Dittany of Crete
Origanum dictamnus; also known as Amaracus dictamnus
Synonyms:
Dittany, Dictamnus, Diktamo, Hop Marjoram
Family:
Lamiaceae, Mint family
Where to find this herb:
Native to the mountains of Crete
Part(s) used:
leaves
Special constituents:
Essential oil containing Carvacrol, p-cymene, hymoquinone and others. Tocopherol.
Correspondance:
10 (Crowley)
Uses:
incense
Kandische Marjoraan, Hopmarjolein
Vild Polej
The name Dittany comes from Dicte, a mountain on Crete where the herb grows. In the tale of the Trojan wars by Virgil, the hero Aeneas was severely wounded by a deeply imbedded arrow that could not be extricated. His mother Venus went to Mount Ida on the island of Crete and retrieved some
Dittany of Crete, which was applied to the wound, causing the arrow to drop out and the wound to cure immediately.
Dittany of Crete is well known to practitioners of Western traditional magic, as this herb was mentioned by Helena Blavatsky as "the most powerful of magical perfumes". Crowley also valued its use in magical manifestations, and Beyerl claims it can be "used ritually to seek wisdom from those who live between lives", i.e. the dead. Beyerl, however, confuses Dittany of Crete with Dictamnus albus L. (Dictamnus fraxinella Pers.), known as dittany and fraxinella. Cunningham makes the same mistake. This plant is from an entirely different family, and is not used as an incense as far as I'm aware.
The scent of Dittany is similar to that of Origanum, though fresher, more minty. The herb has been used as a wound-healing agent and painkiller, and to ease childbirth. It can be made into a warm drink where its aromatic healing properties can be used as an anticonvulsive and a menstrual tonic. Until recently it has not been very well known outside Greece, thus I couldn't find many references to its constituents or properties. It is now becoming increasingly popular as a garden plant. Grow it on a hot and dry spot in your garden.
Dittany of Crete contains an essential oil, but I couldn't find any companies selling it, so I don't know if there is actually a production of Dittany essential oil.