φαρμακης

[theburntleaf]

Quick blend // melted resins experiment

I wanted to give our housemate a new scent to try that was completely different from the last so I went ahead and took a floral direction for this blend meant to be warmed over the wood stove. Since the florals are delicate I thought having them completely coated in resin would serve better than a completely loose blend. To accomplish this I powdered my resins and put the bowl in a boiling water bath. When they started to melt I added the rose tincture and covered. It melted into a goopy blob.

[1.5 tsp copal oro, 1/2 tsp frankincense, 1/4 tsp propolis, 1 tbs rose tincture]

While the resins were melting I mixed up my dry blend keeping things pretty rough except for the sweet annie which I powdered with a sift.

[1 tbs rose, 1 tsp lavender flower, 1/2 tsp lavender leaf, 1 tsp lilac flower, 1.5 tsp sweet annie, some wax shavings]

I slowly added the dry flowers to the melted resin mixture quickly stirring them together until I had a big sticky ball of incense. Wearing gloves I pulled the ball apart to make little nuggets/pastilles. They were getting hard to separate because of how sticky it still was so I popped it in the freezer. It hardened nicely and I was able to break it up some more and ended up with just the right amount I was trying to make (to fill a 1oz tin). I really enjoy this method of making loose incense, a lot of complaints in my incense group is people find their stuff to be to burnt smelling, but I think preparing them with the resins fully coating the plant matter will really buffer the heat and diffuses the aroma better.

We haven’t had a fire yet it was a crazy 50f yesterday, but a cold day today. He’ll get one going and we’ll report back on the scent though I’m already betting this will be a good one.

[lailoken]

“Magically, when working with the unseen, the elder spirit is exceptional for aid in seeing into the Other realms. When used for divination work, dream work, trance work or during ritual where spiritual aid is sought, elder wood as talisman or charm is revealing. She is a truth teller. Calling to the elder tree witch during night time walks or sits brings her wisdom into the present situation. Elder can be used for sorrow, a very comforting companion when trauma or loss arises. Grief is lifted and this old wise tree spirit lends her helping hand or maybe a bony shoulder to cry on. Seek out this tree for that purpose, drinking the flower tea and taking naps in the elder mother's shade to promote prophetic dreams.

Elder leaves and flowers, if they are still in bloom, can be gathered after dark on Midsummers Eve, with appropriate offerings made. These can be dried and used later for fumigations, amulets pouches or protective powers where wisdom and access to hidden realms is sought. Also, the earth from around the roots of an old elder tree can be 'harvested' with permission from the tree and intentions explained. This earth can be used in charms, powders or any magical preparation where the aid of the elder tree is needed. The berries can be burned in fumigation mixtures during the winter months when extra protection and information is sought.”

—

Under the Witching Tree:

A Folk Grimoire of Tree Lore and Practicum

‘The Black Earth Medicines of Autumn: Elder’

by Corrine Boyer

[beardysgarden-blog]

Ten Mistakes New Herb Gardeners Make (and How to Avoid Them!)

Mistake 1: Growing from seed. When you first start out trying to grow fresh herbs, I recommend you begin by trying to grow from seedlings rather than planting your own seeds. These great little starter plants are widely available in grocery stores in the late spring. For the same price as a packet of fresh herbs from the produce section, you can buy your own little starter plant. Lots can go wrong in the seed to seedling transition (including not thinning out plants properly), so its probably best to begin by skipping that complicated task or you are in danger of washing out before you really begin.

Mistake 2: Starting with the wrong varieties. I recommend you start by trying to grow fresh basil. It is the perfect trainer herb. First, basil grows quickly, allowing you to observe the effects of your care more easily. Second, basil leaves wilt visibly when not watered enough, but recovers well if you water the wilted plant. This makes basil a great ‘canary in the mineshaft’ to help you figure out how much water is enough.

Mistake 3: Watering herbs like houseplants. Instead, water herbs a moderate amount every day. While some houseplants flourish with one solid watering per week, most delicate herbs require moderate and regular watering. This is particularly true during hot summer months. If you have good drainage at the bottom of your pot (at least a drainage hole, possibly rocks beneath the soil), it will be difficult to water herbs too much.

Mistake 4: Not cutting early and often. As a novice gardener, it may seem like your puny little plant just isn’t ready for a trip to the barber, but then you will find yourself sitting there wishing for leaves without much success. Again, basil is a great herb to practice pruning. As with all herbs, you want to cut the herb just above a set of growing leaves. With basil, when you cut the plant that way, the originally trimmed stem will no longer grow. However, two new stems will grow around the original cutting, creating a “V” shape (see the photo above, can you spot the Vs?). If you don’t trim basil aggressively, it will continue to grow straight up, and become too tall and top-heavy. Making your first trim approximately 3-4” above the soil produces a nice sturdy plant. Of course you want to be sure you are always leaving a few good sturdy leaves on the plant (see below). As it continues to grow, continue to prune it approximately every 3-4" for a nice solid plant. I like to let it grow for some time and then cut back to within 2-3 inches of the original cut. After only a few early trial cuts, this usually makes for a nice clipping with plenty of basil to use for a pizza.

Mistake 5: Taking the leaves from the wrong place. When you are just starting out it seems to make so much sense to pick off a few big leaves around the bottom of the plant, and let those tender little guys at the top keep growing. Wrong. Leave those large tough old guys at the bottom alone. They are the solar panels that power your herb’s growth. Once your plant is big enough to sustain a decent harvest, keep on taking from the top, as you have been when you were pruning. That way you get all those tender new herbs that are so tasty, and your plant gets to keep its well developed solar power system in place. Plus, if you pluck from the base and leave the top intact, you get a tall skinny plant that will flop over from its own weight (and yes, I know this from experience). When you pluck from the top, instead of clipping off just below a pair of leaves, you want to clip off just above a pair of leaves. It is a bit counter-intuitive as a novice, but trust me it works. The place where the leaf joins the stem is where new growth will occur when your plant sends off new stems in a V.

Mistake 6: Letting your plants get too randy. If you are pruning regularly, this may never become an issue, but unless you are growing something for its edible flowers, be sure to cut back herbs before they start growing flowers. My friend once brought me to her backyard garden and pointed, frustrated, at her wimpy, small basil plants. “I just keep tending them, but they don’t even produce enough leaves to put on a salad!” she lamented. I pointed to the glorious stalk of flowers at the top of each plant, “That’s your problem” I explained. Because herbs are kind of like college boys: if you give them half a chance, they will focus all their energy on procreation and neglect growth. If you want leaves, keep cutting off the little flower buds whenever you find them (see photo above), and it will encourage your plant to focus on growing more leaves.

Mistake 7: Using tired soil with no nutrients. Tired soil that has been sitting in your garden or lawn for ages often looks grey and a little depressing. Would you want to grow in that stuff? Give your plants a dose of the good stuff and they’ll thank you for it. I grow my herbs in a combination of potting soil, used coffee grounds (with a near-neutral PH, available for free at Starbucks), and organic compost. If I have some on hand, I also throw in crushed egg shells. Those without access to compost (and no deep commitment to organic growing) may find Miracle grow useful. My momma swears by it for tomatoes. A diluted solution of Miracle grow occasionally can help many herbs flourish.

Mistake 8: Getting in a rut. There is an element to passion about herb gardening. In order to be good at it, you need to feel rewarded. So don’t stick too long with one or two herbs just because they work. Branch out to a few other basic herbs that you will use regularly in your kitchen. There are few things more rewarding as an urban foodie than being able to pop out to the fire escape to clip fresh herbs to use in my cooking. Once you have become comfortable with basil, I recommend moving on to try growing oregano, mint, rosemary and thyme. All are regularly useful herbs in the kitchen, and all are relatively easy to grow. You will notice that rosemary cleaves after cutting in a somewhat similar way to basil, but grows much more slowly, so the effect is difficult to notice. Some plants also respond to clipping by throwing out more full leaves at their base. I have long wanted to grow cilantro but have not had much luck with it.

Mistake 9: You mean there’s more than one kind of mint?When choosing herbs, read the label carefully. For example, there are two main varieties of oregano: Mediterranean and Mexican. Mediterranean oregano is the more common variety, and what you likely own if you have conventional dried oregano in your cupboard. I have Mexican oregano growing on my back fire escape. I love Mexican oregano in spicy dishes, for making beans from scratch, and often use it in tomato dishes where I don’t want the flavor to seem too much like marinara. Similarly, there are many different kinds of mint. You don’t want to be thinking of the pungent spearmint plant and accidentally take home the much more subtle (and not mojito savvy) applemint by mistake.

Mistake 10: Feed me Seymour! If you are planting in soil instead of pots, take care that your cute little herb seedling doesn’t become a giant plant that takes over your garden. A word of warning for oregano and mint: both can be voracious growers. If you are planting outside in a garden, rather than in pots, you may want to consider potting these herbs and then burying the pots in the ground. This will add a measure of control to the root systems of these herbs, which can otherwise take over a garden and strangle nearby neighbors. When in doubt, check out wikipedia, they usually are careful to point out which herbs are in danger of overwhelming your garden.

Some really useful info here if you’re new to herb gardening.

[practical-magick]

A large part of the “yard” around my garden is actually mint because it goes so crazy. On the bright side walking around back there is like natural aromatherapy! I’m going to try growing lavender from seed this year and see how that goes.

[breelandwalker]

All of this is FANTASTIC advice, particularly the basil. Basil is an excellent barometer for proper watering, it survives well both indoors and outdoors, and it has a hundred uses for witchcraft and cooking.

I’ve been window gardening for several years now, and while I grow some of my plants from seed, I find that sometimes, it’s just easier to get a greenhouse sprout from the home and garden store. They’ve had the best possible start and thus it makes my job of nurturing and pruning that much easier.

Also, if you’re working in a potted indoor garden - be PATIENT with your herbs! Some plants can take a little while to get established, but they’ll spring right up with proper watering, fertilizing, soil aeration, pruning, and sun exposure. Make sure you rotate your pots daily or every other day too, so that they don’t only grow in one direction and wind up bent or drooping.

If you’re wintering your plants indoors, make sure to keep them out of reach of pets and children, and don’t let them get too too cold.

[lailoken]

‘Holy thorn (Crataegus monogyna cv. 'Biflora')’

“The Holy or Glastonbury Thorn is a variety of the common HAWTHORN which produces flowers in winter as well as at the usual time in early summer. What appears to be the earliest reference to the Thorn is found in a lengthy poem, entitled Here begynneth the lyfe of Joseph of Armathia, which is believed to have been written at the opening of the sixteenth century. The poem states that there were three thorn trees growing on Wearyall Hill, just south of Glastonbury in Somerset, which:

Do burge and bere grene leaues at Christmas

As fresihe as other in May when ye nightingale

Wrestes out her notes musycall as pure glas.

[Anon., 1520]

However, there is some slight evidence to suggest that the Thorn may have been in existence almost 400 years earlier. At Appleton Thorn in Cheshire a custom known as 'Bawming the Thorn' used to be per- formed each year. Basically the custom consisted of decorating a thorn tree which grows in the centre of the village. Local tradition states that a tree has stood on this site since 1125, when an offshoot of the Holy Thorn was planted by Adam de Dutton [Hole, 1976: 26]. If there is any truth in this tradition, it would imply that there was a thorn tree at Glastonbury early in the twelfth century, when the Benedictine monks at its abbey were busily accumulating their massive, but poorly authenticated, collection of relics, which was destroyed in a disastrous fire in 1184. It is quite possible that a hawthorn which produced flowers at Christmas time might have been added to the attractions provided to stimulate pilgrimages to the abbey.

The lyfe of Joseph gives no information on the trees' origins, and does not mention the production of winter flowers. Fifteen years after its publication, four years before the suppression of Glastonbury Abbey, the Christmas flowering of the Thorn was first recorded. On 24 Au- gust 1535 Dr Layton, the visitor sent to the Abbey, wrote to Thomas Cromwell from Bristol, and enclosed two pieces of a tree which blossomed on Christmas Eve.

By this bringer, my servant, I send you Relicks: First two flowers wraped in white and black sarsnet, that on Christen Mass Even, hora ipsa qua Christus natus fuerat, will spring and burge and bare blossoms. Quod expertum est, saith the Prior of Mayden Bradley. [Batten, 1881: 116]

During the reign of Elizabeth I the Thorn growing on Wearyall had two trunks:

when a puritan exterminated one, and left the other, which was the size of a common man, to be viewed in wonder by strangers; and the blossoms thereof were esteemed such curiosities by people of all nations that Bristol merchants made traffick of them and exported them to foreign parts. [Collinson, 179I: 265]

Or, according to an earlier, more credulous account:

It had two Trunks or Bodies till the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, in whose days a Saint like Puritan, taking offence at it, hewed down the biggest of the Trunks, and had cut down the other Body in all likelyhood, had he not bin miraculously punished (saith my Author) by cutting his Leg, and one of the Chips flying up to his Head, which put out one of his Eyes. Though the Trunk cut off was separated quite from the root, excepting a little of the Bark which stuck to the rest of the Body, and laid above the Ground above thirty Years together; yet it still continued to flourish as the other Part did which was left standing; after this again, when it was quite taken away and cast into a Ditch, it flourished and budded as it used to do before. A Year after this, it was stolen away, not known by whom or whither. [Rawlinson, 1722: 109]

Later, during the reign of James I, the Thorn enjoyed some popularity as a garden curiosity, and the aristocracy, including the King's consort Anne of Denmark, paid large sums for cuttings [Collinson, 1791: 265). It is possible that this fashion of growing thorns in private gardens saved the plant from extinction, for during the civil unrest later in the century the surviving trunk of the original tree was destroyed by a Roundhead, who 'being over zealous did cut it downe in pure devotion' (Taylor, 1649: 6]. In 1653 Godfrey Goodman, Bishop of Gloucester, lamented: "The White Thorn at Glastonbury which did usually blossome on Christmas Day was cut down: yet I did not heare that the party was punisheď [Rawlinson, 1722: 301].

In 1645 the Revd John Eachard described the Glastonbury Thorn, which was then much mutilated by visitors who cut off pieces of it for souvenirs, as being of the kind 'wherewith Christ was crowned'. An elaboration of this belief relates how St Joseph of Arimathea brought two treasures to Glastonbury: silver containers holding the blood and sweat of Christ (which seem to have become confused or equated with the Holy Grail) and a thorn from Christ's Crown of Thorns, which grew and proved its holiness by flowering each year at the time of Christ's birth [Hole, 1965: 39].

Seventy years after Eachard wrote, an oral tradition collected from a Glastonbury inn-keeper explained how the Thorn had grown from a STAFF carried by St Joseph of Arimathea [Rawlinson, 1722: 1). According to tradition, the Apostles divided the world between them, St Philip being sent to Gaul, accompanied by St Joseph of Arimathea, who is usually considered to be an uncle of the Virgin Mary. After some years Joseph left the Apostle and accompanied by eleven others set out for Britain, arriving at Glastonbury, and eventually founding the first church to be built on British soil, in AD 63 [Hole, 1965: 35]- When Joseph reached Glastonbury he rested on Wearyall Hill and thrust his staff into the ground, where it grew and became the original Holy Thorn [Rawlinson, 1722: 2]. Some writers have asserted that it was this miracle which caused Joseph to settle in Glastonbury.

A second version of the legend relates how St Joseph landed on the Welsh coast, or possibly at Barrow Bay in Somerset, but found the natives hostile. He continued his wanderings and reached the land of King Arviragus. Although Joseph was unable to convert the monarch, he made a sufficiently good impression for land at Ynyswitrin—Glastonbury—to be granted to him and his companions. However the local inhabitants showed little enthusiasm for the new faith. It was not until Joseph fixed his staff in the ground and prayed, whereupon it immediately produced blossoms, that people began to pay serious attention to the missionaries' preaching [Anon., n.d.: 6 and 23]. It is sometimes claimed that Joseph performed this miracle on Christmas Day and hence the Thorn has flowered on this day ever since [Wilks, 1972: 98].

Some recent writers have asserted that there is some truth in the various legends and suggest that the Thorn originated from stock brought from the Holy Land, or at least a country bordering the Mediterranean. The winter flowering of the tree is explained by the suggestion that it belongs to a variety of hawthorn native to the Middle East [Batten, 1881: 125]. The Revd Alan Clarkson, Vicar of St John's church in Glastonbury, in a pamphlet produced in 1977 in aid of church restoration funds, claimed that: 'Whatever the legend may say, a Thorn has been growing here for 2,000 years and it came from Palestine.' A recent study of hawthorns states:

In North Africa, flowering in late autumn and early winter is known also in populations of C[rataegus] monogyna that are morphologically fairly similar to the Holy Thorn of Glastonbury. [Christensen, 1992: 111]

A young leafy shoot of hawthorn, labelled 'Oxyacantha autumnalis, from Wells, Joseph of Arymathaea rod’, is preserved in the herbarium of the Natural History Museum in London. This specimen was in- cluded in a collection given by the London apothecary Robert Nicholls to the Apothecaries' Company in 1745, and was part of 'a valuable series of plants' presented by the Company to the Museum in 1862 [Vickery, 1991: 81].

It is told that, in the eighteenth century, a miller walked all the way from his home in Wales to visit the Thorn. His English vocabulary was restricted to three words, 'Staff of Joseph', but these were sufficient to ensure that he reached Glastonbury, and he was able to proudly carry home a sprig from the tree [Bett, 1952: 139].

When the calendar was reformed in 1752 the Holy Thorn attracted considerable attention, for people watched the trees to see if they would produce their Christmas blossoms according to the new or old calendar. The Gentleman's Magazine of January 1753 recorded that on Christmas Eve, 24 December 1752, hundreds of people gathered at Glastonbury to see if the several Thorn trees growing there would produce flowers. No flowers appeared, but when the crowds reassembled on Old Christmas Eve, 5 January 1753, they were rewarded and the trees blossomed, confirming the onlookers' doubts about the validity of the new calendar. Later in 1753 a correspondent of the Magazine stated that, after reports of the Thorns' flowering on Old Christmas Eve had been printed in a Hull newspaper, the vicar of Glastonbury had been questioned. According to him, the trees blossomed 'fullest and finest about Christmas Day New Style, or rather sooner' [Gentleman's Magazine, 1753: 578].

At Quainton in Buckinghamshire over two thousand people gathered to watch a thorn they remembered as being a descendant of the Glastonbury tree:

but the people finding no appearance of bud, 'twas agreed by all, that Decemb. 25 N.S. could not be Christmas-Day and accordingly refused going to church, and treating their friends on that day as usual; at length the affair became so serious, that ministers of neighbouring villages, in order to appease the people thought it prudent to give notice, that old Christmas-Day should be kept holy as before. [Gentleman's Magazine, 1753: 49]

Until early in the present century people continued to visit Holy Thorns on Old Christmas Eve.

It is believed that the Holy Thorn blossoms at twelve o'clock on Twelfth Night, the time, so they say, at which Christ was born. The blossoms are thought to open at midnight, and drop off about an hour afterwards. A piece of thorn gathered at this hour brings luck, if kept for the rest of the year. Formerly crowds of people went to see the thorn blossom at this time. I went myself to Wormesley [Herefordshire] in 1908; about forty people were there, and as it was quite dark and the blossom could only be seen by candle light, it was probably the warmth of the candles which made some of the little white buds seem to expand. The tree had really been in bloom for several days, the season being extremely mild. [Leather, 1912: 17]

A thorn in the garden of Kingston Grange in Herefordshire was annually visited by people who came from miles around, and 'were liberally supplied with cake and cider' [Leather, 1912: 17]. However, such convivial gatherings sometimes gave way to unruly behaviour, and some people destroyed thorns growing on their property so that unwelcome visits might be stopped. Near Crewkerne in Somerset, in January 1878:

Immense crowds gathered at a cottage between Hewish and Woolmingstone to witness the supposed blooming of a 'Holy' thorn at midnight on Saturday. The weather was unfavourable and the visitors were impatient. There were buds on the plant, but they did not burst into flower as they were said to have done the previous vear. The crowd started singing and then it degenerated into a quarrel and stones were thrown. The occupier of the cottage, seeing how matters stood, pulled up the thorn and took it inside, receiving a blow on the head from a stone for his pains. A free fight ensued and more will be heard of the affair in the Magistrates' Court. [Pur man's Weekly News, 10 January 1978]

Similarly:

A Holy Thorn made a brief appearance in Dorset in 1844 in the garden of a Mr Keynes of Sutton Poyntz. It was rumoured that it had grown from a cutting of the famous Glastonbury Thorn and was expected to blossom at midnight on Old Christmas Eve. 150 people turned up to see the event. Violent scenes took place, the fence was broken down and the plant so badly damaged that it died. [Waring, 1977: 68]

Not surprisingly, tales were told of misfortunes (many of which were very similar to those which befall people who destroy LONE BUSHES in Ireland) which happened to those who attempted to cut down Holy Thorns. An early attempt to destroy a tree resulted in thorns flying from the tree and blinding the axeman in one eye, so that he was 'made monocular' [Howell, 1640: 86]. A man who attempted to cut down a tree that grew in his garden at Clehonger in Herefordshire was more lucky and was let off with a warning: 'blood flowed from the trunk of the tree and this so alarmed him that he left off at once!' [Leather, 1912: 17]. A farmer who destroyed a thorn at Acton Beauchamp in Worcestershire was successful, but within a year he broke an arm and a leg, and part of his house was destroyed by fire [Lees, 1856: 295].

Shortly before Christmas each year sprays from a Thorn tree which grows in St John's churchyard in Glastonbury are sent to the Queen and Queen Mother. In 1929 the then vicar of Glastonbury, whose sister-in-law was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Mary, sent a sprig to the Queen, reviving, according to some writers, a pre-Reformation custom [Anon., 1977]. A report in the Western Daily Press of 20 December 1973 stated that the custom started in Stuart times, and it is recorded that James Montague, Bishop of Bath and Wells, sent pieces of the Holy Thorn and Glastonbury's miraculous WALNUT tree to Queen Anne, consort of James I [Rawlinson, 1722: 112]. About a week before Christmas a short religious service is held around the Thorn. Children from St John's Infants' School sing carols and play their recorders, and the vicar and mayor of Glastonbury cut twigs from the tree. It is said that the Queen has her sprays placed on her breakfast table on Christmas morning, while the Queen Mother has hers placed on her writing table. Letters sent by ladies-in-waiting to the vicar, asking him to convey thanks to the people of Glastonbury, are pinned on the church notice board [Vickery, 1979: 12].

The tree in St John's churchyard which had been used for this ceremony died early in 1991, but fortunately there is a younger tree growing in the churchyard, and other Holy Thorns may be found in the Abbey grounds, outside St Benedict's church, and in private gardens in Glastonbury.”

—

Oxford Dictionary of Plant-Lore

by Roy Vickery

[lailoken]

“The belief that a spirit inhabits this tree has survived even into relatively modern times. Specifically, a witch spirit was thought to inhabit the tree. There are numerous references to the belief that a witch lived in the elder tree and could shape shift back and forth from human to tree. An old name for this nature spirit was 'Hyldemoer,’ which means 'Elder Mother' in Danish. It was considered unlucky to cut the wood down for fire wood or building material in different parts of Europe. In England, it was said that burning elder wood would bring the devil into the house or that the person burning the wood would become bewitched. If you wanted to cut down the tree, you ask permission to escape possible ill fate. The appropriate way to ask was to say something like ‘Lady elder, give me some of thy wood, Then I will give thee some of mine, when I become a tree.' Another way to say it: 'Lady Ellhorn, give me of thy wood, and I will give thee of mine when it shall grow in the forest'. A Danish custom was to spit thrice before cutting or trimming an elder tree, to drive away evil beings. Hedge cutters would refuse to trim an elder tree for fear of being followed by bad luck. Spirits were believed to dwell in these hollow trees, specifically in the joints. This wood had a will of its own - if it was placed on a burning fire, it would cause it to go out; if it was used for furniture, it would bend and warp; if skewers were made from elder for roasting, it would turn the food bitter.

The old earth Gods of Prussia were believed to live had to under the elder tree and if offerings were made to it, little men would come, bringing grain and doing housework. If one stood under the elder tree on Midsummer's Eve, the Faerie king and his fellow faeries could be seen riding by. This mysterious tree was never touched after dark in the Fens in England. In Denmark, elder trees were believed to move around at night and could be found peering into windows of those sleeping. It was also said that faeties in the form of ancestors lived in the tree. If a cradle was made of elder wood, the baby sleeping in it would be either stolen by faeries or the Elder Mother. Or the baby would be pinched blacked and blue by the faeries. Elder was a tree associated with witchcraft from early times, from around 900 AD or before. In Ireland instead of an ash broomstick, witches rode on broomsticks made from elder wood. Country folks would sometimes refer to it as 'witch wood'. A name for the berries was 'Holda's Berries', which refers to the trees connection with Mother Holda or Hulda, an ancient winter death spirit from old Germanic culture.

There were other associations with elder and death. If an elder stick was planted over a grave and it grew, it was a sign that the deceased was happy in the afterlife. The old Jewish Cemetery in Prague was planted with elders. It was considered dangerous to sleep under an elder tree because the leaves apparently let out a fragrance that if inhaled, resulted in death. The flowers were known to attract snakes and it was reported that adder snakes slept in the dry roots of the clder tree. Polish people were known to bury their sorrows and sins under elder trees, so that chey passed into the underworld to where they belonged. Some sort of incantation was used to pass the energy into the elder tree, into the earth, then into the realms of the dead. An old saying goes: ‘Hawthorn blooms and elder flowers fill the house with evil powers.’ This is a connection to not only the white flowers of both plants, which in times past were highly unlucky to bring indoors as they were often used for funeral rites, but also to the supernatural energy associated with both trees.”

—

Under the Witching Tree:

A Folk Grimoire of Tree Lore and Practicum

‘The Black Earth Medicines of Autumn: Elder’

by Corrine Boyer

[lailoken]

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale, agg.)

“The idea that the picking of dandelion flowers leads to bed-wetting is widespread and well- known even in urban areas.

When I was a child in Brixton (1950s) we believed that if you picked dan- delion flowers vember 1979] you would wet your bed. [St Albans, Hertfordshire, November 1979]

Dandelions: not to be picked. Very unlucky. Children in Fife (1930s) called them 'pee-the-beds' and anyone who picked them was mocked. [Apples, Switzerland, February 1983]

An Irish lady told me that if you gathered dandelions, and brought them indoors, you would wet your bed that night! [Capel Hendre, Dyfed, September 1983]

Another day, when I was nearly seven years old, I had gathered a bunch of dandelions-this time grandmother told me that I risked wetting the bed if I had anything to do with these. [Bow Street, Dyfed, March 1984]

[I was born in 1949] as a child every other child I knew lived in horror of picking a dandelion-it was widely accepted as a fact this would lead to bed-wetting. [Belfast, February 1991]

This belief has given rise to many local names including: pee-beds [Clappersgate, Cumbria, October 1985], pee-in-bed [Accrington, Lancashire, March 1982], pee-the-bed [Belfast, February 1991], pee- the-beds [Parkstone, Dorset, June 1991], piss-i-beds [Langtoft, Humberside, March 1985], pissimire [Langtoft, Humberside, March 1985], piss-in-the-beds [Dainean, Co. Offaly, January 198 5], pisterbed [Lenamore, Co. Longford, April 1991], pittly beds [Corbridge, Northumberland, January 1993], wet-the-bed [Stockport, Greater Manchester, March 1984], and wet-the-beds [Streatham, London, May 1983]

On the continent of Europe such names as the Dutch pisse-bed and the French pissenlit [Grigson, 1987: 393] reveal that similar names and beliefs are not restricted to the British Isles.

Children also use dandelion 'clocks'—ripe dandelion seedheads—to tell the time, or, more rarely, predict the future.

When dandelions lost their yellow petals and grew that fluffy material, children used to pluck them and by blowing it they imagined they could tell the time. Each blow was counted as an hour, starting at one o'clock. Whenever all the fluffy material was gone, that counted as the time of the day. [Daingean, Co. Offaly, January 1985]

As children in Notts in the 1920s . . . we blew dandelion clocks to tell the time. [Oban, Argyll, October 1990]

We used to blow dandelion seeds and count — 'This year, next year, sometime, never' (to get married). [Llanuwchylln, Gwynedd, April 1991]

Learnt from my mother's knee, so to speak...dandelion seed heads when perfect were used to find out whether someone loved you or not by blowing short breaths at the plant and with each breath reciting 'He loves me, he loves me not,' until all the seeds had blown away and the last blow decided the result! [Worcester, October 1991].

Occasionally the seeds of dandelions are, like autumn leaves, considered to be lucky if caught.

The floating seeds of dandelions and similar plants are called 'fairies' by young children, and it is thought to be lucky to catch one. [South Ken- sington, London, November 1979]

As a child, evacuated to Elgin, Scotland, during World War II... Another 'taboo' plant was the common dandelion, it was supposed to make you wet the bed!... And yet, like all children, we didn't think anything of picking off the seed heads, which was supposed to tell you the time, according to how many tìmes you blew on it to release all the little 'para- chutes', We believed the flying seeds were fairies, and blowing them released them from capture! If you should catch a passing fairy, you would make a wish before releasing it, then let it fly away on the wind. [Stevenage, Hertfordshire, January 1993]

Particularly in Ireland, dandelions were used in the treatment of a wide range of illnesses.

The juice that comes from the danelion [sic] is a cure for every disease. [IFCSS MSS 550: 274, Co. Tipperary]

Dandelion: Boil the leaves and the water in which they are boiled may be drunk. It is said to be a cure for anything. The leaves can also be eaten raw. Mr Sheehan has used it for his stomach. [IFCSS MSS 313: 310a, Co. Cork].

Dandelion tea from the leaves [was] a general tonic. [St Osyth, Essex, February 1989]

Roots of dandelion boiled, and strained, and drunk is good for consumptives. [IFCSS MSS 200: 73, Co. Leitrim]

KIDNEY TROUBLES: the leaf of dandelion is chewed in the mouth and the juice is swallowed. Mrs Griffin told me that this treatment cured Nora O'Callaghan... of the complaint about thirty years ago. [IFCSS MSS 450: 162, Co. Kerry]

Dandelion wine is good for INDIGESTION and kidney troubles. [Portland, Dorset, April 1991]

People used to go out... and gather dandelion. They brought them in and boiled them, the juice of the dandelions were a good cure for weak HEARTS. [IFCSS 589: 205, Co. Clare]

[The dandelion] was a great cure for the JAUNDICE, boil it along with buttermilk and when it is boiled take out the weed and drink the mixture. [IFCSS MSS 717: 217, Co. Meath]

Dandelion Tea: First they put a knife under it and lifted it from the roots. They saved it in the sun until it got quite hard. Then they boiled the kettle and poured the boiling water on it, strained it, and then put it into bottles. Then they drank it, and it was very good for the NERVES. [IFCSS MSS notebooks 442c, Co. Kerry]

Herbal remedies for WARTS: squeeze the white milky juice of the dan- delion onto the wart and allow to dry. Repeat the application as often as possible. The wart will blacken and eventually drop off. [Langtoft, Hum- berside, July 1985]

Dandelion milk was used by my mother to cure WARTS on the fingers. [Histon, Cambridgeshire, January 1989]

Local plant names from an elderly friend in Porthnockie ... bum-pipes — dandelions, which were, like DOCK leaves, used to soothe stings. [Edin- burgh, December 1991]

To cure a sting of a NETTLE: look around and if there is a dandelion beside it you would rub the juice of it to it, it will cure the sting. [IFCSS MSS 50: 295, Co. Galway]

POULTRY-KEEPERS valued dandelions as food for turkeys.

Dandelion is very good for turkeys. It makes them strong and healthy. [IFCSS MSS 500: 238, Co. Limerick]

We used dandelion leaves a lot in feeding young turkeys which were very delicate and hard to rear. The leaves were chopped up and mixed with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs. [Piltown, Co. Tipperary, April 1991]

Rightly or wrongly, children considered dandelion leaves to be ideal food for pet rabbits.

Local plant names from an elderly friend in Porthnockie ... dainties or denties —both flower and leaves of dandelion, the leaves being picked to feed pet rabbits. [Edinburgh, December 1991]

Dandelion flowers are used in the making of a favourite homemade wine.

You should pick dandelion flowers for your dandelion wine on ST GEORGE'S DAY. [Wimbledon, London, November 1983]

In wine-making circles, traditionally, dandelion wine is made on 23 April. [Atkins, 1986: 37]”

—

Oxford Dictionary of Plant-Lore

by Roy Vickery

[lailoken]

“The wild rose is another defensive plant that can be used in protective magical work and for keeping things hidden. Much of the roses older lore is likened not only to love and death divination work, but also to secrecy. A classic example comes from the French fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, where the briar rose encircles the enchanted castle and keeps it hidden for one hundred years, while at the same time trapping any intruder in the hedge to the end of a slow painful death. The tenacity of the R. canina is remarkable, the plant boasting seductive dark mauve immature thorns, later transforming into tawny sun-bleached versions of the same, both fit for ripping flesh that resists Her. With both charming and cunning attributes, we see a shade of the Devil concealed amongst the sharpened briar rose, if only visible by those who can see Him there.

A plant that contains darkness within it has the power to assist in grim circumstances. Any wild rose is a potential ally for grief, heartbreak and sexual trauma. The immense beauty and defensive nature both are of great value here. A simple personal practice that goes beyond sipping the delicious elixir made from fragrant petals involves visioning and meditation. In order to eliminate disturbing imagery and information from the mind and spirit, one can imagine an old R. canina plant that is growing next to a ruined castle, with deep astringent roots that reach far beyond, into the tombs below, touching the dead, feeding on the ancient bones. By gentle pink blossom and vicious thorn, the rose protects the inner temple from poison, for those sensitive and thin-skinned. The thorns can also be respectfully collected and infused in a small vial of oil, buried upside down in the earth from dark moon to dark moon. This substance can then be used for anointing all that needs protection, from flesh, heart and home.”

—

Plants of the Devil

by Corinne Boyer

[lailoken]

“The Stinging Nettle Urtica Dioica held the common names of Devil's Apron, Devil's Leaf and Naughty Man's Plaything. This intensely inflammatory plant contains formic acid within its tiny crystalline barbs, and when pierced into the skin, reddens and irritates with fervor. At times, the burning sensation can raise up into welts and last for over 24 hours. It's of little wonder why such a plant would have associations with the Devil, producing a rash that very logically could have originated in the depths of Hell. It was believed in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland that nettles sprung up from where Satan and his fallen angels landed on the earth, after being expelled from Heaven. Other lore tells that nettles grew from places where the bones of the dead lie, or where innocent blood had been spilled. From the New Forest in England it was believed that the Devil gathered nettles on May Day in which to weave his shirts with, so the young shoots were only harvested up until that time. Such advice is well heeded. It is wise to not gather this incredibly helpful medicinal herb after this date, as it develops calcium oxalate crystals that can irritate the kidneys, when it clearly is going to flower and putting its vitality into creating tall fibers within the stem.

From County Galway in Ireland came the belief that the nettle was once the finest flower that grew in the Garden of Eden, until the serpent hid underneath it after tempting Eve. Following this, it became envenomed with its stinging poison. In India, nettle was believed to symbolize a demon, and it was held that the Great Serpent poured his venom upon the plant. An interesting parallel is how the nettle was used by the Iroquois tribe, along with dried snakes' blood in a 'witching medicine.’ The association with pain and suffering, on account of the plants poisonous sting, very likely gave it credibility as a cursing or counter-cursing agent, in combination with the snakes blood, which also has evil connotations due to the baneful nature of the serpent itself.

In contrast to this darker stream of lore, the stinging nettle is a valued and widely used medicinal plant among herbal circles and people who work with alternative healthcare options. It is a panacea of sorts and used as a vital nutrient rich tonic for almost any imbalance, with an emphasis on skin disorders, chronic fatigue, lung and respiratory support, and also any situation that requires extra minerals for the healing process. Its folk history concerning medicinal use is extensive. Because of its ability to cause intense pain, it has a shadow side, as we see from the above-mentioned lore. Even in modern times, it is a despised weed amongst country people, in particular ones who do not have within living memory from their predecessors, the food and medi- cine value of its early green leaves.

It is true that to harvest the plant and process it for either food or medicinal use much care must be taken any situation and in a sense, the plant must be courted. Upon finding a verdant nettle patch in the lowland forests in March, one's monotone diet of winter staples is quickly superseded by the fantasy of incorporating the cooked greens into every imaginable meal. The intention and care that it takes to harvest without gloves gives enough time to be present, while offering plenty of grateful adoration to the plants. The intoxicating smell of earth, mineral, spring rain and wind will rise up from the harvest, and the enchantment will deepen. The time-consuming process of hanging the plants for tea, and preparing the leaves for the cooking cauldron is a true commitment and labor of love, if done in any significant volume. Inevitably, stinging occurs, and this is looked upon as part of the small sacrifice that must be paid to the plant, no matter how careful one is. It is instructive. A plant of such great value must have some protection in order to survive. And its shadow must be courted and admired as well as its nourishment. Nettle flogging or urtication, where the fresh plant is intentionally beaten onto the skin for aiding in inflammatory conditions, happened historically in both North America and in Northern Europe. This incredibly painful process, is extremely healing for such things as arthritis or old slow to heal connective tissue injuries. Pain is transformative, and the wisdom of the ages certainly knew this.”

—

Plants of the Devil

by Corinne Boyer

[lailoken]

‘Linden (Tilia spp)’

“The linden tree in full bloom in the sunshine of early July is a sight to behold. The buzzing of the bees that adore it can be sensed upon approaching the whimsical tree, its light gray bark and emerald heart shaped leaves a perfect backdrop for the small ivory flowers wrapped in elf green crepe paper. What this tree from the fairytales of old inspires is pleasant healing steams, floral liquors and protection from Our Lady’s cloak, in particular for the babes and women with child. Yet, there is something wild about the older trees, something untame and even dangerous, shrouded in the pleasure of alluring branches, in the glamour within the eye of the beholder.

The genus Tillia has about thirty species and is in the mallow family, Malvaceae. Linden trees are known as ‘lime trees’ in Europe, T. eurpoea and ‘basswood’ in the US, T. americana. The name linden has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon Lind which is thought to come from shield. The wood was easy to work and used for shields. Another interpretation comes from the German word lindern, which means ‘to soothe’, this thought by some to be referring to linden’s folk medicinal use for sleep. Yet another interpretation is that the name Linden refers to the trees connection to the dragon or Lindwurm, more on that below.

The European lime tree is often used for landscaping purposes here in America and if not native to an area can often be found planted around bank parking lots or lining downtown streets. Linden has heart shaped deep green leaves, flowering in early July with a distinct lighter green bract on a thin stem of small creamy flowers. They smell of a mixture of cucumber, gardenia and honey, especially when wilted, it is incredible and intoxicating. Though there is not a copious amount of folklore for Linden, what there is inspires an enchanted reverence for this tree of dragons and dwarves.

There were magical powers associated with the Linden tree from ancient times. In the Balkans, it was forbidden to cut the linden tree down, except when a ‘living fire’ was needed from it. This was made by rubbing Linden with an oak branch to obtain fire, then using the fire for ritual purposes. Soothsayers from Scythia in Central Europe used to twine Linden leaves in their fingers for inspirations during their prophesying. Herodotus, a Greek philosopher told that the transvestite shamans received their powers from Aphrodite and would split the bark of the Linden tree three ways, wrapping them around their fingers and loosen them while they spoke their spells.

This tree is dedicated to Venus according to astrologers of the past, and has been connected with love from its heart shaped leaves. Some believe it was connected to wedded love specifically, from references to Greek mythology. From an old Slavonian love song: ‘As the Bee is drawn by the lime perfume, I am drawn to thee’. Lime flowers were not brought indoors in Germany because they were thought to give girls erotic dreams on account of their scent. There was (and may still be) a Lime tree that stood on the south side of a churchyard in Nortorf, Germany. It had three main branches and underneath the tree marriages, contracts, justice courts and festivals took place, with all contracts being made orally and sealed by pressing one’s thumb into the great tree. There are a few Swedish charms for both controlling women and arousing passions using Linden, found in Black Books of the early eighteenth century.

Linden was a women’s tree, as folk lore tells. Germanic and Norse people believed the Linden tree was sacred to Freyja and to Frigg (possibly the same Goddess, it is up for debate), and connected to fertility, birth and women’s sacred knowledge. Of Mary Magdalene, Christ’s female prophet, comes this lore —

‘she may have nofood save lime tree leaves and drink the dew that hung on it leaves, whilst sleeping in a bed madefrom them.’ —Wolfgang Menzel, 1854.

It was her favorite tree according to old sources. In Lithuania, the Linden was known as a woman’s tree and it was thought that the souls of women whom had died moved into this tree. Women’s graves were marked with a Linden cross. In Bulgaria, Linden trees were and are still locations for shines dedicated to Mother Mary.

In old Germany, Linden was a holy tree, also thought to be the residing place of faeries and dwarves. The elf King was supposed to live in this tree. It was known to be unsafe to visit the Linden trees after sunset. Some verses from a Swedish Ballad of Sir Thynne’ give a possible warning:

‘And it was the knight Sir Thynne’ went the hart and the hind to shoot,

So he saw Ulva, the little Dwarf’s daughter, at the green Linden’s foot.

And it was the knight Sir Thynne’, From his horse he springs hastily.

So goeth he to Ulva, the little Dwarfs daughter, all under the green Linden tree.

And it was Thora, the little Dwarfs wife. She at the hill door looked out.

And there she saw how the knight Sir Thynne’ lay at the green Lindensfoot’

It was also believed that dragons liked to lay beneath the Linden’s shade. Nigel Pennick in his book Dragons o f the West, 1997, writes ‘The Lindwurm of Central Europe is connected with the Linden tree. It is said to live in the earth for its first 90 years, in a linden tree for the next 90 and then in the desert for the final 90 years of its 270 year life’. He goes on the tell about how certain linden trees serve as central places within villages in the Central European landscape and how some of those trees are connected with both dragons and women. One tree from the Islands of Chiemsee, the largest Bavarian lake, has a painted image of the Mother Mary standing on a Lindwurm, attached to the tree. Another tree was called the ‘Murtenlinde’ and though [it] stands no more, was enclosed near St. George’s fountain, with a sculpture of St. George killing a dragon. A cutting from the original tree has been planted in its place. A German hero Sigurd was named so because he slayed a dragon. It was told that afterwards, he bathed himself in the dragon’s blood and transformed to have dragon scales all over his body, except the place between his shoulder blades, where a heart shaped Linden leaf stuck — this was his vulnerable spot.

Linden is a tree of tales and faerie stories. There was a legend that came from Berlin, telling of three brothers, the youngest of whom was in love with an Italian lord’s daughter. The well off Italian Lord forbade any contact between his daughter and the peasant boy, however soon after, the Lord was stabbed at a public event and the three brothers happened to be present. The eldest was accused of the murder, and to save their brother, both of the younger brothers took the blame. The judge was understandably confused and ordered all three of them to take Linden trees and plant them upside down at a certain churchyard — the linden would reveal the murderer by whichever one would not grow. The lindens all grew, the roots transforming into branches and within thirty years covered the churchyard with their shade. The three brothers were ennobled as Lords of the Linden and of course, the youngest got to marry the daughter he had desired. The Linden was a tree of justice in this tale, as it was in others, such as in the Rose Elf by Hans Christian Anderson, where the severed head of a woman’s lover was buried under a flowering linden tree, while a little elf hid in a Linden leaf and witnessed the murder. Eventually the elf and the bees helped avenge the evil brother whom committed the act.

From Germany and Hungary, people planted a Linden tree in their yard to keep witches from entering their homes. Certain linden trees belonging to a family could foretell death within the family, if a branch fell. This is similar to the death omens relating to oak trees that had been in a family for a long period of time.

Folk Medicine

Linden is a bee tree, the nectar from its sticky flowers attracting many insects, but especially bees. Honey from linden trees was so good, it was sold often for 3-4 times the price of other honey. The fruit of the Linden was soft and sweet, known as ‘hens apples’ from Inverness, Scotland. I have never personally noticed fruit on the tree before, something to look for. The leaves can be eaten young in spring salads and can be later given as animal fodder. The flowers with their small bracts can be made into delicious wines and elixirs, food of the Faeries to be sure.

Linden tea was and still is a remedy for insomnia, and linden baths were taken for both insomnia and nervous ailments. The tea was also used for headaches, very popular in France. The bark from the tree was steeped to bring out its (mucilaginous) qualities and used on the skin for burns and scalds. The leaves and flowers boiled in water was used as a wash for sores, freckles, ulcers, wrinkles and other skin problems. It was also applied to the scalp to stimulate the growth of hair. Lime flowers were used to cure epilepsy, called ‘falling sickness’, combined in an unpleasant old recipe with the gall of a black puppy — if the patent was female, then a bitch. Linden was also a heart remedy in times past.

The Native Americans used Linden (basswood) for many different ailments in their folk medicine. The Quebec Algonquin tribe used an infusion of the leaves as an eye remedy. The Cherokee tribe used the bark internally for dysentery, heartburn during pregnancy, weak stomach and bowels and also as a poultice mixed with cornmeal for boils. The bark from a tree struck by lightning was used as a poultice for snakebite. The Iroquois tribe used the leaves as a poultice for burns, scalds, broken bones and swelling. A decoction of the branches was used to wash babies who were struggling to learn to walk. An infusion of the plant was taken for sever pain and injuries and also used as a panacea. The Meskwaki tribe used poultices of the bark for opening boils and a decoction of the twigs for lung troubles.

Personal Practices

As the linden is ruled by Venus, it certainly can be incorporated into love potions and philtres. The heart shaped leaves can be threaded on red thread and hung above the bedstead to encourage love between a husband [and/or] wife where it has gone stagnant. The flower wine can be taken by a couple for the same, as can the elixir. Visiting the tree on a full moon, in particular if that moon happens on a Friday, a woman can go and pray to the tree for her health or the health of a child. Wood harvested at this time with offerings can be carried as an amulet by a pregnant woman to protect her and her babe. A wooden equal armed cross or hand fashioned amulet can be brought to a woman’s birth for protection as well.

I have been blessed to find a large linden tree on an old homestead of some farmer folks who are willing to let me come and harvest this precious medicine during the summertime. The flowers in full bloom can be gathered, including the tight green bracts. When the flowers are perfectly open and overwhelmingly fragrant, they can be harvested, easy to pick with one’s fingers. It is best to go in the early morning to avoid the competition of the bees. The resulting harvest can be dried for tea and baths or made into delicious wine, elixirs or syrups. An infused linden honey is ambrosia to be sure, but only to the palate that would recognize the underlying cucumber floral flavor. It tastes so similar to honey, that many folks unfamiliar with linden do not catch it. Any of the medicines above can be taken for insomnia, stress, tension, irritability, headaches and for mild depression. This medicine is especially helpful for toddlers, children, elders and sensitive folks. It is quite a delightful medicine, with such a gentleness, it soothes and nourishes.

Many thanks to this healing and numinous tree, present still as apotent spirit in the old forests. As nourishment for the bees and caretaker o f women, it transforms itself, unwatched and unnoticed by many. May the glittering festival that surrounds the old lime tree carry on under starlight and moonlight, illuminated in the secret glades and meadows.

Linden Sweeping Tool

The branches of linden can be made into a sweeping tool for use during healing work, particularly appropriate for women. Harvest the smaller branches on a full moon while in full flower, probably during early July. Strip the leaves and flowers, drying them separately. Then dry the twigs, exposing them to moonlight through a window for three nights. After the third night by the light of a candle in a darkened chamber, bind the twigs with blue threads, enclosing a snakeskin around the handle. Thread nine snake vertebrae and attach to the place bound, near the handle. When it is made, pass the sweeper through a smoke of white roses Rosa spp, mugwort leaf and bud Artemisia vulgaris, angelica root Angelica archangelica and dragons blood resin. Speak these words thrice:

Snake of womb, snake of root, snake of venom white,

Surround this bark of moonlight twigs.

With our Lady’s healing light.

Protect and keep the beating heart safe from undue harm

By dragon claw and linden wood, I consecrate this charm!

Store this sweeping tool wrapped in a white cloth with dry linden leaves and flowers. Use it to protect women or children, by sweeping it around their body, removing all unwanted energy and offering a protective barrier as needed. It can also be used as a healing tool during a session, used for the same, and to remove illness. Or gift it to a woman friend whom is in need of great protection, to be hung above her bed.

Linden Flower Mead

To make 1 gallon of mead, you need about 2 quarts full of flowers including the light green bract, usually harvested in early July. Wilt them overnight, which means lay them out in a basket. Place them in a medium sized stone crock. Bring 1 gallon of boiling water with 3 pint jars of honey (two if you like a very dry mead) to boil on the stovetop for about ten minutes, stirring well to dissolve. Pour into crock and stir the flowers in. Wait until the mixture is completely cool, usually overnight, and sprinkle champagne yeast on top of the mixture and wait 15 minutes before stirring it in. Cover the crock with a linen cloth that is tied on with a string and rubber band, to keep out fruit flies. Stir twice a day with a wooden spoon that is not used for cooking. After about 10 days, filter into a clean gallon glass jug and fit with an airlock. Keep the wine in a place that is not too hot or too cold, in the dark. Bottle after 6 months and wait a year before drinking. If it doesn’t taste good, keep waiting, but it should be ready in about one year and three months. Lovely for libations and offerings during the light half of the year and for use in love magic.”

—

Under the Witching Tree:

A Folk Grimoire of Tree Lore and Practicum

by Corinne Boyer

[le-chevalier-au-lion]

Listen, this is a very specific topic to be iffy about, but for your knowledge, the Roman gods are not the Greek gods.

The Romans were big on syncretism (the combination of different forms of belief or intellectual thought) and the adoption of foreign gods. The Greek deities were known since very early periods via the Etruscan culture, which was heavily influenced by Greece since the middle of the 8th century BC because of trade routes as well as the Greek cultural potential and would come to be completely engulfed around the third century BC with the Roman-Etruscan wars, but just like you’d see the Romans claiming the Germanic tribes worshipped their own gods under different names (the Germania by Roman historian Tacitus, written around 98 AD), the same happened here, and the fusion wasn’t 100% accurate.

While in the case of Zeus and Jupiter, for example, it worked well, Venus is far more motherly and political than Aphrodite (as Mars is the Father of Rome via the myth of Romulus and Remus, Venus is Venus Genetrix, Venus the Mother, and the only time you’ll see Aphrodite being motherly is in… the Aeneid, a distinctively Roman piece), Mars is an agricultural god as well as the god of war and has way more political connotations than Ares (he was a member of the archaic Capitoline Triad), Mercury is far more linked with commerce than the more pastoral Hermes, and the list goes on. Apollo was imported directly and very early (a temple for him, the Temple of Apollo Sosianus, was erected in the city of Rome as early as 431 BC), thus keeping the name but undergoing a very distinct Romanization of his attributes and worship. Janus, Quirinus and Terminus were very important Roman gods which had no Greek equivalent.

Isis, for example, was worshipped as herself, equated with a number of deities in both the Greek and the Roman worlds and some of her methods of worship and symbolism were associated with the Virgin Mary. It’s a far more complicated scenario, babes, especially when you consider Alexander’s conquests and the expansion of Hellenistic culture as well as its contact with many other cultures.

Syncretism is way more complicated than “the Romans just stole the Greek gods and gave them different names, the uncreative fucks”. The traditional date for Rome’s foundation is 753 BC and the Western Roman Empire would last until 436 AD. That’s over a thousand years of conquest, trade and growing and shrinking territories, and none of these factors are likely to leave a religion unaltered.

Besides, the practice of religious syncretism is way older and more common than you’d expect. The Akkadians did it to Summerian deities a few thousand years before this especially after the conquest of Sargon of Akkad in 2340 BC (“Mesopotamia: the Sumerians”. Washington State University). The Greeks were doing much the same with the Roman pantheon itself (Dionysus of Halicarnassus and Plutarch use Greek names for Roman cult), with the Egyptian pantheon and with the Scythian pantheon (Herodotus in both cases, though the associations would outlive him, such as the case of Zeus/Amon).

So, no the Roman gods aren’t the plagiarized versions of the Greek gods, and I could defend this in front of a jury.

[dianasson]

Mullein

Verbascum thapsus

“This magic herb has been protective in various cultures. In ancient Greece, Ulysses defended himself from Circe’s magic with mullein. In the old days in France, people would pass sprigs of mullein through a fire on St. John’s Eve (better known among us as Midsummer) in order to protect cattle from sickness caused by sorcery. In England, putting mullein under the butter churn could bring back butter that had been witched away. European travelers carried mullein or stuffed it into their shoes to protect them from attacks by wild animals (and also to make walking more comfortable). Nowadays, dream pillows are stuffed with mullein to protect against nightmares. It is mixed with dill, salt, and fennel and sprinkled around haunted areas to repel malicious spirits or ghosts, and it is a substitution for graveyard dirt in the recipes of various spells.

This magic herb also has various connections to the idea of returning, which we can see as a Saturnian power (emphasizing borders and staying inside them). For instance, in Great Britain it was used to help bring back children who had been kidnapped by fairies. Various Native Americans knew a good thing when they saw it and used this Eurasian native that became naturalized in North America to return people to their right mind. For instance, the Hopi mixed the leaves with osnomodium to be used as a smoke by crazy people and those who had been betwitched. The Navajo wrapped the leaves in a corn husk to be smoked to help a mind return if it was lost, and the Potowatami smudged unconcscious people with the leaves to help them return to consciousness. Consider mullein useful in centering the spirit and add it to the pipe smoked as an aid to astral work.

Mullein was also a ceremonial smoke for the Isleta and Thompson Indians. I read mention in various sources on the web that mullein is one of Woden’s Nine Herbs, but looking the actual charm, I don’t think so.

Many disagree about the planetary correspondence of this magick herb. Agrippa said it belonged to Mercury. The leaves do have a high concentration of aluminum, a Mercury metal, and in the past this herb was given to affect the mind, for instance, to bring back people who were unconscious or who were mentally ill. Culpeper thought it was a Saturn herb, on account of its medicinal actions. As a biennial, it is also a slow herb (slowness is a Saturnian quality),  taking a year to produce a rosette of leaves and only flowering in the second year. The seeds likewise show a Saturnian slowness in their long viability - up to 35 years. It also has a Saturnian love for borders, growing along roads, train tracks, or on the edge of woodlands, and for areas that are rejected for agricultural purposes (“waste lands”). Some argue that it is a Fire herb, because its dry leaves make an excellent tinder and it gets one its common names, hag’s taper, from the practice of dipping the stalks in fat to make a quickie torch (by the way, the “hag” in “hag’s taper” was originally the word “hedge”). Finally, the leaves contain iron and the fuzz that covers them is a softer version of prickliness, so this can also be viewed as a Mars herb. Indeed, it has played a part in various Mars-ruled activities, such as hunting: Navajo hunters rubbed a tea of mullein leaf on themselves and their horses for strength.

In ancient Rome, women used mullein flowers to give their hair yellow highlights. It’s said that Quaker women, who were not allowed to use makeup, rubbed their faces with the leaves to make them rosy - the fuzz is irritating to some people. The Atsugewei rubbed their bodies with mullein leaves during sweat lodges. The Abnaki made a necklace for teething babies from the root. A tea from this herb is slightly sedating; boil 1 tablespoon of dried leaves or root (or for a sweeter tea, the fresh or dried flowers) in 1 cup of water for 5-10 minutes, then strain through a coffee filter to remove the hairs, if using the leaves. The leaves were smoked in the past to soothe irritation caused by coughing from TB, asthma, or general lung irritation. The leaves also contain a small amount of rotenone, an organic pesticide. Birds enjoy eating the seeds. This plant has many, many names: it is also known as Aaron’s rod, Adam’s flannel, beggar’s blanket, beggar’s flannel, beggar’s stalk, big taper, blanket herb, blanket leaf, bullock’s lungwort, candlewick plant, clot, clown’s lungwort, cow’s lungwort, cuddy’s lungs, devil’s-tobacco, duffle, feltwort, flannel leaf, flannel plant, fluffweed, graveyeard candles, great mullein, hag’s taper, hare’s beard, hedge-taper, ice leaf, Jacob’s staff, Jupiter’s staff, lungwort, lus mor [great herb], miner’s candle, mullein, mullein dock, old man’s flannel, Our Lady’s flannel, Quaker rouge, rag paper, shepherd’s club, shepherd’s staff, St. Peter’s staff, torches, torchwort, velvet dock, velvet plant, white man’s-footsteps, wild ice leaf, witch’s candles, witch’s taper, woolen, and wooly mullein.“

– Alchemy Works

“Mullein protects and controls: it also causes penis captivus. Against Enemies, Wild Animals, and Demons: Keep a packet of mullein under the pillow to prevent nightmares. Wear the leaves in your shoes or bathe for five days in mullein tea to engender courage and drive away enemies or wild animals. When burned with a mixture of Psychic Vision Incense and Commanding Incense, mullein smoke is a powerful adjunct to casting spells against foes. Mullein mixed with graveyard dirt and red pepper appears in some recipes for Goofer Dust, which is used to jinx enemies.

Magical Candles To Control Demons: If you lack candles, dip mullein stalks in oil or tallow and bum them as a substitute. Mullein grows quite tall and is magically potent, so a circle of six-foot-tall “witches’ candles” is considered of assistance, if you are summoning spirits into an outdoor circle, for if the spirits can be conjured, the circle of smoking mullein torches will bring them under your command. and you can rule them.

To Catch an Adulterous Lover: If you suspect your partner of having another lover. get a short length of mullein stalk and keep it on you. When your lover urinates outdoors, stick the mullein stalk down into the pool of urine and leave it there. If someone else has intercourse with your lover. the pair will get stuck like dogs, and you will be able to catch them in the act.

Medical uses: Mullein is used in herbal medicine to relieve asthma. Botanical Notes: Some European-American authors and unscrupulous merchants have claimed that mullein is a legitimate substitute for graveyard dirt, which it absolutely is not. Mullein is powerful in Its own right, and can supplement graveyard dirt, but It was only introduced to African people in America, while veneration of the dead is endemic in African religions, and thus working with graveyard dirt, “corpse powder:’ and the bones of the dead is of important and ancient provenance in African-American religio-magical traditions.”

– Catherine Yronwode, Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic

[lailoken]

“:Pharmacopoeia: [Pt. 2]

Acacia (Acacia spp.). The Blossoms, as well as the Leaves of Our Tree, may be added to the bathwater for the magical work of Fortification, or nourishing and strengthening the Mind and Spirit. 55 grams of the fresh blooms, steeped in one litre of boiling water for 20 minutes, provides a virtuous Balneum.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum, O. sanctum). A Bath made from strong infusions of Fresh Basil is a superior Solar Rite of Self-Love. The friendly Genius of this plant aids in fortifying Courage and Will, as well as lending clarity of Mind. For this purpose, steep two handfuls of fresh sprigs, leaves, and flowers in one litre of boiling water for 20 minutes before straining and adding to the bath. Stronger infusions lend more power, especially when the spicy leaves are employ'd as a scrub. Basil is efficacious for charms drawing lovers, or money.

Broom (Cytisus spp.). Regard'd as a pest by farmers and some botanists, our Herb makes for a virtuous lustration. In particular, it owns the powers of obsta- cle-breaking and motivation, and is specially good at disrupting inertia. For a hot bath, steep between 150- 250 dried blossoms or approximately 300 fresh in 1.5 litres of boiling water. After steeping 30 minutes, strain and add to the bath.

Calamus (Acorus calamus). Our Root may pleasingly be added to ritual baths prior to magical workings, especially those involving sexual magics or oracular work. Calamus has strong affinities with the water element and was employed in the Herb-sorcery of ancient Egypt and Sumer. Harvesting the fresh root from bog or marsh is preferred, as the spicy root-odour is so much more alluring fresh than the rank, wither'd nubs from the Apothecary's jar! For a strong decoction, employ 33 grams of the fresh Root, or 50 of the dried; bring to a boil in one litre of water, and steep for 15 minutes. Most Essential Oil of Calamus commonly available is of dubious quality. Let the Skill'd One distill oil from living, vigourous roots and use sparingly in Bath and Balm.

Carnation (Dianthus spp.). Gillyflowers, as Carnations were known to the medieval apothecary, are an excellent agent of simultaneous Exorcism and Invigoration, a friendly spirit most pleasing to the gods. Carnation baths prior to works of High Magick rival both Agrimony and Vervain in efficacy. Of fragrant carnation, take 40 blossoms and infuse in a litre of cold water for 3-5 hours. Add this infused water, along with the flowers themselves and a few fresh ones, to a lukewarm or cool bath. Employ the flowers to scrub the body.

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita). Perhaps the most comforting Herb taken as a bath, Chamomile is excellent for reducing trauma, and may be considered an elemental correspondence of the Watery Part of Earth temper'd by the Warm Virtues of Sol. For a healthful slumber or to relieve extreme nervous tension, a bath may be made with the fragrant blossoms, and will readily offer its Gifts. Use 50 g. of the flowers steeped in 1 litre of boiling water. A strong infusion of the golden Blossoms makes an excellent traditional gambling potion for washing the hands prior to throwing dice or cards. If using Essential Oil of Blue Chamomile, add 3-5 drops to the bath, increasing as desired.

Chaste Berry ( Vitex agnus-castus). The Candomblè abô, or sacred baths, employ various species of Vitex against the Evil Eye; 'tis also esteem'd as a suffumigant. Of the dried or fresh berries, use a decoction of 18 g. of the Herb to 450 ml. boiling water. Of the leaves, use 33 grams in 650 millilitres of water.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum). The Genius of Our Bark invigorates and fortifies, but it is especially skilled at promoting the powers of Harmony. Thus a Cinnamon ablution serves prior to a confrontation where a harmonious outcome is desired. Other excellent uses for this bath are as a preparation for Sexual Magic workings with a partner, or for fertility rites of conception. For a Cinnamon bath, make a strong decoction of 60 grams of crumbled twigs or chips in 550 millilitres of water. Avoid the Essential Oil as it is a dermal irritant and lacks certain Virtues of the Genius present only in the bark.

Cymbopogon (Cymbopogon spp.) A fragrant and wondrous plant genus which includes a number of different species of fragrant, tropical grasses. Three are widely known and prais'd, especially in the form of their Essential Oils rendered up as True Gold by fractional distillation; these are Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon citratus), Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii), and Citronella (Cymbopogon nar-dus). All bear exquisite perfume and are suit'd to cleansing of the Oratory as well as the Brethren and Sisters of the Wise who enter the Temple. For infusions, use 44 grams of chopp'd rhizome and grass to 600 millilitres boiling water, steeped thirty minutes. The Oleum Essentia may be used freely in Compound'd Mists.

Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menzesii). Not a True Fir in botanical nomenclature, Our Tree is nevertheless a fast-growing evergreen conifer with an Eager Spirit of Cleansing. Native to North America, it is now widely cultur'd for its versatile timber. Its pitch excels as a fumigant and the citrus-odour'd Leaves make an excellent Philtre of Cleansing and Exorcism. Several American Indian nations in the Tree's native range traditionally employ'd a decoction of the branches and twigs as a purifying body-wash in sweathouse rites. For a wash or asperge, a strong decoction may be made with a generous handful of the pulverized leaves or green branches boil'd twenty minutes in 650 millilitres of water and strained. These potent leaves render up their Goodness in tincture by means of Aqua Angelis; indeed, the Green Magus skill'd in extractions will know this to be true.

Fir (Abies spp.). The leaves -needles, as they are known- are employ'd for their magical properties of Illumination and Inspiration. Several handfuls of the young shoots may be decocted in a litre of water. This is an appropriate ablution for rites of Pan, especially if the sorcerer is to invoke the rustic god, for this is His Tree. If employing essential oil of Fir, begin with 3 drops in bathwater.

Geranium, Scent'd (Pelargonium spp.). Scent'd Geraniums proceed forth from the Mansions of the Greenwood like a parade of fair-odourd jewels, remarkable in beauty and divers aromas. Almost all species of Pelargonium wield potencies of Banishing and Exorcism, and simultaneously the Power of Brightening: these spirits encourage great cheer unto all wherever their virtues extend. Rose, citrus, mint, nutmeg, pine, and even chocolate-scent'd varieties may be found, having unique aromatic notes that provoke, in addition to the aforemention'd qualities, a most unsettling Strangeness of Thought. One handful of the whole leaves, infused in 600 millilitres boiling water, produces a fragrant and potent liquid useful against noisome spirits. Tincture freely.

Hops (Humulus lupulus). Baths of the Herb are, in general, soporific and useful to allay Moods. A bath made with 50 grams of the dried fragrant blossoms, steeped in a litre of boiling water, will provide calm. However, by acquaintance with a friendly hop-farmer, or tending the Vine oneself, one may make use of the spicy blossoms, peerless newly-gather'd, and in no way compare to the inferior dried Herb, many of whose Virtues have fled upon dessication.

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis). Ours is an Herb of the Mint Family possessing supreme antibacterial virtues. Hyssop was used, in times of European plague, along with Juniper, for strewing and combatting the Vapours of Affliction. It has a long history of being used to consecrate spaces and persons prior to magical workings. An ancient recipe for Hyssop Water, used for purification of the Sorcerer prior to the Work, is made thus: "A bunch of vervain, fennel, lavender, sage, valerian, mint, garden basil, rosemary, and hyssop gathered in the day and hour of Mercury, bound together with a thread, spun by a young maiden, when dipped in water and sprinkled, will chase away all phantoms that shall hinder or annoy." A simpler infusion may be made with 40 grams of the Herb steep'd in I litre of boiling water.

Jasmine (Jasminum officinale). The Jasmine belongs to the Olive family, known as Oleaceae, from which so many beneficial and virtuous Herbs proceed, so we may take refuge in its noble lineage. When considering the types of magic Jasmine may be put to in sorcery, Lust and magnification of the Sexual powers are first and foremost. For men, this is the Spirit of Satyros; for women, the charms of the Nymphae. For magics of Attraction it is unparallel'd, as well as in Sexual or Nubility rites. Unfortunately, the range of the plant is very limited, and in northern latitudes must be grown in a glasshouse. One may employ the oil, known as Jasmine Absolute, in the quantity of drops per 100 litres of water (Jasmine absolute is costly; thus the oil amount is also a consideration of frugality) or, if access to a blooming Jasmine is assured, about 80 flowers added directly to the bath. Two false-Jasmines are worth mentioning, as both have similar, though less pronounced, magical virtues as the classic Jasmine. The first is a hardy plant known Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides); the second is Potato Jasmine (Solanum jasminoides). Both may commonly be found at nurseries. Of the two, the former has a richer and more complex scent. Both plants are prolific bloomers in a variety of cultural conditions. For a hot bath, use at least 75 blossoms of Star Jasmine; or at least 100 of Solanaceous Jasmine. For a cold bath, knead 30-100 flowers of each kind into four litres of water and pour liberally on head and body, letting the perfumed waters air-dry on the skin.

Juniper (Juniperus spp.) For treating nervous conditions, a bath made with the Berries and fronds is much esteemed. A handful or two of the fresh, pulverized Shoots and Fruits may be ground and placed in a cheesecloth bag and add'd to the hot water of an ablution, several minutes before entering. Dried leaves may be used as well; a purposeful decoction can be made from 33 grams of the dried leaves, simmered in 1.5 litres of water for 20 minutes.

Larch (Larix spp.). Rare though the tree is in the literature of sorcery, its virtues should not be overlooked by those living beneath its branches. A strong spirit of Courage, Triumph, and Protection, the Genius of the Larix will stoutly defend all who are its allies. An ablution of Larch leaves is noted for its properties of Centering and Inspiration, as well as Fortifying and Invigorating the spirit of the warrior riding into battle. Make a decoction using 1.5 litres of boiling water, in which are simmer'd 85 grams of the young shoots, well-chopped, for twenty minutes. Strain the brew and add to the bath. Galangal (Kaempheria galanga ; Alpinia galanga). Washing one's hands in a tea brewed from Galangal root is a potent charm for success in gambling, as Root Doctors and other Voudou sorcerers know. The Root's magical provenance of empowering the Derma is, in a similar way, hail'd by Ritual Magicians who blend its Oleum Essentia into the famed Oil of Abramelin. For use as a potion or hand-wash, employ 40 grams of the fresh Root in 1 litre of water; bring to boil, then simmer in a covered vessel for 15-20 minutes. If circumstances force use of the dried Root, employ double the amount, as many of the virtues have, by this time, escaped into the aethyrs. For ablutions prior to magical rites, the amount may be increased greatly according to Need.

Maize (Zea mays). A number of Yoruba-derived religions in the Americas employ Maize as an Ally for women in childbirth. In Candomblè abô, Maize is sometimes added to the bathwater. Sweet corn may be knead'd in cold water for an Enchanted Bath that summons all the good things provided by the Sun and Jove; such magics might encompass general Beneficence, Healing, or the sudden influx of monies, goods, or knowledge.

Mint (Mentha spp.) The Herb is easily grown and readily dominates moist ground. Strong infusions are an excellent feature of a cleansing brew or as an adjunct with other Herbs. Peppermint and Spearmint are very easily found, the former being somewhat more aggressive in magical action. Infuse 80 grams of the fresh, chopp'd Herb in 1 litre of boiling water for twenty minutes, using a plant press to press the marc dry.

Orange (Citrus aurantium). For the purpose of an enchanted Bath, three parts needs concern us. The first is the fragrant leaf, whose goodness reaches its peak just prior to flowering. These leaves, crush'd, steeped in cold water, added to the bath, promote much of the same simultaneous relaxation and stimulation as does Lavender, but with a Solar, rather than a Mercurial, emphasis. 150-200 grams of the fresh leaves, mashed in a solitary litre of lukewarm or cool water, suffices to provoke a most pleasant perfume. The gentle flowers, also called Neroli, may be added to the Bath in the quantity of 50-90 blossoms: it is recommended that they be added directly to the water, and their petals used to scrub the body. Their virtues tend toward Beauty, Invigoration, Fortification, and Lust. The rind of the fruit also possesses much virtue and may be made into a hot infusion, to bring Joviality or thwart rude spirits. Employ 100 grams of the rind, steeped in 1 litre of boiling water for 30 minutes. Scrupulously avoid using citrus Essential Oils in the bath: it can irritate the Derma and increase photosensitivity.

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium). Another True Mint, Pennyroyal exceeds in cleansing virtue both Spearmint and Peppermint, and possesses a vigilant warrior Genius which gleefully annihilates flocculum abomini. In this, she is best used as an Asperge, Wash or Mist. Similar in many ways to Hyssop, her principles are well-retain'd in tincture, though infusions are also impeccable. The sorcerer is enjoin'd to employ the whole herb when flowering, as the blossoms provide added banishing vigour, without compromising the integrity of the Leaf. 50 grams of well-leav'd infloresences, cut and mashed, steep'd in a litre of boiling water for twenty minutes, yields a masterful infusion. As the Herb has strong action on the Womb, baths of Pennyroyal should be avoided by pregnant women as a general precaution. Pennyroyal gives a fine tincture, especially in ethanol exceeding the proof of 100.

Pericon (Tagetes lucida). Decoctions of the fragrant plant have been used for healing and purifying baths, but it is difficult to procure outside Mexico. As this is an Herb with a potent and varied magical pedigree, seeds are worth seeking, so invite this marvelous Green Spirit into the magical garden. A decoction may be made using 50 grams of the fresh, chopped herb, including the stems and whole blossoms, in one litre of water. Boil and simmer in a covered vessel for 5 minutes, allowing the decoction to sit off the fire for an additional ten minutes. Of greater excellence is a strong infusion, employing 100 leaves steeped in 350 millilitres of boiling water.

Pine (Pinus spp.). To convoke the genii of the Imaginal Mind, an invigorating Bath may be made with the young shoots. Several handfuls, after they have been truly ground, may be add'd to the hot bathwater some minutes before 'immer- sion. For a Balneum of superior strength, simmer 65 grams of fresh, chopp'd Pine needles in 1.5 litres of water for 20 minutes; strain, and add to bath.

Rose (Rosa spp.). A warm or cold infusion of the petals may be used for Ablutions of Fortification, that is to say, beautification, and the gentle but potent repair of injured psychic structures. Rose may also be employed in the magical manner of Balm of Gilead, a rare and precious resin now virtually impossible to obtain, known for its powers of consolation to the Heart. Roses may be used fresh or in the form of Rose Water; Rose Absolute may augment the Balneum in the quantity of a half dozen to ten drops in the hot water. Rose water is a supreme Asperge, especially for purposes of Consecration, and may be used in the form of a Mist. Rose water or Hydrosol are readily available. A Compound'd Mist may be made using the Standard Formula with 4 drops Otto of Rose.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). In general, this Herb has a strong and ancient association with mankind, and has serv'd as an Ally in many Endeavours. It is abhorrent to most Foul Spirits and entirely appropriate for their dispersion. For treating nervous conditions, a bath made with the fragrant Leaves, has been much esteem'd, and if flowers be gathered in sufficient quantity, their powers exceed that of the Leaves by a factor of three. A hearty infusion is generated of 70 grams of chopp'd sprigs to 800 millilitres of boiling water, steeped for half an hour. Better still is the Essential Oil, extracted by one's own cunning or obtain'd from a good distiller. A Compound Mist of Rosemary is made by dissolving 40 drops of Essential Oil of Rosemary in a single fluid ounce of Perfumer's Alcohol, then adding 80 ml. of distill'd water. This may be mixed and added to the Atomizer. To commune with Rosemary Spirits, retire at sunset to a candlelit bath chamber, drawing the hottest water possible. Burn dried rosemary leaves and wood continually as an incense of beckoning pleasing to the plant. Into the water pour two litres of masterfully-strong decoction of the plant's leaves and flowers, as well as five large Rosemary branches, freshly cut, leaving some hardwood and greenwood stem in the water. Immerse into this Fragrant Potion, covering as much of the body as possible, beckoning the plant as the Mind is subsumed by Green Reverie.

Rue (Ruta gravaeolens). Rue has an ancient magical pedigree of exorcism and protection from Maleficia, especially the Evil Eye. Baths of strong Rue infusions are useful for persons harass'd in the night hours by unwanted spirits. Conversely, in some streams of popular lore, sorcerers of malign intent utilized Rue in potions to effect destructive magic. Our Herb works as a hot infusion, added to a hot bath, or a cold infusion, kneaded in water and poured over the body. For the former, steep 50 grams of Rue in 1.5 litres of boiling water for 30 minutes, then strain and add to the bath. For a cold bath, knead 65 grams of fresh Rue in 2-3 litres of water in the Ritual Bowl for 20-30 minutes, invoking the Genius of the Herb as the leaves are shredded. This philtre should then be poured solemnly over head and body in small cupfuls. As an herbal medicament Rue possesses abortifacient properties; pregnant women should avoid a Balneum with strong Rue content, as it may adversely affect some sensitive individuals.

Sage (Salvia officinalis). Harvested fresh, well-steep'd, strained and added to the Bath, Culinary Sage is an impeccable friend for the magical purposes of Illumination. Of the fresh or dried leaves, one should steep 55 grams in a litre of boiling water. It is advised that for longer, more deeply-focused Baths, one may wish to burn the dried leaves as an accompanying incense. Sage wood and twigs contain additional virtues especially suited for Determination and Focus; these may be decocted in a ratio of 30-50 grams of the twigs to 1 litre of water. Other Sage species, while their Genii vary considerably, are also appropriate for Illuminating and Fortifying Work, such as White Sage (Salvia apiana); Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans); and Black Sage (Salvia mellifera), the latter resonating with Cain of the Forge.

Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.). Verily, without doubt, and truly: Our Gray Lady of the Waste is a peerless Ally for driving off rank Ghosts of Offense. Numerous species of desert Artemisia are all known as Sagebrush. A number of North American nations used various species of wild sagebrush as a cleansing bath, sometimes following the Sun Dance, or in sweat lodges. Many tribes burned the plant at the beginning of ceremonies, to both purify and "open the ways". A philtre from the Herb may be made by way of Solar infusion: put 40 grams of the fresh Herb into a 1-litre jar, fill with water, and allow to steep in the sun at least 5 hours. This should then be strain'd and used at room temperature to wash the body, much in the manner of Rue. For a traditional bath, steep 60 grams of the fresh Herb in a litre of boiling water for 20 minutes. Strain and add to bath.

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum). Prior to entering situations in which one will assuredly be under spiritual attack, a Balneum of Sassafras Leaves will provide a protective armour. Use 40 grams of the dried leaves steeped in 1 litre of boiling water for 45 minutes, or better still, knead 80 leaves in 3 litres of cold water. The bark is also efficacious; decoct 20 grams in 750 millilitres of water for 20 minutes. Avoid the Essential Oil for all but the most powerful Asperges.

Spruce (Picea spp.). A strong decoction of 75 grams of the fresh, pulverized shoots may be added to the hot water of the Balneum; in this way the Genius of the plant will especially grant the powers of Illumination. Such baths with Spruce are naturally balancing to the body's streams of power, and stimulate the nerves. Virtuous floor-washes can be brewed with Branches of Spruce for purifying funerary rites, keeping the ghost of the deceased from lingering. In Sweden, Spruce needles are placed as a Ward outside a church to keep trolls away. The fresh leaves, chopped and beaten, may be drown'd in Perfumer's Alcohol for one lunation, yielding an Emerald Essence of great savour to the Nose and Spirit. The beneficence of this Philtre where routing septic spiritual matter is concern'd is readily demonstrated. Strong infusions or decoctions of Spruce, also excel as asperges prior to collective works of magic.

Tobacco (Nicotiana spp.). Decoctions or infusions of varying strengths may be used. The chief powers lent are the attraction of Beneficent Spirits, the type of which may be of aid in all manner of sorcery, but particularly those imparting informations from the depths of the Astral Well; or those promoting the increase of Wealth. Those bearing the Arms of the Warrior are advised that one may also conjure, with Our Good Leaf, the principalities resonant with the acts of Conquest and Acquisition, or Mars in Good Favour with Saturn. For ablutions, the preferr'd method is to employ 65 grams of the fresh leaves, knead'd in 2 litres of cold water, steeping for half an hour, then employ'd in a cold bath.

Valerian (Valeriana officianalis). A strong decoction of the fragrant, chopped Root may be employed for a Purification or Relaxation bath. Use 20 grams of the dried Root to 750 millilitres of water, simmered for 20 minutes. If, by the good graces of the spirits, the plant dwells within thy Medicine Garden, there is no more pleasant a Root-Bath than that freshest radix given us by Valeriana; 33 grams, mashed well, infused into a 450 millilitres of hot water, and a similar amount infused in cold water, adding both to the bath.

Vervain ( Verbena spp.). A certain folk potion of Old known as Juno's Tears was made from Vervain steeped in water; the resulting extraction was used for house-cleansing, and possessed an uncanny aptitude for chasing Noxious Spirits. When the fresh plant is employ'd, a quantity of flowering tops in the amount of 30 grams should be used, well-steeped in 800 millilitres of boiling water for half an hour. The herb merchant generally sells Vervain in its dried form, the Leaf being cut and sifted, but with blossoms absent. Of dried Vervain, use 45 grams in a litre of boiling water, steeped 30 minutes.

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium spp.). A fragrant plant of the Sunflower kin, Our Herb makes a fine restorative Balneum. 50 grams of the plant, with fresh, flowering tops preferred, steeped in one and one half litres of boiling water for the space of 20 minutes, creates an ablution that aids in helping the Flights of Mind achieve concrescence. In accordance, this bath is esteemed for divination, wherein Spirit becomes flesh in the form of a Hallow'd Sign. All Artemisia species are hallowed unto Lilith, and especially Dragon Worwmood (Artemisia dracunculus), known to the vulgar as Tarragon. According to lore, this plant sprouted on the ground trodden by the Crafty Old Serpent after he was expel- I'd from the Garden. Dragon Wormwood and Absinthe Wormwood are both appropriate herbs for dedicatory baths unto Liliya.”

—

‘5: Of The Balneum Sagax’

Ars Philtron:

Concerning the Aqueous Cunning of the Potion and its Praxis in the Green Arte Magical

by Daniel A. Schulke

[barberwitch]

Hey what are the uses if pine and birch if there are any?

There are…tons lol. Pretty much any famous tree you can think of has some very powerful lore, uses, correspondences and associations. Druids held trees sacred and even the “letters” of ogham (ancient Celtic writing) are named after trees.When you get into Norse myth, trees and their uses are a very important theme that runs throughout lore and practical uses.First Nation people used many trees and their parts for medicines, ritual, and charms.

So here’s a tip that you didn’t ask for as a starting or jumping off point when in doubt. Look up:

“*plant name* in witchcraft” 

“*plantname* folklore” 

“*plant name* metaphysical properties” 

“*plant name* languageof flowers” 

“*plant name* magic” 

“*plant name* correspondences”

“*plant name* folk medicine”

Birch (Betula pendula, B. pubescens, B.lenta, B. alba)“Protection, Exorcism, Purification.Birch twigs have been used to exorcise spirits by gentlystriking possessed people or animals, since the birch is a purificatory orcleansing herb.The tree is also used for protection, and Russians used to hang a red ribbonaround the stem of a birch to rid themselves of the evil eye. The birch alsoprotects against lightening.The traditional broom of the Witches was made of birch twigs, and cradles wereone manufactured from birch wood to protect their helpless charges.” – Excerptfrom Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs

“Birch featured in different northern folk tales would beexpected. The legendary witch Baba Yaga lived in a birch forest in her houseupon moving chicken legs with a fence surround it, made of enchanted humanskulls upon birch posts and she used a birch broom to sweep away her trackswhile traveling in her giant mortar and pestle……..Birch was known as ‘Lady ofthe Woods’ in some lore and was looked upon with fear as the White Lady of theforest is a powerful spirit indeed. Possibly, this was because of birch’sconnection with death.” – Under the Witching Tree, Corrine Boyer.

 Pine: (Pinus spp.) P. strobus bark

“Healing, fertility, protection, exorcism, moneyCones from pine trees are carried to increase fertility andto have vigorous old age. A pine cone gathered on Midsummer (still retainingits seeds) is an awesome magical object, for if its possessor eats one pine nutfrom it every day, it will make him or her immune to gunshots.Pine needles are burned during the winter months to purifyand cleanse the house. Scattered on the floor they drive away evil, and whenburned, exorcise the area of negativity. They are also used in cleaning baths.Pine needles are burned to reverse and send back spells.Branches of the pine placed above or over the bed keepsickness far away( or, if they weren’t placed in time, aid the ill). In Japanit was customary to place a pine branch over the door of the house to ensurecontinual joy within, for the leaves are evergreen.A cross made of pine needles placed before the fireplacekeeps evil from entering through it. Pine is also used in money spells, and itssawdust is the base for incenses.” – Excerpt from Cunningham’s Encyclopedia ofMagical Herbs

“To tie a knot in the topmost pine shoot was a cure for goutin Germany. Along the same lines, retrieving a kernel from the topmost cone ofa pine tree made its eater invulnerable to elf shot. A very specific cure fortoothache tells that the sufferer is advised to take two pine splinters, pushthem into the gum surround the tooth in pain and then bury them on the northside of a dogwood tree. This is an example of transference magic, where thepain is transferred to the pine splinters and buried to rot away. Similarly,for a nosebleed, pine splinters dipped in the blood were driven into anon-specified tree. Another transference charm: for fever, the sufferer isadvised to break a pine branch while facing the setting sun.” - Excerpt fromUnder the Witching Tree, Corrine Boyer.

There’s a lot more, and then when you get into personal practices it deepens further. Corrine Boyer’s book is honestly one of my favorites, andshe has a whole chapter dedicated to each tree giving history, lore, folkpractices, herbalism and personal practices. Worth a buy for sure, and it alsois organized by seasons so by going through the book and the trees, it takesyou through the seasons and helps ground you if traditional Wheel of the Yearstuff makes you itchy.Additionally, Judika Illes Encyclopedia of Witchcraft hassome stuff on these trees, and if you leaf through her other book Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, I’msure there are some things that use birch and pine as main ingredients. Sorry,not going through the books unless I know what I’m looking for lol.

🦇Cheers, Barberwitch

[barberwitch]

I don't have those things, youre right! But I think I phrased my question badly. I was trying to ask about the tech more than the materia, if that makes sense - like what symbolic things you put in it moreso than physical plants. Like if you had used black peppercorns I'd think 'ah, he is either hastening them away or sending them an adventuresome future, depending on what else is involved' - so I guess what *associations* and prayers/jar working you put in rather than physical Stuff if you can

Aw. I’ll see if this helps.

Chamomile as the calming agent. Leaving a job to start at a new one is stressful, and staying calm and levelheaded eases transitions.

Sugar to further ease the transition. Making first impressions smooth, and leaving on a good note vs a sour one. Not burning bridges because some people are prone to drama.

Mountain Ash/Rowan berries to open communication channels for guidance and inspiration, as well as protection.

Osha for good health. Including it in a container also can be used as a lucky charm. For some they may refer to it as a road opener.

Snakeroot (I’ve heard it referred to as Boneset) as a protection from other people’s energies, also against brujeria (blending with the protection of Rowan for physical, emotional and spiritual protection).

And the pine cone scale as a representation of new beginnings, survival through adversity and strength as an evergreen. That last bit also keeps the jar “going” as it were. You could think of it as a battery if that helps, but I think of it more as a lightning rod, collecting energy and applying it to the goal.

Lastly the soil from chimayo is meant as a blessing and petition to the ancestors to watch over and guide. To use this new change as a lesson and chance to heal old wounds.

So…there you go. The plants alhave different uses and also different uses in herbal medicine, like protection from snakebites, pain relief, support for respiratory issues, miracles and divine healing, protection, etc but these were added for those reasons, boosted through the means that they were collected.

Oh shit, I also used some white sage I just remembered. That’s for cleansing any negativity and extraneous energies since she told me that that was an issue around her lately.

This is all in relation to this post.

🦋Cheers, Barberwitch

[freyjalestrange]

Some herbs and their magical properties from Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs 🌿

[pclysemia]

“Enfleurage is a method of extracting essences from flowers that is more than a century old. It makes use of the fact that the volatile perfume material of flowers is soluble in fat. Glass plates, each supported in a wooden frame, are coated on both sides with layers of fat. Flower petals are laid on the plates, and the plates are piled on top of one another, so that the volatile products given off are caught by the layers of fat above and below. When all the perfume of the petals has been absorbed by the fat, they are replaced with a fresh supply, and the process is repeated until the fat is saturated with the perfume. This saturated fat is known as a pomade , and it is then dissolved in an alcohol-based solvent in order to obtain the essential oil. Enfleurage is an intensely sensual process, whose voluptuousness is well captured by Patrick Süskind in the novel Perfume : The souls of these noblest of blossoms [jasmine and tuberose] could not be simply ripped from them, they had to be methodically coaxed away. In a special impregnating room, the flowers were strewn on glass plates smeared with cool oil or wrapped in oil-soaked cloths; there they would die in their sleep. It took three or four days for them to wither and exhale their scent into the adhering oil. Then they were carefully plucked off and new blossoms spread out. This procedure was repeated a good ten, twenty times and it was September before the pomade had drunk its fill and the fragrant oil could be pressed from the cloths … In purity and verisimilitude, the quality of the jasmine paste or the huile antique de tubéreuse won by such a cold enfleurage exceeded that of any other product of the perfumer’s art. Particularly with jasmine, it seemed as if the oiled surface were a mirror-image that radiated the sticky-sweet, erotic scent of the blossom with life-like fidelity.”

— Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume, Mandy Aftel

[ofwoodandbone]

What herbs can you smoke/burn to help induce trance/visions or ease communications with spirits/deities?

I can only give suggestions for burning herbs. I’m not really the witch to be asking as far as smoking goes. These are just some off the top of my head. The best one I can think of to start off this list is tobacco. Tobacco has a long magical history of being an excellent offering and spirit communicator. When it is turned into smoke, the spirits feed. They’ll gather in for a taste, and in being plied with food, you can ask them questions and favors. It was once only used in plant form, but cigarettes and cigars are used today. If you go South, you’ll begin to notice that a lot of the magical traditions there involve tobacco and offering it to the spirits they’re working with. My personal favorite is the oft overlooked dandelion. The Dandelion has such a rich magical history that is, for the most part, completely ignored. Its use as a spirit communication aid has been around for a long time. It can be used to sharpen psychic senses, drawing spirits forward, helping one ‘travel’, and creating alrauns. The roots are invaluable if you are a necromancer or work with darker spirits. I don’t know if it’s scoffed at because it’s a common weed or because of its bright, sunny exterior, but what lie beneath is nothing to be written off. The Mallow plant is one that I’ve employed before, but don’t use often. Mallow is the herb you use when you want to communicate with kind and gentle dead. It was used as a funerary flower in ancient Greece. You’d be best off using it for ancestor work. However, it would also do well with any sort of peace making spirit work as well. Mallow also can work as a ‘spirit strainer’ for the lack of a better word. It can help block out malicious entities and powers while allowing gentler ones to come forward. Mugwort also has a long history with spirit work. It used to be employed to protect against the dead and other mischievous spirits. Many people also use it to do spirit work in sleep, whether that be keeping the spirits out of the dreams or drawing them in. Some people add it to divinatory blends to block out ill meaning powers. Sycamore is also a personal favorite of mine, and not well known to many practitioners. Sycamore is one of the best necromancy trees you could ask for. It was thought to connect this world to the Otherworld. They were also once called “Ghost trees” or “Ghost of the Forest”. I once performed the most intense necromantic working I think I’ve ever done under two gigantic sycamores that acted as a gate. The leaves, wood, and loose bark can be taken and burnt to open the way for spirits. You’ll recognize it by the mottled and strangely colored bark pattern. 

[leaping-hare-witchery-deactivat]

If you’re looking for a good smoking blend, you can do mugwort and wormwood blended with some tobacco. Should do the trick.

[ofwoodandbone]

Wormwood! I knew I missed a big one. I think I got caught up in sycamore…

[leaping-hare-witchery-deactivat]

Oh and birch! Fantastic underworld connections there. Henbane as well, but that’s getting into the poisonous and tricky side of things.

[ofwoodandbone]

Yes! And birch is great for interacting with the land spirits and wights.  Henbane is great for spirit work, but I think it needs to be said that it absolutely should not be smoked. From what I’ve seen, it can be burned, but only in a really well ventilated, open area.  For those followers of mine experimenting with spirit working herbs, don’t be afraid of poisonous plants, but be cautious of them. They only bite when mishandled. You’ll find that a lot of great spirit working plants are poisonous (the association with death and all). I almost suggested elder leaves, but the elder really shouldn’t be burned. Not because of the Rede, but because of the amount of toxins it releases. However, elder remains a great spirit working tree. It’s amped up my necromantic workings by a large amount.