Medicine
highHill describes wild valerian as stronger than garden valerian and good for nervous disorders, with urinary and warming-stomach action.
Found in the Hermetikon archive
Valerian
Valeriana officinalis
Valerian 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
- moderate
- Books
- 25
- Contexts
- 5
- Mentions
- 130
Archive Profile
Identity, safety, and search aliases used to connect this herb to the archive.
Herb identity
- Common name
- valerian
- Latin name
- Valeriana officinalis(candidate)
Safety
moderate
Sedation and CNS depressant interactions are relevant.
Historical archive citations are not medical advice. Use modern clinical and poison-control sources for ingestion, dosage, pregnancy, and toxicity questions.
- NCCIH Herbs at a Glance: Sedation and CNS depressant interactions are relevant.
Aliases
valerianValeriana officinalis
Valerian in Historical Sources
Curated archive synthesis of recurring uses, recipes, rituals, and interpretive problems.
Hermetikon's curated reading of Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is built from 3 source-linked archive notes and 2 preparation or ritual-use entries. The strongest recurring contexts are medicine, ritual uses, and astrology. Each note below links back to the archive source used for the claim.
Ritual
highThe Key of Solomon includes valerian in a Mercury-timed sprinkler with vervain, fennel, lavender, sage, mint, basil, rosemary, and hyssop.
Astrology
highSpence assigns valerian to Mercury in a planetary catalogue that links Mercury with brain and intellectual diseases, learned professions, commerce, and quicksilver.
Preparations and ritual uses
Mercury sprinkler
highThe Key of Solomon binds valerian into a Mercury-timed sprinkler gathered with other herbs and tied with thread spun by a young maiden.
Aspergillus
highWaite's ritual aspergillus includes valerian with vervain, periwinkle, sage, mint, ash, basil, and rosemary on a virgin hazel handle.
Valerian Archive Contexts
Compact source patterns from the extracted citation set.
Medicine
2 passages across 2 books; strongest source: Eulis! The History of Love.
Matched as valerian; high confidence.
Astrology
2 passages across 2 books; strongest source: Encyclopaedia of Antiquities.
Matched as valerian; high confidence.
Preparation
6 passages across 6 books; strongest source: Book of Black Magic.
Matched as valerian; high confidence.
Ritual
2 passages across 2 books; strongest source: Hastings' Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics.
Matched as valerian; high confidence.
Safety
2 passages across 2 books; strongest source: Culpeper's Complete Herbal.
Matched as valerian; high confidence.
Valerian Cited Excerpts
Representative public passages with the herb mention highlighted and linked to archive source material.
Culpeper's Complete Herbal
Nicholas Culpeper
1653
"...e at a time. #### *Matthiolus’s great antidote against Poison and Pestilence.* College. ] Take of Rhubarb, Rhapontic, Valerian roots, the roots of Acorus, or Calamus Aromaticus, Cypress, Cinquefoyl, Tormentil, round Birthwort, male Peony, Elecampane, Costus, Illirick, Orris, white Chamelion, or Avens, of each three drams, the Roots of Galanga, Masterwort, white Dictamni, Angelica, Yarrow, Fillipendula or Dropwort, Zedoary, Ginger, of each two drams, Rosemary, Gentian, Devil’s-bit, of each two drams and an half, the seeds of Citrons, and Agnus Castus, the ber..."
Chapter 59Open in Reader
Safetyalias: valerianhigh confidence
King's American Dispensatory
Harvey Wickes Felter
1854
"...ound 10.56 senna 10.50, 1056 coin])Ound 1056 spigelia 1051 tar 1051 thorough wort 10.50 trailing arbutus, compound 1053 valerian 1057 wild cherry 1055 yellow Peruvian bark... .1050 Infusions 1049 Infnsum antlieniidis 1051 apii conipositum 1051 aurantiiconipositum 1051 barosmw 1051 bravera 1052, 10.53 buchu 1051 caryophylli 1052 catechu 1052 conipositum 10.52 cliamomillse romanaj 1051 cinchona; 1052 colunibff 1052 columbo 1052 cusso 1052 digitalis 1053 diosnia; 1051 epigfete compositum 1053 ergotie 1053 eupatorii 1050 gentianie compositum. . .1054 fortius 10.54 g..."
Page 1304Open in Reader
Preparationalias: valerianhigh confidence
The Family Herbal
John Hill
1755
"...l obstructions. It works also by urine, and it is warm upon the stomach, and good against disorders of the nerves. WILD VALERIAN. *Valeriana sylvestris*. A TALL and handsome plant, frequent in our woods and upon heaths, not unlike the garden valerian in its form and manner of growth, and of greater virtues. It is a yard high. The stalks are round, striated, upright, hollow, and of a pale green. The leaves are large and beautiful; they are each composed of several pairs of smaller set on a common rib, and with an odd one at the end. These are long, narrow, dentat..."
Page 401Open in Reader
Medicinealias: valerianhigh confidence
Encyclopaedia of Occultism
Lewis Spence
1920
"...d to theft . Diseases : all that affect the brain, head, and intellectual faculties ; herbs and plants: the walnut, the valerian, the trefoil, and about one hundred more ; animals : the dog, the ape, the weasel, and the fox ; weather : rain, hailstones, thunder and lightning, particularly in the north ; occupations : all literate and learned, professions ; when ill dignified, all pretenders, quacks, and mountebanks. Places : schools, colleges, markets, warehouses, exchanges, all places of commerce and learning ; metal, quicksilver ; gems : cornelian, sardonyx, o..."
Page 72Open in Reader
Preparationalias: valerianhigh confidence
Key of Solomon
King Solomon
1400
"...g Psalms : cii. ; liv. ; vi. ; lxvii. Thou shalt then make unto thyself a Sprinkler of vervain, fennel, lavender, sage, valerian, mint, garden-basil, rosemary, and hyssop, gathered in the day and hour of Mercury, the moon being in her increase. Bind together these herbs with a thread spun by a young maiden, and engrave upon the handle on the one side the characters shown in Figure 82, and on the other side those given in Figure 83. After this thou mayest use the Water, using the Sprinkler whenever it is necessary; and know that wheresoever thou shalt sprinkle th..."
Page 133Open in Reader
Preparationalias: valerianhigh confidence
Books Mentioning Valerian
Complete public source inventory, placed after the interpretive reading so the page opens with the most useful synthesis first.
Culpeper's Complete Herbal
Nicholas Culpeper | 1653
valerian
36 mentionscited
King's American Dispensatory
Harvey Wickes Felter | 1854
valerian
36 mentionscited
Hastings' Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics
James Hastings | 1917
valerian
11 mentions
Anatomy of Melancholy
Robert Burton | 1621
valerian
6 mentions
Encyclopaedia of Occultism
Lewis Spence | 1920
valerian
5 mentionscited
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable
E. Cobham Brewer | 1870
valerian
5 mentions
Hypnosis and Suggestion
Hippolyte Bernheim | 1884
valerian
4 mentions
The Family Herbal
John Hill | 1755
valerian
3 mentionscited
Pagan and Christian Creeds
Edward Carpenter | 1920
valerian
3 mentions
Encyclopaedia of Antiquities
Thomas Dudley Fosbroke | 1825
valerian
2 mentions
Transcendental Magic
Éliphas Lévi (Alphonse Louis Constant) | 1856
valerian
2 mentions
The Phantom World
Augustine Calmet | 1746
valerian
2 mentions
Christian Astrology
William Lilly | 1647
valerian
2 mentions
Hastings' Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics
James Hastings | 1913
valerian
2 mentions
Key of Solomon
King Solomon | 1400
valerian
1 mentioncited
The Discoverie of Witchcraft
Reginald Scot | 1584
valerian
1 mention
Three Books of Occult Philosophy
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim | 1533
valerian
1 mention
Book of Black Magic
Arthur Edward Waite | 1898
valerian
1 mention
Illustration of the Occult Sciences
Ebenezer Sibly | 1784
valerian
1 mention
Eulis! The History of Love
Paschal Beverly Randolph | 1874
valerian
1 mention
Hastings' Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics
James Hastings | 1926
valerian
1 mention
Genethlialogia
John Gadbury | 1658
valerian
1 mention
Manual of Astrology
Raphael (Robert Cross Smith) | 1828
valerian
1 mention
Extraordinary Popular Delusions
Charles Mackay | 1841
valerian
1 mention
Clavis Astrologiae Elimata
Henry Coley | 1669
valerian
1 mention