At a glance
- Common name
- St. John's Wort
- Botanical name
- Hypericum perforatum
- Family
- Hypericaceae
- Parts mentioned in historical records
- Flowering tops
- Traditional correspondences
- Sun; Fire
Historical record
Harvested traditionally on St. John's Eve (Midsummer, June 24). Extensively cited by Dioscorides, Galen, and Paracelsus as the premier wound herb and remedy for melancholy.
Folklore and mythology
Known in old herbals as 'Fuga Daemonum' (Chaser of Devils). Hung over windows, cottage doors, and farmsteads on Midsummer Eve to repel witches, thunderbolts, and demonic apparitions.
Crushed red sap was legendary as the spilled blood of St. John the Baptist upon his beheading; in Norse lore, connected to Baldur the Sun God, representing unconquered solar light at Midsummer solstice.
Tradition: Christian Folklore & Norse Associated figures: St. John the Baptist & Baldur
Red oil represents the blood of John the Baptist; in Norse lore, embodies Baldur the radiant Sun God whose light peaks and surrenders at the Summer Solstice.
Midsummer bonfires; hung above farmstead doors as Fuga Daemonum (Demon Chaser) against lightning, malevolence, and madness.
Mystical correspondences
Correspondences vary by tradition and source.
Safety first
Historical and spiritual associations do not establish that St. John's Wort is safe or effective. Do not use this page as instructions for ingesting, smoking, inhaling, or applying St. John's Wort.
For current safety information, check a health authority or ask a qualified clinician or pharmacist, especially during pregnancy or lactation, while taking medication, or with an allergy or health condition.