Healing with the Herb Angelica

Aromatherapy is being used more and more in today's civilization. A smell can make us relax after an intense day at the office or can give us the energy to clean the dirty house. People claim that the techniques we use during aroma therapy merely trick our senses; still some people say there really is healing in certain things we smell. One of these aromas used today is Angelica. Angelica is a plant in the parsley family that is used in both western healing as well as traditional Chinese medicine. The dried root is the section used for healing. There are several different species of Angelica but all are used for similar purposes. Other names for these include European angelica, garden angelica, purple angelica, Alexander's archangel, masterwort, wild angelica, and wild celery.

The plant grows to a height of about 4.5 feet in the sunlight. It has white and yellow flowers and large three-part leaves. The root of Angelica is very large and is extremely poisonous if used fresh. The plant has a tangy strong odor and taste to it. There are ten species that are used for healing in western angelica Chinese medicine. Angelica is said to be named after an angel who revealed the herb to a European monk as a curative. It has a long history of use all over the world and in ancient tribes.