shirleytwofeathers
- Planet: Mars
- Element: Fire
- Type: Plant
- Part Used: Living plant, cuttings
- Basic Power: Protection
Thistle is one of the best herbs to carry when involved in magickal wars. It prevents hexes and curses from taking place. Carry a piece as a defense against psychic or real attack.
Throw onto a fire if you fear being struck by lightning during a storm. Grow in the garden to ward off thieves. A bowl of thistles in a room strengthens and energizes those within it, so they are often used in sickrooms or in places where people are recuperating.
- Pregnant women should carry milk thistle (Silybum) to keep their partners from cheating.
- Holy thistle (Cnicus benedictus) is used for purification and to get rid of guilty feelings.
Collected from various sources
- Ruler: Moon, Mars
- Element: Water
- Type: Flower
- Magickal Form: Flower, Oil
- Basic Powers: Love, Healing, Protection
The geranium is a popular house and garden plant, not only because it is bright, cheerful, and hardy but also because it magically repels evil spirits. Maintain protective boundaries with geranium essential oils, or strategically place individual plants.
This positive and affirming flower is best for increasing self-confidence and healing a blow to the ego. The geranium soothes a broken heart. Rub into white candles to help make a serious decision about whether to stay or leave a relationship.
Wear the flowers or add them to love sachets. The white variety is worn to promote fertility, while the red are a good protection and aid healing. Plant the flowers in the garden (especially the pink and red) to protect the house and to keep snakes away from your property.
From: Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients
- Other Names: Blood Palm, Sangre de Dragon
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mars
- Parts Used: Resin – powdered or in chunks
- Basic Powers: Energy, Purification, Protection
Dragon’s blood is not the blood of some luckless lizard, but the resin of the palm calimus draco. Truly as red as the blood of dragons, this resin is a powerful herb of protection. Burned by itself on charcoal or added to other incense ingredients, it quickly banishes any negative energy or entity. Dragon’s blood also adds power and potency to any working.
- Use sparingly in an oil blend or in the bath – it will stain enamel scarlet and leave a stain on the skin.
Magically it is used for spells of protection, exorcism and sexual potency. On its own Dragon’s blood can be burnt at an open window to secure a lover’s return, and a piece of the resin placed under the mattress is said to cure impotence. In the past Dragon’s Blood was used medicinally to cure diarrhea, dysentery and even syphilis. Like many other resins it is also used to stop bleeding wounds.
Gravel-sized chunks and powdered Dragon’s Blood may be burned on charcoal. Folks claim that this cleanses the home and rids the premises of evil. It is said to be particularly good when moving into a new home, and may be mixed with Camphor resin for this purpose.
Add a pinch of the ground herb to incenses to increase their potency and effectiveness. Add to love incenses and sachets.
You can create your own pure dragon’s blood oil by crushing the resin into a powder and mixing in a light oil, such as safflower. Heat gently to melt the resin into the oil while stirring. Do not ingest.
Varieties and Variations:
A great degree of confusion existed for the ancients in regard to the source and identity of dragon’s blood. Some medieval encyclopedias claimed its source as the literal blood of elephants and dragons who had perished in mortal combat.
The resin of Dracaena species, “true” dragon’s blood, and the very poisonous mineral cinnabar (mercury sulfide) were often confused by the ancient Romans. In ancient China, little or no distinction was made among the types of dragon’s blood from the different species.
Both Dracaena and Daemonorops resins are still often marketed today as dragon’s blood, with little or no distinction being made between the plant sources; however, the resin obtained from Daemonorops has become the most commonly sold type in modern times, often in the form of large balls of resin.
Voyagers to the Canary Islands in the 15th century obtained dragon’s blood as dried garnet-red drops from Dracaena draco, a tree native to the Canary Islands and Morocco. The resin is exuded from its wounded trunk or branches. Dragon’s blood is also obtained by the same method from Dracaena cinnabari, which is endemic to the island of Socotra. This resin was traded to ancient Europe via the Incense Road.
Dragon’s blood resin is also produced from the rattan palms of the genus Daemonorops of the Indonesian islands and known there as jerang or djerang. It is gathered by breaking off the layer of red resin encasing the unripe fruit of the rattan. The collected resin is then rolled into solid balls before being sold.
Sangre de Dragon, more commonly know as Dragon’s Blood, is a wild crafted resin that comes from the Croton Uechleri trees found in the Amazon Rainforest of South America. The heart shaped leaves and the blood-like red sap speak to the abilities of this beautiful tree to heal wounds and cleanse the blood. The Flowers found high in the branches resemble the dragon’s head, thus the interesting name, as well as a symbol of its fierce healing ability.
Collected from various sources
- Ruler: Venus
- Type: Herb
- Magickal Form: Fresh
Invoke mischief with the chive. It is a great herb to use when action is needed. It stimulates and prods, and although its effects may be uncomfortable, the end results are always positive. Chop and add to salads when you want to stir things up.
The Romani have used chives in fortune telling. Bunches of dried chives hung around a house were believed to ward off disease and evil.
Lore surrounding chives include the tale that they were given to Alexander the Great in Siberia and that they are a powerful aphrodisiac.
From: Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients
- Ruler: Mars
- Element: Fire
- Type: Herb
- Magickal Form: Fresh or dried, Essential oil
- Deities: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Erzuli
- Basic Powers: Purification, Protection, Exorcism, Love
A versatile herb, basil leaves can be used for love, protection, or to attract wealth. Burned in an incense with rose petals, basil helps to restore peace in a relationship. Add to exorcism and protection incenses. Strew your floor with the leaves to dispel discord. Use it in the bath or ingest it in a Philter to restore the vitality of your aura.
Put some basil in your wallet and you will attract money, success and prosperity. Added to an Herbal Amulet it is carried to overcome obstacles to prosperity.
When it was first introduced to England, it was not eaten, but used to provide peace of mind and freedom from pain.
Dried Basil can be lightly sprinkled about the floor and swept out the back door as a purifying floor sweep, because “evil can’t stay where Basil has been.”
To attract love and money, bring the magick of Basil into your home.
- Grow basil in your garden and around the house.
- Place pots of fresh basil by your front entrance and around the perimeter of your home.
- Cook with it, and incorporate it into spell work by placing it in a vase on your altar.
- Place fresh basil in a vase in a prominent spot in your kitchen, replacing it weekly or as soon as it starts to spoil.
In certain central regions of Mexico, basil is used to draw fortune by hanging the plant in the door or window of the shop. The plant’s growth reflects the wealth of the business, showing how dutifully the owner cares for his shop and the herb.
For happiness and peace in the family, soak dried Basil in water for three days. Strain and sprinkle the water at your doorstep to bring money and success, drive away evil, and have a happy family.
A lust herb, basil’s powerful aroma calls forth the sexual energy; eat it to invigorate the sexual appetite. Basil can also be burned to increase sensual pleasures. Place the dried leaves under a bed to reawaken the sex drive in a relationship. In Romania if a young lady offers a young man a sprig of basil, and he accepts, they are officially engaged. In Italy, basil is thought of as a sign of love.
- Eat basil on a Tuesday to summon physical strength or to prepare for battle.
- Consume on a Wednesday to open channels of communication.
Basil belongs to Maitresse Ezili Freda Dahomey, Vodou spirit of luxury, and features in many of her rituals. Holy basil, also called tulsi, is highly revered in Hinduism. It figures in the worship of the god Vishnu, is also associated with Lakshmi, the popular Hindu goddess of good fortune. In Haiti, it is associated with the loa Erzuli.
The ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks believed it would open the gates of heaven for a person passing on. In Europe, basil is placed in the hands of the dead to ensure a safe journey. In India, they place it in the mouth of the dying to ensure they reach God.
Basil has religious significance in the Greek Orthodox Church, where it is used to sprinkle holy water. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Serbian Orthodox Church, Macedonian Orthodox Church and Romanian Orthodox Church use basil to prepare holy water and pots of basil are often placed below church altars
However, basil represented hatred in ancient Greece, and European lore sometimes claims that basil is a symbol of Satan. African legend claims that basil protects against scorpions, while the English botanist Culpeper cites one “Hilarius, a French physician” as affirming it as common knowledge that smelling basil too much would breed scorpions in the brain.
The botanical name for Basil, Ocimum basilicum, is derived from the Greek “to be fragrant.” Despite that meaning, many Greeks disliked basil and believed that scorpions would breed under pots of basil.
In ancient Rome, the name for Basil was Basilescus. This name was in reference to Basilisk, the fire breathing dragon. They thought that ingesting basil would protect them against Basilisk.
Collected from various sources
As spring arrives, our gardens begin to bud and eventually bloom. For hundreds of years, the plants that we grow have been used in magic. Flowers in particular are often connected with a variety of magical uses. Now that spring is here, keep an eye out for some of these flowers around you, and consider the different magical applications they might have.
- Crocus:
This flower is one of the first you’ll see in the spring, and it’s often associated with newly blooming love. The crocus is also known to enhance visions and bring about intuitive dreams.
- Daffodil:
The bright petals of the daffodil are typically found in shades of white, yellow or even pale orange. This flower is associated with love and fertility — place fresh ones in your home to bring about abundance. Wear this flower close to your heart to draw love and luck.
- Dandelion:
The leaf of the dandelion is used for healing, purification, and ritual cleansing. To bring positive change about, plant dandelions in the northwest corner of your property. The bright yellow flowers can be used in divination, or placed in a sachet to draw good energy your way.
- Echinacea:
Also called purple coneflower, this garden mainstay adds a little bit of magical “oomph” to charms and sachets. Use it for prosperity related workings. Burn the dried flowers in incense, and use on your altar during ritual as an offering to deities.
- Goldenseal:
This sunny yellow flower is often found growing in the wild, alongside roads and in fields. Use it in money spells, or for business dealings. Work it into charms connected to matters of financial gain or legal issues.
- Hibiscus:
This lusty flower incites passion — use it to attract love or lust, or for prophetic dreams about your lover. Burn in incense, or carry in a sachet to bring love your way.
- Hyacinth:
This flower was named for Hyakinthos, a Greek divine hero who was beloved by Apollo, so it’s sometimes considered the patron herb of homosexual men. Hyacinth is also known to promote peaceful sleep, and guards against nightmares. Carry in an amulet to help heal a broken heart or to ease grief when a loved one dies.
- Lily:
The Easter lily or Tiger lily is associated with all kinds of Spring connections — fertility, rebirth, renewal and abundance.
- Narcissus:
Named for another Greek figure, the Narcissus helps promote polarity and harmony. Its calming vibrations bring about tranquility and inner peace.
- Tulip:
The tulip appears in many different colors and varieties, but is typically connected to prosperity. You can use the different colored variations in color magic — use a dark strain such as Queen of the Night for full moon rituals, or bright red flowers for love magic.
- Violet:
In Roman myth, the first violet sprung from the spilled blood of the god Attis, who killed himself for Cybele, the mother goddess. However, today the violet is associated with tranquility and peace. The leaf offers protection from evil, and can be sewn into a pillow or sachet for a new baby. Carry the petals with you to bring about luck and enhance nighttime magic.
- Ruler: Moon, Jupiter
- Type: Water
- Magickal Form: Rain falling during a storm, or collected and saved.
Collect the first spring rainwater and add it to love baths to attract a new partner. It is a great way to cleanse and renew yourself before opening your heart to love again. Use summer rainwater for lust spells, fall rainwater for charisma, and winter rainwater for courage, power, and endurance. Stand in the rain to wash away bad vibes and negativity, and to heal feelings of loss.
Got questions about life? Need answers? wisdom? guidance? Here is a basic (but by no means complete) list of herbs, spices, fruits, gemstones, and food that promote and enhance wisdom along with a short explanation as to how to use them:
- Azalea – flowers and plants bring knowledge of the beyond.
- Beeswax – when burned send prayers directly to heaven.
- Bristles – pluck the bristles from a man’s beard to increase wisdom.
- Chestnuts – eat for love and wisdom.
- Crossroads – when looking for the right direction invoke Hekate at the crossroads.
- Cypress – burn the leaves to receive the wisdom of the Goddess.
- Eggplant – carve your name in it and then cook and eat it for wisdom and guidance.
- Gold – colloidal gold when ingested reveals secret wisdom.
- Grapes – eat purple grapes on a dark or full moon to gain psychic insight.
- Hazel – branches are a powerful divination tool.
- Herring – eat to increase wisdom.
- Jade – carry to attract wisdom.
- Jalup – rub the oil on purple candles for wisdom.
- Lamp – oil lamps can light the way or inspire answers.
- Malachite – opens the subconscious and allows deeper understandings.
- Maple – the trees attract wisdom.
- Molasses – scry in a bowl of molasses and seek Hekate’s wisdom.
- Myrhh – burn it to gain wisdom.
- Obsidian – breaks illusions and promotes realistic thinking.
- Olive – a gift of wisdom from the goddess Athena.
- Owl – brings messages and represent the wisdom of Hekate.
- Pear – eat one on your birthday for wisdom.
- Pepper – eat purple peppers on Thursday for wisdom.
- Pomegranate – drink pomegranate juice to ingest the wisdom of the Goddess.
- Raisin – eat sun dried raisins for wisdom and longevity.
- Solomn’s seal – sleep with a root under your pillow for wisdom or prophetic sight.
- Yogurt – brings insight when eaten on a new moon.
Keys were traditionally made of iron. Consequently, it made good sense to touch a key whenever danger threatened. Keys were considered lucky, and commonly placed under a child’s pillow to keep him or her safe while asleep.
To find an old key is magical. It is said that the finder will experience spiritual mysteries and have prophetic dreams. They will become a channel of communication between heaven and earth. A rusty key is a good omen, as it indicates an inheritance.
Wearing an old-fashioned key will unlock spiritual doors. Perform spells with identical keys, which are then worn by lovers to protect their relationship from infiltration. A key given to a lover who is going far away will keep you in his or her heart.
When lovers exchange keys, it is believed that they are unlocking each other’s hearts. It symbolizes love and happiness.
In Japan, three keys tied together create a powerful lucky charm that attracts love, health, and wealth.
Keys can also be used as a magickal charm or talisman when something needs to be unlocked in some way. For example, Jewish midwives put the key to the synagogue into the hand of a woman who was about to give birth, in the hopes that the association would help the baby “unlock” the door of the womb. Keys were also buried with people in order that the gates to the Underworld would open easily.
It is considered bad luck to drop a key, and even worse luck to accidentally break one. To break a key is an unfortunate omen: it predicts a broken relationship. It is also considered bad luck to jangle bunches of keys on Wednesdays. However, jangling keys can avert the evil eye, and this can be done on any day of the week.
Losing keys is considered an omen of some disaster, usually involving a death.
People turning twenty-one years old were often given cardboard keys to celebrate this milestone of maturity and independence. A popular song in 1912 mentions this custom in the following lyrics:
I’m twenty-one today,
Twenty-one today.
I’ve got the key of the door,
Never been twenty-one before.
Information collected from a variety of sources.
- Ruler: Ellegua, Mercury
- Type: Brass, copper, silver
- Magickal Form: Attached or unattached to a door
Gaining access is always an issue in spellcraft. Doorknobs often provide an innocuous and subtle way to influence another person. Doorknobs can also be used in personal rituals to open metaphorical doors. Rub a small dab of coconut oil into a doorknob and as you turn it, make a wish concerning something or someone you wish to access. Carry a doorknob with you when you feel that too many doors are closed in your life. Continue to carry until you feel things opening up.
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