Practical, Magical and Aromatherapy Uses

1.        ACACIA: (Acacia senegal) Also known as gum arabic, gum senegal and gum acacia, produced by a tree that grows in North Africa. The species of acacia that produces gum arabic and gum acacia are so closely related that one can be used for the other.

a)       Parts Used: flowers, leaves, stems, root, bark, resin, seeds, and essential oil

b)       Magical Use: (Herb and Oil) Burn for altar offerings or purification, aids psychic powers, meditation, platonic love, psychic awareness, purification, inspiration, wisdom, visions, anointing, protection, prophetic dreams, spirituality, money. A sprig place over the bed wards off evil.

2.        AGRIMONY: (Agrimonia eupatoria) the dried herb has an apricot scent and is used in sachets and potpourri. Also called "Church Steeples".

a)       Parts Used: flowers, leaves, stem, and root

b)       Magical Uses (Herb and Oil) Use in all protection sachets and spells, also to banish negative energies and spirits. Returns spells to sender, Promotes sleep.]

3.        Alfalfa: Alfalfa is a well-known herb to health-conscious consumers. It is high in nutrients, which are drawn into the plant from deep in the soil. The richest land source of trace minerals, the roots of Alfalfa plants have been known to reach as much as thirty feet deep! The leaves of the alfalfa plant are rich in minerals and nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, and carotene. They are also a source of protein, vitamin E and vitamin K. Alfalfa has been used by the Chinese since the sixth century to treat kidney stones, and to relieve fluid retention and swelling. Alfalfa nourishes the digestive, skeletal, glandular, and urinary systems. Alfalfa contains chlorophyll, which is renowned for its cleansing qualities.

4.        ALLSPICE: (Pimemta dioica) Tropical evergreen with aromatic bark, leaves, and berries and bunches of greenish white flowers with a pervading scent. The berries, picked when mature but still green, are dried and ground to create the familiar spice.

a)       Parts Used: leaves, fruit and essential oil

b)       Magical Use: (Herb and Oil) Burn for prosperity, courage, healing/health, luck, determination, magical power, energy, strength.

5.        ALMOND: (Prunus dulcis) The Sweet Almond tree has dark-colored bark, rose to white flowers in early spring, and dry-fleshed fruit with a pitted stone containing the nut. Almonds flavor many dishes. Almond oil is a fixed oil pressed from the Sweet Almond seeds and is used in cosmetics, massage oils, and medicines. Almonds must be chewed well and slowly. The whole raw almond had been described as a cancer preventative. Arabs crossing vast deserts live on only almonds, dates and water. One ounce of almonds can be soaked overnight in four ounces of water and blended in the morning to make a milk substitute. Peeled almonds can relieve heartburn. Ground almonds make a wonderful facial scrub. The oil relieves coughs and hoarseness. Almonds have very little starch and the butter and flour of the nuts is recommended for diabetics. Caution: Almonds contain hydro cyanic acid and can be toxic if eaten in large amounts (over 50 kernels for an adult, ten for a child)

a)       Parts Used: Seed and wood

b)       Magical Use: (Wood) Burn for money, riches and wisdom. Almond wood makes a nice magickal wand. Sweet Almond Oil is one of the primary carrier oils for ritual and anointing blends. In an old fable, Phyllis was deserted by her lover Demophoon and died of grief. The gods changed her into a barren almond tree. When Demophoon returned and embraced the tree, it burst into leaf and flower - a symbol of true love transcending death.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: (Oil) Great base for massage, bath, body and skin-care products. Sweet Almond oil is scentless and nourishing to the skin.

6.        ALOE: (Aloe Vera or Aloe ssp.) This plant has remarkable qualities. Two parts are used: the clear, gel-like central leaf pulp, and the yellow-green juice from the green part of the leaf. The gel is used in creams to soothe, heal, and moisturize the skin, and in shampoos for dry, itchy scalps. It cools the skin, protects it from airborne infections and fungi, and reduces scarring. It speeds cell regeneration, and so treats radiation burns coral wounds, and dermatitis. It can be scraped from split leaves for first aid treatment of small burns, cuts, chapped skin, sunburn, eczema and Poison Ivy rash. Compounds in the leaf juice are added to sunscreens from protection against UV rays and have shown anticancer activity.

a)       Part Used: Pulp or juice from the leaves

b)       Magical Use: A protective houseplant. It guards against evil influences and prevents household accidents. In Africa, the aloe is hung over houses and doors to bring good luck and drive away evil.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Aloe Vera gel is used in cosmetic recipes where a cream or lotion isn't appropriate.

7.        ANGELICA: (Angelica archangelica) also called "Angel's Food". This three-year "biennial" has a taproot, divided leaves, and umbels of green-white flowers in its third year, and then it seeds and dies. Crushed leaves in car interiors reduce travel nausea. The oil is distilled from the root or seeds. Used in infusion or tincture, the root raises body temperature and promotes digestion, making it an ideal herb for older folks. It also helps bring down the menses. Use it for colds and flu, to induce a sweat and warm the body. The decoction of the dried root is said to remove the taste for alcohol. Simmer two teaspoons of the root in two cups of water for twenty minutes; take one cup twice a day. Caution: Do not exceed the indicated amounts, or the heart, blood pressure, and respiration can be affected. Use the root in salves for skin problems and rheumatic pains. The tincture can be used in doses of ten to thirty drops, four times a day.

a)       Parts Used: Root, essential oil and seeds

b)       Magical Use: Sprinkle crushed leaves around the 4 corners of a house to ward negativity and purify the home, burn for meditation, protection, divination, exorcism, healing/health and visions. The leaves can be smoked in herbal "tobacco" formulas. (Oil) Use for anointing.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Coughs, Colds, Fevers, Flatulence, Indigestion, Skin Care, Circulation. Do not use during pregnancy or if diabetic.

8.        ANISE: (Pimpinella anisum) Anise has sweetly, aromatic leaves, rounded at the base and narrower on the stem, with umbels of flowers followed by aromatic fruits. The flowers and leaves are used in fruit salads, the stem and roots in sweet soups. In cooking or infused as a tea, the seeds aid digestion, quell nausea, and ease flatulence and colic. Anise is used in cough mixtures, as it is expectorant and soothes spasms of irritant coughs and bronchial problems. It promotes estrogen production and is used to encourage breast milk, ease childbirth, and stimulate libido. Tiny amounts of the essential oil, produced from the seeds, are added to toothpaste, perfumes and mouthwashes, and are used to mask bitter medicines, but in large amounts Anise is highly toxic. The seeds are carminative (they move gas out of the intestinal tract). Used in tea or as lozenges, they soothe a hard cough. For the tea, steep one teaspoon of the seeds in one cup of boiled water for ten minutes. Take up to one and half cups a day. The seeds can also be tinctured using two ounces of seed per on-half quart of brandy and some lemon peel. Let the mixture sit for twenty days. The dose is one teaspoon as needed. The seeds are make into a liqueur called anisette, which is mixed with hot water as a remedy for bronchitis and asthma. Anise seed tea is sweetened with honey and given to children with lung colds. Epilepsy, colic, and smoker's cough are treated with anise. For colic, simmer one teaspoon of the seed in one-half pint of mild for ten minutes, strain, and take it hot. Oil of anise is a natural insecticide.

a)       Parts Used: Seeds and essential oil

b)       Magical Use: Anis seeds are an herb of protection said to avert all evil. In ancient Roman times, they ere baked into a cake that was served at the end of the wedding feast. Purification, Protection, entices spirits to aid in spells, divination, psychic awareness, youth, In a pillow it wards off nightmares.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Muscular aches and pains, Rheumatism, Bronchitis, Colds and coughs, Colic, Cramps, Flatulence, Indigestion.

9.        APPLE: (Malus spp.) A Druid sacred tree. The apple is a symbol of immortality, A branch of the apple which bore buds, flowers and fully ripened fruit (sometimes known as the Silver Bough), was a kind of magical charm which enabled its possessor to enter into the land of the Gods, the underworld, in Celtic Mythology. Apples clean the liver, cure constipation, and tone the gums. When baked they can be applied as a warm poultice to sore throats and skin inflammations. The cooked apple is especially laxative. The peeled raw apple helps with diarrhea. The cider corrects intestinal flora, reduces stomach acidity, corrects gas, and helps the kidneys, take three or four cups a day. Apple cider vinegar and water make a rinse to restore hair, scalp and skin, use equal parts of vinegar and water. Blondes should use white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, water, and honey aid digestion when taken with meals, use two teaspoons of vinegar to a glass of water, add honey to taste. This was one of my great-grandmothers favorite cures for a sore throat.

a)       Parts Used: Whole fruit (cooked or raw, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and wood

b)       Magical Use: Wiccan altars are often piled high with apples during Samhain for the apple is considered to be one of the foods of the dead. For this very reason Samhain is sometimes known as "Feast of Apples". Apples are considered symbols of life and immortality. The apple has long been used in spells of love. The blossoms are added to love sachets, brews and incenses, and they are infused in melted pink wax, then strained out to make candles suitable to burn for attracting love. Use apple cider in place of blood where it is called for in old recipes. Apples and apple blossoms are symbolic of love, healing and immortality. Burn the blossoms as incense, wear the perfume, and make them into herb candles for a hand fasting rite.

10.     ASAFETIDA: Ferula asafoetida Also called Stinking Gum. The pungent gum is extracted from the living rootstock by notching the plant at soil level. It was a popular Roman condiment. (If you can imagine that!) Research suggests the plant is anticoagulant and lowers blood pressure. Used to treat stomach ailments such as intestinal flu, gas, and bloating. Add a pinch to beans as they cook. The herb is good in cases of Candida albicans. Has been used for asthma, bronchitis, and whooping cough because of it's antispasmodic properties and is a good herb for croup and colic in babies (newborns should get it through their mother's milk). Another method is to give it to infants via the rectum - make an emulsion with four parts asafetida to one hundred parts water and insert. It has been used as a sedative for hysteria and convulsion. Please Note: This herb tastes awful and is perhaps best taken in capsule form, one hundred milligrams to one gram being the dose.

a)       Parts Used: Resin of the root 

b)       Magical Use: Use for prophetic dreams, exorcism, and protection. Worn in a bag around the neck, asafetida dispels diseases and evils of all kinds. (It literally repels evil spirits!) Add a clove of garlic to enhance the effect. Asafetida is a classic for exorcism and purification rites. Use it to smudge a ritual space with smoke. Unfortunately, though asafetida is powerful, it also has a horrible odor. Just the slightest whiff of the fragrance has been known to cause vomiting. Use with Care!

11.     ASH TREE: (Fraxinus americana or excelsior) A Druid sacred tree. This spring-flowering deciduous tree has smooth gray bark and showy, scented flowers, although the scent is unpleasant to some. The bark of the ash can be used as a substitute for quinine in intermittent fevers. It is reputed to clear obstructions from the spleen and liver. Simmer two tablespoons of bark for twenty minutes in one cup water, take a quarter-cup four times a day. The leaves are laxative and can be used as a substitute for senns (tree leaves are always gathered before midsummer). Steep two tablespoons of the leaf in one cup of water for twenty minutes, take one quarter cup four times a day.

a)       Parts Used: Bark and Leaf

b)       Magical Use: Ash is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as Yggdrasil. Ash wood makes a traditional Yule log. Druid wands were often made of ash and carved with decorations. Ash wands are good for healing, general and solar magic. Put fresh ash leaves under your pillow to stimulate psychic dreams and prosperity. An herb of the sun, ash brings light into the hearth at the winter solstice.

12.     BASIL: (Oncimum basilicum) The warm, spicy taste of this popular herb's leaf combines well with garlic, tomatoes, eggplant, and Italian dishes, Basil flavors vinegar, pesto sauce, and oil. The essential oil flavors condiments and liqueurs, and scents soaps and perfumes. Inhaling the essential oil refreshes the mind and stimulates a sense of smell dulled by viral infection. The infusion relieves gas and stomach pains. Reputedly abortive, it can help expel the placenta. A warming herb, it is used for colds and flu, constipation, vomiting, headaches, and menstrual cramps. Steep two teaspoons per cup of water for twenty minutes, take up to one and a half cups per day.

a)       Parts Used: Leaf and stem

b)       Magical Use: Burn basil to exorcise negativity from the home. To do a really thorough cleansing and protection of yourself and your home, also sprinkle a little basil in each corner of each room in the house and add to your bathwater. Basil is used to mend lovers' quarrels and brings good luck to a new home. The scent of basil causes sympathy between two people and so is worn to avoid major clashes. Basil Use it in rites of exorcism and in the ritual bath. Sprinkle to powder over the area of your heart to promote fidelity. The scent brings happiness to the home and will protect you in crowds.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Bronchitis, Fatigue, Colds, Loss of Concentration, Migraine, Gout, Aches and Pains, Insect bites, Insect Repellent, Coughs, Migraine, Insomnia, Anxiety, Depression, Infectious Disease. Key Qualities: Restorative, Tonic, Antidepressant, Refreshing, Uplifting, Fortifying, Purifying, Clearing, Warming, Cephalic, Stupefying in excess.

13.     BAY LAUREL: (Laurus nobilis) The culinary leaves may be slightly narcotic, and aid digestion when added to Bouquet garni, marinades, pâté, soups and stews. The wood is used to give an aromatic tang to smoked foods, and oil of Bay, from the fruit, flavors some liqueurs. A leaf decoction added to bath water will relieve aching limbs, and diluted leaf essential oil can treat sprains and rheumatic joints but may irritate the skin. The leaf and berry are used in salves for itching, sprains, bruises, skin irritations, and rheumatic pain. The fruit and leaf are simmered until soft and made into a poultice with honey for chest colds. Bay leaf and berry tea makes a bath additive that helps the bladder, bowel, and female reproductive organs. Use two tablespoons per cup and steep for forty-five minutes, add to bath water.

a)       Parts Used: Leaf and berry

b)       Magical Use: Bay leaves were used by the Delphic priestesses. The incense and the leaf are said to produce a prophetic trance. Burn for psychic powers, purification, wish magic, exorcism, healing/health, protection, divination, visions, clairvoyance, energy, power, strength, inspiration, wisdom, meditation, defense, creative word. Put the leaves under your pillow to give inspiration and visions. An herb of the sun, bay brings the light of summer into the darkest time of the year. Carry the leaf or place in the home to ward off illness and hexes.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Sprains, Colds, Flu, Insomnia, Rheumatism. 

14.     BENZOIN: (Styrax benzoin) Benzoin is a shrubby tree with gray bark, simple leaves, and short racemes of small, fragrant, bell-shaped white flowers. The scented yellowish resin is thought to be created in response to injury, so it is tapped by making hatchet incisions in the trunk. The resin, called benzoin or gum benjamin, is used as incense, a fixative in perfumes, and is added to cosmetics to prevent fats turning rancid. The tree resin is used externally, diluted with water, as an antiseptic skin wash. Taken internally, it relieves intestinal gas and is antiseptic to the urinary tract. Take ten to twenty drops in water or tea four times a day. Put it in vaporizers or use it an inhalant for bronchitis, and laryngitis. A simple method is to place it, along with a few drops of the oils of peppermint and eucalyptus, in a bowl of boiling hot water. Put your face as close to the bowl as you can and cover your head, and the bowl, with a towel. Inhale the steam. Tincture of benzoin is often added to salves as a preservative, (one pound of benzoin to about one and a half quarts of salve.) Benzoin is used in Aromatherapy but may cause allergic reactions.

a)       Parts Used: Resin

b)       Magical Use: An herb of purification, burned in incense to sanctify an area. The scent is also used to attract business when combined with basil, peony or cinnamon. Dilute the essential oil and rub onto the body to increase your personal power. It awakens the conscious mind as well. Burn to purify, protect, for prosperity, for astral projection or to increase mental powers.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Asthma, Bronchitis, Laryngitis, Chills, Flu, Colic, Coughs, Itching, Arthritis, Colds, As a Sedative. Benzoin has been found to help retain skin elasticity. It is valuable in treating dry, cracked skin and is believed to be anti-depressant. Key Qualities: Warming, Energizing, Uplifting, Comforting, Purifying, Elevating, Stimulant, Soothing, Antidepressant.

15.     BERGAMOT: (Citrus bergamia) Bergamot has aromatic flowers and fruits. The thin, smooth peel yields Bergamot oil for "true" eau de Cologne and Earl Grey Tea.

a)       Parts Used: Flower and fruit

b)       Magical Use: Use for money and protective rituals. Add the distilled bouquet to your bathwater for these purposes. Synthesized versions of the oil abound but should not be used.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Boils, Cold Sores, Insect Bites, Spots, Varicose Ulcers, Colds, Flu, Fevers, Acne, Tension, Wounds, Coughs, Stress, as an Antidepressant, as an Insect Repellent, Depression, Cystitis, Infectious Diseases, Tonsillitis, Halitosis, Flatulence, Loss of appetite. Key Qualities: Reviving, Refreshing, Calming, Soothing, Uplifting, Sedative, Regulating, balancing, Anti-Depressant.

16.     BERGAMOT MINT: (Mentha x piperita 'citrata') This herb is sometimes confused with the Citrus of the same name. Bee Balm is also called bergamot at times. This is a hairless mint with thin smooth leaves and purple runners, it has purplish flowers. In full sun it develops a strong citrus scent and the whole plant is tinged purple. In shade the color is more coppery. Use it as an aromatic herb in potpourri or to make a honey-sweetened drink. The flavor is not so good for cooking. Also called Eau De Cologne Mint.

a)       Parts Used: Leaf and Essential Oil

b)       Magical Use: The leaves of bergamot mint are slipped into wallets and purses to attract money. Fresh leaves are also rubbed onto money before spending it to ensure it's return. Also used in "success" rituals and spells.

17.     BETONY: (Stachys officonalis or Stachys betonica or Betonica officionalis) Also known as Bishop wort, Wood Betony or Purple Betony. Wood betony has fairly pungent, scalloped, hairy leaves and spikes of pale magenta summer flowers. A Druid sacred herb. The arial parts provide a tea substitute and are added to tonics and herbal cigarettes. An infusion is mildly sedative and cleansing and is a nerve and circulation tonic for migraine, anxiety, indigestion, drunkenness, and difficult labor. Wood Betony was an Anglo-Saxon protective charm

a)       Parts Used: Leaf, flower, stem and root

b)       Magical Use: This was a very powerful herb to the Druids as it has the power to expel evil spirits, nightmares and despair. It was burned at Midsummer Solstice for purification and protection. Sprinkle around or near al doors and windows to form a protective barrier. If troubled by nightmares fill a small cloth pillow and place it under your pillow. Betony is added to purification and protection mixtures and incenses.

18.     BIRCH: (Betula alba) A Druid sacred tree. Also known as Lady of the Woods, Paper Birch or White Birch. The antibacterial leaves give a diuretic tea used to treat gout and rheumatism, to dissolve kidney and bladder tones and to lower cholesterol. Steep two teaspoons of leaf per cup of water for twenty minutes. The dose is one to one a half cups over a day. Birch twigs and leaves are simmered and added to the bath for itchy skin conditions and falling hair. Taken before bed, the tea is sedative. The young shoots and leaves make a tonic laxative. The inner bark is simmered and used in fevers. Twigs and bark are simmered using two teaspoons of plant per cup of water for twenty minutes. The dose is one-fourth cup four times a day. The twigs of B. lutea (Yellow birch) and B. lenta (black birch) are gathered in spring and simmered gently for twenty minutes to make a delicious beverage. Please note: the leaves must be used fresh, and not after Midsummer, as they will then contain natural insecticides. The white birch has no real flavor and does not make a good beverage tea. The bark and bud oil are used in medicated soaps.

a)       Parts Used: Leaf, bark and twigs

b)       Magical Use: The traditional broom of witches is made of birch twigs. Protection, purification, wards negativity, love, new beginnings, changes. Birch is a feminine tree and an embodiment of the Great Mother. Cradles are often made of her wood as a protection for the child.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Gout, Rheumatism, Eczema, Ulcers.

19.     BLACKBERRY: (Rubus villosus) A Blackberry leaf decoction is a blood and skin tonic, and a poultice treats eczema. The juicy purple-black fruit are rich in fiber and Vitamin C. The root is a classic remedy for diarrhea and is reputed to clean the kidneys and urinary tract of stones and gravel. Simmer two teaspoons for the root per cup of water for twenty minutes, and take a quarter cup four times a day. The buds and leaves are used fresh in poultices for wounds, burns, mouth sores, and sore throats. Chew the leaves or make a poultice. The berries are slightly binding (as is blackberry wine) and are useful in diarrhea, as are the leaves.

a)       Parts Used: Root, leaf, bud, and berry

b)       Magical Use: Sacred to Brighid, the leaves and berries are used to attract wealth or healing. This is a Goddess herb, belonging to the planetary sphere of Venus. Protection, health, prosperity, pie for Lughnasadh, to commemorate the harvest.

20.     BLACKTHORN: (Prunus spinosa) Also know as Sloe, Mother of the Wood, or Wishing Thorn. This tree has small, serrated, oval leaves on dark, thorny branches with purple blooms and black fruit. The leaves yield a mouthwash. The astringent fruits make Sloe gin. Traditionally, the wood was used to make clubs.

a)       Parts Used: Leaf, twig, fruit

b)       Magical Use: Returns evil to sender. The thorns are used for sticking into black figure candles or poppets of enemies that will not leave you alone. Hung over doorways or carried, the sloe wards off evil and calamity, banishes demons and negative vibrations.

21.     BORAGE: (Borago officionalis) The flowers decorate salads and cakes and are frozen in ice cubes. The cooling, mineral-rich leaves flavor drinks, dips, and salt-free diets. A leaf and flower infusion is an adrenaline tonic taken for stress, depression, or cortisone and steroid treatment. It reduces fevers, dry coughs, and dry skin rashes. Pressed seed oil can be used like Evening Primrose for menstrual and irritable bowel problems, eczema, blood pressure, arthritis and hangovers.

a)       Parts Used: Flower, leaf, stem and seeds

b)       Magical Use: Tea aids psychic power. Carry the leaves for protection. Carry the fresh blossoms to strengthen your courage. Use in money and business spells.

22.     BRIAR ROSE: (Rosa rubiginosa) Also known as Wild Rose, Sweet Briar, Hop Fruit, or Briar. Regular scented roses may be substituted. See also ROSE.

a)       Parts Used: Flower and fruit

b)       Magical Use: For clairvoyant dreams, steep two teaspoons fresh or dried rose petals in one cup of boiling water. Cover and let stand five minutes. Drink at bedtime. Burn the petals with love incense to strengthen love spells. Rose essential oil is used in formulas designed to attract love, confer peace, stimulate sexual desires and enhance beauty. Healing, Creativity, Love Luck, Prophetic Dreams, Protection, Psychic Awareness, Divination, Clairvoyance, Anointing, Balance.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Anxiety, Depression, Circulatory Problems, menopausal Problems, as an Antiseptic and Tonic, Menstrual Disorders, Stress, Tension, as a Sedative.

23.     BROOM: (Genista scoparius syn. Cytisus scoparius and Sarothamnus scoparious) Also known as Scotch Broom, and Irish broom. A Druid Sacred Tree, it is a many-branched erect shrub with simple or trifoliate leaves, and golden "sweet-pea" flowers. A flowering sprig of Broom was a heraldic battle device of Henry II of England who is said to have taken the family name Plantagenet from this medieval "planta genista". Flowering broom tips are gathered in spring (before Midsummer) and are later used fresh or dry. The seeds are as useful as the tops. Both are soluble in water and alcohol. The infusion is used to tread cardiac edema. Simmer one teaspoon of the herb or seeds per cup of water for twenty minutes. The dose is one-half cup a day in one-fourth cup doses. Broom is combined with dandelion root, uva ursi, and juniper berries to treat bladder and kidney ailments. Take one part broom, one half part uva ursi, and one half part dandelion root. Simmer until the liquid is reduced to half the original quantity. Add one-half part juniper berry and cool. A pinch of cayenne is sprinkled into each one-eighth cup dose. Caution: Acute kidney problems contraindicate this herb. Broom is a heart tonic. Use one teaspoon of the herb per cup of water, and do not exceed more than one-half cup per day. One to ten drops of tincture may be given as a dose.

a)       Parts Used: Flowering twig and seed.

b)       Magical Use: Broom flowers bound with colored ribbons are carried at weddings. Couples may choose to "jump the broom" as they make their transition to a new station of life. Broom can be substituted for furze (gorse)) at Spring Equinox. The Irish called it the "Physician's Power" because of its diuretic shoots. Sweep your outside ritual areas with it to purify and protect. Burning the blooms and shoots calms the wind. Hang indoors for protection and purification. Toss in the air or bury it to raise or calm winds.

24.     CAMPHOR: (Cinnamomum camphora) This white, intensely scented, crystalline substance is distilled from a tree native to China and Japan. The essential oil is steam-distilled from wood, root stumps, and branches. For many years true camphor wasn't sold in the U.S. All "camphor blocks" and mothballs were made of synthetic camphor which is extremely poisonous. Both the leaf and crystallized extract are used for wet lung conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. Camphor is useful in depression, exhaustion, and stomach cramps and to improve circulation. Use about two teaspoons of leaf per cup of water and steep for twenty minutes. Take one-fourth cup four times a day. Alternatively, use one teaspoon of the crystallized extract per two cups of water. Take it in one-teaspoon doses four times a day. The tincture is also available and is used in doses of five to ten drops four times a day. Camphor is incorporated into salves for external use to kill parasites and treat ringworm, scabies, and itch. The oil open the lungs, making breathing easier, and helps with muscular and joint pain, arthritis, and bruises (not for open wounds). The salve functions as a "smelling salt," and the herb has been used internally to revive those in coma or delirium. Camphor can be burned to purify the air or inhaled to open lung passages. Caution: Do not use this herb if you are pregnant or if you are very weak and debilitated. Only natural plant extracts should be used, as chemical camphor is contaminated with industrial poisons.

a)       Parts Used: Crystallized extract and leaf

b)       Magical Use: (Solid Form) Camphor is added in small amounts to Lunar and chastity type mixtures, (Eucalyptus or Lavender oil may be substituted). Divination, Prophetic Dreams, Psychic Awareness. Burn in the home to purify the air and to dispel disease.

b)

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Coughs, Colds, Fevers, Rheumatism, Arthritis.

25.     CARAWAY: (Carum carvi) Caraway is a hardy biennial with finely cut feathery leaves, umbels of small flower heads in midsummer and capsules containing two curved narrow seeds. The seeds are a popular spice, especially in Central Europe. They enhance port, goulash, sauerkraut, cheese, and pickles and are added to cooking cabbage to reduce the smell. They flavor brads and cakes and are eaten raw or sugar- coated as Caraway comfits after a spicy meal. They sweeten the breath, aid digestion, and relieve flatulence. Chopped leaves are added to soups and salads, and the root is cooked as a vegetable. Essential oil, distilled from the seeds, flavors gin, candy, the liqueur Kümel, and mouthwashes, and scents soaps, and aftershaves. The seeds are antiseptic and a vermifuge. Caraway seeds have been used in cooking since the Stone Age. The powdered seeds are taken in doses of one-fourth to one teaspoon to promote digestion and relieve gas. Caraway tea also relieves menstrual cramps, as it helps to bring on the menstruation. Caraway increases breast mile. To make the tea, steam three teaspoons of the ground seeds in one-half cup of water for twenty minutes (use a kitchen blender to lightly crush the seed). Take up to one and a half cups a day in one-fourth cup doses, or simply chew the seeds. One to four drops of the essential oil may be taken as a digestive aid. For colicky babies, soak one ounce of the ground seed in a pint of cold water for about six hours. The dose is from one to three teaspoons of the infusion, or boil three teaspoons of seed in one-half cup of milk for a few minutes, then steep for ten minutes. The powdered seeds are moistened to make a poultice for bruises and earaches.

a)       Parts Used: Seed, leaf, root and essential oil

b)       Magical Use: Caraway is often added to love potions to keep lovers from being unfaithful. The seeds are placed in poppets and used in spells to find one's mate. They are said to inspire lust when baked into cakes or breads. Put some in your wedding cake, or use it instead of rice to throw at the bride and groom. Pigeons are very fond of it too!

26.     CARDAMOM: (Elettario cardamomum) This perennial bears violet-striped white flowers and aromatic green fruits on erect or trailing racemes. The seed pods are an expensive spice, sold as whole green, bleached, or sun-dried cardamom. The seeds are digestive, stimulant, and antispasmodic, and rhizome is given for fatigue and fever. The essential oil from almost-ripe fruits is used in liqueurs and perfumes. Cardamom seeds are a symbol of hospitality.

a)       Parts Used: Seed

b)       Magical Use: Deliciously spicy, cardamom essential oil brings a nice jolt of energy to live and sexually oriented formulas. Burn for love spells or use in love sachets. The ground seeds are added to warmed wine for a quick lust potion. They are also baked into apple pies for a wonderful amatory pastry.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Nausea, Coughs, Headaches, Aches, as a Digestive and Tonic, Dyspepsia, Mental Fatigue, Nervous Strain, Halitosis, Anorexia, Colic. Key Qualities: Cephalic, Aphrodisiac, Warming, Comforting, Refreshing, Uplifting, Penetrating, Soothing.

27.     CARNATION: (Dianthus caryophyllus) Also called Pink , Clove Pink or Gilly Flower. This short lived perennial has blue-green grass like foliage and spicy, fragrant long-lasting flowers in the summer. This "Flower of Divinity" and symbol of betrothal, woven into garlands is the parent of cultivated carnations, although is seldom available in its true for. Fortunately, the petals of any clove-scented Pink, with the bitter white heel removed, can be added to fruit dishes, sandwiches, soups, and sauces, or used to make floral syrup, vinegar, liqueur, or wine. This was Chaucer's "sops in wine" and is still enjoyed as a nerve tonic today. The strong-sweet spicy scent is used in soaps and perfumes. Worn during Elizabethan times to prevent coming to an untimely death on the scaffold.

a)       Parts Used: Flower petals

b)       Magical Use: Altar offering for the Goddess, Anointing, Protection, Strength, Health and Healing, Energy, Power, Magical Power, Blessing, Consecration. Can be used in all purpose protective spells.

28.     CATNIP: (Nepeta Catoria) A Druid sacred herb. The root and leaf scent, mint with cat pheromone overtones, intoxicates cats and repels rats and flea beetles. The tender leaves are added to salads and flavor meat. They can also be brewed as tea and were used before China tea was imported. The leaves and flowering tops treat colds, calm upset stomachs, reduce fevers, and soothe headaches and scalp irritations. When smoked, leaves give mild euphoria with no harmful effects.

a)       Parts Used: Leaf

b)       Magical Use: Chewed by warriors for fierceness in battle. Large dried leaves are powerful markers for magic books. Give it to your cat to create a psychic bond. Used in spells to promote beauty, happiness, love. Use in all Cat Magic Spells.

29.     CASSIA: (Cinnamomum aromaticum var. cassia) This is the highest grade of Cinnamon. See Cinnamon.

a)       Magical Use: Purification 

b)       Aromatherapy Use: See cinnamon

30.     CEDARWOOD: (Cedrus libani or Cedrus spp.) A Druid sacred herb. Also known as Cedar, Tree of Life, Arbor Vitae (Thuja occidentalis) or Yellow Cedar (T. occidentalis). Ancient Celts on the mainland used cedar oil to preserve the heads of enemies taken in battle. The wood of the Atlas Cedar subspecies is distilled to produce the essential oil. Yellow cedar is used by herbalists to treat bloody cough and heart weakness. Simmer two teaspoons per cup for twenty minutes and take it cold in one-tablespoon doses, three to six times a day. It is used internally and externally as an anti-fungal (the dry powder is excellent for Athlete's foot).

a)       Parts Used: Twig and leaf

b)       Magical Use: Cedar smoke purifies the home. Use it in smudge sticks, incense and sweat lodges. The scent is said to enhance psychic powers. I use it in a simmering pot which smells much better than the burning herb, it makes the whole house smell clean and sweet. Use for: Purification, Health and Healing, Luck, Good Fortune, Happiness, Banishing, Releasing, Exorcism, Money and Riches, Justice, Protection, Harmony, Peace.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Bronchitis, Catarrh, Acne, Arthritis, as a Diuretic, Sedative, Antiseborrhoeic.

31.     CHAMOMILE: (Chamaemelum nobile or Anthemis nobilis) Also called Roman chamomile, English chamomile, Perennial Chamomile, Wild Chamomile, and Ground Apple. A Druid Sacred Herb, this aromatic evergreen has feathery, apple-scented leaves and white flowers with conical golden centers. The flowers make a digestive, soothing and sedative tea, which is used for soothing restless children, helps prevent nightmares and insomnia, and suppresses nausea. The flower compounds have shown anti-tumor activity in laboratory tests. In the garden it is a "physician plant" reviving nearby ailing plants. The essential oil is a beautiful blue color turning yellow as it ages. This herb has an affinity for the solar plexus area of the human body. Colic, upset stomachs, and fevers are benefited by the tea of the fresh or dried flower. Use two tablespoons per cup, steep for twenty minutes, and take a quarter cup four times a day. Women with menstrual cramps can try adding a few thin slices of fresh ginger root to the tea. Chamomile is an antibacterial. Sores, wounds, itches, and rashes respond to external applications. Use the tea as a wash or add the herb to salves and poultices. The oil is rubbed into swollen joints. Chamomile calms the nerves and brings on sleep. Use it in baths and gargles. Add the tea to a vaporizer to help asthmatic children. The classic tea for cranky, teething babies, it is given in the bottle or through a mother's breast milk.

a)       Parts Used: Flower

b)       Magical Use: Yellow chamomile brings the power of the sun to love potions, money spells and rites of purification. Use in incense for the God. When sprinkled around the house it removes hexes, curses and spells. It can be burned or added to prosperity bags to increase money. Use for: Love, Luck, Fortune, Justice, Prosperity, Purification, Meditation, Rest.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Nerves, Migraine, Acne, Inflammation, Insomnia, Menstrual Problems, Dermatitis, Analgesic, Tension Headache, Stress.

32.     CHERRY: (Prunus serotina) A Druid sacred tree, chips of the wood or bark were burned at Celtic festivals especially Sabbaths. Also known as Black Cherry, Wild Cherry or Chokecherry (P. virginiana). Chokecherry bark tea is used to clear the throats of singers and public speakers, the powdered berries were once used to improve the appetite. If you've never tried chokecherry jelly, you've missed a real treat. CAUTION: The stone is poisonous.

a)       Parts Used: Fruit, bark and wood

b)       Magical Use: (Wood and Fruit Juice) Creativity, Healing, Long been used to attract Love, Cherry juice is used as a substitute for blood in old recipes.

33.     CINNAMON: (Cinnamomum verum or zeylanicum) A tropical evergreen tree up to 50 feet tall. Cinnamon sticks are quills from the inner bark and the essential oil is distilled by water or steam from the leaves and twigs.

a)       Parts Used: Bark

b)       Magical Use: (Herb and Oil) Meditation, Defense, Creative Work, Divination, Energy, Power, Protection, Success, Astral Projection, Health and Healing, Love Lust, Money and Riches, Purification.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: (Oil) Lice, Scabies, Wasp Stings, Poor Circulation, Childbirth (stimulates contractions), Anorexia, Colitis, Diarrhea, Dyspepsia, Intestinal Infection, Sluggish Digestion, Spasm, Flu, Rheumatism, Warts, Coughs, Colds, Viral Infections, Frigidity, Infectious Disease, Stress Related Conditions, Tooth and Gum Care, Nervous Exhaustion. Key Qualities: Warming, Reviving, Tonic, Strengthening, Aphrodisiac, Restorative, Uplifting.

34.     CINQUEFOIL: (Pontentilla reptans) Also called Five Fingered Grass, Creeping cinquefoil, and Five Leaved Grass. The rootstock was cooked as a vegetable by the Celts and Native Americans. Applied to sore areas, the fresh plant relieves pain. A root decoction is used in anti-wrinkle creams. A wash reduces skin redness, freckles, and sunburn. The powdered root and leaf are used to stop internal hemorrhaging. The powder also makes an astringent for mouth sores and treats diarrhea. Taken with honey, it relieves sore throats, coughs, and fever. Take one-quarter to one-half teaspoon at a time, or twenty to forty drops of the tincture. The leaves can be steeped using two teaspoons per cup of water for twenty minutes, or one ounce of the root can be simmered in one and a half cups of water for twenty minutes. The dose is a quarter cup four times a day.

a)       Parts Used: Root and leaf

b)       Magical Uses Use the infusion in ritual baths and for purification rites. Cinquefoil bestows eloquence and protection to the wearer, bring it to court. Love, power wisdom, health, and abundance are symbolized by its five petals. Prick a hole in an egg, drain it and fill it with cinquefoil. Tape the egg shut, and your home and property are protected. Bathe in the infusion every seven days to ward off evil influences. Prosperity, Protection, Defense, Purification, Anointing, Divination Dreams, Energy, Strength, Luck, Fortune, Justice, Healing, Inspiration, Wisdom, Love,. Hang at the door for protection. Add to pacificator bath sachets.

35.     CLOVE: (Syzgium aromaticum) Cloves are the sun-dried unopened flower buds of a dense evergreen tree, they have a strong spiciness that flavors foods and prevents nausea. The flowers are used to soothe aching eyes. Clove oil, from the distillation of leaves and flower buds, is an antiseptic numbing agent for toothache and indigestion. It is added to cosmetics, perfumes, and cigarettes. There are now Clove-based anesthetics.

a)       Parts Used: Leaf and flower bud

b)       Magical Use: Use for: Divination, Love, Lust, Banishing, Releasing, Inspiration, Wisdom. Burn for Wealth, Purification, to ward negative thoughts, or to stop others from gossiping about you.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Nausea, Flatulence, Asthma, Bronchitis, Arthritis, Rheumatism, Toothache, Diarrhea, Infections, as an Analgesic and Antiseptic, Insect Repellent (Mosquitoes). Key Qualities: Tonic, Stimulating, Revitalizing, Aphrodisiac, Warming, Comforting, Purifying, Active.

36.     CLUB MOSS: (Lycopodium selago or clavatum) Also called Selago, Foxtail, Lycopod, Vegetable Sulpher, Wolf Claw or Stag's Horn Moss. This toxic, evergreen, moss like herb has trailing stems, upright branches and developing cones encasing the ripe spores. The spores were once used for gastric and urinary disorders, as an antispasmodic sedative and to coat pills. Blackfoot Indians knew of the spores' blood-stanching, wound-healing and moisture-absorbing properties and inhaled them for nosebleeds and dusted them on cuts. They are still used on wounds and eczema. The spores are explosive when set alight, and used to create theatrical lightening and added to fireworks. Magicians once used them to create "lightening flashes" and other pyrotechnics as needed. These effects were originally intended as a form of sympathetic magic -of evocation by emulation - not simply (or deceptively) as stage effects. The club mosses are found in North America, northern Europe, Asia, and the southern hemisphere. The plants are several inches in height and resemble moss. They creep by means of prostrate stems, which branch upward at intervals, with crowded, linear, simple leaves. Large two valve spore cases product the medicinally active spores. While the whole plant was used by the ancients as a cathartic, the spores were used as a diuretic in edema, a drastic (a forceful agent of cure) in diarrhea and dysentery, a nervine for rabies and spasms, a mild laxative in cases of gout and scurvy, and a corroborant (strengthening agent) for rheumatism. The dose is ten to sixty grains of the spores. The spores also make a dusting powder for skin diseases and diaper rash. CAUTION: Selago can be an active narcotic poison when overused. For this reason it is probably better to use only the spores, which are non-toxic. The whole plant can be used externally, however, as a counterirritant - made into a poultice, it will keep blisters open and kill lice.

a)       Parts Used: Above-ground portions of the herb, and spores.

b)       Magical Use: Druids respected the plant to such a degree that it was gathered only under strict ritual guidelines. One of the Ovates would dress in white, bathe both feet in free-running water and offer a sacrifice of bread and spirits, and then with white robe wrapped around the right hand, using a brass hook, would dig up the plant by the roots. When properly gathered, the herb becomes a charm of power and protection. Wear it, add it to incense, and use it to commune with the Gods and Goddesses.

37.     COMFREY: (Symphytum officonale) Also known as Slippery Root, Knit bone or Black wort. Teas, tinctures and compresses of comfrey roots or leaves speed healing of cuts, rashes, and broken bones.

a)       Parts Used: Root and leaf

b)       Magical Uses Root or leaves for healing. Carry for safe travel. To ensure the safety of your luggage while traveling, tuck a piece of the root into each of your bags.

38.     COPAL: (Bursera odorata) Copal is a white, pale yellow or yellowish-orange gum resin. When smoldered on charcoal it produces a rich, delicious, piney-lemony fragrance. Copal is North America's equivalent of Frankincense. While it lacks some of frankincense's bittersweet odor, it is a fine substitute. When frankincense if left smoldering on charcoal for some time it eventually emits a very bitter scent. Copal, however, never varies as it burns. It is native to Mexico and Central America, and has been used as incense in religious and magical ceremonies for untold hundreds of years, beginning, perhaps, with the Mayans or even prior to the days of that fables people. The finest copal is a pale to dark yellow color with an intense resinous-citrus odor. It is usually sold in chunks and may contain leaf fragments.

a)       Parts Used: Resin

b)       Magical Use: Burn for protection, cleansing, purification, to promote spirituality, and to purify quartz crystals and other stones before use in magic. May be substituted for Frankincense. A piece of copal may be used as the heart in poppets.

39.     CORIANDER: (Coriandrum sativum) The whole of this annual is pungently aromatic. The seed is a mild sedative, aids digestion, reduces flatulence, and eases migraines. The spicy essential oil, distilled from the seeds, is used in perfumes and incense, flavors medicines and toothpaste, and is added to massage oil for facial neuralgia and cramps. The seeds are strengthening to the urinary system. The leaf and seed are infused to treat bladder infections. The tea helps with stomach problems such as gas and indigestion. Steep two teaspoons of the dried seed per cup of boiled water fro twenty minutes, and take up to one cup a day. The powdered seed and the oil are used to flavor other herbal preparations and to ease griping in laxative formulas. Use one-fourth to one-half teaspoon at a time. Coriander is a common ingredient of Indial curries.

a)       Parts Used: Seed and leaf

b)       Magical Use: Coriander oil works well in love and healing mixtures. The seeds are used for healing, especially easing headaches and are worn for this purpose. Add the powdered seeds to warm wine to make an effective lust potion. Put some in the chalice for a hand fasting ritual.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Eating Disorders, Colic, Diarrhea, Dyspepsia, Measles, Migraine, Neuralgia, General Infections, Indigestion, Influenza, Fatigue, Rheumatism, Flatulence, Nervousness, as an Analgesic, Stimulant, Aphrodisiac. Key Qualities: Aphrodisiac, Stimulating, Soporific (In excess), Refreshing, Warming, Comforting, Revitalizing, Strengthening, Purifying, Soothing, Active.

40.     CYPRESS: (Cupressus sempervirens) This tall evergreen tree has gray-brown bark, and tiny, dark green leaves. It bears yellowish male cones and green female cones, which ripen to brown. Cypress Oil, distilled from the leaves, branches, and cones, has a refreshing, camphor-resinous scent.

a)       Parts Used: Leaf, twigs, fruit, bark, wood, resin and essential oil.

b)       Magical Use: Burn for Happiness, Harmony, Peace, Inspiration, Binding, Wisdom, Releasing, Defense, Longevity. Cypress Oil is used for Blessing, Consecration, and protection. The unique scent stimulates healing and eases the pain of losses of all kind.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: Skin Care, Perspiration, Wounds, bruises, Hemorrhoids, Varicose Veins, Cellulites, Muscular Cramps, Edema, Poor Circulation, Rheumatism, Asthma, Bronchitis, Spasmodic Coughing, Dysmenorrhea,, Menopausal Problems, Nervous Tension, Stress-related Conditions, Treats inflamed/bleeding gums, Insect Repellent. Key Qualities: Refreshing, Purifying, Relaxing, Warming, Reviving, Restorative, Comforting, Protective, Soothing.

41.     DILL: (Anethum graveolens) Uniquely flavored, Dill offers culinary "seeds" and leaves, but the choicest flavor is in the fresh immature green seed heads. They give character to dill pickles, vinegar and potato salad. Distilled seed oil is colorless to pale yellow, with a light, fresh, warm-spicy scent and flavors drinks, food and infant gripe water for colic. The seeds aid digestion, and their infusion reduces flatulence, hiccups, stomach pains, and insomnia. A seed decoction gives a nail-strengthening bath.

a)       Parts Used: Flower, leaf, stem, fruit, seeds, and essential oil.

b)       Magical Use: Seeds draw money, Leaves for protection, Flowers for love and defense. Protective when hung at the door, no one ill-disposed or envious of you can enter your house. Smell Dill to cure hiccups.

c)       Aromatherapy Use: (Oil) Colic, Constipation, Dyspepsia, Flatulence, Headaches, Indigestion, Nervousness, Amenorrhea.

42.     DRAGONS BLOOD: (Draceana draco spp.) Dragon's blood is the resin of the Draceana draco species. The common name of this plant is "dragon tree" hence the name.

a)       Parts Used: Resin

b)       Magical Use: Burn for love, protection, exorcism, and sexual potency. Use for Courage, Magical Power, Energy, Strength, Purification, Changes, Determination, Cleansing. A pinch of Dragon's blood added to other incenses increases their potency and power.