Your Magical Workshop
Run out of some magical ingredient and need to work a spell or ritual in a hurry? You can use your kitchen herbs and spices in your magical and spiritual work.
Equipment Needed
The Magical Virtues of Plants
Each ingredient possesses its own virtues and energies. It has its own vibration, depending on its characteristics, makeup, and the environment it grew in, taking in nutrients from its surroundings and energy from the sun, becoming a unique being. Always remember that you are working with the virtues inherent in the plant to achieve the result you want, whether that is to evoke the energy of a particular deity or season or for protection, cleansing, love, purification, abundance, and so on. These are known as a plant’s correspondences, and at the heading of each herb in the A–Z herbal are the correspondences for the planetary ruler, element, and associated deities, followed by the plant’s magical virtues.
Let’s look briefly at what some of those things mean.
the planets
Sun: The sun is dynamic and expansive. Herbs ruled by the sun turn towards the sun or have yellow flowers. The sun rules over prosperity and general protection.
Mars: Mars is the planet of war, so Mars plants symbolise a warlike spirit and generally have thorns or stings. Mars energy is assertive, spontaneous, and daring.
Saturn: Saturn is the planet of aging, limitation, and death, so Saturn plants are slow growing or long living and woody, thrive in the shade and have deep roots, or are poisonous, foul smelling, or considered evil. Saturn’s energy is to do with limitation, change, the crystallisation of efforts, and endings. Because this is a kitchen herbal, very few of the plants in this book fall under Saturn.
Mercury: Mercury is the planet of communication, so Mercury plants include fast-growing weeds, creepers and winding plants, or plants with hairy, fuzzy, or finely divided leaves. They may be aromatic. Mercury energy rules the mind and intellect.
Venus: Venus is the planet of love and beauty, so Venus plants overwhelm the senses with sweet scents and lovely flowers, red fruits, or soft, furry leaves. Venus energy is feminine, creative, harmonious, and loving.
Moon: The moon governs the tides, and moon plants often grow near water or have a high water content or juicy leaves. They may have white flowers or moon-shaped leaves or seed pods. Moon energy is subtle, feminine, and inward looking. The moon rules the instinct, emotions, and psychic abilities.
Jupiter: Jupiter is the bringer of abundance, so Jupiter plants are usually big and bold and often edible. Jupiter is benign, expansive, and optimistic.
the elements
Earth: The powers of earth are concerned with what is manifest: the material, the fixed, the solid, and the practical; with what is rooted. Earth magic is concerned with manifestation, business, health, practicality, wealth, stability, grounding and centring, fertility and agriculture. Earth plants tend to be nourishing or earthy smelling.
Air: The powers of air are concerned with the intellect, the powers of the mind, knowledge (as opposed to wisdom), logic, inspiration, information, teaching, memory, thought, and communication. Air magic is usually concerned with the intellectual or the spiritual, and in ritual air is symbolised through the use of perfume or incense. Air plants are often freshly fragrant, such as mint.
Water: Water is associated with the emotions, feelings, and the subconscious, and water magic is usually concerned with divination and scrying. Water plants are juicy and fleshy or grow near water.
Fire: Fire magic is concerned with creativity, life energy, and zeal. Fire gives us vitality, igniting action, animation, and movement. It sparks courage and acts of bravery. It heats passion and enthusiasm. Fire is the power of inner sight and creative vision, directing it and controlling it to make it manifest in the world. Fire plants tend to have fiery sap or a hot taste, like ginger, or warm perfumes, such as clove and cinnamon.
deity correspondences
Various religions have assigned specific plants to different gods and used them in the worship of those deities or associated them in mythology. Where I have assigned gods and goddesses to herbs, it is because those plants were connected with those particular deities either in their mythology or worship. They are not arbitrarily assigned.
Incorporating Herbs in Magic
There are numerous ways you can incorporate the energy of a herb into your spiritual and magical practice, and here are just a few:
living energy presence
Simply having a herb growing on your kitchen windowsill will bring the living energy of that plant into your home. Some plants, such as basil, are believed to be protective spirits in their own right.
displayed for magical purposes
The energy of a herb can be brought into your environment by creating a herbal talisman or herbal charm bag, always concentrating on your purpose and intent and then hanging it in the place it is most needed, such as the kitchen or bedroom. Hang a string of dried chillies or garlic in your kitchen as a protective charm, sprigs of dill for peace, a lemon pomander to dispel evil, and so on.
wreaths
A wreath is simply an arrangement of flowers or leaves woven into a ring. To make one, you can use a wire, wicker, or foam circle (these are available from florists or online) as a base, or just twist woodier herbs together and secure with wire or ribbon. Hang a wreath on your front door to protect the magical threshold between inside and outside and prevent negativity from entering. Depending on what herbs and flowers you use, wreaths can also be worn during rituals, celebrations, and feasts, hung above the bed, or laid on graves.
carry about the person
Throughout the ages, people have put leaves of particular herbs in their pockets or purses when they wanted to carry the energy of that herb with them. Carry “lucky basil” to attract abundance, rosemary to deflect ill will, sage for protection, and so on.
placed under the pillow
Placing a herb beneath the pillow to absorb its energy is an ancient practice. Coriander was placed beneath the pillow as an aphrodisiac, garlic for protection, rosemary for prophetic dreams, and so on.
charm bags
This is one of the simplest forms of magic using herbs. Herbal charm bags are fabric pouches filled with dried herbs. You can either buy a pouch (wedding favour bags work well) or, better still, make one yourself. It doesn’t have to be a work of art; it is the intent that is important. You will need an oblong piece of cloth, big enough to take all the ingredients when folded in half and sewn up. Choose a sturdy fabric, and the right colour adds extra strength to the magic (see appendix 2). Take the cloth and fold it in half, right sides together. Sew up three sides, reinforcing your intent with each stitch (you can chant it as you sew), and then turn it right-side out. Put the ingredients into the pouch one by one, stating your desire each time. You can blend several different dried herbs to suit your purpose. Sew it shut, and then either carry it with you, put it in the appropriate room of your house, or sleep with it under your pillow, according to its purpose.
aspergers (sprinklers)
Aspergers are sprinklers made from woody herb stems such as sage, rosemary, or mint used for scattering consecrated water or herbal infusions in order to purify a place or person of negative vibrations and energies. To make one, take some fresh sprigs of herbs about 15 centimetres (6 inches) long and bind them together at one end using white thread. To use the asperger, dip it into the liquid and sprinkle it around the area (a circle, temple, house, or shop, for example) or person to be purified.
potions
Potion is a generic term for herbal preparations made in a ritual way. They are made according to the same methods as infusions and decoctions made for healing, but brewed with magical intent, preferably at the correct moon phase and season and perhaps with appropriate words and symbolic actions.
The simplest way to brew a herbal potion is akin to making a cup of tea. Take your herb, put it in a pot, and pour on boiling water. Hold the vessel in your hands and imbue it with your intent. Strain and use. Some potions are used on external objects, while some are drunk. The purpose of a potion depends on the herbs chosen. You can use consecration herbs to consecrate magical objects, a purification potion can be used with an asperger to purify the temple or working area, a banishing potion can be used to cleanse a place of negative energies, and so on.
eaten or drunk
When you ingest a herb, you make an intimate connection with it, absorbing its vibrational energy into your body and your own energy field, changing its frequency; it becomes part of you forever. When you do this with intent, consciously, as part of spiritual practice or ritual, it becomes a communion of spirits. Herbs can be consumed in teas, potions, food, or infused in wine.
philtres
Philtre is the specific name for a love potion, used to make one person fall in love with another. Modern witches believe it to be very wrong to manipulate the will of another. Instead, it is permissible to ask for love to come to you and let the universe decide who it shall be. A philtre can be a simple one-herb tea or a blend of several herbs of love or a wine or mead made or infused with appropriate herbs.
the ritual cup
The dedication of the bread and wine is one of the central points of every Pagan ritual. Wine is one of the “god containing” substances believed by the ancients to allow people to share in God consciousness. The cup that contains the wine symbolises the cauldron or grail, which contains wisdom and inspiration. The chalice of wine and the platter of bread are passed around the circle with the words “blessed be” to be shared by all present with love and blessings. This intimate act creates a connection with every other person present as well as a communion with the gods. Herbs infused in wine, or wine made with herbs, can be used as a ritual drink. You will need to tailor the herbs used to your purpose for different sabbats and events such as handfastings.
powders
Herbs, barks, and roots can be powdered together for use in magic. You can scatter a powder around your house or possessions to protect them, put a pinch of money-drawing powder in your purse, put them in charm bags, sprinkle them on candles, or use them to consecrate tools and amulets.
held in ritual
When working ritual, you can call on the appropriate herbal energies by wearing a wreath of herbs or carrying a sprig of herbs into the circle.
offerings
When performing spells and rituals, it is customary to make offerings to the gods and spirits. Such offerings can take the form of bread and cakes baked with suitable herbs left in the ritual venue, incense, libations of herbal wines, or simply bunches of herbs left in the places you work to thank the spirits for their help. Please never leave wire, ribbons, or plastic tied to these as this is just littering and the spirits will not be pleased.
in conjunction with candles
Infused oils can be used to anoint the candles used in candle magic, or you can stud a candle with spices such as cloves (do be careful because as they burn they can explode), or warm the outside of the candle and then roll it in dried herbs. This adds the energy of the herbs to a ritual or spell, or you can perform a candle magic spell. For this, decide what spell you wish to work and choose a candle in the appropriate colour. Set it up on a low table one evening and put out most of the lights in the room. Take the corresponding herb-infused oil and anoint the candle middle to top and middle to bottom with the oil, concentrating on what you want to achieve. When you are satisfied, light the candle and state your purpose. Leave it to burn itself out (make sure it is in a safe place).
incense
Everyone knows that witches and magicians use incenses during rituals—powerful perfumes that help the magic. They may be stimulating or calming, soothing or invigorating, raise or depress the spirits. You can use your kitchen herbs and spices in your ritual incenses. Loose incense is probably the easiest type of incense to make and the most useful kind for magical ritual. All the measurements in this book are by volume, not weight, and I use a spoon to measure out small quantities when I am making a single jar of incense or a cup for large quantities and big batches. Therefore, if the recipe says three parts rosemary, a half part thyme, and one part oregano, this means three spoons of rosemary, half a spoon of thyme, and one spoon of oregano. If using resins and essential oils, these should be combined together first, stirring lightly with the pestle and left to go a little sticky before you add any woods, barks, and crushed berries. Next add any herbs and powders and lastly any flowers.
To use your incenses, take a self-igniting charcoal block (available from occult and church suppliers) and apply a match to it. It will begin to spark across its surface and eventually glow red. Place it on a flame-proof dish with a mat underneath (it will get very hot). When the charcoal block is glowing, sprinkle a pinch of the incense on top; a little goes a long way. Alternatively, if you are celebrating outdoors and have a bonfire, you can throw much larger quantities of incense directly onto the flames.
For incense to be burned indoors, I generally add resins like frankincense or myrrh to improve the scent and burning quality, but if I am working outdoors I will just use a blend of herbs that I throw on the bonfire.
smudge
If you feel that your home has accumulated negative energy or if there is a bad atmosphere lingering after an argument, you can take several measures to cleanse it. (It is a good idea to do this on a regular basis in any case.) One of the simplest ways of cleansing your home of negative energy is to use a smudge stick as you walk from room to room. Smudging also can be used to cleanse the aura and any magical tools or ritual objects.
ritual oils
Infused oils made from herbs and spices can be used in spells and rituals to anoint people and candles and to consecrate tools, talismans, amulets, and so on.
A flower essence is the bioenergetic imprint of a flower transmitted by a process of solarisation to water, which then holds the memory of the plant’s vibrational essence. Flower essences work on energy pathways to heal on an emotional, mental, and spiritual level, and the spiritual aspect of the remedies is why I have included flower essences in this section. They were pioneered by Edward Bach, an English surgeon who believed that disease was the end result of internal emotional, mental, and spiritual conflict, and therefore the cure for any illness also needed to address these. He created thirty-eight flower remedies (though many more have been researched since), using them as gentle, natural vibrational catalysts to return the spirit to harmony.
Flower essences are simple to prepare and very safe to use. Gather a few mature flowers. Float them on the surface of 150 millilitres spring water in a bowl and leave in the sun for three to four hours. Make sure that they are not shadowed in any way. Remove the flowers. Pour the water into a bottle and top up with 150 millilitres brandy or vodka to preserve it. This is your mother essence. To make up your flower essences for use, put seven drops from this into a 10-millilitre dropper bottle, and top that up with brandy or vodka. This is your dosage bottle. The usual dose is four drops of this in a glass of water four times a day. When making flower essences, it is important not to handle the flowers. You want the vibrational imprint of the flowers to be held by the water, not your own imprint.
in conjunction with meditation
The vibrational energy of herbs can be helpful in your meditation practice and chakra work. Try holding a sprig or leaf of a particular herb within your aura as you meditate.