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This is usually considered to be a Mercury herb, because it normally lies along the ground and spreads quickly by its thin but tough stalks. And the Mercury association makes sense, given cinquefoil's long association with divination and magick. For instance, Agrippa includes cinquefoil in a recipe for Mercury incense and said that cinquefoil drives away devils and helps one to resist poison. When "fingers" are mentioned in old grimoires, it is usually this magick herb that is meant. Nowadays it is put into a bath to help with prophetic dreaming, burned as an incense for divination, stuffed into dream pillows (see dream pillow recipe below), and is a component in modern-day flying ointment. Cinquefoil is associated with the sign of Gemini. However, cinquefoil also has some Venus to it. It contains a lot of tannin and so is astringent, like many Venus herbs, and it is sometimes used in love magick, as in dreaming of one's future mate. Perhaps the Venus association also is due to the fact that this herb is connected to Beltane, Ostara, and especially Midsummer (see Midsummer incense recipe). In the Victorian language of flowers, cinquefoil stands for "beloved daughter," which also fits with Venus. The five points of the leaf indicate the orbit of Venus as seen from Earth, but they also represent love, money, health, power, and wisdom. In Hoodoo, where it is more well known as five-finger grass, it gives protection in court cases. It is also the patron herb of fishermen. Cinquefoil is also known as five-finger grass, five-leaf grass, five fingers, hand of Mary, five-finger blossom, potentilla, synkefoyle, sunkfield, synkefoyle, synkfoule, common cinquefoil, creeping cinquefoil, oldfield cinquefoil, witches weed, bloodroot, cinq feuilles, crampweed, silverweed, goosegrass, goose tansy, moor grass, and pentaphyllon. |
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| | | From: Devine | Sent: 4/19/2005 3:05 PM |
I have some of this (if it survives the dogs) and it has the most beautiful flowers bright crimson with yellow centers. Tell me are they related to the strawberry plant? That is what they remind me of. Mine is in a pot I have not yet unleashed it on my yard. After what happened with the foxgloves and comfrey I am afraid to. Devine |
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| | | From: Devine | Sent: 4/20/2005 10:34 PM |
Well they have become gigantic, jurasic, renditions of themselves. The comfrey totally takes over the garden, apparently it is hard to control once it gets loose. I am not actually upset that the foxglove is huge but they are coming up all over the yard(small ones too) in the front back and side, even in the gravel driveway. (so are the cranesbill by the way) I havent the heart to pull them out. Oooooooooooo interesting side note. Hubby is beginning to believe me about the benefits of herbs. He has a hair on his chin that is weird. it is thicker than the others like a double hair. When he shaves it gets irritated and inflamed. So I put some fresh comfrey leaf on it. The next morning it was half as bad and almost all better the day after that. Normally it takes a long while for it to settle down, and gives him lots of pain. Well now he believes me and has a little more faith in herbs. Devine |
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| | From:  imbas1 | Sent: 4/21/2005 1:09 PM |
Ok, well I planted Comfrey in the herb garden last year and it was the first out of the ground this spring. It appears to be at least double in size and already has flowers! The foxglove, I've been wanting to get in with some other bell flower types in a edging garden. I've never had much luck with foxglove in the past though. |
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| | | From: Devine | Sent: 4/21/2005 3:02 PM |
You need fairies to grow foxglove!!! If you ask for their help, they will. Devine |
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| | | From: imbas1 | Sent: 4/21/2005 3:57 PM |
Now that's advice I won't find in the Burpee catalog......I'll keep that in mind. Thanks! |
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