Petroselinum spp.
planetary ruler: Mercury
element: Air
associated deities: Persephone, Charon, Archemoros, Poseidon, Saint Peter, Odin, chthonic deities
magical virtues: Death, funerals, underworld, spring, rebirth, renewal
Parsley is native to the Mediterranean region, where it was a popular culinary herb in ancient times. Pliny complained that every sauce and salad contained it, and everywhere in the country sprigs of it could be found swimming in draughts of milk. The Romans are said to have used it at orgies to cover up the smell of alcohol on the breath while simultaneously aiding digestion. Pliny commented that no other plant caused such controversy because the herbalists Ghrysippus and Dionysus declared that eating parsley was a sin, as it honoured the dead at funeral feasts. 201
In Greece and Rome it was certainly widely used as a funeral herb. The Greeks used the herb to fashion wreaths for tombs. Those people who looked as though they were at death’s door were said to be “in need of parsley.” Parsley is said to have sprung from the blood of Opheltes, son of the Nemean king Lycurgus. When the child was born, Lycurgus consulted the Delphic oracle to find out how he might ensure the future well-being of the boy and was instructed that the child must not touch the ground until he had learned to walk. One day the infant was out with his nursemaid when they met the seven Argive generals marching against Thebes. The soldiers asked where they could find a wellspring, and the nursemaid put the child down on a bed of wet celery so she could show them. While she was away, a snake strangled Opheltes. Amphiaraus, who was a seer, interpreted this as signifying that the campaign against Thebes would be unsuccessful, so the generals held a funeral for Opheltes and instituted the Nemean Games in his honour, renaming the child Archemoros, meaning “the forerunner of death.” Wreaths of parsley were used to crown the victors of the sports in these funeral games.
It has a dual meaning of death and rebirth and is sacred to Persephone, the queen of the underworld and the dead who returns to earth with the spring, bringing growth and good weather with her. Parsley is also used in the Hebrew celebration of Passover as a symbol of spring and rebirth.
One of the reasons parsley is associated with the underworld is that it is notoriously hard to germinate and very slow to come up. In England it was said that the seed goes nine times to the Devil and back before coming up, and the barren seeds the Devil keeps for himself. 202 It certainly continued to be associated with death into recent history. In England it was commonly believed that if you transplant parsley, someone in the family is sure to die. 203 It was considered such a dangerous and uncanny plant that it was surrounded by a wealth of superstitions. Some believed that only witches or the wicked could grow it, others that it was unlucky to grow it at all or you should get a stranger to plant it but never give it away. A common notion was that where it grows well, the woman is master. 204 In connection with its association with death, the best day to plant it was Good Friday, the day Jesus was executed and descended into his tomb. In Christian lore parsley was assigned to Saint Peter, who guards the gates of the afterlife.
Around 270 BCE the Greek poet Theocritus wrote of twenty beautiful maids, the pride of Greece, garlanded with wreaths of hyacinths and twining parsley on their heads at the marriage feast of King Menelaus when he married Helen. Perhaps these garlands were used to ward off evil spirits who might be jealous of the bride and groom, or perhaps the parsley presaged the bloodshed to come in the Trojan War, when Helen ran off with Paris, prince of Troy.
Parsley is used by modern witches in funeral and memorial rites, whether as wreaths, offerings, in the incense, or in the food. It is also an offering to Persephone, goddess of death and rebirth with the spring. In this context it can be used as such in Ostara rituals, communication with the dead, and ancestral rites in the form of Parsley Tea or by being added to incense.
culinary uses
The most popular form of parsley is the tightly curled garden parsley (Petroselinum crispum), which is most often used as a garnish. Most people leave it on the side of the plate, but if they knew all the wonderful benefits of parsley, they would eat it. Parsley leaves can be finely chopped and added to salads, coleslaw, dips, sauces, salad dressings, herb butters, tomato dishes, baked potatoes, and peas. The stalks, which have a stronger flavour than the leaves, are used for flavouring casseroles and sauces. Italian parsley (Petroselinum neapolitanum) has deeply divided flat leaves and a much stronger taste used to flavour sauces, soups, and stews. Hamburg parsley (Petroselinum sativum) has large white turnip-like roots and tall, ferny leaves with a celery-like flavour. These roots can be grated into salads or soups or cooked as a vegetable.
cosmetic uses
Parsley has antioxidant and antibacterial properties and contains high amounts of vitamin C, chlorophyll, and vitamin K. It has cleansing, purifying, toning, and lightening effects for the skin.
To relieve dark, puffy circles under your eyes, juice some parsley (or pound it up in a pestle and mortar) and apply it to the under-eye area with a cotton ball. Leave on for ten minutes and rinse. For dark patches on the face or liver spots on the hands, mix pulverised parsley and honey (you can add lemon juice for the hands) and apply as a mask. Leave it on for twenty minutes and rinse.
medicinal uses
actions: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antirheumatic, aromatic, carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue, vasodilator
Parsley Tea is a natural diuretic that helps cleanse bladder infections such as cystitis. It is also useful in flushing toxins out of the system in cases of rheumatism, arthritis, and gout.
The high chlorophyll levels found in the herb have antibacterial properties that combat bad breath—just chew some fresh parsley leaves.
Poultices of parsley can be used for insect bites or you can make a salve out of the infused oil and dab on some of this. A compress of double-strength Parsley Tea soothes swelling and puffiness.
Parsley is rich in iron (more than any other vegetable) and vitamin C, which promotes better iron absorption and explains its role in traditional medicine for treating anaemia. If you have anaemia, you should consult a medical professional, but the rest of us can get some beneficial iron by adding fresh parsley to food.
Caution: No health risks have been linked to parsley when it is used for culinary purposes. No interactions between parsley and other medications are known. However, the seeds and essential oil should not be used by pregnant women, children, and people with kidney problems. Overconsumption of the seeds can lead to irritated stomach, liver, heart, and kidneys.
Recipes
Parsley Tea
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
250 millilitres (1 cup) boiling water
Pour the water over the parsley. Cover and infuse five minutes. Strain and drink.
Funeral Incense
1 part dried parsley
½ part dried marjoram
½ part dried oregano
1 part dried rosemary
½ part dried thyme
6 parts myrrh
Combine the herbs together and burn on charcoal.
Parsley Infused Oil
fresh chopped parsley
vegetable oil
Put the parsley into a jar and cover with vegetable oil. Leave on a sunny windowsill for two weeks, shaking daily, and strain into a clean jar.
Parsley Wine
450 grams (7½ cups) fresh parsley
450 grams (3 cups) raisins
rind and juice of 2 lemons
rind and juice of 2 oranges
900 grams (4¼ cups) sugar
4½ litres (19 cups) water
yeast and nutrient
Chop the parsley and place in a brewing bin. Pour the boiling water over, cover, and leave for twenty-four hours. Strain and add the raisins, lemon and orange juices, and rinds. Add half the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the yeast and nutrient, cover and keep in a warm place for five days, stirring daily. Strain and stir in the rest of the sugar. Pour into a demijohn, fit an airlock, and leave to ferment out in a warm place. When the bubbling has stopped, syphon off into a clean demijohn, leaving the sediment behind. Fit a new airlock and leave for six to twelve months. Syphon off into sterilised bottles. This is a suitable wine for funerals and memorials.