{"id":31981,"date":"2025-06-13T06:42:17","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T10:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/?p=31981"},"modified":"2025-06-13T06:42:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T10:42:17","slug":"notes-from-the-apothecary-moss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2025\/06\/13\/notes-from-the-apothecary-moss\/","title":{"rendered":"Notes from the Apothecary: Moss"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Mitchell Griest<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s been a while since I posted in this column, but I\u2019m hoping to get back to it once a month. I wanted to start back with a plant that I\u2019ve been fascinated with since I was a child. Well, it\u2019s not one plant really, but a whole group of plants: Moss.<\/p>\n

Moss is like a miniature forest; a whole ecosystem on a doll\u2019s house scale (or smaller) that holds so much wonder. From common haircaps emulating pine trees to sphagnum moss that forms unique peatlands, moss is a very special part of our ecosystem and is packed with magical potential.<\/p>\n

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

Moss is a collection of non-vascular plants. They don\u2019t have ways to transport water and nutrients from roots to leaves like trees, flowers, and other vascular plants do. Instead, they rely on their immediate environment (tree bark, soil, rocks, or even ice) to provide moisture and food, and the moss soaks this up like a sponge. That\u2019s why moss is short, sometimes almost flat-looking, because it can\u2019t stray far from its food source. It\u2019s that green carpet you get in shady, humid forests or up the side of a tree \u2014 soft, inviting, and full of life.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Ice Tea<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The big kitchen garden question: Can you actually eat moss? The short answer is yes, but you probably shouldn\u2019t unless you\u2019re a very experienced forager or plant expert. There are plenty of mosses and similar plants that could make you very sick, so avoid the temptation to taste the moss.<\/p>\n

Some moss that you can buy as supplements or food additives isn\u2019t actually moss. Irish moss (Chondrus crispus)<\/em>, for example, is actually a type of algae. It\u2019s used in brewing as a non-animal-based alternative for finings \u2014 the substance that helps remove certain compounds to improve clarity. Irish moss is also used as a thickener for some processed foods, including ice cream.<\/p>\n

There are other \u201cmosses\u201d that are, in fact, lichens. Lichens, like moss, grow in damp conditions and can be found on the bark and roots of trees. However, lichens are a wild combination of fungi and algae working together to create a symbiotic relationship. I guess we\u2019ll have to have a separate Notes from the Apothecary edition just to cover these organisms! Oakmoss (Evernia prunastri<\/em>) is an example of an incorrectly named lichen. The perfume industry uses oakmoss for its unique fragrance, while some survivalists<\/a> suggest it can be used as a food source. However, the recommendation is to boil it several times to remove acids that could potentially be toxic \u2014 so probably avoid!<\/p>\n

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

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By Ernst Haeckel – Kunstformen der Natur (1904), plate 82: Hepaticae, Public Domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Research shows reports of moss being used in Western medicine as far back as the 1500s<\/a>, but it\u2019s likely that these uses go back much further than this. During the 16th<\/sup> century, certain types of moss were noted as being useful for restoring hair for alopecia sufferers, as an expectorant for removing fluid from the lungs, and as a treatment for epilepsy. Conocephalum conicum<\/em>, a type of liverwort in the same division as mosses (bryophyta), was found in Italian pharmacists around the same time period. This and other liverworts may have antioxidant properties that could help protect against the impact of heavy metal pollution<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Moss appears to have been more widely used by indigenous communities around the world. Robert Dale Rogers notes in his book, Moss Medicine<\/em>, that moss has been used medically, for clothing, and for everyday needs like food preservation. Vikings may also have used peat moss as a way of preserving food and water<\/a> on long journeys.<\/p>\n

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

It\u2019s hard to overstate the magical nature of moss, from its fairytale forest existence to the healing properties highlighted above. However, perhaps because of their small size or complexity, the use of mosses in magic and witchcraft isn\u2019t particularly well documented. That doesn’t mean that you can’t explore its potential for yourself. Messages you can take from moss include:<\/p>\n