Herb Corner Issue 26

Good Morning everyone! Happy Valentine's Day. This month I would like to share a brief history paper I wrote about Mistletoe. I know it's not Christmas time when we traditionally have Mistletoe around, however, I thought it fitting with some of the information I found out about it. Also, I would also suggest (in keeping with the theme of love) that the talk given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf be given a re-read.


Mistletoe, or Viscum album, is a parasitic plant that grows on trees throughout Europe. It forms bushes about 2-5 feet in diameter. The leaves are oval to round, thick and leathery. After the flowers die they leave behind a ¼ inch white sticky berry. Of course, we can’t forget that this plant is used during the Christmas season for kissing.

It was interesting to find that the Scandinavians started the kissing tradition. However, during the time of antiquity before the kissing started, if enemies met up with each other under the mistletoe then they laid down their weapons of war and called a truce until the next day.

A similar legend is one of Baldur and the goddess Frigga. When Baldur was born, Frigga blessed all the plants and animals not to hurt Baldur. However, the mistletoe was over looked. Loki the prankster fashioned a spear from mistletoe and killed Baldur. Later, Frigga brought him back to live and blessed the mistletoe, making it sacred so it would bring love to the world and not death.

During the time of ancient erotica it was regarded as regarded as an aphrodisiac and fertility herb, may also contain abortifacient qualities. The Anglo-Saxons referred to it as “dung-on-a-stick”. In the pre-Christian world it was used as a remedy to ward off evil if hung in the doorways of houses and stables. Some legends have it that Christ’s cross was made from mistletoe and therefore doomed the plant to live as a parasite.

Some of the diseases it is able to treat are cancer; stimulate the immune system, and lower blood pressure. It is helpful as a sedative. Druids used mistletoe as an aphrodisiac and a protection against poison. Because the druids used this plant in almost everything, including human sacrifice, the Christian churches in England banned the use of mistletoe. Druid priests would cut the mistletoe from a special oak five days after the new moon and would have to catch it before it hit the ground. This needed to happen so the magical powers of keeping evil at bay still remained in the plant.

Mistletoe farmers would watch the birds and how they propagated the plant. They would learn which ones were the best and sell them. After the season was over they would take a bough and light it on fire and spread that fire around in hopes of scattering and increasing prosperity for the next year.

This plant works on relaxing tight muscles and improving circulation. Although unproven at this point there are several other possible diseases that mistletoe could work for. They are: convulsions, internal bleeding, hysteria, gout, infertility, arthritis, rheumatism, whooping cough, asthma, hypertension, dizziness, headache, menstruation, and menopause. It has been a long used prevention for atherosclerosis.


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May Health and Happiness be with you,
Aeroia