Wicca (21 page)

Anoint the altar with this oil at regular intervals to purify and empower it.

*
This is the best recipe I’ve been able to find.Most of the other published ones taste foul. Purists who worry about the inclusion of sugar in this recipe needn’t. It’s ritually related to Venus and has a long magical history.

An Herbal Grimoire
A guide to the use of herbs and plants in Wiccan ritual

Of Gathering Flowers, Herbs, and Plants

Before cutting with the white-handled knife, attune with the plant through visualization. Feel its energies.As you cut, say these or similar words:

O little plant of
(name, such as hyssop, etc.)

I ask that you give of your bounty that it may aid me in my work.

Grow stronger by my stroke, stronger and more powerful,

O plant of
(name)
!

If it is a tree, substitute the appropriate word (tree of oak). Gently cut only what you need, and never from very young plants or more than 25 percent of the growth.At the base of the plant, leave an offering: a silver coin, a bright jewel, a bit of wine or milk, grain, a quartz crystal, and so on. Cover the offering and it is done.

Of the Circle

The magic circle may be fashioned with garlands of flowers sacred to the Goddess and God. Alternately, flowers can be scattered around the perimeter of the circle.

The point stones may be ringed with fresh flowers and herbs suitable to the elements, such as:

North:
corn, cypress, fern, honeysuckle, wheat, vervain
East:
acacia, bergamot, clover, dandelion, lavender, lemon grass, mint, mistletoe, parsley, pine

South:
basil, carnation, cedar, chrysanthemum, dill, ginger, heliotrope, holly, juniper, marigold, peppermint
West:
apple blossoms, lemon balm, camellia, catnip, daffodil, elder, gardenia, grape, heather, hibiscus, jasmine, orchid

Fresh flowers may be present on the altar or, if none are available, greens such as ferns may be used.

When casting the circle around a tree, you can use the fruit, leaves, nuts, or flowers of that tree to mark out the circle, if desired.

All of these can be used in addition to the cord and stones.

Of the Balefire

If you wish to build a fire for an outdoor ritual, it can be composed of all or any combination of the following woods:

Apple

Cedar

Dogwood

Juniper

Mesquite

Oak

Pine

Poplar

Rowan

If these are unavailable, use native woods. Rites performed on the seashore can be illuminated with balefires of dried driftwood collected prior to the rite.

Of the Home Circle

Magical plants growing outside the home in containers can be placed around the circle or on the altar during ritual. If you primarily work indoors, choose an odd-numbered selection of sacred plants and grow these in your ritual area. If they need more sunlight, simply move them outdoors and bring inside during ritual. Give them energy and love, and they’ll aid you in your worship and magic.

Though any but poisonous plants can be used, such plants as these are recommended:

African violets

Red geraniums

Cacti (all types)

Ferns (all types)

Holly

Hyssop

Palms (all types)

Rose

Rose geranium

Rosemary

Ti
(Cord yline terminalis)

Wax plant
(Hoya carnosa)

Of the Celebrant

Wear fresh flowers and herbs in your hair and on your body, if you prefer, during the rites. Crowns or chaplets of flowers are always appropriate for spring and summer rites. Wear oak and pine during the winter rituals.

You may wish to wear a necklace of herbs and seeds, such as tonka beans, whole nutmegs, star anise, acorns, and other seeds and nuts, strung on a natural fiber. Strings of small pine cones may also be worn.

For full moon rituals held at night, wear night-blooming, fragrant flowers to suffuse yourself with lunar energies.

Of the Tools

These are suggestions for dedicating the tools prior to their first use or formal consecration, if any. Perform these with proper visualization and ritual intent.

The Magic Knife or Sword

Rub the blade with fresh basil, rosemary, or oak leaves, at sunrise, outdoors where you will not be disturbed or seen. Lay the sword or knife on the ground with its point to the south. Walk clockwise around it thrice, scattering bay leaves (preferably fresh) over it. Take up the sword or knife, stand facing east and, holding it upward but with arms lowered, invoke the God to infuse your knife or sword with his strength. Point it to the sky, invoking the Goddess to charge your blade with her love and power.

Wrap your knife or sword in red cloth and take it home. It may be stored in the cloth, if desired.

The White-Handled Knife

Early in the morning, go to a forest (or park, garden, or your indoor garden). Choose the most beautiful and vibrant plants. Touch the point of the white-handled knife gently to these in turn, forging a connection between your knife and the plants (and, thusly, the earth).

Next, sit on the earth. Ensuring that you are quite alone, draw a pentagram with the white-handled knife’s point on the ground. It is done.

The Wand

If the wand is of wood, take it outdoors at sunset and rub it with fresh lavender, eucalyptus, or mint leaves. Raise it in the air toward the east (or the moon, if it is visible) and invoke the Goddess. At sunrise, take it again outdoors, rub with the fresh, fragrant leaves, and invoke the God by raising it to the east.

The Pentacle

Place the pentacle on bare earth. Lay upon it dried parsley, patchouli, mistletoe, or fresh jasmine or honeysuckle flowers. Sit before it facing north for several seconds, visualizing the pentacle absorbing the earth’s energies. Then pick it up and scatter the herbs or flowers to the four quarters, beginning and ending in the north.

If this must be done indoors, fill a small dish with fresh earth and place the pentacle on this. Proceed as above, saving the herbs or flowers to be scattered outdoors at a later time.

The Ceriser

Fume pure rosemary, frankincense, or copal within the censer prior to its first use. Do this for about an hour.

The Cauldron

Take the cauldron to a stream, river, lake, or ocean. Gather the leaves of some plants growing nearby (at the sea, perhaps seaweed). Dip the cauldron into the water to fill it. Place the leaves in the cauldron, then set it on the water’s edge where it is on both water and sand. Place your hands on the cauldron and dedicate it to the Goddess in any words you like. Empty and dry the cauldron, and return home. The charge has been made.

If performed inside, place the cauldron in a large basin of water or the bathtub, in a candle-lit room. Add a bit of salt to the water, which should be cold. Proceed as above.

Salt water corrodes metal. Thoroughly wash the cauldron after immersion in sea or salt water.

The Cup

Anoint the base with gardenia, rose, or violet oil and fill with pure spring water. Then set afloat a sprig of ivy, a small rose, a fresh gardenia, or some other appropriate flower or herb. Gaze into the cup and invoke the Goddess to bless it. You might also wish to take it outside at night, filled with water, and catch the moon’s reflection within it.

The Broom

It can be fashioned from an ash staff, birch twigs, and a willow binding. Brush the broom with chamomile, willow, lemon balm, elder, or mallow stalks and branches, then bury these with due solemnity.You might also wish to carve a crescent moon upon its handle.

The Crystal

On the night of a full moon, rub the sphere with fresh (or dried) mugwort, then take it outside. Hold it up so that it drinks in the light and energies of the moon. Gaze at the moon through the crystal by holding it before your eyes. Repeat at least thrice yearly for the best benefits.

The Book of Shadows

Sew into the cover of the Book of Shadows leaves of the sacred herbs vervain, rue, bay, willow, or others, if you wish. They should be well-dried and secretly placed by the light of the moon. The covers of the Book of Shadows should, of course, be covered with cloth for this purpose.

The Robe

If you choose to wear one, lay it among sachets filled with lavender, vervain, and cedar when not in use. Sew a bit of rosemary or frankincense into the hem while fashioning it, if desired (and if any resulting stains won’t show after washing).

Of the Herbs of the Sabbats

To be used as decorations on the altar, around the circle, in the home.

Samhain

Chrysanthemum, wormwood, apples, pears, hazel, thistle, pomegranates, all grains, harvested fruits and nuts, the pumpkin, and corn.

Yule

Holly, misteletoe, ivy, cedar, bay, juniper, rosemary, pine. Place offerings of apples, oranges, nutmegs, lemons, and whole cinnamon sticks on the Yule tree.

Imbolc

Snowdrop, rowan, the first flowers of the year.

Ostara

Daffodil, woodruff, violet, gorse, olive, peony, iris, narcissus; all spring flowers.

Beltane

Hawthorn, honeysuckle, St. John’s wort, woodruff; all flowers.

Midsummer

Mugwort, vervain, chamomile, rose, lily, oak, lavender, ivy, yarrow, fern, elder, wild thyme, daisy, and carnation.

Lughnasadh

All grains, grapes, heather, blackberries, sloe, crab apples, and pears.

Mabon

Hazel, corn, aspen, acorns, oak sprigs, autumn leaves, wheat stalks, cypress cones, pine cones, and harvest gleanings.

Of the Herbs and Plants
of Full Moon Rituals

Place upon the altar all nocturnal, white or five-petaled flowers such as the white rose, night-blooming jasmine, carnation, gardenia, cereus, lily, iris; all pleasingly scented flowers that shall call forth the Goddess. Camphor is also symbolic.

Of Offerings

To the Goddess

All watery and earthy flowers and seeds such as camellia, lily, water lily, willow stalks; those flowers used in full moon rituals; white or purple blooms such as hyacinth, magnolia, heather, and lilac; sweet-scented herbs and flowers; those dedicated to Venus or to the moon; rue, ver-vain, and olive; or others that seem suitable.

To the God

All fiery and airy herbs and flowers such as basil, chrysanthemum, snapdragon, clover, lavender, pine; strongly scented, clean, or citrusy herbs and flowers; those ruled by Mars or the sun; yellow or red blooms such as sunflower, pine cones, seeds, cacti, thistles, and stinging herbs; orange, heliotrope, cedar, juniper, and so on.

Of the Sacred Herbs of the Goddesses

Aphrodite:
olive, cinnamon, daisy, cypress, quince, orris (iris), apple,myrtle

Aradia:
rue, vervain

Artemis:
silver fir, amaranth, cypress, cedar, hazel,myrtle, willow, daisy,mugwort, date palm

Astarte:
alder, pine, cypress,myrtle, juniper

Athena:
olive, apple

Bast:
catnip, vervain

Bellona:
belladonna

Brigit:
blackberry

Cailleach:
wheat

Cardea:
hawthorn, bean, arbutus

Ceres:
willow, wheat, bay, pomegranate, poppy, leek, narcissus

Cybele:
oak,myrrh, pine

Demeter:
wheat, barley, pennyroyal,myrrh, rose, pomegranate, bean, poppy, all cultivated crops

Diana:
birch, willow, acacia, wormwood, dittany, hazel, beech, fir, apple,mugwort, plane,mulberry, rue

Druantia:
fir

Freya:
cowslip, daisy, primrose, maidenhair,myrrh, strawberry, mistletoe

Hathor:
myrtle, sycamore, grape, mandrake, coriander, rose

Hecate:
willow, henbane, aconite, yew, mandrake, cyclamen, mint, cypress, date palm, sesame, dandelion, garlic, oak, onion

Hekat:
cypress

Hera:
apple, willow, orris, pomegranate,myrrh

Hina:
bamboo

Hulda:
flax, rose, hellebore, elder

Irene:
olive

Iris:
wormwood, iris

Ishtar:
acacia, juniper, all grains

Isis:
fig, heather, wheat, wormwood, barley,myrrh, rose, palm, lotus, persea, onion, iris, vervain

Juno:
lily, crocus, asphodel, quince, pomegranate, vervain, iris, lettuce, fig, mint

Kerridwen:
vervain, acorns

Minerva:
olive,mulberry, thistle

Nefer-tum
: lotus

Nepthys:
myrrh, lily

Nuit:
sycamore

Olwen:
apple

Persephone:
parsley, narcissus, willow, pomegranate

Rhea:
myrrh, oak

Rowen:
clover, rowen

Venus:
cinnamon, daisy, elder, heather, anemone, apple, poppy, violet, marjoram, maidenhair fern, carnation, aster, vervain, myrtle, orchid, cedar, lily, mistletoe, pine, quince

Vesta:
oak

Of the Sacred Herbs of the Gods

Adonis:
myrrh, corn, rose, fennel, lettuce, white heather

Aesculapius:
bay,mustard

Ajax:
delphinium

Anu:
tamarisk

Apollo:
leek, hyacinth, heliotrope, cornel, bay, frankincense, date palm, cypress

Attis:
pine, almond

Ares:
buttercup

Bacchus:
grape, ivy, fig, beech, tamarisk

Baldur:
St. John’s wort, daisy

Bran:
alder, all grains

Cupid:
cypress, sugar, white violet, red rose

Dagda:
oak

Dianus:
fig

Dionysus:
fig, apple, ivy, grape, pine, corn, pomegranate, toadstools,mushrooms, fennel, all wild and cultivated trees