Herb Journal: Skullcap

I've never much been a fan of skullcap, but I have to wonder how much of it has to do with it's name. For example if motherwort and skullcap had the names reversed, perhaps I would feel differently about each one. I'm not sure, could be something psychological.. since the name skullcap just gives me the heebie jeebs. Like, what in the world, skulls are, well I although we all have them while we are alive, but most of the time when you hear the word mentioned, it has to do with some program where they are doing autopsies, archeological digs, or solving crimes like on Bones. It makes me think "death" and herbs to me, are about living. I really do have to wonder. But, on the otherhand, here are the facts: Skullcap just gives me a headache. Every. Single. Time. It makes me feel dizzy and disoriented, which amps up my heart rate, and does the opposite of what it is supposed to; calm, soothe, alleviate headaches, even being used for acute nervous conditions for it's calming actions, I don't know. I'm trying to give it another chance. Maybe I'll just call it something else, like "happy green stuff" and I'll make it something less scary and then give it a fair shot. Initially, I have to say, the taste reminds me a lot of alfalfa, which makes sense since it is high in many of the same vitamins & minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium). I should specify, it tastes a lot like alfalfa, which is basically what horses eat, and the flavor is.. grass. Grass tea. Drinking fields of grass. Not my fav, but not the worst.. however close to it. Those grassy herbs that are super high in calcium do seem to make my stomach hurt, sort of like the way wheatgrass does. Just throws it off a bit, making me sort of nauseous. I want to like skullcap, but I also want to give it another name. I had a few sips of the tea, made a strong infusion, and I am feeling kind of more mellow than before. Somehow I'm more aware of my jaw, which is clenched, and this has happened to me before, drinking skullcap and feelling my jaw being clenched. Supposedly good for all of these things like anxiety, depression, insomnia, worry, cooling down hot emotions such as anger, jealousy, hatred, irritability, as a pain reliever for headaches, relieving nervous exhaustion, muscle spasms, twitching, tremors, calming the spirit and the mind.. and all it does for me, as much as I want to say its not true, is just give me a stomach ache and make my head spin. Well, not every herb is for everybody. I'm just gonna leave this one alone, and not that I would have a problem recommending it to anyone else. I think it is just too cooling, and too drying for me. It doesn't make me smile.. but then again valerian keeps me up all night. Different strokes for different folks.