Articles — herbs

Bayberry is a shrub in the Myrtle family, also known as Wax Myrtle. It is native to North America and was harvested by Choctaws, Mohegans, and also by white settlers as early as the 1600s. Every part of the Bayberry plant serves some medicinal, magickal, or household purpose. Wax extracted from the berries was used to make soap and candles in place of animal tallow. The leaves are aromatic (similar to the unrelated kitchen herb Bay), and the roots can be harvested and dried for use as a natural antibiotic. It is also unrelated to Chinese Bayberry, an Asian species...

Native to the Mediterranean, Rosemary is an aromatic evergreen shrub with needle-like leaves. Its vertical branches proliferate in sunny climates, growing larger and woodier with age. Rosemary’s piney, medicinal fragrance brightens the flavor of roasted meat, soups, and breads. Magickal Uses of Rosemary Rosemary is one of the most important Old World magickal herbs. There is an enormous amount of Rosemary folklore. It has been used for cleansing and purifying incenses since ancient times. It was associated with Aphrodite/Venus (Rosemary's name means “dew of the sea” in Latin). Later, it became linked to the Virgin Mary, who is said to...

Sandalwood is a slow-growing wood with a rich, complex scent. Indigenous to Southeast Asia, Sandalwood is one of the most expensive woods in the world. It has a long history of use in the spiritual practices of both the East and West. Sandalwood is labor-intensive to propagate, as it requires both a host tree and adequate sunlight to nourish itself. Sandalwood trees can take up to 80 years to reach full maturity. The concentration of scent in the heartwood increases as the tree ages. Trees that are planted today will not reach their aromatic peak for two generations. There are...

Once upon a time, there were only three kinds of smudge sticks in most witchy shops: Small, medium, and large.  These days, you can choose from a vast array of smudging herbs, each with a different energy, aroma, and cultural history. In this article, I’ll walk you through the plants that are most commonly used for smudging. (We’ll limit it to smudges that are derived from woods and leaves. Resin incenses are divine—but that’s a topic for another article.) The variety of smudging herbs is incredible. But you’ll also notice some similarities. First, most of them come from the leaf...

As we wrap up a four-part series on elemental correspondences, it's time to consider the herbs of Earth. You may notice that not as many plants are attributed to Earth as to Air, Fire, and Water. This is because herbal magick as a whole is ruled by Earth.  In a sense, all herbs are Earth herbs. However, there are times when your magick calls for the specific qualities of Earth: Darkness, solidity, quietness, rest and incubation.  Earth herbs, in general, are good for evoking gratitude and for healing grievances. Earth is also the element of manifestation--using Earth herbs is one...