Angels
Folk Names:
- Angel Food
- Archangel
- Garden Angelica
- Masterwort
- Root of the Holy Ghost
Magickal Uses:
Angelica (Angelica archangelica) is known in magickal herbalism as a powerful guardian and healer. It is said to banish negativity and attract positive energy. Angelica grows in tall, blossoming stalks—but typically only the root portion is used in spellwork. It is said to enhance female power, protect children, ward off evil, and improve health and family matters.
Angelica means angelic and in the places where it grows, it has been revered as a special plant. In Scandanavia, it was used as a shamanic medicine by the indigenous Sami people. In the U.S., various varieties of Angelica were used in rituals and ceremonies by Native American tribes. The Iroquois brewed Angelica root into a tea and sprinkled it about their homes to quiet “rattling” ghosts.
Angelica’s magickal virtues are linked to its robust stature, pleasant aroma, and association with the Archangel Michael. Legend has it that the angel appeared in a dream to a monk, showing him the herb that could cure the plague in Europe. Traditionally, Angelica blooms on the feast of the Apparition of the Archangel Michael, May 8.
Ruled by the Sun and associated with Venus, Angelica is most often used in spells for protection and exorcism. It can be grown in the garden as a protection. Carry the root with you as an amulet. Burn the dried leaves in exorcism rituals.
Burn the powdered root when you want to invoke angels. Because Angelica is a healing herb, you can mix it in bathwater to promote good health. it also removes hexes. Sprinkle around the house to ward off evil or dry dust your body to remove a curse. It is an ingredient in a Hoodoo working known as the Fiery Wall of Protection.
Angelica is also considered lucky, so rub the root between your palms when you gamble or pick your lottery numbers.
- Carry a piece of Angelica root to bring strength and ward off hexes.
- Put the root in a white mojo bag for protection, or a yellow one for courage.
- Add the dried root to incenses, floor washes, and baths to break jinxes and purify the home.
- Use Angelica to consecrate amulets of Archangel Michael and all Solar charms.
Angelica is associated with personal courage, when that courage is based in moral uprightness. Angelica is said to bring blessings of emotional temperance and harmonious home life.
Mexicans say that if a girl or young woman has been badly frightened, she should carry a whole Angelica root in a white bag. If she was frightened by a man, add a holy card of the Archangel Michael.
Folklore:
It is the date of the blooming that has been regarded as the source of the plant’s name. The day of Michael the Archangel used to be May 8, and Angelica blooms on that date, hence Angelica archangelica. There is more of Angelica in the folklore, such as the legend that an archangel revealed in a vision that Angelica would cure the plague. In time, Angelica came to be regarded as a simply angelic plant, and was known widely as “The Root of the Holy Ghost.”
The history of Angelica is rooted in prehistoric times and even the passage of centuries couldn’t shake the associations between Angelica and pagan beliefs from the Christian mind. It is altogether possible that the plant acquired its angelic stature in the folklore because of the pagan regard for the plant as an infallible guard against witches and evil spirits, and their spells and enchantments.
Peasants tied Angelica leaves around the necks of their children to protect them from harm, and even the name, when invoked, was supposed to be helpful in a jam.
It is alleged that it is the custom in the lake district of what was once Latvia for country peasants to take part in an annual procession, carrying Angelica stems to sell in the towns. Part of the procession is the chanting of a chorus with words so old that no one knows what they mean. This ritual was an early-summer custom and the words of the chorus have been passed from generation to generation.
Metaphysical Meanings
- Magnifies: Divine support, wisdom + deeper meaning
- Dissolves: Apathy, lack of connection, superficiality, surface level perspective
If you are attracted to Angelica, you may be interested in distilling a deeper meaning from everything in life. You may feel tired of things that feel flat or superficial, yearning for a deeper authentic connection to people and a truer intimacy in relationships.
Sometimes we feel safer staying on the surface level in our conversations and experiences. Other times we feel a sense of apathy, disengagement, or worry that there is no greater meaning to the occurrences in our lives. We may fight what happens to us, try to control it or feel hopeless vs. trusting in the wisdom of life.
Angelica magnifies our everyday experience of interconnectedness and deeper meaning woven throughout everything that happens in our lives. It enhances our awareness of benevolent unseen forces and angelic or protective support. It opens up a visceral sense of magic and synchronicity, and a feeling of being fortunate, lucky and grateful. Everything around us feels whimsical and rich with meaning.
We can relinquish control and allow ourselves to trust in the way life unfolds. We have a sense that we are connected to everything and that there is divine support in all our endeavors. We experience a knowingness that we are supported by divine or beneficial good forces and we can ask for assistance or have a relationship with them.
Sources:
This information was collected from a variety of sources all of which are listed in a much more in depth look at Angelica over at the Encyclopedia of Herbology
The angelic rosary is your first line of defense against unwanted chaos. Why do I use the word “unwanted?” Sometimes a little chaos in our lives is good. It shakes us up; it gets us thinking and hopefully moving.
The recitation of the rosary itself is a lot to remember at first, but with sufficient repetition, it will come easily into your mind when needed.
To make an Angel Rosary, you will need:
- Rawhide string or leather
- 54 small beads
- 6 large beads
- 1 token of the goddess
- 1 pentacle or miraculous medal (or both)
Creating the Rosary:
Step 1: Decide how long your rosary will be. The size of your rosary will determine the size of your beads (or vice versa) — keep in mind that two sizes of beads are needed.
Step 2: Cut the string according to the length that you want your rosary to be. When cutting the string, be sure to cut it longer than you would like to allow for knots to be tied into it as you place the beads on the string.
Step 3: Start at the bottom of the rosary and slide ten small beads onto the string. Lay the string and beads on a table or other flat surface and form a circle with the string. Leave enough string hanging down at the bottom of the circle, as you’ll need this for later. Slide the beads all the way to the top of the circle. Tie a knot between each bead, but make sure there is enough room so each bead can turn. Form a few knots side by side to put space between these ten beads and the next ones.
Step 4: Still using the flat surface, slide a larger bead to each end of the knots you just made. Secure the beads by creating the same kind of knots that you just made for the smaller beads. Be sure to leave some space between the large beads and the smaller ones.
Step 5: Repeat Step 3. Each side of the string should have equal amounts of beads, both large and small. When you come to the end, make sure that you make final knots in the ends of the last beads so they don’t fall off. Take both pieces of string and join them together. Knot the string and place the very large bead on the string. Form another knot to secure it, then place four big beads beneath it and form a knot at the end of the last bead. At this point, you can run the string pieces through the pentacle or token of the Goddess.
You could use smaller beads between each bead if you don’t want to use knots. Don’t worry if you don’t want to be artsy-craftsy. I’ve designed this based in the standard rosary, so you can purchase a regular rosary at any inspirational store and adjust it for your needs by removing the cross and replacing it with a pentacle or a miraculous medal. However if you are a Christian and the cross is a divine symbol to you, by all means keep it where it is.
Here’s a basic diagram of a traditional rosary:
To say the rosary:
Because it may seem a little confusing at first, I have put the instructions for saying the various parts of the rosary under the number that is shown in the diagram. This should make it easier to visualize the sequence.
Note: The numbers 7 and 8 both point to the same place, so I omitted the number 8 below.
Once you have the rosary in your hand and begin the sequence of prayers it will become easier and easier to remember what comes next.
1 – One
Begin by making a banishing pentagram on the pentacle, medal, or cross and saying the Angelic Alignment:
- I align myself with universal harmony.
- I align myself with the Goddess.
- I am in alignment with the God.
- I am in alignment with my guardian angel.
- So Mote it Be.
2 – Two
On the first bead, recite the Invocation of the Nine Choirs:
- Brilliant Seraphim I call to thee
- Circle round, bring love to me.
- Mighty Cheribum guard my gate
- Remove from me sorrow and hate.
- Thrones stand firm, stable be
- Keep me steady on land or sea
- I call Dominions, leadership true
- May I be fair in all I do.
- Circles of protection, Powers form
- Help me weather any storm
- Miraculous Virtues hover bear
- Element energies i summon here.
- Principalities bring global reform
- Bless the world and each babe born.
- Glorious Archangels show me the way
- To bring peace and harmony every day
- Guardian angel, Goddess delight
- Gift me with your guiding light.
3 – Three
Say the Prayer of Gabriel on the second bead
- Hail Lady, full of grace, The God is with you.
- Blessed is the fruit of your womb, The Consort and Son.
- Holy Goddess, Mother of Earth,
- Work your mysteries for your children,
- Now and in the hour of our need.
- So Mote it Be.
Say the prayer of the God on the third bead
- As the rod is to the God
- So the chalice is to the Goddess
- And together they are one.
Say the Star Goddess Litany on the fourth bead
- Hear the words of the Star Goddess;
- She in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven
- And whose body encircles the universe.
- I who am the beauty of the green earth,
- And the white Moon among the stars,
- And the mystery of the waters,
- And the desire of the heart of man,
- Call unto thy soul.
- Arise and come unto me.
- For I am the soul of nature,
- Who gives life to the universe.
- From me all things proceed,
- And unto me all things must return;
- And before my face,
- Beloved of Gods and of men,
- Let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite.
- Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth;
- For behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
- And therefore, let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
- And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery;
- That if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee,
- Thou wilt never find it without thee.
- For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.
4 – Four
The First Mystery: You are now at the point of the first mystery of the angels–Universal love. Meditate on becoming one with the universal energies, opening your heart to divine love.
5 – Five
Touch the Goddess medal to your forehead.
6 – Six
Turn the next ten beads, reciting Gabriel’s Prayer as you turn each bead.
Hail Lady, full of grace, The God is with you.
Blessed is the fruit of your womb, The Consort and Son.
Holy Goddess, Mother of Earth,
Work your mysteries for your children,
Now and in the hour of our need.
So Mote it Be.
7- Seven
The Second Mystery: This is the gift of magick in our lives and the ability to change our circumstances through free will–the mystery of freedom.
- Don’t forget to meditate on the mystery.
- See the beads glow as you become one with this sacred concept.
9 – Nine
Begin with the Prayer of the God on the large bead:
As the rod is to the God
So the chalice is to the Goddess
And together they are one.
Then continue with Gabriel’s Prayer, turning each of the next ten beads as you say the prayer.
Hail Lady, full of grace, The God is with you.
Blessed is the fruit of your womb, The Consort and Son.
Holy Goddess, Mother of Earth,
Work your mysteries for your children,
Now and in the hour of our need.
So Mote it Be.
You have now come to The Third Mystery:
The third mystery is the mystery of your oath. This is the knowledge of and ability to work within the cycles of the universe in service to both the planet and our brothers and sisters.
- Don’t forget to meditate on the mystery.
- See the beads glow as you become one with this sacred concept.
10 – Ten
Begin with the Prayer of the God on the large bead:
As the rod is to the God
So the chalice is to the Goddess
And together they are one.
Then continue with Gabriel’s Prayer, turning each of the next ten beads as you say the prayer.
Hail Lady, full of grace, The God is with you.
Blessed is the fruit of your womb, The Consort and Son.
Holy Goddess, Mother of Earth,
Work your mysteries for your children,
Now and in the hour of our need.
So Mote it Be.
You have now come to The Fourth Mystery:
The third mystery is the knowledge of reincarnation and karma, birth and death, joy and sorrow teaches us that every action we perform has an equal reaction and how to live with the cycles of the seasons.
- Don’t forget to meditate on the mystery.
- See the beads glow as you become one with this sacred concept.
11 – Eleven
Begin with the Prayer of the God on the large bead:
As the rod is to the God
So the chalice is to the Goddess
And together they are one.
Then continue with Gabriel’s Prayer, turning each of the next ten beads as you say the prayer.
Hail Lady, full of grace, The God is with you.
Blessed is the fruit of your womb, The Consort and Son.
Holy Goddess, Mother of Earth,
Work your mysteries for your children,
Now and in the hour of our need.
So Mote it Be.
You have now come to The Fifth Mystery:
This is the Gift of wisdom and power to the hidden children of the Goddess. This mystery teaches us to be humble in our will and use our gifts for the good of all, harming none.
12 – Twelve
Begin with the Prayer of the God on the large bead:
As the rod is to the God
So the chalice is to the Goddess
And together they are one.
Then continue with Gabriel’s Prayer, turning each of the next ten beads as you say the prayer.
Hail Lady, full of grace, The God is with you.
Blessed is the fruit of your womb, The Consort and Son.
Holy Goddess, Mother of Earth,
Work your mysteries for your children,
Now and in the hour of our need.
So Mote it Be.
13 – Thirteen
We are now back to the goddess medal and at the conclusion of our meditation sequence. End with the Statement of Divinity.
- A great sign appears in the heavens.
- It is the Goddess clothed within the sun, the moon under her feet.
- And on her head a crown of twelve stars.
- The God stands behind her in his glory
- With his hands resting upon her shoulders
- And together they are one.
- So Mote it Be.
Finish by making the sign of the equal armed cross.
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