12/03/2026
LEMON BALM (Melissa officinalis) 🍃
Melissa comes from the Greek word for bee, and was traditionally planted around beehives to attract the bees, which I think is such a beautiful image.
It’s a lovely carminative herb, helping to soothe spasms in the digestive tract (think IBS-type symptoms), especially when digestion is tied to anxiety or stress. Lemon balm gently relaxes the nervous system and softens those tension-driven gut reactions.
There’s an old Arabian proverb that says:
“Balm makes the heart merry and joyful.”
Traditionally it was infused into wine and said to be “good against the biting of venomous beasts, comforts the heart, and driveth away melancholy and sadness.”
Honestly… sounds like the perfect herb for a broken heart.
While doing some traditional research, I also discovered its associations with Sagittarius, Aquarius and Cancer … which might explain why I’m so drawn to it, being a Sagittarius sun, Aquarius moon and Cancer rising 🥰
With its beautiful lemony aroma and flavour, lemon balm makes the most perfect herb for tea, or simply infused in iced water.