Found in the Hermetikon archive

Aconite

Aconitum napellus

Aconite appears in Hermetikon as an archive-backed plant entry, with references across historical medical, magical, symbolic, and ritual contexts where the source texts support them.

Risk: high
Books: 27
Contexts: 4
Mentions: 126

Overview Reading Contexts Citations Related Books

Archive Profile

Identity, safety, and search aliases used to connect this herb to the archive.

Herb identity

Common name: aconite
Latin name: Aconitum napellus(candidate)
Identity note: Aliases monkshood and wolfsbane are important archive names for the same poisonous plant complex.

Safety

high

Aconitine alkaloids are cardiotoxic and neurotoxic.

Historical archive citations are not medical advice. Use modern clinical and poison-control sources for ingestion, dosage, pregnancy, and toxicity questions.

NCBI Bookshelf: Aconitine alkaloids are cardiotoxic and neurotoxic.

Aliases

aconiteaconitesAconitum napellusmonkshoodwolfsbane

Aconite in Historical Sources

Curated archive synthesis of recurring uses, recipes, rituals, and interpretive problems.

Hermetikon's curated reading of Aconite (Aconitum napellus) is built from 3 source-linked archive notes and 1 preparation or ritual-use entry. The strongest recurring contexts are ritual uses and safety. Each note below links back to the archive source used for the claim.

Safety

high

Hill explicitly warns that there are many poisonous aconites and distinguishes them from the shop medicine called wholesome aconite or antithora.

The Family Herbal | John Hill | 1755

Page 54

Safety

high

Ovid's commentator glosses aconite as wolfsbane, a Hecatean poisonous herb said to come from Cerberus' foam, giving the plant a strong mythic poison profile.

Metamorphoses (Books I-VII) | Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) | 8

BOOK THE SIXTH.

Ritual

high

Spence places aconite in a black-magic ointment motif with belladonna and poisonous fungi; the evidence is ritual-toxic folklore, not safe practical herbalism.

Encyclopaedia of Occultism | Lewis Spence | 1920

Page 312

Preparations and ritual uses

Toxic witch-ointment motif

high

Spence's ointment passage combines aconite with belladonna and poisonous fungi; preserve this as dangerous ritual folklore, not a usable recipe.

Encyclopaedia of Occultism | Lewis Spence | 1920

Page 312

Aconite Archive Contexts

Compact source patterns from the extracted citation set.

Astrology

1 passage across 1 book; strongest source: Illustration of the Occult Sciences.

Matched as aconite; high confidence.

Preparation

8 passages across 8 books; strongest source: Encyclopaedia of Occultism.

Matched as aconite; high confidence.

Ritual

1 passage across 1 book; strongest source: Transcendental Magic.

Matched as aconite; high confidence.

Safety

5 passages across 5 books; strongest source: Culpeper's Complete Herbal.

Matched as monkshood; high confidence.

Aconite Cited Excerpts

Representative public passages with the herb mention highlighted and linked to archive source material.

5 shown

Culpeper's Complete Herbal

Nicholas Culpeper

1653

".... *AnchusÃ¦.* Of Alkanet; cold and dry, binding, good for old ulcers. *AnthorÃ¦.* A foreign root, the counterpoison for Monkshood, it is an admirable remedy for the wind cholic, and resists poison. *Apii.* Of smallage. See the barks. *AristolochiÃ¦.* Of birthwort; of which are three sorts, long, round, and climing: All hot and dry in the third degree. The long, being drank in wine, brings away both birth and after-birth, and whatsoever a careless midwife hath left behind. *Dioscorides, Galen.* The round, being drank with wine, helps (besides the former) stuffings..."

ROOTS.Open in Reader

Safetyalias: monkshoodhigh confidence

King's American Dispensatory

Harvey Wickes Felter

1854

"...1862) has recommended it as calculated in an eminent degree to meet every case of poisoning by organic poi.«ons, as, by aconite, strychnine, veratrine, cyanide of potassium, etc. Recently, this view has been revived and put into practice, but probably without any .satisfactory results. In this manner, it is reputed an antidote for morphine poisoning. The U. S. P. directs the following tests for potassium permanganat*: "If 0.5 Gm.of the salt be boiled with 10 Cc. of ammonia water and 10 Cc. of water (or with 20 Cc. of water and 4 Cc. of alcohol) until it is comp..."

Page 688Open in Reader

Preparationalias: aconitehigh confidence

The Family Herbal

John Hill

1755

"...e of unripe sloes evaporated in the same manner. ACONITE. *Anthora sive aconitum salutiferum.* THERE are many poisonous aconites, not used; but there is one medicinal and kept in the shops: this is called the wholesome aconite and antithora. It is a small plant, a foot high, with pale green divided leaves and yellow flowers. It grows erect, and the stalk is firm, angular, and hairy; the leaves do not stand in pairs. The flowers are large and hooded, and of a pleasant smell; the seed-vessels are membranaceous, and the seeds black; the root is tuberous, it sometim..."

Page 54Open in Reader

Safetyalias: aconiteshigh confidence

Encyclopaedia of Occultism

Lewis Spence

1920

"...s, who smeared their brows, breasts and wrists with a mixture composed of human fat and blood of corpses, combined with aconite, belladonna and poisonous fungi* thinking thereby to make themselves invisible. Incense might be of any odoriferous woods and herbs, such as cedar, rose, citron, aloes, cinnamon, sandal, reduced to a fine powder, together with incense and storax. In Black Magic, alum, sulphur and assafoetida were used as incense. The candles, belonging solely to practices of Black Magic were moulded from human fat and set in candlesticks of ebony carve..."

Page 312Open in Reader

Preparationalias: aconitehigh confidence

Metamorphoses (Books I-VII)

Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso)

"...€˜thou wicked jade.â€™ [30.](3823692684273109371_21765-h-6.htm.xhtml#tag6_30) *An Hecatean Herb.*]â€”Ver. 139. This was aconite, or wolfsbane, said to have been discovered by Hecate, the mother of Medea. She was the first who sought after, and taught the properties of poisonous herbs. Some accounts say, that the aconite was produced from the foam of Cerberus, when dragged by Hercules from the infernal regions. [31.](3823692684273109371_21765-h-6.htm.xhtml#tag6_31) *Had known her.*]â€”Ver. 148. This was the more likely, as Tantalus, the father of Niobe, was king..."

BOOK THE SIXTH.Open in Reader

Safetyalias: aconitehigh confidence

Books Mentioning Aconite

Complete public source inventory, placed after the interpretive reading so the page opens with the most useful synthesis first.

27 books

King's American Dispensatory

Harvey Wickes Felter | 1854

Archive Profile

Herb identity

Safety

Aliases

Aconite in Historical Sources

Safety

Safety

Ritual

Preparations and ritual uses

Toxic witch-ointment motif

Aconite Archive Contexts

Astrology

Preparation

Ritual

Safety

Aconite Cited Excerpts

Culpeper's Complete Herbal

King's American Dispensatory

The Family Herbal

Encyclopaedia of Occultism

Metamorphoses (Books I-VII)

Related Archive Material

Related herbs

Books Mentioning Aconite