Garden Witchery (8 page)

The Language of Cottage Flowers

Alyssum:
Sweet purity

Apple Blossom:
Beauty and goodness

Astilbe:
Earthly pleasures

Azalea, White:
First love

Balloon Flower:
Faraway friends

Begonia:
Premonition

Black-eyed Susan:
Fairness

Bleeding Heart:
Brokenhearted

Bee Balm:
Irresistible

Bridal Wreath Spriea:
Victory

Butterfly Bush:
Wantonness

Caladium:
Joy

Carnation, Pink:
Encouragement

Carnation, Red:
Passion

Carnation, White:
Pure devotion

Cinquefoil:
Beloved daughter

Cockscome:
Humor

Coneflower, Purple:
Skill and resilience

Coral Bells:
Study and hard work

Crepe Myrtle:
Eloquence

Daylily:
Siren

Dusty Miller:
Respected grandmother

Enchanter's Nightshade:
Witchcraft

Evening Primrose:
Humble devotion

Everlasting Flower:
Death of hope

Fern:
Tempestuous passion

Feverfew:
Protection

Flowering Almond:
Hope

Forsythia:
Good nature

Hollyhock:
Enthusiasm and zeal

Hosta:
Devotion

Hydrangea:
Moodiness

Impatiens:
Speed

Lamb's Ear:
Support

Lavender:
Distrust

Lemon Balm:
Health

Lupin:
Overassertiveness

Meadowsweet:
Lovely bride

Mock Orange:
Virgin bride

Morning Glory:
Greet the new day

Nigella:
Kiss me

Pansy, Purple:
Happy memories

Pinks (Dianthus):
Forever lovely

Plum (Blossoms):
Fertility

Pussy Willow:
Friendship

Queen Anne's Lace:
Return home

Quince:
Temptation

Rose:
Love

Santolina:
Protection from harm

Sedum:
Peace

Sunflower:
Royalty

Sweet Pea:
Tenderness

Sweet Woodruff:
Eternal life

Tansy:
Safe pregnancy

Tiger Lily:
Erotic love

Trumpet Flower:
Fiery passion

Verbena:
Spellbound

Vervain:
Witchcraft

Weigela (Bloom):
A heart that's true

Yarrow:
Witch's herb

Zinnia:
Faraway friends

I met a Lady in the Meads
Full beautiful, a fairy's child
Her hair was long, her foot was light
And her eyes were wild—

Keats

Flowers for the Lady: Goddesses and Associated Plants

If you are calling on a particular goddess, it certainly doesn't hurt to have as many things in sympathy with her as you can find. I have found that the Lady seems to appreciate the extra work and thoughtfulness of the gesture. Most modern magickal books have a candle and color correspondence chart, and the text will tell you what lunar associations the goddesses have. But what about plant, flower, and even fruit correspondences for the ladies? Those are harder to find. Never fear, I've got some for you.

In keeping with our backyard magick, these everyday plants are easy to obtain. The fruit shouldn't be any more difficult to produce (sorry, bad pun) than a trip to the grocery store. If you have trouble locating vervain, try growing annual flowering verbena—you may use those brightly colored blooms as a substitute.

Aradia:
Rue, vervain/verbena, and apple

Artemis:
Artemesia, daisy, and cypress

Astraea:
Aster, Michaelmas daisy

Bast:
Catnip

Brighid or Bride:
Dandelion, crocus, helebores, and blackberries

Cerridwen:
Vervain/verbena

Demeter or Ceres:
Red poppy, wheat

Diana:
Apple, rue, and rose

Freya:
Maidenhair fern, daisy, rose, primrose, and strawberries

Hathor:
Rose, grapes

Hecate:
Cyclamen, willow, and monkshood (aconite)

Hera:
Iris, willow, and apples

Holda:
Rose in full bloom

Iris
(Greek goddess of the rainbow): Iris (in all colors), rose

Isis:
Rose, heather, and purple iris

Lady of Guadalupe:
Red and pink roses, poinsettias

Lilith:
Lily; deep-red, thorny, garden-style roses; and the willow

Minerva:
Thistle, olive, and mulberries

Nephthys:
Lily

Persephone:
Parsley, pomegranate

Selene:
Rose, bluebell, nicotiana, and all white and night-blooming flowers

Venus or Aphrodite:
Violet, morning glory, rose, and all true blue flowers

The more simple we are,
the more complete we become.

August Rodin

Flower Fascinations: The Art of Simpling

Fascination
is defined as “to bewitch and hold spellbound by an irresistible power.” Flower fascinations are elementary flower spells and charms for various magickal uses.

A
simple
is described as a medicine plant. A simple is also known as a basic element, having only one ingredient, such as a flower or an herb. The yarrow love charm in chapter 8 is one example of a simple. The art of simpling consists of working with select magickal herbs and flowers. You can sew them up into charm bags, or fashion flowers, foliage, and herbs into a small enchanted bouquet, or posy.

Working within the legacy of the folklore of plants, you can create your own simples and flower fascinations. Try herbs for protection and prosperity, or flowers for love and healing. These flower fascinations and charms, of my own design, were inspired by my research into the 1800s flower folklore. Work these enchantments with positive intentions and they will make you smile. Basically, these are fun, fast, and—dare I say it?—simple.

A small nosegay
of lily of the valley, bleeding hearts, and violets, arranged in a tiny jar, will bestow blessings from the faeries and help cheer you up after a hard day at work. Tie the flowers up with a white satin ribbon, and breathe in the scent! (All of these flowers should be blooming at the same time in your garden, late April through early May.) My daughter calls these miniature flower arrangements “faery bouquets.”

Faery posy of white, pink, and blue

Help me out here, my boss is a shrew.

Safe now at home, I'm so glad to be

Rid me of anger and negativity.

Walking around a blooming snapdragon
three times in a widdershins (counterclockwise) direction is thought to cure you of any bewitchment. Likewise, a few stems of snapdragons in a vase will help to protect you from manipulative intentions.

An archaic example of a simple
is to place snapdragon seeds inside of a small blue linen bag and wear the bag around your neck. This will prevent any negative energy from affecting you. Nowadays, tuck the little bag in your pocket or purse. Try this charm to go along with it.

Snapdragon seeds in a pouch of blue,

I request your magick, my need is true.

Now protect me from hatred, send evil away,

Lord and Lady, bless and guide me each day.

Heliotrope
has the folk name of “cherry pie,” and was thought to grant the power of invisibility. If you plant this herb in the garden close to the area where you perform magick, it will help you to keep a low magickal profile. Your discreet magickal actions should pass unnoticed by those curious neighbors or your in-laws. (Of course, if you are lighting a huge bonfire and the coven is dancing around the backyard skyclad on Friday nights, I don't know how effective this will be.) Ahem. Anyway, try planting this perennial in the waning moon. As you add this herb to your gardens, intone the following:

Heliotrope was called cherry pie,

Help shield my magick from mundane eyes.

By the dark of the moon and power of the sun,

Grant me privacy and peace, an' let it harm none.

A decorative broom
adorned with ribbons, dried yarrow, and rosemary would be a excellent gift for a wedding or a handfasting. The herb yarrow was thought to have the power to keep a couple happily together for seven years. Rosemary signifies faithfulness and remembrance.

Place a clover
in your lover's shoe before they leave on a trip, and they will remain faithful during their absence.

Carry the flowers of the blue bachelor's buttons
'
 
in your pocket to draw success in love. (This is another example of a Venus flower hard at work.)

Keeping a few acorns
in your pocket is a charm for fertility, love, and attraction.

A blooming redbud tree
contains great magick. In areas of the Ozarks, it was once thought that to cut branches off a redbud while the tree was in bloom would call down extreme bad luck on yourself. Instead, try tying a ribbon on a blossoming branch as you make a wish.

Oak or rowan twigs
bound together with red thread into a solar cross or a pentagram will make a mighty protective talisman for the home, car, or in your desk or locker at work. I adapted this modern charm from an old English rhyme.

Oake
n
/Rowan twigs and strings of red,

Deflect all harm, gossip, and dread.

The lilac
is beloved by the faery kingdom. The fragrance of lilacs encourages clairvoyance and is a good aromatherapy scent for any type of psychic work. Try placing a vase of lilacs on your altar and repeat the following charm.

Fragrant lilac blooms are purple in hue,

The gift of second sight this scent grants you.

Sacred to the faeries this forever shall be,

Lady, open my heart and allow me to see.

Lilac
is a great fragrance to be used whether you are an old hand at the Tarot or trying to learn the cards for the first time. Lighting a purple, lilac-scented candle will also aid you in your psychic endeavors. It will help you to open up the third eye and receive psychic impressions more easily. Also, a drop or two of lilac oil in your bath water is a powerful way to clear yourself of any psychic residue that you may have picked up during the day.