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Witch's Herbal A-M





*Anise*

Planet: Mercury/Jupiter
Element: Air
Main magickal uses:
Contacting other planes, divination, love, passion, preventing nightmares, protection, psychic development, psychic protection, purification
Other magickal uses:
Clairvoyance, cleansing, consecration, fertility, gain, good luck, happiness, money, weddings
Lore:
Paul Beyerl attributes anise to Mercury and Apollo, and suggests that it be partnered with amber stones for best effect.

*Basil*

Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Main magickal uses:
Consecration, divination (esp. about love), exorcism, fertility, fidelity, good luck, happiness, harmony, love, money, passion, peace, prosperity, protection, psychic development, psychic protection, purification, strength, success, tranquility
Other magickal uses:
Clairvoyance, commanding, courage, dragons, grieving, hatred, honesty, Imbolc, initiation, inspiration, invokation, prevents theft, rituals for the dead, spell-breaking
Lore:
Paul Beyerl says that basil is attractive to dragons, salamanders, and other fire-oriented creatures. It is sacred to the Hindu god Vishnu and his avatar, Krishna. Magickal herbals occasionally refer to it as St. Joseph's Wort.

*Bay*

Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Main magickal uses:
Clairvoyance, consecration, divination, dreams, exorcism, healing, love, passion, protection, psychic protection, purification, wisdom, wishes
Other magickal uses:
endings, good luck, harmony, Imbolc, inspiration, justice, knowledge, magic, memory, money, overcome opposition, peace, psychic development, release, spell-breaking, strength, success, tranquility, transformation, Winter rituals, Yule
Lore:
Bay leaves come from a tree also called the laurel, and have a strong tradition as a Greek sacred plant. When the nymph Daphne wanted to avoid the passions of Apollo, she turned into the first laurel tree, which Apollo then adopted as his sacred tree. Wreaths were made from the leaves, which were also chewed and burned by Apollo's prophetic priestesses at Delphi. It is not suggested, however, that you try chewing bay leaves, as they are rather volatile, and the amount you would get from chewing might be too much for those not trained in the use of visionary herbs.

*Caraway*

Planet: Mercury
Element: Air
Main magickal uses:
Fidelity, love, memory, passion, preventing theft, protection, retention, sensuality
Other magickal uses:
consecration, fertility, gain, honesty, keeping secrets, peace of mind, weddings

*Celery seed*

Planet: Saturn/Mercury
Element: Earth
Main magickal uses:
Psychic development
Other magickal uses:
Beauty, divination, fertility, love, passion

*Cinnamon*

Planet: Mercury/Sun/Mars/Uranus
Element: Air/Fire
Main magickal uses:
Clairvoyance, consecration, divination, energy, good luck, love, money, passion, peace, prosperity, protection, psychic development, success
Other magickal uses:
communication, happiness, harmony, healing, inspiration, knowledge, meditation, purification, spirituality, tranquility, wisdom
Lore:
Paul Beyerl suggests that cinnamon be paired with tourmaline for best effect. Cinnamon is important as a purification incense in China. Do not use externally on the body, as it irritates the skin.

*Cloves*

Planet: Sun/Jupiter
Element: Fire
Main magickal uses:
clairvoyance, divination, exorcism, keeps away negative forces, love, memory, money, passion, peace of mind, protection, psychic protection, purification, stopping gossip
Other magickal uses:
cleansing, friendship, psychic development, release, spell-breaking
Lore:
Cloves were originally grown in China, and made their way to Europe in the fourth centure CE (Common Era). They, like cinnamon, are not grown in the United States, but are imported.

*Coriander*(Cilantro)

Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Main magickal uses:
love
Other magickal uses:
clairvoyance, divination, fertility, gain, health, keeping secrets, passion, peace, protection, retention, weddings

*Dill*

Planet: Mercury
Element: Earth/Fire
Main magickal uses:
love, protection, psychic protection
Other magickal uses:
Blessings, confidence, determination, dreams, fertility, gain, harmony, keeping secrets, money, passion, peace, prevents theft, retention, rest, sleep, tranquility
Lore:
Some hold that Dill is such a Mercurial herb that it should not be used when Mercury is in retrograde. It has a long tradition of use as a protection against magic

*Fennel*

Planet: Mercury
Element: Air/Fire
Main magickal uses:
confidence, courage, fertility, longevity, love, Midsummer, protection, psychic protection, purification, strength
Other magickal uses:
Commanding, consecration, divination, energy, gain, meditation, Summer rituals, virility
Lore:
Fennel was used by the Saxons and by Jewish mystics as an asperger and purifying herb. It also had a history of use by the Greeks, Romans, and Germans, and it followed colonists to the New World. Aoumiel associates it with the God.

*Garlic*

Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Main magickal uses:
exorcism, magic, passion, protection, spell-breaking, strength
Other magickal uses:
clairvoyance, commanding, confidence, consecration, courage, divination, healing, longevity, money, overcoming opposition, prevents nightmares, purification, stopping gossip, success, weather (fair)
Lore:
Garlic is one of the few "herbs" whose powers have survived into modern superstition, where it gives protection against vampires. (Silver RavenWolf says that it is also helpful against psychic vampires.) The Greeks attributed it to Hecate, the primary goddess of magic. It is also sacred to the Great Mother, Cybele. Its use actually goes back even further to the Sumerians. Besides its strong psychic protection, it also protects health when eaten regularly. It was beloved in most ancient societies that had it, to the extent that the builders of the Pyramids were paid partially in garlic, and at one point went on strike to get more (according to graffiti inside the Pyramids, left by the workers).

*Ginger*

Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Main magickal uses:
love, passion, psychic protection
Other magickal uses:
cursing, health, psychic development, sensuality, success

*Lavender*

Planet: Mercury
Element: Air
Main magickal uses:
clairvoyance, cleansing, consecration, happiness, healing, love, Midsummer, money, passion, peace, peace of mind, protection, psychic protection, purification, tranquility
Other magickal uses:
blessings, chastity, divination, dreams, energy, gentleness, good luck, grieving, harmony, keeping secrets, magic (esp. to increase the duration of a spell), meditation, memory, psychic development, retention, ritual, sleep, stability, virility, weddings
Lore: Attributed by some to Hecate, Saturn, and snake goddesses. Aoumiel also calls it attractive to elves.

*Lovage*

Planet: Venus/Sun
Element: Earth/Water
Main magickal uses:
love
Other magickal uses:
beauty, cleansing, consecration, money, passion, protection, psychic protection, purification
Lore:
The main uses concern love and beauty, hence, one assumes, the name "Lovage."

*Mace*

Planet: Mercury
Element: Air
Main magickal uses:
Clairvoyance
Other magickal uses:
fertility, gain, good luck, love, protection

*Marjoram*

Planet: Venus/Mercury
Element: Air
Main magickal uses:
grieving, happiness, love, money, protection, psychic development, psychic protection,tranquility, weddings
Other magickal uses:
Animals, cleansing, courage, dreams (of love), harmony, peace, rituals for the dead, success
Lore:
Attributed to Venus by the Romans, but also sometimes to Aphrodite, Thor and Jupiter. In case you're confused about the use for both grieving and happiness, it is meant to restore happiness to the grief-stricken.

*Mustard seed*

Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Main magickal uses:
fertility, health, love, passion, protection
Other magickal uses:
commanding, cursing, exorcism, gain, good luck, sensuality, spell-breaking, strength, success, virility