Queen Anne's Lace?
Absent
Well done, got it in one!
“Look to this day For it is life, the very life of life. For yesterday is but a dream And tomorrow is only a vision But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness And tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day Such is the salutation of the dawn.” ~ Kalidasa
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness” Oprah Winfrey
Daucus carota is a variable biennial plant typically growing to 2-4’ tall. With finely divided feathery leaves and a white flowering crown made up predominantly of small white florets with a single purplish-black floret at the center, this wild progenitor of the carrot is known by many names: Queen Anne’s Lace, Bishop’s Lace, Bird’s Nest, Bee’s Nest, Fool’s Parsley, Crow’s Nest, Devil’s Plague, Rantipole, Herbe a dinde or simply Wild or Garden Carrot. The roots are best eaten early in Spring, and the scent of carrots is noticeable when any part of this plant is crushed. Introduced from Europe, this “weed” has become a familiar sight here in the Americas, but few people seem to appreciate it for its uses or beauty.
Legend says that the name Queen Anne’s Lace came from Queen Anne’s, wife of King James I of England beautiful lace making. Supposedly, when the future Queen Anne arrived from Denmark to became the queen of King James I of England, wild carrot was still a novelty in the royal gardens. The legend states that Queen Anne challenged the ladies in waiting to a contest to see who could produce a pattern of lace as fine and lovely as the flower of the wild carrot. The ladies knew that no one could rival the queen’s handiwork so it became a triumph for Anne.
Another tale says that the second wife of King Henry VIII pricked her finger one day while crafting lace, and this lovely lacy white flower with the blood-dark center was formed, thus coming to bear her name forever. The name Queen Anne’s Lace also refers to cow parsley, anthriscus sylvestris, found commonly in Europe. Actually, the dark centers found in Queen’s Lace are colored by Anthocyanin, a naturally occurring pigment used to attract pollen carrying insects. Another possible source for this popular name comes from English botanist Geoffrey Grigson suggestion that the name comes not from a Queen of England but from Saint Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary and the patron saint of lace makers!
I find it interesting that this aggressively growing wild carrot, a symbol of fertility, has been used as a “morning after” preventative for many years. One or two teaspoonfuls of the tiny seeds, or a tea made from them, have been used as an abortifacient. for many generations.In fact, this plant is most closely related to Silphion, which was picked and used by the Romans as a culinary spice and contraceptive until it became extinct in the first century AD. In the late 1980’s studies showed (at least in mice) that this plant was indeed very effective at blocking the production of progesterone and inhibits fetal and ovarian growth. It is still used in some areas as a morning after contraceptive tea!
Extreme caution must be used when collecting wild carrots though; they closely resemble poisonous Water Hemlock (cicuta maculata), Poison Hemlock (conium maculatum) and true Fool’s Parsley (aethusa cynapium), all of which can be deadly. It was poison hemlock, a plant well known to the Greeks, that Socrates was compelled to take… lest we forget. Fortunately, there is a simple way to tell the difference between Queen Anne’s Lace and lookalikes. Both Poison Hemlock and Fool’s Parsley smell terrible. If you take a bit of the leaf between your fingers, roll it around to crush it and smell carrots, then you’re safe. Any other scent, and you’d best wash your hands of the plant…literally!
“Misdirected life force is the activity in disease process. Disease has no energy save what it borrows from the life of the organism. It is by adjusting the life force that healing must be brought about, and it is the sun as transformer and distributor of primal spiritual energy that must be utilized in this process, for life and the sun are so intimately connected.” ~ Kabbalah
“It isn’t a dance, it’s a fertility rite with lyrics.” ~Unknown
" fast word about oral contraception. I asked a girl to go to bed with me, she said ‘no’." ~Woody Allen
“Peace is the enjoyment of life, activity is the expression of life. A balance between the activity of the West and the calmness of the East is needed.” ~Paramahansa Yogananda
We are still learning the many uses of the marvelous plant known commonly as Queen Anne’s Lace. Thus far science has found it useful in treating: Alzheimer’s, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Infertility, Asthma-preventive, most types of cancer, Diabetes, Leukaemia, HIV, Spina-bifida, Migraine headache, obesity, and much more, even the common cold! The seeds can also be used as a settling carminative agent for the relief of flatulence and colic. Wild Carrot leaves contain significant amounts of porphyrins, which stimulate the pituitary gland and lead to the release of increased levels of sex hormones, stimulating the uterus. Because it is also used to encourage delayed menstruation, can induce uterine contractions, and is a known abortifacient. it should not be used by pregnant women. Queen’s Lace clearly has strong connections to both fertility and contraception, as well as a few other YinYang qualities.
To me, this is clear advice on the importance of Balance, of Tao. It is only when all things move in harmony that the greatest wisdom, the greatest healing and the greatest love are gained. Balance, like Life, is not a stagnant immovable thing. It is the push and pull of opposites united that creates balanced movement; masculine and feminine, stillness and movement, creation and destruction.
“From a Judeo-Christian perspective, the Tao is not a synonym for God. It is more specifically a description of the way God works through nature, a term that describes the unfolding of creation. In this sense, Taoism is not an exclusive religion, but a system of thought that emphasizes aligning oneself with the flow of nature’s currents as the most effective path to a long, healthy, peaceful life.” ~Linda Kohanov “The Tao of Equus”
“The intersection of the macro universe and the micro universe will create a gate, or a door. Lao Tzu called this “the door to all wonders”. This is where Yin and Yang merge harmoniously. This is also called the Middle Way." ~ Henry Chang
“The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind.” ~ Philipus Aureolus Paracel
This edible taproot is most often orange, white or pink in color and crisp in texture. Black, red and green/yellow varieties have also been grown and it is believed that an early ancestor of the carrot was used in Egypt as far back as 2000 B.C.; it was purple! Actually, carrots during Roman times were either purple or white too, and rather bitter tasting. It was Dutch growers who took an interest in improving the taste of this vegetable that led to the orange carrot we know today, which developed sometime around the 1500’s. The orange color comes from Beta-Carotene which becomes vitamin A when consumed, an excellent vitamin for skin and eyes. Eyesight becomes poor with a lack of vitamin A and vision will improve when it is reintroduced to your diet.
However, the belief that it will aid night vision is an urban myth. John “Cat’s Eyes” Cunningham, a Captain of the RAF during WWII, is most likely responsible for this disinformation. His nickname comes for British propaganda that claimed a certain group of pilots ate carrots as a regular part of their diet to give them superior night vision. This tale was put out to cover up the use of Airborne Interception – the aircraft version of what later became known as radar.
Like modern carrots, the roots of Queen’s Lace helps to stimulate pigment production in our skin. In fact, North African natives chewed these roots to protect themselves from the sun! This veggie is an excellent source of dietary fiber, antioxidants, and minerals as well as beta-carotene, and should certainly not be excluded from anyone’s diet just for being a mere weed… Queen Anne’s Lace. For all their benefits though, it should be noted by any Carrot lovers that massive overdose of carrots can cause hypercarotenemia, a condition which causes the skin to turn orange!
A startling, if somewhat humorous, caution to slow down on your intake. Over consumption of vitamin A will cause liver damage, so look out Bugs Bunny! This is yet another reminder that Medicine of all sorts is powerful… not to be taken lightly, and that all things are truly best in Moderation.
Parsley, fennel, dill and cumin are all close relatives of the modern carrot as well, and they have their own uses and benefits unique to them. For all their strong connection to Solar energy and Deities which are typically considered masculine, in the language of flowers, Queen Anne’s Lace represents delicate femininity, fantasy, and (ironically) “a haven/sanctuary”, or “protection”. It is a favorite with wool dyers for its ability to produce a consistent and vivid chartreuse dye. It certainly has very strong feminine connections as well. A double reminder of the importance of Balance…. Yin and Yang in Harmony.
“Marriage is the union of disparate elements. Male and female. Yin and yang. Proton and electron. What are we talking about here Nothing less than the very tension that binds the universe. You see, when we look at marriage, people, we’re are looking at creation itself. I am the sky, says the Hindu bridegroom to the bride. You are the earth. We are sky and earth united…. You are my husband. You are my wife. My feet shall run because of you. My feet shall dance because of you. My heart shall beat because of you. My eyes see because of you. My mind thinks because of you and I shall love because of you.” ~ Andrew Schneider
“Intuition is a combination of historical (empirical) data, deep and heightened observation, and an ability to cut through the thickness of surface reality. Intuition is like a slow motion machine that captures data instantaneously and hits you like a ton of bricks. Intuition is a knowing, a sensing that is beyond the conscious understanding- a gut feeling. Intuition is not pseudo-science.” Abella Arthur
“I experience a period of frightening clarity in those moments when nature is so beautiful. I am no longer sure of myself, and the paintings appear as in a dream.” ~Vincent van Gogh
“Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what he loves.” ~ Blaise Pascal