SAINT JOHN'S WORT—

 

​St. John’s wort was gathered in open ground—pastures, road edges, fallow fields—where the soil was thin and disturbed. It flowered close to midsummer and was taken at full bloom, often cut rather than pulled, then tied and dried in small bundles.

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The flowering tops were kept whole or bruised and set into oil or spirits. Given time, the plant stained oil and spirit dark red. The color deepened slowly. Glass and covered vessels were preferred for storage. Light hastened change; heat spoiled it.

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St. John’s wort does not keep indefinitely. Strength fades with age. Once prepared, it was used within a season or remade. Excess handling weakened it. Too much light stripped it. It was kept covered and used deliberately.

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The plant was common and easily overharvested. Stands thinned when cut too closely year after year. 

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It was associated with high summer and long days. Before it was named for protection, it was prepared as medicine.

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SJW was placed with the dead or used in burial in some regions of Germany, Central Europe, and Scandinavia, with scattered record in the British Isles. It was set with the body as a counter to darkness and evil spirts. Plants used in life were also used in death.

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When the leaves are held to light, small red markings and perforations appear. These were associated with the blood of St. John the Baptist, who was beheaded at the command of Herod. The plant flowers near midsummer, June 24, the feast of his birth.

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At midsummer, bonfires were lit for St. John’s Day. People and animals were led around or through the fire or its smoke. Plants gathered at that time, including St. John’s Wort, were cast into the flames. These acts were done for protection, purification, and to ward off evil.

 

It was hung in houses, placed above doors, and carried as a charm at midsummer, when the veil was known to be thin, guarding against evil spirits and witchcraft. 

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