- Latin name
- Cinnamomum verum
- Element
- fire
- Planet
- Sun
- Safe to eat?
- Yes, in normal kitchen amounts
How to use it
- Burn a little ground bark as a warming incense
- Tie sticks into a Yule bundle or wreath
- Add to mulled drinks and baking
- Place a stick in a money jar or on the altar
Lore
Cinnamon was prized in ancient Egypt, where it was used in perfumes and embalming. Herodotus recorded a traveller's tale that it was gathered from the nests of great birds in Arabia, likely a story spread by traders to guard their source.
Safety
Fine in normal cooking. Cassia cinnamon, the most common kind in shops, is high in coumarin, which can harm the liver in large regular amounts. Cinnamon powder and especially the oil can burn or irritate the skin, so never rub it on skin or use the oil neat. Do not inhale the powder.
More fire herbs
- Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus
- Peppermint Mentha x piperita
- Calendula Calendula officinalis
- Bay Laurel Laurus nobilis
- Basil Ocimum basilicum
- Juniper Juniperus communis
- Rowan Sorbus aucuparia
- St John's Wort Hypericum perforatum