Herbs, Flowers, and Trees
Acacia through Hazel
Acacia (Acacia senegal)
Common Names: Cape Gum, Egyptian Thorn, Gum Arabic, Hachah, Wattle Bark
- Element: Air, Fire
- Planet: Sun
- Deities: Astarte, Diana, Ishtar, Osiris, Ra
- Properties: Protection, Pyschic enhancement, Annoiting altars, Tranquility
Alder Tree (Alnus glutinosa):
Is a tree of the birch family, and one of the sacred trees of witchcraft. It is also known as the King of the waters (the willow being its Queen) because its natural habitat is near lakes, rivers, streams. The alder is native to continental Europe and the British Isles. The Alder represents the letter F (fearn) in the druidic tree alphabet. Trees stand for resurrection. The beginning of the Celtic solar year was marked by the alder tree. The Alder is associated with several pagan gods. In some Norse and Irish legends the first man was formed from an alder tree, while the first female was created from a rowan. The alder is associated with fairies because doorways to fairy realms were believed to lie in the trunk of the tree. The alder was also sacred to the god Bran who carried an alder branch during the legendary Battle of the Trees, a celtic legend.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa):
Common Names: Buffalo Herb, Lucerne, Purple Medic
- Element: Earth
- Planet: Venus, Jupiter
- Deities: Green Goddess, Demeter, Ogun, Venus
- Properties: Fertility, Abundance
Allspice (Pimenta officinalis):
Common Names: Jamaica Pepper, Pimento
- Element: Fire, Earth
- Planet: Mars, Venus
- Deities: Aphrodite, Venus
- Properties: Communication, Compassion, Determintaion, Energy, Healing, Money, Luck
Almond (Amygdalus communis):
Common Names: Greek Nuts, Shakad
- Element: Air
- Planet: Mercury, Venus
- Deities: Artemis, Attis, Hecate, Hermes, Mercury, Thoth
- Properties: Compassion, Fertility, Money, Prosperity, Wisdom
Aloe(Aloe barbadensis officinalis):
- Element: Water
- Planet: Moon
- Uses: Aloe is known for its healing qualities. For treating wounds and maintaining healthy skin. It may be applied right from the plant or in gel form for burns, sunburns, and can relieve poison ivy rash and helps to combat a variety of bacteria that commonly cause infections in skin wounds. It is also an excellent additive for soaps and creams as a conditioner. After using gel from a leaf the opened leaf will seal itself so it can be stored in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for future uses.
Amber Resin:
- Element: Earth
- Planet: Jupiter, Moon
- Properties: Stability, Self-confidence, Protection, Peace
Ambergis:
- Element: Earth, Water
- Planet: Venus, Mars
- Deities: Jupiter, Zeus
- Properties: Animals, Commanding, Emotion, Love, Passion
Angelica (Angelica archanelica):
Aromatic plant that was formerly valued for its protective properties in relation to witchcraft. Associated with St. Michael the Archangel, and sometimes called the ‘Root of the Holy Ghost’, angelica was said to provide protection against witches, rabies, and the plague, among other threats. It was also recommened to dispel thoughts of lust in the young. The name of this plant comes from the Greek agghelos which means announcer. Therefore angel means announcer from god, because in the Middle Ages it was believed that angelica had been given by god to a monk in a dream to combat the plague.
Common Names: Archangel, Garden Angelica, Master Wort
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Sun, Venus
- Deities: Atlantis, Venus
- Properties: Protection, Exorcism
- Uses: Grow in the garden as a protection. Carry the root with you as an amulet. Burn the dried leaves in exorcism rituals.
- Medicinal Properties: The parts used medicinally are the rootstock, roots, and seeds, which are gathered in the second year of growth. They are aromatic and digestive. Although angelica is a stimulant if taken in very small doses, it is a depressant at a higher dosage.
Anise (Pimpinella anisum):
Common Names: Aniseed, Anneys
- Element: Air
- Planet: Jupiter, Mercury, Moon
- Deities: Apollo, Hermes, Legba, Mercury, Ohsun, Ra, Tho
- Properties: Consecration, Divination, Prevent Nightmares, Protection, Purification, Youth, Awareness, Joy
- Uses: For treating coughs, bronchitis and a stuffy nose, it loosens bronchial congestion, making it easier to cough it up and expel it. A good breath freshener in the morning, and if kept by the bed it will prevent bad dreams. Also a digestive aid and can relieve an upset stomach and flatulence when taken as a tea, and a treatment for colic. Also suggested that anise may be beneficial to women because certain chemicals in the plant are chemical cousins to the female hormone estrogen. Though it is mild, anise may help to relieve the discomfort of menopause. In traditional folk medicine, it has been used to promote milk production in nursing mothers. It’s recommended dosage would be one teaspoonful of seeds for every cup of boiling water, steep 10-20 minutes and strain, drink 3 cups a day for maximum effect. A good general cleansing bath is made with a handful of anise seeds and a few bay leaves. A pillow of anise keeps away nightmares. Also a good sedative.
Apple (Pyrus malus):
The apple had a number of uses in witchcraft and superstition as a whole, being widely used for divination and as an ingredient in certain spells. The link between the apple and witchcraft is commemorated annually in the custom of ‘dunking’ for apples at Halloween.
Common Names: Fruit of the Gods, Fruit of the Underworld, Silver Brough, Silver Branch, Tree of Love
- Element: Water
- Planet: Venus
- Deities: Aphrodite, Athene, Diana, Dionysus, Hera, Iduna, Alwen, Zeus
- Properties: Love, Friendship, Immortality, Love Spells, Good Luck
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior):
One of the trees commonly used in Europe for the creation of stakes required in the destruction of vampires. Ash trees were favored by the campire hunters of northern Europe, especially in Russia and along the Baltic. According to the Roman writer, Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History, all evil things feared ashwood. Yggdrasil, the tree upon which the world was founded (according to Norse myth), was an ash. Yggdrasil is known as the world tree. It is the tree of the Universe, of Time, and of Life. The name was probably derived from the Norse asha (man) in the belief that Odin, the great god, used it to make humanity. The ash is a symbol of fate.
- Element: Water
- Planet: Sun
- Properties: A tree with protective qualities, it is used to make brooms for purification and wands for healing. The leaves placed beneath a pillow induce psychic dreams. The leaves bring luck and good fortune when carried in a bag worn around the neck.
Aspen:
A tree found throughout Europe that was used especially during the Middle Ages for the creation of vampire-killing stakes. While other woods, such as the ash or oak,were favored in specific regions, the aspen when available, was revered for its supposed power over evil. This belief was based largely on the tradition that the wood of Christ’s cross was aspen.
Balm of Gilead (Populus candicans, Commiphora opobalsamum):
Common Names: Balessan, Balm Mint, Balsam Tree, Balsumodendron, Gileadensis, Bechan, Mecca Balsam, Poplar Buds
- Element: Water, Fire
- Planet: Venus, Jupiter, Saturn
- Deities: Venus
- Properties: Inspiration, Knowledge, New Love, Mends Broken Hearts, Protection, Strength. Buds are carried to ease a broken heart, and can be added to love and protection charms and spells.
Basil (Ocymum basilium):
Common Names: Alabahaca, American Dittany, Common Basil, Herb of Kings, St Joseph’s Wort, Sweet Basil, Witches Herb
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mars
- Deities: Aradia, Ares, Erzulie, Jupiter, Krishna, Loki, Mars, Obatala, Ogoun, St. Joseph, Seth, Vishnu
- Properties: Clairvoyance, Commanding, Divination, Exorcism, Harmony, Honesty, Love, Protection, Psychic Development, Purification, Wealth, Ensuring faithfulness in a mate, Courage, Fertility, Healing relationships
- Uses: It is good as a tea for calming nerves, settling the stomach, and easing cramps, also good for the bladder. In tincture form, also makes good hair rinse for brunettes. An ingredient of the Purification bath sachet. Add to love sachets and incenses.
Bay or Laurel (Laurus nobilis):
The name laurus derives from Celtic lawr, verdant, for its characteristic of evergreen, and nobilis because it was used to crown heroes and poets. In Greek and Roman mythology, the nymph Daphne was changed at her own wish into a laurel tree by her father to keep her from being attacked by Apollo. Apollo made the tree sacred and declared that he would wear a crown of its leaves, as would men who return victorious from the war. The Bay tree was sacred to the ancient Romans and centuries later retained its reputation as a magical plant, capable of deterring witches and evil spirits among other properties. Bay trees were formerly often planted close to homes because they were believed to safeguard the inhabitants from evil spirits and the plague and also to ward off lightning. Many people carried bay leaves on the person in the belief that they gave protection against numerous diseases. Witchlore suggested that the bay had many uses in medicine, and it was a common ingredient in the spells cast by white witches. Bay leaves were also used for the purposes of divination, as they were in classical times. The time honored procedure involved burning the leaves and discerning from the way they were consumed by the flames what lay in store. If the leaves burned without a sound misfortune would follow, but if they crackled noisily all would go well. Lovers were advised to sleep with bay leaves pinned to their pillow on St Valentine’s Eve, to enjoy visions of their future partner.
Common Names: Baie, Bay Laurel, Daphne, Greecian Laurel, Laurier d’Apollon, Laurier Sauce, Lorbeer, Noble Laurel, Roman Laurel, Sweet Bay, True Laurel
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Sun, Jupiter
- Deities: Aesculapius, Apollo, Ceres, Delphi, Eros, Faunus
- Properties: Wisdom, Protection, Clairvoyance, Purification, Psychic Powers, Banishes Negative Energy
- Uses: Do not take internally. Use as a poultice on chest for bronchitis and chest colds.
- Medicinal Properties: The parts of this plant used medicinally are the leaves and the fruits. It favors digestion. It is slightly tonic and purifying. Applied externally it is a deodorant and soothing. In the bath water it makes a relaxing bath. Bay oil pressed from the berries and leaves can be used in salves and liniments for rheumatism, bruises and skin problems.
Bayberry (Berberis vulgaris, Myrica cerifera):
Common Names: Berberis Dumetorum, Berbery, Candleberry, Pipperidge Bush, Tallow Shrub, Wax Myrtle, Wachsgagle
- Element: Earth
- Planet: Jupiter
- Properties: Money, Good Luck, Peace, Harmony, Well-being
Bay Leaves:
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Sun
- Properties: Psychic visions and dreams, repels negativity and evil
Benzoin Gum Resin (Stryax benzoin):
Common Names: Ben Benjamen, Gum Benzoin, Siamese Benzoin
- Element: Air
- Planet: Sun, Mars
- Deities: Aphrodite, Ares, Freya, Hathor, Khephera, Mut, Venus
- Properties: Purification, Prosperity, Concentration. Used widely in purification incenses. Tincture of benzoin preserves oils and preparations.
Belladonna (Atropa belladonna):
One of the oldest plants associated with Witchcraft, Belladonna is also known as deadly nightshade and as the plant of the beautiful lady. Belladonna is native to southern and central Europe and ahs been cultivated in parts of England. Belladonna is poisonous and was used in what might be considered some of the darker magical arts. It was also employed to induce trance for astral projection and for producing altered states of consciousness. Nightshade: The poisonous nightshade was widely believed to be a favorite ingredient of witches and sorcerers. Witches were said to consume small amounts of deadly nightshade, the berries of which contain belladonna, in order to see into the future (too large a dose, however, could lead to madness and even death). Others were reputed to use it in preparing the flying ointment that would enable them to fly through the air to their sabbats. Conversely, popular superstition had it that keeping a sprig of woody nightshade in the home or on the person would ward off evil spirits and that the plant could also be used to protect livestock from witchcraft and disease.
Betony:
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Jupiter
- Properties: Add to incenses of protection and purification. Sleep on a pillow stuffed with betony to prevent nightmares.
Birch (Betula pendula/alba):
Is one of the sacred trees of witchcraft. The silver birch is known as the Lady of the Woods. In folklore, the birch was used for purification, exorcism, and protection. Stands for Beth, the first lett of the druidic alphabet. Was sacred to Cerridwen, representing beginnings and birth. Birch or beorc was also the runic letter B.
Blackthorn:
Also called sloe, a shrub belonging to the rose family and found throughout Europe. By tradition, the blackthorn is a powerful protection against vampires and vampire attack. Among the Romanians the plant was considered useful enough to have it sewn into clothing.
Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica):
The common name given to trees (or shrubs) of the genus rhamnus, also called Christ’s thorn. Branches of the buckthorn are said to be useful as means of keeping away evil and are hung throughout areas of Europe from the gates of houses. It was used by the ancient Greeks to protect homes from the wandering dead during the festival of Anthesteria and was thus later associated safeguarding a residence from vampires.
- Element: Water
- Planet: Saturn
- Deities: Elves
- Properties: Protection, Exorcism, Wishes, Legal Matters, Elf Magic
Burdock (Arctium lappa):
Common Names: Beggar’s Buttons, Clot-Bur, Cockle Buttons, Fox’s Clote, Happy Major, Lappa, Love Leaves, Personata, Philanthropium, Thorny Burr
- Element: Water, Earth
- Planet: Venus
- Deities: Venus, Gaea, Oshun
- Properties: Protection, Healing, Earth magic
Byrony:
Herbaceous climbing plant that was allegedly used in many witches potions when mandrake was not available. Black byrony was identified with mandrake, while white bryony was dubbed ‘womandrake’. Among other properties useful to the practitioner of witchcraft the plant was reputed to be highly effective as a purgative, to promote fertility in humans and in horses, to act as an aphrodisiac, to ease various gynaecological problems and also to reduce bruising. French name for the plant, herb of beaten wives.
Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora):
Common Names: Laurel Camphor, Gum Camphor
- Element: Water
- Planet: Moon, Saturn
- Deities: Artemis, Chandra
- Properties: Awakens past life memories, Stimulates psychic awareness, Health, Divination
Caraway:
- Element: Air
- Planet: Mercury
- Properties: Used in love charms to attract a lover. Also a mild stimulant for digestion.
- Uses: Culinary Herb.
Carnation (Dianthus carophyllus):
Common Names: Gillies, Gilliflower, Jove’s Flower, Nelka, Scaffold Flower, Sops-in-Wine
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Sun
- Deities: Jupiter
- Properties: Protection, Strength, Healing, Vitality. Worn by witches during the Burning Times for protection. Adds energy and power when used during a ritual as incense.
Cascara Sagrada (Rhamnus purshiana):
Common Names: Sacred Bark, Cascara, Chittem Bark
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Sun
- Properties: Legal Matters, Money, Protection
Cat’s Claw (Unicaria tomentosa):
- Properties: Protection, Prosperity, Money Drawing
Catnip (Nepeta cataria):
Common Names: Catnep, Catmint, Cat’s Wort, Field Balm, Nepeta, Nip
- Element: Water
- Planet: Venus
- Deities: Bast, Sekhmet
- Properties: Cat magic, Attracts good spirits, Love, Luck, Beauty, Celebration, Familiars, Joy, Friendship
- Uses: Its flowers and leaves have often been used to treat colds and insomnia. it lowers fevers, dries up post nasal drip, gets rid of bad headaches and relieves sore aching bones due to colds and flus, when taken in tea form, 2-3 times daily. As an incense it may be used to consecrate magical tools.
Cedar:
- Element: Fire, Air
- Planet: Sun, Mercury
- Deities: Amun Ra, Baalat, Cernunnos, Indra, Isis, Jupiter, Odin, Osiris, Pan, Poseidon, Wotan
- Properties: Healing, Courage, Purification, Protection, Money, Hex-breaking
Celandine:
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Sun
- Properties: Helps the wearer escape unfair imprisonment and entrapment, cures depression.
Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis, Matricaria chamomilla):
Common Names: Camomyle, Earth Apple, Ground Apple, Manzanilla, Maythen, Whig Plant
- Element: Water
- Planet: Sun, Mercury
- Deities: Cernunnos, Karnayna, Mercury, Oshun, Ra, St. Anne, Sun Gods
- Properties: Sleep, Meditation, Money, Love, Purification, Luck. Good as a meditation incense, for centering, peace, sprinkle in your home for protection, healing, money.
- Uses: Is an excellent herb for both internally and externally calming. Great for digestion, fevers, burns, anti-inflammatory for wounds, and sedative for nervous disorders. And relieves stomachaches and diarrhea in infants and small children (always using in diluted form). In tea form, made of 2 teaspoons of the herb steeped for 5 minutes in a cup of boiling water is a gentle sleep inducer. Chamomile also makes an excellent insect repellent, simply splash some tea on face, arms, and feet. It is also a good hair rinse
for blondes. Plant chamomile in your garden to be the guardian of the land, and you will have certain success.
Chichweed (Stellaria media):
Common Names: Adder’s Mouth, Indian Chickweed, Passerina, Satin Flower, Starweed, Starwort, Stitchwort, Tongue Grass, Winterweed
- Element: Water
- Planet: Moon
- Deities: Venus, Hera, Brigid, Oya
- Properties: Fidelity, Love
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum):
Common Names: Sweet Wood
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Sun
- Deities: Aesclepius, Aphrodite, Helios, Mercury, Hermes, Oshun, Ra, Venus
- Properties: Healing, Knowledge, Love, Lust, Power, Protection, Psychic Awareness, Spirituality, Success. Spiritual quests, augmenting power.
- Uses: It is recommended as a skin astringent and digestive aid in tea form. Ground or taken with milk, good balance after a heavy meal or dessert. Also used for diarrhea, dysentery or general indigestion. It is an excellent aromatic and makes a good anointing oil for any magical working.
Cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans):
Has numerous species, some native to North America. Some cinquefoils are common weeds. Shrubby cinquefoil is a popular landscape plant. Look for a bush or shrub with small five-part leaves and five-petaled yellow flowers that look like wild roses. An old folk proverb says: “Anything the hand of man can do, five-finger grass can undo.” It has been used in European and American Folk traditions to counter both hostile magic and mundane meddling. Cinquefoil breaks all kinds of directed negative intentions, from hexes to office rumors. It jump starts stagnant energies, open doors, and breaks stagnation.
Common Names: Crampweed, Five-Fingers, Five-Fingers Grass, Five Leaf, Goose Tansy, Goosegrass, Moor Grass, Silverweed
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Jupiter, Mercury
- Deities: Mother Goddess, Jupiter, Voudoun pantheon
- Properties: Safety during travel, Wealth, Money, Healing, Removing Hexes. Hang around doors and windows for protection from evil. Use in spells and charms for prosperity, purification, and protection.
Clover (Trifolium pratense):
Common Names: Honey, Honeystalks, Shamrock, Three-Leaved Grass, Trefoil, Trifoil
- Element: Air
- Planet: Mercury
- Deities: Artemis, Rowan
- Properties: Protection, Money, Love, Fidelity, Success, Exorcism. Associated with the triple Goddess. Use in rituals for beauty, youth, healing injuries, curing madness. A four-leaved clover enables one to see fairies and as a general good luck charm.
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara):
Common Names: Ass’s foot, Bullsfoot, Coughwort, Hallfoot, Horsehoof, Foalswort, Fieldhove, Donnhove, Pas d’ane
- Element: Water
- Planet: Venus
- Deities: Chiron, Venus
- Properties: Peace, Tranquility, Promotes Visions, Used in spells involving animals
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale):
Common Names: Ass Ear, Blackwort, Boneset, Bruisewort, Common Comfrey,Consolida, Consound, Gum Plant, Knitback, Knitbone, Slippery Root, Wallwort, Yalluc
- Element: Water
- Planet: Saturn
- Deities: Chiron, Oya
- Properties: Healing, Money, Travel Safety, Honoring the crone aspect of the Goddess.
- Uses: Has been known to slow bleeding, aid colds, ease burns. As a poultice or a tea, comfrey may be applied to bites, sores, rashes, broken bones, and cuts. Also a good ingredient for lotions to soothe sunburn.
Copal Resin (Bursera fagaroides):
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Sun
- Properties: Love, Purification
Coriander:
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mars
- Properties: Protection of home and serenity, peace, good in ritual drinks, incenses for longevity and love spells.
- Uses: If added to wine, it makes a good love potion for 2 consenting parties. To use in this fashion, grind 7 grams of coriander and mix into a wine and drink. Also used in love sachets and charms.
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus):
Its name, Centaurea cyanus, derives from the mythic Centaurus, teacher of Achilles, who, having hurt his foot, cured it with the juice of this flower.
- Practical Information: It is an annual herb native to Europe but also found cultivated in the USA. It is found in fields and gravels but most often in cornfields which have not been weeded chemically. Cornflower flowers from May to June. Cornflower does not have great medicinal properties. The capitulum can be used as a tonic and a diuretic and also as eyewash.
Cowslip:
- Element: Water
- Planet: Venus
- Properties: Luck in love, a woman who washes her face with milk infused with cowslip will draw her beloved closer to her. Induces contact with departed loved ones during dreams.
Cyclemen (Cyclamen hederaefolium):
Common Names: Groundbread, Sowbread, Swine Bread
- Element: Water
- Planet: Venus
- Deities: Hecate
- Properties: Love, Truth, Fertility, Happiness
Daisy (Bellis perennis):
The name daisy comes from the Anglo-Saxon daeges eage which means day’s eye because the flowers open their petal in the daytime and close them at night. In Christian legend, the daisies were the tears of Mary, and in ancient Greece they were dedicated to Aphrodite.
- Element: Water
- Planet: Venus
- Properties: Decorate the house with daisies at Midsummer’s Eve to bring happiness to the home and to obtain the blessings of faeries. Daisies are also worn at Midsummer for luck and blessings. In the old times, young maidens would weave and wear daisy chains in their hair to attract their beloved.
- Practical Information: The daisy is commonly found anywhere from the seaside to the mountains in fields and pastures. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant. It blooms from March to September. Parts used medicinally are the flowers and leaves.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale):
Common Names: Blowball, Cankerwort, Lion’s Tooth, Piss-a-bed, Priest’s Crown, Puffball, Swine Snout, White Endive, Wild Endive
- Element: Air
- Planet: Jupiter, Mars
- Deities: Hecate, Helios, Yemaya
- Properties: Divination, Wishes, Calling Spirits
- Uses: The ground root can act as a coffee substitute, and the flowers make a lovely wine. A superb cleansing tonic, and the milky juice is a diuretic, a tonic and a relief for common stomach problems. Use a handful of flower tops to 1 pint of boiling water, steep 10 minutes and strain. Drink this several times a day. Use the milky latex from the stem, rub on a wart several times daily and soon its gone. Also good for night blindness.
Dill (Anethum graveolens):
Common Names: Aneton, Dill Weed, Dilly, Garden Dill
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mercury
- Deities: Mercury, Brigid
- Properties: Love, Lust, Money, Protects children. Useful in love charms. May also be hung in childrens rooms to protect them from evil spirits and protect against bad dreams.
- Uses: A culinary herb.
Dogrose (Rosa canina):
A wild rose found in parts of Europe and Asia, with thorns and white or pink flowers. As was true with most varieties of rose, the dogrose was used as a preventive to vampirism. The Wallachians placed its vines in the grave or coffin, its thorns clinging to the corpse’s shroud. Thus pinned, the body was supposedly unable to rise.
Dragons Blood (Daemomorops draco):
Common Names: Calamus Draco, Draconis Resina, Sanguis draconis, Dragon’s Blood Palm, Blume
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mars
- Properties: Power amplifier, Protection, Love, Banishing, Potency. Widely used in love, protection, and purification spells. Keep a piece under the bed to cure impotency. Carried for good luck. May be dissolved in the bath for strong purification.
Elder Berry (Sambucus nigra):
Common Names: Sweet Elder, Tree of Doom, Pipe Tree, Witch’s Tree, Old Lady
- Element: Water
- Planet: Venus
- Deities: Triple Goddess, Devas, Holda
- Properties: Nature Magic, Releases spells, Protection, Exorcism
Elder Flowers (Sambucus nigra):
Common Names: Black Elder, Common Elder, Pipe Tree, Bore Tree, Bour Tree, Hylder, Hylantree, Eldrum, Ellhorn, Hollunder, Sureau
- Element: Water
- Planet: Venus
- Properties: Seeking knowledge, Crone Magic
Elder (Sambucus ebulus/Sambucus nigra):
Is one of the sacred trees of witchcraft. In ancient times, the elder was called the Old Woman Tree because the spirit of the Earth Mother was said to reside in the elder. For this reason it was long considered bad luck to cut wood from an elder tree. The elder is sometimes called the “hollow tree”, because the pith within its smaller branches is easily removed, providing hollow tubes. Flutes, pipes, and even the tip of bellows have been made from elder wood. Because the elder is also associated with the fairies, there is some suggestion that “hollow” may refer to the elder as a doorway into the fairy kingdom. Superstition had it that elder plants were often inhabited by spirits, and furthermore, that if an elder was burned on the domestic hearth the devil himself would come down the chimney. Because of such ominous associations, witches favored elder for their wands-although the pungent smell of cut elder was reputed to deter witches, and a household could be protected from their spells if a bough of elder picked on the last day of April was hung over the doorway. Elder was never to be taken indoors, however, as it would bring death in with it, and children beaten with elder sticks would fail to grow properly. Decorating a cradle with elder was especially dangerous, for fairies would steal the baby lying in it. Elder was frequently included in the ingredients of witchlore recipes. This might have been because the stems of dwarf elder become reddish in the autumn, suggesting that blood ran within the plant. Among the medicinal applications of elder was the belief that if a person wore a piece of elder against the skin they would be cured of rheumatism.
Often confused with the alder, the elder tree had a separate letter in the druidic alphabet, Ruis (R), sacred to the Elder goddess or Crone, the Caillech, who was Hel, queen of the underworld. The tree became known as a witch tree. Spirits of the pagan dea, once called Helleder, were said to be imprisoned in elder wood. They would be transformed into avenging demons and would haunt and persecute anyone who cut down an elder tree to make furniture. Moreover, a man who fell asleep under an elder tree would have visions of Hel's underworld. Elder rules the thirteenth month in the Ogham calendar. The elder is a tree of regeneration. It regrows damaged branches readily and it will root and grow rapidly from any part.
- Element: Air
- Planet: Venus
- Properties: Branches are widely used for wands. One must always be cautious to ask permission from the Elder Dryad before cutting or harvesting Elder limbs or leaves and berries to avoid very bad luck. It is also considered very bad luck to burn Elder wood. The leaves are hung around the doors and windows will ward off evil.
Elecampane:
- Element: Earth
- Planet: Mercury
- Properties: Useful in raising spirits and to aid in meditation.
Elm (Ulmus campestris):
Is one of the sacred trees long associated with witchcraft. In ancient lore, the elm is connected to the elven kingdom, particularly in the British Isles. In legend the elves favored this tree and offerings to them were often placed there. The elm is also associated with death in European folklore. In Greek mythology the story of Orpheus relates that the first elm grove came into existence when he returned from the underworld and sang to Eurydice. In ancient Italy, the elm was associated with the vine and was therefore sacred to Bacchus, in his aspect of Dionysos, is the Green Man-the living vine that dies away and returns again, in a cycle ever green.
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus):
Common Names: Blue Gum Tree, Stringy Bark Tree
- Element: Water
- Planet: Moon
- Deities: Ogun
- Properties: Healing, Australian Aboriginal Magic, Protection. Used in healing rituals, charms and amulets. Place the leaves around a blue candle and burn for healing energies. Green pods worn around the neck eases the discomfort of colds, sore throats, and congestion.
Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis):
Common Names: Euphrasia, Casselunette, Augentrost
- Element: Air
- Planet: Sun
- Deities: Euphrosyne
- Properties: Memory, Clairvoyance, Seeking Truth. Anoint eyelids with the infusion daily to induce clairvoyant visions and psychic dreams.
Fava:
Is a plant long associated with the underworld, spirits of the dead, and chthonic forces in general. The fava is a bean plant that produces a delicate white flower bearing a single black stain on its otherwise perfect white petal. In ancient lore, this stain was produced when the finger of the Lord of the Underworld touched the fava plant.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare):
Is one of the sacred herbs of witchcraft. It is a symbol of light and victory. Stalks of this giant species of fennel were once used as wands in the ancient Greek Mystery rites. Such wands, known as thyrsus, were topped with a pine cone and twined with ivy. In Greek mythology, fennel was used by Prometheus to carry fire down from the heavens to
humankind.
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mercury
- Properties: Purification, Protection, Healing, Money
- Uses: Sometimes employed as an appetite suppressant and digestive aid. Used in tea form to expel mucus. Chew the seeds slowly for really bad breath, or use the fluid extract to rub on gums.
Fern:
Plant that was once widely believed to boast a variety of magical powers. Sometimes ominously referred to as the ‘Devil’s bushes’, ferns were often considered evil plants that would bring harm to anyone who cut or touched them. Others, though, claimed that they were lucky and would ward off evil spirits if used to decorate a horse’s collar. If brought into the house they reputedly provided protection against lightning. Some people carried fern flowers as these were believed to ward off witches, although others were anxious that anyone who carred the leaf of a fern would attract adders. Witchlore suggested that by tossing a fern flower in the air and noting where it fell, a person might locate buried treasure. It was also said that fern seeds collected on Midsummer’s Eve and carried on the person bestowed the power of invisibility and were an essential ingredient of flying ointment. The seeds might also be consumed as a sure remedy for stomach ache (as long as they came from a plant growing on an oak tree). Potions made from the seeds were used for the treatment of minor wounds, coughs and inflamed eyes, among other conditions. The male fern, popularly called Lucky Hands, was particularly prized for its efficacy against witchcraft. Anyone who picked a male fern on Midsummer’s Eve, stripped it down to five unfurled fronds and then smoked it over a bonfire until hard could enjoy complete immunity from the threats of witches and evil spirits by carrying this ‘lucky hand’.
- Element: Earth
- Planet: Saturn
- Properties: The fern is an extremely powerful protective plant. Grow them in and around the house for protection from evil and negativity.
Feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium, Tanacetum parthenium):
Common Names: Pyrethrum Parthenium, Featherfew, Featherfoil, Flirtwort, Bachelor’s Buttons
- Planet: Venus
- Properties: Protection from accidents
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea):
Foxglove is one of the traditional magical plants associated with witchcraft. It is native to almost all regions of continental Europe and the British Isles. Foxglove is associated with love spells, and this herb is actually the source of the heart medicine known as digitalis. This plant is intimately connected with fairies in many European tales. Woodland plant with purple or white flowers that has long been associated with witchcraft. Originally called Folk’s Glove or Witches’ Glove, the foxglove was a frequent ingredient in a range of potions concocted by witches and herbalists over the centuries. Many witches’ remedies and plant extracts were harmless and cannot have had more than psychosomatic benefits for those who consulted the local ‘Wise Woman’ for treatment of physical or mental ailments. In the case of the foxglove, however, witchcraft had stumbled upon a plant with powerful healing potential-an accident that was to have a profound impact on western medicine. In 1741,a Shropshire doctor and botanist called William Withering heard of a witch who was having remarkable success with patients suffering from dropsy, which she treated with an herbal tea. Having obtained the recipe from her, he found that the main ingredient was foxglove. From the soft leaves of the plant he subsequently managed to extract the hitherto unrecognised drug digitalis. This breakthrough was to make Withering famous, for digitalis proved highly effective as a treatment for heart complaints, improving weak hearts and assisting patients to pass excess water and salt. As a result of Withering’s findings, based on the unnamed Shropshire witch’s potion, a whole new family of medicine was made available to science.
Frankincense (Boswellia carteri):
An aromatic resin or gum taken from several types of trees found in East Africa. It is turned into a kind of incense, traditionally onr of the gifts brought to the infant Jesus by the Magi. In Dalmatia and Albania, frankincense was used by the clergy to bless daggers or knives intended as stakes or weapons in fighting the undead.
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Sun
- Deities: Adonis, Apollo, Bael, Ra
- Properties: Spirituality, Protection, Exorcism, Consecration. A very powerful aid to meditation. Use to purify ritual spaces and invoke a spiritual frame of mind.
Galangal Root (Alpinia officinarum, Alpinia galanga):
Common Names: Galanga, China Root, India Root, East India Catarrh Root, Lesser Galangal, Rhizoma Galangae, Gargaut, Colic Root, Kaempferia Galanga
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mars
- Deities: Mars
- Properties: Courage, Strength, Avoiding legal problems, Hex breaking, Adding power to spells.
Gardenia (Gardenis florida):
- Element: Water
- Planet: Moon
- Properties: Love, Peace, Healing, Spirituality. Used to attract true love.
Garlic (Allium sativum):
Herb that was widely believed to be a powerful witch and vampire deterrent. Legend had it that garlic sprang up where Satan placed his left foot after departing from Paradise (while onions grew where he trod with his right foot). Garlic gathered in May was thought to be particularly effective against evil, although precautions (such as chewing garlic) had to be taken when collecting it, as demons might lurk nearby. To fend off vampires, garlic was placed near windows and worn as a necklace. In Italian folklore it was also used to adorn a baby’s cradle to keep demons away in the vulnerable time between birth and baptism. White witches revered garlic for its efficacy against such complaints as worms, dropsy, sunstroke, smallpox, plague, leprosy, toothache, whooping cough, hysterics, snakebite, earache, and bedwetting. An occult food, a pungent herb that has wide use against evil and is now synonymous with protection against vampires, so much so that it is heavily caricatured. It is also an anticipated item in the vampire hunter’s kit. The origins of garlic’s reputation for being beneficial stretch all the way to ancient Egypt, where it was believed to possess healing powers. Vampirologists, scholars, and even cooks note that it is a virtually universal weapon against vampires. In China and Malaysia, it is rubbed on the heads of childrento prevent attack; while in the Philippines, the chosen spot is the armpit. Bataks of Sumatra use it as a kind of soul-recalling herb, helpful in returing a soul to a sickly person’s body. In Slavic lands, as everyone knows, it is hung from doors and windows or worn around the neck, a curious if not antisocial activity. Many unfortunate children have been forced to play and work with cloves hanging from their clothing, a precaution that kept everything at bay, including playmates. In Slavic villages and elsewhere, the cloves were stuffed into the mouth, ears, and nostrils of a corpse to ensure that no evil could enter. It was also smeared over the eyes. Following the destruction of a vampire through staking or decapitation, it was poured into the mouth. Additionally, it is highly aromatic. This reek, functioning in much the same way as buckthorn, leeks, or incense, is deadly to evil, which flees before it or cannot cross a threshold over which it is rubbed or hung. The scent of garlic is deemed preferable to other choices at one’s disposal: burned animal parts, decayed food, or human feces. Each of these has been used in various areas, but garlic, easy to find and simple to keep, is always the first choice.
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mars
- Deities: Hecate, Ogun
- Properties: Banishing, Exorcising, Protection. A very protective herb, healing, good weather, courage.
- Uses: A culinary herb. Lowers tension, eases colds, and improves circulation. Garlic vinegar can be used to disinfect wounds and soothe rheumatic pain and any common pain (made from 1 liter of vinegar and ten cloves of crushed garlic steeped for at least 10 days). Shrinks warts, relieves pain from teeth and earaches. Good for high and low blood pressure and removing parasites and infections. To ease the pain of aching joints, a toothache or an earache, place a crushed raw bulb of garlic on a piece of gauze and place over the area of pain. For joints, try using garlic paste.
Geranium (Pelargoneum graveolens):
- Planet: Venus
- Properties: Fertility, Health, Love
Ginger (Zingiber officinale):
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mars
- Deities: Mars, Ares
- Properties: Success, Power, Money, Love, Passion, Inspiration
- Uses: Acts as an aid to ingestion or colds (tea form). Also in tea form, good for cramps, to stimulate the digestive organs, migraines and nausea, external stiffness. Can be added to the bath as a way to ease pain and increase circulation, but only use a few sprinkles, not to much, like cayenne, ginger quickly brings the blood to the surface of the skin. For pain you can also soak cloths in ginger tea and apply them directly to the painful areas. Add in cooking to detoxify meat, especially chicken. A good healing tea is
made from a pinch of peppermint, a pinch of ginger, and either a pinch of clove powder or 2 bruised cloves, add 1 cup of hot water and steep.
Ginseng (Panax quiniquefolium):
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Sun
- Properties: Attracting Love, Luck, Health, Wishes
- Uses: Stimulant, tonic, and agent for prolonged life. Also a mild pain killer, and improves blood circulation. Reported to successfully treat asthma, bronchitis, cancer, flatulence, diabetes, weakness, fever, coughs, and heartburn, and a mild stimulant. In tea form, it helps to relieve stree and moderate heart disease.
Golden Seal Root (Hydrastis canadensis):
Common Names: Eye Balm, Eye Root, Ground Raspberry, Jaundice Root, Indian Dye, Indian Tumeric, Orange Root, Wamera, Wild Curcuma, Yellow Puccoon
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Sun
- Deities: Helios
- Properties: Healing, Money
Gota Kola (Centella asiatica):
- Properties: Meditation, Mental Stimulation
Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus oxyacantha):
Common Names: Faery Tree, May, Mayblossom, Quickthorn, Whitethorn, Haw, Hazels, Gazels, Halves, Hagthorn, Ladies’ Meat, Bread and Cheese tree.
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mars, Moon
- Deities: Faeries, Ogun
- Properties: Wishes, Fertility, Chastity
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna/Crataegus oxyacantha):
Crataegus comes from the Greek krathos, strength, because of the hardness of the wood. Oxyacantha comes from the Greek oxys, pointed, and acanda, thorn. In spite of the prickly thorns in ancient Greece and Rome the hawthorn had happy associations, being linked with sweet hope, marriage, and children. Dedicated to Hymen, the god of marriage, the hawthorn was used as a symbol of hope at weddings in Greece. The Romans put hawthorn leaves in the cradles of newborn babies to ward off evil spirits. In Medieval Europe, hawthorn had an entirely different image. Regarded as an unlucky plant, it was thought that bringing its branches inside would portend the death of one of the household members. Witches were suspected to tuen themselves into hawthorn bushes on Walpurgis night. Is one of the sacred trees of witchcraft, and is associated with spring celebrations. It is the third magickal tree in the triad of fairy lore: the oak, ash, and thorn. The hawthorn is associated with May Day, in honor of the sun god Belenus. His festival commenced on the first day that the hawthorn blossoms opened, and is now celebrated on May 1. In Ireland, the hawthorn, or white-thorn, is sometimes called the fairy bush-in folklore it was forbidden to cut it for fear of offending the fairies. The Roman goddess Cardea, who presided over marriage and childbirth, was associated with the hawthorn in ancient Italy. In iconography the protective emblem carried by Cardea was a bough of
hawthorn. Another one of her symbols was the hinge, and she has been called the mistress of Janus who guarded all doorways. The hawthorn was planted around oak and ash trees in order to protect them from damage due to storms and grazing cattle. The oak, ash, and thorn were all associated with portals into the fairy realm. In this regard, the hawthorn, in its connection to Cardea as the hinge, can be considered the hinge on the fairy door. The hawthorn, as both the hinge and the guardian, protected the entrance to the oak and ash. Unless the hawthorn allowed access through the doorway,
the fairy realm remained unseen. In Celtic lore, the hawthorn was associated with Blodeuwedd, the wife of Lleu. She betrayed him and he was wounded with a spear, hence the association with the thorn. Sometimes Blodeuwedd is called the Queen of May. The goddess Cardea, in her aspect as Flora, is also the Queen of May.The Celts used potions made from the hawthorn as a tonic for the internal organs and especially the heart. A hardy, thorny shrub or small tree, a member of the rose family with white or pink flowers, blossoming in clusters and followed by small red, blue, or black fruits. The wood of the hawthorn tree is one of the great natural antivampire elements, used in parts of Europe, especially among the Slavs, to make stakes for destroying the undead. It has been called the symbol of “good hope” because it signals that winter has ended and spring has begun. In ancient times, hawthorn was worn by Athenian women at weddings and was considered by the Romans a charm against witchcraft and sorcery. In England the hawthorn is not to be brought into a house, especially if it is in flower. Its entry must be followed by the act of throwing the hawthorn back out the front door. In Bosnia, guests at wakes concealed twigs in their clothes, dropping them in the street as they left so that the deceased, if he or she had become a campire, would pick them up and be too distracted to follow the living home. Hawthorn was sharpened into stakes and pounded into the ground near graves to pierce a vampire as it rose from its earthly resting place. The thorns of the shrubs were placed in shrouds or in coffins to stab and pin the revenant to the ground. Like other thorn trees, the hawthorn has a somewhat dubious reputation and is often mentioned in connection with witchcraft. Tradition suggested that the crown of thorns placed on Christ’s brow came from the hawthorn, and the tree
was thus cursed. Its spikes were allegedly used by witches to inflict pain in image magic or in other black magic rituals, being driven into the hearts of such animals as sheep and bats. The unwitting were particularly warned not to sit under a hawthorn on Halloween, as they were reputed to attract fairies and other malevolent spirits. By contrast the hawthorn was, however, sometimes recommended as a witch deterrent, the theory being that witches entering a house would get tangled up in the spikes if the rooms were decorated with hawthorn blossoms (although many people observed a taboo against bringing hawthorn blossoms into the house, which was thought to be unlucky). In much the same way, parents of young babies in former times sometimes used to decorate their infants cribs with hawthorn as a means of protection against evil spirits.
In Celtic tradition, the hawthorn tree was sacred to Olwen. It represented fertility in the druidic alphabet, where it formed the letter H (Uath).
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mars
- Properties: Used in protective sachets and amulets against evil influences. Promotes happiness in marriage or a relationship. It is bad luck to cut down a Hawthorn. Burn the berries as an incense when you need energy and a change in life.
- Medicinal Properties: Hawthorn normalizes the blood pressure by regulating heart action. Extended use will usually lower blood pressure. It is good for heart muscles weakened by age. It is also good for nervous conditions and insomnia. A decoction of flowers and leaves is used for astringents and tonic, specific for greasy and impure skin. Makes a relaxing bath.