Quick Note: Plant and Herb Uses

Herbs are used in many ways throughout many pagan spiritualities. They are used in natural remedies, potions, spells, rituals, celebrations, enchantments, divination work, infusion, decoctions, and more. It is best to grow your own herbs, but picking wild herbs is always great too. Always remember to enchant, empower, and cleanse your herbs for ritual use.

Chamomile

Chamaemelum nobile (Anthemis nobilis). Chamomile is a hardy, evergreen perennial that likes full sun or some shade. In full sun it may reach 20 cm, in shade 30 cm. Chamomile can be grown as a lawn, and is a great friend to other plants, seeming to help along anything placed near it.

Chamomile is ruled by the Sun. It is also called Ground Apple, because the leaves, when rubbed, have an apple-like scent. Sir Francis Drake, of Armada fame, is said to have played his nonchalant game of bowls on a chamomile lawn. Witches were believed to have helped to defeat the Armada through the storms they whistled up, and the great Sir Francis himself is believed to have been a witch. I can’t help wondering if the game of bowls was an impromptu spell, using the protective essence of chamomile as a background to  Sir Francis’s concentration. Although ruled by the Sun, chamomile is associated with the element Water - did the lawn represent the ocean, and the bowls certain ships? I believe this is more than idle speculation, because if Drake really was a witch it would have been natural to use his ‘game’ in that way, and of course he would have appeared calm and ‘centred’ as he played.

Chamomile was the sedative given in Beatrix Potter’s story to greedy Peter Rabbit after his adventure in Mr McGregor’s garden. It is used in many remedies both internally and externally (as Chamomilla recutita). It is relaxing, good for morning sickness, nausea, digestive troubles and urinary infections. Magically it is used for sleep, love, purification and money - washing your hands in an infusion is said to attract luck when gambling.

Bay Leaf

Magically bay is used for strength, prophecy, healing, protection and purification. Bay guards against lightning, and it is said that no bay tree has ever been struck. Keep bay leaves with you to give you prowess during sporting events and to ward off negativity. Place leaves beneath your pillow for meaningful dreams or pin five leaves to your pillow to dream of the person you will marry.

Basil

Magically basil is used for love, wealth, exorcism and protection. Its heart-warming properties soothe strife between lovers and it can be used as a simple perfume, created by rubbing leaves against the skin until their fragrance is released. Carrying basil in your pocket attracts wealth, and it is regularly added to incense in love spells and purification rituals. It can be placed or strewn anywhere that you wish to have cleansed.

This is a lovely, fragrant plant, good for the digestion.

Sunflower

Helianthus annuus. Cheerful sunflower faces can be seen peering over many an English garden wall in the summer, following the Sun on its daily journey. Despite their brash appearance, however, sunflowers are tender annuals. The seeds do not always germinate and when they do they dont always survive planting out, at the mercy of the weather and cats. Naturally, sunflowers need to be planted in full sun.

It is no surprise that it is the Sun that rules these bright, scruffy plants. Sunflower can be used magically to make wishes come true. Pick a flower at sunset, make your wish (nothing too outlandish!) and by the time the Sun has come round again your wish should have come true. It can also be used for fertility, wisdom and health. Sunflowers were cultivated by the American Indians 3,000 years ago and Aztec priestesses were adorned with them. They were introduced to Europe in the sixteenth century.

If you wish to know the truth about something cut a sunflower and place it under the bed while you sleep - with all the plants that have these nocturnal influences you could well end up with half the garden under your bed!

Rose

Rosa species. These are hardy shrubs and many gardeners make an absorbing hobby out of rearing roses and waging an eternal battle against the many pests that seem to love this most fragrant of plants. Personally, I prefer the wild rose, or dog rose, Rosa canina which rambles everywhere and provides the rose ‘hips’ that are rich in vitamin C. Roses are said to attract fairies, or nature spirits, where they are grown.

The planetary ruler of the rose is Venus, but it is associated with many deities, including Isis and Demeter. Its magical powers are many and include love - of course - healing, divination concerning love, psychism, luck and protection. Roses can be women during a love ritual, to give extra power to the work. In flower-language red roses are well known for saying ‘I love you’. This is the passionate sort of love. White roses, on the other hand mean discretion and silence. One legend says that all roses were once white, but Cupid shot a dart at a bush and made it bleed.

This beautiful plant also has a connection with war. In England the Wars of the Roses, named after the rose symbols of the rival houses of York and Lancaster, were waged for centuries, until both houses were united in the Tudor rose, when Henry Tudor (Henry VII) married Elizabeth of York.

The essential oil of rose is very expensive, but an infusion can be made from the petals and added to bathwater as a love spell. The rose calms anger and discordant emotions in true Venusian style. Rosewater is a good antidote for headaches. This is another plant that can be carried for protection, and the petals can be dried and used in incense.

Sage

Salvia officinalis. Sage is a hardy, evergreen shrub that may grow to a height of 75 cm. It prefers full sun. Most sage varieties have mauve flowers, but less frequently white and pink flowers are seen. Clary sage is a biennial variety of the plant. It is considered unlucky for sage to have a herb bed to itself, so ensure it has some companions.

Hearty sage has the planetary rulership of Jupiter. Claims about its wonderful properties date from ancient times. An old proverb said ‘How can a man die who has sage in his garden?’ ‘Salvia’ is derived from the Latin salvere, which means ‘to save, cure or to thrive’. Magical uses of sage include money, protection, longevity, wisdom and granting of wishes. Carry sage if you wish to be wise. Eat a little daily - especially in May - if you want a long life. Sage can also be burnt as incense.

Like many household herbs, sage was said to grow well when the woman was in charge. It is possible that this relates to the Bronze Age and before, when women probably did have control of growing crops, temple rites and much more. By all accounts these times were much more peaceful than our own. However, matriarchy does not mean having a woman in charge in the same way as a man may rule under patriarchy. It means a different, ‘feminine’ set of values, where communication, connectedness, home, harmony and caring are set above domination and conquest. So there is no reason why a luxurian herb garden should mean a bossy female rules the roost! More subtly, it may mean gentler values are paramount.

Sage has antiseptic properties. It is traditionally served with pork and poultry, and it is possible that such combinations help the body to cope with the toxicity that may be present in the meat. Medicinally an infusion of sage leaves is good for sore throats and mouth ulcers. Sage should be avoided internally in pregnancy and large amounts should not be taken regularly.

Yarrow

This healing plant has long been considered sacred by peoples all over the world. The Druids used it to foretell the weather, while in China the straight dried stalks are still used in I Ching divination. It has beneficial effects on the circulatory and digestive systems, as well as helping digestion and disorders of the intestine.

General description

Balancing, grounding, hormone balancing, revitalizing, tonic for the nervous system. It can normalize mildly high blood pressure.

Attributes and characteristics

A smallish common herb with feather leaves and pink and white flowers.

Family name Compositae

Method of extraction

Steam distillation from dried flower heads.

Chemical constituents

Borneol (alcohol); cineole (ketone); azuline (sesquiterpene); limonene, pinene (terpenes).

Note

Top.

Aroma

Sweet and spicy.

Properties

Anti-inflammatory, antiphylogistic, antipyretic, antirheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, cholagogue, cicatrisant, digestive, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, hemostatic, hypotensive, stimulant, stomachic, tonic

Blends

Angelica, Atlas cedarwood, clary sage, juniper, lemon, melissa/lemon balm, Roman Chamomile. Rosemary, Scotch pine, vetiver.

Distribution

Europe, west Asia, North America

The yarrow plant can grow up to 3ft (1m) high. Small clusters of pinkish-white flowers appear from summer to autumn.

Caution

Excessive use may cause headaches and irritate sensitive skin in some individuals. As it is a very potent oil, use with care during pregnancy.

6 Health Benefits of Herbs