Found in the Hermetikon archive

Bay Laurel

Laurus nobilis

Bay Laurel 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: 61
Contexts: 4
Mentions: 252

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: bay laurel
Latin name: Laurus nobilis(candidate)
Identity note: Laurel has heavy mythic noise; distinguish from toxic cherry laurel.

Safety

low concern

Culinary leaf use is generally low concern; oils and non-laurel plants 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 leaf use is generally low concern; oils and non-laurel plants require caution.

Aliases

bay laurelbay leaveslaurelLaurus nobilis

Bay Laurel in Historical Sources

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

Hermetikon's curated reading of Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) is built from 3 source-linked archive notes and 2 preparation or ritual-use entries. The strongest recurring contexts are preparations, ritual uses, and astrology. Each note below links back to the archive source used for the claim.

Preparation

high

Hill's green oil recipe uses bay leaves with green chamomile, sea-wormwood, rue, sweet marjoram, and olive oil for rubbing painful or swollen limbs.

The Family Herbal | John Hill | 1755

Page 46

Astrology

high

Agrippa uses bay leaves as a solar wrapper: a solary thing is wrapped in bay leaves and worn with a yellow or golden thread while the Sun rules.

Three Books of Occult Philosophy | Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim | 1533

Page 152

Ritual

medium

Frazer records laurel branches among the materials burned while flocks were driven through fire for purification.

The Golden Bough | James George Frazer | 1906

CHAPTER XIX ST. GEORGE AND THE PARILIA

Preparations and ritual uses

Green oil

high

Hill's green oil boils bruised bay leaves with chamomile, sea-wormwood, rue, sweet marjoram, and olive oil for external rubbing.

The Family Herbal | John Hill | 1755

Page 46

Bay-leaf pillow divination

high

Signs, Omens and Superstitions records five bay leaves pinned to a pillow on Valentine's Eve for dream divination about marriage.

Signs, Omens and Superstitions | George Lyman Kittredge | 1915

CHRISTMAS

Bay Laurel Archive Contexts

Compact source patterns from the extracted citation set.

Medicine

1 passage across 1 book; strongest source: The Golden Bough.

Matched as laurel; medium confidence.

Astrology

8 passages across 8 books; strongest source: Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable.

Matched as bay leaves; high confidence.

Preparation

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

Matched as bay leaves; high confidence.

Ritual

1 passage across 1 book; strongest source: The Golden Bough.

Matched as laurel; medium confidence.

Bay Laurel 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

"...-hair, Agrimony, Smallage, Centaury the less, Cetrach, Germander, Chamepitys, Samphire, Fox-glove, Epithimum, Ash-tree, Bay leaves, Toad-flax, Hops, Horehound, Parsley, Poley, Mountain Sage, Scordium, Senna, Mother of Time, Tamarisk, Wormwood, Water-cresses, Hartâ€™s-tongue. *Heat the reins and bladder.* Agrimony, Maudlin, Marsh-mallows, Pimpernel male and female, Brooklime, Costmary, Bettony, Chervil, Germander, Chamomel, Samphire, Broom, Rupture-wort, Clary, Schenanth, Bay-leaves, Toad-flax, Hops, Melilot, Water-cresses, Origanum, Pennyroyal, Scordium, Vervain, ..."

A CATALOGUE OF SIMPLES IN THE NEW DISPENSATORY.Open in Reader

Preparationalias: bay leaveshigh confidence

The Family Herbal

John Hill

1755

"...alled the green oil, is thus made, bruise in a marble mortar three ounces of green chamomile, with the same quantity of bay leaves, sea-wormwood, rue, and sweet marjoram; then boil them in a quart of oil of olives, till they are a little crisp. The oil is then to be poured off, and when cold put up for use. These oils are used to rub the limbs when there is pain and swellings; their virtues will be found at large, under the several herbs which are the principal ingredients: and after one or other of these methods, may be made the oil by infusion, or by boiling of ..."

Page 46Open in Reader

Preparationalias: bay leaveshigh confidence

Three Books of Occult Philosophy

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim

1533

"...rding to the suitableness of things — as, if you would procure the Solary virtue of any thing, this being wrapped up in bay leaves, or the skin of a lion, hang it about thy neck with a golden thread, or a silken thread of a yellow color, whilst the Sun rules in the heaven — so thou shalt be endued with the Solary virtue of that thing. But if thou dost desire the virtue of any Saturnine thing, thou shalt in like manner take that thing whilst Saturn rules, and wrap it in the skin of an ass, or in a cloth used at a funeral (especially if you desire it for sadness), a..."

Page 152Open in Reader

Astrologyalias: bay leaveshigh confidence

King's American Dispensatory

Harvey Wickes Felter

1854

"...277 Hypopitys 1357 unitlora." 1277 Moon daisy 1130 Moonseetl'sarsaparllla 1253 Moose elm 2012 Mora excelsa 1103 Moreton bay laurel 1309 Mori succus 1278 Morin 1675 Moringa oleifera 1391 pterygos jierma 1391 Morphia 1278, 1412 acetate 1281 muriate .1282 sulphate 12S3 Morphia- acetas I23l hydrochloras 1282 murias 1282"

Page 1312Open in Reader

Astrologyalias: bay laurelhigh confidence

Fourth Book & Magical Treatises

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (attributed)

1655

"...re,* A King with a Sword drawn, riding on a Stag. *Homo mitratus.* A Man wearing a Mitre in long rayment. A Maid with a Laurel-Crown adorned with Flowers. A Bull. A Stag. A Peacock. *Azurina vestis.* An azure Garment. A Sword. *Buxus.* A Box-tree. *The familiar forms of the Spirits of Mars.* ♂ THEY appear in a tall body, cholerick, a filthy countenance, of colour brown, swarthy or red, having horns like Harts horns, and Griphins claws, bellowing like wilde Bulls. Their Motion is like fire burning; their signe Thunder and Lightning about the Circle. *Their part..."

Page 82Open in Reader

Astrologyalias: laurelmedium confidence

Books Mentioning Bay Laurel

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

61 books

Encyclopaedia of Antiquities

Thomas Dudley Fosbroke | 1825

Archive Profile

Herb identity

Safety

Aliases

Bay Laurel in Historical Sources

Preparation

Astrology

Ritual

Preparations and ritual uses

Green oil

Bay-leaf pillow divination

Bay Laurel Archive Contexts

Medicine

Astrology

Preparation

Ritual

Bay Laurel Cited Excerpts

Culpeper's Complete Herbal

The Family Herbal

Three Books of Occult Philosophy

King's American Dispensatory

Fourth Book & Magical Treatises

Related Archive Material

Related herbs

Books Mentioning Bay Laurel