Also known as European angelica, Garden angelica, Archangel, Masterwort, Root of the Holy Ghost. It is a member of the carrot family and a native of northern Europe, the stately Angelica is often grown as a garden herb. Its wild American relative - Great Angelica or Alexander (Angelica atropupurea) - is similar in appearance except for its purplish stems and has similar properties and uses.

Sacred to the goddess Venus. It is masculine or active in nature, belongs to the element of Fire and is ruled by the Sun. Angelica's magical powers are exorcism, protection, healing, and visions. Grow the plant for protection. Use it in protection and exorcism incense or sprinkle the corners of your house or sprinkle around the outside of your home, to ward off evil. Add to the bath to removes cures, hexes or any spells that have been cast against you. Burning the leaves is said to cause visions. Angelica was chewed to prolong life and keep evil away. Whenever the plague swept over Europe Angelica was a first line of medical defense. As recently as WWI people chewed on the root in the belief that it would protect them against the flu. 

The name comes from the Medieval Latin - herba angelica "angel herb" so called from its supposed special power against poison, plague, to bestow longlife and even neutralize the bites of mad dogs. An old tale tells how an angel had appeared to a monk in a dream, telling him that this herb was a cure for disease. Since then it was called angelica and was though the best of all herbs against witchcraft - the only herb a witch would never put in her brews.

Angelica's herbal properties are as appetizer (excites the appetite), caminative (has a mild sedative effect), expectorant (promotes the discharge of mucus from the lungs), stimulant (quickens the activity of the body), stomachic (strengthens, stimulates or tones the stomach , and tonic. The seeds are also said to be diaphoretic and diuretic. Take angelica tea to excite appetite, to relieve gas and muscle spasm, and to stimulate kidney action. It is useful for all sorts of stomach and intestinal troubles, including ulcers and vomiting with stomach cramps. It can also be used for periodic fever, stress headache, colic and general weakness. However, used in large doses, angelica can have untoward effect on blood pressure, heart action, and respiration. Angelica salve can be used as a beneficial skin lotion and also to help relieve rheumatic pains. As a bath additive, angelica is said to be good for the nerves. A decoction of the root can be applied to the skin for scabies or itching and also to wounds. As a compress it can be used for gout.

Today we use angelica mainly for its effect on food. But it has been used since colonial times for pastry and the sweet stems have been candied for treats. The celery like stalks can be cooked or eaten raw and oil distilled from the seeds and root are used in perfumes and as flavorings for gin, vermouth and liqueurs such as Chartreusae. A cooking tip I found is to peel and chop fresh angelica stems and roast with onions and pork.