Magic and Ritual Herb and Flower Correspondences A-Z

A

Acacia: Carry the wood for protection. Leaves burned in incense for clairvoyance and to communicate with the dead.

Angelica: Protection, especially for women and children. Think of that old painting with the guardian angel watching over the children crossing the bridge and you will understand the energy of this herb.

Anise: Protection and psychic enhancement.

Asafoetida: Due to its awful smell, it has earned the name devil's dung. As you can imagine, it's used to keep unwanted people and spirits away.

B

Balm of Gilead: Love and protection, especially to mend arguments between lovers and friends. Soothes a broken heart.

Basil: Family harmony, protection, exorcism.

Bay: Also called bay laurel. Victory, success, healing, protection, clairvoyance.

Bayberry: Money drawing spells.

Belladonna: Toxic - do not consume. Old grimoires describes this as one of the herbs used in witches' flying ointments. That flying is believed today to mean astral travel.

Benzoin: Resin is burned for purification and business success. Tincture is used as preservative.

Broom: Used much like smudge for self and home cleansing and purification.

C

Catnip: To attract a lover and of course cats or animal familiar in general.

Chamomile: (Pictured in illustration above) For good luck, especially in drawing money to you, meditation and relaxation.

Cloves: Prosperity and friendship.

Comfrey: Root used for protection during travel, leaves for prosperity.

Cornflower: Also called bachelor's buttons. Harmony in the home.

D

Damiana: AKA the love herb. Used for all manner of love spells, especially for virility in both sexes.

Dill: Luck in love, protection, breaks jinxes.

Dragon's blood: Used in resin and powder form for general luck and love. Dragon's blood ink is popular for writing spells on parchment.

E

Elder: To keep intruders away and ward off illness.

Eucalyptus: Healing, break bad habits and ward off evil.

Eyebright: To induce clairvoyant visions.

F

Fenugreek: To draw money to be used for the household.

Flax: Protect children from harm, induce dreams. The seeds are soft and excellent sewn into a fabric eye pillow.

Forget-me-not: As the name suggests, it's good to keep a lover faithful and for friendship.

Frankincense: Purification, exorcism, protection, and an all-purpose consecration resin.

G

Garlic: Ward off evil, exorcism.

Geranium: Love and healing.

Ginger: Used to heat up love and gambling spells.

H

Hawthorn: Protection. Strong association with witches who reportedly danced under this tree in England. Therefore, it's a popular wood for wands.

Hemlock: Another toxic plant believed to be one of the witches' flying ointment herbs.

High John the Conqueror: Money, success, personal power and strength.

Holly: Plant outside the house for protection of the home.

I

Irish moss: Good fortune in business and gambling. A good luck charm.

Ivy: Home and personal protection. Good used in spells with holly.

J

Jasmine: Increases potency of love spells.

Johnny jump-up: Male sexual virility and love spells. As a member of the violet family it's good for matters of the heart.

Juniper: Attract new love, protection from thieves.

K

Knot weed: Used in binding spells and to remove bad habits.

L

Lavender: Physical and emotional healing, peace in the home and marriage, purification.

Lemon scented herbs: Such as lemon grass, lemon balm, lemon verbena all good for warding off evil, cleansing and purification.

Licorice root: Use when you want to be in control of a situation, especially where other people are concerned.

Lovage: AKA love root. Used to increase sexual attractiveness and increase the love of another.

M

Mandrake, European: Root used to represent a person in magic. The May apple root is sometimes used as a substitution and known as American mandrake.

Marjoram: Protection, love, eases grief.

Mistletoe: Poisonous to eat. Used to ward off evil. Was sacred to the Druids as a healing and fertility plant. To learn more about this plant, see my lens, The Pagan Origins of Christmas Mistletoe Traditions.

Mugwort: Increases psychic ability, protects from malevolent spirits.

Mullein: According to Catherine Yronwode, a noted authority on African American hoodoo and author, mullein is not a substitute for graveyard dirt as has been asserted by other authors. It is used for protection against enemies and demons.

Myrrh: Resin burned for healing, protection, consecration, and relaxation. Often used with other herbs such as frankincense and sandalwood.

N

Nettle: Protection, remove curses, exorcism.

Nutmeg: Aid in psychic vision, attract money.

O

Oak: Spells for when strength and personal power is needed, fertility, protection from malevolent spirits.

Onion: Leaves and bulb are used in protection spells.

Oregano: Keeps away annoying people.

Orris root: Root is used in spells to attract love. Same as queen's root.

P

Pansy: A member of the violet family. Thus it is good for matters of the heart.

Patchouli: To draw love, add spice to your sex life, aids in clairvoyance.

Peppermint: Healing and protection.

Pine: Crushed pine needles and chips can burned as incense for money and purification.

Q

Queen Anne's Lace: Brings clarity and spiritual insight while staying grounded. To learn more, visit my article Queen Anne's Lace - The Cooking and Crafting Uses of this Common Wildflower.

Queen's root: Love attraction spells. Same as orris root.

R

Rose: Used in spells for love, romance, sex, fertility. Also for healing emotions related to heartbreak.

Rosemary: Commonly used to aid in memory and intellectual pursuits. Also for keeping the marriage and home happy.

Rowan: One folk name for this is witchwood. Popular for magic wands. The wood and berries are used in spells for healing and protection.

Rue: A common herb used for banishing spells, protection especially from malevolent spirit.

S

Saffron: The flowers are used to aid in clairvoyance.

Sage: Wisdom, healing and drawing prosperity. Not the same as sagebrush used for smudging.

Sandalwood: Peace and protection, especially for the home.

Slippery elm: Protection from gossip and slander.

Sunflower: Fertility, joy, happiness, prosperity.

T

Thistle: Protection from thieves and spells for increased energy.

Thyme: For increased money and purification.

Tobacco: Different traditions have different uses. Native Americans are known to use this for spiritual cleansing and prayers. In hoodoo it is used to draw love, business, and control spells. Witches also use it for purification and healing.

U

Unicorn root: Part of the lily family. The whole root is used in men's love spells.

V

Valerian: Also called all heal and vandal root.

Vanilla: Love and luck spells.

Verbena: AKA vervain, common vervain, common verbena. Used for love, protection and peaceful home and marriage.

Violet: Matters of the heart including love and heartbreak, to increase passion and virility.

Vetiver: For fidelity in marriage and to draw in business.

W

Walnut: Mental healing, remove luck from the enemy.

Willow: To bring deep healing. Wands made from branches have feminine energy and good for drawing that into your life. The root can be used to represent a person in a spell.

Wormwood: (Pictured in illustration above) Incense aids in clairvoyance and divination, protection and conjuring spirits.

Y

Yarrow: To gain courage and used in marriage and protection spells.

Yellow dock: The root is used to draw love and business.

Ylang Ylang: Used especially as an essential oil in love spells and worn to make yourself attractive to others.

Z

Zinnia: To bring joy to your life and childlike innocence.

Special thanks to lensmaster N376 for the font tips on his lens Advanced HTML for Squidoo.

References:

• Cunningham, Scott. Magical Herbalism. Llewellyn Publications, 1993.


• Cochrane, Amanda and Clare G. Harvey. The Encyclopaedia of Flower Remedies: The Healing Power of Flowers from Around the World. Thorsons. 1995.


• yronwode, catherine. Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic: A Materia Magica of African-American Conjure. Lucky Mojo Curio Company, 2002.

Picture credits in order that they appear: Cooking Witches: Wikimedia Commons (WC). Chamomile illustration: WC. Lavender: WC. Rosemary: effe8, sxc.hu. Wormwood illustration: WC. Sunflower: Dave Dyet, sxc.hu.

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