Licorice RootGlycyrrhiza glabra

Botanical Information

Common Names: Licorice, Sweet Root

Folk Names: Lycorys, Sweet Wood

Botanical Name: Glycyrrhiza glabra

Family: Fabaceae

Description: Perennial legume with pinnate leaves, lilac pea-like flowers, and long, sweet, golden-brown roots rich in saponins. Native to southern Europe and parts of Asia.

History & Tradition

• Ancient herb of the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Asia; prized in both Eastern and Western systems.
• Used to soothe coughs, sore throats, and digestive irritation.
• Important harmonizing herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine (Gan Cao) to “moderate and guide” formulas.
• Source of characteristic flavor in traditional licorice sweets and confections.

Cultivation & Parts Used

Parts Used: Root and stolons (dried).

Growing Conditions: Deep, fertile, well-drained soils in warm temperate climates; full sun; spreads by stolons.

Collection: Roots harvested from 3–4 year old plants, in autumn.

Doctrine of Signatures

The long, sweet, golden roots speak to nourishment, soothing, and longevity. Their sweetness corresponds to their role in easing harshness — in herbs, in digestion, and in emotional tone.

Medicinal & Energetic Properties

Constituents

Glycyrrhizin (triterpenoid saponin), flavonoids, polysaccharides, coumarins, phytosterols, volatile components.

Actions

Demulcent • Anti-inflammatory • Expectorant • Adrenal tonic (traditional) • Sweet harmonizer in formulas • Mild antispasmodic.

Taste & Energetics

Taste: Very sweet, slightly bitter, earthy

Energetics: Moistening • Cooling to neutral • Softening

Tissue States: Dry • Irritated • Tense (especially mucous membranes and adrenals)

Internal Uses

Dry, irritable coughs; sore throats; gastric irritation; some forms of ulcers; adrenal fatigue (traditional concept); as a harmonizer to moderate harsh herbs and bind formulas together.

Topical Uses

In soothing ointments and creams for skin inflammation, eczema, and some allergic eruptions (often as extracts).

Combinations

• With Marshmallow — for demulcent respiratory or digestive blends.
• With Elecampane and Thyme — for coughs and bronchial congestion.
• With Ginseng or Ashwagandha (where appropriate) — for tonic blends.

Homeopathic Remedy

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza) is infrequently used in homeopathy; essences may focus on softening rigidity and sweetening life.

Flower Essence

Brings sweetness and kindness to communication and self-talk; supports those who are overly harsh on themselves or others.

Essential Oil

True licorice essential oil is uncommon; anise or fennel are often mistaken as “licorice” scents. Medicinal action is in the whole root.

Culinary Use

Flavoring for candies, lozenges, cordials, and teas; used in some traditional spice blends. Leaf (in some species) used as a calorie-free sweetener.

Safety Notes

• Chronic high doses may cause sodium retention, potassium loss, edema, and elevated blood pressure (due to glycyrrhizin).
• Avoid high doses in hypertension, kidney disease, pregnancy, or with certain heart medications, unless supervised.
• Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) mitigates mineralocorticoid-like effects and is used primarily for digestive support.

This information is educational and not a substitute for medical advice.

Spiritual & Ritual Uses

Licorice is a sweetener of spells and situations, used to draw kindness, favor, and cooperation. It harmonizes harsh dynamics and helps integrate diverse elements into a cohesive whole.

Astroherbalism

Planetary Rulership: Jupiter (sweet expansion) and Venus (harmony, sweetness)

Zodiac: Sagittarius, Libra

Signature: Sweet, nourishing root that moderates intensity and supports resilience.

Chakra Correspondence

Solar Plexus & Heart: Self-worth, generosity, and emotional nourishment.

Cosmic Ray

Warm Honey–Gold Ray: Sweetness, harmony, supportive expansion.

Alchemy & Spagyric Processing

Salt (Body): Mineral pattern that nourishes fluids and tissues.

Sulfur (Soul): Sweet, softening essence that tempers harshness.

Mercury (Spirit): Spirit that harmonizes disparate elements into a unified working.

Spagyric Purpose: To soften, nourish, and harmonize — physically, emotionally, and in complex formulae or situations.

Magical & Divinatory Properties

Attraction, persuasion, sweetness, harmony in relationships, drawing kindness and favor from others and from life.

Tarot Correspondence

Thematic Association: Six of Cups — sweetness and kindness; Temperance — harmonious blending.

Keywords: Sweetness • Harmony • Demulcent • Adrenals • Attraction • Soothing