Item #HLAVW:
Lavender Flowers, Whole

Lavender flowers, or Lavandula angustifolia, are famed throughout the world, not only for their beauty but for their many culinary and agricultural uses as well. In agriculture, the flowers are used because of their abundant nectar, from which honey bees can create a high quality honey that is marketed worldwide as a premium product. Lavender flowers are also used widely as a flavoring for baked goods and desserts, and are on occasion candied to be used as a decoration for dishes. There are also references to Lavender flowers which date back to biblical times, showing that it was used to prepare the Holy Essence. The Romans also favored it to scent their bath waters and aid in restoring their skin, paying the equivalent of a farm worker's monthly wage for only a small amount. Ancient and modern spiritual practices also found great use for the flowers, using Jasmine in spells seeking love and healing, as well as inner calm or a peace of mind. With these properties it became a favored component in spells seeking money, protection, purification, or contact with good spirits.

In medicine Lavender flowers are known for being usable as an antiseptic as well as an anti-inflammatory, and even saw use during World War I disinfecting the floors and walls of hospitals. Some herbalists also believe it to be of use in healing and soothing insect bites and acne, and Lavender has been a traditional treatment for skin burns, headaches, as well as helping one relax before sleeping.

Item #HLEMGC: Lemongrass, Cut

Found in many sources under the formal name of Cymbopogon citratus, lemongrass can also find mention in herbals and other sources of folklore as barbed wire grass, silky heads, citronella grass, and fever grass. Native to India, it finds wide use in Asian cuisine, appearing in everything from teas and soups to curry, and the seasoning of poultry and seafood. Varieties are also used in the production of citronella, which can be used as insect repellent and aroma therapy. In India, the oils of this grass are used to preserve ancient manuscripts, functioning at a pesticide and a preservative as it keeps insects away from the leaves of the ancient works, as well as keeping them from becoming brittle and dry.

Medicinally, Brazilians have long used it as a tea for anxiety and other traditions have long used it in an herbal soup that is good for cough and cold. It has also been shown to have antifungal properties. In 2006 a study found that Lemongrass can cause apoptosis in malignant cancer cells. This essentially causes cancer cells to kill themselves, while leaving normal cells unharmed. This potentially huge breakthrough resulted in a great deal of excitement, but the study requires further testing before such test results can be confirmed and deemed safe.

Item #HLEMVC:
Lemon Verbena Leaf, Cut

Exuding a delightful lemony scent, Lemon Verbena, or Aloysia triphylla, comes from a flowering plant that produces lavender or white hued blossoms briefly in August or September. Quite frequently used in culinary practices, the herb is often used to add a lemon flavor to fish or poultry dishes, and can also be found in flavoring marinades, salad dressings, and numerous other desserts and soft drinks. Tradition and folk lore also hold that Lemon Verbena can be a powerful aid in magick, being of particular use in both protection and love spells. Some wear it in this manner as an aid in increasing charms and attracting the opposite sex, while others wear a sprig around the neck to stop dreaming. It can also be used in addition to other charms, to otherwise increase their power.

In more modern herbalism, Lemon Verbena is traditionally used for aromatherapy where it is used to calm and relax, and when its leaves are dried they can retain their wonderful scent for years. This results in it being a popular addition to potpourri as well. Despite these advantages, Lemon Verbena is still perhaps most popular in the culinary world, and is often used to replace lemon zest or in other such practice.

Item #HLICC: Licorice, Cut

Recognized globally as variety of candy and a flavoring for soft drinks, Licorice Root, or Glycyrrhiza glabra, has also long been known to possess a wide variety of beneficial qualities. In Chinese Medicine, it has been used for ages to harmonize the other ingredients in a formula, as well as to help carry the formula to the twelve "regular meridians." It has also been found as a flavoring agent in soft drinks, herbal teas, as well as in medicine to help disguise the unpleasant tastes of some of the other ingredients. In Italy and Spain Licorice is chewed as a breath freshener, and Chinese cuisine uses it as a spice, often for broth and foods simmered in soy sauce.

Since ancient times, it has also been used as an expectorant, particularly in Ayurvedic Medicine. Modern cough syrups frequently use licorice extracts, proving once more some of the wisdom of the lore of old. Conventional and naturopathic treatments of mouth and peptic ulcers sometimes also utilize Licorice, and it may be used as a topical agent for treating shingles and, as some herbalists claim, oral or genital herpes. Licorice has also been found to be of use in treating digestive ailments such as leaky gut syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and Crohn's Disease. Note: Use should be avoided if you are pregnant, nursing, or have high blood pressure.

Item #HLOBC: Lobelia, Cut

Said to symbolize malevolence and ill will within the Victorian era, Lobelia has since become a commonly cultivated ornamental plant, widely found in flower beds, large pots, window boxes and hanging baskets. Among Native Americans, it was used to treat respiratory and muscle disorders, as well as a purgative. These uses spread among American physicians of the 19th century, who primarily used it to induce vomiting. These uses left Lobelia referred to in some texts and among some herbal circles as somewhat more unsavory sounding names, such as Asthma Weed, Indian Tobacco, Pukeweed and Vomitweed. Modern herbalists find Lobelia useful in treating food poisoining, using the herb to induce vomiting. It also saw brief uses in a smoking cessation program as a replacement for nicotine. It is also used as a physical relaxant and a nerve depressant, easing tension and sensations of panic. This combined with its antispasmodic and expectorant qualities, are what make it a common treatment for asthma among herbalists.

Item #HLOWR: Low John Root

Known by a wide variety of names including Little John to Chew and Chewing John, and even Court Case Root, Low John is the common name for what others refer to as Galangal. It has been utilized often in oriental cuisines, most famously perhaps in Tom Yum Soup and Dtom Kha Gai, and in the raw form Low John root offers a smell quite similar to that of citrus fruit, with other earthy fragrances reaching ones senses as well. Within some portions of Southeast Asia and Indonesia it is also used as a tonic for soothing stomachs.

In Hoodoo, where Low John is most frequently known and utilized, Low John is viewed as a powerful component in seeking favor in court cases, as you might have guessed by its other alias of Court Case Root. Therein it is frequently viewed to help sway justice to your side. Otherwise, it has also seen a great deal of use in money drawing spells, spells that protect and break hexes and curses, and even sex and psychic magic.

Item #RLUC: Lucky Hand Root

This legendary root is truly a remarkable botanical curiosity. It is now very scarce & hard-to-get. It has a reputation for bringing good luck & protecting its owner from all harm. One per package, approx 1" long. External use only. 1 root. $2.95