Herbalist Corinne Boyer came into my dream last night with jasmine berries like a gift from God. Before I went to bed I decided I wanted to remember something from my dreams tonight. She had visited our community house and stayed the night. We'd had a huge feast and I was in the kitchen the next morning taking care of a huge pile of dishes. She was attending to my friend Desiree who was getting ready to leave for work and came up to me with a jar of granola she'd made. She told me the berries were jasmine and blueberries. The jasmine was a pink berry. I looked these plants up online because other than knowing blueberries are "superfruits" antioxidants I don't know much about them.
Jasmine is in the olive family (Oleaceae) and is valued for it's perfume and incense. It grows in subtropical and tropical zones but has been naturalized in some mediterranean climates. The flower only opens at night. It is more of a ritual flower than medicine - though rituals are a powerful medicine - in marriages, religious ceremony, and festivals. In Thailand they are a symbol for motherhood. They are the national flower in countries such as Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Phillipines. The name is derived from Yasameen ("gift from God") through Arabic and Latin. (Info from Wikipedia...) Check out these beautiful images:
Also the plant is medicinal and is more often used in Women's Health, particularly in Ayurvedic medicine. Some properties include: astringent, antibacterial, antiviral, cooling, bitter. It is said to treat breast cancer, stimulate the uterus, calm nerves and act as an aphrodesiac (probably in aromatherapy). Specifically in aromatherapy jasmine treats depression and is used during childbirth. Because it's said to be an emmenagogue (stimulate blood flow in pelvic area and uterus) an emollient (soothing and softening) and galactagogue (increasing milk supply).
More information: http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-jasmine.htm
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