{"id":18019,"date":"2019-02-01T01:10:01","date_gmt":"2019-02-01T06:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=20425"},"modified":"2019-02-01T10:48:09","modified_gmt":"2019-02-01T15:48:09","slug":"notes-from-the-apothecary-48","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2019\/02\/01\/notes-from-the-apothecary-48\/","title":{"rendered":"Notes from the Apothecary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Notes from the Apothecary: Cumin <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cumin\nis a fragrant spice in the apiaceae family, meaning it\u2019s related to\ncarrots, parsley, and the similar looking caraway. We use the seed of\nthe plant in both cooking and magic. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cumin\nhas been used for thousands of years, and most likely originated near\nSyria, based on evidence from nearby excavation sites. Cumin was a\ntable spice in Ancient Greece, a tradition which continues today in\nMorocco. The Romans adopted the use of cumin, and Spanish and\nPortuguese colonists eventually brought the spice to the Americas,\nwhere it is enjoyed in a range of cuisines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nKitchen Garden<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cumin\nis one of those mesmerising flavours that simply doesn\u2019t taste like\nanything else. When I was first learning about cooking Indian food, I\nhad not realised that cumin was such a commonly used ingredient.\nAdding it to my store cupboard changed my life. Most curries I cook\nnow have whole cumin seeds fried until they pop and release their\nsmoky, earthy goodness into the hot oil. Every chilli con carne is\nblessed with my kitchen\u2019s holy triumvirate of cumin, coriander and\nturmeric, making the house smell simply divine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whole\nseeds and ground cumin are both readily available in grocery stores\nand supermarkets. I\u2019ve found that the best value way to buy cumin\nis to visit an Indian or Mexican store or wholesaler, as shops that\ndon\u2019t specialise tend to bump the price up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nApothecary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cumin\nseeds are used as a natural medicine all over the world. Alleged\ncumin medical properties include being an anti-inflammatory,\ndiuretic, antispasmodic, carminative, aromatic, digestive, and an\nemmenagogue. In their book about healthy seeds, Danny Sarmiento\nwrites that cumin helps prevent the harmful effects of stress on the\nbody. That must be why I love a cumin heavy curry on a weekend after\na hard week!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarmiento\nalso states that cumin can offer relief for asthma sufferers as it\nmay dilate the airways. There\u2019s also some indication that the seeds\nmay be effective for treating diabetes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nseeds are filled with nutritious vitamins and minerals including iron\nand manganese, so they\u2019re a great addition to just about anyone\u2019s\ndiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nWitch\u2019s Kitchen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cunningham\nlists cumin in his encyclopaedia of magical herbs. He states the\nspice is masculine, associated with Mars and fire, which makes sense\nwhen you think of how this spice is often used in hot curries and\nMexican food! Heat is definitely linked to cumin. But I also find it\nearthy, and grounding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According\nto Cunningham, the spice is used for protection magic, to ensure\nfidelity, for exorcism and to prevent theft. Bread baked with cumin\nseeds won\u2019t be stolen by spirits, so if you follow this\nsuperstition, don\u2019t leave cumin-spiced bread out for the fair folk!\nCumin can be burnt with frankincense to create a powerful protective\nincense. Scatter cumin and salt to create a protective boundary.\nCarry in a pouch at handfastings to drive negative thoughts or\nenergies away from the happy couple. Or add some to the wine later\non, for an exciting wedding night! \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home\nand Hearth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mix\ncumin seeds with fine salt. Walk the boundary of your home at Imbolc\nor the Spring Equinox. Sprinkle the protective mix while you\nvisualise your home as a safe and special place. Imagine the sun\u2019s\nreturning light suffusing your home with a warm, comforting glow. The\nsalt and spice mix will keep negativity at bay, whilst allowing love\nentry, and encouraging loyalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\nNever Knew\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s\nan old superstition that you should curse and shout as you sow cumin\nseeds, to ensure a good crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All images via\nWikipedia or Wikimedia commons.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mabh Savage<\/strong> is\na Pagan author, poet and musician, as well as a freelance journalist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is the author of\u00a0<\/em>A Modern Celt: Seeking the Ancestors<\/em><\/a><\/strong>and\u00a0<\/em>Pagan Portals \u2013 Celtic Witchcraft: Modern Witchcraft Meets Celtic Ways<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Modern Celt: Seeking the Ancestors on Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pagan Portals – Celtic Witchcraft: Modern Witchcraft Meets Celtic Ways on Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Notes from the Apothecary: Cumin Cumin is a fragrant spice in the apiaceae family, meaning it\u2019s related to carrots, parsley, and the similar looking caraway. We use the seed of the plant in both cooking and magic. Cumin has been used for thousands of years, and most likely originated near Syria, based on evidence from nearby excavation sites. Cumin was a table spice in Ancient Greece, a tradition which continues today in Morocco. The Romans adopted the use of cumin, and Spanish and Portuguese colonists eventually brought the spice to the Americas, where it is enjoyed in a range of cuisines. The Kitchen Garden Cumin is one of those mesmerising flavours that simply doesn\u2019t taste like anything else. When I was first learning about cooking Indian food, I had not realised that cumin was such a commonly used ingredient. Adding it to my store cupboard changed my life. Most curries I cook now have whole cumin seeds fried until they pop and release their smoky, earthy goodness into the hot oil. Every chilli con carne is blessed with my kitchen\u2019s holy triumvirate of cumin, coriander and turmeric, making the house smell simply divine. Whole seeds and ground cumin are both readily available in grocery stores and supermarkets. I\u2019ve found that the best value way to buy cumin is to visit an Indian or Mexican store or wholesaler, as shops that don\u2019t specialise tend to bump the price up. The Apothecary Cumin seeds are used as a natural medicine all over the world. Alleged cumin medical properties include being an anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antispasmodic, carminative, aromatic, digestive, and an emmenagogue. In their book about healthy seeds, Danny Sarmiento writes that cumin helps prevent the harmful effects of stress on the body. That must be why I love a cumin heavy curry on a weekend after a hard week! Sarmiento also states that cumin can offer relief for asthma sufferers as it may dilate the airways. There\u2019s also some indication that the seeds may be effective for treating diabetes. The seeds are filled with nutritious vitamins and minerals including iron and manganese, so they\u2019re a great addition to just about anyone\u2019s diet. The Witch\u2019s Kitchen Cunningham lists cumin in his encyclopaedia of magical herbs. He states the spice is masculine, associated with Mars and fire, which makes sense when you think of how this spice is often used in hot curries and Mexican food! Heat is definitely linked to cumin. But I also find it earthy, and grounding. According to Cunningham, the spice is used for protection magic, to ensure fidelity, for exorcism and to prevent theft. Bread baked with cumin seeds won\u2019t be stolen by spirits, so if you follow this superstition, don\u2019t leave cumin-spiced bread out for the fair folk! Cumin can be burnt with frankincense to create a powerful protective incense. Scatter cumin and salt to create a protective boundary. Carry in a pouch at handfastings to drive negative thoughts or energies away from the happy couple. Or add some to the wine later on, for an exciting wedding night! Home and Hearth Mix cumin seeds with fine salt. Walk the boundary of your home at Imbolc or the Spring Equinox. Sprinkle the protective mix while you visualise your home as a safe and special place. Imagine the sun\u2019s returning light suffusing your home with a warm, comforting glow. The salt and spice mix will keep negativity at bay, whilst allowing love entry, and encouraging loyalty. I Never Knew\u2026 There\u2019s an old superstition that you should curse and shout as you sow cumin seeds, to ensure a good crop. All images via Wikipedia or Wikimedia commons. *** About the Author: Mabh Savage is a Pagan author, poet and musician, as well as a freelance journalist. She is the author of\u00a0A Modern Celt: Seeking the Ancestorsand\u00a0Pagan Portals \u2013 Celtic Witchcraft: Modern Witchcraft Meets Celtic Ways. A Modern Celt: Seeking the Ancestors on Amazon Pagan Portals – Celtic Witchcraft: Modern Witchcraft Meets Celtic Ways on Amazon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":206,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/206"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18019\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}