Find out about the symbolism of Chamomile and all it’s magical properties!

At some point you may have come across a box of chamomile tea sitting in your cupboard somewhere, instantly associated it with the feelings of calmness and relaxation.

These associations are no accident, and there are scientific as well as metaphysical reasons for why Chamomile symbolizes what it does.

Treasured for its ability to soothe us back to a state of calm, here we will go through all the symbolic meanings of Chamomile and how it can be applied within your spiritual practice.

Introduction

Chamomile, sometimes spelled Camomile has been a classic favorite among many herbalists throughout the centuries.

Though there are many types of chamomile out there today, the most widely available for consumption in the west are Roman, and German Chamomile.

Just as each species has their own unique qualities that may vary in results medicinally, this can also be the case metaphysically depending on the type of plant you choose.

However, both of these two species share similar enough traits that it shouldn’t change the overall meaning and symbolism that we will be covering throughout this article.

Both German and Roman Chamomile belong to the aster family and have white ray florets with a yellow disk in the middle. Symbolically, floret petals can represent the air element and communication style of the plant.

With the floret petals being white, this suggests that this herb is rather gentle in it’s approach, and isn’t going to be intense in its messaging when used for magical or divination purposes.

Most of the medicinal benefits of this plant is in the flower head, symbolizing its most significant qualities that can deal with issues of the mind. While this isn’t a “cure all” for extreme nervousness or certain anxiety disorders, there’s no doubt this herb has been known to soothe and bring comfort in times of high stress.

One 2009 study even showed that participants experienced decreased anxiety levels on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) when taking Chamomile, compared to the controlled group.

History of Chamomile

For millennia, Chamomile has been used for treating common ailments in adults, children, and even other plants. Whether it be for calming digestive issues, or warding away pests, this plant has continued to be one of the most versatile herbal remedies throughout history.

First mentions of Chamomile were in an ancient Egyptian manual named Ebers Papyrus, which was a medical guide of treatments.

Known for its ability to alleviate colds and fever, Chamomile was the main remedy for most wealthy ancient Egyptians over 4000 years ago. As the primary source of treatment, this herb was also used to treat mild skin irritations and even applied to the skin cosmetically.

This ability of chamomile to calm the digestive system as well as any other areas of the body, is also representative of how it soothes us on an emotional level. Whether it be through teas, tinctures, or salves, there are many ways to incorporate this gentle herb within your daily routine.

Chamomile During the Renaissance period

Native to north Africa and western Europe, Roman chamomile was popularized throughout the rest of Europe when a 16th century German herbalist named Jacobus Theodorus, also known as Tabernaemontanus, discovered the plant growing on the grounds within the ancient colosseum.

The scientific name of Roman Chamomile is Chamaemelum Nobilis. In ancient Greek Chamaimelon translates to “earth apple”. (chamai) meaning “on the ground” and (melon) translating to “apple”. This name was given because it was believed that Chamomile gave off an aroma similar to rotting apples.

Since apples in general can represent all things to do with love and lust, earth apples can signify our desires being brought back down to the basics. Symbolically, this may suggest that by nature, this herb isn’t the most passionate, or at the very least is grounded in its passions and desires.

As monasteries became popular throughout medieval Europe, Chamomile was a popular choice of herbs grown within the monastic gardens. Eventually, it was discovered by Christian monks that growing this herb around other plants helped to treat any ailments that the plants may have and prevented fungal infections.

Over time, the name “the plant’s physician” was coined by Frances Anne Bardswell in her book Herb Garden (1911). Scientifically, it was discovered that there are certain compounds in chamomile that help to break down proteins within the soil that produces ammonia, consequently preventing further harm to plants already in poor health.

Chamomile and The Astrological Sun

Astrologically, chamomile corresponds to the sun, and correlates to the solar plexus chakra of the body. In fact, this herb was so revered in ancient Egypt, that they believed the medicinal properties of this plant were a direct gift from the sun god Ra.

As mentioned earlier, most of the benefits of this herb are in the flowerhead, especially the yellow disk called the capitulum. Overall, Chamomile’s sun-like flowers contributes to its associations with the sun, giving us more insight into how it can affect us on an energetic level.

The color yellow represents joy, happiness, and all the things that give us a sense of authority in our lives. Yellow corresponding to the solar plexus, located just above the navel area, right in the center of the torso, aids in our willpower and ability to establish our own sense of self.

Chamomile and the Element of Water

Now that we’ve just discussed how Chamomile corresponds to the sun, and with the sun classically being ruled by the fire element, the natural assumption is that Chamomile must have correlations with the fire element too, right? Contrary to what one might expect, this herb actually corresponds more with the element of water.

But why exactly?

Here we will be going over some of the motherly connotations this plant has, as well as briefly discussing some of the symbolic meanings behind this plant’s anatomy that reveals its true watery nature.

The Maternal Nature of Chamomile

German Chamomile, also known as Matricara Recutita, is one of the most commonly used Chamomile in the states and worldwide. The Latin prefix matri means “mother” and correlates to the word “matrix” which translates to womb in English.

Just as we are all born out of water from our mother’s womb, all new ideas are born out of the watery nature of the subconscious mind too. This also symbolizes Chamomile’s ability to gently guide us into the right direction without harsh judgment.

Spiritually, this herb can help aid us when it comes to concerns having to do with motherhood and all things we try to nurture in life.

As mentioned before, most of the benefits of this plant is in its flowerhead, which doesn’t just deal with issues regarding thoughts but also the emotions.

Symbolically, water represents our emotions and subconscious mind. This suggests that Chamomile’s greatest strength resides in its ability to nurture us emotionally as well as to communicate with us on a deeper subconscious level.

How Chamomile Promotes Success

Native to southern and eastern Europe, German Chamomile is the most commonly distilled variant on the market today.

One interesting fact is that the essential oil of this herb distills to a cobalt blue color when it’s freshly pressed. This is because the essential oils of this plant are loaded with sesquiterpene, specifically called Chamazulene which is a vibrant blue color.

Eventually, the blue color fades to green, then to yellow, which becomes its permanent color for the rest of its shelf life. Symbolically, this is significant because it mirrors how Chamomile helps us recognize our most authentic truths and aligns it with our actions.

Each color transition symbolizes the next step we go through internally when we are trying to get back to the things that we truly love. You see, when we pursue things that align with our utmost authentic selves, there’s almost nothing we aren’t willing to do for it, ultimately leading us to success!

• Blue, symbolizing the throat chakra reflects the moment of truth we have with ourselves.
• Green, representing the heart chakra, symbolizes the love and acceptance we develop for these realizations.
• Yellow, embodying the characteristics of the solar plexus chakra, is when we finally start establishing these inner truths within our daily actions.

The Symbolic Meanings of Chamomile

Here, we will go over all the key attributes that best correspond with Chamomile. While, there are many more qualities than what’s listed below, these are just the most commonly know ones.

Remember, at the end of the day your own individual interpretations will always be the most important when it comes to decoding the spiritual meanings of this plant and its magical properties.

Love & Joy

As one grows older and takes on more responsibility, it’s very common to start straying away from the things that bring us joy and happiness. Energetically, Chamomile helps bring us back to the things we love, and as a result brings in more love and light into our lives.

One interesting fact about Chamomile is its Anti-mutagenic abilities. In one study, it showed that when exposed to cancerous cells in a petri dish model, Chamomile was able to induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells, but left normal cells alone. This is because Chamomile contains the flavonoid Apigenin, a mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) inhibitor. The main activators of mTOR are amino acids, which are found in most protein-rich foods.

MTOR activation is an important function for muscle growth and repair, however, overconsumption of a protein rich diet can sometimes over stimulate mTOR activation within the body, causing aging and diseases such as cancer. This can definitely be a conundrum, since protein is such a critical nutrient that’s necessary for survival.

Just as over time some people lose connection to the things that they love and bring them joy, our body goes through the same process physically. Essentially all aging is just your cells metaphorically “forgetting” their original DNA code thus causing cell mutation.

This reflects what tends to happen to people over time as well. Whether it’s work, family, or raising children, at some point, we all have to do things that may not always align with our most authentic selves. This can be as simple as taking on a job that you don’t truly like, but because it pays well, you adapt to the circumstances.

Nevertheless, the good news here is that we don’t have to go through this spiritually if we don’t want to. If you’re looking for a herb that will help you “come home to yourself” so to speak, working with the spirit of Chamomile is a great way to start getting back into what you truly love!

Luck & Prosperity

In European folk magic, it was a common practice for bettors to wash their hands in Chamomile tea before engaging in gambling, or any other playing cards.

In general, luck and success comes to those who are willing to give back to others.This is especially so when it comes to monetary gains.

Again, when we align to our most authentic selves and get to do the things that resonates with us the most, we are a lot more willing to give back to others, ultimately taking actions that leads us to success and prosperity.

That being said, this is what leads us to our next discussion on how Chamomile is a great herb when it comes to receiving and giving support to others.

Support and Humility

This may be surprising considering it’s associations with the sign of Leo, which has a way of outshining all the other zodiac signs, but Chamomile is actually a lot more subdued by nature.

Known as a good companion plant for other flowers, Chamomile has a way of letting other plants thrive, while being okay with minimal maintenance.

This is a great herb for attracting support and friendship from others, as well as inspiring one to also lend a helping hand.

Going back to the topic of plant anatomy and its correspondences, the fire element of any plant corresponds best with its seeds. That being said, If you’ve ever come across a packet of Chamomile before, you may have noticed that their seeds are incredibly tiny compared to many other plants.

This signifies that energetically, fire is not the most present element when it comes to the personality of this plant.

Interestingly enough, Chamomile tends to grow very well under direct sunlight. Symbolically, this suggests that this herb has the tendency to “take the heat” of others, while not necessarily possessing a fiery nature itself.

Resilience and Perseverance

One of Chamomile’s most fascinating traits, is its ability to thrive even in harsh growing conditions.

For example, Roman Chamomile is known for being able to withstand growing along pathways where they may occasionally get trodden on without much damage. Of course, you shouldn’t purposely do this, but this is just to emphasize its quiet yet resilient nature, especially when exposed to adversity.

Chamomile is also known for being one of the few plants that can still grow in poor soil conditions, and doesn’t require much watering or fertilizer.

Chamomile during the Victorian Era

According to the Victorian Language of Flowers, Chamomile stands for “Energy in Adversity”.

This was because some gardeners in the past believed that the plant actually became stronger and grew faster from being trodden on. This is evident when referring back to the interpretations of Chamomile during the Victorian era.

Relaxation

Renowned for its ability to induce sleep and relaxation, Chamomile contains many different soothing properties to promote restful sleep and relaxation of the nervous system.

However, these calming qualities aren’t just for relaxation of the mind, but also for any muscle tension we may be experiencing in the body too. The essential oils containing compounds such as Bisabolol, a monocyclic sesquiterpene, that has anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic effects.

Often used to soothe period cramps, as well as many other digestive discomforts, one 2005 study showed that there was almost a 60% success rate, when chamomile was used to treat babies with colic.

Protection

While it may not be the most intense herb when it comes to protection, Chamomile is still a great ally to have by your side when feeling the abrasiveness from others.

As far as protective magick goes, this herb is predominantly used for protection against psychic attacks and hexes.

As mentioned earlier, with this herb being a good companion plant and being resilient by nature, Chamomile has a way of transmuting the fiery intensity of others, and turning it into a positive.

Most psychic attacks are done by people who feel hurt about something they feel entitled to mitigate through others for whatever reason. Chamomile can also be used to alter your frequency, so that you’re less likely to become an energetic match to people who have ill will against you.

Conclusion

Chamomile is undoubtedly one of the most widely used herbs across the globe, but its spiritual importance is often overlooked due to its abundance.

Hopefully this article has provided you with insights on how to incorporate this herb into your spiritual practice for specific purposes. It may even inspire you to discover new and creative ways to use Chamomile, both in everyday life and for other practical purposes.

The main point to take away is that this plant is deeply intertwined with our cultural roots and will likely continue to be for many years to come.

Share with us how Chamomile has influenced your spiritual practice or any other positive effects it has had on your life!