Century of Spells

by Draja Mickaharic

  As a love charm it is usually made in pairs, one for each partner. The two roots are prayed over and one is given to each party in the relationship. The roots may be carried in a “charm bag” or otherwise carried on the person. This love charm is usually used when children are desired from the relationship; it is not used for casual affairs.

  Adam and Eve root may also be used as a good luck charm, but it does not combine well with other ingredients in magical operations. As a good luck charm it is simply prayed over and given to the recipient to carry. Some people prefer it to any other charm you could make.

  AGRIMONY

  Agrimony (sometimes called cocklebur) is best known as a pesky weed which attaches itself to human and beast. It is very popular in folk healing, and less used in magic. Its many benefits in herbal medicine have earned for it the rulership of Jupiter, although some people feel it is ruled by Mars or Saturn. It has a curious property in magical application which makes it unique among herbs because this herb can assist you in releasing fears.

  Occasionally a bit of agrimony is added to a charm bag to release fear. The charm can also be carried on your person, or a few burrs may be made into tea, which is added to a ritual bath. In cases where frightful events have taken place, some agrimony may be burned as an incense to remove the fear vibration from the location. It will release unconscious fears which you may not be able to admit you have.

  If the debilitating fear is actually a belief, the cure is much slower than if the fear is a simple one which you have not fully accepted. A belief takes a long time to release, and should be handled consciously as well as magically.

  Agrimony is used to break the most common curses, those which you impose on yourself through fear or guilt.

  ALOE

  Aloe is the holy herb of Islam, as rue is the herb of Christianity and hyssop the herb of Judaism. Moslems who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca hang aloe over their doorways as a protective measure, and as a symbol of their pilgrimage.

  The herb itself is a symbol of patience, especially the patient submission to the will of God. It may be used in baths to assist the development of patience in people. Use about a quarter cup of chopped aloe, which can be steeped in a quart of boiling water. Add to a tub of water, and soak in the bath fifteen to twenty minutes.

  Aloe has many uses in medicine as well. It is a particularly soothing herb which is used to heal cuts and abrasions.

  ASAFETIDA

  Used in Indian culinary feasts, curries, and so forth it is called “the food of the gods.” To those of us who dislike the smell, it is called “Devil's Dung.” Asafetida is a pasty, granular, and odorous compound.

  Asafetida is burned as an incense in rites of negative magic. Compounded with sulfur it is said to summon the spirits of hell. It has the property of attracting negative and malicious spiritual entities. Over the years it has become a favorite of the Christian Satanists, who seem to think that it does what it promises.

  This is an example of an incense which can get one into a good deal of trouble, and is best avoided. Those who are wise will avoid it; those who are not can use it to harm themselves.

  BASIL

  In the Middle Ages, basil was classed as an herb of Mars. It was said that if basil were crushed it would breed scorpions. At the same time, it was considered to be a divine herb, and supposedly it brought good fortune to the place where it was kept. It is certainly one of the most useful herbs in herbal magic.

  Basil is used as a spray or a sprinkle to clear or lighten the place where it is placed. It is used in the corners of sick rooms, as a floor wash, and as a house sprinkle.

  A teaspoon of basil added to a bottle of ethyl rubbing alcohol will make an excellent neck and shoulder rub for the relief of tension caused by the working day. Used in a bath, a tea made of a teaspoon of basil steeped in a cup of boiling water has a protective and cleansing influence. It is particularly useful to clean off the feelings left by contact with those who are negative or controlling.

  The tobacco from a cigarette and as much basil, burned on charcoal, will provide a simple incense which will drive away negative influences from the place where it is burned. In all cases, basil is protective of the place where it is used.

  BAY LEAF

  The “noble laurel” is best known for its use in cooking meats. It has the reputation of being a hallucinogenic herb, as it was regularly chewed by the prophetic priestesses of the Oracle at Delphi. It also formed the “laurel crown” of poets and philosophers.

  Magically, bay leaf is used for granting wishes. There are a number of forms of this spell, but the following is the simplest and most effective. It, like other wish spells, is based on the concept that if you really know what you want you can have it.

  Write the wish out on a piece of paper. Fold the paper into thirds, and place three bay leaves inside. Again fold the paper into thirds, and put it away in a dark place. Once the wish is granted the paper should be burned as a thank you. The process of writing out the wish, and folding the paper, must be done while concentrating on the wish.

  BLESSED THISTLE

  The blessed thistle, or holy thistle, has a long history as a good luck charm. It may either be carried on your person or placed in your house to attract good luck. In the house it can be used in an arrangement of dried flowers in the main room. Occasionally it is placed in an arrangement by itself.

  The blessed thistle is able to absorb negative influences, and this is what gives it its reputation as a good luck charm. If you decide to place some blessed thistle in your home, you might wish to change them every week or so, as they absorb their limit of negativity in that time.

  BROOM TOPS OR BROOM HERB

  The use of broom herb in a bath is mentioned in the chapter on water and baths. Broom herb is very useful as a washing compound. It may be used to clear away any astral detritus from floors, walls, and furniture. A cup or two of broom tea per bucket is all that is required. The mop or scrub sponge should be rinsed in another bucket to get the best cleansing effect.

  Cool broom tea can be prayed over to make a protective sprinkle for the home. It is not particularly effective as a protection, and does much better in cleansing.

  Loose broom herb, placed in the corners of a room, can keep the astral environment of the room clean. The herb should be changed every week or so, as it has little staying power. Fresh broom herb is best for this use.

  CARDAMOM

  Cardamom is a popular spice—it is used to flavor coffee in Arabic countries; Scandinavian recipes call for it in baking; it is used to flavor meet in curries. In magic it is primarily used as an incense to calm the place where it is burned. Cardamom is not a good herb for baths, as it has only a temporary effect on the emotions, and, although it can balance the person, the effect is brief. As a calming incense, it's particularly useful for the consultation room.

  CHESTNUT

  Chestnut trees belong to Jupiter. As all nuts or fruits of plants relate to Jupiter, the nuts of the chestnut tree have a very strong power of Jupiter. They may be used (raw, not roasted) in a charm bag to add the virtue of Jupiter, and they expand any quality which the charm bag already has.

  The nuts may be used in a bath to gain the virtue of Jupiter, for example, in assisting a woman to become pregnant. Five nuts (five being the usual number of Jupiter) should be used in the bath.

  Chestnuts are a poor choice for the usual novice desire of drawing money, as the Jupiter vibration will usually encourage the individual to spend money rather than to acquire it. One nut, or a necklace of them, may be prepared as a charm for money, however. The prayer for a charm that includes chestnut should limit the time element involved, or the prayer will be too general to be of real effect.

  It can also be prepared as a charm to place under the chair in the consultation room, to encourage clients to be generous, a practice that may fall into the realm of black magic!

  CHEWING JOHN

  Chewing John is so called because of its use as
a chewing root. It can be chewed when you seek good fortune, or for its spicy taste. It adds a nice flavor to rice. Chewing John is often made into a good luck charm, being prayed over and carried on your person or in a charm bag.

  The root finds its best use as a money drawing charm. It is placed in a chamois skin charm bag with three silver coins, usually dimes. The root will receive the influence of the prayer prayed over it very well, and it seems to act to open up opportunities for money to come. It can be used to make up an attractive charm, but as silver is more expensive now it is not always an easy charm to make.

  The powder is one of the best casting powders (or “persuasion” or “compelling” powders) there is for sex. It should be prayed over and touched to the body of the person you desire to have sex with. It is not a “love powder,” it is strictly a “sex” powder.

  CINNAMON

  Cinnamon is one of the most useful spices in magical practice. It is used for purification, blessing, protection, and prosperity. It is a primary ingredient in many of the powders and incenses used in both Eastern and Western magical practices. True cinnamon powder should be purchased from an herb store, as the grocery store product is usually cassia, an entirely different thing altogether. The Food and Drug Administration allows cassia to be labeled as cinnamon, so it takes a bit of searching to find the real thing.

  Cinnamon is perhaps most useful in protecting yourself from the envy and jealousy of others. Using it is simplicity itself: simply place a dab of cinnamon, about half as much as will cover the head of a match, on your breastbone while you are dressing.

  You can also mix it with plain unscented talcum powder. A half teaspoon cinnamon to two cups of talcum powder will give you a good mixture. This talcum may be used as a dusting powder after the bath, and the protective influence of cinnamon will surround you.

  CINQUEFOIL

  Cinquefoil (also known as Five Finger Grass) is used as an ingredient in many charm bags, or as a charm by itself. It has the ability to make you speak eloquently, to the best of your ability. It acts to stimulate the memory and allow words to flow. A bath for this purpose is useful, for example, just before an employment interview. A teaspoon of cinquefoil to a cup of boiling water will make the solution for the bath.

  Cinquefoil can also be used to make people speak their minds, not always the wisest thing to do. The name of the individual who is to speak should be written on a piece of paper, and cinquefoil herb placed over it. The paper is then prayed over for the effect desired. This is an excellent way to get a witness to testify in court, for he or she usually says more than necessary and in some cases it is difficult to get the witness to shut up.

  DEVIL'S SHOESTRINGS

  Devil's shoestrings is an aptly named herb, as anyone who has tried to clear it from a garden patch will testify. It is famed for its persistence, and its ability to add a “staying quality” to whatever it is used in. The herb itself will take a strong charge from the prayer made over it, and it will act with the same persistence that it displays in the garden.

  The most famous spell which uses this herb is the “compeling spell,” which is used to gain agreement from another person. It is often used by people who have to negotiate, and it has an excellent reputation for success. The spell must be made for the person who is going to use it, and prayed over in that person's name.

  Pieces of devil's shoestrings are cut about one and a half to two inches long, and placed into a wide mouthed bottle. Several lumps of camphor are added, and the bottle is filled with bourbon whiskey. The filled bottle is then prayed over in the name of the person who is to use it. The bottle is then capped and stored in a dark place.

  To use the spell, a piece of the root is taken from the bottle and rubbed between the hands. The root is then returned to the bottle, and the person using the spell simply shakes hands with the person he or she wishes to influence.

  FENUGREEK

  Fenugreek is one of our oldest cultivated plants. It is used as a food in many parts of the world, and as a condiment or seasoning in others. In ancient Egypt it was used as a part of the Kuphi incense, the Holy Smoke which was burned as an offering to the gods.

  Fenugreek is still used as an ingredient in incense in some practices today, but its most common use is as a headwash. Tea of Fenugreek is allowed to cool and the head washed thoroughly with it. Let the residue stay on the head for twenty-four hours, and wash it off the following day. This has a clearing effect on the head, and is specifically recommended for improving clarity of thought. Use this headwash on those days when you feel dull, afflicted or muddle-headed-it's a sure way to get your clarity back. It also works to destroy any thoughts which are being sent you by others. You might try it when you find yourself having strange and usually negative thoughts about yourself.

  GARLIC

  Garlic is a hardy perennial with long, flattened, solid leaves. The bulb, the part most used, is composed of several smaller sections known as “cloves.” The whole bulb is covered with a membranous skin. Garlic has been used throughout history as a medicinal and a food and has been credited with almost magical properties in curing disease. It is used in magic in numerous ways, and it has been a religious offering since Egyptian times.

  Garlic is the exemplar of plants in its astrological response. It is very strongly aligned with Mars in Aries, and is used as an offering to the warrior deities in most pantheons. It is also used to remove the evil eye, and to take aggressive action against enemies.

  To keep money in the house, burn the skin covering the garlic cloves in the kitchen fire. Or burn it on a charcoal if you have an electric stove.

  Dried ground garlic is often used in incense to remove heavy thoughtforms, negative entities and thoughts of depression. A blend of dried and powdered garlic and onion powders is effective for these purposes, but the area should then be infumed with a lighter incense, such as frankincense, to neutralize the heavy Mars influence of the garlic and onion mixture. Garlic and brown sugar mixed with benzoin in equal quantities is a useful incense for purifying and cleansing the inside of a building. It is especially effective in the rooms of someone who lives in a state of depression. It lightens the living quarters considerably.

  Garlic can also be used in baths for personal protection. Boil nine cloves of garlic in an iron (or stainless steel) pot with about a quart of water. Boil for about twenty minutes, allow the solution to cool to room temperature. Take a regular cleansing bath, with soap and water, then pour the garlic solution over your head. Allow the solution to run out the bath drain while praying that evil be washed off. This bath is effective against most negative influences, and is very good against the physical debilitation brought on by the evil eye or consistent negativity from others.

  Three garlic cloves in a red charm bag is considered to be a very useful charm against the evil eye. Garlic is also the traditional protection against vampires.

  Garlic has so many uses in folk healing that there have been several books written on the subject. Crushed garlic is occasionally rubbed on the feet to reduce fever. There is also a prayer to St. Ajo (St. Garlic) for healing- an indication of how powerful garlic is thought to be in medicine.

  Garlic grows wild almost everywhere. I have found garlic plants in New York's Central Park and in vacant lots and fields in the city. I have also found it growing along the roadways of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It is certainly one of the most interesting magical and culinary herbs in the world.

  GINGER

  It is the root of the ginger plant that we know as ginger and this is the part used-either whole, fresh, dried or powdered. Ginger has been used as a culinary spice since 550 B.C., and is particularly prevalent in Chinese cooking.

  This herb relates to Mars, but it is the active Mars, and is quite different from the Mars in Aries vibration of garlic. Ginger is used as a catalyst, promoting a rapid change in conditions. If you add small quantities of ginger to any incense, it will enhance the effects of the incense and make it work more quic
kly.

  Elementally, ginger is the “fire of air.” It is used in spells of all kinds to assist them being brought to fruition more quickly. Take care that whenever ginger is used in a spell, it is the smallest of the components of the spell. If too much ginger is used, it will overwhelm the other components, making the spell a waste of effort.

  GRAINS OF PARADISE

  Grains of paradise are the guinea peppers of the East Coast of Africa. They are a prime constituent of African magical practice, as well as African food. They are used to feed the saints in some magico-religious practices. For this purpose they are placed in small charm bags and hung behind pictures of the saints on the walls of the home or on the home altar.

  Grains of paradise are also added to red charm bags to “add power” to them. Seven grains, steeped in boiling water, are used to make a bath for men who are having trouble with gaining the affection of women. Three grains are used to gain a favorable judgment in court, but as the spell requires that they be prayed over and then placed on the desk of the judge, it is a bit difficult to accomplish in the modem courtroom.

  Grains of paradise are also used as an incense to summon specific deities in some of the magico-religious practices of African origin. This use is not only a bit tricky, it is an initiatory use which is not possible for non-initiates to use safely. This is an example of how you can get yourself into a good deal of difficulty with too little knowledge.