Plant Poems with Gabriel: Lavandula Lavender

Lalvandula

In the garden of Hecate, Stoechas grew -

the Lavandula known in ancient Greece;

by root-diggers cut when the moon is new,

by the wise women brewed when coughs increase.

As Hecate's tincture did the spirit cleanse,

lavender lustrates the wounds of the past;

it washes cares away when cares cling fast,

its fragrance a message of comfort sends.

Like the mythic torch of the Torchbearer,

lavender banishes the fearful dark;

its tranquil rays illuminate the heart,

its dawn-sweet unguent uplifts the wearer.

At life's stressful crossroads this gentle guide

calms and steadies us on our journey home;

it settles the soul that, restless, did roam

and restores the wholeness that fears divide.

In the garden of Hecate, plants bestow

medicines that from Nature's spring doth flow;

among scores of virtues, lavender bears

an action that soothes our sorrows and cares.

-Text and photo by Gabriel Mojay

Lavender is rightly revered as the most reliable aromatic to restore, calm and comfort in moments of negative stress and anxiety.