Where do people get the idea herbs are magical?

Question

I was in an herbal store and was asking the lady about some herbs and she told me she could only tell me about the magical properties of the herbs. Where would she or the others that preceded her get the idea that herbs and oils and extracts have magical effects on things other than the persons ingesting or smoking the herbs.

Answer 1

It seems to me that magic is a word to describe what you don't understand. If a posionious plant can be used to treat a sick person how do you explain the effect when you have no other recourse than magic? When you believe that there is a reason why things happen as they do and that it is possible to understand the world in terms of cause and effect then magic becomes irrelevant. For some people rational explanations don't seem to be adequate. There are those who insist on believing in magic as an explanation for that which they fail to understand by rational effort.

Answer 2

I don't know about smoking herbs. But since herbal use has been in use for about 20,000 years, I would assume at some time in the past the ancient Celts or Druids used herbs in their practices and that is where the magical properties ideas came from. Since herbs for the most part heal almost everything that ails you today with the advent of drugs that don't do anything, most people believe doctor or pharmaceutical advice than their history. In my opinion.

Answer 3

Some herbs have clear medicinal properties. In previous years there was no real distinction between medicine and magic.

Today, for some people, medicine and magic mean different things when they hear it, even when the base of the claim is actually the same. For example, you find it odd that people would talk about the magical properties of herbs, but do you find it odd that millions of Americans take "herbal supplements" that are not FDA approved and often have no clinical studies supporting their effectiveness? Heck, there are studies that specifically say that Echinacea has no effect on the immune system, but you can still find it in drugstores, and my husband still takes it, even though he's aware of the study!

Answer 4

In linguistics we tend to think that if we believe it we will see it. There are giant financial organizations driving the magic oils and herbs business. They are both entrancing and deceiving.

If the stuff they sell had the properties or gave results as claimed by the seller, the megalithic pharmaceutical companies would own it.

The herbs and oils business provides many pyramid marketing opportunities. It is mostly word of mouth. People relationships are way important. The belief in magic is a popular and widespread belief.

We live in a natural Universe. Everything here is natural. Natural things are relatively predictable. Magic is unpredictable. Use Occam's razor and shave the magical thinking from your brain and you will find yourself in control of your life again.

Answer 5

centuries ago Wiccan people used herbs and roots for medicinal purposes to heal their sick children, to help in child birth, to make their husbands more comfortable after their battles

when men saw that they could make a fortune in practicing medicine, commercializing the practice into profession, they began to accuse these Wiccans of evil. Called them witches.
Got them either killed off or made to promise never to practice medicine again, or deliver babies.

The male doctors began creating medicines that could not be found so readily in nature so that folks would have to buy it. This is why they put alcohol and cocain in tonic water and called it medicine. And people paid good money.

And for the longest time, women were not allowed to study medicine to become doctors.

The use of herbs became secret, mysterious, and thus magical only because they were not allowed. Some people believe in their medicinal values.

Answer 6

The ancient wise people were healers and used herbs which are natural really.The cures sometimes seemed "Magical" to some but was really based on physiology.

Answer 7

Either general ignorance of science or a willful desire for a world beyond the one we can sense.

I worked in the herbal extract industry for 7 years. Lots of flakes and fakers involved but herbal medicine is valid. But it aint magic. It is chemistry and biology. The flakes and fakers give the whole concept a bad image.

Answer 8

Because all herbs have correspondences with various planetary energies. It is the personified energies of the planets that we refer to as "the Gods" of just about any religion, and it is this that constitutes the "magickal" powers of herbs. If you were doing a ritual of Jupiter, for instance, you would use a combination of Jupiterian herbs to make your incense, such as juniper, cedar and sandalwood. By doing this, you 'align" yourself with the energies of the given "planetary power" and are then able to 'communicate' with it and thereby accomplish whatever end it is you had in mind.

Answer 9

From thousands of years of superstition and healing/wise women/witch doctors etc.

A lot of it comes from the look of the herb. Shepherd's Purse looks like a purse, so was assumed to bring wealth.
The names of herbs are also related to what type of healing they were used for too, like eyebright.

Answer 10

Ski,
I do not know but I do know they were mentioned in the BIBLE and therefore, should not be considered "Magical" at all. Have a wonderful evening and a glorious week.
Thanks,
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