Plants & Herbs23:29 May 14 2012
Times Read: 790
Some Uses From Old Folklore
ALOE: Feminine, Moon, Water
Magical Properties: Beauty, protection, success, peace.
Uses: For treating wounds and maintaining healthy skin. It may be applied right from the plant or in gel form for burns, sunburns, and can relieve poison ivy rash and helps to combat a variety of bacteria that commonly cause infections in skin wounds. It is also an excellent additive for soaps and creams as a conditioner.
AMARANTH (Cockscomb): Feminine, Saturn, Earth
Magical Properties: Eases the pain of emotional loss. Used by indigenous people in the making of ritual foods and drinks.
Uses: Very palatable, easy to cook, and its protein is well suited to nutritional needs. Used externally as an application in ulcerated conditions of the throat and mouth and as an injection in leucorrhoea, and as a wash for ulcers, and sores.For its astringency it is much recommended in diarrhea, dysentery and hemorrhages from the bowels.
ANGELICA: Masculine, Venus, Fire
Magical Properties: Grow in the garden as a protection from spirits. Burn the dried leaves in exorcism rituals.
Uses: It is generally used as a stimulating expectorant, combined with other expectorants the action of which is facilitated, and to a large extent diffused, through the whole of the pulmonary region. It is a useful agent for feverish conditions, acting as a diaphoretic, though it should not be given to patients who have a tendency towards diabetes, as it causes an increase of sugar in the urine.
ANISE: Masculine, Jupiter, Fire
Magical Properties: Protection, purification, awareness, joy.
Uses: For treating coughs, bronchitis and a stuffy nose, it loosens bronchial congestion. As a digestive aid it. Also a good sedative.
ARNICA MONTANA: Feminine, Saturn, Earth
Magical Properties: Thought to be especially potent on the summer solstice. Bunches are gathered and set on the corners of fields to spread the power of the corn spirit and to ensure a good harvest.
Uses: DO NOT TAKE INTERNALLY! Applied topically as a cream, ointment, liniment, salve, or tincture, arnica has been used to soothe muscle aches, reduce inflammation, and heal wounds
BASIL: Masculine, Mars, Fire
Magical Properties: Best known for its properties to aid and strengthen love. Although known to bring about prosperity, love spells are the general domain for basil. It is used to soothe communication and heal relationships between two people.
Uses: As a tea for calming the nerves, settling the stomach, and easing cramps and good for the bladder. An ingredient of the purification bath sachet.
BAY: Masculine, Sun, Fire
Magical Properties: Wisdom, protection, psychic powers.
Uses: DO NOT TAKE INTERNALLY! Use as a poultice on chest for bronchitis and chest colds.
BELLADONNA (Deadly Nightshade): Feminine, Saturn, Earth
Magical Properties: Belladonna is said at certain times to take the form of an enchantress of exceeding loveliness. The plant belongs to the devil who goes about trimming and tending it in his leisure, and can only be diverted from its care on one night in the year, when he is preparing for the witches' Sabbath Used to invoked the aid of Bellona, the Goddess of War.
Uses: A DEADLY POISON! Belladonna is a most valuable plant in the treatment of eye diseases, Atropine, obtained during extraction, being its most important constituent on account of its power of dilating the pupil. Atropine will have this effect in whatever way used, whether internally, or injected under the skin, but when dropped into the eye, a much smaller quantity suffices, the tiny discs oculists using for this purpose, before testing their patient's sight for glasses.
BETONY: Masculine, Jupiter, Fire
Magical Properties: Betony is best in love spells, purification and protection packets. Use in sachets and pillows to calm an unsleeping creature.
Uses: Commonly used as a relaxing agent, it should not be used by a woman who is pregnant.
BLACKBERRY: Feminine, Mars, Water
Magical Properties:Used in money spells; vines are protective; sacred to the goddess Brigit.
Uses: An astringent tonic for diarrhea and dysentery, chew the leaves for bleeding gums.
BURDOCK: Feminine, Venus, Water.
Magical Properties: Used for studying, creative work and divination areas because of its tendency to strengthen one's strongest talents.
Uses: As a diuretic, an ingredient in antifungal and antibacterial preparations
CARAWAY: Masculine, Mercury, Air
Magical Properties: Protection, passion and attraction
Uses: A mild stimulant for digestion, as a tea for relief of colic.
CATNIP: Feminine, Venus, Water.
Magical Properties: Cat magic, familiars, joy, friendship, magic for contract law, legal confrontations and signing of documents, used as incense to consecrate magical tools.
Uses: Its flowers and leaves have often been used to treat colds and insomnia. It lowers fevers, dries up postnasal drip, gets rid of bad headaches and relieves aching bones due to colds and flu, when taken in tea form.
CHAMOMILE: Masculine, Sun, Water
Magical Properties: Good as a meditation incense, for centering, peace, sprinkle in your home for protection, healing, money.
Uses: An excellent herb both internally and externally for calming. Good for digestion, fevers, burns, anti-inflammatory for wounds, and sedative for nervous disorders. Relieves stomach aches in tea form, made of 2 teaspoons of the herb steeped for 5 minutes in a cup of boiling water is a gentle sleep inducer. Chamomile tea is an insect repellent when applied to exposed skin.
CAYENNE PEPPER: Masculine, Mars, Fire
Magical Properties: Healing, love, passion
Uses: A flu fighter. Promotes fast recovery, stops internal and external bleeding. Said to prevent heart attacks and also helps with depression and headaches. A liniment that quickly brings blood to the surface of the skin, using either cider vinegar or alcohol as base. Dilute with rose water or distilled water, heating the vinegar or spirits before using them.
CINNAMON: Masculine, Sun, Fire
Magical Properties: Spiritual quests, augmenting power, love, success, psychic work, healing, cleansing.
Uses: It is recommended as a skin astringent and digestive aid in tea form. Ground, or taken with milk, good balance after a heavy meal or dessert. Also used for diarrhea, dysentery or general indigestion. It is an excellent aromatic and makes good anointing oil for any magical working.
CLOVE: Masculine, Jupiter, Fire
Magical Properties: Dispels negativity, an incense against gossip, used for vision and cleansing.
Uses: It has a mild antiseptic quality for toothaches when chewed, or in tea form it is an expectorant for colds, also good foe nausea or vomiting. It is an antibacterial, antiseptic, and analgesic, it helps prevent disease and infection.
COFFEE: Feminine, Jupiter and Neptune, Water
Magical Properties: Used in divination, the grounds are read like tea leaves or the beans used like I-Ching sticks.
Uses: Coffee enemas are thought to stimulate the liver and remove toxins from the body. Also used as an ingredientin a skin scrub or facial mask and as a stimulant in beverage form or aromatherapy. An active brain stimulant, which produces sleeplessness, hence its great value in narcotic poisoning; in acute cases it is injected into the rectum. Valuable in cases of snake-bite, helping to ward off coma.
COMFREY: see: 'WORTCUNNING'
CORIANDER: Masculine, Mars, Fire
Magical Properties: Protection of home , good in ritual drinks, incenses for longevity and security.
Uses: If added to wine, it makes a serviceable love potion for 2 consenting parties. Also used in love sachets and charms.
DANDELION: Masculine, Jupiter, Air(Some choose to use"Sun" and "Fire" because of its association with its translation "teeth of the lion")
Magical Properties: Can be used when casting wishes, for sleep, physical energy and courage, divination and messages, used in a spell work to strengthen contractual agreements.
Uses: The flowers make a wine, a superb cleansing tonic and the milky juice is a diuretic, a tonic and a relief for common stomach problems and courage.
DILL: Masculine, Mercury, Fire
Magical Properties:Used in magic for love and prosperity, as an agent in protection work and matters of contract, a favorite in kitchen magic.
Uses: A stomach soother and anti-gas remedy, it is also said to increase mother's milk and help treat breast congestion from nursing, a good remedy for colic in babies.
FENNEL: Masculine, Mercury, Fire
Magical Properties: Purification, protection, healing, increased prosperity.
Uses:Employed as an appetite suppressant and digestive aid, used in tea form to expel mucus, chew the seeds slowly for really bad breath or use the fluid extract to rub on gums.
GARDENIA: Feminine, Jupiter, Water
Magical Properties:Used to attract good spirits and to induce peaceful vibrations during rituals. Place fresh blossoms in sick rooms or on healing altars to aid the process.
Uses: It increases appetite, an astringent to bowels, relieves pain of bronchitis, vomiting and constipation.
GARLIC: Masculine, Mars, Fire
Magical Properties: Used to increase speed, strength, and endurance, and to ward off evil, used in exocisms.
Uses: Eases tension, eases colds, and improves circulation. Can be used to disinfect wounds and soothe rheumatic pain and any common pain. Shrinks warts, relieves pain from teeth and earaches. Good for high and low blood pressure and removing parasites and infections. To ease the pain of aching joints, a toothache or an earache., place a crushed raw bulb of garlic on a piece of gauze and place over the area of pain. For joints, try using garlic paste.
GINGER: Masculine, Mars, Fire
Magical Properties: Power, success, love, money
Uses: Acts as an aid to ingestion or colds in tea form. Also in tea form, good for cramps, to stimulate the digestive organs, migraines and nausea, external stiffness. Can be added to the bath as a way to ease pain and increase circulation, but only use a few sprinkles, not to much, like cayenne, ginger quickly brings the blood to the surface of the skin. For pain you can also soak cloths in ginger tea and apply them directly to the painful areas. Add in cooking to detoxify meat.
GINSENG: Masculine, Sun, Fire
Magical Properties: Used for love, wishes, beauty, sexual desire.
Uses: Stimulant, tonic, and agent for prolonged life. Also a mild pain killer, and improves blood circulation. Reported to successfully treat asthma, bronchitis, cancer, flatulence, diabetes, weakness, fever, coughs and heartburn, and a mild stimulant. In tea form it helps to relieve stress and moderate heart disease.
HAWTHORN: Masculine, Mars, Fire
Magical Properties: Used to fill a home with laughter and balance, its wood makes wonderful wands, candle holders and for burning in the Lammas fires, use hawthorn leaves for wishing spells and healing.
Uses: Contains active compounds with antioxidant properties,used in traditional medicine to treat irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, chest pain, hardening of the arteries, and heart failure. Hawthorn is commonly used to strengthen the heart.
HEATHER:Masculine, Mercury, Air
Magical Properties: Heather is said to open portals between this and the fairy world. Heather has the best effect in magic spells which enhance physical beauty. It is also important in shapeshifting, being both protective against shifters and helpful to the witch taking on other forms. Sacred plant of the goddess Lilith.
Uses: A cleansing and detoxifying plant, it has been used in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis and it is a good urinary antiseptic and diuretic which disinfects the urinary tract and mildly increases urine. Heather tops are infused and used as a tonic to treat consumption, coughs, nerves, depression and heart complaints. Heather tea, liniments and ointments were used to help treat arthritis and rheumatism.
HEMLOCK: Feminine, Saturn, Earth
Magical Properties:One of the foremost hexing agents. Hemlock is used in spell work involving chastity or the reduction of sexual desires, as well as general purification. It is sometimes planted at the front and back of a house to keep any poison from entering.
Uses: A DEADLY POISON! On account of its peculiar sedative action on the motor centers, Hemlock juice is prescribed as a remedy in cases of nervous motor excitability,in the early stages of paralysis agitans, in spasms of the larynx and gullet and in acute mania.The drug has to be administered with care, as narcotic poisoning may result from internal use, and overdoses produce paralysis. In poisonous doses it produces complete paralysis with loss of speech, the respiratory function is at first depressed and ultimately ceases altogether and death results from asphyxia. One of the better known references to hemlock in history is that it was used to execute the philosopher Socrates in 399 BC.
HENBANE: Feminine, Saturn, Water
Magical Properties: Henbane has a long association with soothsaying, magic and witchcraft. It was once believed to have aphrodisiac properties and was an ingredient of love potions. ancient Greeks believed that people under the influence of the herb became prophetic, and the priestesses of the Oracle of Delphi are claimed to have inhaled the smoke from smoldering henbane
Uses:A DEADLY POISON!Antispasmodic, hypnotic, mild diuretic. The leaves have long been employed as a narcotic medicine. It is similar in action to belladonna though milder in its effects.
JUNIPER: Masculine, Sun, Fire
Magical Properties: Used for household protection, when used on an incense coal, juniper is said to intoxicate spirits into becoming visible as well as increasing your power to see them.
Uses: As a diuretic, stomachic, and carminative in indigestion, flatulence, and diseases of the kidney and bladder. The oil mixed with lard is also used in veterinary practice as an application to exposed wounds and prevents irritation from flies.
LAVENDER: Masculine, Mercury, Air
Magical Properties: To induce sleep, long life, peace, wishes, protection, love, purification, it is thrown onto the Midsummer fires by Witches as a sacrifice to the ancient gods.
Uses: Has strong antiseptic qualities. Mild infusions make a good sedative, headache treatment, and digestive aid, a great antibiotic, antidepressant, sedative and detoxifier Used in oil or tincture form to heal cuts, burns or scalds, bites. an excellent aromatic, usually mixing well with other floral scents. An ingredient in the Purification bath sachet, also used in purification incenses.
LEMON: Feminine, Moon, Water
Magical Properties: For purification, love, blessings.
Uses: Sweetens breath. Antiseptic, antibacterial and hypertensive, used forr chills and sore throat, stimulates the digestive system. Also makes a good skin cleanser, hair rinse for blondes, and cleaning agent for brass and silver.
LEMON VERBANA: Masculine, Mercury, Air
Magical Properties:A powerful herb used in many love spells. It is often associated with Venus because of the love aspects to it, plants for attraction of love and dried dishes for family love are three of its main uses.
Uses: Similar to those of mint, orange flowers, or melissa, as a stomachic and antispasmodic in dyspepsia, indigestion and flatulence, stimulating skin and stomach.
LILAC: Feminine, Venus, Earth
Magical Properties: For protection, beauty, love
Uses: Used as a vermifuge and as a tonic anti-periodic and febrifuge; may be used as a substitute for aloes and in the treatment of malaria.
MANDRAKE (Satans Apple): Masculine, Saturn, Earth
Magical Properties: Mandrake has been used to invoke deities andto enhance creativity and psychic abilities. When used properly in magical spells mandrake increases sexual desire. There is an ancient practice of carving the roots into amulets of protection, love attraction, aura purity, or as a sign of magick.
Uses: A DEADLY POISON! It is rarely prescribed in modern herbalism, though it contains hyoscine which is the standard pre-operative medication given to soothe patients and reduce bronchial secretions. It is also used to treat travel sickness. In sufficient quantities it induces a state of oblivion and was used as an anesthetic for operations in early surgery.
MARIGOLD: Masculine, Sun, Fire
Magical Properties: To aid in prophesy, legal matters, the psychic, seeing magical creatures, at night to induce clairvoyant dreams, it should be gathered at noon.
Uses: For internal use the flowers are prepared by infusion and recommended for the flu, fever, rheumatism, jaundice, and painful menstruation. Externally, buds are made into compresses for the treatment of burns. Marigold ointment can help chapped hands and varicose veins, also works wonders with eczema and inflammation. Also use as an antiseptic in first aid. Place the flower beneath the head at night to induce clairvoyant dreams.
MARJORAM: Masculine, Mercury, Air
Magical Properties: Used for protection, love, healing, given to a grieving person to bring them happiness.
Uses: Its properties are stimulant, carminative, diaphoretic and mildly tonic; a useful emmenagogue. In the commencement of measles, it is useful in producing a gentle perspiration and bringing out the eruption, being given in the form of a warm infusion, which is also valuable in spasms, colic, and to give relief from pain in dyspeptic complaints.
MINT: (SPEARMINT & PEPPERMINT): Masculine, Mercury or Venus, Air
Magical Properties: For healing, strength, to augment power, luck, travel.
Uses: Mint in tea form aids upset stomachs, flu, and can be used to ease hiccups. Inhalations of the leaves in boiling water is recommended for head colds and asthma. Mint tea used instead of aspirin is great for headaches, particularly premenstrual headaches. Aids the respiratory and circulatory systems. An anti-inflammatory and an antiseptic. Ideal for treating indigestion,, flatulence, varicose veins, headaches, migraine, skin irritations, rheumatism, toothache, and general fatigue.
MISTLETOE: Masculine, Sun, Fire
Magical Properties:Carry or wear for aid in conception; protection against lightning, fires, and misfortune; burn mistletoe to banish evil; placed at the head of the bed, it gives restful sleep and beautiful dreams.
Uses: It diminishes high blood pressure and regulates the heart beat. A reputation for curing the 'falling sickness' epilepsy- and other convulsive nervous disorders. It has also been employed in checking internal hemorrhage.
MUSTARD SEED: Masculine, Mars, Fire
Magical Properties: Used for fertility, protection and mental agility.Black mustard seedsare used to disrupt the activities of unwanted associates or troublesome people
Uses: Can help regulate irregular heartbeat, cholesterol and blood sugar levels because of its magnesium content. Mustard is used in the form of poultices for external application near the seat of inward inflammation. Ground mustard seed in a foot bath helps relieve respiratory congestion.
MYRRH: Feminine, Jupiterand Moon, Water
Magical Properties: Used to bless objects, lift energy, spiritual growth, focus.
Uses: Myrrh oil can act as a mosquito repellent, and in tincture form it is a good treatment for gums.
NETTLE: Masculine, Mars, Fire
Magical Properties: Used to avert danger, protection, healing.
Uses: Use gloves to handle so as to avoid getting pricked. High in vitamin C and iron and when in tea form can ease asthma and up your energy levels.
PARSLEY: Masculine, Mercury, Air
Magical Properties: Used in magic for purification and protection.
Uses: Fresh parsley leaves in tea form are a treatment for cramps, while dried root decoctions eases urinary infections and arthritis. Externally, crushed leaves relieve insect bites, and may be applied in poultice form to sprains.
PASSION FLOWER: Masculine, Sun, Fire
Magical Properties: Placed in a house, it calms problems and troubles and brings peace. Carried, it attracts friends and popularity. Placed beneath the pillow, it aids in sleep.
Uses: Known to be a depressant to the motor side of the spinal cord, slightly reducing arterial pressure. Its narcotic properties cause it to be used in diarrhea and dysentery, neuralgia, sleeplessness and dysmenorrheal.
PATCHOULI: Feminine, Saturn, Earth
Magical Properties: Because of its elemental earth properties patchouli remains the perfect herb for any spell that is earth related, such as healing, garden success and the building of a new home, used to anoint your third eye before scrying or reading the tarot.
Uses: Known for its antiseptic qualities and its use to treat skin and scalp problems such as athlete's foot, dandruff, acne, dermatitis and to help heal wounds and scars. In aromatherapy, it is used to help reduce tension, insomnia and anxiety, its use is said to causeloss of appetite.The Chinese, Japanese and Arabs believe it to possess prophylactic properties.
PEPPER: Masculine, Mars, Fire
Magical Properties: Used in magic for driving out negative energy and protection. Its distinct aroma and untouchable properties make it perfect for cleansing a previously occupied home or garden, pepper is said to cause sneezing which in old lore was a way to drive out demons.
Uses: Its action as a stimulant is specially evident on the mucous membrane of the rectum, and so is good for constipation, also on the urinary organs. It has also been used in vertigo, paralytic and arthritic disorders.
PINE: Masculine, Mars, Air
Magical Properties: Attunement to nature, centering, cleansing, healing, productivity, purification against illness.
Uses: Pine buds prepared by decoction act as an expectorant and antiseptic. This same mixture can be used for inhalation for head colds, although it is easier to toss some needles in hot water. Green cones and needles can be added to bath water to ease muscle pains and swelling. For magic, pine is best suited for its aromatic qualities of bringing one back into balance, and enhancing connection with the natural world.
POPPY: Feminine, Moon, Water
Magical Properties: Fertility, the seeds are used in prosperity amulets.
Uses: Hypnotic, sedative, astringent, expectorant, diaphoretic, antispasmodic
ROSE: Feminine, Venus, Water
Magical Properties: For love, friendship, power, healing and divination are also aspects of the rose, use rose essential oils for anointing ceremonies.
Uses: Conserves of roses or rose petals in honey are often recommended for nausea and sore throats.
ROSEMARY: Masculine, Sun, Fire
Magical Properties: It is used as a smudge or dried and sprinkled on coal to release the smoke to purify an area. to improve memory, sleep, purification, youth, love, power, healing, and protection.
Uses: Promotes healing of wounds, acts as an antiseptic, and can be a mild stimulant. Good in teas for treating flu, stress, and headaches or body aches. Mental and physical booster. Used for treating muscular sprains, arthritis, rheumatism, depression, fatigue, memory loss, migraine headaches, coughs, flu and diabetes. Excellent remedy for acne or cellulite. Oil of rosemary is excellent in hair conditioners, and the flowers of this herb may be added to lotion recipes to improve the complexion.
SAGE: Masculine, Jupiter or Venus, Air
Magical Properties: Sage is used in magic for wisdom, psychic awareness, long life and protection. As secondary aspects, spells for money use sage. Its most potent aspect is wisdom and learning. Sage is often bundled tightly into smudge sticks and burned as a scent.
Uses: Can be used in an infusion to aid digestion, or as part of a honey wine to fight colds and fever. When applied in compresses it can ease many skin discomforts, including dandruff. If made into cream it is good for muscular pain, and if dried and smoked sometimes gives relief to asthma.
ST. JOHNS WORT: Masculine, Sun, Fire
Magical Properties: Used for protection, calming anxiety and the hearing or auditory perception of spirits.
Uses: Used in all pulmonary complaints, bladder troubles, in suppression of urine, dysentery, worms, diarrhoea, hysteria and nervous depression, hemorrhages and jaundice.
SUNFLOWER: Masculine, Sun, Fire
Magical Properties: Sunflowers growing the garden guard it against pests and grant the best of luck to the gardener.
Uses: The seeds have diuretic and expectorant properties and have been employed with success in the treatment of bronchial, laryngeal and pulmonary affections, coughs and colds, also in whooping cough. Sunflower Oil is an excellent moisturizer that is safer to use than commercially produced skin lotions. (Your skin is the largest organ in your body andit is best not toput on your skin what you would not put in your mouth)
TEA: Masculine, Sun, Fire
Magical Properties: Black tea is used in magic for prosperity, strength and fortitude, it is often burned near the room of a sick person to open the doors to good health, its leaves are used in divination.
Uses: Stimulant, astringent. It exerts a decided influence over the nervous system, generally evinced by a feeling of comfort and exhilaration; it also causes unnatural wakefulness when taken in quantity,. the infusion is useful to relieve neuralgic headaches.
THYME: Feminine, Venus, Water
Magical Properties: Used in magic for healing, psychic awareness and purification, thyme can be used in air magic where it releases its essence slowly.
Uses: Powerful antiviral, antibiotic, and diuretic properties. It helps eliminate wastes from the body. It is used in treating whooping coughs, warts, rheumatism and acne. A strong antiseptic which when prepared by infusion is useful for poor digestion, exhaustion, colds, and infections, and with honey is an effective treatment for sore throats. Also used in tea form as a fever breaker, headache reducer and to be rid of intestinal worms.
TURMERIC: Feminine, Moon, Water
Magical Properties: Used in spells to uplift emotions and to ward off crocodiles. It is also a word uttered in the invocation of beauty spells.
Uses: Added to warm milk it is said to regulate menstrual cycles, but it israrely usedas amedicine today.
VALERIAN: Feminine, Mercury or Venus, Water
Magical Properties: Used for love, calming, sleep.
Uses: Use the dried, powdered root. Promotes relaxation while counteracting the effects of insomnia, anxiety, nervousness, headaches, premenstrual syndrome and menstrual cramping. For sleep, before bed take 1 teaspoon of herb to 1 pint of water and simmer. Also acts as a good substitute for catnip. Use the fresh herb in spells of love, also to get fighting couples together. Used in the Purification bath sachet.
WITCH HAZEL: Masculine, Sun, Fire
Magical Properties: Used for protection, chastity, healing the heart.
Uses: In tincture form it is good as a mouth rinse and to ease hemorrhoids. As a compress, witch hazel can be applied to insect bites and other skin irritations.
WOLF'S BANE (Aconite, Monk's Hood):Feminine, Saturn, Water
Magical Properties: Used for psychic protection. Guards against werewolves and vampires. "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms...and the autumn moon is bright."
Uses:A DEADLY POISON! The value of Aconite as a medicine is not recognized in modern times. Aconite is believed to have been one of the constituents of the potion given to the old and infirm on the island of Ceos. This was to facilitate their departure from the world where they were no longer useful. It was often used as a ritual cup at the time of death, and dispensed for euthanasia. It was also used in incenses at the time of burial, and planted on the grave. Aconite was once grown in monastery gardens where it was used in the treatment of rheumatism in the form of an external oil rub. (The common name of monk's hood comes from the resemblance of the flowers to monk's cowls.) It is sometimes used in homoeopathy, but on account of its very poisonous nature, all medicines obtained from it come under Table 1 of the poison schedule.
WORMWOOD: Masculine, Mars, Air
Magical Properties: Used heavily in protection spells and when attempting to communicate with those who have passed over, when using your clairvoyant skills.
Uses: A nervine tonic, particularly helpful against the falling sickness and for flatulence. It is a good remedy for enfeebled digestion and debility.
WORTCUNNING: (Common Comfrey, Knitbone, Ass Ear, Blackwort, Yalluc, Church Bells, Bruisewort) Feminine, Saturn, Water
Uses: One of its most popular uses earned it the nick 'knitbone' as an aid for broken bones. It is also a pain reliever and can be placed over a sore area when prepared as a poultice. These two properties also make Comfrey suitable to help treat sprains, bruises, sores, and cuts. Brother Aloysius recommended a cup of Comfrey tea a day for those who were prone to obesity. He also suggested its use for coughs, acne, diarrhea, cancer, cholera, excessive menstrual bleeding, and dysentery. Nicholas Culpeper thought it was good for gout, hemorrhoids, gangrene and fevers.
Magical Properties: A beloved herb of the Goddess Hecate and it is an appropriate offering planted in a garden for Her, or a bouquet placed at on an altar for Her. A few cultures thought that Comfrey would protect travelers, including Saxons. In England,sprigs were sometimes given to bards as well as pilgrims travelling to sacred sites; in other parts of Europe, travelers would place leaves in their shoes, wear it as a charm around the neck, or weave it into the manes of horses to protect them and their charge.
YARROW: Feminine, Venus, Water
Magical Properties: Inspires courage, psychic abilities and the tea drunk prior to divination will enhance one's powers of perception divination,often used as a component in incantations.
Uses: A very potent healer, it intensifies the medicinal action of other herbs taken with it. Helps eliminate toxins (good for colds). Most useful in its abilities to staunch blood flow. In poultice form, it is useful against infections and swelling.
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