Cardamom Mythology.

Ghat Mountains

Native to the Ghat Mountains of SW India in an area known as the Cardamom Hills, Cardamom was used by Hindus in ceremonies to pay respect to the recently deceased. Ancient Indians, more than 1,000 years before Christ, used cardamom medicinally to treat various maladies.


It is believed that the West got its first taste of cardamom when Alexander the Great brought it back from India. It was used widely in Europe to treat digestive problems.

Alexander the Great

Because this herb is considered an aphrodisiac, Culpeper assigned it to Venus. but it is all Mars--warming and stimulating. often described as sweet and having a "grateful warmth." It is frequently found in love charms (or perhaps better to say lust charms), but as a Mars herb, it can be equally effective in magical protection. It is a stimulant to the mind and warming to the body, said to uplift the spirits, calm the nerves, and help clarify thinking.

Kyphi Incense

This magic herb is an ingredient in some Dark Age versions of kyphi, the ancient Egyptian incense that became a medicine, and is often given as a substitute for cinnamon, which is a good match in terms of its strength of warmth. Pliny mentions it as an ingredient in the Egyptian perfume called Metopium, and the Romans incorporated into perfumes as well, often combining it with saffron and myrrh. Cardamom is still often found in perfumes, especially "masculine" ones, and it is especially nice combined with orange, cinammon, cloves, and caraway.