Ravenhawk's Herb of the Week

Herb of the Week: Ginger

This week’s herb is Ginger.

Ginger(Zingiber officinale) Family: N.O. Zingiberaceae

Native to parts of Asia, such as China, Japan, and India, ginger has a leafy stem and yellowish-green flowers. The spice comes from the rhizome (underground stem) of the plant. Ginger is a perennial root that creeps and increases underground, in tuberous joints; in the spring, it sends up from its roots a green reed, like a stalk, 2 feet high, with narrow lanceolate leaves; these die down annually. The flowering stalk rises directly from the root, ending in an oblong scallop spike; from each spike, a white or yellow bloom grows. Commercial Ginger is called black or white, according to whether it is peeled or unpeeled; for both kinds, the ripened roots are used, after the plant has died down. Ginger has been used for medicinal purposes in China for more than 2,500 years, and it has had a prominent role in Chinese, Indian, and Japanese medicine since the 1500s. Ginger may have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.

Herbal and Healing:

Healing Properties: Thermogenic, carminative, antispasmodic, laxative, digestive, expectorant, diuretic, appetizer, laxative, antiemetic, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, vasodilator, hypotensive, hypocholesterolemic, diaphoretic, febrifuge, expectorant, bronchodilator, emollient, emmenagogue, aphrodisiac, antioxidant.

Ginger is a warming digestive stimulant, enhancing the secretion of digestive enzymes. It improves appetite and digestion and is useful for poor appetite, anorexia, weak digestion, indigestion, food allergies, constipation, and poor absorption of nutrients. With its antimicrobial actions, it is useful in acute and chronic infections, including gastroenteritis, acute bacillary dysentery, and cholera, as well as Candida. With its antispasmodic action, it relieves pain and spasm, and is used for colic, wind, bloating, IBS, and griping from diarrhea and dysentery.
Ginger stimulates the heart and circulation and promotes blood flow throughout the body, improving the oxygenation of the tissues. It reduces the tendency to blood clotting. It is excellent in all conditions associated with poor circulation, including cold hands and feet, chilblains, intermittent claudication, and angina, and can be used to prevent hypothermia and altitude sickness. It is believed to lower harmful cholesterol and helps prevent atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Love, Power, Victory, Protection, Passion, Prosperity, Abundance, Healing, Success, Luck,

Gender: Masculine, Element: Fire, Planet: Mars

Ginger enhances all spells, especially love spells. It protects you and your home. Placing ginger on your altar will enhance any of your endeavors and bring great success to all your activities. Chewing on ginger before you work with any other herbs will increase their power and effectiveness. To attract passion and love, wear some dried ginger in an amulet. To cleanse and area and dispel any negativity, burn some dried ginger as incense. Ginger is useful in manifesting abundance and warding away poverty.