Ambergris: Lust, sex Anemone - health, protection, healing
Angelica: Protection, exorcism, remove curses and hexes, healing, visions, wards off negativity when sprinkled around the house, increases life energy bringing warmth of Fire element, wards off negativity when sprinkled around the houseĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Anise: Divination, psychic awareness, joy, dreams, luck, love, enthusiasm, Winter Solstice, entices the spirits to aid in spells
Apple: Love, healing, garden blessing, buried in the garden on Samhain as food for the departing spirits, to be shared with one you love,Ā immortality, happiness, luck, broken heart, spirit food, the goddessĀ
Betony: Love, healing, burn at Litha for purification, protection; place under pillow to be rid of nightmares; sprinkle around doors to ward off despair, psychic awareness
Burdock: Protection, healing, wards off negativity, purifies, protects (washing floors or dried root on red string around the neck), happy home, clears space & holds the space safe, spirit of north
Comfrey: (TOXIC) Money, root or leaves for healing, carry for safe travel, protection, stress management, safe Journeys (Worldly or through Meditation) , Winter SolsticeĀ
Copal: Love, purification, exorcism, protection, spirituality, earth element, sets sacred space, allows guides and guidance to come
Dill: Love, lust, seeds draw money, leaves for protection, flowers for love
Dittany of Crete: Manifestations, astral projection
Dock: Money, healing, fertility
Dodder: Love divination, knot magic
Dogbane: Love
Dogwood: Protection, wishes
Dong Quai, Slices: Health, vitality, fire element rituals
Dragons Blood: Power, protection, exorcism, potency, love, courage, fortune, catalyst, magick power, strength, purification, stimulates action of other herbs in incense blend, stimulates movement of energy
Dulse: Harmony, lust
Dutchman's Breeches: Love
E
Ebony: Protection, power
Echinacea: Strengthening spells, health, strength, wards off negativity or undesirable energies
Edelweiss: Invisibility, bullet-proofing
Elder: (CAUTION: SEEDS ARE POISONOUS, TOXIC)Ā Money, wishes, theft protection, exorcism, healing, prosperity, sleep, wards negative thoughts when used as wind chimes, blessings, do not burn the wood of elder for it is sacred to Hecate, see fairies in the trees at Litha, flowers used as an alter offering, berries for esbat wine, flowers added to candle spells directed at hecate during the new moon, cleansing, offering
Foxglove: (CAUTION: POISONOUS, TOXIC) Faeries and elves, lust, grow in garden for protection of the house and yard
Fragrant Bedstraw: Love
Frankincense: Exorcism, purification, protection, spirituality, power, meditation, blessing, concentration, banishing, courage, divination, healing, love, purification, consecration, sets sacred space, sets safe space for guides to come in, spirit of east or north
Fumitory: Money, exorcism
Furz/egorse: Burn at Ostara for protection and as a preparation for any conflict
Ginger: Love, money, success, power, aphrodisiac, psychic ability, apathy, lust, good health, magickal power, fire element rituals, brings into existence, bringer of the manifestation, 3rd chakra vitality, inner strength, stimulates flow of energy, spirit of south
Ginseng: Longevity, sexual potency, protection, healing, love, lust, wishes, beauty, vitality, fertility, desire, encourages a long lasting affect, strength
Goat's Rue: Healing, health
Goldenrod: Prosperity, money, divination, luck
Goldenseal: Money, healing
Gorse: Protection, money
Gotu Kola: Meditation
Gourd: Protection
Grain: Protection
Grains of Paradise: Love, lust, luck, money, wishes
Hawthorne Berries: 4th chakra strength and vitality, love, contentment
Hazel: Luck, fertility, protection, wishes, nuts strung on cord in house or ritual room to invite the help of plant fairies, used for wands, healing, anti-lightning, love, aphrodisiac, wisdom, divination, mental powers, intelligence, inspiration
Heather: Luck, protection, red to start or end an affair, white for protection, purple for spiritual development, use at samhain to invite spirits to visit, rain making, spirituality
Hops: Healing, sleep, stress management, opens the channel in and out of the body in relationship with the universeĀ
Horehound: Exorcism, healing, purification, protection, mental clarity, balance, banishing, opens air element within body & in the world, opens channel for clear communication
Juniper: Protection, love, exorcism, health, anti-theft, banishing, peace, wishes, aphrodisiacs, sets sacred space, spirit of north
K
Kava Kava: Lust, protection while traveling, astral projection, visions, luck, visions, protection, love, opens one to receiving guidance and guides
Kelp: Wind spells, psychic powers, protection, connection to divine source through the physical and spiritual, unity, life-force strengthening, spirit of center
Knotweed: Health, binding spells, protection
L
Lady's Mantle: Love, self control
Lady's Slipper: Protection
Larch: Protection, anti-theft
Larkspur: Protection, health
Lavender: Protection, call in good spirits, love, sleep, longevity, happiness, peace, healing, burn for purification, peace, use in bath for purification, burn at Litha as an offering, psychic awareness, chastity, liberation, menopause, childbirth, grief or loss, youthful vigor, stress management, travel, anger management, attracts elves
Magnolia: Fidelity, past lives, peace, sex, broken heart, beauty, wisdom
Mahogany, Mountain: Anti-lightningĀ
Maidenhair: Beauty, love
Male Fern: Luck, love
Mallow: Love, protection, exorcism
Mandrake: (TOXIC) potency, exorcism, protection, fertility, money, love, health, protection, catalyst, prosperity, divination, increase psychic powers, aphrodisiacs, cursing enemies, building, banishing, protection in the subconscious, unconscious and underworld,
Maple: Money, longevity, love
Marigold: Prophetic dreams, protection, legal matters, marriage spells, enhanced psychic powers, pick in full sun, business and legal matters, clairvoyant dreams, mixed with water and rubbed on the eyelids to see fairies
Motherwort: Balances within, self empowerment, 2nd chakra
Mugwort: Astral projection, strength, psychic powers, protection, prophetic dreams, healing, divination, rub fresh herb on crystal balls and magick mirrors to increase their strength, pick on full moon night, clairvoyance, purification, sex, renewal, fertility, clearing, sleep, visions, opens one to the teachings of the subconscious and unconscious self, 6th and 7th chakras
Mulberry: Protection, strength
Mullein: Exorcism, health, protection, courage, love divination, calling spirits, dreams, opens life energy flow through the body
Persimmon: Healing, luck, changing sex, insight into others
Petitgrain: Protection
Pilot Weed: Protection
Pimento: Love
Pimpernel: Protection, health
Pine: (TOXIC) Protection, exorcism, money, healing, fertility, brush outdoor ritual area with a branch to purify and sanctify, burn for cleansing, needles in money spells, spirituality, gambling, dreams, cleansing, banishing, purification, prosperity, employment, birth, rebirth, strength, life and immortalityĀ
Rowan: Protection, success, psychic powers, healing, power, wands and amulets for knowledge, incense of leaves and berries for divination, fires to call upon spirits for help, grow for protection of the home, inspiration, wisdom,Ā enhances magic,Ā attracts faeriesĀ
Rue: Exorcism, protection, purification, break hexes, health, mental clarity, healing, blessing, consecration, use in altar oil, love, money and wealth, gossip managementĀ
St. John's Wort: (TOXIC) Exorcism, protection, courage, strength, happiness, health, love divination, burn at Litha to send away negativity, wear for invincibility, willpower, gathered at Litha, power, stress management
Star Anise: Psychic powers, luck, good fortune, spiritual powers
Stephanotis: Lust
Stillengia: Psychic powers
Straw: Luck, attracts fairies, do not burn magik infused straw, it will bring ill-fortune, used as an image to protect an area, image magick, fertilityĀ
Strawberry: Love, luck, joy, broken heart
Sugar Cane: Love, lust, prosperity, sympathy
Sumbul: Psychic powers, love, luck, health
Summer Savory: Mental clarity and strength, mental powers
Woodruff: Protection, money, victory, add to Beltane wine to clear away barriers, success, changes, psychic awareness, prosperityĀ
Wormwood: (CAUTION: POISONOUS, BURN IN WELL VENTILATED AREA, PREFERABLY OUTDOORS TOXIC) Exorcism, protection, love, psychic powers, calling spirits, protection while traveling, evocation, divination, scrying (stronger when combined with Mugwort) at Samhain, sacred to the moon, good luck, clairvoyance, divination, safety in cars
Y
Yarrow: Hhealing, divination, exorcism, protection, courage, love, psychic powers, happy marriage (wedding bouquet), wards negativity, defense, protection, gather at Litha, happiness, fidelity, broken heart, prophetic dreams, spirit of south, clears, stimulates movement
I came from a VERY superstitious family so here are some strange superstitions I heard growing up:
Ā If you have an itchy right foot, you will leave on a journey.
Cover the mirrors when someone dies so they won't get stuck.
If you bite your tongue while eating, itās because youāve recently told a lie.
If you see crows mourning the death of another crow then you MUST mourn with them, it's only polite and the crows will remember that kindness.
When cows raise their tails, itāll soon start to rain so best get inside.
Always kindly greet cats and wish them a merry day/night because they hold grudges.
if a honey covered spoon is dropped it is a sign that your lover will come over.
Be careful when gifting flowers, Even numbers are for the deceased, so choose an odd number of flowers.
If your ears are red, burning, buzzing ir rimging it means someone is idly talking about you.
Beware of fleas, with each bite they suck a bit of your soul away.
If you wear a foot rabbit in your pocket, it will protect from evil spirits.
Ā If a bee gets inside your house, you will soon have a guest. If you kill the bee, then the visit will be an unpleasant one and bad luck will haunt you all day so best kindly escort the bee out.
Your guardian demon is just as protective as your guardian angel so if it warns you of something then listen.
Never cross or go near the train tracks at night, unsightly and unkind things wait in such places so they can make mischievous deals.
Always have at least one cat statue in your home for protection.
If you tell the moon your worries, she'll listen and help take them away.
A ring on each finger keeps the devil's deals away.
If you keep a blue jays feather on you then you can never be caught.
Everyone with a dimple was touched by Cupid.
Always keep dice on you for a fast reading better to know then not at all.
Always wear a bell, it wards evil away.
If a raven is near a sick person, then there is no chance of recovery for that person.
Never look between your legs at a funeral, if you do then you'll get THE SIGHT but only the sight of things that don't wanna be seen.
If you see three blue jays at once then there will be a death very soon.
If you see three red jays then someone you know will die a horrible death.
Always give each piece of jewlrey a purpose.
If you respect a spiders web, you will meet a new friend.
Have a lucky stone on you at all times.
Keeping spiders in your home keeps away bad dreams.
Ā A cat sitting on someoneās grave means that personās soul has arrived in hell.
Always repay your debts to the fae or else.
Never point a sharp object at the sky or your guardian angel will leave you.
Keep a bit of hair from all you love, you never know when you'll need it.
Never cross your legs when doing a reader, it blocks the energy flow.
Always keep food of any kind on your person because you never know who or what might be hungry. Better the food eaten then you.
Never leave the dooe open at night, it lets in dark things.
If a magpie gives you a sign then best believe them. They only ever help if it's really important.
So last Christmas/holiday period I worked at a gift store as a casual holiday assistant.
The number of times I had blokes come in and attempt to purchase a candle for their wife/so/mother/girlfriend etc for Christmas or birthday.
And theyād like walk up and say āI need to buy a candleā
We had at least 25 different candle scents.
Some guys knew what they were after- cause they would take a photo of the candle they already had.
Some had literally no clue.
Some say āyou just pick a good oneā and we say āoh but you know what she likes, weāll just help you decideā.
So weād go through the entire process of
āOk so sweet? Or sort of more not sweet or citrusy?ā
Some werenāt sure what the difference was so weād pull our sweetest possible candle tester (caramel sunset- itās like sticking your face in a candy store) and our most neutral non sweet candle tester (ocean breeze - itās a neutral sort of salt and lemongrass scent) and make them smell them.
The sweet one either gets āoh YES but maybe not that sweetā or āno. no. She likes. Not thatā
Once we make a decision on sweet or not, we then can start pulling candle testers.
We slowly narrow down those categories by smelling various test candles.
Some of these blokes have absolutely zero idea what theyāre looking for when they come in, but generally we get some sort of āoh yeah, her perfume smells like thatā or āthe candle we have smells a little like thatā or āoh I REALLY LIKE THATā.
Sometimes we have to go through Every. Single. Candle. To get the one they are after.
During Christmas I did this probably 4-5 times a day on average. Sometimes multiple times for the same customer because they had to get a candle for mum and wife and sister and Aunty.
One guy came in on CHRISTMAS EVE about 20min before we closed and said āso I needā¦. Five giftsā¦. For my mum, for my girlfriend, my sister, my grandma and my girlfriends mum.ā
It wasā¦.. a long 20 minutes.
Itās lovely to see them get? Not excited, exactly, but sort of enthused that! They! Made! A! Good! Choice! Because they do know their partners. They know the perfume, or what they already have in the house, or what scent she likes. They just werenāt sure how to get to the final option.
Once the candle has been selected, and they purchase it, we offer free gift wrapping.
The look of relief on some of their faces is. Absolutely priceless.
We have like. 40 something different wrapping papers. Sometimes I ask āfavourite colour?ā And they just look blank, so I pick two nice but different papers so itās both easy (theyāre both pretty!) but they also donāt feel like I did all the choosing for them (then if she comments on it, he can say he picked it).
I live in a small country town, by the way. Some of these fellas are in their dusty work jeans, boots and clearly came in from a long day on the farm because it is Important that they get this gift.
Some seem very awkward about this whole process, some are self deprecating, some are really enthusiastic. Some start super awkward and then get really enthusiastic.
I sold. A LOT of fucking candles this last Christmas. A LOT.
I could smell those fuckers in my sleep.
Iām not making fun of these guys (ok I am just a little) because I appreciate that they a) know that their wife would like a candle, b) are prepared to smell 25 different candles to find the one they think she would like, rather than just picking one based on the colour of the box, and c) acknowledge that they need a hand selecting one and asked for assistance
I wish Iād known about this when I was homeless.
I couldāve taught it to all the other ladies at the shelter and Darlene couldāve sucked a sour one because she never would have been able to bitch at us for āhaving too many clothes.ā
Do yāall know where the phrase āeat the richā comes from or do you just repeat it cause you heard it elsewhere?
Itās not a bad thing, I just saw someone say āwe never said who would eat the richā and realized a lot of yāall might not have heard the full quote
Itās from Rousseau and itās āWhen the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich"
And, well, thereās a lot of people with nothing to eatā¦
