Oregano: Polish research indicates that oregano has the strongest immune-boosting power of 70 tested herbs, including goldenseal ...

Common Names: Oregano, Joy of the Mountain

Botanical Name: Origanum vulgare

Family: Labiate

Plant Type: Hardy perennial

Parts Used: Leaves, flowers, essential oil

Flowering: June to August

Oregano originated in Asia, Europe and North Africa. The name Origanum is derived from two Greek words, oros (mountain) and ganos (joy), an allusion to the sunny appearance these plants give to the hillsides on which they grow.

Description: Oregano is a perennial herb, with creeping roots, sending up woody stems about a foot high, branched above, often purplish. The leaves are opposite, about an inch long, nearly entire hairy beneath. The flowers are in corymbs, with reddish bracts, a two-lipped pale purple corolla, and a five-toothed calyx, blooming from the end of June, through August.

Cultivation: Sow seeds in early spring when the soil is warm enough to work, and only just cover with soil. Divide plant in spring or autumn and take cuttings in midsummer. It grows in full sun in average soil with a pH of 6.8. Oregano is hardy to zone 5.

Harvesting: Either gather the herb just before the flowers open, or harvest the whole plant (excluding roots) in late summer, and hang in small bunches to dry.

Culinary Uses: Oregano has a spicy flavor and is used widely in Mediterranean cuisines. Add it to tomato sauce, egg and cheese dishes, roasts, zucchini, eggplant, and potatoes.

Oregano Magick

Protection. Love. Happiness. Health. Money.

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Mercury

Element: Air

Plant oregano in your garden to bless and protect your home.

Place a few oregano leaves in your shoes to make travel easy, safe and enjoyable.

Sprinkle a handful of oregano around the perimeter of your house to fill your home with a sense of joy and lightheartedness.

Herbal Healing with Oregano

Medicinal Actions: Analgesic, anaphrodisiac, anthelmintic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitoxic, antiviral, aperitif, aperitive, balsamic, carminative, cholagogue, choleretic, cytophylactic, diaphoretic, disinfectant, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, hepatic, hypnotic, laxative, parasiticide, rubefacient, stimulant (nerves), stomachic, sudorific, tonic, vulnerary, warming

Medicinal Uses: Oregano can be used in the treatment of chest complaints, coughs and colds. A gargle with oregano will help heal oral thrush and mouth ulcers. Oregano is sedative, and is used to relieve headaches, calm the nerves and aid sleep. Use infusions of oregano leaves to treat indigestion, coughs, headaches, and delayed periods. Use a few drops of oil of oregano for toothache.

Body Care with Oregano

• To stop a sore throat fast, gargle with and then drink 1 cup triple-strength oregano leaf infusion, OR with 4 drops oregano triple-strength infused oil in a cup of water, every two hours, between four and six times daily until the sore throat is gone.

Triple-strength infusion: 3 teaspoons dried or 6 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves in 1 cup just-boiled water.

Triple-strength infused oil: Fill a clean glass jar with fresh leaves, then pour in olive oil to cover the herbs. Leave the jar on a sunny windowsill for two to three weeks, stirring occasionally. Pour the mix into a suspended muslin bag to filter through to a small bowl below. Squeeze out the remaining oil (squeeze it from the leaves, too) Repeat the process two more times using the same oil but fresh herbs. Store in dark-glass bottles. This will keep for six to twelve months.

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