Garden Witch's Herbal

by Ellen Dugan

  Mandragora can grow up to twelve inches in height and has a long, parsnip-looking root that often resembles a human shape. According to plant folklore, the mandrake screams when it is pulled from the earth—and for best results, you were supposed to pull out the plant by circling it with silver and then in one swift pull remove the entire plant, with the root intact.

  The root of the mandrake is what is typically used in magick. Mandrake root is one of the world’s oldest narcotics. It is a hallucinogen, and this is one of the herbs often worked into “flying ointments.” This herb is classified as a masculine herb, and it has the reputation of being a Witch’s hexing herb. For magickal operations, the mandrake is employed as an amulet. The root of the mandrake was often used as a poppet to represent a person. Just possessing a mandrake root and carrying it as a charm was thought to protect the bearer from possession and to bring good health. The root was sometimes displayed upon the mantle of the fireplace to bring success, wealth, and joy to the entire home.

  In the language of flowers, mandrake signifies rarity. The astrological correspondence for Mandragora is Mercury, and the elemental association is fire.

  Warning: This plant is legally restricted in some countries. All parts of the mandrake are extremely toxic and should be handled with caution. Do not ingest.

  rue

  Rue (Ruta graveolens)

  Folk names include herb of grace, mother of the herbs, Ruta, Witch bane, and garden rue. The rue is an evergreen shrub that can grow from two to three feet in height. It bears small, bright, buttonlike yellow flowers in the summer. The leaves are smooth, deeply divided, and have a greenish blue color. The scent of the rue is described as bracing, and the leaves of this plant are covered in oil glands.

  I grow rue in my sunny perennial gardens. It makes a lovely specimen shrub. I clip it into a neatly shaped shrub every summer after it has finished blooming. I wear gardening gloves to do this because the oil from the leaves gives me a bit of a mild rash. Discarded rue foliage is also supposed to help your compost pile break down faster. I toss a few stems into my compost heap every year.

  In magick, rue is often used for hex breaking and for warding off the evil eye. Rue is also a classic herb for protection magick and to increase your psychic powers; also, some old love spells call for rue. You can easily tuck a few rue leaves or flowers into a protective sachet. The scent of the plant is strong, so I would not recommend wearing the charm bag; instead, place it inside a purse, briefcase, or drawer. Just be sure to keep it out of the reach of children. Also, to be on the safe side, women who are pregnant should avoid contact with rue.

  In the language of flowers, rue signifies grace, clear vision, virtue, atonement, and fresh starts. Rue is a popular herb with Italian traditional Witches, the Strega. Rue foliage is a common theme in magickal silver jewelry called the cimaruta as well. The plant is sacred to Diana and Aradia. This masculine herb is ruled by the sun, and its elemental correspondence is fire.

  Warning: Rue is a toxic plant. Brushing against the foliage may cause contact dermatitis. Do not take internally. It is also an abortifacient.

  wild poppy

  Wild Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)

  Folk names include corn poppy, corn rose, field poppy, scarlet poppy, and red poppy. The red wild poppy is an annual that grows to about twelve inches in height. It has long, narrow leaves and a black, hairy stalk. The scarlet-colored flowers bear four petals and have a black center; it blooms in the late spring. The nectar from the field poppy intoxicates bees. These enchanting flowers make an excellent substitute in a Witch’s garden for the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), which is banned worldwide, as it is illegal to grow or to possess.

  In the language of flowers, the wild poppy has many definitions. An orange poppy symbolizes vanity, while a red poppy stands for comfort. A white poppy whispers of a forgetful and restful sleep and that “I need time to consider your proposal.” The Oriental poppy demands silence, while a scarlet-colored wild poppy shouts of decadence.

  The poppy is also a symbol of remembrance for those who have fallen in battle. The poppy is also associated with fertility. There are also rumors that the field poppy seeds were once worked into antidotes to unethical love potions.

  Magickal uses include love, good luck, prosperity, and sleep—remember the scene from the Wizard of Oz movie when Dorothy and her companions fall asleep while running through a field of red poppies? Since the earliest of times, the red poppy has been a symbol of agricultural fecundity. The poppy is sacred to the agricultural goddesses Demeter and Ceres, and it was also grown in the garden of Hecate. It is also a symbol of the messenger god Hermes. Ruled by the moon, the poppy—no matter what its color—is associated with the element of water.

  Warning: The foliage of Papaver rhoeas is mildly toxic.

  wormwood

  Wormwood (Artemisa absinthium)

  Folk names include absinthe, green ginger, and old woman. A perennial plant that is native to Eurasia and North Africa, it has silvery green foliage, grows to about three feet in height, and can be grown into a hedge. The leaves and the flower heads are a pale green color; as the flowers mature, they change to a golden brown. Wormwood blooms in midsummer.

  Wormwood is the bitter herb used to flavor vermouth and the liqueur absinthe. The scent of wormwood is thought to increase psychic abilities. This herb is also dried and worked into sachets to repel moths and fleas. Legend states that if you burn the plant at a graveyard, it will summon the spirit of the departed. If wormwood is carried in a sachet or charm bag, it protects against bewitchment. This baneful herb was also worked into enchantments for love. It is sacred to Artemis, Pan, and Diana.

  In the language of flowers, wormwood symbolizes a sad parting of friends. This is classified as a masculine plant. Its astrological influences are the planet Mars and the element of fire.

  Warning: This plant is considered to be toxic and should not be ingested.

  yew

  Yew (Taxus baccata)

  The English yew was considered protective if grown in the garden, yard, or churchyard. Yew is a slow-growing and long-lived evergreen that can grow from fifty to eighty feet in height. The tree has a rounded crown and rusty brown, scaly bark. The “leaves” are deep green, flattened needles alternately arranged on the stems. This is a dioecious tree, meaning there are male and female plants. The male yew has flowers that are small, round cones. They release their pollen in the early spring. The female yew has a flower that is described as a small green bud, which is then followed by the red, fleshy fruit.

  This tree was sacred to the Druids and is rumored to have been used in their ceremonies. In the old days, wood from the yew was often made into longbows and dagger hilts, as the wood was both flexible and close-grained. Today, this is a popular tree in landscaping and garden design. The yew grows wild in Europe, North America, and Asia. Yew is considered a “tree of death,” as its poisonous properties are so well known. Conversely, it is also known as a symbol of immortality and life after death, which explains its popularity in church graveyards.

  In the language of flowers, yew symbolizes both sorrow and perseverance. The yew is the tree of Hecate, goddess of Witchcraft. Few plants will grow under the branches of the yew. To grow such an enchanted tree in your garden is a sign of commitment to the old religion, for it symbolizes magickal protection, defense, and comfort gained from the wisdom of the Witch. Yew is ruled by the planet Saturn, and its elemental correspondence is water.

  Warning: Yew is toxic to both animals and people; do not ingest. The needlelike leaves are toxic. The red berries the female yew produces and the seeds inside the fruit are even more lethal.

  Macabre Names, Magickal Plants

  What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

  By any other name would smell as sweet.

  shakespeare, romeo and juliet

 
In the old days, magickal spells listed wild ingredients with macabre, bloodcurdling names. My theory is that this was done for a couple of reasons. First, should someone discover the ingredients for a Witch’s spell, they would have no idea what the real herbal components were. Second, as very few people could read or write, giving the plants outrageous names helped folks to remember their spell ingredients.

  I honestly could not write on gothic herbs and forbidden plants without including this list; it was simply too entertaining to pass up. Here is a list of these dramatically named herbal spell components and the actual plant they describe, then the botanical name for proper plant identification. Once again, these plants are listed for informational purposes only. Some of these plants you will recognize as common garden plants, like the snapdragon, pansy, willow, chamomile, and holly. Meanwhile, other plants in this list are classified as toxic, even though they may be popular landscape specimens, and the poisonous plants are denoted with an asterisk.

  It’s up to you to use your own good sense and to handle all botanicals correctly and carefully. After all, even the innocent-looking azalea shrub and the morning glory vine are both poisonous—but I trust that you won’t go and munch on those either.

  Adder’s tongue: plantain (Plantago major)

  Bat wings: holly leaf * (Ilex spp.)

  Bat’s wool: moss

  Bird’s eye: pansy (Viola tricolor)

  Bloody fingers: foxglove * (Digitalis purpurea)

  Calf’s snout: snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)

  Corpse candles: mullein (Verbascum thaspus)

  Dragon’s scale: bistort leaves (Polygonum bistorta)

  Druid foot: common club moss (Lycopodium clavatum)

  Eyes: English lawn daisy (Bellis perennis)

  Five fingers: cinquefoil (Potentilla spp.)

  Gagroot: lobelia * (Lobelia spp.)

  Ghost flower: datura * (Datura stramonium)

  Ghost herb: St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum)

  Graveyard dust: mullein (Verbascum thaspus)

  Ground apple: chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)

  Ground bread: cyclamen * (Cyclamen spp.)

  Hag’s Tapers: mullein (Verbascum thaspus)

  Heaven’s key: primrose (Primula veris)

  Jove’s nuts: oak (Quercus spp.)

  Knit bone: comfrey (Symphytun officinale)

  Lion’s foot: lady’s mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)

  Lion’s tooth: dandelion (Taraxacun officinale)

  Nosebleed: yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

  Old lady: elder tree (Sambucus canadensis)

  Old man: mugwort * (Artemisia)

  Piss-a-bed: dandelion (Taraxacun officinale)

  Quickbane: rowan tree, aka the mountain ash (Sorbus acuparia)

  Scaffold flower: carnation (Dianthus)

  Skull: skullcap * (Scutellaria incana)

  Snake weed: bistort (Polygonum bistorta)

  Sorcerer’s violet: periwinkle * (Vinca minor)

  Stinging nettle: nettle (Urtica dioica)

  Stinkweed: garlic (Allium sativum)

  Thorn: hawthorn tree (Crataegus mollis)

  Tree of Enchantment: willow (Salix spp.)

  Tree of Evil: English walnut tree (Juglans regia)

  Tree of Love: apple tree (Pyrus Malus)

  Winter bloom: Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

  Witches’ bane: rowan (Sorbus acuparia)

  Witch’s elm: European white elm (Ulmus laevis)

  Witch’s egg: Fly agaric mushroom * (Amanita muscaria)

  Wound wort: yarrow (Achillea spp.)

  Yellow henbane: Flowering tobacco * (Nicotiana)

  Hecate and Herbalism

  O night, faithful friend of mysteries;

  and you golden stars and moon,

  who follow the fiery star of day;

  and you Hecate, goddess with the threefold head,

  you know my designs and come to strengthen

  my spells and magic arts …

  ovid, prayer of medea to hecate

  As I am sure you have noticed, many of the featured herbs in this chapter are sacred to the triple goddess Hecate—especially the yew tree. The yew symbolizes wisdom, death, and re-birth, just as Hecate does herself. Hecate, or Hekate, was the only Titan to retain her powers when the twelve Olympians took over. According to legend, Zeus respected Hecate so much that he gave her dominion over parts of the heavens, the earth, and the sea. Not only was Hecate a triple goddess, she could appear as a beautiful maiden, a seductive and mature woman, or as an old woman.

  Often described as “tenderhearted and loving,” there is much more to her than many people realize. She was also known as the queen of sorcery, queen of ghosts, and of course as the patroness of Witches and magicians. Hecate is a multifaceted deity. She is the guardian of the crossroads, a light-bringer, a midwife, and the goddess of death. It is important to realize that Hecate does not bring death—it is she who is waiting for you when you cross over to lead you on to the afterlife.

  In ancient times, the first herbalists were Witches, or wise women. Hecate has always been connected to Witchcraft, fertility, and agriculture, just as the two other goddesses she is often associated with—Persephone and Demeter—are connected. In this trinity, Persephone is the Maiden, Demeter is the Mother, and Hecate is the Crone.

  Hecate as a goddess of fertility, death, and rebirth makes sense to me, for as a seed falls to the ground from a declining plant, that seed goes through its dark days and germinates in the black soil. Then, after a time, it begins to grow toward the light, so from the dark earth springs life. As any gardener or Witch knows, death is not the end. It is only part of the cycle.

  Over the years, when I have taught classes to the public, I find people have very strong reactions to Hecate. They either adore her or she scares the hell out of them. For myself, I have found that as I grow older, the more Hecate appeals to me. I have always been comfortable with her, but as my children have grown into adults and are leaving the nest to go off to college, Hecate calls to me even more. And I know many other Witches who feel the same way.

  Medea, a famous sorceress from ancient times, was a priestess of Hecate. Medea prayed to Hecate for knowledge and skill when it came to handling her herbs and poisons for her Witchcraft. It is part of her prayer that is the quote at the beginning of this section. In the Orphic Song of the Argonauts, a garden of Hecate is described, along with her sacred plants, some medicinal and others not.

  A few more herbs that are sacred to Hecate and that were grown in her garden are dandelions, date palm, garlic, germander, lavender, mallow, mint, mugwort, myrrh, pea, pennyroyal, peony, pomegranate, saffron, sarsaparilla, and thyme. These additional trees fall under her patronage as well: black poplar, cedar, cypress, hazel, juniper, silver poplar, and willow.

  I have to say, by the time I finished writing this chapter, I felt like I should be sitting in my office, twiddling my fingers and saying, “Mwha-ha-ha.” Maybe that’s because I find it very interesting that the classic Witch’s garden of plants was thought to be filled with the most potent of poisons. Or perhaps some clever Witches got the rumor going to keep people out of their gardens.

  In some books, Witches are still portrayed as being absolutely wicked, and their gardens are described as places that the rest of humanity recoils from. There are some gothically creepy descriptions of Witch’s gardens as dark, foreboding grounds filled with the most evil of plants. I imagine the person who wrote such ominous prose decided that we were all out there skulking about—under the cover of darkness, no less—gathering our plants and plotting something sinister while we threw our heads back and cackled at the waning moon.

  Oh, please. Now I will admit to feeling rather sinister from time to time, but that’s usually just my P
MS talking. But to say that a plant is “wicked” is ridiculous. In nature, nothing is “good” or “evil.” Nature is a neutral energy, just like magick. And both nature and magick are a force and a power that is to be respected and revered. It’s how this force is used that is the deciding factor as to whether the magick is beneficial or detrimental.

  In closing, here is a prayer to Hecate. May she grant you the perception and the wisdom to use all of your herbal magick skills wisely.

  A Prayer to Hecate

  Hecate Phosphorous, the light bringer, shed your illumination down on me,

  Hecate Trivia, triple faced, protect me whether I am in air, on land, or at sea.

  Hecate Nykterian, lady of the night, guide my hand and heart,

  Teach me to use your sacred plants wisely and grow in my Witch’s art.

  [contents]

  Chapter 8

  Herbs and Plants

  of the Sabbats

  Herbs, like everything in the universe,

  have an aura, an invisible charge of energy

  that radiates from within and without.

  laurie cabot,

  celebrate the earth

  At the different sabbats during the Witch’s year, there are certain botanicals that align with the energies of the season. In this chapter, we will take a look at some of the herbs, plants, and flowers that are associated with each sabbat and their magick and folklore. Included in this category

  will be their magickal and planetary associations, florigraphy information, and an accompanying spell or flower fascination for each sabbat.

  Remember that for a plant to be classified as an herb, some part of the plant—such as the flower, fruit, seed, leaf, bark, or even the wood—must be used for scent, food, flavorings, dye, or medicine. This is the classic definition of the word herb.

  Admittedly, some of this botanical information may surprise you. For example, in the Yule section, I did not want to rehash information that was previously given in chapter five, like how holly and ivy, while being two of the featured trees from the Celtic year, also play a significant role in Yuletide festivities—which I am sure you are already aware of. So in order to present some fresh information, the focus here will be on other plants that are available to you at this time of year in nature or herbs and botanicals that you can easily procure.