| In the cauldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and howlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), Macbeth |
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It has been a longstanding tradition in magic and sorcery to refer to spell components obliquely; often the real recipe resembles very little what the uninitiated conjure in their minds' eye. It's quite easy to imagine how these names could be used in a spell to obscure the true ingredients and make the recipe sound far more gruesome than it really is. Suffice to say, if the components of an old spell sound straightforward, they probably aren't. Not only was it to preserve the mystery (a witch is nothing without respect, you know) but also to keep the unknowing muddler away from potentially dangerous plant muckings. Call it a trade secret if you will, but early time folks superstition was the best placebo, and if fancy names made them go ‘ooooooo’ , why not? Oh, by the way, some names appear in different variations, as folk names always do. You didn’t think this was easy and we were going to spill ALL the beans now, hmm? Besides, they were bound to have wannabee fluffbunnies even then (grins). But you’ll find that most of our favorite healing weeds show up one way or the other. Always very preferred, body fluids Blood and Semen: Blood of Kronos - Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) Blood of Hestia - Chamomile (Matricaria recutita, Matricaria chamomilla, Anthemis nobilis) Blood of Hephaistos - Wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium) Blood of Ares - Purslane (Portulaca sativa) Blood of an Eye - Tamarisk Gall (not specified) Blood of a Goose - Mulberry Tree's Milk (Morus nigra) Blood of a Titan - Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) Blood from a Head - Lupins (N.O. Leguminosae) Bloody Finger - Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) Semen of Ammon - Houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum) Semen of Ares - Clover (Trifolium pratense) Semen of Helios - White Hellebore (Veratrum album) Semen of Herakles - Mustard-rocket (probably Eruca sativa) Semen of Hermes - Dill (Peucedanum graveolens) Semen of Hephaistos - Fleabane (Inula dysenterica or Inula Conyza, not specified) Semen of Horus - Horehound (Marrubium vulgare or Ballota nigra, not specified, most likely the white) Favorite Animal Associations: Adder’s Mouth - Chickweed (Stellaria medica) Adder’s Meat - (Microstylus ophiuoglossiodes) Adder’s Tongue – see serpent’s tongue Ass’s Ear - Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) Bat's Wings - Holly (Ilex aquifolium) Bee Hive - Snail Plant Bird's Eye - Germander Speedwell - also called Eye of Christ (Veronica chamaedrys) Bird’s Tounge - European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) Bear’s Ear - Auricula, (Primula auricula) Bear's Foot - Dalia (Polymnia uvedalia) Bear's Foot - Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus Foetitus) Bee Hive - Snail Plant (Midicago scuttellata) Bone of an Ibis - Buckthorn (N.O. Rhamnaceae) Bull’s Eye - Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) Bull's Foot - Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) Calf's Snout - Snapdragon (Antirrhinum magus) Cat’s Claw - Una de Gato (Uncaria tomentosa) Cat’s Eye - Star Scabious (Scabiosa stellata) or Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) Cat's Foot - Mountain Everlasting aka Cudweed (Antennaria dioica) Cat’s Paw - Canada Snake Root and/or Ground Ivy (Asarum canadense/Nepeta glechoma) Cat’s Gut - Hoary Pea, (Tephrosia virginiana) Cat’s Milk - Wartwort (Euphorbia helioscopia) Chicken Toe - Crawley Root (Corallorhiza ordontorhiza) Cock’s Comb - Yellow Rattle (Thinanthus christagalli) Cow’s lip - Mayflower (Primula veris) Cow’s tail - Canada Fleabane (Erigeron canadense) Crow’s Foot - Cranesbill (Geranium maculatum) Deer Tounge - Vanilla leaf (Liatris odoratissima) Devil’s Claw – ditto :) THIS actually exists (Harpagophytum procumbens) Devil's Milk - Wartwort (Euphorbia Helioscopia) Devil’s Dung - Food of the Gods (Ferula asafetida) Dog's Mouth - Snap Dragon (Antirrhinum magus) Dog’s Tongue - Conoglossum (Cynoglossom ??) officinale Donkey’s Eyes - Cowage (Mucuna pruriens) (seeds) Dove’s Foot - Cranesbill (Geranium maculatum) Dragon's Blood – Calamus (Daemomorops Draco) Dragon’s Claw – Fever (or Crawley) Root (Corallorrhiza odontorrhiza) Duck’s Foot - American mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum) Eagle - Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum) Foal’s Foot - Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) Fox’s Cloat - Burdock (Arctium lappa) Fox’s Tail - Club Moss (Lycopodium clavatum) Frog's Foot - Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus Bulbosus) Goat’s Beard (or foot) - Ash Weed (Aegopodium podograria) Goose’s Foot - Fat Hen (Chenopodium Bonus Henricus) Hair of a Lion - Tongue of a Turnip (i.e. leaves of the taproot) Hairs of a Hamadryas Baboon - Dill Seed (Peucedanum graveolens) Heart of a Hawk - Heart of Wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium) Horse’s Tail - Scouring Rush (Equisetum hyemale) Horse’s Tongue - Harts tongue (Scolopendrium vulgare) Lamb’s Tongue - Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) Lion's Tooth - Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Lizard’s Tail - Breast Weed (Saururus cernuus) Mouse’s Ear – Hawk Weed (Pilosella officinarum) Mouse’s Tail - Common Stonecrop (Sedum acre) Ox’s Eye - Marguerite (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) Ox’s Tongue - Bugloss (Echium vulgare) or Helminthia (Helminthia echioides) Pheasant’s Eye - False Hellebore (Adonis autumnalis) Pig's Tail - Leopard's Bane (Arnica Montana) Pig’s (or Swine) Snout – Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Rabbit’s Foot - Field Clover (Trifolium arvense) Serpent’s Tongue - Dogstooth Violet, Erythronium Americanum Snake’s Head - Balmony (Chelone glabra) Snake’s Milk - Blooming Splurge (Euphorbia corollata) Snake’s Tongue - Adder’s Tongue Fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum) Sparrow's Tongue - Knotweed (or grass) (Polyganum aviculare) Squirrel’s Ear - White Plantain (Goodyear repens) Stag’s Horn - Club Moss (Lycopodium clavatum) Tears of a Hamadryas Baboon - Dill Juice (Peucedanum graveolens) Toad – Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) Unicorn's Horn - False Unicorn –Helonias dioica (Chamaelirium luteum) Weasel Snout - Yellow Archangel (not av.) Wolf Claw - Club Moss (Lycopodium clavatum) Wolf Foot - Bugle Weed (Lycopus virginicus) Wolf's Milk - Kansui Root (Euphorbiae kansui) Other assorted body ‘parts’ and worldly possessions: A Man's Bile - Turnip Sap (probably Brassica napus) Beggar’s Buttons - Burdock (Arctium lappa) Beggar’s Tick - Cockhold (Bidens frondosa) Butcher’s Broom - Irish Tops (Cytisus scoparius) Devil’s Bit - Starwort (Helonias dioica), sometimes listed as True Unicorn root (Chamaelirium luteum) Fairie’s Finger or gloves - Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) Fat from a Head - Spurges (Euphorbias) Flesh and Blood - Tormentil (Potentilla Tormentilla) From the Belly - Earth-apple, aka potato in some parts (Solanum tuberosum) Englishman's Foot. White Man's Foot - Broadleaf Plantain (Plantago major) Graveyard Dust - Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) Hundred Eyes - Periwinkle (N.O. Apocynaceae) Jew’s Ear - Fungus on Elder or Elm (Peziza auricular) John’s Bread - Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) Jupiter’s Foot - Houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum) Lady's Glove - Foxglove aka Witches' Gloves (Digitalis purpurea) Lady’s Mantle - Nine Hooks (Alchemilla vulgaris) Lady’s Slipper - American Valerian (Cypripedium pubescens) Lady’s Tresses - Spira Root (Spiranthes autumnalis) Maiden’s Hair - Maidenhair Fern (Asplenium trichomanes) Mother’s Heart - Shepheard’s Purse (Capsella bursa pastoris) Negro Head - Vegetable Ivory (Phytelephas macrocarpa) aka Priest's Crown - Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Old Man’s Beard - Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginica) Queen’s Delight - Silverleaf (Stillingia sylvatica) Shepherd's Heart - Shepheard’s Purse (Capsella bursa pastoris) Snow Drop - Bulbous Violet (Galanthus nivalis) Tree of Heaven - Chinese Sumach (Ailanthus glandulosa) |
