Hi, my loves and welcome to WiccaNow. Recently I’ve been sharing guides to all of my favourite magickal herbs and plants, like this post all about the magickal properties of catnip. I’ve also shared a post about how to use comfrey in magick, another explaining daisy magick, a post about elderberry and most recently a guide to the magickal properties of fennel. Today I want to continue in this vein by sharing my guide to the magickal properties of ginger with you.
Ginger is one of the first spices that was imported into Europe. It has an extremely long history as a healing herb and is used to treat nausea, pain, inflammation and colds. The magickal properties of ginger are varied and include love, success, protection, luck and many more.
Disclaimer: Any medicinal benefits given here are a product of my own research and as such should not be taken over the advice of trained medical professionals. If you are ill, please go and see a doctor. Always make sure that anything you consume is 100% safe. If you are pregnant, consult your doctor or midwife before consuming something you haven’t tried before.
If you enjoy reading about the magickal properties of different herbs and plants, check out this gorgeous plant magick grimoire we’ve created! It contains 29 beautifully illustrated pages for all our favourite plants. The best bit? This version comes as a digital download, so you don’t have to wait through pesky shipping times or delays. What’s not to love? Check it out below or keep scrolling to read all about the magick of fennel!
History of Ginger
Ginger, also known as Zingiber officinale, is a flowering plant which produces a rhizome that is widely used as a spice and in traditional medicine. Ginger is part of the Zingiberaceae family which also contains turmeric, galangal and cardamom.
It’s believed that ginger has been cultivated for at least 5000 years, having originated in Island Southeast Asia. It’s a cultigen, meaning that it was deliberately bred and doesn’t actually exist in a wild state. It was used widely by the Austronesian peoples for multiple purposes, from food, to medicine to material to make mats with. It also had a religious significance and was used ritually when asking for protection from spirits and for healing ceremonies.
The Austronesian peoples took ginger with them when they voyaged to other islands, and in this way they introduced ginger to the Pacific Islands. Its thought that they also brought it to India from where it was brought to the Middle East and the Mediterranean by traders around the 1st century AD.
The first written record of ginger came from non other than the famous Confucius (475-221BC), who wrote that you should eat it with every meal. In 406AD the famous Buddhist monk Faxian (337-422AD) wrote about ginger being grown in pots on ships in order to stave off scurvy. By the Song Dynasty (960-1279AD) ginger was imported to China from other southern countries.
By the time Dioscorides (40-90AD) was writing about healing herbs and plants, ginger had already been introduced to the Mediterranean. In 150AD ginger is mentioned by Ptolemy who states that it was being imported from Ceylon.
Ginger was a very popular spice in Ancient Rome, where it was prized for its medicinal properties and supposed help with fertility. Due to its cost, it was seen as a symbol of wealth. It continued to be a highly sought after commodity in Europe even after the Roman Empire fell. Middle Eastern merchant controlled the ginger and spice trade for centuries. In the 1100s, tariffs were placed on ginger imports in Marseilles.
In 1200-1300 in England, a pound of ginger was expensive and cost around the same as a sheep. By Medieval times, ginger was being imported readily into Europe in both raw and preserved forms, although at this time preserved ginger was favoured to use in sweets. Queen Elizabeth I is thought to have invented the gingerbread man, which then became a popular treat at Christmas. She had it made because her father had recommended ginger as a remedy for the plague. Interesting and slightly frightening origins for such a delicious treat.
Spanish Conquistadors introduced ginger to the New World and brought it to the Caribbean where it flourished. Native Americans also started using ginger as treatments for various ailments and also as a flavouring agent for their food.
Today ginger is found in many spice cabinets all over the world. It’s a common treatment for colds and flu (in my family anyway) and is often prescribed in tablet form to those who suffer from seasickness.
Fun Facts about Ginger
- India is currently the worlds largest producer of ginger. In 2018, India produces 32% of the worlds ginger.
- While India is the biggest producer, it…
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