Most Common Herbs and Roots Used in Spellwork

Most Common Herbs and Roots Used in Spellwork

It is hard to overestimate the importance of herbs and roots. Each one has specific magical associations that allow it to lend its power to your workings. Not all of them are rare, or exotic ingredients, either -- many of these herbs and roots are easy to find and worth keeping on hand.

Alfalfa. Alfalfa is a great prosperity herb. It is said that keeping a glass jar of dried alfalfa in your pantry will keep you from ever having to go hungry. It can also be added to prosperity incense or herb blends and burned on a charcoal disk.

Basil. It is said that, "where basil grows, no evil goes." This popular culinary herb can also be added to food to draw love or prosperity, added to a love bath, or added to herbal blends or sweetening jars for money. It has a lot of different uses, both in spellwork and in cooking, that make it worth keeping around.

Bay Leaves. Bay leaves can be used for purification, wisdom, protection, and hex breaking. One common way to use bay leaves involves writing a wish on a whole bay leaf, then burning it. Steep the leaves in hot water and add to a floor wash to protect your home.

Calendula Flowers. These sunny, bright yellow flowers are used to increase health, beauty, and prosperity. Because it begins blooming in spring and sometimes lasts until early winter, calendula is often used to help create long-term, sustainable wealth. When sprinkled under the bed, it helps protect you against unpleasant dreams. In folklore, it was believed that stepping on the fresh flowers could enable you to understand the languages of birds.

Hops Flowers. Best known for bittering and flavoring beer, hops is another potent dream herb. Placed in an herb pillow either alone, or blended with mugwort, chamomile, and lavender, it helps ensure a peaceful, restful sleep and guards against nightmares. It is also added to sachets designed to aid in healing or divination.

Lavender. The name "lavender" comes from the Latin word "lavare," meaning "to wash," so it is probably unsurprising that these fragrant purple flowers make for great cleansing and purification herbs! They are also a popular ingredient in love-drawing baths, are frequently used for relaxation, and can be added to bags or sachets to draw money. When burned as incense, the stems and flowers have a very pleasant, floral smell.

Red Sandalwood. Red sandalwood powder is often used as a base for incense, due to its light smell and ability to burn well. When burned alone, it aids in granting wishes, protecting, and healing. Its bright red color also makes it useful for coloring other herbal powders and preparations.

Rosemary. Some say that, in a pinch, rosemary can substitute for any herb you might be missing. This is because rosemary has a history of use that covers cleansing, blessing, purification, success, meditation, preserving youth, healing, remembering dreams, and fidelity. Add them to cleansing baths or hand washes to cleanse yourself after performing a hex or jinx.

Rose of Jericho. Also called the resurrection plant, a dried Rose of Jericho looks like a tight bud of compressed, dead leaves. After it is placed in water, it opens up into a lush, bright green plant. This water can then be scattered around to help purify a space, and the plant itself can be dried and re-used over and over again. Placing coins and other money-drawing ingredients around a bowl containing water and a green rose of Jericho can help bring prosperity to your home.

Sassafras Root. Sassafras root helps ward off evil. When added to a protective sachet or burned as incense, it drives away malevolent spirits. Because of its warming properties, it is also commonly found in herb blends for healing or love-drawing.

Star Anise. These fragrant, star-shaped pods are often added to power blends. Placing one anise pod at each corner of your altar is said to lend more power to spells. It is also used in love-drawing baths and washes, and burned as incense.

Wild Cherry Bark. This woody herb brings harmony and joy when soaked in water which is then scattered around a home. When added to other herbal incenses, sachets, or powders, wild cherry herb can help increase the speed of a spell.