Herb Magic for Beginners (7 page)

Violet and Lavender Sachet for Desire

Create this charm bag during a waxing moon. Work on a Friday, for love, or a Tuesday, to increase passion. Use a sheer pink favor bag, or make your own with plain pink fabric and pink ribbons. If you don’t want to work with pink fabrics, try a dark purple for passion and power. Or how about red for lust and love? It’s up to you. Don’t be bashful about putting your own spin on things!

Fill the bag with a half cup of dried lavender buds, and tuck in six fresh, tiny violet blossoms. (If wild violets are out of season, you may substitute these with a few blossoms from a blooming African violet house plant.) Then knot the bag closed and charge the sachet with your positive intentions. Hold the sachet bag in your hands, and repeat the following spell three times:

With lavender buds and sweet violet blooms,
Aphrodite, please hear this Witch’s tune.
Now stir up some passion, and heighten desire,
And merrily off to bed we’ll soon retire.

Take the sachet bag and tuck it under your bed, hang it from the headboard, or set it neatly on your nightstand. At the risk of sounding like a mom, don’t forget to practice safe sex while setting the stage for this enchanted evening! Close the spell with these lines:

For the good of all, bringing harm to no one,
May this herbal spell bring passion and fun.

Herbal Trees for Love

I am a willow of the wilderness,
Loving the wind that bent me.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

White Willow

This tree (Salix alba) corresponds with the moon and the element of water. This elemental association makes perfect sense, as willows typically like growing near the water. The willow tree may reach up to eighty feet in height, and the bark of the white willow has been utilized for centuries for its fever-reducing and pain-relieving properties. There are several Greek deities associated with the willow tree, including Artemis, Ceres, Hecate, Hera, Mercury, Persephone, and also the Greek sorceress Circe, who was a priestess of Hecate.

Willow leaves and twigs are often worked into love-promoting charms and spells. A small branch of willow would make a wonderful wand for use in any moon magic and, of course, for love spells. According to herbal folklore, artists, mystics, poets, and other wise folks would sit and meditate, write, or draw under the draping branches of the willow tree to revitalize themselves and to help gain a touch of divine inspiration.

Feeling down in the dumps, or a little blue? Sometimes the best thing we can do is to work for a loving relationship with ourselves. After all, if you are miserable with yourself, it’s pretty tough to attract anything or anyone positive to you. Why not work with the power of the willow and bless yourself with a little happiness and self-love? Here is an old, reliable Witch’s spell that is also a fun type of magic to perform with a group.

Willow Knot Spell

To have your spell wish granted, you are to stand under the graceful branches of the willow on the night of a full moon. Blow a kiss to the moon and state your wish out loud, as you gently tie a loose knot in one of the supple branches. Then, while gazing up at the rising moon, repeat this verse:

Under the Lady’s moon, shining so bright,
Willow tree, hear my request on this night.
In this willow tree, I now leave a marker,
Grant me love and happiness, and bring much laughter.

Close the spell with these standard Craft lines:

By all the power of three times three,
And as I will it, so mote it be.

Sugar Maple

The sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is also an herbal tree. It is associated with the planet Jupiter and the element of air. The sugar maple tree is famous for its leaves’ gorgeous autumn colors and, naturally, the sap that is boiled and reduced into delicious maple syrup. When it comes to magic, the leaves of the maple tree can be added to any charm or spell when you need to “sweeten up” a situation or even another person. Now, before you start wondering about manipulation, hear me out.

We all have to deal with unpleasant co-workers, neighbors, in-laws, relatives, and other people. Adding maple leaves to your herbal charms only improves things, by smoothing over bad feelings. It gently fine-tunes a few cranky attitudes, but it doesn’t radically change the other person. It only takes the edge off that person’s nastiness.

So what this means is you have to put forth some effort, too. You will need to be considerate and kind to the person as well. As with many other things, you’ll get out of this herbal charm what you are willing to put into it.

A Quick Maple Leaf Charm

This quick charm may be cast during a waxing moon, to attract more kindness and compassion into your life. Or in a pinch, you could work this during a waning moon, to help remove and dissipate those hard feelings. The only supplies you need are a few fallen maple leaves and your intentions.

Go outside at sunset, and gather up a handful of maple leaves. Silently turn and face the western direction. This quarter is associated with emotions and love, so we’d like to tap in to that. Now close your eyes and visualize the problematic person. Visualize all the negativity and stress you’ve built up worrying about the situation draining away and back into the earth. Gently, close your hands around the leaves, and empower them with your good will. Call the person by name and say out loud:

As I stand under a sunset sky,
There is now peace between you and I.

Cast the leaves to the breeze, and let them float to the ground. Now turn and walk confidently home.

Garden Witchery: From Garden to Cauldron

There’s rosemary and rue; these keep
Seeming and savor all the winter long.
Grace and remembrance be to you.

—Shakespeare,
A Winter’s Tale

Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is classified as a tender perennial, and has the planetary association of the Sun and the elemental correspondence of fire. Rosemary grows in the spring as a small, dense evergreen shrub with soft needlelike leaves and tiny blue flowers. This fragrant herb is a fabulous fresh ingredient for cooking—especially with soups, vegetables, venison, pork, and poultry. Rosemary comes in many enchanting varieties, but keep in mind that it will not survive harsh, cold winters.

If a rosemary plant has winter protection, it might have a chance. I have a huge rosemary plant in an unprotected area of my herb garden that, to my amazement, has managed to survive three midwestern winters so far. I mulch around the base with fallen leaves and leave it alone. I always wonder if it will survive the next year’s snow and ice. This will be year four, and only time will tell.

Rosemary is one of my favorite Witchy herbs, and has a wonderful piny fragrance. Rosemary was a favored herb of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Because of its coastal growth habitat, it picked up the folk name “dew of the sea.” It’s rumored that the Greeks wore garlands of rosemary around their heads to help improve their memory. Also, since this herb symbolized remembrance, it was often incorporated into the flowers and herbs used at funerals.

In the old days, rosemary was popularly utilized as a decoration in weddings. The bride wove fresh sprigs into her chaplet, or tucked the green stems into her bouquet. The groom also wore a sprig of rosemary, in sort of an early version of the boutonnière. Also, it was traditional to hand out sprigs of the herb to the wedding guests. Herbal folklore tells us to tie the stems of these herbal wedding favors with a golden ribbon.

A modern option would be to place small potted plants of rosemary on the reception tables. Tie on a gold bow for decoration, and leave a note telling your guests the folklore of the herb and that they should take a plant home with them. This way, all who attended the wedding will be blessed with the vitality of this herb of the sun, and will be granted sweet memories of the couple’s special day.

Rosemary Spell for a Wedding Day to Remember

If you’d like to try this herbal blessing for your wedding reception, gather all your pots of rosemary together before placing them on the tables. Hold your hands over the plants, and quietly repeat this charm three times:

The charming rosemary has a fragrant bouquet.
Bring joy and sweet memories to our special day.

Columbine

The columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris), like so many other herbs in this chapter, is associated with the planet Venus and the element of water. This shady garden perennial is simple to grow and will hybridize easily with other colors and varieties of columbines. I planted a yellow and red columbine next to a purple one in my garden, and the new color variations they have produced are wonderful.

Historically, columbine carries the reputation of attracting love. Some antique herbal spells call for carrying the seeds on your person to achieve this result. I strongly advise against working with the seeds of the columbine, as they are toxic. The seeds contain hydrocyanic acid, and could have dire consequences if ingested by a child. Let’s just avoid the whole problem; for safety’s sake, I suggest working with the lovely multicolored blossoms instead.

Interestingly, this flower is associated with several birds. The botanical name for columbine, Aquilegia, is taken from the Latin word for eagle. This is due to the “spurs” of the flowers that somewhat resemble the talons of an eagle. An old Anglo-Saxon name for columbine is culverwort, which translates to “pigeon plant.” Other plant folklore links this flowering herb to the dove, which was a sacred bird to the Greco-Roman goddess of love, Aphrodite/Venus.

Wings of a Dove: A Columbine Spell for Romance

If you’d like to bring a touch of herbal romance into your life, try working with the columbine blossoms. Refer to the list of colors in the section “Candle Colors and Magic” on pages 39–40, and match the color of the blossoms to your intent. Arrange the blossoms in a small vase, and set them in a place of prominence where you are sure to see them every day. Or, just leave the plants growing in the garden and work with them right where they are.

Columbine, colorful flower of love,
Speed my request on the wings of a dove.
Send to me romance, and one who will love me best.
May the goddess of love smile upon my request.

If you worked with columbine flowers in a vase, keep them until they start to fade. Then return them neatly to nature by adding them to a compost pile.

Yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a beloved Witches’ garden plant. Yarrow, too, is associated with the planet Venus and the element of water. This perennial is easy to find at local garden centers or nurseries and will do well in most sunny beds. Try some this year in your garden! Yarrow has historically been used in many of the wise folks’ spells and charms. This is an herb that has links to the great Mother Goddess, and symbolizes maternal love.

Carrying yarrow blossoms in your pocket will attract a new love to you. Yarrow is often worked into love divinations. It has a reputation for keeping a married couple happily together for seven years, which earned it the folk name “seven years’ love.” Smelling the fragrance of yarrow blossoms is supposed to alleviate fears, remove glamours, and allow you to see events and situations more clearly.

Please note: If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves while handling this plant, as yarrow can cause contact dermatitis (a mild rash). Yarrow, if taken internally, can make the skin sensitive to sunlight. Yarrow should be avoided by pregnant and nursing women.

Historically, yarrow was rumored to stop a nosebleed, and was in addition called “wound wort.” The plant takes its Latin name from Achilles, who was said to have learned about its medicinal uses from the centaur Chiron. Achilles was thought to have used this herb to dress his soldiers’ wounds during the Trojan War.

There are lots of varieties and colors of yarrow, including one of my favorite cultivars, ‘Moonshine.’ This is a gorgeous and sturdy blooming herb with flat, golden-yellow flowers that hold their shape and color for a long time in the perennial garden. Once the flower has finished its bloom cycle, you can deadhead the plant and it will reward you with another, smaller bloom cycle in the fall.

Yarrow is a favorite blooming herb for women, Witches, and magical herbalists due to its easy growing habits and long-lasting blossoms, and the fact that its blossoms are all-purpose herbal flowers. The easy-to-dry flowers hold their color well and can be worked into lots of arts and crafts projects, or they can be stored neatly in a sealed jar for future spellwork.

If you’d like to begin planting a magical garden, perennial yarrow should be at the top of your list. Find a nice, sunny spot and work some organic compost well into your soil, to improve the nutrient level. It is important to work this soil amendment down into your existing soil—don’t just dump it on top of the garden. Once you’ve worked it in and raked the area smooth, then arrange your yarrow in a place of prominence. When you have all the planting done, you may bless your plants and your enchanted garden with the following lines.

Garden Blessing Charm

Lovely yarrow is known as the wise woman’s herb,
Elements four, gather ’round at the sound of my words.
Bless this garden with growth, health, and bounty, I pray,
Bringing wisdom, magic, and joy, day after day.

Need some more ideas for plotting out your own magical garden? For additional easy and practical gardening suggestions, flower folklore, and information about magical theme gardens—including plant suggestions for sun and shade, and enchanted garden layouts and plans—refer to my previous book Garden Witchery.