(Aster Blooms photographed by André Karwath aka Aka)
I’ve been seeing this pretty little flower all around town of late. How could I have missed this all summer long? I asked my 11-year-old what kind of flower it was because she has a memory like a steel trap when it comes to flowers. She told me that it was a Michaelmas Daisy. Ah! I didn’t miss it after all! It only blooms in the fall, during the time of St. Michael, chief general of the divine army.
According to this lovely site, archangel Michael is given four duties:to fight against Satan, to swoop in at the hour of death and rescue the souls of the innocent from evil forces, to be the champion and patron of God’s people, and to weigh human’s souls in order to bring them to justice. Muslims revere Michael (as well as the Christian and Jewish faiths).
In Muslim lore [Michael] is described with four wings that are emerald green and hair of saffron. Each strand of hair has a million faces with a million mouths and tongues that speak in a million dialects. They believe that Mikha’il uses all of his mouths to plead with Allah to forgive the sins of humankind. (quoted from here)
Michael is the end of the road…the buck stops with him, so to speak. I suppose that is why he honored in the fall, the beginning of the end of the cycle. This was the time in medieval history (the period of origin for the Michaelmas feast, which falls on September 29th) when the bills were due, workmen were hired for the the year, accounts were settled and the harvests pulled in and distributed. And, as it so happens, the time when the Michaelmas Daisy blooms…
At first this flower appears to be a simple blue/purple flower, almost easily overlooked as a decorative weed. However, upon further meditation and research, this lovely flower shows another face. The Michaelmas Daisy is a member of the Aster family. It is named after the goddess Astraea, who was forced to leave the earth as humanity degenerated into violence and war. A great flood washed over the earth, cleansing away the evil. After the flood, saddened Astraea’s tears fell from Libra and Virgo as stardust. Where they landed grew Michaelmas Daisies. (Incidentally, the word aster means star, sharing roots with asterisk, asteroid and disaster…)
The Michaelmas Daisy has a long history of mystical, magical and medicinal uses.
The Chippewa Indians used Michaelmas daisy in hunting magic, smoking the dried roots as a way to attract game (consider using it for other sorts of hunting, for instance, seeking a lover or finding an object). The Iroquois employed this starwort as hunting medicine and in love charms, which shows its rulership by Venus (it has been used to treat skin problems, a Venus trait for medicinal herbs). The Meskwaki and Potowatami made a smudge with it to awaken unconscious people, which points to possible modern-day magical uses in other types of awakenings, as in initiation or awakening one’s Third Eye.
Michaelmas also marked the beginning of hunting season in Ireland, which ties it to the use of Michaelmas daisy as a hunting charm in North America. And of course, since it is associated with the Archangel Michael, it can be helpful for angel magic. (qtd. from here)
According to Scott Cunningham (Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs) that Aster is ruled by the planet/goddess Venus and, as such, makes a great love potion. More cool facts:
The aster was sacred to the gods and so wreaths of asters were placed on their altars. Aster leaves were burned to keep away evil spirits and drive away serpents in ancient Greece. The bite from a mad dog was cured by an ointment made from asters. Pliny the Elder recommended a tea of aster in cases of snake bite and an aster amulet to ease the pain of sciatica – and Virgil wrote that the flavour of honey would be improved if asters were boiled in wine and placed near a beehive. The aster is considered a herb of Venus and like the daisy, which belongs to the same family of Compositæ, it has been used in love divinations. (qtd. from here)
So take a peek around you when you go for a walk in the next few weeks…perhaps you’ll spot a patch of Astraea’s tears. For me, the Aster is a great reminder that every little plant has it’s history and mystery.
I’m a novelist and suddenly the words michaelmas daisies appeared on the screen as I began to describe a garden (period 1526) and I thought now when did michaelmas daisies first grow in England. So I googled and your site appeared. Very interesting reading. Thank you. June
Glad you liked it! Thanks for commenting, too…
ps. I checked out your website…very cool! I especially like the historic photos and your book covers.