Herbs Meanings & Uses

Magickal uses for herbs & roots. This Page contains only magical uses for herbs, there is another page for medicinal/homeopathic herb remedies. Names in parenthises, are other terms for herb.

Adders Tongue ("Dogstooth Violet") - Use to stop others gossiping about you, or as an aid to stopping slander Wrap some Adders Tongue in cloth, then place it in a bowl of cold water: apply it to a wound or bruise until the natural warmth of the body makes the poultice become warm. To maximize the healing properties of this herb, it is said that you should not discard the bundle after applying it to the skin, but to unwrap the herb from the cloth, and then bury (the herb) in soft earth.

Agrimony ("Stickwort") To return a curse or hex...or any spell...cast against you, burn this herb. It may also be used when making sachets or poppets for protection. Place a small bit of Agrimony under your pillow, and it is said that you will sleep soundly, and no-one will be able to awaken you until the herb has been removed.

Ague Grass (Blackroot, Unicorn Horn & Stargrass) - To keep evil at bay, carry some Ague Grass in a poppet or sachet. May also be used for breaking hexes, and used in uncrossing spells also. To keep evil from the home, sprinkle into the corners of the room.

All Heal(Mistletoe) - Sprinkle a diffusion of this into the corners of a sickroom to help aid the recovery of the ill person

Basil - Bathe in water with added Basil (dried herb is okay), to encourage a change of luck. May also be used in this way to remove a jinx

Bay Leaves - Use in a sachet or poppet, and carry it always to protect against evil. Bay leaves hung over the door will protect your home against evil.

Bergamot - Used to help aid success of a spell. Also for attracting money or an increase in wealth

Bladderwrack (Kelp & Seaweed) - Used for protection ~ especially whilst travelling. It is a nice idea to use bladderwrack in sea-spells, and water spells. May also be used to increase psychic powers, and for love and protection spells.

Bracken - Place bracken under your pillow at night and it will ensure you dream the answers to any problems that you have

Caraway Seed - Use in spellwork for protection

Cardomom - More than just love, this herb is used in spells concerned with lust. It is said that powdered cardamom seeds can be added to a tea to help make someone be attracted to you.

Cinquefoil (Five Finger Grass) - To ward off dark spirits of the night, place cinquefoil in a red coloured poppet, and hang over the head of the bed

Chamomile - May be used for purification, and also for added luck bathe in a bath with chammomile added to help become lucky. It is also appropriate that chammomile is used in spells concerning sleep, as the tea is a well-known relaxant and aid to sleep.

Dandelion - It is said that carrying any part of the dandelion will increase your psychic ability

Deers Tongue Leaf (Wild Vanilla, Vanilla Leaf) - Used to stop people spreading gossip and for honesty. It is also said that this will increase psychic ability, as well as being used for magicks concerning love and lust

Dill Seed - Repel any witchcraft set against you, and also protect your home with dill seed

Dragons Blood - Used in many spellworks especially that of psychic protection and consecration. Also used for purification, good luck and to increase the power of a spell.

Elder Berries - Dry berries on the stalk, then grind the berries to a powder (as fine as possible). Place this powder in the doorway of your home to stop troubles entering in.

Eucalyptus - Eucalyptus will aid in restful sleep, and will also ward off harm. Also used in spellworkings for consecration, healing and protection.

Ginger - To stop a hex or curse that has been laid against you, use Ginger in spellworkings.

Fennel Seeds - Used in spells concerning love (especially to attract an ideal lover). Also it is said to repel witchcraft used against you.

Frankincense - Used in spells mainly for clairvoyance ~ but also for consecration. It is said to enhance spellworkings concerned with contacting the spiritual world and for divination. Also may be used for breaking a spell, meditation and exorcism.

Garlic - Use in spells to stop the envy of others, and also to repel hexes against you.

Hawthorne - Add hawthorne to the water used to clean the home to protect and purify. This also stills negative vibrations

Heather - Carry the flowers of the white heather to attract luck, and for protection

Hyssop Leaf (Holy Herb) - Used for purification, for contacting other planes and to ward off the 'evil eye'. Also said to increase psychic powers and protection when used in spellworkings concerned with these.

Horehound - Plant horehound near the house to protect the home.

Jasmine - Bathe in water with essence of Jasmine to gain and hold a lover and to make others attracted to you.

Juniper Berries - Said to increase a lovers vitality, but also used in spellworkings concerned with exorcism, keeping secrets and strength.

Laurel Leaves - It is an old custom for the bride to have laurel leaves in her bouquet, or to be given laurel leaves on her wedding day, to ensure a long and happy marraige

Lavendar Flowers - The scent of lavender has long been used in many remedial and fragrant concoctions. It is said to be an aphrodisiac, but also helps with clairvoyance and divination. Use in spellworkings concerned with love, consecration,, keeping secrets (especially those concerning love), memory, peace, protection, and psychic powers.

Lemon Verbena - Used for restful sleep, for purification and also peace within the home. However, it is also said that you can use this in spellworkings to break up anothers' marraige, and to cause strife and trouble between a husband and wife. Burn with sandalwood to help remove a hex or jinx, and use the scent for concentration to help you to learn faster.

Licorice Root - Used for fidelity ~ it is said that to keep a lover faithful, you must sprinkle their feet with powdered licorice root.

Mace - Used in spells concerning love

Maiden Hair Fern - Grow in the home to promote, and bring into your life, beauty and love (these pretty plants like a slight damp atmosphere, so growing them in the bathroom is a good idea.)

Mandrake Root (Love Apples) - Once used as a charm against witches, it is used primarily as a talisman, worn around the neck, to enhance virility. It is also given to women (as a talisman) to ensure they give birth to many sons. It is not used in love potions as an aphrodisiac any longer, because it is highly toxic. It was once called the plant of Circe by the ancient Greeks, after the Goddess Circe, who made a juice from the root and used this to transform Odysseus's men into swine. In both Greece and Rome it was used medicinally as an anaesthetic before cauterization and surgery.

Magnolia - To ensure a mates faithfulness, place a magnolia flower under his pillow at night whilst he sleeps.

Marigold - To attract your ideal lover, bathe in water with added margoram for five days in a row.

Marjoram - Place this herb in poppets in the corner of a room to ensure any magickal workings against you are halted and are made useless. Also used in bathing water to help relieve feelings of loss and grief.

Mugwort (St. Johns Plant & "Old Man) - Burn as an incense while crystal gazing to increase your ability to recieve psychic visions. Do this also to aid clairvoyance, astral projection and to discover the meanings of your dreams.

Mustard Seed - Brown - Used in spellworkings to gain love and attraction, for breaking spells, and also for passion, protection and success.
Black - To dispel negativity, and also for protection. Use also for casting away evil.
Red - It is said that red peppercorns in a poppet hung above the door will ensure no-one steals from your home.
Yellow - Used in talismans for protection and success

Myrhh - A good incense to clear your home of negativity. Also used in spellworkings for: cleansing, consecration and exorcism. It is said that burning this incense in the home will bring happiness and prosperity to the occupants. Burn before rituals and spellworkings to ensure success.

Nettle Leaf - Dry the leaf, grind to powder it, and sprinkle in the corner of your room to remove hexes and jinx, also used for breaking a spell.

Nutmeg - Hollow out a nutmeg, and write a spell on a small piece of paper to place inside the seed. Seal the hole with wax, and then bury it under the light of a new Moon. The spell will work ~ but especially if it is for the gain of someone other than yourself.

Oak Bark Moss - Burn with Mistletoe to remove unwanted spirits Used in spellworkings concerning: the astral plane, spellbreaking, divination, protection and clairvoyance.

Orange Flowers & Leaves - Used in spellworkings to attract love and marraige proposals.

Oregano - Used in spellworkings concerned with riddance ~ getting rid of unwanted people, situations, and for binding.

Papaya - Leaves - Burn with mandrake root to reverse a spell, or return a hex. Seeds - Place seven seeds on a purple cloth. Light a fire in a thurible and then burn the seeds one by one under the light of a white candle. It is said that for every seed you can hear 'pop', you will gain a true friend, who will benefit your life and protect you from enemies/harm.

Parsely - Old English custom: place Parsely and Jasmine in your shoe to attract a member of the opposite sex.

Passion Flower - Place a passion flower under the pillow to ensure a night of peaceful dreams, or to heal a friendship, it is said that you should give a passion flower.

Patchoulli (Graveyard dust or dirt) - Use in any spellworkings or rituals that also use graveyard dirt, or the dirt from waysides. Use in spellworkings concerned with: Clairvoyance, contact other planes, divination, exorcism, fertility, increase power of spells (especially love, lust and sensuality), psychic protection, spell-breaking.

Peony - Used in spellworkings for protection against evil, and for repelling jinx's and hexes against you.

Peppermint - Burn peppermint incense to increase the prophetic accuracy of dreams

Pine - Burn in the house for cleansing and protection, and to remove negativity.

Poppy Seeds - Make a poppet with poppy seeds and chammomile, and place it under your pillow for restful sleep.

Primrose - It is said that a primrose flower under or in a childs pillowcase will make an unruly child become well-behaved.

Raspberry - Fruit - Used in spellworkings to ensure faithfulness Leaf - Used in spells for love and protection.

Rosemary - Known as the herb of Remembrance. Grow near the door of the home to protect and keep evil intentions at bay. Also used in spellworkings to increase the longevity of a spell. For spells that deal with friendships and youth.

Rose - Use in pot-pourri to keep love alive in the home, and for romance and love.

Rue - Bathe in water infused with Rue to attract a lover

Sage - Used in spells concerned with protection, wisdom, for reversing spells and for keeping misfortune at bay.

Sandalwood - Use in spellworkings to promote good fortune, for granting a wish and for love and protection.

Sea Salt - Used in all forms of cleansing and consecration.

Skullcap (Hoodwort) - Use in spellworkings concerned with love (romantic) fidelity and peace.

Star Anise - Carry star anise to ensure luck, or burn it to increase your psychic ability. Place it on your altar whilst spellworking to increase the power of the spell.

St. Johns Wort (St.Johns Herb & Goat Weed) - To break a spell, and protect against all forms of magickal workings against you, place this herb over the windows of your home. Also, may be burnt in small amounts for the same reason. Also used for psychic protection and spellworkings concerned with exorcism.

Tansy - Used in spellworkings concerning health and longevity, also for helping one to stay on the right side of the law.

Thyme - Used to place in a pillowcase to ensure all dreams are peaceful. Used in spellworkings concerned with divination, clairvoyance, consecration, purification, healing and protection.

Turmeric - For spellworkings concerning courage, exorcism, passion, purification, sensuality, and spell breaking. It is also considered to be an aphrodisiac.

Vervain (Blue Vervain) - Used in spellworkings to remove a hex, also for healing, love and purification.

Vetivert - Burn to repel evil, or to reverse and return a spell against you.

Violet - Burn with lavender to increase an attraction spell, or bathe in the scent to aid in the speedy recovery of an illness

Willow Bark - Burn to repel evil spirits, return a hex and for self-protection..

Wintergreen - Use for protection of children, and to ensure a child will grow to be wise and happy.

Yarrow Flowers ("Arrow Root") - Make a poppet of yeoow cloth, place inside a piece of arrowroot, along with a piece of yellow paper with your fears written on it. Carry this around so that you may overcome your fears. Use for spellworkings concerning : protection, release, spellbreaking, psychic protection and clairvoyance. Also used in consecration.

Yucca - Carry a piece of yucca root in a poppet to remove a hex against you.