As the old saying goes, “If you have your health, you have everything.” Feeling good makes life’s other turbulence much easier to bear. Magic is also more successful when it’s created by a healthy person who can devote 100 percent of their focus and energy to the matter at hand.
Invoke the assistance of Salus, the Roman goddess of health and welfare. Her festival day was January 1, perhaps with the idea of getting the year off on a good physical footing. The Greek equivalent is Hygeia (note the modern English word hygiene), daughter of the god of health and sister of Panacea, a goddess of life-promoting elixirs.
Because our blood is red, ancient people believed this color could scare away the mischievous spirits that caused sicknesses, especially colds. All that’s required is wearing a red scarf regularly. If you live in a fluctuating climate, bless one dress scarf and one winter scarf for year-round protection. To do this, take the scarves in your hand during a waning moon (to banish the power of disease) and say,
Salus, let this cloth of red
banish all sickness from my bed.
This magic cleans where’er germs dwell;
throughout the year, I will be well!
Wear these regularly to keep sickness at bay.
A wonderful bit of Victorian lore says that if you catch an autumn leaf as it falls from the tree (before it hits the earth) you will be free of colds all winter. Keep this leaf as a protective amulet and empower it, saying,
I’ll get relief from all colds,
because this leaf, my magic holds.
Sniffles and sneezes cannot win;
when I carry this leaf, the magic begins.
Now, preserve the leaf by ironing it between two sheets of waxed paper (waxed side toward the leaf). The heat activates and energizes the magic. Carry it with you throughout the cold and flu season.
The ancients carried all manner of crystals, believing that each stone had an indwelling spirit that could protect them from illness. Building on this idea, make yourself a healthy medicine bag by combining one piece each of amber, eye agate, turquoise, jade, and coral into a portable satchel. Each of these stones ensnares sickness, protects you from it, and encourages physical wholeness. Leave the pouch in the light of the sun (considered healthful) for three hours (the number of body, mind, and spirit).
Each time you feel yourself growing weary or feeling under the weather, put the pouch in your pocket, saying,
Amber traps the malady.
Agate keeps my spirit free.
Turquoise turns away calamity.
Jade from sickness keeps me free.
With the coral neatly bound, renewed health will soon
be found.
Continue carrying the medicine bundle until you feel totally recuperated.
The components in this talisman are proportioned to make enough healthful sachets so that you can put one each in the bedroom, the kitchen, and the car, and still have one to carry with you. This way you can surround yourself with the energy of wellness.
Gather four teaspoons each of rosemary, mint, fennel, and apple rind (dried and diced). You will also need one strand of saffron per sachet (for emotional health and increased energy). Cut out four 4-by-4-inch green pieces of cloth and four white ties (ribbon or thread). During a waxing moon (for improved health), place equal amounts of the herbs in each sachet, saying,
One, for body; two, for soul;
three, for mind; four, keep me whole.
Hygeia, empower this simple spell;
energize these talismans to keep me well.
Put three of the talismans in areas where you spend a lot of time, and carry the fourth with you always.
Using this phrase as a foundation for healthful magic, when you feel a little under the weather, don any pink garment. Eat a breakfast that includes pink grapefruit juice that’s energized with a simple prayer, like “Let health abound; keep my body sound.” Drink the juice to internalize the energy.
For a portable amulet that supports this magic, take a handful of red beans and bless them as you did the juice. In Japan these are considered potent health protectors.
The ancient Romans really took this idea to heart by creating an entire holiday dedicated to laughter: Hilaria, on March 25. So, on or around this date, set aside a little time just for fun. Dig out the silliest picture you can find of yourself (perhaps one of those used as bribery material, or taken at unaware moments). Cut it down so you can carry it in your wallet, and then enchant it by saying,
When a smile cannot be found,
raillery, herein be bound.
Laughter be quick, laughter be kind,
laughter, bring relief to my weary mind.
Put the picture in your wallet and look at it anytime you start taking yourself or life too seriously.
A very popular type of amulet in Arabia consisted of knots, using the symbolism of capturing and holding energy. For this amulet, you’ll need a bit of netting, such as cheesecloth that is used to strain out unwanted substances. Leave the cloth in sunlight for four hours to absorb healthy qualities. Then make four evenly spaced knots in the cloth, saying,
By binding one, my spell’s begun.
By binding two, strength be renewed.
By binding three, secure vitality.
By binding four, health be restored.
Carry this with you. When you start feeling under the weather, untie one knot to release the magic. When you’ve used three of the four knots, refresh the amulet by leaving it in sunlight again, and retie the three knots while repeating the incantation.
Dab on health-supporting aromatics like sandalwood, rose, and lotus. Wear green regularly, or wear another color you associate with well-being. Pray over your meals. Carry an ankh, the Egyptian emblem of life, or other personally significant magical symbols.
Create your talismans by a waning moon to decrease illness, or by a waxing moon so that health will grow. Working on Sunday accents solar, healthy energy. According to the Chinese calendar, the month of May improves vitality.