Adam's head plant. Mandrake or Adam's head, plant properties

Recently, while visiting an old woman I know, I accidentally brushed plastic flower pots from the window. Trying to quickly cover up the traces of robbery, I could not help but pay attention to an unusual plant blooming with small blue flowers. More precisely, its roots were unusual, clearly repeating the human body. Out of curiosity that overwhelmed me, I confessed my fault to the hostess and presented my find. The old lady smiled and told me many interesting things about this flower, which is famous for its roots.

Adam's head, or mandrake- a legendary plant with amazing properties used by the people for thousands of years.

This beautiful plant with red and orange berries is surrounded by mystery. There are legends about him. It is popularly called Adam's head, half-human grass, humanoid plant, male root... It has been known since antiquity, for many centuries amazing people with its roots, which surprisingly resemble the human body in shape.

He has always been credited with miraculous properties. It was claimed that the mandrake grows in the very center of paradise. True, over the centuries, more and more people have appeared who believed that the mandrake, on the contrary, is a product of hell. But no matter what anyone says, for a very, very long time, the roots of the plant were used as a remedy supposedly curing frigidity and sexual impotence.

There was a belief that the mandrake, with its purple and blue leaves, was endowed with other incredible qualities. Homeopaths are convinced that the appearance of the plant speaks of its undoubted healing power. The root, bearing an obvious divine sign, was used by them as a universal healing agent.

In an entry found in one of the Egyptian papyri, the mandrake is reported as an aphrodisiac; from the fruits of the plant, a "love drink" was made. Among the Assyrians, mandrake was used as an anesthetic and sleeping pill. The Greek healer Dioscorides used an extract from a mandrake to put the soldiers of Nero's army to sleep during surgical operations.

The famous Hippocrates investigated the effects of various dosage forms derived from the plant. His conclusion: small doses have a slight stimulating effect, saving from melancholy (antidepressant), with an increase in the dose, the effect is the opposite - soothing, sedative.

It was said that at the moment when the mandrake was pulled out of the ground, the plant emitted a terrifying cry. This scream killed the man. Therefore, advice was given, in order to uproot a plant, you need to tie a hungry dog ​​to it, then throw a piece of meat at a distance from the animal; the dog will rush to him, uproot the root and die ...

Such are the legends of the mandrake. But what is it really? Modern doctors have found that some varieties of the plant have healing properties - and not only the roots, but also large orange and yellow berries. From the mandrake, which contains the alkaloids hyoscyamine and scopolamine, a number of pain-relieving drugs are made. But still, Adam's head is especially popular in folk medicine.

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There was a belief that if you bless the root of Adam's head, collected on the day of Ivan Kupala, with water, and put it on or under the throne in the church, and take it for yourself after forty days, then you can see evil spirits to, for example, steal the invisibility cap from the goblin, as they thought in the Vologda province. It was believed that if you give an infusion of this herb to a person to drink, then he will "convict" "which person is corrupted and who spoils."

It was also believed that the Adam's head heals wounds, facilitates childbirth, strengthens mill dams and inspires courage. In the Perm province, it, along with the Peter's cross, was sewn into an amulet, which was hung around a cow's neck to protect it from the plague. In the Nizhny Novgorod province, Adam's head and Peter's cross, in order to protect themselves from illnesses, were sewn into a shirt along the seams or sheathed a cross. Hunters fumigated with Adam's head, collected on the day of Ivan Kupala and stored until Maundy Thursday, bullets and snares.

Adam's head was described differently in different regions, respectively, it is identified as:

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An excerpt characterizing Adam's head (plant)

Entities came to me day and night, young and old, male and female, and all asked to help them talk to their daughter, son, husband, wife, father, mother, sister ... This continued in an endless stream, until, in the end, I I felt that I had no more strength. I didn’t know that when I came into contact with them, I had to close myself with my own (and very strong!) Protection, and not open emotionally, like a waterfall, gradually giving them all my life force, which at that time, to Unfortunately, I didn't know how to make up.
Very soon, I literally had no strength to move and fell into bed ... When my mother invited our doctor, Dana, to check what had happened to me again, she said that it was my "temporary loss of strength from physical overwork" ... I did not say anything to anyone, although she knew perfectly well the real reason for this “overwork”. And as I did for a long time, I just honestly swallowed any medicine that my cousin prescribed for me, and after lying in bed for about a week, I was again ready for my next “exploits” ...
I realized long ago that sincere attempts to explain what really happened to me gave me nothing but a headache and increased constant monitoring of my grandmother and mother. And to be honest, I did not find any pleasure in this ...
My long "communication" with the entities of the dead once again "turned" my already quite unusual world. I could not forget that endless stream of deep human despair and bitterness, and in every possible way I tried to find at least some way to help them. But the days went by, and I still couldn’t think of anything on my own, except, again, to act in the same way, only spending my life force on it much more carefully. But since I couldn’t be calm about what was happening, I still continued to make contacts and tried to help, as best I could, all the souls who despaired of their helplessness.
True, sometimes there were funny, almost funny cases, one of which I wanted to tell here ...

It was a gray cloudy day outside. Low leaden clouds swollen with water barely dragged across the sky, threatening at any moment to burst into a "waterfall" downpour. It was stuffy in the room, I didn’t want to do anything, just lie down, staring at “nowhere” and not think about anything ... But the fact is that I never knew how not to think, even when I honestly tried to relax or relax. So I sat in my daddy's favorite chair and tried to drive away my "dreary" mood by reading one of my favorite "positive" books.

This herb is also known under other names - cuckoo's tears, male root, sleeping potion, umbilical cord. But perhaps the most famous name is the name "mandrake".

The Adam's head has a very wide magical range of applications - for a successful hunt and summoning the devil, for eliminating the enemy and protecting the home, improving the financial situation and, of course, for victories on the love front.

Curiously, this herb is both male and female.
- The white Adam's head is male, the black Adam's head is female.

However, it should immediately be noted that conducting all the rituals is a much less complicated process than digging up and storing the roots, which in fact are the main component of all magical deeds.

The magical part of the Mandrake - Adam's head:

Ritual of digging up Adam's head:
In ancient herbalists, there is a recommendation for the extraction of this herb - "Tear it with the cross of the Lord and say" Our Father "and other three hundred prayers." But this is not a complete list of necessary actions.
Theophrastus (orator, philosopher - 372-287 BC) wrote that you need to dig up a mandrake together. The first one should outline the mandrake in three circles with a sword never before taken out of a scabbard, and stand facing west, while his assistant should dance around the plant, whispering love speeches.
But this method apparently did not guarantee complete success, because over time, more and more new items necessary for the ritual appeared.
You can dig up a plant only at night, laying your ears with cotton wool or wax. Apparently, this was due to the fact that those digging up the root noticed that the plant, as if sensing that it would be dug up, was trying to hide in the ground, and when it was pulled out, it emits a terrible scream, from which you can go deaf or go crazy.
They prevented the escape in a rather unusual way - a light need was relieved on Adam's head. Most likely, therefore, further recommendations provided that it was impossible to touch the plant with your hands.
After such a “watering”, Adam’s head was dug in with a circular ditch so that the spilled liquid would not come into contact with the root. The root itself was wrapped with a rope and hooked to the collar of a black dog. Moving to a respectful distance, the dog was thrown meat. The animal ran to the bait and uprooted.
Legends say that at this moment all life around was dying. In any case, the dog dies for sure. The corpse of the dog must be buried in the place where the root of the Adam's head will be pulled out.
Extracting the root by a human hand nullifies all the power of the Adam's head.

Keeping Adam's Head Root
The process is no less important, because if the root is stored incorrectly, it loses its strength. With the root plucked, the mandrakes perform monthly rituals according to the lunar cycle. The root is kept wrapped in a piece of red cloth (possibly white). Tissue replacement occurs at every new moon. The root must be washed every week, using red wine for this.

love amulet
To make an amulet, you need the root of the opposite sex. However, the sex of Adam's head depends only on your personal preferences.
The main part of the root must be brought home and carved on it with your knife the features of a doll whose gender is determined by your feelings. At the same time, be sure to repeat the words: “Keep this house!”. Further, the root is planted either at the crossroads of two roads, or in the church garden. This increases the strength of the root! After choosing a place, draw a circle around it in the direction of the sun. In the northern hemisphere - the direction corresponds to the movement of the hour hand, in the southern - it is the opposite. It is best to plant the root at midnight with a new moon.
After planting the root, it must be cared for for twenty-eight days, watered with a mixture of water and blood. One part blood to twelve water. The proportion is not accidental - the sum of the parts gives the number thirteen!
After twenty-eight days, the root is dug up, having previously outlined it in a circle. As with landing, it is better to do this at night.
If all the recommendations are followed correctly, the “wounds” at the root are healed. The amulet for love is almost ready!
Amulet Care
Practically - because until it is fully ready, it must “ripen” for another three months. During all this time, the root must be washed daily and smoked with verbena smoke.

home mascot
To make a talisman, you need to cut a human figure from the root of the Adam's head. Next, the figurine is dressed and stored away from human eyes. In the linen closet, secretary, in the safe. The choice of location is not restricted or regulated in any way.
But during meals, the figurine opposite is taken into the light of day. The dressed root is seated in a place of honor at the table. Moreover, the right to open a feast belongs precisely to Adam's head.
On Saturdays, the man from the root is bathed in wine, and the change of clothes falls on the first day of the lunar month.
The talisman reliably protects the house from all troubles.

Medical part of the Mandragora - Adam's head:

medicine men
In Russia, gastrointestinal diseases, muscle, joint and neuralgic pains, gland seals, tumors and edema were treated with the Adam's head.

Tincture
Well-chopped Adam's head root insist on alcohol (in a ratio of 1:4) for two weeks, then filter. Take 3-10 drops as an analgesic and sleeping pill for rheumatism, gout.

Butter
Nutria fat is mixed with a tincture of Adam's head root (1:5). Used as an external pain reliever for rheumatism and gout.
The crushed fresh plant, together with milk and honey, is used in the form of dressings as a softening agent for gland seals, tumors and edema.

Don't be greedy - rate yourself:

Here is another mythical plant of Russian healers. But if the fern flower is a myth in its purest form, then Adam's head was in the stocks of every self-respecting healer. The trouble is, in different parts of Russia this plant was imagined in its own way.

Symbolically, "Adam's head" is a skull with crossbones, a symbol of death. And a flower with such a name was supposed to remind herbalists of this well-known image. But with a certain amount of imagination, the skull can be seen in very different colors.

Therefore, in the history of Russian herbal medicine there have been several contenders for the title of "Adam's head".

lady's slipper.

This "Adam's head" settled in Siberia. Now a rare plant listed in the Red Book. Since ancient times, it has been used in Tibetan medicine, and from there it came to Siberian herbalists.

See how this strangely shaped flower really looks like a bare skull!

Cornflower rough.

This plant is well known to us. You can meet him in any meadow. Indeed, at first, a bare head on a strong fluffy stem, one can say that it looks like a skull. But then that skull sprouts into gorgeous purple hair!

It was used not for magical, but for the most urgent purposes. Solve liver and kidney problems.

Kupena.

A beautiful plant with white oblong flowers-bells. How they reminded our herbalists of "Adam's head" is unknown!

But a plant with serious medicinal properties. Its roots have been used as an anti-inflammatory and hemostatic agent. And also when coughing.

And its black and blue berries, reminiscent of blueberries, are very poisonous. Maybe that's why the kupen was considered the mythical "Adam's head."

Mandrake.

This plant is rarely found in our middle lane. More often in the southern regions. From time immemorial, this plant has been treated very respectfully. It has amazing roots that resemble a human figure. In general, the plant is poisonous, but has been used in folk medicine along with belladonna and dope.

And finally muzzle.

A very beautiful blue flower, reminiscent of a skull, except perhaps in its round shape. But in the composition, again, there are many dangerous and valuable components for medicine.

And what was the "Adam's head" interesting for healers, no matter how it looked in different areas?

Since all these "Adam's heads" are poisonous to one degree or another, it was necessary to collect skillfully. Cross yourself and say three hundred prayers, starting with Our Father.

And with the mandrake, in general, everything was very difficult. This plant screamed when it was dug up, and this voice ruined the herbalists. So, it was possible to collect the roots of the mandrake only by inserting wax plugs into the ears!

It was necessary for hunters and everyone who dealt with firearms. Smoke from the smoldering dry flowers of this plant had to be smoked with guns and cartridges on a clean Thursday in Holy Week, so that no misfires or misses. But until clean Thursday, hide this grass from prying eyes.

Helped infusions of "Adam's head" and spoilage. The intoxicating substances contained in these plants, indeed, in a certain proportion could help with neuropsychiatric diseases.

An infusion of herbs was also given to women in labor, apparently as a light anesthesia.

And the statements of herbalists are quite understandable, that with the help of this herb one can see demons in the air. First, drink the infusion, only necessarily in consecrated water, so that the demons do not move in. And then wear this grass on yourself for forty days.

Well! It may very well be. I wonder if there were many hunters to admire the demons?

They also laid this grass in the base of the water mill so that it would not collapse! This property is understandable if we remember that the water mill for our ancestors was originally a magical place. What kind of unclean force is spinning the wheel? It would be necessary to get in touch with her with the help of a witch plant.

So the properties of this plant are the most magical. The main thing is not to make a mistake in proportions!

Mandragora or Adam's head has long been considered the Queen of all herbs. Ancient beliefs claim that it is this herb that can help a person in search of treasure. And Mandragora was also used in magical rituals when it came to knowing the future.

The Mandrake has many names. And everyone knows her under his own. Someone knows her as Cuckoo's tears, someone like the Umbilical, someone like the Male Root or the Witch's Flower. And this grass is also called Sleepy and even the grass of the Devil. We deliberately capitalized other names of the Mandragora in order to visually distinguish them from the general text.

It is worth saying that in many ancient treatises the above grass is always depicted in the same way. This is a female or male figurine, where the legs look like roots, and the head of the figurine is crowned with a bunch of leaves that literally grew out of the head.

Mandragora: the magical properties of the herb

Anyone who doubts the magical properties of Adam's root, having come into contact with this herb, very quickly begins to understand how much he was mistaken. After all, this herb really holds quite a lot of secrets. Despite the fact that progress has long stepped forward, we know nothing about those things that are at arm's length from us. What is the use of flying into space if we do not understand anything even in such trifles as herbalism?!

Mandrake has a fairly wide range of uses in magic. Through her, the Devil was once invoked, she was very widely used in matters of protecting the house, everything related to money or love affairs could not do without the Mandrake in the same way.

Hunters, going for prey, fumigated themselves and their weapons with this herb. It was noticed that after this ritual, there are practically no misses. Is this an accident? Pattern? What do you think?

Mandragora: time and place of collection

It is worth saying right away that Mandragora for a pagan is not just grass, it is also the personification of a holiday. If we talk about the magic of Wicca, then we are talking about the holiday of Samhain. But, back to the issue of collecting grass. Finding Adam's head is not easy. A magician, sorcerer or witch, having found out the place where such grass grows, carefully hid it from everyone. Mandragora was assembled exclusively on Midsummer's Day (if you remember, this is the twenty-fourth of June, the style is old, of course). The collection was carried out secretly, without any kind of assistants and witnesses. The collected grass was dried at home, away from prying eyes.

Direct collection of Mandragora is not just finding a bush, plucking leaves or uprooting grass. No no and one more time no! Gathering grass is a whole ritual. Otherwise, nothing sensible from the collected raw materials will work, i.e. it will be impossible to perform rituals with such “plucked” grass.

Mandragora: root digging ritual

Old books on herbs contain a whole ritual that tells how you can collect the Mandrake. Of course, it would be great to read the original source, you must admit, it is very interesting and useful, and it would be even cooler to be trained by those ancestors who mastered magical science to perfection. We can only be content with those crumbs of knowledge that miraculously survived and have come down to our days.

So, in ancient sources it is said that Mandragora gathers with a prayer on his lips. It is clear that this is a later, so to speak, Christian version. The pagan version of a slightly different sense, yes, the grass is collected and at the same time collecting the Mandrake, refers to it with words. This is key.

One of the ancient philosophers who lived in the year 300 BC (his name is Theophrastus) wrote that Mandragora can only be dug up with an assistant. He led a whole ritual where it was required to outline a circle so that the grass was in the center of it. Moreover, this circle was applied with a sword (certainly only to her!), Which until now has not been taken out of its scabbard even once. It is clear that it is not so easy for us, who are living now, to get a sword.

As soon as the circle was depicted with such a sword, the first person turned his face towards the west, and the second began to dig (if they came for the root) the root of the plant. He did it with words of tenderness and even love. It seems to us that the key here is the appeal to Mandragora. After all, if we talk about the worldview of a pagan, then everything around him is alive, everything requires attention and affection. And since you have come and interfere in the world of plants, then at least be kind, come not as a barbarian, but with a request for help, with words of gratitude. And then the plant will give everything that is so asked and expected from it. This "secret" applies not only to the collection of Mandrake, but also to the collection of any other plant, herb, mushroom or berry. Because everything around us is alive.

The resulting Mandragora root had to be properly preserved, otherwise, all efforts were reduced to zero. So, keep it in a scarlet or white cotton rag. Every new moon, the root was taken out and washed with red wine. Of course, not the ones that are now sold in stores.

Mandragora: applications in traditional medicine

Many ailments were treated with the roots of the above herb, including: various gastrointestinal ailments, neuralgic pains, gland seals, joint and muscle pains, swelling and even tumors.

Most often, the root of Mandrake, infused with moonshine (vodka, alcohol), was used. The root was finely cut or rubbed, after which it was poured with moonshine (one to four) and cleaned in a dark place for a couple of weeks. When the specified period passed, the tincture was taken out, filtered and used as a medicine. Taking three to ten drops at a time (depending on the severity of the patient). The tincture helped to cope with both pain and lack of sleep, it helped to fight gout perfectly.

In addition, the grated Mandrake root was mixed with fat, for example, badger. Then they rubbed it on sore spots.

Mandragora: protector from evil spells

Since ancient times, it has been known that Adam's head is truly a magical plant. It is able to protect against evil spells, which has been repeatedly proven. At the root of the Mandrake, a certain kind of energy is collected, which is quite powerful.

Some kind of sign or drawing was very often applied to the dug out root, for example, a person was cut out, who had to either be protected from witchcraft, or, on the contrary, tied to oneself. However, the root without any signs was also no less effective.

The root of Adam's head or Mandragora is the real embodiment of an energy shield through which evil cannot seep. Evil eyes and damage, curses and prisushki, shortenings and other destructive messages can crumble like ashes if a person is kept by the root of a wonderful grass.

Mandragora is very effective in matters of love magic, conceiving children, increasing potency, it copes well (if in small doses) with such unpleasant things as despondency, depression, low tone, in more serious breaths they successfully fight through this root (as already mentioned) with insomnia.

It has also been noted for a long time that Mandragora in a special way is able to influence the financial situation of a person. If he carries the root with him, then his business very quickly begins to go uphill, and his money doubles. If your house has this rare and incredibly valuable root, then you should not be afraid of a number of troubles, because the grass can protect you from poverty and worthlessness, from thieves and other misfortunes. A house where there is such a root, love does not bypass the fifth road, but on the contrary, strive to this very place.

Those who practice destructive magic, through the magical root of Mandrake, have been able and able to take beauty and youth from the victim, and can also make the victim lose his mind.

Once upon a time (and perhaps now too) Mandragora roots, we repeat, were actively used in love magic. A man was bewitched with a female root, and a young lady with a male one. Yes, by the way, this grass is, if I may say so, heterosexual. There are males and there are females. Speaking of Adam's head, every time it seems that it is not just alive, but is a cross between a plant and an animal, a kind of transitional and rather intelligent form of life.

Probably, thanks to this feeling, it has long been rumored that when the root is dug up, it begins to yell wildly. This sound can even make you deaf. Once upon a time there were special people who did nothing but collect the Mandrake root. They were called rhizotomists. In a way, it was their profession. They knew everything and everything about this plant and could find it even underground.