Halloween is a fun holiday if you can conjure the spirit for it. To get you in the mood, we wanted to share how to develop a witch attitude with some witchy plants and herbs you can incorporate into your Halloween scene or party theme.
Many of these interesting herbs and plants may already be sitting in your kitchen pantry. We added non-magical uses to showcase their versatility. Whether you decide to use these in a regular beef stew or a magical witch’s brew is entirely up to you!
MUGWORT
Magical Properties: This herb, also known as a psychic/lunar herb, is said to enhance divination and psychic dreaming. It is purported to have protective properties. In European folklore, Mugwort shields against injury, fatigue, and poisons. Romans would put this herb on their shoes to ward off fatigue on long journeys.
In modern magic, mugwort’s main use is for psychic visions and prophetic dreams. This herb does have psychoactive properties that induce lucid dreaming and astral traveling. Mugwort is said to help confront difficult truths.
Non-Magical Properties: Its non-magical properties include regulating menstruation and calming the digestive system, especially with the digestion of fatty foods.
How to Use in Magic: Mugwort can be ingested, smoked, or applied to the skin. It is also used in divinatory incenses or psychic teas.
SAGE
Magical Properties: Stemming from European traditions, sage is said to ward off evil, and it is often used in traditional cleansing ceremonies when dried and smudged. It is associated with wisdom, good luck, and even mortality. Sage builds emotional strength and can help to heal grief.
Non-Magical Properties: Sage was used for medicinal purposes by the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. It was used to cure snake bites and enhance memory and cognition. More recently, sage is used for its anti-inflammatory properties. It has a sweet and savory aroma that makes it a popular culinary herb used in autumn dishes such as roast turkey, sausage stuffing, and pumpkin soup.
How to Use in Magic: Sage is often burned for cleansing ceremonies. Burning sage is meant to purify the space of bad energy or spirits. Some examples of when sage should be burned include after a death in the family, when you move into a new home, after a negative presence in your home, or during the changing of seasons.
VERVAIN
Magical Properties: Vervain has both purification ability and protective properties. It is used for cleansing and consecrating a sacred ritual space. It is also a protective herb. Roman soldiers would carry vervain into battle, and people would sprinkle their homes with vervain to keep away evil spirits.
Non-Magical Properties: Vervain is also used for medicinal purposes such as clearing obstructions in the kidneys, liver, gallbladder and spleen. It is said to be helpful with liver congestion and jaundice. Vervain also alleviates a host of stress symptoms and helps soothe the digestive system.
How to Use in Magic: Vervain can be made into a tea and is said to help in astral work and divination. The juice of the plant is said to induce psychic ability, and it was used for centuries in love spells and potions.
MINT
Magical Properties: Mint is used frequently in magical rites and spells. It is meant to draw wealth, lure love, keep out evil, and enhance overall wellbeing.
Non-Magical Properties: It is used in cuisines to add aroma and flavor. Mint is also a useful herb for adding flavor to beverages and desserts. Mint aids with digestion issues and is used in aromatherapy for healing purposes. In oil form, it can relieve sore and fatigued muscles when applied topically.
How to Use in Magic: Drinking mint tea can bring you good luck and protection throughout the day. Sometimes the herb will be placed under a pillow to induce a vision of the future in dreams and to protect against attacks of evil magic, nightmares, and evil spirits of the night. Keep it dry and near your workspace to promote prosperity and financial success. Mint is also kept over a sickbed to drive off negative energy during sickness.
LAVENDER
Magical Properties: Lavender is known to ward off evil spirits, promote a long life of peace, and used for purification.
Non-Magical Properties: Lavender has been used for its medicinal properties dating back to 77 AD by the Greek Physician Dioscorides during the Roman Empire. It was recorded that lavender relieved indigestion, headaches, and sore throats. When taken internally, lavender even helped with wounds and burns.
Ancient Egyptians used lavender in their mummifying process and as a perfume on their clothes. In modern times, lavender is used for ailments such as anxiety, stress, insomnia, exhaustion, digestion, nervousness, and more. It is also used as a culinary herb to add aroma and flavor.
How to Use in Magic: The plant can be burned to promote sleep and rest, and the ashes are scattered around the home to bring peace and harmony and purify the space. The flowers are also placed under pillows or made into a tea to heal depression and induce peaceful sleeping. Dried lavender is also hung outside the house to ward off evil spirits.
ROSEMARY
Magical Properties: This herb’s magic properties are used for love spells, protection, and as an aphrodisiac. In ancient times, it was favored for purification and cleansing rituals.
Non-Magical Properties: A more recent study has found that rosemary can be used to improve retention and recall facts. Rosemary oil is good for increasing circulation and relieving aches and pains. This is also a popular culinary herb deliciously paired with chicken, lamb, vegetables, or potatoes.
How to Use in Magic: In Old World magic, rosemary was burned to purify a room or ritual space before performing magic. Rosemary put into a bath or tea can help with removing anxiety and invigorating and cleansing the spirit. To ensure a faithful husband, married women would keep a sachet of rosemary near the entrance of their homes. It is also used in spells for fidelity and ridding jealousy. Like lavender, rosemary is placed under the pillow to promote peaceful sleeping and ward off evil spirits and nightmares.
These plants and herbs have many uses long after Halloween. You don’t have to be a witch or wait for Halloween to enjoy the benefits of surrounding yourself with elements of nature.
If you are getting into the Halloween swing of things, consider contacting our expert florists at Conroy's Flowers Bakersfield serving areas around Bakersfield, CA, for a Halloween arrangement that will make you scream in delight not fright.