take 1-4ml three times a day.
Use the tincture for SAD, minor depression, liver congestion, shingles, nervous exhaustion, menopausal moods, viral infections and jet lag.
To make an oil put your flowering tops into a jar and then fill the jar with oil, you could use olive oil, I like to use sunflower oil to carry on with the sun energy theme. Use your pokey stick and give the plant matter a poke to release air bubbles. Place on a sunny window for a month and the infusion will turn red. Strain and label. Use the ol as it is or create a salve with it.
Use the oil for aches and pains, sore muscles, neuropathy, neuralgia, shingles, arthritis, surgical scars, bruises and sprains.
The dried herb can be used in a cloth bag under your pillow for nightmares.
Use dried in loose incense for protection, raising sun energy, working with sun deities and for fire festivals. Harvest around the summer solstice when the plant flowers at the zenith of the sun’s solar energy.
In Culpeper’s Herbal, written in 1653, SJW is under the celestial sign of Leo and under the dominion of the sun. Boiled in wine and drank it healed inward hurts or bruises, in an ointment it reduces swellings and closes wounds. He used the seed as well as the plant for those that had been stung by venomous creatures. He said that drinking the crushed seed for 40 days could help sciatica, falling sickness and the palsy.
St. John’s Wort can be added to ritual incense for midsummer, fire, protection, sun deities and divination. It can be added to talismans and amulets for the same reasons.
Not all herbs are suitable in pregnancy, breastfeeding or for young children, or if you are unwell, or taking any medication please seek medical advice or speak to a qualified herbalist.
References:
Bruton-Seal, J. and Seal, M. 2008, Hedgerow Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Remedies Merlin Unwin Books Ltd.
Culpepper, N. 1653, Culpeper’s Complete Herbal
Wood, M. 2008, The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants North Atlantic Books, California
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