The Goddess Artemis chose to hunt with poison arrows, and yet she is often depicted as wearing a circlet of the healing herb, Dittany, in her hair.
She who is officially Virgin ('beholden to no man', as opposed to the more contemporary western chaste idea of a virgin) walked around with a circlet of aphrodisiac herbs in her hair. And the aphrodisiac herb she chose was Dittany. Why she would need it as an aphrodisiac, the Goddess only knows, for surely there is nothing sexier than a powerful, self-assured, barefoot & grounded, lethal huntress who doesn't need nor deplete a man for his status or resources, but chooses him as an equal from her place of fullness and power. But only a man who doesn't need to save or be seen to be owning a woman would get that.
Dittany: little known, indigenous to Crete and yet so incredibly legendary and powerful that it lives on in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone when Professor Severus Snape lectures about it in his Potions class.
Origanum dictamnus. A healing plant that grows wild in the gorges and on the rugged mountainsides of Crete. Sometimes called the herb of love, since one must to be very enamored to climb the steep rocky slopes to gather this shy little aphrodisiac herb; it was immortalized by no less than Aristotle. Officially, Dittany is now a threatened plant and seriously expensive natural medicine, due to its scarcity. Although part of the extensive Origanum family, it's therapeutic uses are somewhat different from the standard 'Oil of Oregano'.
Most commonly it is sold as a tea - I was privileged to be gifted some wild Dittany tea recently from my dear friend, Kate. She also gifted me with this:
And it was this little bottle of essential oil that I intuitively reached for this week, knowing not enough about its uses or properties, but knowing it's exactly what the irritated skin cancer on my arm needs right now. And I was not wrong.
Dittany is commonly used for digestion, coughs & colds. It reduces fever, regulates hormones and menstruation, helps with arthritis and jaundice, and is used for all kinds of skin conditions. It is registered as a traditional medicine in the European Union. Their clinical Assessment Report makes for some interesting reading; you can find that document Here. Ironically most westerners will recognize its flavour more from the herbaceous taste it lends to vermouth.
Clinical studies DO show Dittany as being beneficial for skin inflammation, bruising and skin ulceration. Research Gate has a comprehensive botanical and enthopharmacological review which you can access Here. And so my intuition served me well.
I'm using one drop of the precious Dittany oil together with one drop of coconut oil on my skin cancer when it feels irritated. The rest of the time it is being treated with eggplant extract. Missed that well-documented skin cancer treatment? Here It Is Again. Already, after only three days, the redness is much, much less, as is the itch, irritation and mild pain.
Today I'm tickled at the thought of the legendary herb of Artemis being HERE, at my disposal, right when I need it. Gift Economy. It's REAL, people, and the treasures of the world ARE gifted spontaneously, every day, in ways we would never expect.
Artemis energy does, indeed, Live.
My friend, Yiannis Psillos, own and manages the Cretan Distillery and Herbs in (you guessed it) Crete. Yes, he speaks great English and produces some of the finest boutique essential oils I have ever had the privilege of using. You can connect with him via his facebook page and yes, he can, and does, ship his magic all over the world.
