How Herbs Are Used In Magic
COPYRIGHT © 1981 BY "THE WITCHING WELL EDUCATION & RESEARCH CENTER"

Herbal magic is earth magic. When using earth magic your spell will have
long lasting and stable effects. For instance, if you do an herbal money
spell, you are not likely to win the lottery tomorrow. You are more likely
to land a better paying job or promotion.

Herbal magic is effective on its own, or combined with other types of
magic for various results. You could combine, say, herbal and candle magic
for an earth/fire spell for money, and your outcome would be stable, but
more immediate.

In herbal magic, quality counts more than quantity so choose or harvest
your herbs carefully and in an appropriate manner. Many people who harvest
their own herbs for magical purposes use a special cutting knife called
a boleen.

Roots should be harvested during the waning moon, whereas foliage (when
used for positive magic) should be cut during the waxing or full moon.
Depending upon the complexity of the spell, you can cut your herbs upon
the
appropriate day of the week, (an herb ruled by the Sun would be cut on
Sunday), and some people go so far as to cut their herbs at the
appropriate HOUR, when the herb's planet is in the moon's house.

Why Herbs Are Used In Magick
Why use herbs at all? Why not just candles or by raising energy? Herbs
are used in magic for their "vibrations" or "essences". What does this
mean? Herbs, like people, have gender, are ruled by a planet, an
element, and sometimes, are sacred to a certain deity. There are several
texts out there that will provide you with this essential information.

Growing and nurturing herbs in a special garden provides you with the
advantage of having your own energies already in the plant. Then, a plant
such as laurel, ruled by the Sun will have all of the influence of the Sun
and fire along with your personal energies.

Another reason to use herbs in magic is diversity. You can burn them as
incense and make special incense blends to compliment your needs. You can
use the essential oils in cleansing baths and anointing oils. You can even
use them culinarily for special ritual foods or magickal dishes.

BASIC HERBS
Many witches have a list of tried-and-true herbs. There are several
opinions concerning the "must haves" and nobody can really agree on what
is mandatory. The key is: Use whatever works best for you! Everything
you need to get started in herbal magic is probably sitting in your
back yard (or your kitchen) right now.

Let's discuss some of these wonderfully magical CULINARY herbs.

SAGE is a staple in herbal magic. It is commonly used by magicians as a
"smudge", which means it cleanses and purifies, or, more practically,
keeps
bugs away. Wiccans and other magicians use sage to cense the sacred space,
or circle. Though it is commonly used as an incense, it is also widely
used in baths, especially the purification bath taken before working
magic.

Another common herb that is often used in magic is ROSEMARY. The
vibrations of this herb lend themselves well to healing magic. It's
magical properties of protection and love make it a suitable substitute
for FRANKINCENSE.

GARLIC is an herb that is sacred to Hecate. This protective and healing
herb can be used in a variety of ways, especially when combining culinary
magic with healing magic.

Every kitchen witch has BASIL within his/her grasp. It's wonderful for
tomato dishes, sure! But what about it's magical aspects? You may be
surprised at it's diversity. Basil is associated with the element Fire.
Primarily, it is used for love and/or protection spells. In a crunch,
basil can be used for health spells.

This is an abbreviated list of culinary herbs that can be used in magic.
If you intend to pursue herbal magic, I recommend that you go out and buy
a
good reference book that states the magical properties of herbs. It will
include references for these "regular- everyday" herbs as well as some of
the more intricate and hard to find varieties.

Let's look at some of the other varieties of herbs, now. Earlier I
mentioned FRANKINCENSE. This has to be one of the most popular herbs for
cleansing and protection. Burned as an incense, it has an uplifting effect
on the spirit, and all negativity in the area is banished.

MYRRH is usually burned with Frankincense. It acts as an amplifier to the
effects of the Frankincense. However, it has cleansing properties of its
own.

Dragon's Blood is another of the basic essential herbs. On it's own it is
effective in love magic (and to bring back one's potency). It is also
quite good as an "amplifier" to dominant herbs in your spell.

One of my personal favorites is MUGWORT. This plant has several uses. It
is infused (made into tea) and used to wash magical tools.It can also be
used to heighten psychic ability or bring visions in ritual. Experiment
with this herb and learn its many uses for yourself.

USING HERBS IN MAGIC
Okay, let's get into the fun stuff. We have a list of all kinds of cool
herbs, great! Now what are we going to do with them? Well, let's start
with the culinary herbs. Let's say that I've had a particularly difficult
day at work. (for a change? {g}) I'm filled with all kinds of negative
energy and it's bringing me down. Since I'm too tired to cook dinner and
then perform a spell to get rid of my negativity, I'll combine the two
activities. As the chicken is thawing in the microwave, I go to the herb
closet and pick out ROSEMARY and SAGE. Remember, Rosemary is for healing
and sage banishes negativity (is cleansing). I take the remainder of the
time the chicken is thawing to concentrate my need INTO MY HERBS (the
release of negativity), say a prayer to my deities, and set them aside
somewhere clean until they are ready to add to my chicken dish. When the
chicken dish is complete and I sit down to eat, I visualize with every
bite the negativity leaving my body as the cleansing herbs enter it.
This is a very simple form of herbal spell. It is also very effective.

Another way to use herbs in magick is as a charged incense. By focusing
your need into herbs and then burning the herbs, you are releasing the
energy as well as tuning with the vibrations of the herbs to work a spell.
For example, as a simple hex breaking spell, hold some Rosemary in your
hand and visualize white or blue light surrounding it, then permeating it,
until the rosemary is one with the light. Set the charged herb on a
burning charcoal and as you do chant something appropriate or pray. Your
need combined with the vibrations of the cleansing herb are sent as it is
burning. It is being released to the powers that be.

There are many other uses for herbs in magic. You can use essential oils
to dress candles for candle magick and are then using both candle and herb
magic. You can stuff sachets or pillows or poppets with herbs for a small
charm. If you use Faerie magic, essential oil mixed with a carrier oil can
make an appealing scent for a focal point for your spells.

As mentioned before, it's not the quantity of herbs you use, but the
quality that matters. Pure herbs cut for specific purposes are best
because their "vibrations" are what is used in herbal magic. Some herbs,
like garlic, have a specific deity they tune to. Herbs in spells can be
used individually, or in a group as amplifiers, carriers, or the main
herb.

Old Time Remedies
Alfalfa--brings prosperity to the home in which it is stored
Aloes--anoint the big toe or phallus of a lover with the gel
Angelica--brings angelic influences, drives off evil
Anise--the odor improves consciousness
Ash Tree Keys--burn at Yule to bring a year of prosperity
Betony--dispels depression, cures toothache
Bittersweet--sleep on a sprig to get over a departed lover
Buckeye--draws money to you
Buffalo Herbs--worn in an amulet, it brings courage
Burning Bush--carry a sprig for brilliant luck
Coriander--wards off disease
Damiana--cary some in a gris-gris
Dill--smell it to cure hiccups
Dock--wash your store's doorknob with the yellow kind to bring "gold"
Elder--worn to ward off rheumatism
Galangal--secrete some on your person when hauled into court
Ginger--good for throat infections if placed under your pillow
High John The Conqueror--cures depression and brings luck
Huckleberry Leaves--cure despression [don't ingest them]
Laurel--sneak three leaves into the adored one's pocket and the person is
yours
Lavender--wear some in your jockstrap to be irresistible to women
Little John The Conqueror--carry some for luck and protection
Lovage--attracts love
May Apple--carry this with your money and you'll always have money
Magnolia Leaves--placed under the mattress, these improve your sex life
Motherwort--worn to increase nursing mother's milk
Pennyroyal--worn to counteract seasickness
Periwinkle--powder, sprinkle under the bed
Rosebuds--burn in your fireplace for luck, scatter at the roots to kill
neighbor's trees
Sage--dried and held under the tongue, attracts women
Samson Root--carry it in your pocket to increase virility
Thyme--burn it to fumigate the house of evil, put some in your bath water
to be sexier

NAUSEA: Chew mint leafs.

NERVES: 1 piece rock candy in a jig of whiskey. Drink.

NOSEBLEEDS: Pour a gallon of milk on the back of the victim's neck. Or
fold a piece of paper over and place on the upper lip; a bean will also
work; or soakfeet in cold water.

PNEUMONIA: Mash cooked onions and put between two cloths, fasten to
victim's chest.

POISON IVY: Put washed leaves of a sweet fern in boiling water and apply
to affected area.

RHEUMATISM: Boil dried apple peelings, strain, drink hot 4 times daily.
Or: Wear the front foot of a mole in a bag--a rabbit foot would also work.

Or: turn your shoes upside down at night. Or put a Copper wire around the
joint (sound familiar?), or carry sulfur in your pocket. Or break the ice
and Jump into the river. Or get stung by bees. Or blind a live toad and
hold it over the aching place. Or put the entrails of a chicken on your
feet. Or rub with racoon grease, bacon grease, fishing worm oil, goat
grease or skunk grease. Or: sleep with a dog or cat as the animal will
take your pains away.

SHINGLES: Kill a black chicken by wringing its head off and while the body
is still warm, rub over the affected area.

SINUS: 1 tsp salt and 1 cup warm water--sniff through nasal passages.

SORE THROAT: 1 cup vinegar, 2 tbls. sugar and a sprinkle of black
pepper. Gargle.

SPRAINS: Soak brown paper in vinegar and wrap around affected joint.

STOMACH ACHE: 2 mint leaves in 8 oz. glass cold water, drink as needed.

SUNBURN: Cider vinegar to affected areas.

TEETHING: Boil catnip, steep, 1 tsp. at bedtime.

THRUSH Let an old woman (preferably a witch) blow in the child's mouth.
Or, let the seventh son or daughter blow. Even the breath of a jilted
lover
would work.

TOOTHACHE: Wad of tobacco on sore tools or two cloves (the latter I've
always used!)

WARTS: Rub castor oil over wart. Or take 9 grains of corn and rub them
over the wart. Feed the corn to one old hen. OR: Steal a dishrag, rub it
over the wart, bury the rag and when the rag is rotted, wart will
disappear.

MILD SEDATIVE: Pour 1 pint boiling water over 1 tsp. dried catnip. Cover
and steep until cool. Strain and sweeten. Start with 2 Tlb. increase by 1
Tlb. until you find the right amount. Store in the fridge.

HOP SEDATIVE: Pour 1 pint boiling water over 1 1/2 tsp. dried hops
flowers. Let steep, covered,10 minutes. Strain and sweeten. Add lemon
juice. Drink the entire pint.

FEVERFEW TEA: Pour 1 pint boiling water over 1 ounce of feverfew flowers.
Cover and steep until cool. Strain and sweeten with honey. Drink cool.

TO INDUCE SLEEP: Mix 2Tlb dried peppermint with 1Tlb each of rosemary and
sage. Pour 1pint boiling water over the herbs, steep for 5 to 10
minutes,strain and sweeten with honey.


SPELL STRUCTURE

Many workers of magic use the essence information regarding the herb to
achieve peak effectiveness in their spells. Just as you would never burn
incense in your chalice, you would not use ALOE (planet: moon, element:
water) as a primary plant to raise someone's passion. You would probably
choose DRAGON'S BLOOD (planet: Mars, element: fire) as your primary herb
for a passion spell. As in all magick, you should align your spell to
the days of the week and phase of the moon.

Magically, they may act as accelerators or amplifiers to the primary
herb. Let's look at this in-depth. Above we mentioned using Dragon's
Blood in a spell to increase passion. Alone, this would probably do
quite well, but to drive the spell home and to obtain the focus I
desire, I would add CINNAMON. Cinnamon (planet: sun, element: fire) acts
as an amplifier to many herbs. As you can see, it has the element Fire
in common with Dragon's Blood, but adds the power of the Sun to the
spell. Cinnamon, alone, has characteristics to increase passion and
therefore compliments the main herb. Just two herbs is awkward (for
reasons lost to time, it is difficult to comprehend using an even number
of herbs to cast a spell) so I would probably add GINGER(planet: sun,
element: fire). Ginger is primarily used for love, but since this is
a"carrier" herb, I would be focusing upon its "success" characteristics,
and charge it with that intent.

So, my spell would consist of first, charging the Dragon's Blood with my
initial intent (to increase passion), and it then becomes my "main" herb.
Then I would focus upon the cinnamon (to intensify the effects of the main
herb), and concentrate upon it as my "amplifier". Then I would focus upon
the successful end result with the ginger as my "carrier" herb.

I would combine these three herbs, in this order, and then charge them all
together to create unity. I could then stuff them into a poppet or sachet
and give them to the intended party, or utilize them as an incense. You
will notice that spells of this nature tend to produce results more
quickly. Herbal spells can be extremely intricate, and, face it, you get
out of a project what you put into it.

Finally, we will discuss a LAYERED SPELL, and with this I will give an
example of a successful herbal spell I created. A layered spell is a spell
within a spell. Visualize an onion and you get the idea. My sister was
having trouble focusing at work and she was being inundated by co-worker's
negativity. By the end of the day she was stressed and drained of her
personal energies. I chose a Sunday to work the power/calmness spell
because Sunday is the day of healing and employment.

For this spell, I started off with a stick of cinnamon. My intent for this
stick of cinnamon was one of power. I wanted it to be like a capacitor:
to lend a burst of energy to my sister when she needed it most. I raised
a significant amount of,energy and sent it all into this stick of
cinnamon. I put it aside care- fully on my pentacle (a cleansed dish or
plate will do). Then I began formulating the rest of the spell.

She needed a sense of calm success at work. I wove a spell including
chamomile (planet: Sun, element: water, essence: money, sleep,
relaxation), lavender (planet: Mercury, element: air, essence: happiness,
peace) and lemon grass(planet: Mercury, element: air, essence: psychic
powers). My intent was to help her calmly overcome any obstacles at work
(chamomile and lavender), increase intuition which aids in problem solving
(lemon grass), and give her that extra boost of energy to get through the
difficult times (cinnamon).

Each herb, though working together, was charged for a different purpose. I
charged each separately and added them one by one to the sachet (blue
satin for healing with runes embroidered upon the face), and made sure the
cinnamon stick was in the center. To finish the spell I visualized the
combined intent of the herbs,raised energy, and sent that magickal energy
into the finished product. So, in essence, I had 4 spells in one.

Herbal magic is not only fun, but it's a diverse way to cause change.
It is easily incorporated into every-day life. Herbal spells can be
simple as you need, or complex as you desire. Experimentation is the
key. Do your research and have fun with it. Magic is all around. Herbs
are just one more tool used to initiate change.

How To Do Magic
Because of the very nature of magic, each working should be highly
individualized and personal. Even if following a traditional spell, it
should be tailored to your specific needs to be most effective for you.
Understanding the basics of spell construction will enable you to
formulate your own specific, effective spells for any purpose you
desire. Preliminary planning is necessary. The very first step is to
decide precisely what your desired end result is to be. Before you can
start, you must decide where you are going. You must be very explicit.
It is important, also, that you choose your time carefully. You should
take into consideration all astrological implications, energy currents
and moon phases.The moon is the astronomical body closest to us and,
therefore, has a profound influence upon us, it is very important to
choose a time when the moon is in an astrological sign which is
appropriate for your working.

For example:
Aries--action--enthusiasm
Taurus--renewal--sensuality
Gemini--communication--curiosity
Cancer--emotion--nurturing
Leo--vitality--determined
Virgo--organizing--studious
Libra--balance--cooperation
Scorpio--sexual--philosophical
Sagitarius--strength--humour
Capricorn--authority--ambitious
Aquarius--innovation--social
Pisces--sensitivity--idealistic

Bear in mind that magical workings for gain, increase or bringing
things to you, should be initiated when the moon is waxing (from dark to
full); when the moon is waning (from full to dark), it is time for
magical workings of decrease or sending away. The highest energy occurs
at the full moon and, therefore, this is the most powerful time for
magical workings. The new moon is the next most powerful time for
magic.

Whenever possible, follow nature's natural energy currents. There is a
natural time for starting things (a planting time), for maturing things
(a growing time), for reaping things (a harvest time) and, of course, a
time for rest and planning. Flowing with these currents will make your
magical work much easier.

Remember to plan your project for a time of uninterrupted privacy. It is
important that you have no distractions. Generally speaking, it is best to
work as late at night as possible. A time when there is less frantic
energy is most appropriate. You might consider midnight or later. In
choosing a place to do your magical working pay particular attention to
your needs, for you must be comfortable. Your place should be private,
quiet and secure. If at all possible, set aside a special place for this
purpose only. An unused room, a special corner of your bedroom, a quiet,
secluded spot in your garden. A place that is yours. A place that you can
come to whenever need arises and that is as free from intrusion of others
as possible.

Prior to the night of your magical working, gather together the things
that you will need. All of the things used are tools. They have no
inherent
magic. They are to help you create a mood. If correctly made and used,
they will trigger primitive responses from deep within you. They should be

chosen with care. Consider the purpose of your ritual and choose your
tools
accordingly. If your magic is to be sexual, your candles, oils, incenses
and so forth, should bring forth a sexual response.

If the desired result of your magick is tranquillity, then the
tools should make you feel calm, peaceful and serene. Any candles you
might use should not have commercially added fragrances as these may not
be appropriate for your working.

Prior to your ritual, prepare yourself and your equipment by any means
necessary to clean and purify. Historically, people have fasted, followed
meticulous and detailed bathing practices, practiced chastity and used
many other methods. Most often a ritual bath is the preferred method. A
bath frequently utilizing candlelight, fragrant herbs, bath salts or
sensuous oils. A sumptuous hot bath, special bathing preparations and
appropriate lighting, combined, can create the soothing effect which will
help in the very important step of relaxing and clearing the mind
completely of all mundane thoughts and experiences of the day.

Your ritual bath should, also, begin to set the specific vibrations
conducive to your purpose into motion. You must not only cleanse and
purify but must, also, begin to create the type of energy necessary. Once
your purification process has been accomplished, you are now ready to
begin.

Proceed to the special place you have previously chosen in which to
perform your magic. If at all possible, you should make use of the
primitive responses set into motion by a well chosen piece of music. Your
music should start slowly and build to a rousing climax. As you use your
oils, light your candle or incense (or utilize any other tool you have
chosen), you should begin to further intensify the energy that you have
set into motion around you. A high degree of intensity is vitally
important.

The altered state of consciousness that you must reach is not a meditative
state. Anything that interferes with your ability to concentrate upon,
reach and control the high energy state necessary to perform magic should
be avoided. Such as, screaming children, a sink full of dirty dishes, use
of alcohol or drugs, etc.

Do not scatter your energy by attempting to do more than one magickal
working at a time. Remember that magic is the manipulation of energy, a
thought is a form of energy and a visualization is an even stronger form
of energy. Your visualization can be a method used to intensify further
and direct your will. Your visualization can be the method by which you
control the magical energy you have produced.

You must know what you want. You must see it. You must feel the high
energy flow. You must direct it. One of the most important elements in
the
practice of any form of magick is the universal law of cause and effect.
This means that whatever you do (or don't do) you cause something to
happen.The most important consideration is the universal law of
retribution. This means that no matter what you do, it comes back to you
in like kind. It is the nature of things that as you send something out it
gains momentum, so that, by the time it comes back to you, it is stronger.