Herbal magick

I'm not a herbalist, that is, I am not a herbal healer, but I have a good general knowledge of herbal magick. I have grown herbs for around 17 years, here in Australia, for magickal and culinary use. On this page you will find some correspondence tables for the magickal and ritual use of herbs, some suggestions on preparing the soil for successfully growing your own herbs, and a special section: Nine Herbs for the Witches Garden, where I look at the nine herbs I consider a Witch should grow - entirely objective, of course. Then you'll need to dry and store the herbs, so I'm preparing a guide for you. Finally, there's a bibliography of decent herbals and books about herbalism and some links to herbal pages that have more information than I can give you.

Please dear ones, bear with me and each section will appear as it is completed. For information about the medicinal properties of herbs, visit my good friend Stormwatcher (Drake) and have a look at his herbal page. You will find him in my Herbal Links. Meanwhile, if there are any special things you'd like to see on this page, or questions you want to ask me, please feel free to e-mail me. I can't promise a quick reply, but I can promise a reply eventually!

Table of Magickal Correspondences

This table of correspondences is very rudimentary. Where I have some interesting little tale to tell, or more important information on a specific herb, then I will link it to the page entitled Herbal Lore. To go directly to the section where you'll find the herb you're looking for:

If you can't see the herb you want, e-mail me and I'll add it for you, provided I can find relevant information. Bear in mind that I'll be adding these slowly - a few new herbs each week. I will do it, but I can't promise to do it quickly.

Last updated on March 29, 1999

HERB	Other Names	Planetary Ruler and Sun Sign	Correspondences	Growing & Gathering	Magick	Associated Dieties ...............................
Acacia (Acacia senegal)	Gum Arabic	Sun	Element: Air Gender: Masculine Humour: Hot	Sandy soil, dry climate. Gum exuded from tree trunks after rain.	In incense to promote a meditative state.	Adonis, Apollo, Astarte, Diana, Ishtar, Osiris, Ra, Vishnu
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)	Lucerne	Venus	Element: Earth Gender: Feminine	Sprout seeds & plant in pots. Cut as needed.	Associated with fertility & plenty. Use in money incense.
Apple (Pyrus malus)	Fruit of the Underworld	Venus/Jupiter Taurus	Element: Water Gender: Feminine Colour: Green Day: Friday	Apple trees need moist, fertile soils. The fruit is gathered when ripe.	Love divination. Go here for more.	Aphrodite, Apollo, Athene, Cerridwen, Diana, Dionysis, Flora, Hera, Herakles, Venus, Vishnu, Zeus
Asafoetida (Ferula foetida)	Devil's Dung, Food of the Gods	Saturn/Pluto	Element: Fire Gender: Masculine Gemstone: Black Diamond; Tarot: Devil	Native to Middle East. Fleshy root. Best purchased as powder	Exorcism, purification incense (beware it stinks!), banishing.	Athene, Priapus, Saturn, Pan, Cernunnos
Balm (Melissa officinalis)	Lemon Balm, Sweet Melissa, Balm Melissa	Moon/Venus/Jupiter Cancer	Element: Water Gender: Feminine Tarot: Chariot	A hardy perennial. Prefers moist soil in full sun. Pick and dry or use fresh as asperger.	Sacred to the Moon Goddess. Added to moon cakes. Love magick.	Artemis, Diana, Moon Goddesses
Balm of Gilead (Cedronella canariensis)	Balsam Tree, Mecca Balsam	Jupiter/Venus Taurus	Element: Water Gender: Feminine	Half hardy evergreen shrub. Well drained soil, full sun. The pods are used.	Attract a new love. Attract spirits. Protection. Magickal Healing and MORE
Basil (Ocimum basilicum)	Sweet Basil, Witches Herb	Mars Scorpio	Element: Fire Gender: Masculine Festival: Lugnasadh Tarot: Death	Full sun, well drained soil. Pick as required, use dry or fresh	Wear to attract love and/or wealth. Love divination, money incense. Courage, the death representative of initiation. MORE	Erzulie, Krishna, Lakshmi, Vishnu
Benzoin (Styrax benzoin)	Gum Benzoin, Siam Benzoin, Siamese Benzoin	Sun/Mars	Element: Air Gender: Masculine Tarot: Seven of Cups	Benzoin is a balsamic resin which comes from trees native to Thialand, Sumatra, Vietnam, China and Java	Use in incenses to drive out evil spirits. Clearing, purifying, prosperity. Can also be made into a tincture. Benzoin LORE.	Aphrodite, Ares, Freya, Hathor, Khephera, Venus
Borage (Borago officinalis)	Bee Bread, Herb of Gladness, Bugloss, Burrage, Cool Tankard	Jupiter Leo	Element: Air Gender: Masculine Festival: Lugnasadh tarot: Hierophant	Plant seeds almost anywhere and as Borage self-seeds it will appear each year. gather leaves and flowers as needed.	Courage, psychic powers, strength, protection. Use as a bathing herb before ritual.	Llew, Lugh, Warrior Gods
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)	Marigold, Summer's Bride, Bride of the Sun, The Sun's Gold	Sun Leo	Element: Fire Gender: Masculine	Seed sown in Spring in its permanent location. Harvest flowers when fully open	Scatter flowers for protection. Use at the Solstices and Equinoxes in ritual or as a ritual bathing herb.	Sun Gods
Camphor (Cinnamomum Camphora)	Laurel Camphor, Gum Camphor	Moon	Element:Water Gender: Feminine Humour: Cold Tarot: Chariot and High Priestess	Camphor Tree is native to China & Japan but grows in Australia, Sri lanka & California. The wood is burned as an incense or used to make objects	Anaphrodisiac - to get rid of unwanted lovers; ward off dis-eases, divination, healing magick, cleansing of ritual tools	Artemis, Chandra
Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)		Mercury/Uranus/Sun Virgo	Element: Air Gender: Masculine Gem: Amethyst/Sapphire Animal: Unicorn Tarot: The Fours	Cedar is native to southern Europe, Lebanon, north Africa and America. Oil, leaves, gum and wood are harvested	Attract money; consecrations; blessings; rites of passage;	Odin, Amun Ra, Cernunnos, Isis, Indra, Jupiter, Osiris, Pan, Poseidon, Wotan
Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis)	Whig Plant, Plant Physician, Scented Mayweed, Camomyle, Ground Apple	Sun	Element: Water Gender: Masculine Humour: Hot Festival: Midsummer	Roman Chamomile: Perenial herb native to most of Europe; grows wild in southern Britain; German: Native to Europe, England, Wales. Flowers gathered late spring to summer and dried	Money, sleep, love, purification. Throw onto the festival fire at Midsummer, weave into garlands and add to the ritual cup. Sleep and meditation incenses; sprinkle around for protection	Cernunnos, Ra, St. Anne, Sun Gods

A suggested bibliography of magickal herbals

* Herb Craft: a guide to the shamanic and ritual use of herbs, by Susan lavender and Anna Franklin, published by Capall Bann, UK, 1996. ISBN: 1 898307 57 9

* A Compendium of Herbal Magick by Paul Beyerl, published by Phoenix Publishing, USA, 1998. ISBN: 0-919345-45-X

* Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham, published by Llewellyn, USA, 1994. ISBN: 0-87542-122-9

* The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews by Scott Cunningham, published by Llewellyn, USA, 1994. ISBN: 0-87542-128-8

More books to come soon.....

Any suggestions for good herbals?
Please e-mail me and I'll check them out: lilitu@key.net.au

Interpretations

Which the Temple Scribes employed, from the Holy Writings, in translation. Because of the Curiosity of the Masses they [i.e., the scribes] inscribed the Names of the Herbs and Other Things which they employed on the Statues of the Gods, so that they [the masses], since they do not take Precaution, might not practice Magic, [being prevented] by the Consequence of their Misunderstanding. But we have collected the explanations from many Copies, all of them Secret.

Here they are:

A Snake's Head: a Leech.
A Snake's Ball of Thread: this means Soapstone.
Blood of a Snake: Hematite.
A Bone of an Ibis: this is Buckthorn.
Blood of a Hyrax: truly of a Hyrax [probably the rock hyrax, Procavia capensis].
Tears [Sleep Sand] of a Hamadryas Baboon: Dill Juice.
Crocodile Dung: Ethiopian Soil.
Blood of a Hamadryas Baboon: Blood of a Spotted Gecko.
Lion Semen: Human Semen.
Blood of Hephaistos: Wormwood.
Hairs of a Hamadryas Baboon: Dill Seed.
Semen of Hermes: Dill.
Blood of Ares: Purslane.
Blood of an Eye: Tamarisk Gall.
Blood from a Shoulder: Bear's Breach [probably Acanthus mollis L. or Helleborus foetidus L.].
From the Loins: Chamomile.
A Man's Bile: Turnip Sap [probably Brassica napus L.].
A Pig's Tail: Leopard's Bane [probably a variety of leopard's bane in the genus Boronicum, or one of the heliotropes].
A Physician's Bone: Sandstone.
Blood of Hestia: Chamomile.
An Eagle: Wild Garlic [Trigonella foenumgraecum, but the reading is doubtful].
Blood of a Goose: A Mulberry Tree's Milk.
Kronos' Spice: Piglet's Milk.
A Lion's Hairs: Tongue of a Turnip [i.e., the leaves of the taproot].
Kronos' Blood: . . . of Cedar.
Semen of Helios: White Hellebore.
Semen of Herakles: this is Mustard-rocket [probably Eruca sativa].
A Titan's Blood: Wild Lettuce.
Blood from a Head: Lupine.
A Bull's Semen: Egg of a Blister Beetle.
A Hawk's Heart: Heart of Wormwood.
Semen of Hephaistos: This is Fleabane.
Semen of Ammon: Houseleek.
Semen of Ares: Clover.
Fat from a Head: Spurge.
From the Belly: Earth-apple.
From the Foot: Houseleek.
[PGM XII.401-44]

Notes

This list (slightly adapted) is from Hans Dieter Betz (ed.), The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation including the Demotic Spells, Univ. Chicago Press, 1986 167-169. Similar lists can be found in De succedaneis transmitted among the works of Galen, Claudii Galeni Opera Omnia (Kuhn, ed.), vol. 19, 721-47; adapted version in Paul of Aegina, Paulus Aegineta, Corpus Medicorum Graecorum IX/2 (Heiberg, ed.), vol. II, 401-8; and in Dioscorides' Materia Medica.

As far as I am aware this information is non-copyright. Please inform me if you know it is otherwise and I will seek permission or remove it from the site.

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This page is Copyright Lilitu Babalon, 1999
I'll give you permission to reproduce anything on my page if you ask, provided it is mine.
However, if I find you plagiarising, well.....

Correspondence Tables	Growing herbs and soil preparation	Nine Herbs for the Witch's Garden	Drying and storing herbs
Herbal Bibliography	Herbal Lore	Herbal Links	Herbarum Aliorumque Magicorum from a Greek Magickal Text - a curiosity