Health Benefits: Relieves nausea, digestive tonic, treats cramps, indigestion, and cramps, relieves colds, influenza, and associated fevers, treats asthma, bronchitis, and sinus infections, improves blood circulation, relieves depression, disinfects wounds and cuts, heals bladder infections, treats nervous tension, mental fatigue, melancholy, and migraines when used for aromatherapy, increases metabolism, soothes arthritis pain, wounds, injuries, burns, bruises, scars, sports injuries, surgical recovery, and sprains, reduces inflammation, stimulates adrenal cortex and nervous system, boosts immune system, treats motion sickness, stimulates the appetite.
Vitamins, Minerals, and Related: Vitamin A, C, K, magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, antispasmodic, antibacterial, analgesic, ophthalmic, antipyretic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant.
Beauty Benefits: Fixes dull looking hair and skin, calms irritated skin, treats oily hair.
Magickal Uses: Warding, astral projection, safe travelling spells, friendship spells, attraction, love spells, money spells, and protection.
Interesting Facts: European lore claims that it belongs to Satan and you must curse the ground as you plant it in order for it to grow properly. This is where the French idiom, “semer le basilic” “to sow the basil” came from, it refers to ranting.
Basil was used in English folk magic, like so many other things, to ward off harmful spells as well as to keep away pests.
Also, several sources say that if a gift of basil is given to a member of the opposite sex, he or she will fall deeply in love with the giver and be forever faithful. In Romania, this act is representative of an official engagement.
