APPLE

APPLE

(Pyrus malus)          Top Pick

Other Names

Fruit of the Gods, Silver Branch, Tree of Love.

Description

The Apple Tree will grow up to 40 feet tall.   Dwarf versions grow from 6 - 12 feet, but still produce full size fruit.   The fruit usually ripens in the fall, but it depends on the apple species.

Classification

Cold and Moist

Taste

Sweet

Balance Yin/Yang

Cool

Humor

Uses/Applications

Apples are excellent for illnesses involving diarrhea, and rheumatic fever.   Apple is also excellent for regulating bowel function, reducing cholesterol, and normalizing blood sugars,   They are also good for the heart.

Combinations

None

Constituents

Sugars, Fruit Acids, Pectin, Vitamin A, B, and C, Minerals.

Action

Tonic, Digestive and Liver Stimulant, Diuretic, Laxative, Antiseptic.

Food Values

Vitamin's A, B, and C, Minerals, and soluble Fiber.

Part Used

Fruit.

Collection

Pick the ripe fruit.   If picked unripe, let stand to ripen.

Preparation

Infusion

Pour a cup of boiling water onto 2 Tsp. dried apple peels.   Infuse for 10 minutes.   Take three times a day.

Ripe Apples

Eat whole ripe apples for constipation.

Unripe Apples

For diarrhea, fast and eat unripe apples.

Growing Directions

Plant rootstock in a sunny location and water regularly.   Prune when first planted and once a year.   Consult your local nursery regarding fertilization for your area.   Apple requires plenty of sun and good drainage for maximum fruit production.   

When you purchase trees try to get 1 year old trees that are 2 - 4 feet tall and have a 1/2 inch diameter.   Make sure the root system is good.   Do not buy tress that appear to be stunted, diseased, or injured.   When the trees arrive soak the roots for 1/2 hour before planting.   Place in the hole, then replace the soil, and water well.   It is best to plant your apple trees in the spring.

Apples require pollen so you must plant a minimum of 2 trees.

History

The fruit has been cultivated since Roman times where ripe apples were used as a laxative and unripe apples were used to treat diarrhea.   In Galencial medicine apples were cool and moist so the juice was prescribed for fever and eye infection. 

Additional Information

1.   Apples prevent sharp swings in blood sugar levels making them an excellent snack for diabetics.

2.   A 1983 study showed apples reduced blood cholesterol levels.   3.   Studies show eating 2 to 3 apples per day will lower your blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels. 

4.   Because apples keep your blood glucose levels up, they make you feel fuller than an equivalent amount of carbohydrate calories from other snacks.   This makes them an excellent appetite suppressant. 

5. Studies have shown people who eat more apples get fewer colds and respiratory ailments. 

6.   Apples are an excellent fiber source and the apple skin is saturated with caffeic or cholorogenic acid, a potent cancer fighter.   7.    The leaves contain an antibiotic (phloutin) which can be pressed onto a wound until first aid can be administered. 

8.   According to a study in the “Journal of National Cancer Institute,” the pectin in apples binds certain cancer causing compounds in the colon speeding the elimination from the body.

Cautions

None

Magick Information

Gender:

 Feminine

Planet:

 Venus

Element:

 Water

Deity:

 Appolo, Athena, Aphrodite, Diana, Hera, Venus, Zeus.

Powers:

 Love, Healing, Garden Magick, Immortality

Magickal Uses:

 Use Apples in spells of love and love divination’s.   Add the blossoms to love sachets, brews, and incense.   For healing, cut an apple into three pieces, rub each piece on the affected area, then bury the pieces.   Do this during a waning moon to banish illness.   Pour Apple Cider onto freshly cultivated earth to give life to the plants.   After the harvest, bury 13 leaves under your apple tree to ensure a good crop the next year.   Before eating an apple rub it four times to remove any evil spirits.