An aromatic perennial herb in the mint family whose scent and gentle, earthy flavor has been popular for thousands of years.
Description[]
Native to the Mediterranean area, this woody herb has a pungent, rich, herbal scent. It has small, rounded leaves on thin evergreen stems and rarely grows more than 1' high. The leaves are green with white edges.
Magical Properties[]
While not all potions with these effects may use Thyme as an ingredient, these are traits commonly ascribed to the herb:
- Air element
- Water element
- Psychic
- Courage
- Strength/Vigor, warriors
- Sleep, prevent nightmares/dream protection
- See through illusions (seeing fairies)
- Optimism,
- Purification, healing: antifungal/antiseptic and preservative
- Style, elegance, chivalry,
- Home,
- Smoke, fumigating, banish insects.
- Spiritual passage to other worlds
Habitat[]
Native to the Mediterranean region, it is a hardy herb that grows well beyond its original habitat. It is adapted to relatively dry climates and can withstand droughts. It is usually found in hot, dry grasslands and hillsides, and in temperate mountain crags, but not in deserts.
How to Collect[]
It is usually harvested in the late morning (after the dew has dried) in the summer and fall, ideally before it flowers. Trim the top 6" of growth from the plant for use; if you leave at least 5" on the stem, the plant will continue to grow and thrive.
Older plants past 3 years should be divided or not used for herbal harvest, as they are very woody and the leaves less potent.
How to Prepare[]
Thyme can be used fresh, frozen, or dried. Drying thyme involves hanging it in a dark, warm, ventilated area and then storing in a sealed jar. It should not be crushed until just before use to retain maximum potency.
Gardening[]
It is popular in all manner of gardens as both an ornamental and ingredient. It prefers loamy, well-drained soil in a sunny location, and care should be taken in wet areas to keep its roots from being waterlogged. It can survive being left outside over winters, where it will grow new leaves in spring. When the soil is dry, water it deeply.
Seeds can be difficult to start, but 3" tips of an established stem can easily be clipped and planted directly into warm soil, particularly if dipped in willow tincture to promote root growth. Older bushes can also be divided at the roots and replanted. The bush does not reach more than a foot in height.
It is advisable to plant near cabbage or tomatoes in vegetable gardens, as the scent is a natural repellant of many garden pests and can even improve the vegetables' flavor!
Known Uses of Thyme[]
In addition to scenting baths, incense (to rid insects), and culinary uses, it has also been used to embalm, as well as the following known magical uses:
- Sleeping Tea,
- Clear-Sight,
- Mists,
- Curse-Break,
- Cat's Eye
- ...?