- Latin name
- Hyssopus officinalis
- Element
- water
- Planet
- Jupiter
- Safe to eat?
- No, not for eating or drinking
How to use it
- Add a sachet to a purifying bath
- Sprinkle a cooled infusion around a room to cleanse it
- Hang a dried bundle in the home
- Burn a little as a cleansing incense
Lore
The Psalm line 'purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean' made it a byword for purification, though the biblical plant was probably a different herb such as Syrian oregano. Garden hyssop was grown in medieval monastery gardens as a strewing and cleansing herb.
Safety
Do not ingest medicinally. Hyssop oil contains compounds that can cause seizures, so never swallow it, and avoid hyssop completely in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, with young children and if you have epilepsy. Keep away from pets.
Not for eating or drinking.