St. John's Wort...

St. John's Wort gets it's name from the superstition that on St. John's day,the 24th of June, the dew which fell on the plant the evening before, was effective in preserving the eyes from disease. The plant was collected, dipped in oil, and thus transformed into a balm for every wound.

Once thought to rid the body of evil spirits, St. John's Wort has long been used as a folk remedy to treat emotional disorders. If you suffer infertility, it is said that if you go naked into the garden on Midsummer's Eve (June 23) and pick the flower of St. John's Wort, you will soon become pregnant. (I'm not sure I would try this unless you live in a VERY rural area :)

There are many ancient superstitions regarding this herb and in Scotland, an old tradition states that a person could use a St. John’s Wort flower to get a ride with the fairies.

In gardens, it is known as the "Rose of Sharon" and as "Aaron's Beard." It is a woodland plant, and thrives under the shade of trees.

It's name hypercum is derived from the Greek that means "over an apparition", a reference to the belief that the herb was so obnoxious to evil spirits that a whiff of it would cause them to fly. If you pinch the leaves or the petals they give out a reddish purple stain- the "blood of St. John". Keeping this herb in your garden will protect you from fairy trickery. Carrying a few stems of the foliage was an old way to avoid being "fairy-led", or lost and confused while wandering through the local enchanted forest.

St. John's Wort is picked during the summer months, traditionally the week following June 24th. It can then be dried at a medium temperature in the shade. An infusion can be made from adding the dried herb to boiling water and had as tea.

St. John's Wort was withdrawn from sale in Ireland without a prescription. There was concern over a number of issues including possible side-effects, such as fatigue and photosensitivity, and the possibility of the herb interacting with prescribed medicines.

Please do not take this, or any herb, without researching it first and/or discussing it with your medical professional, especially if you are on medications or pregnant.