Hail
and Welcome
Herbs
have been used for Magick,
Almost
before being used in food
Below
you will find a listing of the herbs
used
for the Sabbats of the Witch's year
with
just a little bit of their history as well
Also
you will find a short list of Herbs
of
Protection and Blessing
If
you came here looking for Healing herbs ?
please
note link to my page for healing herbs
on
the bottom of the page
See
link to "More Magick" on the bottom of this one
For
a little more detailed account of some of the herbs
As
promised long ago :)
Be welcome and may this information serve you well. :)
Samhain:
All
Hollows Eve, Day of the Dead
On
this night the veil is thin
and
the dead and the living may meet
Rue:
for protection..
As
not all the sprits that walk this night
are
your great Uncle Harvey.. :)
Cinnamon
:for the spirits flight:
Clove:
for the protection of the soul
Ginger:
for power to your workings
Other than the Rue, it sounds like a good plate of spice cookies to me..!
Ever
notice that you see or make such things
at
this time of year, now you know why!
My
Favorite way to use the above, is to mix all,
with
the petals of the springs roses.
I
use this mixture to bound the circle
and
on everything within it
While
not an herb,
Apples
are very appropriate for the altar
at
this time of year
So
make a good plate of spice cookies
and
pail of hot apple cider and toast
All
who have gone to the Mothers arms before us... :)
Merry
Halloween !
Yule...
Christian Christmas
The shortest day and
the longest night of the year
Time to Gather Mistltoe,
the everlasting
for love and relationships
Burned to banish evil
and any ill will
Holly for the Holly King,
weaths for your hair for
Protection and making
dream magick and over all luck :)
Time to make the Yule
log
and make it merry with
bows and greens
for the New year to come
Bayberry berries to make
candles
that burn bright
and shun away all that
is not of the Light
Laurel leaves to preserve
the folk till the spring lights again
To put under ones head
to bring dreams that are true.
Cedar boughs to ease the
lack of light, for power and long life,
a good cure for the current
day SAD syndrome :)
Sage to flavor the food
and the spirit
To bring peaceful vibrations
to all it touches
Myrrh to purify and cleanse
the space
while we await the spring,
a bringer of peace
and tranquility
Frankincense for blessing
and clairvoyant visions
and for consecration
of your tools
Ivy for your homes protection
Do you see the pattern
here, all about
peace on Earth and goodwill
towards each other and
protection, during the
long winters cold
Merry Yule :)
Imbolg:
Time
to burn the woods and greens
used
during yule and banish winter:
Time
to make the bride of Brigets Fame, the bride
being
the last shaft of grain from the harvest
of
the fields, Upon whom the wishes for the year
are
made and then she is hung on the
door
or wall to honor the Mother
and
remind us of our intents
She
is crossed with two
staves
which is the runesign of Gebo
Connectiveness
with the divine,
The
way of the gift and partnerships
Rosemary: for Remembrance
Wormwood: For banishing the negative, and for blessing
Vervain:
to calm the sprits of a waning year
(
This herb will also calm us.. :)
Time
to consecrate tools and make besoms,
Time
to re-tune the mind to be open to the
will
and the way:
As
the spring is waiting to bloom
It
is time for us to be ready to open also
Ostara:
Time
of beginnings, time of courtship.
Time
to plan the future...
Time
to gather the woods
Which
will dry for the fires of Beltane. Rowan, Willow,
Hawthorn,
Hazel and Apple:
The
time of gathering Eggs and marking them
To
honor the Gods and create magick
Fenugreek:
Powerful healer and seed
of
love in the old days
Make
into tea for your rites:
(
they contain most all vitamins lacking in winter
as
a tonic of spring..tasty too )
Apple
seeds: To bless and grow for the coming year
Apple
seeds if eaten can kill, but
the
apples fruit is one of our best healers
This
time between the old year and the new,
the
death of winter and time of rebirth
can
have no better representative
Rose
hips: For the wish of rebirth
of
the rose and of nature:
(
they also contain vast
amounts
of Vitamin C..again needed
after
a long cold winter )
Pomegranate
seeds: Their origin is very old...
The
tales of Psyche condemned to the
underworld
for 6 Mts. of the year for eating them,
only
to burst forth in spring and the land is renewed
The Greek version of the Goddess reborn
All
things of seed and bud are magick at this time...
It's
time to bless the seeds for this
Years
crops, to bless the tools
Made
for the work both high and low
The
humble egg to
remind
of life waiting to be born,
in
the world and in us
Beltane
:
The
rites of summer:
May
day
:Time
to make whole and ready...
Time
for the fires of Beltane to burn,
the
woods gathered mts before are
well
seasoned now, just as the weather
has
turned from spring
to
the beginning of summer
This
is the time of flowers, in your hair,
in
the wine, on the altar
Wooduff:
Has no other purpose besides flavoring wine,
but
is traditional for this wonderful night of dreams
of
the spring just arrived and the winter behind us
Marigold:
For the healing of wounds
left
over from the hard winters work
Roses:
For the healing of the dryness of skin and spirit
left
after winters harshness
Orange
blooms: For healing of the sick
and
lifting the heart
Blooms
of trees: Apple, pear and peach
which
lend themselves to twining into garlands
for
the head and hearth
Winter
is now officially gone,
the
trees burst forth with their blossoms,
the
garden is a riot of color and growth
The
rites of Beltane are much spoken of
due
to their often sexual nature
Many
would have us believe that our forebears
were
a simple people who thought
that
if they mated in the fields
this
would make the crops grow
Our
forebears knew that great energy
is
created during the Great rite:
Energy
that could be used for any good purpose
To
a people who depended on their crops to grow
or
fast next winter, I can think of no better
place
to direct such energy,
can
you?
Mid
Summer:
Time
for lazy days
and
taking time to make time...
The
time when all is in full bloom and growth,
the
weather is hot, the birds are busy
with
their broods and time slows down for a while
Cohosh:
Called fairy candle is seen at this time:
Now
is not the time to gather the root,
but
the flower to grace the alter
as
it is sacred to our Lady
St
Johns Wort: To protect the house
and
to be burned in the fires lit at this time
Mistletoe:
Without the berries now,
for
amulets of protection
Honey:
the essence of all herbs and flowers
to
make potent drink and the sweetness
to
remind us to savor life
Lammas:
The
harvest time:
The
time of plenty to gather in the Mothers grace
Grains and the fruits of the Earth are gathered now
Onions
to braid together for storage and magick:
the
charm to protect the home and
draw
any ill to itself
Sheaf's
of grain: to make into the bread
That
is the center of any rite at this time across
The
world in just about any religion you care to name
Garlic:
Braided as with onion and blessed
to
be hung for protection
through
out the year
Potatoes:
The gift of the Mother,
Nurtured
in her earth from spring to summer are now
Ripe
and ready to be gathered
So
make a fine bowl of potato soup,
with
good onion and garlic, with a loaf of fresh
bread
and give thanks for the fine harvest
provided
by the Earth and our own labors
Mabon:
Last
of the Harvest time:
Time
to make wine and charm the house
Grapes
are heavy on the vine now,
Which
lends itself to the task of wine making
Bacchus
or Dionysus, are honored
and
revered here to ask their aid
(
Much is talked about this practice,
most
of it bad....tales of drunken revels...and
debauchery,
nothing could be farther from the truth )
Corn
for the corn bride of Imbolc is gathered now,
to
grace the doorways and dry until the time
the
corn mother will be honored in full
This
tradition of hanging the years corn in this way
is
common place in most parts of the world,
although
most don't know why.. :)
Angelica:
For protection and
to
purify persons and objects:
Elcampane: For charms of love and joy:
Valerian:
For charms of peacefulness..
to
purify the body before the rites
Yellow
dock: Made into tea to anoint doorways
and
windows for good fortune
If
you notice these are all roots or fruits
that
only ripen at this time of year, so it
should
come as no surprise that they are used for magick
when
they are the most available
Time
to make amulets and charms
as
all possible ingredients are available now,
freshly
gathered or put by in attic and store room
Time
to make witch broom
charms,
as the trees are almost bare of leaf and bark
Time
to reflect on the years
Past
and work accomplished, while we sit at the table
And
make magick with the fruits of the Earth
Herbs
of Protection/Blessing:for general purposes
Rue:
Rosemary:
Mistletoe:
Mugwort:
Wormwood:
White
Sage:
Valerain:
More
Magick with Herbs ...
A page of a little
more detail on my favorite Herbs for Magick
As
promised :)
Link
Herbs
of Healing? .see page.
Link
Many
of the items of history and charms,
contained
here in come from a book called
"
Wheel of the Year"by Pauline Campanelli, I recommend this book
highly
for newbie and Old Wo/Man alike.
The
history and detail will amaze and delight you...
Link
back to my main page
if
you got here from any other means
for
many other pages and links
To
link back to me to share this information with others
if
you found it useful :)
