Magick Herbal Correspondences: Loosestrife to Rue
All about herbs used in magic, their botanical names, what part of the plant is used, and Herbal Lore. Magical Use describes the correspondence in Spellwork or as a Talisman. Some herbs are commonly used in Aromatherapy. Many herbs have historical value as used for homeopathic medicinal use- please take care to follow any guidelines indicated and talk to your pharmacist.
LOOSESTRIFE: (Lythrum salicaria) Purple Loosestrife has a creeping rootstock, angled stems with lance-shaped leaves, and spikes of purple-red flowers. The leaves are eaten as an emergency vegetable and fermented into a mild alcohol. The flowering plant is an intestinal disinfectant, treating diarrhea and food poisoning. It acts as a typhus antibiotic, a sore throat gargle, and is given for fever and liver problems.
Parts Used: Flower, leaf and stem
Magical Use: Placed in the corners of each room, this herb restores harmony and brings peace. Give as a gift to bring about an accord.
LOTUS: (Nelumbo nucifera or Nymphaea lotus) This aquatic herb’s waxy leaves rise high above the water its long-stalked fragrant flowers open at dawn and close at sunset. Lotus stalks, leaves, petals, seeds and rhizome are all eaten. The flowers are a religious offering in many cultures and are planted for devotional reasons. The leaf of Nelumbo nucifera is used for fever, sweating, irritability, dysentery, diarrhea, and scanty urine. It is a styptic (stops bleeding) and has been used to antidote alcohol and mushroom poisoning. It affects the liver, heart, and spleen energies. The nodes of the root are used to stop bleeding and to break down blood clots. All types of internal bleeding are affected. The plumule (bud) affects the heart, kidney, and spleen. It is used to calm mental agitation and worry, relieve insomnia, and lower fevers. The seed affects the kidney, heart, and spleen. It is used for agitation, insomnia, palpitations, dry mouth, dark urine, and chronic diarrhea. It strengthens the heart and kidneys. The leaf is steeped, and the bud, root, and seed are simmered, using two teaspoons of herb per cup of water, for twenty minutes. The dose is one-fourth cup, four times a day.
Parts Used: Leaf, node of the root, buds, and seeds
Magical Use: Lotus is an all-purpose spiritual elixir. Burned as incense, it encourages the dead to seek their highest possible reincarnation. It reminds the living of their inner sanctity and divinity. Lotus plants thrive in murky waters. They float serenely on the stagnant surface and never a drop sticks to them. Anyone who breathes the scent of the lotus will receive its protection. It’s said that if you place the root of a lotus under the tongue and say the words “SIGN, ARGIS” toward a locked door. It will open miraculously. Lotus sees and pods are used as antidotes to love spells and any part of the lotus carried or worn ensures blessing by the Gods and Good Luck. There are no true Lotus oils. Perfumers simply haven’t found a way to capture the scent of the flower. Use this mix to approximate the odor: Rose, White Musk, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, Mix until the scent is heavy, floral and warm. Use in spirituality, healing and meditation formulas.
MACE: (Myristica fragrans) This bushy evergreen has scented leaves and tiny yellow flowers. The fruits hold the seed -nutmeg- and its aril, a red, lacy shell coating -mace. Nutmeg and Mace are culinary spices used in sweet and savory dishes in a variety of cuisines. Nutmeg increases the intoxicating and soporific effect of alcoholic drinks and is claimed to be an aphrodisiac. It is prescribed for flatulence and nausea. The essential oil is added to perfumes, soaps, hair oils, tobacco, and fumigants. The nuts yield an oil, nutmeg butter, used in skin creams. Large doses of nutmeg are toxic, because of the presence of the hallucinogen myristicin.
Magical Use: Burn to increase psychic power, or for creative work. Carry to improve the intellect.
Aromatherapy Use: Indigestion, General Weakness, Bacterial Infections, Gout, Rheumatism, Arthritis, As an aid to Circulation.
MARIGOLD: (Calendula officinalis) Also known as Calendula, Holigold, Pot Marigold and Bride of the Sun. A Druid sacred herb, this cheerful annual or perennial has hairy leaves and golden-orange daisy flowers. The leaves are added to salads and garnishes of flowers color rice and fish dishes. Calendula is antiseptic and anti-fungal and contains hormone and vitamin A precursors. Essential oil is extracted from the petals but is extremely expensive. This is the “pot marigold” not the African variety so common in American gardens. The flowers are a healing agent. Added to fomentations, poultices and salves, they speed healing of wounds and of nerve damage. The infusion is given for intestinal problems and to clean lymph and blood. Useful in fevers, the herb can be used fresh, dry, or in tincture. For tea, steep two teaspoons of flowers per cup of water for twenty minutes, take one teaspoon per hour. Using tincture, take five to twenty drops four times a day.
Parts Used: Flower and leaf
Magical Use: Known as “summer’s bride”, the yellow calendula embodies the Sun’s fire and life sustaining virtue. Calendula is carried into court for a favorable verdict. In the mattress it encourages prophetic dreams. Pick in full sun. Added to bathwater it helps with he respect and admiration of everyone you meet. Garlands of marigolds strung on the doorposts stop evil from entering the house. Use for: Marriage spells, Love, Divination, Protection, Enhanced Psychic Powers.
MARJORAM: (Origanum majorana) Also known as Sweet Marjoram, Winter sweet, and Pot Marjoram (O. onites). Sweet Marjoram leaves have a sweeter, spicier taste than the leaves of Oregano and Pot marjoram. It is a popular culinary herb used in salads, sauces, cheese, and in liqueurs and as part of herbes de Provence. As an aromatic tea, Sweet Marjoram aids digestion, relieves flatulence, colds and headaches, soothes nerves and encourages menstruation. Marjoram essential oil is distilled from the leaves and flowering tops. It is antioxidant, reduces skin aging, antiviral, eases spasms, and stimulates local circulation.
Parts Used: Leaf and flower
Magical Use: An infusion of marjoram, mint and rosemary can be sprinkled around the house for protection. This also works for protecting specific objects. Brings happiness to a depressed person. Violets and Marjoram, mixed together, are worn during the winter months as an amulet against colds. Grown in the garden it offers shielding powers against evil. Love, Protection, Defense, Wealth, Happiness, Purification, Cleansing.
Aromatherapy Use: Chilblains, Bruises, Tics, Arthritis, Lumbago, Muscular Aches and Stiffness, Sprains, Strains, Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds, Coughs, Colic, Constipation, Dyspepsia, Flatulence, Amenorrhea, PMS, Headache, Hypertension, Insomnia, Migraine, Nervous Tension, Stress Related Conditions. Key Qualities: An aphrodisiac, stupefying on large doses, Cephalic, Sedative, Nervine, Restorative, Warming, Comforting.
MASTIC: (Pistachia lentiscus) Also known as Gum Mastic. This aromatic, evergreen shrubby tree has scented pale green spring flowers in clusters and red to black berries. The bark is tapped for mastic, its resin, which chewed in the eastern Mediterranean as a breath freshener and employed as a flavoring for bread, pastries, and the liqueur Mastiche. This resin can be difficult to find, if unavailable try substituting a combination, equal parts of gum arabic and frankincense.
Parts Used: Resin
Magical Use: Love, Magical Power, Psychic Awareness, Adds potency and power to any incense.
MEADOWSWEET: (Filipendula ulnaria) Also known as Queen of the Meadow, Gravel Root, and Meadow wort. One of the three most sacred Druid herbs, (with Mint and Vervain), this herb has upright stems of wintergreen-scented, divided leaves, topped by frothy umbels of almond-scented cream flowers. The stems grow up to four feet tall and are sometimes purple. The leaves smell like almonds and the flowers give an almond flavor to mead, herb wines, jam and stewed fruit. Dried flowers scent linen and yield an astringent skin tonic. Flower buds contain salicylic aced, a chemical from which aspirin was synthesized (not from Filipendula but from Spirea, a related herb), but the herb as a whole is gentler on the stomach. Herbalists use flower tea for stomach ulcers and headaches, as an antiseptic diuretic, and for feverish colds, diarrhea, and heartburn. Meadowsweet was a favorite strewing herb of Elizabeth I. Traditional herbalists simmered the flowers in wine to treat fevers and to cure depression. The fresh flower tops, taken in tea, promote sweating. Steep two teaspoons of the herb in one cup boiled water for twenty minutes. Take one-quarter cup four times a day. A distilled water of the flowers makes an eyewash to treat burning and itching. Meadowsweet is a classic for diarrhea, especially valued for children. The leaf is added to wine to bring a “merry heart”, that is, to treat depression. Meadowsweet contains methyl salicylate, making it a good herb for rheumatic complaints and flu’s. It is astringent and helps with indigestion. It has diuretic properties, which make it helpful in edema. The tea has been used for respiratory tract infections, gout, and arthritis. It can help bladder and kidney problems, epilepsy, and rabies. The whole plant is used – roots, flowers, and leaves – with the root being more useful for fevers. To prepare the root, simmer two tablespoons of the dried root in one cup of water for twenty minutes. Take one cup a day. The leaf is placed in claret wine to enhance the tast, and it was at one time added to mead.
Parts Used: Root, leaf and flower
Magical Use: According to Grieve, meadowsweet, water mint, and vervain were the three most sacred herbs of the Druids. Meadowsweet is an herb of Jupiter and is useful in love spells. Use fresh flowers to decorate the altar during love spells, use the dried petals in love mixtures. Strew about the house to keep peace. Fresh flowers should be included in the bridal bouquet. Use for: Love, Happiness, Divination, Peace.
MINT: (Mentha spicata, sativa, aquatica, and others) A Druid sacred herb, most mints are creeping plants that hybridize easily, producing infinite variations. The have erect, square branching stems, aromatic foliage and flowers in leaf axils. Mints are stimulant, aid digestion, and reduce flatulence. They flavor candy, drinks, cigarettes, toothpastes, and medicines. The infusion of the herb has been used for diarrhea and as an emmenagogue (it brings down the menses). It is a classic for colds and influenza, especially when mixed with elder flower-but be careful, as this remedy will make you sweat, and you must take care to keep well covered with blankets and woolens. Stomach flu is helped by a mint, elderflower, and yarrow combination in a standard infusion of two teaspoons per cup steeped for twenty minutes and taken in quarter-cup doses. Mint is helpful in stomach complaints, but a strong infusion will be emetic (it makes one throw up). Mint tea eases colic and eases depression. It relieves earaches when the fresh juice of a few drops of the essential oil are placed in the ear. A few drops of the oil in water, applied with a cloth, help burning and itching, heat prostration, and sunburn. Apply it directly to an itchy skin condition or sunburn. For heat prostration place the cool fomentation on the forehead and wrists. Mint tea with honey soothes a sore throat. A classic cold remedy that will unblock the sinuses is two drops of mint essential oil, two drop eucalyptus essential oil and the juice of half a lemon in a cup of hot water. The mix is first inhaled and then drunk when warm. CAUTION: No more than two drops of the essential oils should be taken at any time, and no more that two cups a day of the above mixture. Larger doses can be toxic to the kidneys.
Parts Used: The above ground portions of the herb.
Magical Use: Mint is placed in the home as a protective herb. It belongs to the sphere of Venus and has long been used in healing potions and mixtures. The fresh leaves rubbed against the head are said to relieve headaches. Mint worn at the wrist assures that you will not be ill. Its bright green leaves and crisp scent led to its use in money and prosperity spells. Fresh mint laid on the altar will call good spirits to be present and aid you in magic, especially healing spells. Added to incenses it cleanses the house or ritual area. Use for: Protection, Healing, Prosperity, Good Luck, Fortune, Justice, Travel, Exorcism.
Aromatherapy Use: (Peppermint) Acne, Dermatitis, Ringworm, Scabies, Toothache, Neuralgia, Muscular Pain, Palpitations, Asthma, Bronchitis, Sinusitis, Spasmodic Cough, Colic, Cramps, Dyspepsia, Flatulence, Nausea, Colds, Flu, Fevers, Fainting, Headache, Mental Fatigue, Migraine, Nervous Stress, Vertigo, Halitosis, Insect Repellent. Key Qualities: Refreshing, Restorative, Nerve Tonic, Cephalic, Aphrodisiac, Mental Stimulant.
MISTLETOE: (Viscum album) Also known as Birdlime, All-Heal, Druid’s Herb, and Golden Bough. It is the most sacred “tree” of the Druids and rules over Winter Solstice. The berries are poisonous. Mistletoe is thought to be most powerful if growing on an oak tree. The leafy twigs, toxic in volume, are a heart tonic, reduce blood pressure, slow heart rate, strengthen capillary walls, stimulate the immune system and inhibit tumors. Mistletoe grows from northern Europe to northwest Africa and east to Asia and Japan. Different varieties are found on hard-wood and softwood trees, which include apple (the most common), elm, oak, spruce, pine, and poplar. Druids considered that the mistletoe found on oak was the most potent and sacred.V The berries ripen in midwinter and have a further peculiarity in that the ripe berries, open flowers, green berries, and immature leaves can all be found on the same plant. Mistletoe does not adhere to the linear logic of most plants, wit their budding, flowering, and seed production sequence. It also seems to ignore heliotropism and geotropism, it will grow upside down, sideways, or in any direction it “chooses”. Another unique feature is that it germinates only in the light, unlike most plants, which require darkness to germinate. The flower buds form in May but do not open until February. The berries ripen the following winter. The entire process, from flower to fruit, can take almost two years! Even its name mistl (different) tan tan (twig) (from the Anglo-Saxon) reminds us of its peculiarities. Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant, generally spread by bird droppings. It forms a globular mass that can reach up to three feet in diameter. There are male plants and female plants, and both derive their water and minerals from the host tree and produce their own carbohydrates via photosynthesis. Mistletoe seems to hold itself aloof form the rhythms and laws of the earthly seasoned, and in this way parallels the illogical and uncontrolled growth of cancerous cells in the body. As early as 1961, laboratory studies demonstrated that mistletoe, along with other immune stimulant plants (such as eupatorium, astragalus, echinacea, acathopanax, chamomilla, and sabal), inhibited tumors in mice. Fermented mistletoe taken from oak trees was shown to stimulate the activity of killer cells and showed an especially strong effect on rat hepatomas (liver cancers). Unfermented mistletoe showed a strong effect on human leukemia (Molt 4) cells. Korean mistletoe (Viscum coloratum) was found to be more active in inhibiting the growth of leukemia L1210, especially when used fresh. Mistletoe extracts have been shown to possess significant anti-tumor activity, not only against murine tumore but also in cases of Lewis’ lung carcinome, a colon adenocarcinoma 38 and C3H adenocarcinomas of the breast. The extracts are not toxic and may be administered in high doses. Twenty drops four times a day is the average dose. Many nervous conditions such as convulsions, delirium, hysteria, neuralgia, urinary disorders, and heart conditions have benefited from the activity of mistletoe. It has also been used to temper the spasms of epilepsy. Mistletoe strengthens the heart and has been used as a heart tonic in cases of typhoid fever. It strengthens the glandular system and has helped with inflammation of the pancreas. It promotes hormonal balance when taken daily for six months. Mistletoe is recommended for use after a stroke or when hardening of the arteries is suspected. It will stop pulmonary and intestinal bleeding caused by dysentary and typhoid. It helps to lower high blood pressure and raise low blood pressure, and it has been used to ease heavy menstrual flow, heart palpitations, hot flashes, and the anxiety associated with menopause. The fresh juice has been said to increase fertility in barren women. The green plant can be simmered using a standard concoction of two teaspoons of the herb per cup of water and taken in tablespoon doses several times a day. CAUTION: Large doses have been known to induce convulsions in children. The berries should not be used for internal consumption. They are used in salves and washes for wounds.
Parts Used: Twig and leaf
Magical Use: Not quite herb, not quite tree, beyond the limitations of classification, freed from the restrictions of convention, and resembling a constellation of stars suspended in midair from the bough of a sacred tree – such is the “spirit” of this plant. It belongs to the in-between times of dusk and dawn, or the exact interval between two seasons. It is a gateway to something “other”. In Italy, there is an old tale of a radiantly beautiful fairy who appeared to a certain knight with the image of the crescent moon and the Holy Grail at her feet. In her hands she held a sprig of mistletoe. She told the knight that the mistletoe was what kept her eternally young and beautiful. Mistletoe should be cut on Midsummer’s Day, or else when the moon is six days old. Druids would use a golden sickle to cut it and it wasn’t allowed to touch the ground. It is traditionally hung in the home at Yule, and those who walk under it exchange a kiss of peace. Bunches of mistletoe can be hung as an all-purpose protective talisman. Long used for protection against lightening, disease, misfortune of every kind fires and so on. Laid near the bedroom door, mistletoe gives restful sleep and beautiful dreams, as it does when placed beneath the pillow or hung at the headboard. Kiss your love beneath mistletoe and you’ll stay in love. Burned, Mistletoe banishes evil. Its wood is a good choice for wands and ritual implements. Mistletoe is an excellent all-purpose herb.
Use in spells for: Protection, Love, Hunting, Fertility, Health, and Exorcism.
MUGWORT: (Artemisia vulgaris) Also known as Sailor’s Tobacco, Witch Herb, and Old Man. A Druid sacred herb, this aromatic perennial its wood is a good choice for wands and ritual implements. The plant has medium green leaves with silver, downy undersides and red-brown florets. The classic herb for premenstrual symptoms, used in tea and the bath. Use a standard infusion of two teaspoons per cup of water steeped for twenty minutes, take one-fourth cup four times a day. It makes a good footbath for tired feet and legs. Cleansing to the liver, it promotes digestion. Mugwort in an emmenagogue, especially when combined with pennyroyal, blue cohosh, or angelica root. It is helpful in epilepsy, palsy, and hysteria and is useful for fevers. When laid among clothing, mugwort repels moths.
Parts Used: Leaf and stem
Magical Uses: Mugwort is burned with sandalwood or wormwood during scrying rituals, and a mugwort infusion is drunk (sweetened with honey) before divination. The infusion is also used to wash crystal balls and magic mirrors, and mugwort leaves are placed around the base of the ball (or beneath it) to aid in psychic workings. In China it is hung over doors to keep evil spirits for buildings. Mugwort is also carried to increase lust and fertility, to prevent backache, and to cure disease and madness. Placed next to the bed it aids in achieving astral projection. It is said to protect travelers from fatigue, sunstroke, wild animals, and evil spirits.
MULLEIN: (Verbascum thapsus) Also known as Hag’s Taper, Candlewick Plant, Aaron’s Rod, Velvet Plant, and Shepherd’s Club. This biennial has a rosette of woolly leaves and a tall, thick, downy, resinous stem of bright yellow flowers, followed by many-seeded capsules. The honey-scented flowers flavor liqueurs and yield skin-softening mucilage. The expectorant, soothing, and spasm-sedating properties of the leaf and flowers are used to treat raspy coughs and are added to herbal tobacco. Woolly leaf wraps preserve figs and are used as tinder and emergency bandages. The powdered leaves are sometimes called “Graveyard Dust”, and can be substituted for such. The leaf is a classic remedy for bronchitis (as well as other coughs) and burning urination. Simmer two teaspoons per cup and take a quarter cup four times a day. A tea of the flowers take before bed brings on sleep. A poultice of the leaves helps wounds and sores. The leaves steeped in vinegar and water will soothe inflammations, painful skin conditions, and hemorrhoids when used externally as a poultice. They may be used in tincture form, fifteen to forty drops every two to four hours.
Parts Used: Leaf and flower
Magical Uses: In India, mullein is regarded as the most potent safeguard against evil spirits and magic, and is hung over doors, in windows and carried in sachets. It is also used to banish demons and negativity. At one time Witches and magicians used oil lamps to illuminate their spells and rites and the downy leaves and stems of the mullein often provided the wicks. Protection, Divination, Health, Courage, Determination, Exorcism, Defense.
MYRRH: (Comniphora myrrha) Ancient and sacred incenses, the antiseptic, anti-inflammatory oil of Myrrh was used for embalming. It is now found in toothpaste and perfume. Myrrh was burned to Ra at noon in Ancient Egypt and was also fumed in the temples of Isis. Especially valued as a disinfectant, myrrh is used as a wash for wounds. Use as a wound wash only after the wound has been well cleaned. It has the tendency to seal wounds once it is placed on them. Use the alcohol tincture in water or the tea as a wound wash. Myrrh promotes circulation and increases heart rate and power. Said to move stagnant blood through the uterus, it has been used for menopause, menstrual irregularities, and uterine tumors. Myrrh benefits diabetes and obesity, the dose is one to fifteen grains. Combined with Echinacea and mullein to one quarter part myrrh, steep two teaspoons per cup of water for twenty minutes, take a quarter cup every four hours. Myrrh, goldenseal, arnica, and cayenne can be soaked in rubbing alcohol for a few weeks to make a liniment for bruises and sprains. CAUTION: Prolonged internal use of myrrh (longer than a few weeks) can lead to kidney damage.
Parts Used: Resin
Magical Use: Myrrh is a Goddess plant of the Moon’s sphere, sacred to Isis. Burned as incense, myrrh purifies the area, lifts the vibrations aids contemplation and meditation and creates peace. However, it is seldom burned alone, usually in conjunction with frankincense or other resins. Myrrh increases the power of any incense to which it is added. Myrrh is also included in healing incenses and sachets, and its smoke is used to consecrate, purify and bless objects such as amulets, talismans, charms, and magical tools. It also aids meditation and contemplation. The essential oil can be added to blends designed to enhance spirituality and meditation. It is also used in healing mixtures.
Aromatherapy Use: Athlete’s Foot, Chapped and Cracked Skin, Eczema, Ringworm, Wounds, Wrinkles, Mature Complexions, Arthritis, Asthma, Bronchitis, Catarrh, Colds, Coughs, Sore Throats, Voice Loss, Diarrhea, Dyspepsia, Flatulence, Hemorrhoids, Loss of Appetite, Thrush, Purities, Treats Gum Infections and Mouth Ulcers. Key Qualities: Purifying, Uplifting, Revitalizing, Sedative, Restorative, Soothing.
MYRTLE: (Myrtus communis) This dense, evergreen shrub has aromatic leaves and flower buds, creamy white flowers, and blue-black berries. The flowers are made into toilet water called eau d’ange, added with the leaves to acne ointment, and dried for potpourri. Leaf essential oil is the source of myrtle, given for gingivitis.
Magical Use: Love, Money and Riches, Creative Work, Youth. If grown on each side of a house love and peace will reside within and it is a lucky plant to grow in window boxes if a woman plants it.
Aromatherapy Use: Acne, Hemorrhoids, Oily Skin, Open Pores, Asthma, bronchitis, Catarrhal conditions, chronic Coughs, Tuberculosis, Colds, Flu, Infectious Disease. Key Qualities: Mildly stimulating, Nerve Tonic, Antiseptic, Clarifying, Cleansing, Uplifting, Aphrodisiac, Refreshing.
NUTMEG: (Myristica fragrans) See Mace.
Magical Uses: Nutmegs have long been carried as good luck charms, and are strung with star anise and Tonka beans for a potent herbal necklace. Burn for prosperity. luck, psychic awareness, fortune, clairvoyance, divination, justice, and meditation.
Aromatherapy Use: Arthritis, Gout, Muscular Aches and Pains, Poor circulation, Rheumatism, Flatulence, Indigestion, Nausea, Sluggish Digestion, Bacterial Infection, Frigidity in Women, Impotence in Men, Neuralgia, Nervous Fatigue. Key Qualities: Aphrodisiac, Analgesic, Narcotic, Tonic (nerve and heart), Comforting, Soothing, Calming, Elevating, Cephalic, Euphoric.
OAK: (Quercus alba or spp.) Also known as Tanner’s Bark, White Oak, and Common Oak. A Druid Holy tree, the oak was the King of trees in a grove. Oak bark and galls are astringent and antiseptic. Oak bark provides tannin and as leather tanners seemed immune to tuberculosis, the bark was used for treatment of the disease. The white oak (Q. alba) is the best for internal use. Infuse the inner bark or young leaf (before Midsummer) for douches and enemas. Internal rectal problems, hemorrhoids, leucorrhoea, menstrual irregularities, and bloody urine are also benefited. Take internally as a tea and apply externally in fomentation, to shrink varicose veins. The tea brings down fevers, treats diarrhea, and makes a wash for sores. Up to three cups a day may be safely taken. As a gargle, it treats mouth sores and sore throats. Being an astringent, it stops internal bleeding. Black oak (Q. tinctoria) and red oak (Q. rubra) can be used externally. English oak (Q. robur) can be used both externally and internally. Oak leaves are prepared in infusion for douches to treat vaginal infections, gather them before Midsummer. To prepare, steep one tablespoon per quart of water for thirty minutes. A tea of the buds is a valuable tonic for the liver, steep two teaspoons per cup of water for twenty minutes. Simmer the bark in salves to make a remedy for hemorrhoids.
Parts Used: Inner bark (cambium) and young leaf, for the leaf, use two teaspoons per cup and steep for twenty minutes, for the bark, use one tablespoon per cup and simmer for twenty minutes.
Magical Use: The Oak is a tree of the sun, and sacred to Brighid and the Dagda. Druids do not celebrate unless in the presence of an oak, yew, ash, or other sacred tree. Oak symbolized abundance, fertility, longevity, protection, and the ability to withstand the lightening blasts of spiritual awareness while remaining firmly rooted in the material. All parts of the tree are powerful protective charms, which bring healing. Magic wands are made of Oak Wood (Mine Is!). A tree as long-lived and strong as the oak naturally offers magical protection. Oak Galls, known as Serpent’s Eggs, were used in magical charms. Acorns bring fertility and abundance to any endeavor. Carry one for luck. Acorns gathered at night hold the most fertility powers. The Druids and priestesses listened to the rustling oak leaves and the wrens in the trees for divinatory messages. Burning oak leaves purifies the atmosphere. Represents the God. Use galls in chars. Acorns draw money; burn the wood for good health, energy, strength, power, protection, defense, money and business.
OAK MOSS: (Pseudevernia prunastri) Oak Moss is a whitish blue to green, shrubby lichen. Lichen is an alga (which photosynthesizes) and a fungus operating together in a symbiotic relationship. The Arabs use ground Oak Moss to leaven bread. It is collected as a violet-scented fixative and an oleoresin, extracted for perfumes and soap. Native Americans used it when binding wounds, it is a stomach tonic and an expectorant, and soothes coughs. Oak Moss yields a purple wool dye, but air pollution has made it scarce.
Parts Used: Whole Plant
Magical Use: Use to attract money.
ORANGE, SWEET: (Citrus sinensis) See Lemon
Magical Uses: Use Peels in incense for love, good fortune, divination, balance, healing, harmony, peace, money and riches, Psychic awareness, Luck. A highly Solar scent, add essential oil to purification blends.
Aromatherapy Use: Dull and oily complexions, Obesity, Palpitations, Water Retention, Bronchitis, Chills, Colds, Flu, Constipation, Dyspepsia, Spasm, Nervous Tension, Stress-Related Conditions, Used to treat Mouth Ulcers. Key Qualities: Tonic, Refreshing, Warming, Uplifting, soothing, Sedative, Comforting.
ORRIS ROOT: (Iris germanica var.florentina) Orris root has a stout rhizome, sword like leaves, and large, scented flowers in early summer that range in color from pale blue to white.
Parts Used: Root
Magical Use: The Orris root has long been used to find and hold love. The whole Orrisroot is carried; the powder is added to sachets, sprinkled on sheets, clothing and the body as well as around the house. Orrisroot powder is sometimes known as “Love Drawing Powder”.
Use for: Divination, Protection, And Psychic Awareness.
PARSLEY: (Petroselinum sativum also crispum) Parsley is a tap rooted biennial with solid stems, triangular, toothed and curled leaves divided into three segments, umbels of tiny cream summer flowers, and aromatic “seeds”. Grown near roses, it improves their health and scent. Leaf infusions are a tonic for hair, skin and eyes. The leaves, root, and seeds are diuretic, scavenge skin-aging free radicals, and reduce the release of histamine. The second-year roots, the leaf, and the seed are used. Parsley is diuretic and helpful for gravel and stone as well as for edema, jaundice, and kidney problems. The root is the most powerful part. The oil of the seed (five to fifteen drops) has been used to bring on menstruation. The seed, when decocted, has been used for intermittent fevers. Steep one teaspoon of leaf per cup for twenty minutes or simmer one teaspoon of the root or seed for twenty minutes. The dose is one-fourth cup, four times a day. Parsley leaves (with violet leaf and figwort herb when possible) are used in poultices for cancer. A parsley poultice will help insect bites, stings, and sore eyes. Parsley tea is used for asthma and coughs. CAUTION: Persons with weak kidneys should avoid this herb.
Parts Used: Root, leaf and seed
Magical Use: the Greeks used Parsley in funeral rites, it was held sacred to Persephone. It was wound into funeral wreaths and used to decorate tombs. Though the plant has associations with death and is often regarded as evil, the Romans tucked a sprig into their togas every morning for protection. It is also placed on plates of food to guard it from contamination. Parsley is used in purification baths, and those to stop all misfortune.
Aromatherapy Use: Accumulation of toxins, Arthritis, Broken Blood vessels, Cellulites, Rheumatism, Sciatica, Colic, Flatulence, Indigestion, Hemorrhoids, Amenorrhea, Dysmenorrhea, To aid Labor, Cystitis, Urinary Infection. Key Qualities: Refreshing, Stimulating, And Warming. Avoid during Pregnancy.
PATCHOULI: (Pogostemon patchouli or heyeanus) This tender, aromatic herb has upright, square stems with soft oval leaves and whorls of whitish flowers on spikes. The leaves, placed among clothes to deter insects, give Indian shawls their characteristic fragrance. Patchouli gave the distinctive scent to original India ink and Chinese red ink paste.
Parts Used: Leaf
Magical Use: Patchouli smells like rich earth, and so has been used in money and prosperity mixtures and spells. It is sprinkled onto money, added to purses and wallets, and placed around the base of green candles. Also, owing to its earthiness, Patchouli is used in fertility talismans and is also substituted for ‘graveyard dust’. Patchouli is added to love sachets and baths. Patchouli is used to attract people and to promote lust. Burn as incense for: Drawing Money, Fertility, Protection, Defense, Lust, Banishing, Releasing, Love, Earth, and Underworld.
Aromatherapy Use: Acne, Athlete’s Foot, Cracked and Chapped Skin, Dandruff, Dermatitis, Eczema, Fungal Infections, Hair Care, Impetigo, Sores, Oily Hair and Skin, Open Pores, Wounds, Wrinkles, Frigidity, Nervous Exhaustion, Stress Related Conditions. Key Qualities: Stimulant in small amounts, Sedative in large doses, Aphrodisiac, Nerve Tonic, Appeasing, Calming, Uplifting.
PEPPERMINT: (Mentha piperita) See Mint.
Magical Use: This familiar scent is excellent when used for purification. Though slow-growing the results are worth the wait. Rub against furniture and walls and floorboards to cleanse them of evil and negativity. Smelled it compels one towards sleep and placed beneath the pillow it sometimes offers one glimpses of the future in dreams. Burn as Incense for: Exorcism, Health, Healing, Lust, Money and Riches, Changes, Psychic Awareness, Purification.
Aromatherapy Use: See Mint
PINE: (Pinus spp.) Sacred to the Druids, the pine was known as one of the Seven Chieftain Trees of the Irish. Dry distillation of Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris) needles, twigs, and cones gives the best quality pine oil for perfumes and for expectorants in inhalations for bronchitis and colds. The root tar is included in some hair growth stimulation products. The needles and young twigs of the white pine (Pinus strobus, Pinus alba) are made into infusions for coughs and as an antiscorbutic, use two teaspoons per cup of water and simmer for twenty minutes. High in vitamin C, they helped our ancestors get through the long winters. The knot of the wood is boiled with angelica, acathopanax, quince, and mulberry branches to make a bath for arthritis and rheumatism. Pine needles are simmered into massage oils. The oil is used externally to relieve rheumatic pain, chronic bronchitis, sciatica, pneumonia, and nephritis. Simply cover the needles with a good quality olive oil and simmer at low heat for twenty minutes, or place in a low (180°) oven overnight. The resin heals the kidneys, liver and lungs. The scent is calming to the lungs and nerves.
Parts Used: Needle, twig, and knot of the wood
Magical Uses: Pine is the “tree of peace” of the Native American Iroquois confederacy. Burn pine to purify the home and decorate with its branches to bring healing and joy. Mix with equal parts of Juniper and Cedar; burn to purify the home and ritual area. The cones and nuts can be carried as a fertility charm. Placing pine needles in a loose-woven bag and running bathwater over this makes a good magical cleansing and stimulating bath. To purify and sanctify an outdoor ritual area, brush the ground with a pine branch. The oil is commonly added to purification, protection, money and healing mixtures. Burn as incense for, money, purification, healing and exorcism.
Aromatherapy Use: (Scotch Pine) Cuts, Lice, Excessive Perspiration, Scabies, Sores, Arthritis, Gout, Muscular aches and pains, Neuralgia, Poor Circulation, Rheumatism, Asthma, Bronchitis, Catarrh, Colds, Coughs, Flu, Sinusitis, Sore Throat, Cystitis, Urinary Infection, Fatigue, Nervous Exhaustion, Stress Related Conditions. Key Qualities: Strengthening, Cleansing, Restorative, Reviving, Refreshing, Stimulant, Soothing.
ROSE: (Rosa spp.) The Rose has aromatic, cosmetic, medicinal, culinary, and craft uses. Fresh petals and rosewater flavor sweet and savory dishes and are crystallized for decoration. Rosewater revives tired skin and eyes. Dog Rose (Rosa canina) is the major source of hips for jam, syrup, tea and wine. Associated with pure love and femininity, it is valued by aroma therapists for it’s rejuvenating qualities. Adding twice the petals’ weight of sugar and infusing in hot water can make rose petal syrup. Alternatively, the fresh petals can be ground with a little boiling water and strained, and the liquid combined with honey. The resulting liquid is a natural laxative and a tonic for the stomach. The rose hips should be gathered after the first frost. They will be read and ready for drying or making into jam. The jam or jelly is used or coughs. The dried hips are opened, the seeds and hairs removed, and the skins used for an excellent sore throat tea, use two teaspoons per cup of water and simmer for ten minutes. An infusion of the petals, one ounce to one pint of water, makes a soothing eye lotion, strain it first through cheesecloth.
Parts Used: Flowers and hips
Magical Use: The Rose is a Goddess herb belonging to Venus and the Water element. Rose is the accepted love scent. Rose buds are added to bath water to conjure a lover. Place some in a red cloth bag and pin it under your clothes. Rose hips worn as beads attract love. True rose essential oil (known as Otto) and rose absolute are expensive but worth it, one drop has powerful properties. DO NOT use synthetics. Rose oil is used in formulas designed to attract love, confer peace, stimulate sexual appetites, and enhance beauty. A tea of rosebuds drunk before sleep induces prophetic dreams. Rose petal and hips are used in healing spells and mixtures. Rose petals sprinkled around the house calm personal stress and household upheavals. Roses planted in the garden attract fairies and are said to grow best when stolen. Burn as incense for: Healing, Health, Love, Luck, Creativity, Balance, Anointing, Divination, Clairvoyance, Protection, Psychic Awareness.
Aromatherapy Use: Thread Veins, Dry, Mature and Sensitive Skin, Wrinkles, Eczema, Herpes, Palpitations, Poor Circulation, Asthma, Coughs, Hay Fever, Cholecystities, Liver Congestion, Nausea, Irregular Menstruation, Leucorrhoea, Menorrhagia, Uterine Disorders, Depression, Impotence, Insomnia, Frigidity, Headache, Nervous Tension, Stress Related Conditions. Key Qualities: Aphrodisiac, Soothing, Comforting, Antidepressant, Sedative, Uplifting, Appeasing, Regulating, and Heart Tonic.
ROSEMARY: (Rosmarinus officinalis) Rosemary leaves are an ancient savory herb, especially popular in Italian dishes, and with shellfish, pork and lamb. The antiseptic, antioxidant leaves help preserve food, aid digestion of fat, and are included in several slimming compounds. The flowers can be used fresh as a garnish or crystallized as decoration. Distilled flower water makes soothing eyewash. The leaf and flowers are stimulating to the liver and the digestion. For this reason, rosemary is a classic herb for migraine headache when associated with liver or stomach torpidity. Rosemary increases the circulation and slightly raises blood pressure. To make the tea, steep two teaspoon of the dried flowering tops in one cup of water for twenty minutes. Take one-fourth cup four times a day. Use rosemary in salves for eczema, wounds, and sores. The tea makes a mouthwash for bad breath. The oil benefits stomach and nerves. Steep the herb in white wine for a week and strain. Rub the rosemary wine into gouty or paralyzed limbs. Taken internally, the wine quiets the heart and stimulates the kidneys, brain, and nervous system. Rosemary tea relieves depression. Rosemary and coltsfoot are smoked as an herbal tobacco to relieve asthma and lung conditions. CAUTION: When rosemary is used as a tea, the dose should not exceed one cup per day. Overdose can cause fatal poisoning.
Parts Used: Leaf and flower
Magical Use: “Any home where rosemary thrives is a home where the mistress rules.” Rosemary when burned, emits powerful cleansing and purifying vibrations, and so is smoldered to rid a place of negativity, especially prior to performing magic. It is one of the oldest incenses. Burn for protection, exorcism, purification, healing, to cause sleep, To restore or maintain youth, to bring love and to increase intellectual powers. Rosemary infusion is used to wash the hands before healing work, and the leaves mixed with juniper berries are burned in sickrooms to promote healing. Rosemary may be substituted for any other herb, in any spell or mixture. It is generally used as a substitute for Frankincense.
Aromatherapy Use: Acne, Dermatitis, Eczema, Lice, Scabies, Hair, Scalp, Arteriosclerosis, Fluid Retention, Gout, Muscular Pain, Neuralgia, Palpitations, Poor Circulation, Varicose Veins, Rheumatism, Asthma, Bronchitis, Whooping Cough, Colitis, Dyspepsia, Flatulence, Hepatic Disorders, Jaundice, Dysmenorrhea, Leucorrhoea, Colds, Flu, Infections, Headaches, Hypo tension, Nervous Exhaustion, Stress Related Conditions. Key Qualities: Stimulant (nervous and mental), Analgesic, Tonic, Strengthening, Restorative, Purifying, Protective, Reviving, Refreshing.
ROWAN: (Sorbus aucuparia) Also known as Mountain Ash, Witch wood, Witch bane, and Sorb Apple. A Druid sacred tree and sacred to the goddess Bride/Bridgit, Rowan bears clusters of spring flowers and bright red berries in autumn, when the leaves may turn red. The berries, rich in vitamin C, can be made into a tart jelly, Ground into flour, fermented into wine, or distilled into spirit. The seeds should be removed as they can contain hydro cyanic acid and are considered poisonous. Rowan is a traditional country charm against witchcraft.(!) Rowan is a close relative of Sorbus americana (American mountain ash) and can be used in the same way herbally. The bark is decocted for diarrhea and for vaginal douches, simmer two teaspoons of the bark per cup of water for twenty minutes. The bark is tinctured in alcohol for eight days to treat fevers (especially intermittent fevers). The berries are gathered when ripe and then dried or made into jam. The berries are very high in vitamin C and are useful for sore throats and tonsillitis. Take one teaspoon of the fresh berry juice or a quarter cup of the tea made by simmering one teaspoon per cup of water for twenty minutes. The ancient Welsh made an ale from rowan berries.
Parts Used: Fruit
Magical Use: Rowan is said to have come from the land of Fairy and as such is a very magical tree used for wands, rods, amulets, and spells. All parts of the tree are sacred. Make a tea with a few of the ripe berries and add it to the ritual chalice. A forked branch can help find water. Wands are for knowledge, locating metal, and general divination. Fires made of Rowan serve to summon spirits, especially when facing conflicts. Incense of leaves and berries for divination. Grow for protection of home. Carrying Rowan wood increases psychic powers. Rowan carried on board hip will prevent its involvement in storms, kept in the house it guards against lightening strikes, and when planted on a grave Rowan keeps the deceased one from haunting the place. Rowans growing near stone circles are the most potent. The leaf and berry are used in incense to increase psychic powers. Wear a tiny cross of rowan wood somewhere in your clothing or protection.
RUE: (Ruta graveolens) Also known as Herb of Grace. This evergreen subshrub has yellow summer flowers and deeply divided, bluish, aromatic leaves. Rue is a stimulant and abortifacient and strengthens capillaries. Its antispasmodic action treats high blood pressure, epilepsy and colic. A leaf wash treats tired eyes and was used by da Vinci and Michelangelo. Rue’s round-lobed leaves inspired the symbol for the suit of clubs. CAUTION: Some people may experience skin irritation when picking the fresh plant. The whole herb is used, fresh or dry. It is taken warm to bring on menstruation. The infusion benefits coughs, cramp, and colic. Steep two teaspoons of the dried herb in a cup of water for twenty minutes. Take no more than one-half cup per day. The leaves are used in poultices and salves to relieve sciatica, gout, and rheumatic pains. The fresh eaves are placed on the temples to relieve headache. Fomentations of the tea are placed on the chest to help bronchitis. The juice or oil is placed in the ear to relieve earaches. CAUTION: This is a strong herb. Use in dosages only as indicated. Overdose will lead to vomiting.
Parts Used: Above-ground portions of the herb
Magical Use: Ancient Celts considered Rue an anti-magical herb, which is a defense against spells and dark magic. A fresh sprig can be used to sprinkle sacred water for consecration, blessings and healings. Burned in exorcism or purification incenses, it routs negativity and gets things moving. Used in altar oil, blessing, purifying, cleansing, consecration, protection, banishing, releasing, exorcism, inspiration, wisdom. Fresh Rue leaves placed on the forehead relieves headaches. Rue added to baths breaks all hexes and curses that may have been cast against you. Rue is another plant said to grow best when stolen, and indeed its presence in the garden beautifies and protects it. For some reason, toads have an aversion to Rue.
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