Practical
Plant Magic
Preparing for using plants in magic follows the same principles as harnessing the magic of trees: it is our intention and integrity that ensure effective results, and this is entirely dependent on the relationships we forge.
Be aware of the plants; know their moods before you utilize them for your magic. Do not throw a handful of marigold flowers into an infusion just because a book has told you that it is useful for inducing prophetic sleep. Communicate with the plant—use the books as reference, but become reliant on your own senses and connection also; that is where the real magic lies. Ritualize the act of empowering or charging the plant items by following the example given earlier and creating englynion and chants to connect with them while you harvest, prepare, and use them in your practice.
The Creation of Magical Products
Herbs can be used in a range of effective ways; following is a brief outline and instructions on the preparation and usage for magical purposes. If you require the properties of a baneful herb or other potentially toxic plant, I suggest you use them sympathetically in non-ingestible oil or for inclusion into a crane (charm) bag or in an essence.
Infusion
Essentially this is a tea, where boiling water is poured directly over the plant. For a two-cup measurement of infusion, you would require six tablespoons of fresh plant material or three tablespoons of dry material and steep for three to five minutes. This is intended to take internally; therefore, caution and common sense are required. For sympathetic use that does not require ingestion, add to a bath of hot water. Use immediately; infusions do not store well and lose their volatility quickly.
Decoction
This is a stronger version of the infusion, perfect for casting directly onto surfaces or items to be enchanted. This typically invokes the stereotypical witches’ cauldron scenario, for the plant materials need to be boiled in water for a good ten to twenty minutes and then allowed to steep in the liquid for anything up to twenty-four hours. Roots, barks, berries, and other woody plant material will require vigorous boiling to release their properties; pound or crush them a little before adding them to the water. I have an old preserving pan that I use for magical purposes with a designated single-ring camping stove for portability. Add a minimum of four cups plant material to every one liter or quart of water. Decoctions for protection, defense, clearing, purification, prosperity, etc., can be added to your mop bucket for cleaning the house. Use whenever large quantities of material are required. A decoction will keep in a dark glass bottle or jar for six months.
Potion
According to the Physicians of Myddvai, a potion is a draught or fluid prepared according to art. Potions are intended for magical purposes only and are not for ingestion. Items are immersed in spring water and ritually charged before placement in a sunlit position. It is not necessary to strain a potion, and it will keep indefinitely.
Ointments
Ointments are not necessarily absorbed well by the skin and contain mostly fats; they also may be used as a barrier against allergens and other irritants. Magically they can be applied to amulets and other enchanted items. They are prepared by immersing plant material in vegetable shortening, lard, lanolin, or coconut oil and heating in a double boiler for at least sixty minutes. As a general guide, use one part plant material to two parts shortening/oil; for example, one tablespoon plant material for two tablespoons shortening. Press the warm liquid through a strainer, then add to a jar and seal when cooled. The addition of some benzoin tincture or oil will preserve the ointment for several years.
Creams
These are readily absorbed by the skin, passing through the dermis to affect underlying tissues and eventually being absorbed by the body. It is essential that the plant materials you use are safe for application, and before general use it is sensible to dab a small amount on a small, innocuous area of the skin and check for allergies for twenty-four hours. Unlike ointments, an emulsifier is added to the recipe (in this case, borax) to cause water and oil to combine, thus creating a creamy, white substance.
To make:
- Place 1 cup fresh plant material or half a cup dried into 1 cup sweet almond oil or other high-grade oil of your choice in a double boiler.
- Heat for twenty minutes, then strain.
- Return the oil to the double boiler and melt two ounces pure beeswax into the infused oil.
- In a separate pan, heat one cup of water; do not boil.
- Dissolve two teaspoons of borax (sodium borate) in the water.
- Turn off the heat under both pans and slowly pour the water/borax into the oil, beating vigorously with a whisk. The combined liquids will emulsify, pale, and thicken.
- Quickly decant into clean, dark jars and seal when cool.
- Keep in a cool, dark place and ideally use within twelve months.
If you wish the cream to have a particular aroma, I suggest the addition of approximately twenty to thirty drops of an appropriate essential oil into the infused oil before combining.
Tincture
Steep one part fresh plant material in three parts of 100 proof grain alcohol; good vodka is perfect. For example, one eggcup plant material in three eggcups alcohol. Steep for at least 30 days but no more than 120 days in a sunlit position, and shake daily. Strain and bottle. These will keep indefinitely and can be used as components in floor washes, for anointing, or for taking internally if safe to do so.
Crane Bag (Medicine Pouch)
A crane bag, traditionally Irish Celtic, is a useful ally in Celtic magic whereby a selection of plant materials, wood, and other natural substances are placed within a specific fabric pouch that has been hand-fashioned and created for a particular need. These are essentially magical charms and can be carried about one’s person or hung in the home.
Cold Infused Oil
These are ideal for anointing magical items or the body and can be easily prepared by steeping one part plant material in two parts good quality oil such as grape seed, sweet almond, etc. Allow to infuse in a sunlit position for a minimum of thirty days before straining and bottling. Keep in a cool, dark place.
Warm Infused Oil
These are a particular favorite of mine; they are versatile and will take on the aroma of the material used. I use an old slow cooker specifically designated for the creation of magical products. Slow cookers are perfect for applying controlled heat over a long period of time without fear of burning. Place two parts plant material to three parts oil and allow to heat in the slow cooker for twenty-four to forty-eight hours, depending on the strength of aroma required.
A tip: if you have a favorite incense, you can transform it into an oil with this technique. Your nose will tell you when the oil has taken on the properties of the material. Strain and bottle.
Essences
These do not contain any physical plant material; instead, they are created by imbuing clear spring water with the energy of the plant. This is an act of magic, where active imagination and visualization are required. Place a small amount of plant material onto a glass bowl or plate that sits atop a bowl of clear spring water or grain alcohol. Allow both moonlight and sunlight to pass through the plant material, thus imbuing the water with the energetic quality or essence of the plant without risk to health. After twenty-four hours have passed, bottle the liquid and label.
A Fresh Supply of Emergency Plants
A wonderfully effective way of ensuring you have access to fresh plants that may well be out of season is to gather them in your normal way and preserve their freshness by freezing. Place small quantities of chopped fresh plant material—enough to almost fill the cubes of an ice cube tray—then top up with water and freeze. Whenever you need them, pop out a cube and allow to melt.
Plant Divination
Using plants for divination is wonderfully simple and although it will consume a few hours of your time, they will last years if you look after them. Any plant can be used for this method. All you will require is raw plant material, some beeswax, and a mold. Casting raw material onto your divination surface is all very well but they don’t tend to last awfully long, and frankly, it’s just too untidy for my liking. Therefore, I invented a system where nine plants of your own choosing (depending on what you connect with the most) are set into wax “coins.” A symbol or the name of the plant is carved into one side of the coin to aid identification, and that’s it!
For this method, you will need something that will act as a mold—they don’t need to be awfully big, perhaps an inch to an inch and a half in diameter. I found an ice cube tray that is round as opposed to cubic, and it works perfectly.
Melt some beeswax in a double boiler; three quarters of a cup is plenty for making nine small coins. Pour a thin layer of the melted wax into the mold and immediately lay a leaf or flower within it; repeat this nine times so that you will eventually have nine individual coins, each one containing a different plant. As soon as you have set the plant atop the wax, cover it with more melted wax. Allow them to cool thoroughly overnight until quite firm. Make sure you remember which is which, and mark them appropriately. The plants that I use for my set of coins all start with a different letter, so I have carved the first letter of each plant into one side of the coin. They are then ready for use.
Casting these together with the ogam staves and the animal bone oracle (in part 5) will give you another level of insight. The coins that I have currently in use and their attributions are as follows:
Sage: wisdom, immortality, longevity, wishes
Nettle: irritation, annoyance, fear, hidden gifts, unexpectedness
Betony: protection, love, sustainability, the ability to listen
Parsley: lust, attraction, cleansing, refreshes
Fennel: cleansing, clear vision, clarity, seeing the woods for the trees
Rosemary: rest, purification, prosperity, removes blockage
Vervain: magic, reconciliation, potential conflict, unknown influences
Mistletoe: healing, fertility, imagination, inspiration
Agrimony: purification, liberation, new beginnings, transformation
Keep the plant coins safely in a box with your other divination tools. See chapter 29 for an accompanying divination system.
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And so we lift our eyes from the ground and note the creatures that move upon its surface.