My Favorite Herbs:

Tulsi aka Holy Basil

Ocimum sanctum

Lamiaceae

“The sum of our love is like holy basil which heals the pain and clears the strife, it owns the magic to be much essential to guide us with a sweet and healthy life.”
– Musky

I wanted to start a series of blog posts featuring the herbs I reach for most often, and I can think of no better place to start than with lovely, lovely Tulsi. Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), also known as Holy Basil and Tulasi, is up near the very top of my list of all time favorite herbs. In fact she might actually be my very favorite herb- but shhh, don’t tell the others. It is one of the few herbs I actually have tattooed on my body!

I fell in love with this plant while in herbalism school. We had a homework assignment to experience single herbs to develop relationships with them, and boy did that relationship develop. Meeting this plant was quite the experience considering I had no previous knowledge of the plant. My first exposure was just to the raw dried herb. Our assignments with the herbs we took home from class were to use them in a few different ways. We were to smell them, and get to know them visually, and then make a hot and cold infusion out of them- basically make tea with hot water, or just let the herb sit in cold water. The reason for this is because you get different constituents, flavors, viscosities, etc out of some plants depending on how you infuse them. Tulsi is an herb that has a somewhat different flavor profile depending on hot or cold infusion. We only worked with infusions with this plant rather than tinctures, because she is way more effective in a water extraction than an alcohol one.

Tulsi is an herb that I actually prefer in a cold infusion. This is not necessarily because of the constituents and medicinal properties, which are extensive, it’s simply a preference of flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I adore a hot Tulsi infusion. I use her as a base or accent in the majority of the teas I formulate, especially for my personal daily sipping. But a simple, single herb cold infusion of tulsi…mmmmm there’s little that can top that, especially in the summer. Tulsi tastes a lot like it smells, but the cold infusion brings out the spice a bit more and a hot infusion has a slightly more bitter floral flavor. I also think there’s a bit more sweetness to the cold infusion.

Right from opening the bag I knew I was in love. You could say it was love at first scent! The aroma of Tulsi is unlike any other plant I know. If I had to guess what it was blindly, I would for sure put it in the mint family (Lamiaceae) and you can definitely tell she is a type of basil- there is a bit of a spicy peppery scent mixed with some fresh grassy notes. But what truly makes Tulsi’s scent stand out is the complexity and the sweet floral, almost lemony tones that give her this distinct smell. The brightness of these lemony floral notes is amplified in the fresh plant, which I’m pretty sure is exactly what heaven smells like.

But enough about the flavor profile of this lovely little herb, let’s get into the medicinal properties! This plant is one of the most revered herbs in the Ayurvedic pharmacopeia, and for good reason. Considered sacred in many cultures, Tulsi has been admired and used for centuries thanks to its ability to impart clarity and lightness to the body, mind, and spirit. This plant has roots in the Hindu tradition, (see what I did there?) which is actually where she gets her name. Hindus regard Holy Basil as an earthly manifestation of the goddess Tulasi. She is the avatar of Lakshmi, and thus the wife of the god Vishnu. That is a pretty high pedestal for a simple mint plant, no? But to say she’s simple is actually kind of an insult to the herb considering all the magick plant power she has hidden in her leaves. She is adaptogenic, antimicrobial, anti inflammatory, immunomodulating, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, antiulcer, and antiviral, just to name a few of her main medicinal capabilities. Tulsi is supportive to a number of our body systems, and has the ability to modulate inflammation, lower stress induced release of adrenal hormones, normalize cholesterol levels, balance blood sugar, and increase physical performance. She also is there to help where mental health is concerned. Tulsi has been found to elevate mood, and assist with mild depression, and help process grief, fear, and heartache.

She also has some astonishing anticancer benefits. According to an article in The Hindu reporting on a 2016 study done on Tulsi, by Bengaluru-based National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and the Center for Cellular and Molecular Platforms, Bengaluru, “of the nearly 40 secondary metabolites that have medicinal value, the genes and enzymes responsible for the production of 14 metabolites have been mapped on the genome [of Tulsi]…Of the 14 metabolites that have been mapped, eight have anti-cancer properties and the remaining six have antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and cardio protective properties.” So basically without getting too into the phytochemistry of why, Tulsi is a superpower, multi-use, mega badass of the herb world!

I could go on about why I love this plant so much but, I’ll spare you the nerdfest. My reason for this post is to inspire you to try this herb if you have not already, or if you already do have a relationship, to maybe develop it a little further. I’m sure you’ve had Tulsi in tea blends before, but maybe give the single herb a try. A simple tea blend of Tulsi and Rose is super lovely. Plant her in your garden, or in a planter box this year. I promise your nose will thank you! You can also cook with Tulsi. Use the herb anywhere you might use regular basil, or even try it in place of mint for a little bit spicier note. Next time you make Mojitos, use fresh Tulsi rather than mint. It’s pretty delightful!

I will leave you with a recipe for my Full Moon Tulsi Tea. This is a tea that I make on summer full moon nights like sun tea, but using the moon energy rather than the sun. You can also make this in the winter on a windowsill.

*Note: I do my teas in parts so you can make as small or as big a batch as you’d like. Use 1 tablespoon of herb to 1 cup of high quality water for this infusion  (see “Water- the 4th Macronutrient” post for more info on water quality)

1. Gather your herbs. You can make a bulk blend batch so all you have to do is scoop and go each full moon if that works best for you. I typically blend each time as I tweak the ratios depending on my mood, desires, and the energy.
2. Place all of the herbs (and honey if you are using it) in a clear glass jar. *Clear is important!
3. Fill jar with high quality, warm (not boiling or steaming) water, preferably spring water
4. Cover with lid or cheesecloth unless you are using a press or have a clear tea infuser. Or you can just use a fine strainer in the morning if you don’t have any of these things. Make it simple.
5. Leave outside in the direct moonlight overnight to soak up the lunar abundance and vibrations
6. In the morning, press or strain the tea and return the herbs to the earth via compost, or bury them in your garden or at the park if you don’t have your own soil.
7. Optional-  Warm up your moon tea by bringing a pot of water to boil and placing tea (still in the glass jar) in the water for a few moments, or just sip it cold.
8. Not Optional- Be grateful and enjoy the Magick of moon-charged Tulsi and her sisters!