Syzygium aromaticum
syn. Carophyllus aromaticus /
Eugenia aromatic /
E. caryophyllata/
E. a caryophyllus
planetary ruler: Sun, Jupiter
element: Fire
associated deities: None
magical virtues: Protection, banishing, exorcism, love, prosperity, astral travel
Cloves are actually little flower buds, picked before they are open, from the tropical evergreen tree Syzygium aromaticum or sometimes Eugenia caryophyllata and related varieties. The buds have a strong aroma and are hot and pungent in taste. They had a reputation for being so hot that a sixteenth-century German doctor went as far as saying that sprinkling clove powder on the head would warm a person right through to their toes. 56 The trees themselves were said to be so hot that nothing would grow under them. 57
The Latin word for nail is the origin of our word clove since the buds resemble little nails, and one of the primary uses of cloves in magic is in “nailing” or stopping the effects of the evil eye, and this is a very widespread belief throughout the world. In Greece, for example, cloves are held and the fingers of one hand pointed at the person causing the evil eye while saying “Nails to your eyes!” 58 Amongst the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula, cloves were waved over the head of the affected with the words “I recite this formula. I recite the ritual formula to my daughter; she does not cause harm nor should harm be done to her. With these cloves may she find the remedy,” after which the cloves were burned in hot coals, and when they exploded it was imagined that the eyes of whoever cast the evil eye would explode with them. 59 Further afield, a ceremony was recorded of an exorcism on the banks of the Ganges in the 1990s, in which a young woman who had had a miscarriage and thought she might have been cursed by a neighbour was touched by an exorcist with a clove to take out the evil. He touched her head with the clove, casting out the demon in the name of the Goddess. He then touched the clove to her stomach, again casting out any problems, saying he was taking out the witchcraft. He then placed the clove into the mouth of a live fish and released it into the river while repeating “I will never come again.” 60
Cloves can be employed in spells and rituals to stop or “nail” malicious magic against you. Light a white candle and take five cloves. Pass them three times over your head, then ignite each one in the flame (use tongs), saying, “Here I remove the evil eye and the evil speech; all manner of evil I cast into the flame.” If one pops, you can be sure that the magic has hit its target. Allow the clove smoke to purify you. Put any remaining clove pieces on a dish and cast them into running water.
There is an old belief that children can be preserved from harm and illness by wearing a necklace of clove buds, 61 while a necklace of cloves strung on a red thread was hung above a baby’s crib for protection. You can follow this tradition and string cloves on thread or put seven cloves in a white charm bag hung above a child’s bed.
In Greece cloves are also used in a pre-wedding ritual to protect the bride. Cloves are soaked in water overnight and then the bride’s mother takes a needle and thread and threads a gold coin and three cloves. All the other women then thread cloves to make a necklace for the bride, singing and invoking protection for her. The bride will keep the necklace safely put away and pass it on to her daughter. The guests at this ceremony also make protective clove amulets for themselves, and wrapped cloves are offered in little packets to those invited to the ritual of making up the marriage bed. 62 This is a nice custom to introduce to handfastings, and the women of the clan can get together beforehand to perform such magic.
Old herbals account clove to be an aphrodisiac, suggesting that men could regain their potency by drinking sweet milk and crushed cloves. 63 Clove was a prime ingredient of many love potions, commonly used in love philtres or carried in the pocket to attract a lover. Simply infuse cloves into wine, mead, or alcoholic apple cider to enjoy its effects. Cloves may be added to the ritual cup or the incense for handfastings.
Cloves are also associated with prosperity and can be added to money drawing and good luck charm bags. Clove Infused Oil can be used to anoint a green candle in a prosperity spell.
Lightly ground cloves are a lovely incense ingredient, adding warmth and a depth of perfume to the formula. They may be added to incenses of the sun, Jupiter, fire, love, prosperity, and protection. They can also be used in incenses designed to aid astral travel, or Clove Tea may be taken for this purpose.
culinary uses
Cloves can be used whole or ground, but they have a very strong, pungent taste and aroma, so should be used sparingly—a little goes a long way, and too much is unpleasant and overpowering. Whole cloves are best removed from a dish before serving.
Cloves are used in the cuisines of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South and Central America, and they have been known and used in Western Europe for over a thousand years. They lend flavour to meat dishes, curries, side dishes, casseroles, and stews, and are used in marinades and condiments such as Worcestershire sauce. They are popular in desserts, often paired with cinnamon and nutmeg, and work especially well with fruit such as apples, pears, and pumpkin. Cloves are an essential component of some beverages such as mulled wine and egg nog, and they are a common element in many spice blends such as pumpkin pie spice, garam marsala, Chinese five spice, and curry powder.
cosmetic uses
Clove is a natural antiseptic and can be used to combat spots and breakouts. Combine ground cloves with honey and apply to spots. Leave for fifteen minutes and rinse off with warm water.
medicinal uses
actions: antiseptic, expectorant, anaesthetic, antioxidant, rubefacient
A clove can be your mouth’s best friend! Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda both used cloves for toothache. Eugenol, one of the active ingredients in cloves, is an anaesthetic, and this is why clove oil is still used by some dentists as well as being included in over-the-counter toothache remedies. You can apply clove oil to the affected tooth (clove essential oil should be used very sparingly and rarely) or just put a clove in contact with the tooth. Be aware that this is an emergency measure and you should consult a dentist as soon as possible, as continued use will irritate the gum tissue. Never use this method for children, who are more sensitive to the chemicals in cloves and can suffer serious side effects. Cloves are also useful for gum diseases like gingivitis, periodontitis, and oral thrush, controlling the growth of oral pathogens and having powerful antifungal properties—just rinse with Clove Tea. Furthermore, a rinse with cloves will also stop bad breath. In the third century BCE, a Chinese leader in the Han Dynasty required those who addressed him to chew cloves to freshen their breath. They would have to take a clove from a proffered bowl and suck on it while they addressed the emperor. 64
Cloves can help you clear a respiratory infection. They work as an expectorant, loosening mucus in the throat and oesophagus. Try Clove and Cinnamon Tea or rub Clove and Coconut Balm or Clove Infused Oil onto your chest. Applied to the skin, the volatile oils in clove function as a rubefacient, meaning that it slightly irritates the skin and expands the blood vessels, increasing the flow of blood to the surface. This is helpful for arthritis and sore muscles, used either as a Clove Compress or using Clove Tea in a hot bath or applying Clove and Coconut Balm or Clove Infused Oil to the affected area. Clove is also a topical anaesthetic, dulling pain, while the eugenol it contains is a powerful anti-inflammatory.
Caution: Cloves are considered safe for most people when consumed in food amounts or when applied to the skin. However, frequent and repeated application of clove essential oil or clove buds to the tissues of the mouth can sometimes cause damage and should never be used on children. Stay on the safe side and avoid larger amounts of clove if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a bleeding disorder, and for three weeks before surgery, as clove oil contains a chemical called eugenol that slows blood clotting.
Recipes
Clove Infused Oil
50 grams (½ cup) freshly ground cloves
300 millilitres (1½ cups) vegetable oil
Put the cloves and oil in a double boiler and simmer very gently for two hours. Strain into a clean bottle, label, and store in a cool, dark place.
Clove Tea
3 cloves
250 millilitres (1 cup) water
Put in a pan and simmer for twenty minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for another ten minutes. Strain and drink with a little honey.
Clove and Cinnamon Tea
2 cloves, crushed
1 stick of cinnamon, crushed
250 millilitres (1 cup) water
Put everything in a pan and simmer for twenty minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for another ten minutes. Strain and drink with a little honey.
Clove Compress
For a compress, prepare a clean cotton cloth and soak it in hot clove tea. Use this as hot as possible on the affected area (take care and do not burn yourself). Cover with a warm towel and leave for thirty minutes. Change the compress as it cools down. Use one to two times a day.
Clove and Coconut Balm
200 grams (1 cup) solid coconut oil
30 grams (½ cup) cloves, freshly ground
In a double boiler, simmer together for two hours. Strain through muslin into a shallow jar. Rub onto painful joints and muscles.
Clove Electuary
6 cloves
300 millilitres (1¼ cups) runny honey, warmed
Combine and leave for three days. Strain off the cloves and take a teaspoon as needed. Cloves dull the pain, and the honey soothes.
Clove and Ginger Metheglin
2 kilos (6 cups) honey
4 litres (17 cups) water
15 grams (2½ tablespoons) ginger
2 cloves
yeast
30 grams (8 tablespoons) dried hops
Boil the honey, 2 litres of water, ginger, and cloves until the liquid is reduced by one quarter. Skim off the scum and cool to lukewarm. Add the yeast. Boil the hops in 2 litres of water. Cool to lukewarm and add to the rest. Pour into a plastic brewing bin, fit the lid, and leave to stand for six weeks. Strain into a demijohn and fit an airlock. After six months you can syphon off your metheglin into bottles.
Abundance Incense
½ part crushed cloves
½ part cinnamon bark
¼ part nutmeg powder
¼ part dried basil
few drops cinnamon essential oil (optional)
2 parts frankincense (optional)
Blend at the waxing moon and burn on charcoal.
56 Swain, The Lore of Spices.
57 Ibid.
58 Petropoulos, Greek Magic, Ancient, Medieval and Modern.
59 Levy and Levy Zumwalt, Ritual Medical Lore of Sephardic Women.
60 Ariel Glucklich, The End of Magic (Oxford University Press, New York), 1997.
61 Folkard, Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics.
62 Petropoulos, Greek Magic, Ancient, Medieval and Modern.
63 Swain, The Lore of Spices.
64 Swain, The Lore of Spices.