Found in the Hermetikon archive

Basil

Ocimum basilicum

Basil 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: low concern
Books: 35
Contexts: 4
Mentions: 107

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: basil
Latin name: Ocimum basilicum(candidate)
Identity note: Basil often appears as a saint/person name; botanical context is required.

Safety

low concern

Culinary use is generally low concern; concentrated oils and extracts require caution.

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

Kew POWO: Culinary use is generally low concern; concentrated oils and extracts require caution.

Aliases

basilOcimum basilicumocynum

Basil in Historical Sources

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

Hermetikon's curated reading of Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is built from 3 source-linked archive notes and 2 preparation or ritual-use entries. The strongest recurring contexts are medicine and symbolism. Each note below links back to the archive source used for the claim.

Medicine

high

Culpeper identifies ocynum as basil, hot and moist, and gives a childbirth powder use while warning that mistimed use may cause abortion.

Culpeper's Complete Herbal | Nicholas Culpeper | 1653

HERBS AND THEIR LEAVES.

Medicine

medium

Hill says green basil tea was used for obstructions and menstrual stoppage, placing basil in historical medicine while calling for caution around concentrated use.

The Family Herbal | John Hill | 1755

Page 78

Symbolism

low

Picatrix gives a woman wearing a wreath of green basil in a pleasure and music image; this is symbolic image evidence, not a pharmacological basil claim.

Picatrix | Anonymous (Medieval Islamic author, often attributed to Maslama al-Majriti or his school) | 1050

Page 81

Preparations and ritual uses

Basil powder in travail

high

Culpeper gives basil as a powder in childbirth but explicitly warns against use before the birth is ripe because of abortion risk.

Culpeper's Complete Herbal | Nicholas Culpeper | 1653

HERBS AND THEIR LEAVES.

Green basil tea

medium

Hill describes a tea made from the green basil plant for obstructions and menstrual stoppage.

The Family Herbal | John Hill | 1755

Page 78

Basil Archive Contexts

Compact source patterns from the extracted citation set.

Medicine

1 passage across 1 book; strongest source: The Family Herbal.

Matched as basil; medium confidence.

Astrology

7 passages across 7 books; strongest source: Anatomy of Melancholy.

Matched as basil; high confidence.

Preparation

4 passages across 4 books; strongest source: Culpeper's Complete Herbal.

Matched as ocynum; high confidence.

Safety

1 passage across 1 book; strongest source: Extraordinary Popular Delusions.

Matched as basil; medium confidence.

Basil 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

"...s, stops the menses, helps ulcers in the lungs; outwardly it is a special herb for wounds. *Nymphea.* See the flowers. *Ocynum.* Basil, hot and moist. The best use that I know of it, is, it gives speedy deliverance to women in travail. Let them not take above half a dram of it at a time in powder, and be sure also the birth be ripe, else it causes abortion. *OleÃ¦ folia.* Olive leaves: they are hard to come by here. *Ononis.* Restharrow. See the roots. *Ophioglossum.* Adderâ€™s-tongue. The leaves are very drying: being boiled in oil they make a dainty green ba..."

HERBS AND THEIR LEAVES.Open in Reader

Preparationalias: ocynumhigh confidence

The Family Herbal

John Hill

1755

"... dead nettle; they stand on the upper parts of the branches in loose spikes. The whole plant has a very fragrant smell. Basil is little used, but it deserves to be much more. A tea made of the green plant is excellent against all obstructions. No simple is more effectual for gently promoting the menses, and for removing those complaints which naturally attend their stoppage. There are two or three other kinds of basil, but they have not equal virtue. ### The BDELLIUM TREE. *Arbor bdellium ferens.* WE are very well acquainted with the gum, or rather gum resin ..."

Page 78Open in Reader

Medicinealias: basilmedium confidence

Encyclopaedia of Occultism

Lewis Spence

1920

"...covered laudanum, perhaps in some magical distillation of black poppies at midnight hour ; the great Cornelius Agrippa; Basil Valentine, prior. and chemist; Henry Kuhfirath, physician and philosopher, and a train of students, all tirelessly searching for the elusive mysteries of life, the innermost secrets of nature. . These mon were awesome figures to the ignorant mind. Popular imagination was ever busy weaving strange talcs about their doings, such as infernal dealings and pacts with the Devil. Such knowledge as the alchemists gained could only be acquired ..."

Page 219Open in Reader

Preparationalias: basilmedium confidence

Picatrix

Anonymous (Medieval Islamic author, often attributed to Maslama al-Majriti or his school)

1050

"...anliness. There is also the image of a beautiful woman longing for pleasure and singing, wearing a wreath made of green basil on her head and holding a rod of nenuphar36 in her hand is longing for pleasure and singing. This image appears in its second phase. This is the phase of 9, and it denotes entertainment and enjoyment of music as well as grace, honor and wealth. The image of a man holding a snake in his hand, having a foot similar to the foot of a turtle, and possessing golden jewelry appears in the third phase of 69. This phase is for the D; it is a ph..."

Page 81Open in Reader

Archive mentionalias: basillow confidence

The Discoverie of Witchcraft

Reginald Scot

1584

"...ich speake lies (as vi^itches and conjurers doo) but cast thou awaie such prophane and old wives fables. In which sense Basil saith ; Who so giveth heed to inchanters, hearkeneth to a fabulous and frivolous thing. But I will rehearse an example whereof I my selfe am not onelie Ociilatiis testis, but have examined the cause, and am to justifie the truth of my report : not bicause I would disgrace the ministers that are godlie, but to confirme my former assertion, that this absurd error is growne into the place, which should be able to expell all such ridiculou..."

Page 102Open in Reader

Archive mentionalias: basillow confidence

Books Mentioning Basil

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

35 books

Encyclopaedia of Occultism

Lewis Spence | 1920

Archive Profile

Herb identity

Safety

Aliases

Basil in Historical Sources

Medicine

Medicine

Symbolism

Preparations and ritual uses

Basil powder in travail

Green basil tea

Basil Archive Contexts

Medicine

Astrology

Preparation

Safety

Basil Cited Excerpts

Culpeper's Complete Herbal

The Family Herbal

Encyclopaedia of Occultism

Picatrix

The Discoverie of Witchcraft

Related Archive Material

Related herbs

Books Mentioning Basil