The Pagan Heart Callum's Herbaria

February 2005 Issue

Callum's Herbaria By Callum Mostyn     Dydd da. Croeso i Callum's Herbaria. I'm Callum, and welcome once more to my Herbaria. Today I wish to look at some of the less common herbs of my garden - clover, dandelion, the gum tree and rose, as well as the stalwart garlic. While many users of herbs readily admit to the beneficial properties of clover and dandelion, I find most look askance at me when I ask them if they grow the plants. Yet these simple herbs are amongst the easiest of plants to cultivate - so easy that they have become weeds, unwanted squatters in most garden beds and lawns. Well, it is time to reconsider their status. The dandelion is such a simple plant - small and unobtrusive most the time, until it sends forth its brilliant, butter-yellow face. It is a strongly sympathetic herb for sun and time magics. Use the flower for the first, and the seedhead for the second. The true nature of the plant is recognised most often by children - they race to pick the large downy heads and blow away the seeds, wishing as they do. And indeed, the dandelion is a wishing plant potent in the hands of the true believer. Let yourself return to childhood and pluck a dandelion clock - as the seeds spin away into the air, breathe your wish out to follow them. The time it takes for all the seeds to land is the time it will take for your wish to be granted...or not. Not everything we wish for will come to pass, but sometimes an extra boost, a touch of magic, is needed. Remember though - this is a simple magic, best suited to simple desires. As for cultivating the plant, I admit I let mine grown rampant amongst the clover and grass. I do know of some who transplant theirs into garden beds, but I feel the true magic of the plant is gathered from where it grows - it is afterall a wish fallen to earth, there to take seed and sprout the dreams of another. Dreams...wishes...while you're busy cultivating those dandelion plants, you may want to throw in a few heads of garlic. This ordinary, oderous little plant has a long-standing history as magically and medicinally valuable. While some of the lore is dubious - I would never recommend treating snakebite with garlic, for instance - much of it has a solid foundation. Garlic brings health not only to the body, but also the heart and soul. A family that eats garlic is strengthening their emotional connections to each other. Some of the folktalkes include the idea that stringing up garlic from the doorway encouraged the entrance of good fortune while warding against evil . Think about it - how many delicious meals involve garlic? Delicate Italian delights, erotic French dishes, or sensuous Middle Easter feasts - they all share a common thread...garlic. It not only heats the blood, it also encourages fidelity. Quite a nice little package. Garlic will thrive in a pot, but if you'd prefer to purchase yours, ensure it is fresh, firm and papery. Any squishiness or discolouration and it should be discarded. For magical works I advise against the jars of diced garlic or marinated cloves or whatnot. The true power of garlic is in its odour, and while such options are fine in cooking where the vinegar and other liquids cook off, in magic they will fail. They do not smell truely garlicky. Talking of odours leads me to the next herb - or rather tree. The eucalyptus. Our Australian friends call it a "gum tree", based I think upon the quality of the sap. It's quite resinous and balls up very easily, and I know the children sometimes use it as a sort of chewing gum - pungent as it is. The eucalyptus tree is a wonderful addition to the garden for its scent and shade. If you intend to work magic with anything other than the oil, then you will need to plant a tree or two. Take your time to investigate your options. I personally prefer the honey-scented ones - in spring when they flower the scent is incredible and so edible in nature. Plus it draws the bees, which brings their busy, harmonious magic into your home and garden. But it is not always practical to grow a tree - especially considering how large many eucalypts get. The oil is a practical option, and it's relatively inexpensive even for the better quality. Clover, however, is easy to cultivate - like dandelions. If you have the space it makes a great addition to the garden. And if you are anything like me and dislike lawnmowing, clover (along with various ground covers) will create an interesting and visually appealing alternative. I mix the red and white varieties as I love the look of the blossoms. Provided you water it periodically (or live in a climate where rain occurs semi-frequently), your clover will grow. Do take care to fence it in though as, like mint, it will overrun everything. I use slate tiles to do this - upended and sunck about 2/3 of the way into the ground they make a good border. Of course the clover occasionally escapes in small bursts, but it's easy enough to capture. I have found red clover to be a wonderful aid in drawing love and harmony into the home. Not being married, or likely to head down the aisle, I can't speak personally for its abilities in the keeping of passion and peace in the marriage bed. White clover is a purification herb as well as being useful in prosperity spells - scattered in a salad, seeped in a herbal blend to make a refreshing tea, or hung in a sachet from the faucet, it lends its simple yet tenacious nature to life. Finally rose. The rose is such a beloved and yet under-utilised plant. Everyone concentrates upon its aspect as a herb of love, while ignoring the other wonderful qualities it has. The rose is a herb of protection - especially in matters of the heart. This includes familial and platonic, as well as the standard passionate love held synonomous with the red, red rose. It also strengthens luck and prosperity spells, and increases the chance of success in divinatory issues. Use the fresh flower, dried petals, the hips or oil - each has a particular area it is more effacious in. I prefer the older varieties. Less cultivated means more of the wild magic remains within the plant, and that is where the rose truely shines - in wild magic. So, the next time you read a fairytale, take note of the role played by the rose - if it's present. It's a remnant of past magics, handed down to us through stories written for children. For they, afterall, are the true believers in magic. Why else do they continue to wish upon falling stars and blow dandelion seeds to the four corners? Well, that's it from me for this month. Da boch, my friends, and bi bheannaithe!

Return to the Index of Archived Articles for Callum's Herbaria   

Main Index of Archived Articles   

Magazine Issues Archive Page