Rosemary Monograph
Rosemary – Rosmarinus officinalis
Qualities: hot/dry
Other Qualities: stimulating, sedating, restoring, dissolving
Element: Air/Fire
Planet: Sun
Action: Rising – circulating – sinking, heating, interior to exterior
(its action is rising: and has a tropism for the chest and head; heating: it warms the body; Interior to exterior: diffusive, stimulant, stimulating carminative (pungent), promotes circulation and diaphoretic – fresh herb and essential oil)
Acts primarily upon the Fluid and Fire Bodies
Tastes: Pungent (less so in the dried herb), oily, astringent (could be seen as an expression of bitter), sweet, aromatic
Therapeutic actions: nervine, astringent, diuretic, diaphoretic, diffusive, carminative, emmenagogue, abortifacient, cholagogue, choleretic, anti-spasmodic, strongly anti-oxidant (outperforms BHA and BHT), hepatoprotective, antibacterial, vasomotor tonic, nootropic – memory and brain function enhancing, anti-depressant, sedative, stimulant, mild substitute for Benzodiazepine drugs, heart tonic, anti-arteriosclerosis, revives after fainting, rubefascient, antiseptic, parasiticide.
Tropisms: The Blood (Air Body), Fire Body, Stomach & GI tract specifically the Intestines, Liver, Gall Bladder, Nerves, Thyroid, Lungs, Womb, Heart, Kidneys, Brain
This herb works by warming the interior, promoting circulation, stimulating digestion and relaxing. It is both stimulating and relaxing. Herbs capturing opposing actions are usually regulating and this herb is regulating to the thyroid and general metabolism. It is essentially restorative. Its rising, circulating and then sinking action results in a herb that adds draining diuretic ability to its repertoire. It opens the pathways within the body and particularly opens up the skin as a diaphoretic. Its action is internal to external, flushing toxin into the blood stream. The leaves of this plant are needle like and regular, it is evergreen. Both these qualities indicate that it is hot and is able to maintain stable metabolic heat within the body. It has a tropism for the head and also lifts stagnant mood and opens up the penetrating forward reaching energy of the gall-bladder. It opens the breath and brings expansion to the spirit. In cases of empty energy – extreme depletion with hypo-function and extreme stagnation – use in combination with herbs that supply wet and cold restorative energies.
The leaves and flowers are used. It is used as a herb and essential oil. Mints have a tropism for long fibre muscles and so will tend to be abortifacient in varying degrees. Avoid this herb during pregnancy and cases of energetic excess.
Tropisms:
The Blood: warms and circulates the blood. It is an excellent arterial stimulant. It warms the interior and by warming the blood and stimulating circulation distributes heat around the body. It is also a heart tonic making it an excellent candidate for cases of heart and circulatory hypo-function. It is diffusive by its action on the Blood.
Stomach & GI Tract: warms the stomach, clears stomach phlegm and lubricates the GI tract will bile whose release it stimulates from the gall-bladder, toning the gall reflexes. By clearing phlegm from the GI tract it promotes digestion and absorbtion. The combined action clears wind generally from the GI tract.
Liver & Gall-bladder: relaxes the liver, increases liver circulation hence clearing liver stagnation and increases its catabolic processes. It increases liver function and expels cold and damp from it. It stimulates the gall-bladder. It is indicated where there is a pale yellowish complexion, slow digestion, a bitter taste in the mouth, a lack of energy and lack of will.
Nervine: increases muscle activity via the parasympathetic system strengthening arteries, stomach, intestines, gall passages and heart, whilst relaxing the sympathetic and voluntary muscles.
Thyroid & Metabolism: Stimulates thyroid and aids in the burning and consumption of blood sugars and fats, by this action it warms, stimulates and regulates throughout the entire body. This capacity makes it especially useful for the heart and brain since these organs require large quantities of blood sugar. By increasing and toning circulation and the use of fuels in the blood, relaxing sympathetic and voluntary muscles, tonifying thryroid function and its antioxidant action it tonifies across the entire body.
Lungs & Sinuses: warms the lungs and sinuses, and promotes expectoration and resolution of phlegm.
Womb & Uro-genital Organs: warms the womb, promotes menses and addresses sexual disinterest. This hints at its endocrine role, it is unsurprising that rosemary is an adrenal stimulant. This is an abortifascient herb and should not be used medicinally during pregnancy.
Heart: as a heart tonic, rosemary is used when there is fatigue, palpitation, cold limbs, shallow breathing, depression, lack of self-esteem and debility. It stimulates arterial circulation, relaxes the nerves, opens the lungs, circulates blood within the torso and stimulates digestion. It combined with honey is an excellent, non-habit forming heart tonic.
Wounds: rosemary is an excellent woundwort. It controls the flow of blood, is antiseptic and stimulates healing by its hot nature.
Anti-aging: Any herb which stimulates circulation in the torso, aids digestion, clears phlegm, deepens the breath, lifts the spirits and promotes tissue repair is an excellent candidate for anti-aging regimes.
Diffuses and dissolves blockages: light dissolving power