G = gender of the plant
P = the ruling planet
E = the commonly ascribed elemental correspondence
Angelica
G/P/E: Masculine, Sun, Fire.
Magical Attributes: Psychic self-defense, inner vision, ritual baths, healing incense, longevity.
History/Uses: In the Middle Ages, angelica was believed to bloom on May 8th, the feast of St. Michael, and thus was given into the care of the angels. A decoction of roots or seeds will aid an upset stomach, and relieve insomnia and headaches (one teaspoon plant to one cup water). Culpeper believed this plant should be harvested when the moon was in Leo for greatest potency.
Basil
G/P/E: Masculine, Mars, Fire.
Magical attributes: Protection, love, wealth (if carried in your wallet), healing relationships, courage, fertility.
History/uses: In Italy, a pot of basil on your balcony means you are ready to receive suitors. In India, the herb is dedicated to Vishnu and is given to the dead to help ensure their entrance to the afterlife. As a medicinal herb it is good as a tea for calming the nerves, settling the stomach, and easing cramps. In tincture form, it also makes good hair rinse for brunettes.
Bloodroot
G/P/E: Masculine, Venus or Mars, Fire.
Magical attributes: To draw love, vitality, healing incense.
History/Uses: Bloodroot was an official botanical drug between the years of 1820 and 1926, after which time it was found to have certain negative side effects. In small quantities when used by a qualified herbalist, it still has value in tincture form to treat wounds. However, it is best suited to making dyes for cloth from its deep red sap.
Cinnamon
G/P/E: Masculine, sun, Fire.
Magical attributes: Spiritual quests, augmenting power, love, success, psychic work.
History/Uses: Cinnamon is one of the frequently mentioned herbs in the Bible, having been used in Egypt for embalming and in the East to purify the temples, bringing improved concentration of focus. Medicinally, it is recommended as a skin astringent and digestive aid in tea form. it is an excellent aromatic and makes a good anointing oil for any magical working.
Clove
G/P/E: Masculine, Jupiter or Uranus, Fire.
Magical attributes: Dispel negativity, protection, money, incense against gossip, vision.
History/Uses: This intense aromatic was introduced to Europe by traders in the fourth and sixth centuries. It has a mild antiseptic quality for toothaches, or in tea form it is an expectorant for colds. most commonly, though, the clove has been employed to ward off moths and disease because of its pungent nature.
Coriander
G/P/E: Masculine, Mars, Fire.
Magical attributes: Protection of home, peace, good in ritual drinks, incenses for longevity and love,security.
History/Uses: Coriander has been a predominant herb in the perfume an cosmetic industry, having been cultivated for 3000 years. It is one of the predominant herbs in the Hebrew Passover ritual and considered to insure immortality by the Chinese. If added to wine, it makes a serviceable love potion for two consenting parties.
Fennel
G/P/E: Masculine, Mercury, Fire.
Magical attributes: Purification, protection, healing, money.
History/Uses: The ancient Chinese believed that fennel could cure snake bites, and the Romans used the herb frequently in salads. Fennel comes from the Greek word meaning “to grow thin,” and is sometimes employed as an appetite suppressant and digestive aid. If you place a bit of fennel in a keyhole, it is said to keep ghosts away. Fennel was one of nine sacred herbs of the medieval people, believed to cure the nine causes of disease.
Ginger
G/P/E: masculine, Mars, Fire.
Magical attributes: Power, success, love.
History/Uses: Back to Egypt in the time of Cheops, people were making gingerbread; 4400 years ago, the Chinese were importing this herb for the same reason, and to act as an aid to indigestion or colds (tea form). Carry the root of ginger in your purse to ensure prosperity, or make it into a fine drink for summer days.
Ginseng
G/P/E: Masculine, Sun, Fire.
Magical attributes: Love, wishes, beauty, desire.
History/Uses: mentioned in China as early as 5000 years ago as a stimulant, tonic, and agent for prolonged life. it is used today by Russian astronauts to prevent infection in space. It is also a mild painkiller, and improves blood circulation. In tea form it helps to relieve stress and moderate heart disease.
Garlic
G/P/E: Masculine, Mars, Fire.
Magical attributes: Protection, healing, good weather, courage.
History/Uses: Garlic comes to us from Asia. It was distributed daily to the workers at Cheeps to give them strength and protection for their sacred work. The Greeks call garlic the “stinking rose” due not only to its smell but general usefulness to cooking and medicine (as with the rose). In Sweden, people sometimes place garlic around the necks of livestock to protect them from trolls. Generally speaking, having garlic in your diet serves to lower tension, ease colds, and improve circulation. Garlic vinegar can be used to disinfect wounds and sooth rheumatic pain (made from one liter of vinegar and ten cloves of crushed garlic steeped for at least ten days).
Hawthorn
G/P/E: masculine, Mars, Fire.
Magical attributes: Happiness, prosperity, protection, to attract faeries, protection from lightning.
History/Uses: The history of hawthorn is rich with lovely folklore. At wedding feasts in Athens, guests often carried a sprig to ensure joy for the new couple. In Rome, a twig of hawthorn was often attached to the cradle of a newborn to protect it, and in time of the Crusades, a knight would offer his lady a bit of this tree with a pink ribbon tied to it as a token that he would live, hoping for his return to her. In Christianity it is believed that the crown of thorns was made out of hawthorn. The therapeutic properties of this tree are no less magnificent. It is a great regulator of blood pressure and has excellent sedative effects. The infusion proportions are one teaspoon of fresh petals per cup of water twice a day (or just at night for insomnia). It is said where oak, ash, and hawthorn grow together,you can see faeries!
Marigold
G/P/E: Masculine, Sun Fire.
Magical attributes: prophesy, legal matters, the psychic, seeing magical creatures.
History/Uses: In the time of King henry IV, it was suggested that his subjects fill their gardens with marigolds because they kept flowering well into winter. The homeopath today, however, is much more grateful for their remedial qualities. For internal use the flowers are prepared by infusion and recommended for the flu, fever, rheumatism, jaundice, and painful menstruation. Externally, buds are made into compresses for the treatment of burns. In England and Germany, the flowers are also used in soups, to color butter, and as a hair rinse.
Nettle
G/P/E: Masculine, Mars, Fire.
Magical attributes: To avert danger; protection, healing.
History/Uses: During the Bronze Age, nettles were used to create a sturdy fabric. To the Anglo-Saxon herbalist, they were believed to be an effective counter-poison. today we know the nettle to be high in vitamin C, and when made into a tea can ease asthma.
Oak
G/P/E: masculine, Sun or Jupiter, Fire.
Magical attributes: Power, luck, health, long life; the acorns if used as spell components – money.
History/Uses The Greeks and Romans used the sound of wind through oak leaves as oracles, and the Druids took their name from the Celtic word deru, or oak. Thus, it was a sacred tree to these peoples. Bark collected and prepared in a decoction may be used as a gargle or douche. Leaves prepared in infusion are recommended for dysentery, and the acorns when roasted may be used as a non-caffinated coffee.
Olive
G/P/E: Masculine, Sun, Fire.
Magical attributes: Wisdom, peace, luck, to end arguments.
History/Uses: To the Greeks the olive was a symbol of wisdom, to the Romans an icon of peace. The carrying of an olive branch, like a white flag, is recognized as a message that hostilities are ceased. Ancient peoples made use of olive oil in food, care of the body, for warmth, and for medicine. For constipation, a tablespoon of olive oil taken in the morning or with soup will ease the problem. This is also believed to ease colic. Externally, when mixed with egg white the oil makes a good treatment for burns or bites. Chopped olive leaves in tincture form have been shown to help control diabetes and hypertension.
Pomegranate
G/P/E: Masculine, Mars, Fire.
Magical attributes: Wishes, divination, health, creativity.
History/Uses: The Egyptians used pomegranates in their barter system, and the Greeks sometimes picture Zeus holding this fruit. For magical writing, pomegranate juice makes good ink. For health, it can be used to moderate fevers and as a mild astringent.
Rosemary
G/P/E: Masculine, Sun, Fire.
Magical attributes: Improve memory, sleep, purification, youth.
History/Uses: The Romans considered this an herb which would bring peace after death and joy during life, therefore it appeared in almost every ceremony in between! Besides its more popular use in meats and sauces, rosemary promotes healing of wounds, acts as an antiseptic, and can be a mild stimulant. Because of this it is a good ingredient for teas treating flu, stress, and headaches. When leaves are soaked in wine for two weeks, small glasses may be taken as a digestive aid. Oil of rosemary is excellent in hair conditioners, and the flowers of this herb may be added to lotion recipes to improve the complexion.
Saint John’s Wort
G/P/E: Masculine, Sun, Fire.
Magical attributes: Love, divination, protection against ghosts joy.
History/Uses: Take care not to step on this faerie weed, lest you be carried off for a day by the wee folk! For magic, St John’s Wort is best cultivated during midsummer celebrations. In this form it may be hung over any altar to bring fertility to your projects. It has little benefit medicinally today due to negative side effects; however, the tops may be used for an excellent re/yellow dye.
Witch Hazel
G/P/E: Masculine, Saturn or Sun, Fire.
Magical attributes: Protection, chastity, healing the heart.
History/Uses: Witch hazel derives its name from an Old English word for “pliant,” mainly because of its flexibility and use in archery bows. In tincture form it is good as a mouth rinse and to ease hemorrhoids. As a compress, witch hazel can be applied to insect bites and other skin irritations.