St John's Wort (Johannesört)

St John's Wort is a symbol of Light, gold, lion and the goddess Sekhmet. In Sweden, she always appears after the mid summer peak, reminding us that our blood is red. 

I harvest wild St John’s Wort around the farm. When we moved here, I instantly noticed how (real) St. John’s wort grows naturally in this area. We’ve left some areas undisturbed, but cutting after flower season, trying to increase the amount of meadow flowers naturally. It paid off as St. John has now spread widely without me seeding.

Traditional uses of St John’s Wort for medicinal purposes

Traditional uses include:

🌾 heal burnt skin

🌾 aid digestion 

🌾 support menstruation 

🌾 balance pms 

🌾 clean the blood 

and more 

St John’s wort is a widely spread herb across the globe and across cultures. She’s part of the “women’s herbs” group as she’s often used for menstrual cramps, good blood flow, hormonal balance and lifting the mood. We often find St John’s wort in herbal remedies to treat mild anxiety and depression. Take caution if you’re on the pills though, the two don’t go hand in hand. 

Harvesting and preparing St John’s Wort

Watch my harvest movie here!

Harvesting and Preparing St John’s Wort

I harvest St john's wort to create 

🌾 tinctures 

🌾 oils 

🌾 teas 

You find St John’s wort together with Chamomile and Orange Blossoms in my tea blend I am Woman here. I find that the combination of St John’s wort and Chamomile gives me a very soothing, comforting and balancing effect.

I’ve used this recipe for more than a decade now and lately, I added the sweetness of Orange Blossoms to give it even more feminine power and love. The golden orange trio supports our creative center and Swadhisthana Chakra, the sacral chakra. 

These herbs, as well as St John’s wort alone, prefer to be steeped for a longer time. I usually leave them in the pot for up to 15 minutes. You can also make a decoction by bringing the water to a boil and then let the herbs simmer with a lid on for a few minutes. 

Tinctures are strong elixirs. You can use it topically as well as internally. I use tinctures when I want a strong dose for physical or spiritual reasons. I also enjoy making tinctures since they’re so potent and last for several years. In Sweden, spirits are expensive and thus I only offer tinctures every now and again in my shop here. 

More frequently, I use St John’s wort oil. It comes in handy on burnt skin, rashes, and ear infections to mention a few things. These are the ways that I use St John’s wort and how she’s been used traditionally for many decades. 

Medicinal Plants are Spiritual Plants

I create my herbal blends from medicinal plants with a lot of intention and magic. This is the main reason the plants are unaccepted in patriarchal norms; we need magic to communicate with the plant to fully understand her. 

Any plant enjoys it when we speak to her. Speaking to the plants is my first and foremost teaching about how to use her. We communicate and feel into each other and she whispers stories and secrets. That’s also why we can use the plants for ritual and prayers. St John’s wort is a strong force of divine feminine essence and has much to offer when we allow her in our prayers. 

Use St. John’s wort to call in the aspect of the divine feminine that’s connected to self worth, warrior, truth, your heart’s mission and voice. Let her roar, heal and dance like the lioness in your prayers. Dried St John’s Wort can be used in prayer bundles, prayer blends, herbal rituals and in casting circles to mention just a few things. Check out my store to see if St John’s Wort is available from my farm at this moment. 

Have you used St John’s Wort yet? Share your experiences below!

In love, 

Magic Magie

ps. let me know if you want more herbal articles!