Bay
The Noble Laurel
Why do you follow me?—
Any moment I can be
Nothing but a laurel-tree.
Any moment of the chase
I can leave you in my place
A pink bough for your embrace.
Yet if over hill and hollow
Still it is your will to follow,
I am off;—to heel, Apollo!
Oh, the Noble Bay Laurel. Masculine in its energy, he is an aromatic evergreen with a broad base and many stems. His stems bear dense elliptical leaves with a smooth leathery feel. This gives him a sense of age or at least experience. Not a delicate fellow, he has a feeling of endurance. Beginning bright green in color, his leaves darken when mature. He holds his fragrance close to his heart, and only releases his scent when his leaves are rubbed. This tree carries his male flowers and female flowers on separate trees. This makes me think of Olympic competitions, where male and female athletes engage in separate heats. Additionally, Olympians were crowned in wreaths of his Laurel leaves. He is a plant that conveys honor and respect. He is both accomplished and wise.
The Magic of Bay
Correspondences
Element: Fire
Gender: Masculine
Sabbat: Lughnasadh
Planet: Sun
Chakra: Brow, Solar Plexus
Spellwork
Love
Heal
Divine
Money
Banish
Proverb
English: ‘Tis only noble to be good.
The Medicine of Bay
Ayurvedic
Not Applicable
Herbology
Analgesic
Anti-inflammatory
Anti-rheumatic
Antipyretic
Astringent
Febrifuge
Sedative
TCM
Not Applicable
Science of Bay
Botany
Botanical Name: Laurus nobilis
Family: Lauraceae (Laurel Family)
Type of Plant: Tree, Shrub
Habitat: Well drained soil, full sun
Zone: 8-10
Bloom Time: March
Height: 8-30 feet
Spread: 5-20 feet
Propagation: Cuttings
Harvest: Leaves when plant is a couple years old
Part Used: Leaf
Constituents: Eucalyptol, Terpenes, Lauric acid
Native Region: Mediterranean
Sustainability: Being watched
Leaf
Structure: Simple
Arrangement: Alternate
Shape: Elliptic
Length: 2-5 inches
Margins: Entire
Surface: Leathery
Flower
Inflorescence: 2-5 short raceme
Sexuality: Imperfect Dioecious
Stamen: 12 stamen (male)
Pistil: 1 pistil, 2 stamen (female)
Color: Pale Yellow
Size: 1 cm
Sacred Story
Daughter of Ladon (River god) and Gaia (Mother Earth), Daphne is a beautiful naiad (a female nymph of fountains, wells, springs, and streams). Ovid tells us that Apollo (god of Light) was struck by an arrow belonging to Eros which induced an incredible ardor in him. He falls in love with Daphne, who wishes instead to remain a virgin. In an effort to escape his pursuit, she begs her parents for their aid, and they transform her into the lovely Laurel Tree. “A heavy numbness seized her limbs, thin bark closed over her breast, her hair turned into leaves, her arms into branches, her feet so swift a moment ago stuck fast in slow-growing roots, her face was lost in the canopy. Only her shining beauty was left.” She then becomes Apollo’s sacred tree and is forever connected to purity and honor.