ALAINN: “BEAUTIFUL, FINE, LOVELY”. (IRISH) OLD IRISH ÁLAIND‎

My Account

Pay what you will in our digital Shop. We have removed prices from all our non-personalized digital products. – Love, Kitty
Prefer FREE access to ALL digital products? Want to support the disclosure library? Become a Supporting Member Today.

Corncockle (Agrostemma githago)

Annual
Githago segetum. Lychnis githago.
View Images of Corncockle (Agrostemma githago)
Common Name Latin Name Plant Family
Corncockle
Agrostemma githago
Caryophyllaceae

None known

  • Medicinal Use

    The seed is diuretic, expectorant and vermifuge[4, 13, 222]. Minute amounts are used medicinally[222]. It has a folk history of use in the treatment of cancer, warts etc[222]. The plant is not used in allopathic medicine, but it has been found efficacious in the treatment of dropsy and jaundice if used for long enough[4]. Some caution is advised, see notes above on toxicity.

    A homeopathic remedy has been made from the seeds[4]. It has been found useful in the treatment of paralysis and gastritis[4].

  • Edible Use

    Leaves – cooked[22, 46, 61, 177]. A famine food, used when all else fails[183]. Some caution is advised – see the notes above on toxicity.

  • Cautionary Notes

    The seed and leaves are poisonous, containing saponin-like substances[4, 19, 76]. Although poisonous, saponins are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods such as some beans. They can be removed by carefully leaching the seed or flour in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of food that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K].

Cultivation & Habitat

Seed – sow spring or autumn in situ. The seed usually germinates in 2 – 3 weeks. The seed has a short viability[134]. Eighteen month old seed germinated freely with us[K].
Succeeds in most soils. Prefers a rich soil[133]. Prefers a well-drained not too fertile soil and a sunny position[200]. Plants are hardy to between -15 to -20¡c[200]. Corncockle usually self-sows freely so long as there is some disturbed ground[K].
Europe. Naturalized in Britain.

Become ungovernable, break the chains of the matrix; grow and forage your own food and medicine.

*None of the information on this website qualifies as professional medical advice. Take only what resonates with your heart and use your own personal responsibility for what’s best for you. For more information [brackets] [000], see bibliography.

As with ALL things; Take only what resonates with your heart and higher self, and leave the rest behind.

Repository of Divination tools, News, Elements, Spells, Rituals, Clearings, Entities, Ascension; Kitty is a magpie at heart, gathering information trinkets from everywhere and sharing them here in hopes that some might shine a light on your journey in this Incarnation. Please only take what resonates with your heart and leave the rest behind. Tionscadal Mo Chroi (Project of my heart) Lovingly curated by Kitty, bean draío leabharlannaí (Librarian Witch)

  • For any question, you can cast a handful or bag of Runes and read the meaning of the runes that land face up only.
  • You may cast them into a circle (drawn with chalk or as a pattern on a cloth). Read the runes that land inside the circle AND face up.
  • If The Eye (Witches Rune) or Tiwaz (Elder Futhark) appears amongst the runes when cast, pay extra attention to where the eye is looking or Tiwaz is pointing.
  • Pro Tip: You can also use runes just as you would the Tarot, with ANY tarot spread. Simply pull one at a time from your bag to fill the layout.

*while Witches’ and Elder Futhark are different sets of runes, (just as English and Gaelic are different languages) I use mine together;  my rune casts are “bilingual”. I have made the same choice in my online rune layouts. Alainn Tarot interactive includes both sets at the same time. 

These are plants that grow in my own yard or elements that I keep in stock personally, gathered in a single category for my own quick navigation.