Most magical practices make use of herbs in
various ways, usually in rituals and other
magical workings. Often they are used as
incense, when they are crushed and powdered,
or as oils. Their properties mean that they create
a type of force field that intensifies the vibration
needed. Additionally, when the practitioner
calls upon the power of the gods and spirits, the
herbs become even more effective.
In ancient times, the duality between positive
and negative, active and passive and, by
association, masculine and feminine was
important in understanding the type of energy
that a plant had. In magical terms, plants are
categorized as masculine or feminine in order
to reflect that division. It was felt that each
plant was looked after or ruled by the gods and
goddesses and, because the planets represented
the deities through their association with
astrology, each plant could be recognized
through that rulership.
Each plant’s energies also belonged to one of
the Elements. The four Elements (Earth, Air, Fire
and Water) are the building blocks of the
universe and are found in all things in varying
amounts. The ruling Element in anything is the
most important part in its make-up. Herbs and
plants in their simplicity can be allocated to a
single Element. Each deity has its own
particular qualities, so where a plant is
dedicated to that deity, those attributes are
recognized. You can see that the more
knowledge you have of these things, in some
ways the more complex your working becomes.
In fact, having the knowledge actually makes
your spell working easier, because it enables
you to be completely specific.
When man chose to remember and make use
of these very subtle energies, he found that his
magical workings were enhanced. He called
upon the ‘powers’ from several different
viewpoints which, when combined, meant that
he was making use of a very holistic energy. It
might be said that man was calling upon the
salesman, the sales director and the managing
director of energy.
From our perspective, we can rely on the
knowledge of the ancients to help us also make
the right connections. We, perhaps more than
ever, need to make contact with the subtle
spiritual energy levels. To put it another way:
through the plant we make a connection with
its spirit and so therefore with the greater
spiritual realms that stand behind the whole of
existence. To expand further, masculine herbs
are those with strong fiery vibrations, feminine
herbs are softer in their effect, quiet and subtle.
You can see from this that, when using herbs
and plants, you need to think very carefully
about your ritual or spell.
Simply having particular herbs in your sacred
space or having them about your person is
sufficient to begin the process of enhancing the
area or your personal vibration. You can use
them in incense and dedicate them to the
appropriate Elements and deities. Many of the
herbs mentioned can be obtained from a good
herbalist, though for those of you who are truly
interested it would be worth while creating a
small herb garden or growing them on your
windowsill.