When I began to contemplate writing about the process of growing a plant and developing an alliance with it, I thought about plants considered sacred in the Northern Tradition and the vaettir or spirit I know as Mistress Rosemary gently touched my arm. “I believe we are friends already,” she reminded me, with a patient chuckle. I have been growing Mistress Rosemary for over thirty years and use her every day. To be honest, formal courtship was never required as we have long been comfortable with one another. She appears to me in green, dressed in the elaborately slashed and ruffled gowns popular in Germany in the late 1500s, with a broad, plumed hat and red-golden hair.
Rosmarinus officinalis, or common culinary rosemary, is a woody, shrubby plant with resinous needle-like and strongly aromatic leaves, native to the Mediterranean. It is a member of the Mint family and its Latin name means “dew of the sea”. The small flowers, which can bloom, atypically, at most any time of year, can be white, pink, purple or blue. While some varieties are upright in growth habit, and can grow up to 6 feet tall, there are also weeping and recumbent forms that can make lovely, fragrant ground covers. Some varieties are moderately hardy and will tolerate temperatures as low as 0 degrees.
With seeds that are difficult to germinate and often yielding offspring plants differing in quality from the parent, rosemary is best propagated through rooting cuttings in barely damp, well-draining medium. One may also bend tender stems to the ground, pin them and cover with a layer of soil. In time, the branch will root and can be sundered from its mother plant. The roots are shallow and fibrous and it prefers loose, loamy and not overly-rich alkaline to neutral soil. Rosemary thrives best in full sun.
Its spicy, piney flavor and astringency makes rosemary an excellent herb of choice for seasoning lamb and pork. Steeped in apple cider vinegar, it deters dandruff and helps hair to grow thick and glossy. Rosemary has been associated with the Virgin Mary in Roman Catholic tradition and with the Norse God Njord. Associated with the Element of Fire, rosemary was once worn at weddings and considered a love charm. It also has a long history of use as a strewing herb and in incenses due to its cleansing and protective energies. Hung over the doorway or bound into a wreath and hung on one’s door, rosemary helps to ward off negative energies and deter thieves. An excellent and benevolent sleep aid, when placed beneath a pillow, rosemary brings sweet dreams; laid under the bed it can protect the sleeper from harm and visitations from the Mara. It can also be harvested and bound into elongated bundles and when dry, burned as a recaning herb. The essential oil is somewhat antiseptic and has been found to enhance alertness and memory. Some sources say that rosemary attracts the Alfar or Elves.
Still, I wanted to do something to honor Mistress Rosemary and thought about how she was growing here at TwoTrees, some five hours from the sea. I have two plants, one some twelve years old, of a more trailing habit, another planted several years ago near the bee yard and more upright. I took a basket and filled it with a variety of sea shells I’d gathered during my last trip to the coast, including many pretty purple and white chunks of clamshell, tumbled smooth by the waves. I went first to the elder plant and intuitively chose and placed shells around her as she directed. She was particularly pleased with the purple sides of the clam shells. At the same time, I sang for her.
Next I went to the younger plant, who informed me that she was unhappy with the random rocks that my husband had placed around her to remind him not to injure her with the weed-eater. So I set down the basket and went looking for pretty chunks of milky quartz and gave her a proper setting. Behind her, I arranged half of a large sand dollar with more shells and clam jewels placed on the flat faces of the quartz. I again sang the little song and she giggled youthfully. I experienced a strong sense of pleasure and satisfaction and consider myself fortunate to have so gracious a lady as an ally.
Shamanism is all about relationships. For me, an alliance is a process of connecting with respect, cultivating my relationship with a spirit in the same way I would any friendship, with careful intent and dedication.