Chamomile often invokes the image of a steaming cup to help alleviate insomnia on those anxiety-ridden nights and other teas to help soothe the body. Ask anyone what their all natural recommendations are for those sleepless nights and many will say Chamomile. Even in old folk medicine it has traditionally been used to help soothe inflammation so this herb holds onto these soothing qualities through the years. Little do people know that when we refer to Chamomile it could be a variety of plants that share that name. The main two Chamomiles that are used are German Chamomile and Roman Chamomile.
Strangely enough these two plants have very similar traditional medicinal uses as soothing agents, but they do have some physical differences. Both are noted for having fragrant qualities, but one fun thing is that German Chamomile is one of the few plants out there that has a bluish tint in their essential oil. Roman Chamomile may have this similar greenish to bluish tinge but tends to fade over time to a yellow coloration. Unless you’re a gardener or a botanist, you might not always be able to tell the difference right away between these two but do have some slight differences in the way they grow. German Chamomile is what we call an annual plant whereas Roman Chamomile is a perennial plant. Annual plants like German Chamomile usually experience its entire life within one growing season before it dies. Perennials like Roman Chamomile tend to live for longer, anywhere from 2 or more years.
As explained earlier, they share a lot of similarities in their medicinal properties in folk medicine, but they also share a lot of magical qualities. In fact, most people will use these two herbs interchangeably and like some of the others flowers like Lavender and Roses, rarely will one working require you to use one specific chamomile over the other. Both Chamomiles have a strong association with the Sun’s energy as they grow best in full sun, except in deserts where they would do well to have a little shade. It is also noticeable in that they have golden flowers and many golden flowers tend to have that solar association.
For Chamomiles, they have properties ranging from purification, protection, money, and some traditions use it for love though this last property is a little less common. A common way to deploy Chamomile’s magical properties is through the use of its tea. Through some Latin-American teachers of mine, it was taught to me that when you are experiencing bouts of bad luck, a bath of Chamomile tea and Honey would help to remove the bad luck and sweeten the Spirits to you. Similarly if you are experiencing nightmares, a magical folk remedy was to bath with Chamomile and some even drink the tea before bed as a way to have more intense psychic dreams. This golden tea was also used as a bath and hand wash for those about to enter into a situation where a little luck was needed.
Owing to the golden appearance of the dried flower and the tea brew from it, Chamomiles have a strong money association in magic. Many people will add crushed Chamomiles to their money oil blend as a way to enhance the money magic behind it. A pinch of Chamomile is also a favorite for some who do this style of magic. Even when it comes to bad money luck, Chamomile is often deployed to help remove that streak of bad luck. And as a interesting aside, back in the day, in brothels, sex workers would often utilize a pinch of Chamomile in their love oils to help make sure their patrons were a little more loose with their wallets.
Despite its use as a sleep aid in medicine, this little flower is anything but sleepy. It has a beautifully excitatory property in the realm of magic and is so versatile in its powers. Don’t sleep on this herb, add it to your home apothecary.