CALAMUS, THE MAGIC BLADE

Calamus is a plant which is frequently around us but which has nevertheless almost been forgotten. We find it at the banks of small lakes and rivers or in marshland, where it stands inconspicuously with bullrushes, reeds, iris and purple loosestrife. Although its appearance is not particularly striking, its distinctive feature is its balsamic, earthy-vanilla fragrance which escapes from the root and has the ability to soothe our souls.

Calamus originally came to us in Europe from the North of India through ayurvedic medicine. Here the monasteries grew these wonderful plants in their gardens in the middle ages in order to produce liqueurs which helped with stomach problems and digestive disorders. Even today many digestifs and schnapps still contain calamus. Applied externally, it helps relieve badly healing ulcers and wounds. The North American Indians were also aware of the detoxifying power of calamus at the time. „Its lancet-shaped leaves were used in fumigation in order to fend off evil spirits and to clear the room air before a healing ceremony. The plant ashes which are applied to the skin with deer tallows helped remove poisons and negative energies from the body,“ according to healing Cheyenne Indian Tuk Tohama. „I call Calamus the Magical Blade because it appears to know by itself where the good is separated from the bad“. Martina Gebhardt