#herbal

[upennmanuscripts]

We've been offline for a couple of weeks, so we're coming back with an old favorite! The blue beet (turnip? we aren't sure) lives on f. 42r of LJS 419, a 15th century herbal from the Schoenberg Collection.

🔗:

[astra-ravana]

Obscure Herbs

Here’s a list of rare or lesser-known herbs and their magickal correspondences, many of which are overlooked in modern witchcraft and occult practices.

1. Cock's Comb (Alectorolophus)

• Magickal Uses: Protection, strength, and victory in battles (physical or spiritual).

• Element: Fire

• Planet: Mars

• Associated Deities: Ares, Sekhmet

• Use: Burn as incense before conflict or challenging situations for courage.

2. Asarabacca (Asarum europaeum)

• Magickal Uses: Psychic visions, breaking hexes, uncovering hidden truths.

• Element: Water

• Planet: Moon

• Associated Deities: Hekate, Thoth

• Use: Place under the pillow for prophetic dreams or use in a tea for divination.

3. Balmony (Chelone glabra)

• Magickal Uses: Healing, emotional cleansing, renewal.

• Element: Water

• Planet: Neptune

• Associated Deities: Oshun, Brigid

• Use: Burn in purification rituals or use in healing baths.

4. Birthwort (Aristolochia)

• Magickal Uses: Transformation, banishing negativity, aiding childbirth.

• Element: Earth

• Planet: Saturn

• Associated Deities: Ereshkigal, Demeter

• Use: Used in ancient childbirth rituals; can be burned for removing stagnant energies.

5. Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)

• Magickal Uses: Feminine power, protection of mothers, fertility.

• Element: Earth

• Planet: Venus

• Associated Deities: Hathor, Freyja

• Use: Carried as a charm for protection during pregnancy.

6. Calamint (Calamintha)

• Magickal Uses: Clarity, focus, preventing deception.

• Element: Air

• Planet: Mercury

• Associated Deities: Hermes, Odin

• Use: Burned to enhance mental acuity or added to charm bags for clear thinking.

7. Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)

• Magickal Uses: Psychic awareness, third-eye activation, dream recall.

• Element: Air

• Planet: Jupiter

• Associated Deities: Apollo, Isis

• Use: Used in dream pillows or burned to enhance trance states.

8. Dittany of Crete (Origanum dictamnus)

• Magickal Uses: Spirit summoning, astral travel, love spells.

• Element: Fire

• Planet: Venus

• Associated Deities: Aphrodite, Hades

• Use: Burned to enhance spiritual contact, especially in necromantic rites.

9. Figwort (Scrophularia nodosa)

• Magickal Uses: Protection against hostile spirits, shapeshifting, banishment.

• Element: Earth

• Planet: Saturn

• Associated Deities: Hekate, Anubis

• Use: Worn as an amulet for protection during spiritual work.

10. Fleabane (Erigeron)

• Magickal Uses: Exorcism, warding off pests (physical and energetic).

• Element: Fire

• Planet: Mars

• Associated Deities: Thor, Sekhmet

• Use: Sprinkled around a home to drive away negative energies.

11. Goat’s Rue (Galega officinalis)

• Magickal Uses: Strength, endurance, prosperity.

• Element: Earth

• Planet: Saturn

• Associated Deities: Pan, Cernunnos

• Use: Carried for perseverance in long-term endeavors.

12. Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)

• Magickal Uses: Wealth, success, protection of one’s legacy.

• Element: Earth

• Planet: Jupiter

• Associated Deities: Fortuna, Lakshmi

• Use: Used in prosperity spells or worn to attract wealth.

13. Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)

• Magickal Uses: Luck, secrecy, invisibility.

• Element: Air

• Planet: Mercury

• Associated Deities: Loki, Hermes

• Use: Carried to avoid detection in magical workings.

14. Ladies’ Bedstraw (Galium verum)

• Magickal Uses: Love, protection, attracting kindness.

• Element: Water

• Planet: Venus

• Associated Deities: Aphrodite, Freyja

• Use: Placed under the bed to attract love or harmony.

15. Lungwort (Pulmonaria)

• Magickal Uses: Breath control, speaking the truth, strengthening the voice.

• Element: Air

• Planet: Mercury

• Associated Deities: Hermes, Saraswati

• Use: Used in spells for eloquence and clear speech.

16. Masterwort (Peucedanum ostruthium)

• Magickal Uses: Power, dominance, authority.

• Element: Fire

• Planet: Sun

• Associated Deities: Zeus, Helios

• Use: Worn as a talisman to strengthen personal influence.

17. Moonwort (Botrychium lunaria)

• Magickal Uses: Unlocking hidden doors, breaking barriers, lunar magick.

• Element: Water

• Planet: Moon

• Associated Deities: Hekate, Selene

• Use: Used to enhance lunar rituals and to aid astral travel.

18. Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)

• Magickal Uses: Banishing, repelling unwanted influences, protection.

• Element: Fire

• Planet: Mars

• Associated Deities: Ares, Lilith

• Use: Burned for spiritual cleansing or carried for warding off manipulation.

19. Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris)

• Magickal Uses: Healing, self-improvement, resilience.

• Element: Earth

• Planet: Venus

• Associated Deities: Brigid, Isis

• Use: Used in healing rituals or teas for emotional restoration.

20. Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)

• Magickal Uses: Warding off curses, preventing deception, protection.

• Element: Fire

• Planet: Sun

• Associated Deities: Apollo, Ra

• Use: Carried to prevent betrayal or used in warding spells.

21. Alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria)

• Magickal Uses: Protection, prosperity, hex-breaking.

• Element: Earth

• Planet: Saturn

• Associated Deities: Hekate, Pluto

• Use: Used in protection sachets and to anoint tools for grounding energy.

22. Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia spp.)

• Magickal Uses: Spirit communication, trance work, crossing between realms.

• Element: Water

• Planet: Neptune

• Associated Deities: Hekate, The Morrigan

• Use: Placed on an altar to enhance dream work and astral projection. (Highly toxic—do not ingest.)

23. Azedarach (Melia azedarach) – Chinaberry

• Magickal Uses: Warding off evil, breaking toxic attachments, commanding respect.

• Element: Air

• Planet: Mars

• Associated Deities: Ares, Kali

• Use: Leaves are carried in a sachet for personal empowerment and protection.

24. Bistort (Persicaria bistorta)

• Magickal Uses: Fertility, purification, emotional healing.

• Element: Water

• Planet: Venus

• Associated Deities: Brigid, Freyja

• Use: Used in fertility rites or healing spells for emotional wounds.

25. Bog Myrtle (Myrica gale)

• Magickal Uses: Psychic enhancement, dream work, repelling negative energy.

• Element: Air

• Planet: Mercury

• Associated Deities: Odin, Hermes

• Use: Burned as incense to enhance lucid dreaming and divination.

26. Bugloss (Anchusa officinalis)

• Magickal Uses: Courage, strengthening the will, truth-seeking.

• Element: Fire

• Planet: Sun

• Associated Deities: Apollo, Thor

• Use: Carried or worn as an amulet to boost confidence and resolve.

27. Carline Thistle (Carlina vulgaris)

• Magickal Uses: Warding off disease, exorcism, strength against enemies.

• Element: Fire

• Planet: Mars

• Associated Deities: Ares, Sekhmet

• Use: Hung in doorways or carried as a charm to ward off malevolent forces.

28. Celandine (Chelidonium majus)

• Magickal Uses: Success, legal matters, prophetic visions.

• Element: Air

• Planet: Jupiter

• Associated Deities: Hermes, Zeus

• Use: Used in court-case spells or placed under the pillow for prophetic dreams.

29. Centaury (Centaurium erythraea)

• Magickal Uses: Strength, breaking bad habits, healing emotional wounds.

• Element: Fire

• Planet: Sun

• Associated Deities: Chiron, Asclepius

• Use: Brewed into teas for spiritual cleansing and breaking negative patterns.

30. Cudweed (Filago vulgaris)

• Magickal Uses: Spirit communication, necromancy, ancestor work.

• Element: Earth

• Planet: Saturn

• Associated Deities: Anubis, Hel

• Use: Burned as incense during séances or placed on ancestral altars.

31. Dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris)

• Magickal Uses: Love, attraction, enhancing charm.

• Element: Water

• Planet: Venus

• Associated Deities: Aphrodite, Freyja

• Use: Added to bath rituals for attracting a lover or enhancing beauty.

32. Elephant’s Head (Pedicularis groenlandica)

• Magickal Uses: Dreamwork, expanding consciousness, energy flow.

• Element: Air

• Planet: Uranus

• Associated Deities: Thoth, Morpheus

• Use: Used in rituals for astral projection and dream enhancement.

33. Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis)

• Magickal Uses: Exorcism, purification, breaking hexes.

• Element: Fire

• Planet: Mars

• Associated Deities: Hekate, Kali

• Use: Burned to cleanse a space or added to baths for spiritual protection.

34. Great Burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis)

• Magickal Uses: Strength in adversity, courage, endurance.

• Element: Earth

• Planet: Saturn

• Associated Deities: Odin, Athena

• Use: Used in talismans for resilience and overcoming hardship.

35. Hound’s Tongue (Cynoglossum officinale)

• Magickal Uses: Binding, loyalty, controlling gossip.

• Element: Water

• Planet: Mercury

• Associated Deities: Hekate, Hermes

• Use: Used in spells to stop malicious talk and encourage faithfulness.

36. Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum)

• Magickal Uses: Divine connection, wisdom, accessing higher knowledge.

• Element: Air

• Planet: Jupiter

• Associated Deities: Zeus, Thoth

• Use: Used in meditation to enhance spiritual insight.

37. Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

• Magickal Uses: Peace, balancing emotions, calming conflicts.

• Element: Water

• Planet: Moon

• Associated Deities: Kuan Yin, Selene

• Use: Burned or carried for emotional balance and conflict resolution.

38. Mouse-ear Hawkweed (Pilosella officinarum)

• Magickal Uses: Clairvoyance, invisibility, sharpening the mind.

• Element: Air

• Planet: Mercury

• Associated Deities: Loki, Hermes

• Use: Used in vision-enhancing spells or to increase focus.

39. Pellitory of the Wall (Parietaria judaica)

• Magickal Uses: Breaking barriers, removing obstacles, gaining access.

• Element: Earth

• Planet: Saturn

• Associated Deities: Janus, Ganesha

• Use: Used in road-opening spells to remove blockages to success.

40. Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria)

• Magickal Uses: Protection against deceit, uncovering hidden enemies.

• Element: Fire

• Planet: Mars

• Associated Deities: Ares, Nemesis

• Use: Carried as an amulet for protection in matters of secrecy or deception.

[ravensmoonlitmagick]

Herbal property charts 🌿

[heaveninawildflower]

Evening primrose, Oenothera biennis (1902-1908).

Watercolour.

The Wellcome Collection.

[curiouscatalog]

Botanical beauties, tiny tattoos?

From: Newton, James. A Complete Herbal of the Late James Newton, M.D. : Containing the Prints and the English Names of Several Thousand Trees, Plants, Shrubs, Flowers, Exotics, &c., Many of Which Are Not to Be Found in the Herbals of Either Gerard, Johnson, or Parkinson. New ed. London: Printed for Lackington, Allen & Co., 1798.

QK41 .N5 1798

[cuties-in-codices]

strangely shaped roots

in a book of medicinal plants, bavaria, c. 1520-1530

source: Munich, BSB, Cod.icon. 26, fol. 18v, 15v, 46v and 60v

[summerwages]

wild basil..

an interesting "easy to grow" introduced plant...a tiny patch appearing out of nowhere...

[springsteens]

herbal teas guide —

🌿🍃 having conversations with my mutuals all over the world, i was stunned to find out that not every country/culture practices drinking herbal teas for health issues. as a slavic person i decided to create this little guide because – and i'm saying this as a skeptical person who hates superstitions – they really work. 🍃🌿

mint tea (mentha piperita) is for digestion and relaxation chamomile tea (matricaria chamomilla) is for digestive system horsetail tea (equisetum arvense) is for skin, hair, nails condition, remineralization and circulatory system linden tea (tilia cordata) is for a cold lemon balm tea (melissa officinalis) is for relaxation and sleep nettle tea (uritca dioica) is for urinary tract sage tea (salvia officinalis) is for when your throat or teeth hurt fennel tea (funiculum vulgare) is for digestive system white mulberry tea (morus alba) is for carbohydrate metabolism pansy tea (viola tricolor) is for clean skin and body detox purge tea (cistus incanus) is for immunity hawthorn tea (crataegus monogyna) is for heart and circulatory system damian leaves tea (turnera diffusa) is for anxiety and libido dandelion tea (taraxacum officinale) is for liver, stomach and digestion st john's wort tea (hypericum perforatum) is for emotional balance, good mood, digestive system and kidney function

🌿🍃 to create this guide i was using a booklet from my pharmacy store. if you google them, you will find out that each of these have even more usage methods than the ones listed. 🍃🌿

🌿🍃 if you're from a different country/culture and you know more herbal teas like these, feel free to add them. 🍃🌿

[wandoffire]

HERBS for Digestive Health🌿

To help improve and ease digestive disorders and issues.

Ginger

widely used to treat nausea, bloating and soothe digestive issues

Turmeric

used for digestive weakness and inflammation

Chamomile

helps settle inflammation and anxiety related stomach issues

Fennel

great to reduce bloating, cramping and relax stomach muscles

helps break down food

Cinnamon

helps regulate circulation, blood sugar levels, and digestive function

Rosemary

supports healthy digestive functioning

Increasing your consumption of some of these even slightly could make a big difference over time! Should be used with caution.

[rosypotions]

Sage and chamomile syrup, helpful with coughs! 🌿🌼

[peterarklenews]

© Peter Arkle 2024 LAMB BOTANIST

[heaveninawildflower]

Botanical illustrations including a strawberry plant (between 1520 and 1530) by an unknown artist.

BnF Français.

Wikimedia.

[upennmanuscripts]

Who wants some fantastic plants? LJS 46 is an herbal, written in Italy ca. 1520 (the second half of the book was added in the early 1600s). It includes 110 colored wash drawings of plants with roots and flowers, not copied from life but in a fantastical style typical to the genre.

🔗:

[shelovesplants]

Tangerine herbal tea for positivity🫖cherry lime runtz diamonds for relaxation 💎🍒🍈🩷🙌💨

[jbbartram-illu]

Another historical manuscript-inspired set of vessels, ready to be fired!

These are specifically based on a 15th century herbal from Northern Italy, which can be viewed via @publicdomainreview — click here to read more about it!

I especially love all the freaky little humanoid plants in this volume, so mostly focused on them. Also had a good time working with a slightly more subdued colour palette than the Medieval marginalia pieces...now to cross my fingers that these greens don't totally burn out in the kiln!