Herb Magic for Beginners

Ellen Dugan, also known as the Garden Witch, is a psychic-clairvoyant who lives in Missouri with her husband and three children. A practicing Witch for over twenty years, Ellen also has many years of nursery and garden center experience, including landscape and garden design. She received her Master Gardener status through the University of Missouri and her local county extension office. Look for other articles by Ellen in Llewellyn’s annual Magical Almanac, Witches’ Calendar, Witches’ Datebook, and Witches’ Spell-A-Day Almanac. Visit her website at: www.ellendugan.com

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Herb Magic for Beginners: Down-to-Earth Enchantments
© 2006 by Ellen Dugan.

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First e-book edition © 2010

E-book ISBN: 9780738716992

Cover images by Elizabeth Dowle © Quarto, Inc.

Cover design by Adrienne W. Zimiga

Edited by Andrea Neff

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Note about Herbs

The herbs listed in this book are to be used in charms and spells. They are not intended to treat medical problems. Also, if you have sensitive skin, wear gardening gloves while gathering the plants. Some lovely garden herbs, like heliotrope, can cause skin irritation. Keep poison-control information in a handy spot, just in case. The National Poison Control hotline number (for adults and children) is 1-800-222-1222. Bottom line: use common sense. Be aware that anything can cause an allergic reaction. If you are not sure what the herb is, leave it alone, and for Goddess’ sake, don’t eat it!

In no way is this material a substitute for trained medical or psychological care. This book is intended to be used by stable, mature adults seeking personal awareness and transformation. All herbal formulas are given for historic understanding and reference. No herbal formula should be consumed unless specifically stated. Herbs and herbal formulas that are potentially toxic are stated, and the author and publisher assume no responsibility for those who consume such preparations in any dose. People with allergies or sensitive skin should take caution when using herbal remedies. Do not take any herb or herbal preparation without direct consultation from a qualified health care provider.

He who knows what sweets and virtues are in the ground,
the waters, the plants, the heavens, and how to come at these
enchantments, is the rich and royal man.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction
: Going Back to My Magical Roots

Chapter One
What Is Herb Magic?

Chapter Two
Herb Magic Secrets: Timing, Terms, and Tools of the Trade

Chapter Three
Herb Magic for Love and Happiness

Chapter Four
Herb Magic for Well-Being and Comfort

Chapter Five
Herb Magic for Protection

Chapter Six
Herb Magic for Prosperity

Chapter Seven
Writing Your Own Herbal Spells and Charms

Appendix

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

Thanks to all of the friends and relatives, too numerous to mention, who bring me old gardening and antique herb books because they figured I could use them eventually—and I usually do. To Paula, Gwen, Heather, Nicole, and Colleen, who put up with me when I need to bounce ideas off of them.

A very special thank you to Sandy, who unselfishly turned me loose in her library and allowed me to borrow her herb books. To Christopher, for the good advice and great tips for reference materials, and most importantly for reminding me to write about “what I teach and what I love.”

Thanks to Natalie Harter and Nancy Mostad, in Llewellyn’s acquisitions department, for asking if I would be interested in this project to begin with.

Also, a long overdue thanks goes to Scott Killpack, the head cheese of the local University Outreach and Extension Center and of my Master Gardeners. Thanks, Scott, for the cheerful and on-the-spot responses to any plant question I couldn’t find the answer to.

Lastly, thanks to my husband, Ken, and our three children, Kraig, Kyle, and Erin. I love you guys!

Though leaves are many, the root is one . . .

—William Butler Yeats

Introduction

Going Back to My
Magical Roots

When I first decided to write a book on the topic of herb magic for beginners, I wasn’t really sure where to begin. I stalled and procrastinated for a time, and then made up my mind to take a look back at my own beginnings, hoping for a little inspiration. Perhaps if I took a trip to my past and went back to my Witchy roots, I would find the motivation I needed. So, I pulled out my oldest books and notes and had a wonderful time sentimentally leafing through my first magical journal, or Book of Shadows. There, in a three-ring binder on loose-leaf notebook paper, was the record of my first herbal research, and magical experiences.

As I flipped through my journal and through the battered pages of my earliest books, I felt a quiet glow of contentment inside of me. Some of my first magical books (which were all, oddly enough, on herb magic) continue to be my favorites today, even though these paperback reference materials are showing the signs of being well used for almost twenty years. A few of my books are so well loved that the pages fall out if you open them too wide, and the edges of the covers are dog-eared and worn from countless openings and closings. While newer editions with snazzier covers are available, I would never consider trading mine in. For there are memories here . . . magical ones.

This trip down memory lane helped me recall that first rush of wonder and enthusiasm I felt for the topic of magical herbs and plants. It also offered me a little insight into myself and how I have evolved as both a Witch and a woman. On one rainy October afternoon, I rediscovered how truly exciting and awesome it is to learn about a magical topic for the first time. I felt that little spark that writers feel when they suddenly know how to turn an idea into a book. My inspiration came from my old journals, where I found aged, pressed leaves of various herbs tucked in the handwritten pages, and my children’s sweet, crayon-colored drawings from when they were small. I sat and chuckled at my earliest attempts at composing my own herbal spells, and at how truly horrific and melodramatic some of the rhymes and charms were. But, being a Virgo, I had kept track of all the results, and bad prose or not, my herbal spells had garnered results, every time.

As I went to put the journal away, a pressed leaf fluttered to the floor. I scooped it up and found that it was a preserved sage leaf. The aroma was faint, but it made me chuckle at the very appropriate symbolism. For this is the herb used to promote wisdom, and I knew absolutely that it was time for me to reawaken my herbal knowledge—to breathe some new life into herb folklore and plant wisdom, and to share it with others.

I admit that I have a passion for the natural world and a love affair with green, growing things. The very word
herb
has always seemed to me to be a fascinating one. After all, there is something mysterious about herbs, and their uses, aromas, tastes, and textures. Their histories and folklores are captivating, and for many Witches the topic of magical herbalism is an irresistible one. The late author Scott Cunningham called magical herbalism “the secret craft of the wise.” While I don’t really think it’s so much a
secret
these days, it is an important part of our magical heritage. Let’s get back to our roots and study this topic from a fresh perspective.

It is my hope that this book for beginners will inspire other magic users with the same rush of wonder, mystery, and enchantment that herbs have always invoked in me. Open your heart and connect to the earth. Respect the power and energies of the many bewitching herbal plants and trees. Magic is in everything, all around you. It takes only an open mind and an accepting heart to discover it.