This simple green leaf is all around us yet we don't really know that when we eat it we give an extra-valuable present to our body. It is even confirmed by several studies that the ancients were right about #basil.
Its full name nowadays is the Latin Ocimum Basilicum and derives from the Greek Okimon and the later added the Basilikon (Greek: ῶκιμον το βᾰσιλικόν).
The name Okimon comes from the Okys (Greek: ὠκῠς) which means one that is fast because basil grows fast (fastly grows, Greek: ὡκἐως φυὀμενον). This is what Theofrastos tells us in his work about botany.
The name Basileus (pronounced vassilefs) means the king as we say today with a slightly different touch. First of all, the letter B is pronounced as the V in English.
The 'Ba-si' syllables come from the root verb baino (pronounced: vaeno, Greek:βαίνω, Latin: Venio) and it means the one who walks, goes somewhere... They also come from the root word 'basis' (pronounced: vaasis, Greek: βάσις) which means base, family, clan, household...
They are combined with root word laos (Greek: λαός) which means the people; the word las (Greek: λᾶς or λᾶος) which means the stone and the ending -eus (pronounced: aefs, Greek: -ἔυς) which means good; brave; noble; the goods; existence; living...
I know you are all mixed up right now but here's a way to understand through the words the deep quality of the plant.
#Exercise: Take a deep breath and observe the Greek words together in the photo below. Meditate on them and see the wisdom behind the commonality of the letters. After that read about the amazing qualities of basil and you will understand why there is so much wisdom in the real meaning of its name.
#Fact: The true meaning of basil is "the one that leads the people, the base, to safety, home, fastly removes everything foreign from the body in a noble manner with goodness and wisdom. It acts as quickly as it grows, with determination". This why it is considered the king of all herbs and was considered the best antidote to poisonous bites.
Some say that it comes from India, others from further east, others from Persia, and others from Western Africa. Its origins are not yet established although anyone would be proud to own this amazing plant. And judging from the number of pure varieties among these places we can see that they can all claim the origins.
Basil was or came to Greece more than 4000 years ago. The Hippocratic texts (460BC-370BC) show that Okimon, was well known for its qualities at least a century before Alexander the Great traveled to India and the Greek basil is a pure variety. It was spread in Europe much later after the 10th century AD.
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This divine plant grows in many varieties. The one you find in the markets is the sweet basil, that actually exists in several hybrid varieties, through #biopiracy.
But in Greece; India; Persia; the far East and Africa you will find different pure varieties to that, in homes; yards; temples; and wild in nature. Each variety contains special essential oils that give a unique fragrance to their leaves and unique medicinal properties.
One example is the #camphor essence and the #camphene of the African Blue basil which, according to studies in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, is unique in cases of myocardial ischemic disease, reducing triglycerides and total cholesterol.
Another example is the Anethol essential oil, which gives us the unique fragrance of #anise and it is also found in #dill and #fennel. It cures sexual incompetence and works as an aphrodisiac from ancient times as it promotes estrogens. This can be found in Licorish Basil or else named the Persian Basil.
You can use basil in many ways just see the different options here
Their flowers also differ and they too have essential oils. For example, the Holy basil or Tulasi, as it is called in Hindu or Sanskrit has violet flowers and purple tinge as opposed to the Greek basil which has white flowers. It is called Holy because it is considered to have come from the plant incarnation of Vrinda Devi, the archetypal forest goddess, and the presiding deity of the land of Vrindavan. Holy #basil is the object of many studies and it is proved that it inhibits the growth of breast carcinoma cells; it significantly helps for infectious bacteria, parasites, and fungi to drop; it also reduces the fluoride from the water like all the pure varieties of #basil.
All types of pure basil have these qualities along with reducing cortisol, and by being a natural insect repeller. With that said, it is important to prase basil's wonderful smell as it plays a vital part in the balance between earth and atmosphere. Scientists from Germany and Brazil studying the Amazon forest, have resulted in the importance of the #odors that the plants inspire to the air.
In ancient Greece basil was used as an antiseptic; an antidote to poisonous bites and as a preservative and due to these qualities it was used in Egypt for mummification.
Hippocrates suggested that it is ideal for gastrointestinal abnormalities and later Dioskourides tells us about the toxicity of the herb as it can bring liver pain, dizziness, and sleepiness when consumed in high quantities. It is one of the few herbs the goats will not eat because of that. For the ancients, herbs must be consumed always but with a non-repetitive attitude unless they are used to cure.
This is the philosophy "Harmony Method" promotes.
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These are some ancient texts from Theophrastus in ancient Greek. Just meditate on the words!
Ιστορία φυτών
7..2.11 … καὶ ἄκρατοι καὶ μεμιγμέναι καὶ εὔοσμοι δὴ καὶ ἄοσμοί εἰσιν. καὶ τὰ μὲν δένδρα τὴν ἄνθησιν ἀθρόαν ποιεῖται͵ τούτων δ΄ ἔνια κατὰ μέρος͵ ὥσ περ ἐλέχθη καὶ περὶ τοῦ ὠκίμου͵ δι΄ ὃ καὶ πολὺν χρόνον ἀνθεῖ...
7.2.8.2 Τῶν δὲ ῥιζῶν ξυλωδέσταται πασῶν αἱ τοῦ ὠκίμου͵ καθάπερ καὶ ὁ καυλός. ἡ γὰρ τοῦ βλίτου καὶ τῆς ἀδραφάξυος καὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἧττον ξυλώδης
7.1.3.3…τῶν ὁμοίων καθ΄ ἑκάστην ὥραν͵ οἷον ῥαφα νίδος ὠκίμου τῶν ἄλλων. πᾶσι δὲ σπείρεται τοῖς ἀρότοις τὰ ἐπίσπορα. Δια Φύεται δ΄ οὐκ ἐν ἴσοις πάντα χρόνοις͵ ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν θᾶττον τὰ δὲ βραδύτερον ὅσα δυσφυῆ
*Danai Fassouli is a writer, self-development, Feng Shui and ancient physiognomy consultant, and a healer traveling around the world with the sole purpose to decode the ancient sacred truths and use them for her personal development as well as to spread them to all women that want to work for their own health of the mind, body, and soul. Contact Danai for consultation here.
*The articles are purely informative and do not replace the nutritionist; doctor and/or the psychologist and generally any specialist in physical and mental health.