Magickal Herb Attributes

FENNEL: Foeniculum vulgare.

Masculine, Mercury, Fire/Air.

Origin: Mediterranean region, India, temperate Europe and Britain.

Part Used: Seeds, essential oil.

Uses: Clairvoyance, confidence, courage, fertility, healing, longevity, protection, purification, strength, virility.

Other: Shields one from vice.

Sabbat: Midsummer.

FERN: Many species.

Masculine, Mercury, Air/Earth.

Origin: Common throughout U.S.A. and Europe.

Part Used: Leaves (fronds).

Uses: Banishing, exorcism, healing, invisibility, love, luck, prosperity, protection, release, youth.

Other: The Druids classed ferns as sacred trees. All ferns are powerful protective plants. Burned indoors, they provide strong protection; burned outdoors, they produce rain. A herb often used in weather magick.

Sabbat: Midsummer, Mabon, Samhain.

FIR: Abies balsamea, A. fraseri, A. alba.

Origin: Over 40 species in northern U.S.A. and Canada; in mountainous regions of Europe, Asia, and the Himalayas.

Part Used: Needles, essential oil.

Uses: Happiness, inspiration, peace, prosperity, protection, visionary, wisdom.

Other: Used to invoke the power of the God. A Druid sacred tree.

FOXGLOVE: Digitalis pupurea.

Feminine, Venus, Water.

AKA: Faery Gloves, Dead Men's Bells, Faery Fingers.

Origin: Grows wild in Britain and Europe. Later introduced into eastern and central N. America.

Part Used: Leaves.

Uses: Protection, faery magick.

Other: A Druid sacred herb associated with the "Little People." CAUTION: Very poisonous!

FRANKINCENSE: Boswellia carterii, B. thurifera.

Masculine, Sun, Fire.

Origin: Small tree native to Arabia, north and east Africa, India and China.

Part Used: Gum, essential oil.

Uses: Annointing, to bind spells, blessing, clairvoyance, cleansing, consecration, divination, exorcism, hex-breaking, inspiration, knowledge, love, luck, meditation, power, to protect from nightmares, prosperity, protection, psychic, purification, spirituality, success, transformation, visions, wisdom.

Other: To increase power of spells. Can substitute for any other gum in an incense. Drives away evil spirits and impure thoughts. Draws spiritual serenity of the light. Freedom from vile habits.

Sabbat: Imbolc, Beltane, Midsummer, Yule, Lughnassadh.

GALANGAL: Alpina officinalis.

Masculine, Mars, Fire.

AKA: Low John the Conqueror (Alpina galanga).

Origin: China. Other species in Malaysia and India.

Part Used: Root, essential oil.

Uses: Consecration, exorcism, healing, hex-breaking, invincibility, law, love, luck, lust, prosperity, protection, psychic.

Other: To increase power of spells.

GARDENIA: Gardenia species.

Feminine, Moon, Water.

Origin: Far East, India, China.

Part Used: Flower, essential oil.

Uses: Healing, love, peace, protection, spirituality, un-hex.

Other: To keep lover from leaving. Possesses very high vibrations.

GERANIUM: Pelargonium genus.

Feminine, Venus/Mars, Water/Fire.

Origin: Over 700 varieties native to S. Africa.

Part Used: Leaves, flower, essential oil.

Uses: White - fertility, health. Pink - love. Red - protection. Rose - annointing, to stop gossip, happiness, hex-breaking, protection, purification. All colors - Animals, confidence, consecration, courage, exorcism, lust.

Other: Reduces yin/yang extremes (balancing).

GINGER: Zingiber officinale.

Masculine, Mars, Fire.

Origin: Native of Asia. Brought to America by the Spaniards. A species of wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) is native to N. America. Introduced into W. Africa, India, Jamaica and Australia about the 16th century. Brought to Europe long before the days of the Roman Empire.

Part Used: Root, essential oil.

Uses: Courage, love, lust, power, prosperity, psychic, to halt storms, success.

Other: Offer whole root to the elemental spirits.

GOLDENROD: Solidago odora, many variations.

Feminine, Venus, Air.

Origin: Native to Europe, Britain, Central Asia and N. America.

Part Used: Flower, leaf.

Uses: Divination, luck, prosperity.

GRAINS OF PARADISE: Aframomum melgueta.

Masculine, Mars, Fire.

AKA: Guinea Grains, African Pepper.

Origin: W. Africa.

Part Used: Seeds.

Uses: Love, luck, lust, prosperity, protection, wishes, success.

GROUND IVY: Nepeta glechoma.

Feminine, Saturn, Water/Earth.

AKA: Gill-over-the-Ground.

Uses: Animals, anti-theft, clairvoyance, divination, fidelity, honesty, renewal, protection, weddings.

HAWTHORN: Crataegus species.

Masculine, Mars, Fire.

Origin: N. America, northern Europe and Britain. Some sources say it is not a native of N. America, but was introduced by the Europeans.

Part Used: Berries, wood, leaves, flowers.

Uses: Chastity, divination, fertility (used at weddings), happiness, protection.

Other: Used for Maypoles. A Druid sacred tree, also sacred to faeries. Wands of this wood are of great power. Part of the sacred triad of Oak, Ash and Thorn.

Sabbat: Beltane.

HEATHER: Calluna vulgaris.

Feminine, Venus, Water.

Origin: Scotland.

Part Used: Leaves and blossums.

Uses: Beauty, friendship, immortality, longevity, luck, protection.

Other: Protection from violent crimes. Used for rain-making (with Fern). To conjur ghosts. Worn by Wiccans to "light their way."

HEMLOCK: Tsuga canadensis, many species.

Saturn, Earth.

Origin: Evergreen tree of U.S.A. and Canada.

Part Used: Needles, wood, essential oil.

Uses: Fertility, protection, renewal, strength.

Other: Native American herb. This is the tree and is not toxic.

HEMLOCK, WATER: Conium maculatum.

Feminine, Saturn, Water.

AKA: Poison Hemlock.

Origin: Britain and Europe, temperate areas of Asia and N. Africa. Later introduced into North and South Americas.

Uses: Astral projection, banishing.

Other: Used to empower magickal tools. To paralize a situation. Sacred to Hecate. CAUTION: Highly poisonous! This is the stuff that killed Socrates!

HENBANE: Hyosycamus niger.

Feminine, Saturn, Water.

AKA: Black Nightshade.

Origin: Central and southern Europe, western Asia, India and Siberia. Naturalized into N. America. Not truly indigenous to Britain, but often found there now.

Part used: Leaves.

Uses: Love, although of a binding nature (a definite no-no), banishing, to attract rain.

Other: Ingredient of Witches' Flying Ointment. CAUTION: Very poisonous! Use Fern as a substitute.

HIGH JOHN the CONQUEROR: Ipomoea jalapa.

Masculine, Mars/Saturn, Fire/Earth.

Origin: S. America, Mexico, southern Europe.

Part Used: Root.

Uses: Annointing, consecration, happiness, hex-breaking, law, love, luck, prosperity, protection, success.

Other: Morning Glory root may be substituted - it is of the same family. CAUTION: Toxic, as is Morning Glory.

HOREHOUND: Marrubium vulgare.

Masculine, Mercury/Saturn, Air/Earth.

Origin: Indigenous to Britain, naturalized in N. America.

Part used: Leaves.

Uses: Animals, anti-theft, exorcism, fidelity, healing, honesty, mental power, protection, to keep secrets.

Other: Dedicated by ancient Egyptians to Horus. One of the bitter herbs taken by Jews at Passover.

HYSSOP: Hyssopus officinalis.

Masculine, Jupiter, Fire.

Origin: Evergreen herb native to southern Europe and Mediterranean region; naturalized in U.S.A.

Part Used: Leaves, flower, essential oil.

Uses: Consecration, healing, prosperity, protection, psychic, purification.

Other: Most widely-used purifier. Dragons and dragon work. Biblical herb.

IVY: Hedera helix.

Feminine, Saturn, Water.

AKA: Gort.

Origin: Found all over Europe and northern and central Asia.

Part Used: Leaves.

Uses: Healing, newlyweds, protection (home).

Other: A Druid sacred herb. Faery work.

Sabbat: Yule, Beltane.

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