HERBS OF PURIFICATION

Herbs have been used for centuries to ritually purify the home, land, and body. Some are burned so that their smoke will energetically cleanse ritual areas or consecrate sacred tools, while others are added to water to make a tea to help one sweat out impurities, to use as a cleansing aid to ward off illness and suffering, or to use as sacred water to aspurge ritual-goers. Use these herbs to purge negativity and sanctify your life.

Burdock

(Arctium lappa)

A wash of Burdock root tea can be used to purify a room or ritual area. In Hoodoo folk magic a purifying scrub for the whole home is made with Burdock root, Broom Straw, Rosemary, and/or Lemongrass.¹ Burdock is notoriously difficult to get rid of, so to rid the fields of it the following Estonian rite was performed.

“Three times nine” burdocks were pulled out with roots, tied together, and then one group of women would take the burdock to the river, walking backwards, and the others would beat the burdock with whips.

This has to be done before Midsummer.²

For more on the history, lore, uses, and Beltaine practices of Burdock, see here.

Cedar, White Cedar, Arborvitae

(Thuja occidentalis)

Much can they praise the trees so straight and high,

The sailing pine, the cedar proud and tall,

The vine-prop elm, the poplar never dry,

The builder oak, sole king of forests all,

The aspin good for staves, the cypress funeral,

The laurel, meed of mighty conquerors

And poets sage, the fir that weepest still,

The yew obedient to the bender’s will,

The birch for shafts, the sallow for the mill,

The myrrh sweet-bleeding in the bitter wound,

The warlike beech, the ash for nothing ill,

The fruitful olive, and the platane round,

The carver holm, the maple seldom inward sound.³

The Latin name Thuja comes to us from the Greek thuo, meaning “to sacrifice,” telling us that this is a tree of ritual and consecration. Cedar, or Arborvitae (tree of life), is a sacred tree of the Algonquian, who will not do a ceremony without it. They regard Cedar as a panacea for every ill and require 4 inches of Cedar to sit upon in a sweat lodge ceremony. Hot Cedar tea is taken before a purifying sweat and is poured upon the hot rocks within the lodge. Cedar tea is given to those who are sick, no matter what their illness.

The Cedar burned in Lakota territory is called Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum). For the Lakota, Cedar is associated with “Thunder Being,” a storm Spirit.

If a Lakota is doing a ceremony relative to Wakinyan (Thunder Being), he should make an incense of the leaves of the cedar tree. This is because the cedar tree is the favorite of Wakinyan, and he never strikes it with lightning. The smell of the smoke of the cedar is pleasing to him.⁴

You can burn the bracts of Cedar, green or dry, as incense and use the smoke to consecrate ritual tools and ritual spaces, or use it to purify your Beltaine ritual site.

Because Cedar is an aromatic its main medicinal use is cleansing the respiratory tract. It is an expectorant and immune builder when taken as tea and can benefit sinusitis, tonsillitis, and sore throat. It actually has more vitamin C than lemon but should be taken only for short time, in limited amounts. To make the tea: Place the fresh bracts (green parts and twigs included) into a pot and barely cover with cold water. Cover and simmer just until the water begins to turn brown (do not boil). Take ¼ cup once or twice during an illness (see “Caution” below).

Like all aromatic herbs Cedar also has antibacterial qualities, and the decoction can be applied externally to wounds and cold sores as a wash. The fresh or dried herb can be added to healing ointments for wounds, eczema, and psoriasis and to salves for sore muscles, osteoarthritis, and joint pain.

CAUTION: Cedar should not be used long term, and overdosing could cause queasiness, vomiting, painful diarrhea, low blood pressure, asthma, seizures, and even death. Cedar can also be abortive, so pregnant women, as well as those who are breastfeeding, should avoid it. Cedar stimulates the immune response so anyone with an autoimmune disease such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis should avoid it. Do not use Cedar if you have a seizure disorder or are taking a seizure medication.⁵

Cedar at Beltaine

Throw handfuls of Cedar, green or dry, into the ritual fire altar as you recite your prayers and petitions. Burn Cedar in the home and within the ritual space to bring in peace.

Juniper, Mountain Yew

(Juniperus communis)

Juniper is the traditional herb used in Scotland to sain, or purify, the house. Traditionally this is done at Hogmanay by burning Juniper in the fireplace on New Year’s morning, but you can do it any time. You can also use it to purify a ritual area, the boundaries of your land, and the barn and animals. For the strongest magical effect pull the plant out by the roots, tie the branches into four bundles, hold them between five fingers, and chant as you smudge the space.

For more on the lore, history, uses, and Beltaine practices of Juniper, see here.

Pine

(Pinus spp.)

Pine, like Juniper and Cedar, is burned to purify the ritual area, and you can even burn all three together as a forest incense. Use a tea of Pine needles in a purification bath to bring peace to tattered emotions or use a large branch to ritually sweep and purify your sacred circle.

To use Pine for asperging, pack a glass jar with Pine needles and barely cover them with natural springwater. Add a very clean quartz crystal (to amplify the purifying energies) and leave the jar in the full sun for a day and under the moon for a night. The waxing moon or full moon will be best for this working. Strain and use the tea to asperge celebrants during a ritual or add it to your bath to purify yourself.

Hang a branch of Pine over the door to bless everyone who comes and goes or make a magical floor wash by adding Pine tea or Pine oil to water to ward off sickness, poverty, and distress. When you go to the grocery store, seek out cleaners like Pine-Sol with natural Pine and Eucalyptus oils and use them in a very dilute form to magically purify your home.

CAUTION: Pine-Sol is toxic to dogs and cats, so do not let them breathe the vapors and be sure to rinse the area well after using it.

For more on the lore, history, uses, and Beltaine practices of Pine, see here.

Rosemary

(Rosemarinus officinalis)

There’s a few things I’ve learned in life: always throw salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for good luck, and fall in love whenever you can.

ALICE HOFFMAN, PRACTICAL MAGIC

Rosemary has been regarded as a purifying agent for centuries. The ancient Greeks and Romans burned it at holy shrines, and during the plague years Rosemary was carried in either a pouch, ladies’ handbag, or handkerchief or tied onto a man’s walking stick and sniffed to protect against the disease. It was also burned in the sick room to release its powerful cleansing and purifying vapors.

It was later used in French hospitals during WWII to kill germs and was burned in churches, courtrooms, and other public spaces as a disinfectant. Before there were refrigerators, Rosemary was used to preserve food, such as meat, by wrapping it in the crushed, aromatic leaves.

You can employ the purifying magic of Rosemary by hanging it on the door or burying it in a bundle near the entranceway or gate or use it as a purifying agent for the skin and the complexion. As English writer and poet Gervase Markham said:

Rosemary water (the face washed therein both morning and night) causeth a fair and clear contenance . . . [and] when one maketh a bath of this decoction, it is called the bath of life, the same drunk comforteth the heart, the brain, and the whole body, and cleanseth away the spots of the face; it maketh a man look young.⁶

See here for more on the lore, history, uses, and Beltaine practices of Rosemary.

Sage

(Salvia spp.)

Sage grows best where the woman rules, and it also grows best for the wise.

If the Sage tree thrives and grows,

The master’s not master and he knows.

TRADITIONAL SAYING FROM THE ENGLISH MIDLANDS

Sage will also grow well if the master is healthy and will die back when he is ill.

He that would live for aye,

Must eat Sage in May.

ENGLISH TRADITIONAL SAYING

The health of your Sage plants reflects the health of your business. Burn it before a meeting or conference to draw wisdom to the proceedings.

You can also burn Sage to purify an area and to put yourself in the proper frame of mind for a ceremony. Whenever I lead a ceremony I always begin by wafting Sage smoke—usually from White Sage (Salvia apiana), which I often combine with Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)—around the ritual area in a sunwise (clockwise) direction and around each participant as they prepare to enter sacred space. It seems to have a mildly calming influence and helps everyone leave their mundane cares behind.

I have also used Sage to purify a new home after a previous occupant has died. Upon moving into a group house I was assigned the bedroom of a woman who had recently passed. I went into the bedroom and cracked open a window, then began burning White Sage, chanting, and playing my drum. A huge white moth came out of the closet, went right out the window, and was immediately caught and devoured by a blue jay. I sensed that the former occupant was finally moving on.

Following is a house cleansing ritual that incorporates traditional Scottish customs such as “saining” (purifying and blessing) with fire.

Magical House Cleansing Rite

Burn sage alone or in combination with any of the herbs listed below.

A lit torch^*50 or a shovel full of live, burning coals and embers

A firm loaf of freshly baked whole-grain bread

Sage (kitchen sage or white sage)

Boxwood

Cedar

Juniper

Pine

Rosemary

A besom^†51 or a large pine or cedar branch with plenty of green still on it

A white candle

A container of living water (from a stream, lake, pond, or the ocean) with sea salt mixed in

A drum

Thoroughly clean the house from top to bottom, including bathrooms, the kitchen, the basement, floors, windows, and so forth.

Go outside and call in the sacred directions and the Three Worlds.

Light the torch or place the live embers and coals in a metal shovel, and chanting or singing and drumming, walk around the house three times, sunwise (clockwise).^‡52

Approach the front door and knock on it three times with the loaf of bread. Enter the house and light the herbs (it’s always a good idea to disable smoke detectors beforehand!).

Keep chanting as you enter each room, one at a time. Be sure there are cracked windows on each floor so “nasties” can get out. As you go into a room one person should ritually “sweep” it out with the besom, another person should waft the herbal smoke with a feather or fan, a third person should hold a lit white candle to every corner and every dark space, a fourth person should sprinkle saltwater around the room and in every corner, and, if possible, a fifth person should drum. Keep chanting as you do this.

At the very end use the besom to ritually make a final “sweep” out the back door and thank the directions and the Three Worlds for their blessings. Go back in, light a new fire in the fireplace if there is one (if not, you can light fresh candles), and enjoy a feast that incorporates sage.

Sage can be used medicinally to dry out the body. Common Garden Sage can be used as a tea or poultice to dry up breast milk. The tea will also help to dry wet mucous conditions of the lungs and can be used as a gargle for sore throat. Night sweats, irregular menstruation, menopausal hot flashes, diarrhea and inflammation of the bowel, excessive sweating, and saliva can all benefit from this herb. Depression and memory loss may be helped too. To make the tea: Steep 1 teaspoon per cup of freshly boiled water for 20 to 30 minutes. Take ¼ cup, four times a day, between meals.

When taken repeatedly for a while, a few weeks to a month, Sage can lower cholesterol and stop the craving for sweets. One caution from my teacher William LeSassier: if you take it for too long, it will also sedate your sex life!

Apply the fresh leaves, or the dried leaves softened with hot water, as a poultice to wounds, stings, bites, bruises, cold sores, and diseased gums. Include Sage in salves and ointments for burns and sunburn.

CAUTION: Sage is safe when used as a food or when used for up to 4 months as a medicinal tea. Using it for any longer than that could cause seizures and liver damage. Pregnant women should avoid it as it could cause a miscarriage, and since it dries up breast milk, nursing mothers should avoid it as well. Sage lowers blood sugar so diabetics should use extreme caution. Since Spanish Sage is a phytoestrogen, anyone with a hormone-sensitive condition such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids should avoid it. Spanish Sage will raise blood pressure, while Common Sage will lower it. Common Sage can trigger seizures, so people with seizure disorders should only use it as food, not as medicine. Stop taking Sage 2 weeks before a planned surgery. Diabetic drugs, seizure medications, and sedatives (CNS depressants) are all contraindicated with Sage.⁷

Sage at Beltaine

Burn Sage at the start of your ritual to drive out unwanted thoughts and entities and to put everyone into a spiritual frame of mind.