Herb Magic for Beginners (10 page)

Garden Witchery: From Garden to Cauldron

Plant me a garden to heal the heart,
Balm for joy, and the sweet violet
Cowslip, pansies and chamomile
To ease the pain I want to forget.

—Elizabethan Herb Song

Lady’s Mantle

The planetary correspondence for the lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) is Venus, and the elemental correspondence is water. This gorgeous, part-shade-loving perennial makes a wonderful front-of-the-border specimen. At one time, lady’s mantle was used as a sort of natural pharmacy. It was often referred to as “a woman’s best friend,” and was utilized for menstrual problems. It was also valued for its wound-healing abilities, as it was believed to cause blood to clot more quickly.

This plant was thought to possess particular magical powers, as its pleated blue-green leaves collect dew and raindrops, and hold the drops so they look like quicksilver on the fuzzy surface. One of my favorite things to do with this garden plant is to collect and utilize the dewdrops that tremble in the center of the leaves. I just dip my fingers into the dewdrops and then touch the water to my forehead or onto a charm bag, for a little extra herbal enchantment.

The botanical name of this herb, Alchemilla, means “the little magical one,” and is the root for the word alchemy. The name lady’s mantle came from the shape of the leaves, which were thought to resemble a lady’s flowing cloak.

Tucking a soft, fuzzy leaf or two into a charm bag or herbal sachet would be a wonderful way to add some healing properties to the mix. You may work with either the leaves or the lime-green flowers that appear in the early summer.

Herbal Sachet for Healing

You may work this herbal spell on any day or during any moon phase. As mentioned before, if you are working for healing and you cast during a waxing moon, visualize that you are pulling positive energy toward you. If you cast during the waning moon, push the negativity and illness away. For this spell, you will need six healing herbs, some lady’s mantle foliage or flowers, and a green cloth sachet bag. (Make your own sachet bag, or try using one of those organza favor bags.)

Gather together six herbs of your choosing that bring comfort and promote good health. Then add the lady’s mantle foliage or flowers. Tie up the sachet bag, and knot the ribbon closed three times. Hold the sachet in your hands, and focus on the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Picture these energies spinning around you in a bright, glowing ring. Then repeat this charm:

Little magical one, add your power to this mix,
Any sickness or despair you will certainly nix.
I bless this sachet with the magic of land and sea,
Empowered by the air and fire, so mote it be.

Keep the herbal sachet on your person for one week. Then open the bag, say a quiet thank you to the elements, and neatly return the contents to nature. You may handwash the organza bag, allow it to air-dry, and then reuse it another time.

Feverfew

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) has the magical correspondences of the planet Venus and the element of water. This herb was known to the ancient Greeks, and supposedly acquired its name from the tale that a worker fell off the top of the Parthenon and survived. This herb was used in the treatment that saved the person’s life. The common name comes from the Latin words febris, which means “fever,” and fugure, which means “to chase away.”

The fifteenth-century herbalists used the fresh leaves of the feverfew to cure “swimming of the head”—in other words, migraines. The feverfew leaves are generally considered safe for consumption. However, I’d still be wary of possible side effects, such as an allergic reaction. I suggest growing this herb as an ornamental. Be safe and don’t doctor yourself, family, or friends with it.

Feverfew is a wonderful garden perennial. It makes huge masses of tiny, white, daisy-looking flowers that work well in floral arrangements. I use these dainty blossoms as filler in herbal bouquets, instead of baby’s breath. A mature feverfew plant makes hundreds of blossoms, and each of those flowers will drop lots of seeds—and will then reseed all over the place in your garden. To avoid this scenario, deadhead (trim) the flower heads off the plants as soon as they fade. These flowers are beautiful in bloom and are well worth the effort required to thin them out from all the babies they make.

Feverfew flowers mingle well in the garden with roses and lavender. One of my herb books states that feverfew “reseeds itself generously.” That’s an understatement. This flowering herb reseeds all over the place, so don’t be bashful about pulling up new plants, thinning them out, and moving them around. Feverfew blooms in late summer and again in early fall if you snip off the spent flower heads. This gardening chore is called deadheading.

Health Protection Charm: A Feverfew Spell

Carrying the blossoms of the feverfew wards of colds and flu. Try tucking a bit of this flowering herb into your hair, or pin it in your buttonhole, like a tiny corsage. Enchant the fresh flowers with this quick, little health-protection charm:

Tiny flowers, lovely and white,
Ward off colds and flu both day and night.

Chamomile

Chamaemelum nobile is sometimes referred to as “true” or Roman chamomile. This perennial type of chamomile creeps or grows low to the ground. On the other hand, German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is an annual plant that grows taller and is upright. Chamomile has the magical correspondences of the Sun and the element of water. When grown in a sunny garden, this plant has the ability to protect the home and its occupants.

Using prepackaged chamomile tea is a great way to work herb magic quickly and inexpensively. You can purchase prepackaged chamomile teas at most grocery stores. This comforting tea is popular for soothing frazzled nerves and helping induce sleep and dreaming. As with all pre-packaged herbal teas, consult your physician before using chamomile if you are pregnant or taking a prescription.

I do grow chamomile in my garden, and it always surprises me by reseeding itself in between the bricks in the front garden’s path. A brave little chamomile flower pops up here and there throughout the summer. I enjoy these delicate, apple-scented flowers for as long as they last (before one of my kids steps on them).

A little sea salt and a few fresh chamomile flowers may be added to your bath water to remove negativity, soothe the senses, and help you unwind after a long day. Please note that while chamomile is mild, it may irritate sensitive skin. Try a little test patch on the inside of your arm first. Make up a weak tea, and swab it on the inside of your elbow. Wait a few hours to see if there is any reaction—better to find out ahead of time than after you’ve soaked your whole body in the tub.

A Soothing Herbal Bath

Fill the tub with comfortably warm water, toss in a few fresh chamomile flowers, and stir in a teaspoon of sea salt. (The salt will open your pores and make you perspire—so don’t go overboard with it. It can cause you to become lightheaded.) Note: If you are pregnant or nursing, you will want to skip the herbs and the salt. Add a half cup of milk to the water instead, to soothe and soften the skin. Put the chamomile in a small vase nearby, and enjoy the sweet apple scent of these tiny flowers.

Next, lower yourself into the water, and repeat this charm:

Chamomile flowers added to a nice hot bath,
Bring relaxation and health that will surely last.
Add a pinch of salt to remove negativity,
May tranquility and beauty now swirl around me.

When the water cools or you finish your bath, dry off and slip into something comfy. To complete your indulgence, go do something you find relaxing. Take the afternoon or evening off. Sip a glass of wine or juice, read a good book, or listen to some soothing music. Claim this time as your own and just unwind, because you do deserve it.

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.

—John Quincy Adams

Chapter Five

Herb Magic for
Protection

Herbs are filled with positive magical energy, and they naturally ward off bad vibes, negativity, and manipulative magics. While you work with herbs for protection, remember that these plants will help negativity to literally “bounce” off you. So, the next logical questions are, just where is all this negativity bouncing to? And what do you do about it?

Well, you have some options. Some of these options you may like, but others you may find not to your taste. So here they are. You can return negative energy to its sender. (Some folks don’t have a problem with this, but others will be up in arms at my mentioning it.) Or, you can ask for the universe to absorb it harmlessly. I know one clever Witch who takes bad luck or negative energy and then transforms it into something positive. Finally, you could drive the negativity away and then safely dissolve it. It is completely up to you.

Obviously, the conscientious magic user is not going to want to purposely harm another, even with a boomerang-type of situation, so I think the “drive it away, then make it dissolve” scenario is the best way to go. And in case you’re wondering, that’s what I typically do.

While working protective magic, the three best lunar phases to work in are the full moon, for more power; the waning moon, to make the problem shrink and dissolve; and the dark of the moon, for banishing really intense situations. The best day of the week for protection magic is Saturday. Saturday is associated with Saturn, a god of karma and time. Plus, this is the final day of the week, and you can neatly tap into that day’s energies to bring the negative situation to an end. The astrological symbol for Saturn is
, and it could be added into most of these herbal charms and spells for protection. Or, if you want to banish fear and have a sort of spiritual-warrior mindset, you could incorporate the symbol for Mars (g), and pull in some passion and bravery.

The most important thing to remember while working protection magic is to not let your fears get the best of you. Dig down deep, grab hold of your courage with both hands, and work your herb magic to create positive change.

Protection Spells from the Spice Rack

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.

—Mark Twain

Anise

The magical correspondences for anise (Pimpinella anisum) are the planet Mars and the element of fire. This annual herb is easy to grow from seed in a sunny location. When this plant reaches maturity, it stands about twenty inches in height and resembles a sort of spindly Queen Anne’s lace. Its leaves are rounded at the base and narrow at the stem. The flowers are small, white, starlike clusters, described in most herb books as “umbels.” The fruit follows the flowering, and it is the dried fruit or the seeds that are used in cooking. Anise is a popular spice is East Indian cooking. It is often used to flavor sweets, liquors, and fruit dishes.

This licorice-scented herb is used for protection. Placing fresh anise leaves in a room will remove negativity and drive away evil. When the leaves are positioned in a bedroom, they banish nightmares. If you like the scent, try tucking the leaves or seeds into a dream pillow.

Anise seeds may be cast on the ground to create a magic circle of protection. Also, the foliage or seeds may be carried or tucked into herbal sachets or charm bags for security and to prevent the evil eye.

Sachet Bag for Protection and Pleasant Dreams

To link all of the magical correspondences together, create this sachet bag and perform this spell on a Tuesday. This Mars day brings bravery and the courage to face your fears. Choose a scarlet-red color for the fabric of the sachet or the ribbons to fasten it closed. Draw the symbol for Mars (
) on the outside of the sachet bag with a permanent marker. Then, carefully add the anise seeds and/or fresh leaves to the bag. Once the anise is contained inside the sachet, enchant the bag for protection using this simple charm:

Tiny anise seeds have a distinct, powerful scent,
Tied up in a bag of red, evil they will prevent.
I am protected and safe, both night and day,
All with the help of a bewitching sachet.

You can carry this sachet bag with you in your pocket or purse, or set it on your nightstand, or tuck it under your pillow to ensure pleasant dreams.

Please note: The scent will be strong, so make sure you enjoy the smell of anise before you try to sleep with it under your pillow.

Sweet Bay

Sweet bay (Laurus nobilis) has the planetary correspondence of the Sun. Its elemental association is fire. This solar herb of purification was sacred to the sun god Apollo. The fragrant branches were once incorporated into a chaplet or wreath that was worn around the head. Apollo was depicted as wearing a wreath of bay, and in ancient times, his devotees did the same. Greek and Roman scholars, poets, and victorious soldiers wore this fragrant herb as well.

The bay leaf was employed as a strewing herb, and was often burned in homes, as the smoke was believed to fight off infection and help keep insects away. A bay leaf will protect its bearer from negativity and evil.

Bay can be grown in a pot as a small clipped plant, like a topiary, or in warmer climates it can be grown as a tree. According to herbal tradition, no negative magic, thunder, or lightning could ever harm a person in a place where a bay tree was planted. Today, culinary bay leaves are often added to beef, stews, soups, and chili to enhance the flavor of these dishes. They can also be added to a magical herbalist’s spells for protection.

Bay Leaf Spell to Keep Ghosts and Negativity at Bay

Yes, I will admit it, that was a shameless play on words. It’s okay to chuckle while you learn about herb magic. Sometimes having a sense of humor and a light heart is the best protection magic anyone could possibly conjure.

Now, to employ a touch of bay leaf magic in your life, burn the fragrant leaves to banish negativity, ghosts, and poltergeists. The best day of the week for this type of magic would be Sunday, to tap into the solar aspects of the herb, or Tuesday, for passion and courage, and to link to a warrior type of energy. Or you could work on Saturday—the best day of the week for banishings—to really do some ghost busting. Since bay is associated with fire, a touch of fire magic works well here. Place the dried bay leaf in a fireproof dish, a small metal cauldron, or even a terra-cotta plant saucer.

To begin, hold the leaf in your hand, and name it for the problem by saying, “This bay leaf represents the negativity” (or represents the ghosts, etc.). Then place it in the fireproof dish and set it aflame with a lighter or match. Repeat this charm as the leaf burns away:

By the power of fire this leaf burns away,
Spirits are banished, trouble is removed today.

Bay Leaf Spell to Promote Courage

For this enchantment, the timing would be the same as the first bay leaf spell. To promote courage and protection, you may write a wish on a bay leaf and then burn it for good luck. (I suggest using a felt-tipped pen, so you won’t tear the leaf.) Try this bay leaf charm to encourage those fortunate and positive qualities in your life:

I write my wishes on a bay leaf so green,
Send courage and protection quickly to me.
As the leaf burns away, this spell is begun,
By the powers of fire and the bright sun.

When the ashes are cool, take them outside, close your eyes, and then blow the ashes gently away to the winds.

Dill

Dill (Anethum graveolens) is an annual herb aligned with the planet Mercury and the element of fire. Dill is a fun herb to grow in the home garden or in pots and containers in a sunny location. It grows over two feet in height and is a wonderful accent plant in the middle of a container full of magical herbs. This herb is a lovely shade of green and has feathery, threadlike foliage. It bears yellow flowers in late summer to early fall. In medieval times, dill seeds were chewed to relieve hunger pains and as a breath freshener. Dill was used to flavor vinegars and as a pickling spice, and it seasoned many a culinary dish, such as fish, salads, and sauces.

Dill was used by ancient peoples in Egypt, Greece, and Italy. The Egyptians first used this as a medicinal herb 5,000 years ago, and the Romans and Greeks grew this herb in their own kitchen gardens. Dill grew wild in Britain in Saxon times, and on an interesting note, the name dill comes from the Anglo-Saxon word dylle, which means “to lull or soothe.”

According to some of the oldest herbals, dill was used in magic for love potions, and was hung in bunches to promote protection and prosperity in the home. For example, dill was hung above a baby’s bed for protection. This herb was a magical “big gun,” as folks believed that it could repel even the most evil of spells and curses. Today, the fragrant flower heads may be tucked into charm bags and herbal sachets to promote clear thinking, security, and safety.

A Triple Goddess Herbal Warding Spell

For the biggest magical punch, work this spell on the full moon. If you can’t wait that long, try a Tuesday, to invoke courage and defense, or a Saturday, for protection and banishing. Once you have the bag filled, you will be placing or hanging the sachet by the main entrance to your home to prevent bad luck or negativity from entering. This type of magic is referred to as warding. Warding means that you are setting in place a sort of magical alarm system that will alert you to anyone or anything that tries to enter uninvited into your home.

You will need the following supplies:

• A few tablespoons of dill, for protection and to denote a magical safe house

• A few leaves of St. John’s wort, for protection against enchantment

• A three-leaf clover, for good luck and because it is a triple-goddess symbol

• A tablespoon of dried vervain, to make the spell “go” (dried vervain can be found at most metaphysical shops)

• A 6-inch square of red fabric

• 12 inches each of red, white, and black satin ribbons

Combine the four herbal ingredients, and place in the center of the fabric. Gather up the sides, and tie the bundle closed with the red, white, and black ribbons for protection, and to invoke the Triple Goddess. If you really want to personalize this spell, you could draw with a black marker or even embroider on the red fabric the triple-moon symbol (
). This will help link the herb magic back to the Triple Goddess, and will empower the herbs even more. Knot the ribbons closed three times, saying: