Articles — materials

Sage is a popular garden herb with a sweet and savory aroma. Sage grows well in most temperate climates. Its velvety leaves release their fragrance when rubbed. Sage was used medicinally in Egyptian, Roman, and Greek medicine. It is now best-known as a culinary herb for the dishes of Autumn, from roast turkey to sausage stuffing to pumpkin soup. An Old World herb, Sage was brought to the Americas by colonists for use in their gardens and kitchens. This article refers to Common Sage or Garden Sage, Salvia officinalis. It is distinct from the White Sage (Salvia apiana) commonly used...

Myrrh is the sticky, dry resin of a certain forlorn desert tree, Commiphora myrrha. Myrrh is extracted by piercing the bark of the tree and returning later to collect the nuggets of dried sap. True to Myrrh’s reputation as a funerary herb, these pieces are sometimes called “tears.” Ancient Egyptians used Myrrh, along with linen and natron, to embalm the dead. The resin both perfumes and preserves the body of the deceased. The Ebers papyrus (a document written around 1500 BCE contains over 800 medicinal formulas, many of which are based on a mixture of honey and myrrh. The antimicrobial...

Pewter is a popular material for ritual items, including amulets, chalices, and wands. You’ve probably seen it cast in various designs, from pentacles to dragons. It is a silver-colored metal with a pleasing weight and old-fashioned look. But choosing magickal items encompasses more than just look and feel. As magick workers, we’re aware that every type of matter has its own energetic properties. Learning more about the properties of each material can help you choose the right tool for the job. Metals and gems especially have been connected through folklore with special powers and properties. Most magicians will be familiar...

Virtually unchanged for decades, Anna Riva oils are a staple of magickal shops. They are used especially in the branches of art lumped under the term “folk magick”: Conjure, Hoodoo, rootwork, and Santeria. Typically, they're used to "dress" candles, talismans, and mojo bags for a particular magickal purpose. Some people also apply them directly to the body. Are you interested in learning more about this ever-popular, ever-controversial product line? Who is Anna Riva? Anna Riva was the pen name of Dorothy Spencer (1922-2003), an American occult author. Her numerous pamphlets and books covered topics as diverse as herbalism, talismans, candle...

Honeysuckle graces many a garden with its nectary fragrance and cheery blooms of ivory, pink, and yellow. Honeysuckle is said to attract friends, bring in luck, and sustain love in the home where it grows. Honeysuckle is especially liked by Faeries, and is essential if you wish to court their presence in your home. Like the Fae themselves, Honeysuckle thrives in liminal spaces, preferring fences and half-shade. If you eat the blossoms from a Honeysuckle bush, always leave a few of the best ones for the Fae. Be careful leaving a garden window open at night, because dreams of love...