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BASIL: PROPERTIES AND USES
Basil is a stimulating and antidepressant oil which relieve mental fatigue, clears the mind,
and improves concentration. It is expectorant and antiseptic, used for all types of chest
infections, also good for congested sinuses, chronic colds, head colds and whooping cough.
The antispasmodic and carminative properties of basil help to relieve abdominal pains,
indigestion, and vomiting. It works well on tired muscles, especially in massage oil used
after hard physical work or strenuous exercise, it also eases arthritis and gout.
It is reputed to be one of the best nerve tonics among all essential oils.
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</MYMAILSTATIONERY> Herbal BOS 
Basil (Sweet) Ocymum Basilium Mars Scorpio Greene Herbs...Fertility Herbe...Funnereal Herbe...Herbe of Consecration...Herbe of Immortality...Herbe of Purification...Magickal Herbe...Religious Herbe...Visionary Herbe Invocatory: Krishna, Vishnu LORE: Its old association with the basilisk explains sweet basil's contemporary correspondences with such creatures as salamandars and dragons. The basilisk was a mythological reptile which had two fatal weapons: its breath (could this be the source of the modern phrase "dragon's breath?") or a look from its evil eyes. As a consequence of this association, the plant became associated with scorpions. Grieve writes that the "superstition went so far as to affirm that even smelling the plant might bring a scorpion into the brain." It is believed that Soloman chose sweet basil when making his ritual aspurger to use in his temple. It should also be pointed out that a large number of herbes are believed to have been selected. Sweet basil is a Religious Herbe associated both with Krishna and Vishnu. Hindus grow this herbe to provide protection for the home and family and, Grieve writes, a bit later, it is customary to send a good Hindu into the next life with a leaf of basil, ensuring a safe journey and access to Paradise. USAGE: In The Master Book of Herbalism we find the following: Basil should be added to the water used in scrubbing floors, walls and in any cleaning of the home previous to the unpacking and getting settled. An often-used part of a home blessing is a planting ceremony. Basil is an herbe to plant, for it will bring protection and good fortune to those who live within. Basil is widely associated with riuals of initiation. The sabbat frequently associated with basil is Candlemass, observed as a time of renewal. One of the best herbes for a candidate preparing for iniation, basil is useful for any ceremonial purification. It can be used as a bathing herbe, as one bathes the body in preparation before receiving a sacrament. It may be burned as an offering or worn as an adornment; sweet basil may be eaten with food or prepared taken as a drink. We may use this type of basil to invoke salamanders, the elemental creatures of fire. The practitioner may dry and grind basil, spooning it upon burning charcoal as an incense. One may also use basil in the ritual cup, drinking a magickally prepared tea in order to meditate upon dragons or salamanders and to establish communion with these beings as astral entities. Any person in need of courage should use basil. It brings strength and helps one move forward in a positive manner no matter how perilous the dangers. We can use basil to provide fortitude either when facing mundane dangers or when pursuing transformation in the visionary and psychic realms. Basil is known for its quality of protecting the seeker from fears one encounters when moving along a spiritual path and may be used to bring protection for our families as well. Description---Common or Sweet Basil which is used in medicine and also for culinary purposes, especially in France, is a hairy, labiate plant, growing about 3 feet high. The stem is obtusely quadrangular, the labiate flowers are white, in whorls in the axils of the leaves, the calyx with the upper lobe rounded and spreading. The leaves, greyish-green beneath and dotted with dark oil cells, are opposite, 1 inch long and 1/3 inch broad, stalked and peculiarly smooth, soft and cool to the touch, and if slightly bruised exale a delightful scent of cloves. There are several varieties, differing in the size, shape, odour and colour of the leaves. The Common Basil has very dark green leaves, the curled-leaved has short spikes of flowers, the narrow-leaved smells like Fennel, another has a scent of citron and another a tarragon scent, one species has leaves of three colours, and another 'studded' leaves. History---The derivation of the name Basil is uncertain. Some authorities say it comes from the Greek basileus, a king, because, as Parkinson says, 'the smell thereof is so excellent that it is fit for a king's house,' or it may have been termed royal, because it was used in some regal unguent or medicine. One rather unlikely theory is that it is shortened from basilisk, a fabulous creature that could kill with a look. This theory may be based on a strange old superstition that connected the plant with scorpions. Parkinson tells us that 'being gently handled it gave a pleasant smell but being hardly wrung and bruised would breed scorpions. It is also observed that scorpions doe much rest and abide under these pots and vessells wherein Basil is planted.' It was generally believed that if a sprig of Basil were left under a pot it would in time turn to a scorpion. Superstition went so far as to affirm that even smelling the plant might bring a scorpion into the brain. - Culpepper says:
- 'Being applied to the place bitten by venomous beasts, or stung by a wasp or hornet, it speedily draws the poison to it. - Every like draws its like. Mizaldus affirms, that being laid to rot in horse-dung, it will breed venomous beasts. Hilarius, a French physician, affirms upon his own knowledge, that an acquaintance of his, by common smelling to it, had a scorpion breed in his brain.'
In India the Basil plant is sacred to both Krishna and Vishnu, and is cherished in every Hindu house. Probably on account of its virtues, in disinfecting, and vivifying malarious air, it first became inseparable from Hindu houses in India as the protecting spirit of the family. The strong aromatic scent of the leaves is very much like cloves. Every good Hindu goes to his rest with a Basil leaf on his breast. This is his passport to Paradise. . | </MYMAILSTATIONERY> |
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</MYMAILSTATIONERY> 
Basil: The Green Leaves of Summer by Catherine Harper I celebrate the beginnings of several different, overlapping, summers. When April blooms into May, and the days become long, that is the beginning of summer, the voluptuous green and flowering summer that turns into warm gold autumn in August. In mid-July, when the rains dry up, and we have our stretch of dry, hot days, that is the beginning of another summer that continues through September, usually, or perhaps later. But the summer of the palate, for me, begins when the local basil begins to appear in the farmer's markets, beginning the cycle that will bring in turn corn, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants to the table. Basil is the most delicate of herbs. While many tough, resinous herbs of the Mediterranean thrive in poor, rocky soil, developing their best flavor where water is not overplentiful, basil is a tender, soft-leaved plant. It requires as much care as all the other herbs in my garden put together, and indeed is happiest if given the rich loamy soil and regular waterings I think of as more the provenance of vegetables. I start the plants indoors, on a warm surface, and then hold off on planting them out until June. From that point on, they must be watered and tended, given plenty of sun and protected from slugs (planting basil in large pots -- large so that they do not dry out too quickly -- and fixing a three inch strip of copper to the rim to deter slugs is perhaps the simplest solution). And deer. And even your neighbors. Basil needs to be gathered in fall before the night temperatures fall much below 50 degrees. I have an aesthetic preference for working closely with my local climate, and growing mostly the things that thrive here with little intervention. These plants seem, to me, to belong here. With all the culinary splendors of the world open before us, it is a comforting discipline to me to work sometimes with a more limited palate of local food. Basil, is at the best, borderline. There is a reason we have no native basil. Basil self-seeds only reluctantly here and is outcompeted by any number of plants better suited to this clime. But every year, I plant or buy my starts, and fuss over them throughout the summer months. Basil I cannot resist. Basil is the name given to any of about 150 plants in the Ocimum family (Ocimum basilicum is perhaps the best known culinary basil, varieties of which are usually sold fresh, though Ocimum minimum, or bush basil, is also common, and often sold dried). These are native to Africa, the Mediterranean and southern Asia. Even inside the O. basilicum species, flavor can vary incredibly, tasting now like cinnamon, now like cloves, and here again like lemon. Ocimum sanctum, holy basil, is a plant sacred in India to Krishna and Vishnu, and found to this day planted around their temples. To my mind, basil is an herb well-suited to temples beyond just these. Many European cultures, especially those of Latin origin, consider this herb to be associated with love. In Italy, a pot of basil displayed in a window of a family's compound indicated that a daughter had reached marriageable age. In Mexico, there is a custom of carrying basil in one's pocket to attract love. But basil lore has a darker side. Culpepper, the noted English herbalist, mentions that while many Arabic physicians defend the curative properties of basil, he has found it useful only for such things as poultices for drawing out poisons, for, he remarks rather snarkily, like calls to like. The English used it to ward against insects and evil spirits. Early English sources also refer often to its unpleasant odor, a reference which quite bemused me until I recalled that garlic, too, had been referred to as foul-smelling by many. (Asafoetida, on the other hand, is a well-loved spice in many Near Eastern cuisines but is disliked intensely by most people of European descent, who see it only as a banishing herb. Tastes vary.) Though the common name "basil" derives from the Greek word "basileum," meaning king, the Greeks saw basil as a plant of ill-omen. The Romans, perhaps similarly, thought that basil would only grow well if abused when planted or on ground that had been cursed -- a custom that seems to survive to this day. But not with me. To me basil, with its strong clear flavor, its affinity with light foods and its splendor when served fresh, epitomizes summer cooking. Though I used fresh basil first in cooked tomato sauces, and then more heavily in Thai dishes where basil was treated almost as a green vegetable rather than as a mere flavoring, I find myself most pleased with the basil leaves uncooked. Vietnamese cooking seems to have a particularly fine grasp on the use of fresh herbs. One of my favorite of such dishes is the cool noodle salad bun, where rice vermicelli is served on a bed of shredded greens including copious amounts of basil and mint (not to mention Vietnamese coriander and perilla) topped with grilled meat and drizzled with a fish-sauce based dressing. But one does not need to be so complicated. Pesto Pesto is a paste, such as might be made by grinding moist ingredients with a pestle. The proportion and ingredients vary greatly -- what I include here is the recipe in its simplest and most common form. But increasingly pestos are based on other herbs than basil, or sunflower seeds and walnuts are incorporated to spare the expensive pine nuts, or spinach is added to supplement the basil. These too, can be fine (if you like sunflower seeds, or walnuts, and remember to use twice the quantity of pesto, which spinach dilutes in flavor -- this is a fine way to eat spinach, but it does not save on basil). All measurements are approximate; adjust to taste. - 5 parts basil leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1 part grated Parmesan
- 1 part pine nuts
- 1 part olive oil
- Fresh garlic and salt to taste
Combine ingredients in a mortar and pestle. Or a blender, or a food processor (though the texture of pesto worked by hand is superior). Blend ingredients until they reach the desired consistency (which can be completely smooth, or rather lumpy and grainy, as desired, but should be more or less pastelike). If you are using a blender, you might need to add more olive oil so as to have a liquid enough consistency for adequate blending. Serve tossed with pasta. Or on bread, or pizza, or crackers. Pesto can also be frozen in ice cube trays or muffin tins (and later transferred into freezer bags) yielding a number of single serving portions for less bounteous times of the year. Fresh Tomato Sauce By fresh, here I mean "uncooked." This is a dish that should wait for the arrival of decent tomatoes. If the tomatoes have no scent, pass them by. Combine the following: - 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 generous fistful of basil, sliced widthwise into ribbons (slicing basil widthwise, across the veins, best releases its flavor)
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (or a good red wine vinegar), then add salt and pepper to taste. One can also add a bit of pressed garlic, or a finely minced shallot, but in a dish so fully flavored there is no need to allow the alliums to dominate. Allow the sauce to sit for at least 10 minutes to better mingle the flavors before eating. Serve, again, over pasta. Or as a topping for bread. For that matter, tossed with greens this sauce makes a nice salad. | </MYMAILSTATIONERY> |
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