A Witch's glossary of herbs

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

A Witch's glossary of herbs

A handy key to the herbs of witchcraft. Each of the herbs listed has its own character and magickal properties. They are revealed to the Witch through study, meditation, and practice.

For this glossary, we’ve limited the description of each herb to a few words. Many herbs have their own articles with more in-depth information, in case you wish to learn more.

Holding fresh pine

Here are the suggested meanings and uses of some popular ritual herbs:

Agrimony – ancient herb of healing, restoration, and benevolent protection (full article)

Alfalfa – good fortune, money magick, healing and cleansing infusions (full article)

Angelica – warding and banishing, angelic magick, summoning strength (full article)

Astragalus - vital energy, protection (shielding), promoting health, mental clarity, concentration

Basil - blessings, love, money, and happiness

Bay Leaf – confers wisdom, strength, and visions, sacred herb of Apollo

Bearberry – psychic awareness, dreams, courage, smudging and offerings (full article)

Birch Bark – new beginnings, psychic protection, strength, devotion, the Goddess (full article)

Blessed Thistle – consecration, protection, healing and cleansing by fire

Blue Sage – smudging, meditation, relaxation, ancestral wisdom, peace

Blue Vervain – spells of love and advancement, astral travel, initiation

Burdock Root – warding, cleansing, uncrossing and counter-magick

Calendula – solar rites, divination, remembrance, honoring the dead

Catnip – love-drawing, relaxation, trance work, feline magick

Cedar – ancient wisdom, protection, maturity, strength and power

Cinnamon – passion, shielding, quick success, spirit evocation, fire magick

Cinquefoil (Five Finger Grass) – for the five blessings: health, money, love, power, and wisdom

Coltsfoot – divination, visions, love magick, healing from within

Comfrey – healing, restoration, lucky herb of travelers and gamblers

Damiana – lust, sex magick, psychic abilities, energy work, spirit quests

Dandelion – wishes, divination, calling spirits, charisma and success

Devil's Claw - protection, exorcism, banishing spells, keeping away evil, confounding enemies

Dill - sexual love, luck, protection against sorcery and disease

Dittany of Crete – rare herb from Greece, renowned for love magick, manifestation, spirit contact (full article)

Elderberry – hidden wisdom, Crone magick, banishing, Faery offerings

Eucalyptus – cleansing, healing, ritual baths, rites of Mercury and Air (full article)

Fennel Seed – psychic protection, counter-magick, confidence and adaptability

Feverfew – humble flower renowned for its curative properties, a magickal “fix-all”

Galangal – strength and power, victory, luck, hex-breaking, male potency

Ginger – fiery herb of passion, success, and personal power

Hawthorn Berry – fidelity, shielding, clarity, ancestor and Faery magick

Hibiscus – love and passion, independence, confidence

Horehound – mental clarity, dispelling illusion, quick action, healing

Hyssop – purification, innocence, blessings, sacred baths and washes (full article)

Irish Moss – financial luck, folk remedies, safety during travel, sea magick

Jasmine – love, dreams, divination, sensuality, luxury and kindness (full article)

Juniper Berry – good luck, prosperity, masculine energy, protection at home

Juniper Leaf – purification, protection, bringing luck, exposing truth

Lavender – love and attraction, purification, relaxation, restful sleep

Lemon Balm – tranquility, attraction, fidelity, teamwork, harmonious home

Lemon Peel – cleansing, purifying, boosting energy, sweetness and charm

Licorice Root – domination, advantage over others, passion, power, persuasion

Lobelia – spirit communication, love and weather magick, trance, blessings and curses

Mandrake – legendary magickal herb for love magick, protection, and curses (full article)

Marjoram - protection, married love, calming the mind, easing grief

Marshmallow Root – love charms, psychic powers, protection, drawing good spirits

Meadowsweet – sacred flower of Spring, the Maiden, and the Underworld

Mistletoe – good luck, love and money spells, many traditional charms

Mugwort – scrying, divination, psychic ability, lucid dreaming, Lunar magick (full article)

Mullein – protection, illumination, courage, hedge-crossing, Crone magick

Nettle – courage, consecration, protection, healing, deterring evil

Orange Peel – uplifiting and centering Solar herb of joy, blessings, and good luck

Orris Root – charms of love, persuasion, popularity, charisma and success

Patchouli – love and sex magick, attraction, fertility, rites of Earth

Pennyroyal – calmness, endurance, patience, dispelling anger, warding

Peppermint – healing, purification, psychic awareness, love and energy

Pine - persistence, moderation, prosperity, and good health

Raspberry Leaf – love and enjoyment, tempting others, divination

Red Sandalwood – used in incenses for meditation, healing, and trance work

Rose – charms of love and beauty, harmony, divination, Goddess rites

Rosemary – cleansing, purification, vitality, wisdom, protection (full article)

Rue – warding, exorcism, cleansing, love-drawing and protective charms

Spearmint – love, psychic ability, cleansing, renewal, house blessing

Star Anise – clairvoyance, good luck, psychic dreams, travel charms

Thyme - beauty, strength, courage, a favorite herb of Faeries

Valerian – warding, enemy spells, transmuting negativity, feline magick

Vervain – Old World herb of wisdom, healing, and second sight

White Sage – cleansing, house blessing, meditation, healing

White Willow Bark – solace, wisdom, long-lasting love, divination, Lunar magick

Wild Lettuce – visions, trance, dream magick, enthrallment and sleep

Witch Hazel – comfort and healing, wisdom, protection, soothing of anger

Wood Betony – herb of St. Bride, used in charms against ill luck, anxiety, and despair

Wormwood – psychic vision, spirit evocation, hexes and curses, reversal magick

Yarrow – ancient medicinal flower used for courage, divination, good fortune

Many of these magickal herbs are offered in our online Pagan shop. Others are easily found in the garden, kitchen, or grocery store. Please use caution with herbs, and don't take them internally without proper research and guidance. We never recommend herbal magick as a substitute for medical, legal, or financial advice.

We package our herbs in small, airtight packages for your ritual use. (Most are $3 and under!) Check out our herb collection here.

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