The Pagan Heart
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July-August 2005 Issue
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Herbs Under Scrutiny: Cinnamon - sacred to the Gods
By Jill Bentley
Cinnamon is one of my favorite scents and flavors. I only use cinnamon flavored mouthwash, and cinnamon gum - especially Big Red - beats any mint flavor hands down. And when it comes to candy who can resist those cinnamon gummy bears? Or better yet the little Red Hots - when I was no more then six or seven I use to dump mine into my toy kettle, add hot water and have a tea party with my stuffed animals. So what makes Cinnamon so special? Well, that's why I chose this herb as the feature this issue, for although I love the taste and smell I really didn't know much about it. Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree of the Laurel family native to India, Madagascar, and Sri Lanka - the finest grow along the coastal strip near Colombo. The bark is dried and rolled up one in another into 'quills.' These whole quills will keep their flavor indefinitely but once ground into powder they quickly lose flavor and aroma. Cinnamon is also available as an essential oil obtained by roughly pounding the bark, soaking it in sea-water, and then distilling the whole. I especially like to use the oil for fragrancing my home during the winter holidays - either by mixing a couple drops (a little goes a long way) into water in a diffuser, or adding upto nine drops into a pot of boiling water on the stove. But beware, there is an imposter. Called cassia, it is extracted in the same way from a similar tree but it is not cinnamon. Many times cassia is blended into cinnamon to bulk it up, especially centuries back when cinnamon was so expensive and hard to get. In some places like North America little distinction is give between the two. They are really quite different in structure and taste but when blended it is hard to tell. In appearance, pure cinnamon is lighter in color and a much finer powder. Historically, cinnamon has been very much sought after since ancient times and considered a present fit for monarchs. It is mentioned several times in the Bible, including Exodus 30:23-33 where Moses is commanded by the Lord to use cinnamon as one of the ingredience to make holy anointing oil, "it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you." In all likelihood this is a carryover from earlier Pagan times. In ancient Egypt it was used medicinally, to flavor beverages, and in the embalming process as one of the spiced preservatives that filled the body cavities. In medieval Europe it was a staple ingredients in many recipes especially minced pies as it both flavored and preserved the meat. Cinnamon was so prized that 'explorers' obtained it by any means necessary. In 1536 the Portuguese invaded Sri Lanka. The attack ended when the Sinhalese King agreed to pay tribute of 110,000 kilograms of cinnamon annually. And then in 1636 the Dutch captured Sri Lanka and established a system of cultivations that still exists today. One Dutch captain commented: "The shores of the island are full of [cinnamon] and it is the best in all the Orient: when one is downwind of the island, one can still smell cinnamon eight leagues out to sea." Such a unique spice can only have a unique combination of powers both medically and magically. Cinnamon can be used for the treatment of gas, nausea, diarrhea, flu, rheumatism, warts, coughs, colds, and viral infections. It is also anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Some think half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day can reduce blood sugar in diabetics, improves cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. When burned as incense it raises high spiritual vibrations, aids healing, and stimulates psychic powers. It is reputed to both draw money and be a protective agent. In other words this is a great herb to use during meditation and reiki. So next time you have an upset stomach or just want to relax why don't you make yourself a cup of cinnamon tea - add a teaspoon to your herbal mint tea or hot chocolate - take care not to add it to boiling water as it will become stringy and flavorless. Just enjoy this vibrant herb, I know I do. Now where did I leave that pack of Big Red? I suddenly got a craving.
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2004-2007