astringent; that is, it restricts the flow of blood from a wound by constricting body tissues. This is an example of a signature plant, one that mirrors physically its effects medicinally. In this case, the bloody appearance speaks of its ability to help in ailments of the blood. Like bloodroot, dragon’s blood can also be a sympathetic link for actual blood in a magickal working, and also targets issues of the heart. It is associated with love and lust because of its color, and has long been used in spells of that sort.
For use in ritual, dragon’s blood resin is awesome. It is used to strengthen any spell; just add a pinch of it in your concoction to amplify its power. The resin is incredibly aromatic and enchanting, adding an “air” of mystic ambience to any magickal working. It’s also used for cleansing an area of negative vibrations in rites of purification and exorcism. Not only does it drive away unwanted names, the terms “Witches’ bells” and “faerie thimbles” point not only to the structure of the flower but to the plant’s mystical associations.
Though foxglove is used in spells of protection, its most potent use is that of communication with the Otherworlds, particularly the realm of the fae and the realm of the dead. Like most of the herbs listed here, foxglove is aligned to the Underworld because of its poisonous associations and can thus
be used in necromantic rites. (The modern use of the broad term necromancy can include anything from summoning the dead to simply meditating and speaking aloud to the dearly departed.)
Foxglove is one of the plants most associated with the faerie realm. It has been said that faeries favor the thimbles (flowers), whose variety of vibrant colors (varying with the species) give it associations with the world of fae. The plant can be carried, planted, or left as an offering when performing any sort of communal work with the faerie realm. It is said that such work should be pure of heart and never deceptive, lest ye shall become an enemy of the wee folk!
Appropriate to the name, and to its faerie alignments, foxglove has associations with invisibility.
While physical invisibility may not be an option, carrying the herb when you wish to remain incognito, or in the background of a scene, can serve to deflect attention, thus rendering you invisible in a sense. Additionally, when performing “covert” magick—that is, any type of spell wherein you wish to cloak or mask your energy pattern—use a bit of foxglove in the working.
The medication Digoxin or Digitek, also known as Digitalis (the Latin genus name), is a digitalin: a medicine containing foxglove extract. These drugs are used to treat a variety of heart conditions.
Magickally speaking, then, foxglove could be applied to magick dealing with metaphysical issues of the heart. Obviously, it should not be taken internally.
Foxglove can be dried for use in medicine bags, sachets, and the like, or can be planted and grown in an area undisturbed by animals (as with most of these herbs, it is toxic to them as well).
HEMLOCK (Conium maculatum)
Gender: Feminine
Planetary rulership: Saturn Elemental rulership: Water
Hemlock has a pretty bad reputation in Witchcraft. It is said to have been used to cause quarrels between lovers, destroy sexual drive, summon evil spirits, and leave both crops and animals barren.
Jeez! Whether or not this was a Christian fabrication to further persecute supposed heretical magick-workers, hemlock is in fact a dark herb that can be used for both beneficial and harmful purposes.
Hemlock is actually a member of the carrot family. It’s a sedative when used in small quantities and a poison in larger doses, if taken internally. In ancient Greece, an extract of hemlock was used to put convicted criminals to death. The philosopher Socrates killed himself by drinking an extract of hemlock. For this reason the plant is associated with death and the depths of sorrow. Thus, the herb’s energy aids a person in coming to terms with the shadow self, inducing sadness to be faced and recognized. Curiously, some ancients believed it could counter insanity and give balance to a person.
It’s good to use in magick for this purpose: bringing balance to the off-centered, especially if the imbalance came as a result of emotional pain.
Beware if looking for wild yarrow: hemlock looks very similar! Hemlock tea will have quite the opposite effects of yarrow tea, so don’t ingest anything unless you’re absolutely certain what it is.
HENBANE (Hyoscyamus niger)
Gender: Feminine
Planetary rulership: Saturn Elemental rulership: Water
A member of the nightshade family, henbane is also known as black nightshade. The ancient Greeks associated it with the sun god Apollo and with divination. In Greek mythology, the dead receive a crown of henbane leaves upon entering the Underworld.
Magickally, the herb allows the caster to summon demons, dark forces, and both evoke and perceive spirits, especially through burning. Though only a handful of Witches actually practice this style of magick, it does have its time and place. The herb is also associated with barren wastelands and is said to have the power to render an area of land (or a person) infertile.
On a lighter note, henbane is said to aid in matters of psychic perception and in the concoction of love spells. It can also help induce prophetic dreams if kept in a sachet close to the bed. Henbane’s greatest magickal property is in helping a magician see through the veil to perform great acts of
Mandrake is one of the most popular roots used in Witchcraft, and is certainly the most widely used root in shadow magick. In ancient Germany, it was called Hexenkraut (“Witches’ plant”). Ancient
Mandrake is also called sorcerer’s root because of its vast magickal powers and its metaphysical effectiveness. The root is a signature plant, growing in a roughly human shape with a head, arms, and legs. It can thus be used for magickal workings on oneself or another person. If a person’s energy pattern is locked into an effigy of the root, it is said to have power over that person: a belief that has long been used for everything from healing to cursing. A whole root does not have to be used, as a simple pinch contains its imprint.
Mandrake is much more widely available than most (semi)toxic herbs and is a perfect substitute
for any of the nightshades. It has aphrodisiac qualities and is ideal in spells for spiritual love and communion. It’s also said to ward off disease and misfortune, and may be hung in the home to invite protection. Mandrake is also associated with spells of binding, health, money, love, and fertility. It is ideal to use in spells requiring banishment of harmful people, ideas, or energies. Its energy vibration is intense and should only be used in the most meaningful of workings. Maybe the old folktale of mandrake roots shrieking and screaming when pulled from the earth is indicative of their esoteric power! I’ve always felt that mandrake is one of the most powerful plants in the book, and its accessibility (even if it’s mayapple) makes it tempting to use in any deep magickal working.
POPPY (Papaver SPP.)
Emerald City. Though it is theorized that the film was making a deliberate reference to the influence of opium in the nineteenth century, I find it more interesting that the plants are associated with the Witch. In a sense, it speaks of their power.Others have written extensively on opium’s historical influence on trade, politics, government, and economics, but I’m more interested in its magickal use—or more accurately, the magickal use of the flower from which it is extracted.
Opium is the resinous extract of the ripening poppy pod. It is from this resin that we get morphine, which can be processed into heroin. Opium also contains the opiate alkaloid codeine, which, for medical use, is either isolated chemically or synthesized from morphine. It has also long been used for the relief of pain, as well as to inspire restful sleep, and it was used as an aphrodisiac for centuries in China. This factor, in addition to the romantic appeal of the flower, make the plant one associated with love and lust. Because of its associations with both dreaming and the numbing of pain, poppy is also linked with death: the release of the physical body.
Poppy has been used in folk magick for a variety of purposes. It has been said that carrying the seeds can attract vibrations of wealth and financial luck. Poppy, like foxglove, is also reputed to render a magician “invisible,” and can thus be used similarly to foxglove in that regard.
In magickal terms, the energy of all the properties of opium can be accessed by simply planting or placing the flower or dried pods in the home. To inspire creativity, opium poppies—which are legal when sold for decorative purposes—can be placed in the area where one creates art. To intensify sensuality and sexuality, or to combat insomnia, poppies can be placed by at the bedside. If making a sachet to aid in physical healing and pain relief, either for oneself or another, why not add some poppy seeds to the mix? The ethereal nature of Papaver allows the magician much creativity in his or her endeavors.
PSILOCYBIN (MAGICK) MUSHROOMS (Psilocybe SPP.)
Gender: Feminine
Planetary rulership: Neptune
Elemental rulership: Earth & Water
Also known as magick mushrooms, and not to be confused with the dangerous red-and-white -capped Amanita muscaria (fly agaric or “Alice in Wonderland”) mushroom, psilocybin—which is scientifically recognized as virtually nontoxic—has long been ingested for shamanic and ritualistic purposes in various cultures. Perhaps most notable are the Mazatec Indians of southern Mexico, who ingest psilocybin for purposes of vision quests, shamanic healing, and experiencing community and kinship. The Aztecs referred to mushrooms as teonanácatl: “the flesh of the gods.”
In addition to marijuana, psilocybin is considered a holy sacrament by many Witches, Pagans, shamans, magicians, mystics, and psychonauts. Psilocybin is an entheogen: a mind-altering substance taken for ritualistic and spiritual purposes. Worldwide, shamanic traditions include entheogens in ritualistic practices aimed at healing, spirit communication, ancestral magick, divination, and communal experience. Mushrooms in particular are said to be connected with the energies of death and rebirth, and many users report experiences of this nature. Above all, mushrooms are linked with vision quests and visionary experiences, which comes about from the perceived rending of the “veil of reality” between this world and that. I personally know magicians who gained visions of their life’s destiny whilst dancing with the psychedelic spirits, others who have accurately perceived the faerie realm and Otherworlds, and others still who have reported life -changing psychological, emotional, and spiritual rebirths. Of course, such rebirths are only possible by facing our inner demons and past darkness, coming to terms with them, and releasing them.
Because many of us are heavily haunted by past experiences and their imprints, it can be difficult to undertake a mushroom trip in a purely social setting, rather than a more deliberate, spiritual one. The equal-opposite paradoxes of extreme sorrow and extreme joy can become blurred (and even experienced simultaneously) when the veil of reality is lifted. If the mushrooms are ingested in the wrong setting, or in the wrong frame of mind, a “bad trip” can ensue. The results of any drug are relatively unpredictable and depend largely on the surroundings, including other people, as well as the user’s mental, physical, and emotional health. Mushrooms can also force-release much of the ego and catapult seekers into deeper—and yes, “shadowed”—aspects of the mind. So users should be balanced and comfortable with themselves before navigating the planes. Psychedelics and psychological imbalance (or even a history thereof) are rarely a good combination.
The effects are wide-ranging. Experienced ’shroomers report a direct connection to the spirit of Gaia, a perception of the fabric of reality, a realization of synchronicity and the immaculate construction of the universe, a profound dimensional shifting, intense psychic development, spirit-guide contact, astral travel, the honing of shamanic and magickal abilities, past-life regression, bilocation, mystical connections to oneness and God-consciousness, temporary enlightenment, and a vibrational awareness of our era’s shift in consciousness (often said to be marked by the year 2012).
Some Witches and Pagans enjoy “taking a trip” once or twice a year—often at Samhain or Beltane
—to reconnect to their spiritual path and gain visions for the year. Psilocybic medicine is said to be
closely linked with the vibrations of the faerie realm (both benevolent and cunning), spiritual purity/innocence, the astral planes, euphoria, and spiritual joy—usually in the form of belly laughter, exaggerated humor, lots of yawning, and creating trippy art.
Of course, I know none of this from personal experience: remember my caution against ingesting any substance on this list. Hey, just covering my bases.
RUE (Ruta graveolens)
Gender: Masculine
Planetary rulership: Mars Elemental rulership: Fire
Rue has long been used for its hex-breaking and counter-magickal properties, and is said to be particularly effective when added to bathwater. Its use is prevalent in African diaspora religions such as Vodou, Ifa, and Santeria (Lucumi), as well as in Hoodoo. Its energetic feel is simultaneously light and dark; honest and vengeful. It can be used for many purposes, especially those of deep-seated spiritual transformation or much-needed protection.
Its most widely recognized and utilized property is exorcism and the banishment of harmful forces.
Rue is a great herb for protection and has been used as such since Etruscan times. It has also long been associated with purification—the smoke or a watered infusion of rue can purify an area—and protection against malicious sorcery. It can enhance psychic or clairvoyant powers, expose the truth about a situation, and help unlock hidden realms and clarify chaotic thoughts, bringing balance to those who use it.
The herb is associated with depression and sorrow, and can help one emerge from these mental states. It’s also linked with death and necromancy, and is used in ancestral communication: in ancient Greece, necromancers used a rue ointment for communication with departed souls. In Italian Witchcraft, it is called the “bitter essence of the God” and is associated with the Lord of the Harvest.
The plant’s name comes from the Greek reuo, meaning “to set free.”