CINQUEFOIL (Potentilla) - 1kg Herb for Incense & Magical Use

This item has been unable to be supplied for several years and we are now pleased to announce that it is again available.
Pre-orders can be taken - stock will be ready for shipping at the beginning of June.

CINQUEFOIL
For Incense & Magickal Use

Also known as: Potentilla, Biscuits, Five-fingers, Five-leaf, Flesh and Blood, Shepherd's Knot, Sunkfield

The five leaflets of the cinquefoil was a symbol for the five senses of the human body, and was a common heraldic device in medieval times. The cinquefoil in heraldry served as a motif for a man who had achieved mastery over the self, which is the reason many medieval knights vied to emblazon the cinquefoil's five-fingered leaf symbol on their shield - the right to use this heraldic device could only be granted to knights who gained mastery over the self. The cinquefoil was also linked to many other powers in superstitious medieval times, for example, the herb was supposed to scare off witches. Medieval lovers often used the cinquefoil in preparing love potions and as an instrument in romantic divinations. Medieval fishermen often fixed the herb to their nets to increase their catch of fish.

The ancients were also familiar with the potency of the cinquefoil herb and Theophrastus, the ancient Greek philosopher and naturalist recognized the medicinal value of the herb. Theophrastus, who was a student and successor of the great philosopher Aristotle, was the first person to describe the remedial and beneficial effects of the cinquefoil. Herbalists through the ages have been familiar with the cinquefoil as a remedy, it has been traditionally recommended in the form of an herbal root decoction to treat disorders like a fever. It is also used as an herbal analgesic for alleviating the pain of a toothache; it is used as an herbal gargle for treating oral sores, and also used as a general disinfectant and astringent herb. Cinquefoil root bark is made into a topical poultice to help stop nosebleeds, and an herbal leaf or root tea was traditionally used to treat diarrhoea and related digestive problems.

The plant called the cinquefoil has a creeping habit. The stem runners of this perennial herb can often reach up to five feet in length. The cinquefoil bears leaves that have serrated or toothed margins on the lamina. The leaves are marked off by hairy veins. Leaves are borne on long stalks and each individual is divided into five or seven smaller leaflets. The cinquefoil bears bright yellow coloured flowers from May to August in the fall. Each leaf is borne singly on individual leafless stalks on the plant.

The cinquefoil is quite easy to recognize in the wild. The herb is a rather pretty and dainty species of plant. The name of the cinquefoil is after an Old French word that means "five-leaf." Cinquefoil has a stem that creeps on the ground similar to the way in which the stem of the strawberry plant creep's using runners. The creeping stem produces roots, and then sends up stalks which either bears a solitary yellow flower or a leaf that is divided into five or seven distinct serrated leaflets. The medical “potency� and herbal uses of the cinquefoil is recognizable from the Medieval Latin name given to the plant - Potentilla.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is for educational purposes only. It is not provided to diagnose, prescribe or treat any condition of the body. The information on this website should not be used as a substitute for medical counselling with a health professional.