Using Herbs in Witchcraft
You’re in the right place if you want to…
learn about using herbs for magical workings and rituals.
understand why herbs are often used in witchcraft.
discover some botanical information.
hear about some of the ways I like to use herbs in my practice.
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Why we Use Herbs
The first thing to know about herbs is a reminder about why we would want to use herbs in witchcraft including the bark, leaves, flowers, roots, and seeds of plants. If you recall in episode 7 of the podcast, I walked you through the steps I like to follow when casting a spell.
Step 3 is about choosing your materials. We choose materials based on the purpose of the spell that we determine in step 1, and the correspondences that we determine in step 2. Tangible materials like herbs and crystals, and intangible materials like color and symbols, give our mind something to focus on and anchor the abstract concept of our intention and the energy, spirits, deities, etc. that live in the spirit realm, into the physical realm.
So we choose herbs that align with the intention of the spell and are associated with or correspond with the spirit realm entities in order to represent those in the physical realm and start the manifestation process.
What is an Herb?
(a plant nerd’s interlude)
By now, you probably know that I love definitions. Words have meaning and we use specific words for specific things to express a specific meaning. However, over time, words become confused when different people use the same word for different purposes or the same word to mean something different.
So, I want to make sure that I am very clear with my meaning when I use a particular word which is why I often start with my definition of a word and intended meaning.
Just as I told you that I often use the word crystal as a catch-all for minerals, rocks and crystals, I use the word herb as a catchall for a variety of different plant parts like the bark, seeds, leaves, flowers, and roots, as well as the different types of plants such as shrubs, trees, grasses, and herbs.
I’m going to be a bit of a plant nerd with you for a minute. I don’t have many opportunities to share my botany knowledge, but my undergrad courses were heavy in plants.
Botanically, the word herb is shorthand for herbaceous plant. An herb, in this context, refers to any plant that has leaves and stems but no woody parts. Herbs also die down to the soil level at the end of the growing season.
Herbs can be perennial, which means they come back year after year, growing back from the underground plant body. Herbs can also be biennial, which means they complete their growth cycle after two growing seasons or annual, which complete their growth cycle after one growing season and grow back from the seeds they dropped.
“Herb” as an Umbrella Term
But as I mentioned, as a witch, I define the word herb more broadly to include not only these herbaceous plants, but also trees, which are plants with a single woody stem that branches high above the ground, and shrubs, which are plants with many woody stems that tend to stay close to the ground.
And the word herb, in the context of witchcraft, is also an umbrella term for the various parts of the plant: the woody bark of a tree or shrub, the seeds and fruit, the flowering body, the leaves, roots, and stems, as well as any adaptations such as spines, tubers, needles, and more.
The herbs used in witchcraft are useful in some way, whether for cooking, healing, fragrance, clothing, or are in other ways sacred.
Additionally, as a reminder about the neutrality of magic, the word herb can apply to plants and plant parts that offer some benefit to the body such as chamomile, dandelion, are parsley, as well as those that are considered toxic or poisonous like belladonna and henbane. No plant is inherently good or bad, and all can offer some magical wisdom when handled with care and respect.
Top 10 Essential Herbs
From my experience, working with herbs is one of the most hands-on experiences with magic. When it comes to something like a crystal, it maintains the same form when you work with it and often is a somewhat passive material, setting it out to alter your environmental energy, carrying it with you to influence your personal aura, incorporating it into meditation, and other activities.
Herbs on the other hand generally undergo some sort of transformation in order to be used for magic. Witches burn, bake, boil, dry, cut, crumble etc. the herbs for all the various ways we might use an herb in magic. Even communicating with plant spirits reveals the changing plant body as it grows throughout its life.
Because of this versatility, working with herbs is often very complex and even overwhelming. This is why I created for myself a list of ten herbs, each of which can be used for one of ten basic purposes. I familiarized myself with these ten first, learning about them individually and working with them exclusively.
You can download a copy of this list by filling in the form below. From there I’ll send the PDF to your inbox. Once you’ve seen my list, you may wish to create your own list or change an herb here or there for your own needs. Because of this, I’ve included a blank table as well where you can fill in your own information.
Sourcing Magical Herbs
Okay, now we’ll talk a bit about where to find herbs for magical use and, more importantly, how to do so ethically and sustainably. When sourcing plants, there are many places you can look:
Grow them yourself in a garden or a windowsill.
Harvest them in the wild (or from urban landscapes).
Purchase them in a store or online.
Grow Them Yourself
Some witches choose to grow all or some of the herbs they use in their practice. Gardening gives you the freedom to use as much or as little of the herbs as you want. It is not necessary to have a lot of space outdoors to grow herbs. You can grow many in pots on a windowsill.
Harvest Them in the “Wild”
Another option for witches is what is called “wildcrafting.” This is the practice of gathering herbs directly from the natural world. This is where you will need to be more careful. There are many places where collecting and taking are not allowed. You will need to be aware of the rules when you are planning to harvest plants that do not belong to you. Additionally, even the smallest action like going off trail can be damaging to an ecosystem. Make sure you are responsible when harvesting in nature. I have a rule for myself: take 1/10 of what is there. This means, if there are only ten plants within sight, I can take one out of ten leaves, I can take one out of ten flowers, etc.
Another way you can care for the earth when harvesting plants is to replant anything you take. If you plan to take part of a certain plant, be sure to bring seeds of that plant with you. Plant a new seed for every old plant you take, this way a new plant will grow in its place.
Even with these guidelines, there are times when wildcrafting is not appropriate. Some plants are considered sacred and lose their magic when harvested improperly. Use common sense and hold the health of the environment as your highest priority. You are the most important part of your magical working. If you are unable to obtain a specific herb, the magic will still work. Simply be creative and use a substitute.
Purchase Them in Shops or Online
Lastly, there are shops that sell some of the herbs you may be wanting: naturopaths, health food stores, metaphysical stores. You can even use spices found in grocery stores. Be sure to ask lots of questions about the origins of these plants. Just because you are not the one harvesting them doesn’t mean you should not be responsible for where they are coming from.
Online Recommendations:
How to Use Herbs in Magic
The final topic for this episode is the seemingly endless opportunities to use herbs in your magical practice due to the incredible versatility and variety of plant species housed in the plant kingdom. I’ll share the ways that I like to access the magical energy of herbs in my practice now.
Tea Magic
My favorite way to use herbs in my magic is to drink them as teas or herbal infusions. Whenever I buy a blend, I’ll consider the magical properties of the herbs and mark this on the container so that when I’m next looking to make myself a pot of tea, I can select from the magical uses as well as the flavor.
Related: Celebrating Life with the Magic of Tea
Kitchen Witchery
We talked about kitchen witchery in a previous episode. This is another way to incorporate herbal magic into your witchcraft practice. Simply learning the magical properties of a variety of ingredients you use most often in cooking can show you the magical potential of the meals you create.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Witchery
Bath Rituals
I love baths as well. To add the energy of herbs to a bath, I like to make a tub tea, which is a strong infusion of herbs. After filling the tub, I’ll pour in the infusion while chanting an affirmation of my intention. Then, I can soak up these energies while in the water. I also like to add flowers to float on the surface of the water, and if I have pre-made bath products, I’ll look up the ingredients to learn the magical properties.
Herb-Infused Oils
Another way I use herbs in magic is with herb-infused oils. To make these, you simply place the herb you want to infuse the oil with in a jar and add oil like olive or almond oil so that the herbs are completely covered. Then you let it sit for a while, keeping watch, so that pieces of the plant don’t get uncovered because they will grow mold outside of the oil. I use these for anointing magical tools, especially candles. If edible I use them for kitchen witchery in recipes as well. I have a book coming out next month where I explain this process more thoroughly.
Candle Spells
Candle magic is another good time to incorporate herbs. As mentioned you can anoint candles in herb-infused oil. You can also add herbs directly to the candle if you make your own or sprinkle them over the candle as it burns.
Related: How to Manifest Your Intentions Using Candle Magic
Herb Bundles
I like to make bundles of herbs for burning, which I use for smoke cleansing. It’s best to let the herbs dry a bit before wrapping them so the inside doesn’t get moldy, but don’t let them dry so much that they become brittle when you try to wrap string around them. Leave the bundles of herbs to dry completely then light the end and allow it to burn down to a a smoking ember to cleanse a space with smoke. I also explain this process in my book that’s coming out next month.
Be Creative!
Include herbs in jar spells and charm bags and add them to pillows. These are just a handful of ways you can use herbs in a witchcraft practice. Be creative and you’ll discover certain methods are more appealing to you than others.
Summary
Thank you so much for being here today! In this post we talked about why witches use herbs in witchcraft in order to anchor the corresponding spirit energy into the physical realm. We learned about the different parts of plants and the types of plants that witches often lump inside the umbrella term herb. And we talked about a wide variety of ways you can incorporate herbs into your magical practice.
Join us in the Mumbles & Things Facebook group to chat about this episode with other witchy folks.
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