Disclaimer
I do not advocate the adoption of any diagnostic method or course of treatment not performed by properly licensed practitioners in accordance with standard medical care. This paper presents medically significant information for purely informational purposes only. I strongly recommend that you always inform, and obtain advice from medical professionals before altering or starting any course of diagnosis or treatment based on this information. PLEASE NOTE that angelica should NOT be consumed “during pregnancy, while menstruating, or if you have uterine fibroids. If you tend to bleed heavily and find angelica magnifies this, or if you are taking blood-thinning medication, this herb is not your ally. If use of angelica results in extreme breast tenderness, discontinue.”[1] *** I can’t quite remember when or where I first heard of Carmelite Water, a botanical formula made by members of the Catholic religious order, the Carmelites, using a recipe long held secret, but with my interest in folk and herbal tradition, it immediately captured my imagination. As I began researching, I came across this quote, which sums the attraction up quite simply: “Carmelite water is one of those mysterious herbal blends that delight and link us to the past.”[2] With these curious seeds planted, I set out to learn more. The Carmelites The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, also known as Carmelites, came into being in the 12th century. European pilgrims and penitents traveling to the Holy Land after the 3rd Crusade, following the example of the prophet Elijah felt moved to live as hermits in one of Mount Carmel’s narrow valleys near a place known as Elijah’s Well, in what is now Israel. There they dwelled until 1235, when the Carmelites were forced to leave Mount Carmel as Europeans began to be pushed back out of the Holy Land.[3] Many settled in Cyprus, and in the years that followed members moved on to England, France, Italy, and Germany, where the order flourished.[4] By 1452 convents of women of the order began to be established as well.[5] Exploring Historical Use and Origins We are told that Carmelite water was “first prepared in about 1380 by the nuns [and/or monks] of the Carmelite Abbey of Saint Juste…”[6] Secret healing recipes were common at this time, and most convents and religious orders had their own formulas for healing waters or elixirs that they would produce and sell. [7] Carmelite water was used as a medicinal beverage and liniment, as well as a fragrant eau de toilette. It was said to be first made for the aging King Charles V of France (1338 – 1380),[8] and continued to be used by a string of illustrious people, including the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500-1558), Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642) (who used the remedy to relieve his migraines), and the ladies of the Court of King Louis XIV (1638-1715), where Carmelite water was commonly employed to ease their nervous discomfort. In 1611 the remedy was patented and sold as “Eau de Carmes,” and by 1715 had grown so popular that the Parisian monastery that held the patent became overwhelmed by demand. Though no longer prepared by the Carmelites, Eau de Carmes is still being made and is available in French pharmacies to this day.[9] A similar remedy, known as Klosterfrau Melissengeist (roughly translated as: monastery woman, lemon balm spirit), has been used in Germany into modern times as well.[10] The original formula for Carmelite water is shrouded in mystery. The recipe is most often given as a combination of (lemon) balm, angelica, nutmeg, and lemon peel,[11] [12] though the recipe sometimes expands to include orange flower water,[13] thyme, rosemary, marjoram, sage, lavender, Roman chamomile, elecampane, savory, sandalwood, great yellow gentian, galangal, bitter orange, green anise, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, coriander, and/or clove.[14] [15] Some recipes require distillation of each herb and spice separately in brandy and white wine, others distill them all together, and some simply steep the ingredients in wine.[16] The individual ingredients of this remedy had all been in use long before the invention of Carmelite water itself. It is difficult to know whether the remedy was inspired by the local European herbal tradition, or possibly something brought back from the founding of their order in the Holy Land. Both lemon balm and angelica are native to the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, though they had naturalized throughout Europe by the 14th century.[17] Lemons were widely cultivated in the Levant, as well, by the 11th century,[18] and nutmeg from the Banda Islands would have been available thanks to the efforts of Muslim traders. Lemon Balm - Melissa officinalis Long known for its healing properties in the Arab world, lemon balm was used by physicians in the Middle East as a remedy for “epilepsy and mental illness, apoplexy, lethargy and melancholia.[19] 11th century Persian physician, Avicenna, wrote that “balm maketh the heart merry and joyful.”[20] A century later, Saint Hildegard von Bingen (from Germany) recommended tea of lemon balm and fennel, stating that “Lemon balm reduces the effects of harmful humours and prevents them from gaining the upper hand.”[21] About this fragrant and lush herb that is beloved by the bees, Mrs. M. Grieve writes: The word Balm is an abbreviation of Balsam, the chief of sweet-smelling oils. It is so called from its honeyed sweetness. It was highly esteemed by Paracelsus, who believed it would completely revivify a man. It was formerly esteemed of great use in all complaints supposed to proceed from a disordered state of the nervous system. The London Dispensary (1696) says: ‘An essence of Balm, given in Canary wine, every morning will renew youth, strengthen the brain, relieve languishing nature and prevent baldness.’ John Evelyn wrote: ‘Balm is sovereign for the brain, strengthening the memory and powerfully chasing away melancholy.’ Balm steeped in wine we are told again, ‘comforts the heart and driveth away melancholy and sadness.’ Formerly a spirit of Balm, combined with lemon-peel, nutmeg and angelica root, enjoyed a great reputation under the name of Carmelite water, being deemed highly useful against nervous headache and neuralgic affections.[22] Angelica - Angelica archangelica “Contagious aire ingendring pestilence Infects not those that in their mouth have ta’en, Angelica, that happy counterbane, sent down from heav’n by some Celestial scout, As well the name and nature both avow’t.” Du Bartas (1544-90) (translated by Joshua Sylvester)[23] Sometimes known in Germany as Root-of-the-Holy-Ghost, [24] angelica is an aromatic, pungent, sweet relative of celery which has long been held in great esteem. Anne McIntyre writes: “Angelica has an ancient history as a protective herb against contagion, poisons and illness as well as evil spirits and witchcraft. In several North European countries it was dedicated to pre-Christian gods and featured in pagan festivals…. Some say it was given its name because a wise man or monk declared that St. Michael appeared to him, saying the plant could be used to cure plague, with instructions to hold a piece of root in the mouth to drive away ‘pestilentiall aire’.”[25] Mrs. M. Grieve writes the following about angelica: Its virtues are praised by old writers, and the name itself, as well as the folk-lore of all Northern European countries and nations, testify to the great antiquity of a belief in its merits as a protection against contagion, for purifying the blood, and for curing every conceivable malady: it was held a sovereign remedy for poisons, agues and all infections maladie.[26] Nutmeg - Myristica fragans Nutmeg and lemon peel might seem common place to us in modern times, but this has not always been the case. Nutmeg alone would have had an amazing journey. It is difficult to imagine what it must have been like in those days, for the precious, fragrant kernels only arrived in ports accessible to European merchants after traversing the wide arc of trade routes, kept secret by those who traveled them, passing through many hands on the way from the Banda, or Spice Islands, of Eastern Indonesia. Spices had a sacred quality. Not only did spices a delight the senses and capture the imagination, medieval Christians believed that “what is holy shows itself by fragrance [… and] that sacred places on earth, especially the Garden of Eden, are the true home of spices.”[27] With this close association with the sacred, nutmeg and other spices would not have been valuable simply because they were costly. Launert reminds us that in medieval times: [… Nutmeg] were often crafted in silver and gold and given as love tokens. Nutmeg was also an ingredient of pomander mixtures. In primitive cultures seeds, especially those with a thickened and textured seed coat, in other words nuts, always had a magical significance. From the seed as from the egg came new life. Seeds, in a seemingly dead condition, survived the onslaughts of the environment, and the prolific offspring of the nut trees symbolized fullness and life force… The powers of the germ hidden in the shell were beyond, and still are beyond, the comprehension of mankind. It is not therefore surprising that the adoption of the nut as an amulet… was by no means coincidental.”[28] In modern times the potent essential oil of nutmeg is used as a remedy to relieve poor circulation, nervousness, weakness, insomnia, lethargy, depression, muscle pain, and nausea. It is noted that nutmeg should only be used in small doses and avoided during pregnancy.[29] Lemon - Citrus limon At first, it seems like adding lemon peel to a formula could simply be a matter of taste. But upon closer inspection, lemon proves to offer many medicinal properties. Essential oil of lemon is used in modern times to treat infections, fevers, chest infections, colds, flu, catarrh, sore throat, cuts and wounds, diarrhea, stomach infections, rheumatism, gout, arthritis, varicose veins, high blood pressure, greasy skin, warts, lethargy, tiredness, nervous tension, and anxiety.[30] Modern Formulations and Use Since the original recipe was carefully guarded, passing only from one member of the Carmelite order to the next, we are left only with approximations of the original ingredients, proportions, and method of production. We do have clues, though. In addition to Mrs. Grieve’s reference above, there are other post medieval versions of the recipe that have been recorded, including the following: “Eau de Melisse de Carmes: Take of dried balm leaves, 4 oz., dried lemon-peel, 2 do.; nutmegs and coriander seeds, each, 1 oz.; cloves, cinnamon, and dried angelica roots, each, 4 dr.; spirit of wine, 2 lbs.; brandy, 2 ditto. Steep and distil in balneum mariae, re-distil, and keep for some time in a cold cellar.” ––Mackenzie’s 5,000 Receipts, 1829[31] “Eau de Carmes or Eau de Melissa: Leaves of Lemon Balm - 2 ½ ounces. Crush together and add alcohol at 70 deg. Let stand 8 days and filter. Lemon Peel, yellow only - 2 ounces Nutmeg - 1 ounce Cinnamon and Cloves - ½ ounce each Used for rubbing [topically as a liniment].”[32] There are many ways we can use these recipes as a foundation to create our own versions of the Carmelite formula. The basic ingredients of lemon balm, angelica, lemon peel, nutmeg, and possibly cinnamon, clove or coriander could be blended and steeped in white wine for a refreshing and healing beverage; tinctured in vodka, it can be consumed as a tonic, used topically as a cologne or muscle rub, or combined with water or orange water to make a facial spray, or rinse for linens; or the dried plants and spices can be steeped in hot water to make an infusion (tea). People use modern, commercial versions of Carmelite water internally as a remedy to sooth stress, nervousness, anxiety, headache, tension, motion sickness, fatigue, painful menstrual cramps, indigestion, lack of appetite, and to ease the symptoms of fever, flu and cold. Externally this formula is said to be a refreshing rinse for face, body and hair, to wash hands, add to a bath, scent linen, as well as rubbing onto the body to alleviate nerve and muscle pain.[33] [34] Conclusion Before closing, it feels useful to take a step back and consider that medieval Europeans felt that Divine judgment was most often the cause of illness, and not always in a punitive way. Innocent people living good lives also fell ill, and in those times this was seen as a way that the Divine tempered and refined the soul.[35] Also, because they saw illness as Gods will, it was most important to first seek a spiritual remedy before employing a medical one in order to stay in alignment with Divine will, from whom any healing would ultimately come no matter which form that healing might take. I wonder if this is part of why so many monasteries and convents produced and sold medicinal waters and elixirs. Could it be that these remedies were considered more effective because they were made by people who dedicated their lives to prayer and service to God? It would seem that Carmelite water is probably a single example of the common period practice of convents and religious houses developing and selling their own special remedies. I would say that what makes it unique is not that it was made then, or even the specific recipe of plants and spices it contains. Rather, Carmelite water is unique because the same basic formula, with additional herbs and spices, has been made, used and found helpful by people straight through to these modern times. I think Hildegarde von Bingen’s observation that lemon balm could help prevent harmful humors from gaining the upper hand, is very astute, and probably why the remedy is still so useful. Support finding balance in body, mind, spirit, and heart have always been important. It is difficult to imagine the emotional and physical stress and strain that must have been caused by the waves of plague that overtook Europe starting in the 14th century, in addition to the unpredictable and all too common dangers of war and famine faced by so many. I can see how remedies that soothed the heart and eased melancholy, as well as addressing a laundry list of other complaints, would become so popular. To me Carmelite water feels magical, and I think that it once was, and still has the potential to be, a powerful remedy because it taps into a truth about the importance of combining spiritual essence, reverence, traditional plant wisdom, and to that we now add our modern scientific understanding of the constituents of the plants in the formula. It has been my experience that remedies feel more powerful when made by people who understand the physical properties of the plants and also respect the physical selves and spiritual essence of those plants. Perhaps remembering these connections is also part of the healing gifts of this remedy even 600 (and then some) years later. I am also curious about the ancestral resonance that we may have with certain plants, and the cellular memories that may be unlocked by working with them. As a practitioner of Western herbalism, and a person whose most recent ancestors are mostly European, I am looking forward to living with these plants and crafting my own versions of this remedy to see how that relationship feels. Bibliography “A Brief History of the Carmelites,” retrieved: September 22, 2018, http://www.ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/brief-history-carmelites Brown, Alice Cooke, Early American Recipes, Dover Publications, Mineola, NY, (This Dover edition, published in 2001, is an unabridged republication of the original edition published by the Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc., Rutland, Vermont and Tokyo, Japan in 1966.), page 70, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://books.google.com/books/about/Early_American_Herb_Recipes.html?id=cHvdZefjXGMC “Carmelite water,” Wikipedia Entry, retrieved September 20, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmelite_Water Damachi, Ateh, “Cream of the Crop,” The Guardian, April 25, 2003, retrieved September 20, 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/society/2003/apr/26/features.health17 de la Forêt, Rosalee, “What Exactly Is Carmelite Water?” Learning Herbs, retrieved September 20, 2018, https://learningherbs.com/remedies-recipes/carmelite-water/ “Eau de mélisse des Carmes Boyer” Product website, retrieved September 22, 2018, https://eaudemelisse.com/histoire/origines/ “Eau de mélisse des Carmes Boyer,” Wikipedia France, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eau_de_m%C3%A9lisse_des_Carmes_Boyer Edwards, Gail Faith, Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs, Ash Tree Publishing, Woodstock, NY, 2000, page 65-6. Freedman, Paul, Out of the East: Spices and the Medieval Imagination, Yale University Press, New Haven & London 2008, page 81. Grieve, Mrs. Margaret, A Modern Herbal, Volume 1, Dover edition, first published in 1971 as an unabridged republication of the work originally published by Harcourt, Brace & Company in 1931, pages 35-6 and 76, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://books.google.com/books?id=wwzCAgAAQBAJ Groom, Nigel, New Perfume Handbook, Springer Science and Business Media, June 3, 1997, page 52. Hiller, Sabine, “FOOD: Using lemon balm in the kitchen,” September 6, 2010, retrieved September 20, 2018, http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10742:food-using-lemon-balm-in-the-kitchen&catid=74:tasting&Itemid=100028 “Klosterfrau Melissengiest,” Product website, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://www.melissengeist.de/ Launert, Edmund, Perfume and Pomanders: Scent and Scent Bottles through the Ages, Potterton Books Ltd., 1987, pages 20-1. “Lemon,” Wikipedia Entry, retrieved September 22, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon “Lemon Balm: Revered by Herbalists from Ancient Monasteries to Modern Kitchens,” Vitality Magazine, July 1, 2007, retrieved: September 20, 2018, http://vitalitymagazine.com/article/lemon-balm1/ McIntyre, Anne, The Complete Floral Healer, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 2002, page 69, 159, and 267-8. Melissengeist (Spirit of Melissa), retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://kerstinsnatureproducts.com/products/melissengeist-spirit-of-melissa-carmelite-water-you-choose-size Morrison, Melissa, “Lemon Balm: the Benefits of the Use of Lemon Balm in Herbal Preparations,” retrieved September 20, 2018, http://herballegacy.com/Morrison_Formulas.html “Nutmeg, Whole” Mountain Rose Herbs Website, retrieved: September 26, 2018, https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/nutmeg-whole/profile Vosnaki, Elena, “Tonic of Poison? The History of Eau de Melissa and Carmelite Water,” January, 28, 2017, retrieved: September 26, 2018, https://www.fragrantica.com/news/Tonic-or-Poison-The-History-of-Eau-de-Melissa-and-Carmelite-Water-9013.html End Notes [1] Edwards, Gail Faith, Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs, Ash Tree Publishing, Woodstock, NY, 2000, page 66. [2] Melissengeist (Spirit of Melissa), retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://kerstinsnatureproducts.com/products/melissengeist-spirit-of-melissa-carmelite-water-you-choose-size [3] “A Brief History of the Carmelites,” retrieved: September 22, 2018, http://www.ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/brief-history-carmelites [4] Byrne, Joseph P., “Review of The Carmelites and Antiquity: Mendicants and their Pasts in the Middle Ages by Andrew Jotischky,” retrieved September 26, 2018, https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Carmelites+and+Antiquity%3a+Mendicants+and+their+Pasts+in+the...-a0111934773 [5] “A Brief History of the Carmelites,” retrieved: September 22, 2018, http://www.ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/brief-history-carmelites [6] Groom, Nigel, New Perfume Handbook, Springer Science and Business Media, June 3, 1997, page 52. [7] Eau de mélisse des Carmes Boyer, Wikipedia France, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eau_de_m%C3%A9lisse_des_Carmes_Boyer [8] Groom, Nigel, New Perfume Handbook, Springer Science and Business Media, June 3, 1997, page 52. [9] Eau de mélisse des Carmes Boyer, French Wikipédia, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eau_de_m%C3%A9lisse_des_Carmes_Boyer [10] Melissengeist (Spirit of Melissa), retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://kerstinsnatureproducts.com/products/melissengeist-spirit-of-melissa-carmelite-water-you-choose-size [11] Damachi, Ateh, “Cream of the Crop,” The Guardian, 25 April, 2003, retrieved September 20, 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/society/2003/apr/26/features.health17 [12] Grieve, Mrs. Margaret, A Modern Herbal, Volume 1, Dover edition, first published in 1971 as an unabridged republication of the work originally published by Harcourt, Brace & Company in 1931, page 76, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://books.google.com/books?id=wwzCAgAAQBAJ [13] Groom, Nigel, New Perfume Handbook, Springer Science and Business Media, June 3, 1997, page 52. [14] Eau de mélisse des Carmes Boyer, Wikipedia France, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eau_de_m%C3%A9lisse_des_Carmes_Boyer [15] Klosterfrau Melissengiest product website, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://www.melissengeist.de/ [16] Grieve, Mrs. Margaret, A Modern Herbal, Volume 1, Dover edition, first published in 1971 as an unabridged republication of the work originally published by Harcourt, Brace & Company in 1931, page 76, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://books.google.com/books?id=wwzCAgAAQBAJ [17] Grieve, Mrs. Margaret, A Modern Herbal, Volume 1, Dover edition, first published in 1971 as an unabridged republication of the work originally published by Harcourt, Brace & Company in 1931, page 35, retrieved: September 22, 2018, https://books.google.com/books?id=wwzCAgAAQBAJ [18] “Lemon,” Wikipedia Entry, retrieved September 22, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon [19] McIntyre, Anne, The Complete Floral Healer, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 2002, page 159. [20] Hiller, Sabine, “FOOD: Using lemon balm in the kitchen,” September 6, 2010, retrieved September 20, 2018, http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10742:food-using-lemon-balm-in-the-kitchen&catid=74:tasting&Itemid=100028 [21] “Lemon Balm: Revered by Herbalists from Ancient Monasteries to Modern Kitchens,” Vitality Magazine, July 1, 2007, retrieved: September 20, 2018, http://vitalitymagazine.com/article/lemon-balm1/ [22] Grieve, Mrs. Margaret, A Modern Herbal, Volume 1, Dover edition, first published in 1971 as an unabridged republication of the work originally published by Harcourt, Brace & Company in 1931, page 76, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://books.google.com/books?id=wwzCAgAAQBAJ [23] McIntyre, Anne, The Complete Floral Healer, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 2002, page 69. [24] Edwards, Gail Faith, Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs, Ash Tree Publishing, Woodstock, NY, 2000, page 65. [25] McIntyre, Anne, The Complete Floral Healer, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 2002, page 69. [26] Grieve, Mrs. Margaret, A Modern Herbal, Volume 1, Dover edition, first published in 1971 as an unabridged republication of the work originally published by Harcourt, Brace & Company in 1931, page 36, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://books.google.com/books?id=wwzCAgAAQBAJ [27] Freedman, Paul, Out of the East: Spices and the Medieval Imagination, Yale University Press, New Haven & London 2008, page 81. [28] Launert, Edmund, Perfume and Pomanders: Scent and Scent Bottles through the Ages, Potterton Books Ltd., 1987, pages 20-1. [29] McIntyre, Anne, The Complete Floral Healer, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 2002, page 268. [30] Ibid, page 267. [31] Brown, Alice Cooke, Early American Recipes, Dover Publications, Mineola, NY, (This Dover edition, published in 2001, is an unabridged republication of the original edition published by the Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc., Rutland, Vermont and Tokyo, Japan in 1966.), page 70, retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://books.google.com/books/about/Early_American_Herb_Recipes.html?id=cHvdZefjXGMC [32] Morrison, Melissa, “Lemon Balm: the Benefits of the Use of Lemon Balm in Herbal Preparations,” retrieved September 20, 2018, http://herballegacy.com/Morrison_Formulas.html [33] Melissengeist (Spirit of Melissa), retrieved: September 20, 2018, https://kerstinsnatureproducts.com/products/melissengeist-spirit-of-melissa-carmelite-water-you-choose-size [34] Eau de mélisse des Carmes Boyer, product website, retrieved September 22, 2018, https://eaudemelisse.com/histoire/origines/ [35] Mortimer, Ian, The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England, Vintage Books, London, 2009, page 190.
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Sylvan ThorncraftPracticing mother, weedwife, animist, human, who's very thankful to live on the coastal plain of Southern Maine, in Wabanaki terretory, near a place called Owascoag. Archives
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