Walpurgis Opens the Heart

With the Walpurgis Night, celebrated on the night of May 1st or the full moon of May 1st (this year on May 18th), people greet the beginning of summer according to the Celtic wheel of the year. The festivities are meant to open hearts to love. With sweet woodruff, violets, and hawthorn, the right plants are in bloom. With the arrival of spring, nature bursts with new energy. Now, during the Walpurgis celebrations, wonderful herbs can be discovered in the forests. Wood stars help shape the dreams and visions of spring. Helpers in this process include sweet woodruff, violets, and hawthorn.

Sweet Woodruff

Sweet woodruff has a very pleasant scent. It was even used during World War II on the front lines to help soldiers ease their experience. Sweet woodruff is heart-strengthening, mildly hallucinogenic, and has pain-relieving effects. It stimulates blood circulation to the brain. The wonderful scent and its soothing effect on pain are due to coumarin. Spread around the house, between the laundry, or under the pillow, it can bring warmth and lightness into your home. Grumpy people can be driven away with sweet woodruff. It can be consumed as tea or used in liqueurs and incense.

Recipe for Sweet Woodruff May Punch

Allow a bunch of sweet woodruff to dry for a few hours. Then place it in dry cream of tartar and, after 2-3 hours, pour over with sparkling water or champagne.

Violets

The enchanting-scented violet delights the eyes and heart. It was a sacred flower in ancient times, perhaps because it symbolizes beauty. It is said: eating the first violet in spring ensures beauty for the coming year. The mucilage contained in violets soothes and nourishes the skin. Violets are also helpful for mucous membranes, such as in cases of cough and stomach issues. Violet tea calms and harmonizes.

Recipe for Violet Face Mask:

Crush a handful of violet flowers and mix with a little fresh cream. For oily skin, beat an egg white and fold it in. For dry skin, mix in an egg yolk, apply to the skin, and let it sit for half an hour.

Hawthorn

To delight the heart and open it for love – that’s what hawthorn is for, growing almost everywhere in Europe. According to ancient folk belief, hawthorn is a magical bush, not only because it wears “the bridal veil of the spring goddess” during its flowering period. It protects its area and, according to belief, grants access to the fairy realm. Hawthorn leaves, flowers, and berries promote circulation to the heart and coronary vessels without side effects. Hawthorn tea is considered the best remedy for boosting heart performance and defending against stress.

Recipe for Hawthorn Heart Tea

Blend 50 grams of hawthorn flowers and leaves, 30 grams of motherwort, and 20 grams of lemon verbena. Pour 1-2 teaspoons of the blend over a cup of boiling water and let it steep for 10-15 minutes.