Hi, my loves and welcome to WiccaNow. Recently I’ve been sharing guides to all my favourite magickal herbs and spices, like this guide to the magickal properties of garlic, another about pine, one about dandelion, a post about the loving energies of vanilla and another about the joys of lemongrass. I’ve also shared a post with a botanical witchipedia for all those wanting an overview of many different plants and herbs. Today I want to continue down this path by sharing a guide to the magickal properties of lemons.
Lemons have been grown for centuries and are prized for their health-giving benefits along with their delicious flavour. The magickal properties of lemons include purification, happiness and beauty along with many others. Medicinally, lemons were used historically to prevent scurvy. These days they are a common flavouring in foods and baked goods as well as being used to treat various medical ailments such as colds and flus.
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.
History of Lemons
Lemon, or Citrus Limon, is a species in the Rutaceae family. This smallish evergreen tree is native to South Asia and North Eastern India but it grows all over the world these days. No one is 100% sure where lemons actually originated but it’s thought that they were first grown in Assam, northern Burma or in China.
According to National Geographic, scientists have done genetic research using the DNA of citrus available today to trace back how long wild citrus trees have been growing. These researchers dated wild lemons back to the Miocene Epoch, meaning that some form of citrus tree has been around for 7-8 million years. The 3 original species of Citrus can be traced back to citrons, pomelos and mandarins.
Citrus Medica is thought to be the forefather of Citrus Limon which is what most of us use today. This is an ancient species of citrus that has been cultivated since ancient times. It’s possible that there is a depiction of a Citrus Medica on the walls of the botanical garden at the Karnak Temple. This drawing is thought to date back to around 3,500 years ago. Citrus Limon is a mix of bitter orange and Citrus Medica.
Citrus Limon appeared in Europe sometime during the second century AD near Italy. In around 700AD they were introduced into Persia, Iraq and Egypt. They were a valued ornamental plant in Islamic gardens and were first mentioned in literature in the 10th century when they appeared in a document about farming. Between 1000 and 1150 lemons were transported and planted widely throughout the Arab and Mediterranean Regions.
During the 15th century, Genoa started to cultivate lemons in larger quantities. Lemons were introduced to the Americas in the late 1400s when Christopher Columbus bought some lemon seeds to Hispaniola. The Spanish conquests spread lemons to the rest of the new world. Lemons were mainly ornamental or medicinal at this point but by the 19th century, many lemon and other citrus trees were being planted in Florida and California.
At some point in the mid-1700s, James Lind began researching how to prevent scurvy in Seamen. While he didn’t realise the importance of Vitamin C at the time, he did learn that citrus would prevent and even cure scurvy, and as such, it was added to the diets of many Seafarers. The British Navy ordered thousands of gallons of lemon juice for their ships after this discovery and nearly eliminated scurvy on their boats. It’s believed that due to this elimination of scurvy, the English had the number of men needed to defeat Napoleon.
Fun Facts about Lemons
- In China, the lemon is a symbol of happiness.
- The world’s production of lemons and limes is around 19 million tons per year.
- There are varieties of lemons grown in Italy that have a very thick pith, however, instead of the usual bitterness, the pith is actually quite pleasant to eat and the lemons are sliced very thinly and served as or on salads.
- The older a lemon tree is, the harsher the conditions that it can survive in are.
- There are a lot of varieties of lemons, with some that we call lemons such as Meyer lemons, not actually being part of the same family as the common lemon. Meyer lemons are a mix of citron and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid.
- You can make a battery with a lemon. It’s not very strong but would manage to power a small digital wristwatch.
- You can make invisible ink with lemon juice. Write your message with plain lemon juice, let it dry and when you want to read the message, hold the paper over a heat source to reveal the message.
- You can make tea with the leaves from a lemon tree.
- Lemons preserved in salt…
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