*Anise* Planet: Mercury/Jupiter Element: Air Main magickal uses: Contacting other planes, divination, love, passion, preventing nightmares, protection, psychic development, psychic protection, purification Other magickal uses: Clairvoyance, cleansing, consecration, fertility, gain, good luck, happiness, money, weddings Lore: Paul Beyerl attributes anise to Mercury and Apollo, and suggests that it be partnered with amber stones for best effect.
- *Basil* Planet: Mars Element: Fire Main magickal uses: Consecration, divination (esp. about love), exorcism, fertility, fidelity, good luck, happiness, harmony, love, money, passion, peace, prosperity, protection, psychic development, psychic protection, purification, strength, success, tranquility Other magickal uses: Clairvoyance, commanding, courage, dragons, grieving, hatred, honesty, Imbolc, initiation, inspiration, invokation, prevents theft, rituals for the dead, spell-breaking Lore: Paul Beyerl says that basil is attractive to dragons, salamanders, and other fire-oriented creatures. It is sacred to the Hindu god Vishnu and his avatar, Krishna. Magickal herbals occasionally refer to it as St. Joseph’s Wort. Many cultures used basil in herbal medicine, which is not covered in this article.
- *Bay* Planet: Sun Element: Fire Main magickal uses: Clairvoyance, consecration, divination, dreams, exorcism, healing, love, passion, protection, psychic protection, purification, wisdom, wishes Other magickal uses: endings, good luck, harmony, Imbolc, inspiration, justice, knowledge, magic, memory, money, overcome opposition, peace, psychic development, release, spell-breaking, strength, success, tranquility, transformation, Winter rituals, Yule Lore: Bay leaves come from a tree also called the laurel, and have a strong tradition as a Greek sacred plant. When the nymph Daphne wanted to avoid the passions of Apollo, she turned into the first laurel tree, which Apollo then adopted as his sacred tree. Wreaths were made from the leaves, which were also chewed and burned by Apollo’s prophetic priestesses at Delphi. It is not suggested, however, that you try chewing bay leaves, as they are rather volatile, and the amount you would get from chewing might be too much for those not trained in the use of visionary herbs. Other gods include Aesclepius (the god of healing and Apollo’s son), Ceres, and Cerridwen.
- *Caraway* Planet: Mercury Element: Air Main magickal uses: Fidelity, love, memory, passion, preventing theft, protection, retention, sensuality Other magickal uses: consecration, fertility, gain, honesty, keeping secrets, peace of mind, weddings
- *Celery seed* Planet: Saturn/Mercury Element: Earth Main magickal uses: Psychic development Other magickal uses: Beauty, divination, fertility, love, passion
- *Cinnamon* Planet: Mercury/Sun/Mars/Uranus (take your pick!) Element: Air/Fire Main magickal uses: Clairvoyance, consecration, divination, energy, good luck, love, money, passion, peace, prosperity, protection, psychic development, success Other magickal uses: communication, happiness, harmony, healing, inspiration, knowledge, meditation, purification, spirituality, tranquility, wisdom Lore: Paul Beyerl suggests that cinnamon be paired with tourmaline for best effect. Cinnamon is important as a purification incense in China. Do not use externally on the body, as it irritates the skin.
- *Cloves* Planet: Sun/Jupiter Element: Fire Main magickal uses: clairvoyance, divination, exorcism, keeps away negative forces, love, memory, money, passion, peace of mind, protection, psychic protection, purification, stopping gossip Other magickal uses: cleansing, friendship, psychic development, release, spell-breaking Lore: Cloves were originally grown in China, and made their way to Europe in the fourth centure CE (Common Era). They, like cinnamon, are not grown in the United States, but are imported.
- *Coriander* (also called Cilantro) Planet: Mars Element: Fire Main magickal uses: love Other magickal uses: clairvoyance, divination, fertility, gain, health, keeping secrets, passion, peace, protection, retention, weddings
- *Dill* Planet: Mercury Element: Earth/Fire Main magickal uses: love, protection, psychic protection Other magickal uses: Blessings, confidence, determination, dreams, fertility, gain, harmony, keeping secrets, money, passion, peace, prevents theft, retention, rest, sleep, tranquility Lore: Some hold that Dill is such a Mercurial herb that it should not be used when Mercury is in retrograde. It has a long tradition of use as a protection against magic: an old rhyme says, “Vervaine and dill/ Hinder witches of their will.” (Another version says, “Trefoil, vervain, St. John’s Wort, dill/ Hinder witches of their will.” In either case, this is specifically meant against evil witches: the healers actually used all of these herbs.)
- *Fennel* Planet: Mercury Element: Air/Fire Main magickal uses: confidence, courage, fertility, longevity, love, Midsummer, protection, psychic protection, purification, strength Other magickal uses: Commanding, consecration, divination, energy, gain, meditation, Summer rituals, virility Lore: Fennel was used by the Saxons and by Jewish mystics as an asperger and purifying herb. It also had a history of use by the Greeks, Romans, and Germans, and it followed colonists to the New World. Aoumiel associates it with the God.
- *Garlic* Planet: Mars Element: Fire Main magickal uses: exorcism, magic, passion, protection, spell-breaking, strength Other magickal uses: clairvoyance, commanding, confidence, consecration, courage, divination, healing, longevity, money, overcoming opposition, prevents nightmares, purification, stopping gossip, success, weather (fair) Lore: Garlic is one of the few “herbs” whose powers have survived into modern superstition, where it gives protection against vampires. (Silver RavenWolf says that it is also helpful against psychic vampires.) The Greeks attributed it to Hecate, the primary goddess of magic. It is also sacred to the Great Mother, Cybele. Its use actually goes back even further to the Sumerians. Besides its strong psychic protection, it also protects health when eaten regularly. It was beloved in most ancient societies that had it, to the extent that the builders of the Pyramids were paid partially in garlic, and at one point went on strike to get more (according to graffiti inside the Pyramids, left by the workers). *Ginger* Planet: Mars Element: Fire Main magickal uses: love, passion, psychic protection Other magickal uses: cursing, health, psychic development, sensuality, success
- *Lavender* (a stretch, but it appears in some gourmet recipes) Planet: Mercury Element: Air Main magickal uses: clairvoyance, cleansing, consecration, happiness, healing, love, Midsummer, money, passion, peace, peace of mind, protection, psychic protection, purification, tranquility Other magickal uses: blessings, chastity, divination, dreams, energy, gentleness, good luck, grieving, harmony, keeping secrets, magic (esp. to increase the duration of a spell), meditation, memory, psychic development, retention, ritual, sleep, stability, virility, weddings Lore: Attributed by some to Hecate, Saturn, and snake goddesses. Aoumiel also calls it attractive to elves.
- *Lovage* Planet: Venus/Sun Element: Earth/Water Main magickal uses: love Other magickal uses: beauty, cleansing, consecration, money, passion, protection, psychic protection, purification Lore: The main uses concern love and beauty, hence, one assumes, the name “Lovage.”
- *Mace* Planet: Mercury Element: Air Main magickal uses: Clairvoyance Other magickal uses: fertility, gain, good luck, love, protection
- *Marjoram* Planet: Venus/Mercury Element: Air Main magickal uses: grieving, happiness, love, money, protection, psychic development, psychic protection,tranquility, weddings Other magickal uses: Animals, cleansing, courage, dreams (of love), harmony, peace, rituals for the dead, success Lore: Attributed to Venus by the Romans, but also sometimes to Aphrodite, Thor and Jupiter. In case you’re confused about the use for both grieving and happiness, it is meant to restore happiness to the grief-stricken.
- *Mustard seed* Planet: Mars Element: Fire Main magickal uses: fertility, health, love, passion, protection Other magickal uses: commanding, cursing, exorcism, gain, good luck, sensuality, spell-breaking, strength, success, virility *Nutmeg* Planet: Jupiter Element: Fire/Air Main magickal uses: clairvoyance, divination, money Other magickal uses: dreams, fertility, gain, love, meditation, passion, prosperity, protection, psychic development, rest, sleep
- *Onion* Planet: Mars Element: Fire Main magickal uses: exorcism, protection Other magickal uses: Clairvoyance, cleansing, contacting other planes, divination, healing, lunar rites, magic, purification, spell-breaking Lore: The link to the moon seems to be mostly due to color and shape. In protective magick, just as in cooking, onion is often combined with garlic.
- *Oregano* Planet: Venus Element: Air Main magickal uses: happiness, tranquility Other magickal uses: Animals, grieving, harmony, love, peace, protection, psychic development, weddings
- *Parsley* Planet: Saturn Element: Earth Main magickal uses: divination, happiness, passion, protection, psychic development, purification Other magickal uses: clairvoyance, cleansing, consecration, contacting other planes, fertility, good luck, invokation, meditation, rituals for the dead, speed Lore: Sacred to Persephone, parsley was used in the victory wreaths of the Isthmian games by the Greeks. Some also attribute it to Aphrodite and Venus, and with Mother goddesses. Parsley was thought to come from from the blood of Archemorus, a servant of Death.
- *Pepper* Planet: Mars Element: Fire Main magickal uses: cursing, exorcism, passion, protection Other magickal uses: commanding, sensuality, spell-breaking, stops envy Lore: Stings the eyes when burned.
- *Peppermint* Planet: Venus Element: Air Main magickal uses: cleansing, consecration, dreams, happiness, healing, love, money, passion, prosperity, protection, psychic development, purification, release, renewal, rest, sleep Other magickal uses: Animals, divination, endings, energy, exorcism, good luck, grieving, spirit offering, success, transformation Lore: Mints are sacred to the god Hades, because (as happened with Daphne and Apollo—see *bay*) a young lovely named Minthe was transformed into a mint to keep her from Hades’ embrace. Peppermint is also sometimes attributed to Zeus. Paul Beyerl suggests pairing peppermint with topaz or chalcedony for best effect.
- *Poppyseed* Planet: Moon Element: Water Main magickal uses: dreams Other magickal uses: Binding, clairvoyance, consecration, cursing, fertility, prosperity Lore: In Greece, poppies belonged to Hypnos and Somnos, sleep gods. (Remember “The Wizard of Oz?” “Poppies will make them sleeeeep!”) They are also associated with Ceres. If you eat poppyseeds shortly before taking a drug test, you may test positive for heroin, which comes from opium, a kind of poppy. This kinship may also explain some of its magickal functions.
- *Rosemary* Planet: Sun Element: Fire Main magickal uses: cleansing, confidence, consecration, courage, exorcism, good luck, grieving, happiness, healing, knowledge, love, memory, passion, peace of mind, prevents theft, protection, psychic development, psychic protection, purification, release, ritual, rituals for the dead, water rites/sea rituals, weddings Other magickal uses: blessings, dreams, endings, energy, elves, fidelity, honesty, inspiration, invokation, longevity, meditation, new moon, prevents nightmares, sleep, strength, transformation, wisdom, Yule Lore: Rosemary is associated in Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” with remembrance, so its link to memory is old. Even older are its associations with general magic and healing, with feminine power—folklore had it that a healthy rosemary plant grew where a woman was head of the family—and with goddesses, especially of the sea. Catholic healers associated it with Mary. Aoumiel calls it attractive to elves. Its reputation is that of an all-purpose herb that will help with practically anything.
- *Saffron* Planet: Sun Element: Fire Main magickal uses: Clairvoyance, divination Other magickal uses: cleansing, commanding, consecration, exorcism, healing, magic, psychic development, purification, spell-breaking, weather (raises wind)
- *Sage* Planet: Mercury/Jupiter Element: Earth Main magickal uses: cleansing, healing, longevity, money, passion, prosperity, psychic development, psychic protection, purification, wisdom Other magickal uses: business, clairvoyance, consecration, divination, domestic harmony, energy, happiness, inspiration, keeping secrets, knowledge, love, Mabon, meditation, peace, retention, Samhain, tranquility, weddings, Yule Lore: The kind of sage found in the kitchen was brought to the New World by colonists, and was especially popular among Germans. It should not be confused with sagebrush.
- *Savory* Planet: Venus Element: Air Main magickal uses: passion Other magickal uses: Animals, attracts males, happiness, love, satyrs, sensuality, virility Lore: Savory is ruled by and named after the satyrs, thus its many ties to sexual affairs. It was a favorite of the Romans for parties.
- *Spearmint* Planet: Venus Element: Air Main magickal uses: consecration, happiness, love, money, passion, prosperity, protection, psychic development Other magickal uses: Animals, dreams, endings, exorcism, healing, good luck, release, renewal, rest, sleep, spirit offering, success, transformation Lore: see *peppermint.*
- *Star Anise* Planet: Mercury/Jupiter Element: Air/Water Main magickal uses: clairvoyance, good luck, protection, psychic development Other magickal uses: consecration, contacting other planes, divination, exorcism, fertility, gain, invokation, justice, love, money, passion, preventing nightmares, psychic protection, spiritual places Lore: Primarily used in Japan, around temples and burial sites. It is also called Chinese Anise.
- *Tarragon* Planet: Mars Element: Fire Main magickal uses: commanding, confidence, courage, passion, protection, strength Other magickal uses: Animals, calming, keeping secrets, love, peace, prevents theft, retention, sensuality, virility Lore: The Latin name, “Artemesia dracunculus,” means “little dragon of Artemis.” It seems to carry many of Artemis’s qualities, in both her Olympian (courage and strength) and pre-Olympian (passion and sensuality) forms.
- *Thyme* Planet: Venus Element: Air Main magickal uses: clairvoyance, cleansing, consecration, courage, divination, dreams, exorcism, faeries, happiness, healing, love, money, prevents nightmares, protection, psychic development, purification Other magickal uses: compassion, confidence, contacting other planes, grieving, magic, meditation, Midsummer, passion, release, renewal, rituals for the dead, Summer rituals, wishing Lore: Thyme has strong ties to faery lore. Paul Beyerl pairs it with pearls.
- *Turmeric* Planet: Mars Element: Fire Main magickal uses: passion Other magickal uses: commanding, confidence, courage, exorcism, magic, sensuality, spell-breaking, strength *Vanilla* Planet: Jupiter Element: Fire Main magickal uses: love, passion Other magickal uses: Energy, new moon