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Eucalyptus is a shrubby, flowering plant with a fresh and herbaceous fragrance. Most varieties are native to Australia. Koalas love to munch on the leaves, and the essential oil is popular in aromatherapy and herbal remedies. Lots of people are familiar with Eucalyptus as an ingredient in cold remedies like Vicks VapoRub. The fibrous leaves have even been studied as a renewable textile source! Eucalyptus is available to the Witch as a dry herb, as an essential oil, and as a blended (anointing) oil. Synthetics are rare because Eucalyptus oil is not terribly expensive to produce. Magickal Uses of Eucalyptus...

Dragon’s Blood ink is one of those magickal ingredients whose name sounds straight out of a fantasy novel. Needless to say, it doesn’t contain the blood of real dragons. Rather, the name refers to a red-tinted ceremonial ink formulated with resins, herbs, and fragrances. Dragon’s Blood ink—along with its cousins, Dove’s Blood ink and Bat’s Blood ink—is traditionally used to empower written spells, pacts, and petitions. Dragon’s Blood ink owes its name to a bright red-colored resin that is obtained from various plant species. In ancient times, the crushed resin was used as a pigment in both the West and...

Jasmine has been cultivated for centuries for its delicate white flowers and heady floral scent. It is regarded as one of the most mystical of all flowers. Jasmine hails from the Middle and Far East, where it once graced palace gardens and inspired poets. The name comes from the Persian “Yasmin,” meaning fragrance. In the language of flowers, Jasmine symbolizes purity and grace. The flowers bloom in the evening, leading to colorful nicknames for Jasmine such as “Queen of the Night,” and “Moonlight on the Grove.” In the Witch’s pantry, Jasmine is available as dried flowers and as a scented...

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...