Magick and Symbolism of Linen
Linen: Purity, success, peace, harmony, rest, elegance, luxury, light. Ancient Egyptians used linen as a currency.
Flax, from the Linaceae family, is an annual herbaceous plant that grows easily in regions with a temperate climate.
The best production of textile fiber is obtained in cold countries: Russia, the Netherlands, northern France and Romania are among the top world producers. The plant is between 30 and 60cm tall, the flowers are large, sky-blue in color with 5 petals and 5 yellow stamens.
Linen fiber is composed of about 70% cellulose and is one of the best known and used bast fibers since ancient times.
The flax fiber is contained in the inner part of the bark commonly called linden. To obtain it, the dried stems are left to macerate for a few days in basins of water or, with a faster method, they are subjected to the action of water vapor or special bacteria: the substances which bind the fibers together decompose and dissolve, thus freeing the fibers. The stems are then dried, then subjected to crushing by means of hammers called gràmole, operated by hand or mechanically which crush and crush the woody part. The next operation is the scouring which consists in removing the wood fragments and separating the fibres. The set of all these operations is called scutching.
The number of fibers present in the bark of a single plant can vary from 20 to 50.
The fiber has a shiny appearance and a cold, slippery hand. The fineness of the fibers is around 20 to 30 microns and has a polygonal section. In the presence of humidity, this fiber absorbs it, swelling moderately. Like no other fiber, linen has a structure capable of dispersing the temperature. The fabric is perfect if worn for hot humid climates.
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