Chapter 26: S - The Witches' Encyclopedia of Magical Plants: History, Folklore, Correspondences, and Spells (2024)

S

Sage

Common Sage also known as European sage, garden sage, true sage

Sage is a bushy plant with square, woody base stems that reaches up to three feet tall. Its oblong leaves are light gray-green, veined, and appear wrinkled. Leafy stalks bear whorls of small, blue-purple flowers.

Caution: Abortifacient.

History and Lore

Used medicinally by the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, the medieval herbalists of England and France also praised its virtues. While the Romans regarded sage as a sacred herb, they also used it as a tonic for the brain and memory. The Greeks believed that eating sage would promote longevity and the Arabs associated it with immortality. The Anglo-Saxons used sage to honor the dead and throughout the Middle Ages it was planted on graves in some areas of England to help mitigate grief. Sage was used for love and marriage divination, especially around Midsummer’s Eve, and if things didn’t go well, a sprig was carried in the pocket as an amulet to cure a broken heart. Medieval French and German magicians used the seeds to create smoke and fumes in rituals to drive away evil spirits. In Spain and Portugal, sage was used for protection from the evil eye. Common sage is often used for smoke cleansing in place of white sage which is a sacred herb to the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Chumash, Comanche, Creek, Navajo, Lakota, Ute, and other tribes.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Burn a small piece during meditation when seeking a spirit guide. Use sage to cleanse crystals and magic tools. To heighten concentration during divination and psychic work, especially clairvoyance, diffuse a little essential oil before sessions.

St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort also known as chase-devil, goat weed, rosin rose

St. John’s wort is a shrubby plant with pale green, oblong leaves. Its star-shaped flowers are bright yellow and grow in clusters at the ends of the branches. The flowers have a light, lemon-like scent. The flowers and buds ooze a red liquid when squeezed or bruised.

History and Lore

The magical use of St. John’s wort dates back to the Greeks who believed it could drive away evil spirits. In medieval England it was used to recover from and prevent demon attacks. It was placed under the bed pillow to keep witches away at night. At Midsummer, sprigs and garlands of St. John’s wort were hung in homes and around villages throughout most of the British Isles for safety from witches, wicked spirits, and faeries. The Germans also used St. John’s wort to ward off witches and evil spirits. In Wales, the roots were dug up on Midsummer’s Eve and hung above doorways. It was customary in France to pick St. John’s wort before sunrise and smoke it over the Midsummer bonfire to make it more potent. To keep evil spirits away at other times, a piece of the plant was carried in a pocket or worn under clothing in the Hebrides and in England it was picked on a Friday and worn around the neck as an amulet. St. John’s wort was also used for love divination on Midsummer’s Eve. In Scotland, it reputedly deterred second sight but could help gain it when used with other herbs.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Use the pungent smoke of a few burning leaves to prepare outdoor ritual space. To boost the power of love charms and fertility spells, use the flowers to infuse oil (it will turn red), and then dab a little on the objects you use.

Sandalwood

Australian Sandalwood

Indian Sandalwood also known as true sandalwood, white sandalwood

Sandalwood is a small, evergreen tree with semi-parasitic roots and oval leaves. Clusters of small, maroon flowers grow at the ends of the branches and are followed by round, plum-like fruit. While the popularity and overuse of Indian sandalwood has made it a vulnerable species, Australian sandalwood works well as a powerful alternative in every aspect and its harvest has been carefully regulated for sustainability.

Caution: Purchase only sustainably harvested sandalwood products.

History and Lore

Throughout Southeast Asia and India, sandalwood was regarded as sacred and used for temple incense. Sandalwood oil was used to draw magic circles, squares, and other symbols during exorcism rituals in India. The wood was included on funeral pyres. The Parsi, followers of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster, used sandalwood to kindle sacred altar fires. In the Middle East and medieval Europe, sandalwood oil was a fixative base in perfumery. The combination of sandalwood and rose is one of the oldest aphrodisiacs. The Indigenous people of Australia burned sandalwood to drive out bad spirits that were said to make people sick.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Diffuse a little essential oil during past-life sessions to help break old ties and protect against emotional upset. Prepare a candle with the oil to enhance awareness for clairvoyance or for astral work. Place a small bowl of wood chips on your altar to aid in contacting spirit guides.

Sassafras

Common Sassafras albidum syn. S. also known as ague tree, cinnamon wood, mitten tree, saloop, sassafrax, white sassafras

Reaching about forty feet tall, sassafras is unique in that it has three typical leaf shapes that can occur on a single branch. Some leaves are oval and without lobes, others have two off-centered lobes and are called Leaves with three lobes are called ghosts because they look like someone wearing a sheet over their head with two arms in the air. The six-petaled flowers grow in clusters at the ends of branches and develop into small, oval, dark blue fruit.

Caution: As a potential carcinogen, sassafras is considered unsafe to ingest.

History and Lore

Regarded as a cure-all, sassafras was used by the Cherokee, Chippewa, Choctaw, Creek, Delaware, Mohegan, and Seminole people. The early French settlers in Florida and the English in Virginia adopted it as a medicinal plant. In later centuries throughout the United States and Europe, sassafras became widely used as a flavoring and was the original root in root beer. In seventeenth-

century England, a beverage called which was customarily made with orchid root, was adapted to sassafras root and sold on the streets of London. According to Ozark legend, sassafras wood making popping sounds in a fireplace meant that someone in the room would die soon or that the devil was sitting on the roof. In North Carolina, bringing it into the house was said to bring bad luck although it could be burned outside. In the American magical tradition of hoodoo, sassafras is used to attract wealth and money.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

To ward off negativity, collect two mitten leaves (right and left hand), place them wherever you feel they are needed. Make tea with the leaves, wash a few coins in it, and then keep them in your wallet to attract money. Place a bundle of roots near your front door for protection.

Savory

Savory

Summer Savory also known as garden savory, satyricon, stone basil

Winter Savory also known as mountain savory

Summer savory is an annual herb with narrow, oblong leaves. Whorls of small, white flowers grow amongst the leaves. Winter savory is a woody-stemmed, shrubby perennial with slightly stiff, lance-shaped leaves. Its flowers are white and tinged with lilac. Both plants grow up to eighteen inches tall.

History and Lore

Roman naturalist and historian Pliny the Elder gave these plants the genus name meaning “for the satyrs,” the mythical satyr man/goats who were equated with sexual According to Greek legend, the satyrs wore crowns of savory at their celebrations. Summer savory was an herb of love to the Romans who regarded it as an aphrodisiac. Not grown in Italy but imported during Roman times, winter savory was thought to dampen down the libido.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Tuck a sprig of savory behind your ear to aid concentration and help tackle problems. Hang a bundle in your workspace to promote productivity and stoke the imagination. Savory also stokes the fires of passion and enhances sexual expression; diffuse a little in the bedroom.

Seaweed

Bladderwrack also known as lady wrack, rockweed, sea oak

Giant Kelp also known as giant bladder kelp

Slender Wart Weed also known as fairy laces

Yellow to brownish green, bladderwrack has flattened, fan-shaped, branching fronds with spherical air bladders. Giant kelp creates forests in the sea with upright, branching stems that have wide frond blades with a round, hollow float at the base. Resembling shoestrings, the small, slender wart weed has cylindrical fronds that are purplish red. Seaweed is technically algae and not plants.

History and Lore

Attributed with healing powers, bladderwrack was also used to fertilize crops and feed cattle during the winter in Ireland and Scotland. On Samhain the people of Scotland’s Western Isles poured a cup of ale into the ocean with a prayer to Shony, a sea god of the Hebrides, for an abundance of seaweed that they could gather for their crops. According to Scottish legend, the kelpie, a shape-shifting water horse, was often covered with seaweed when it came ashore from the ocean. In Brittany and Cornwall, korrigans, dwarf-like faery beings, reputedly sailed in boats constructed of seaweed. In some folktales, mermaids were said to have hair of seaweed. Strands of seaweed was commonly hung on porches for weather prophecy. In Welsh lore, the magician Gwydion conjured a ship using seaweed.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Include a long strand of seaweed in a money spell and wrap it around a piece of paper currency as you visualize prosperity coming into your life. To boost psychic skills, place a handful of seaweed on your altar. Seaweed is a powerful ally for working with sea deities.

Self Heal

Common Self Heal, All Heal also known as blue curls, Cailleach’s tea, carpenter’s weed, heal all, heart’s ease, prunella, woundwort

Self heal is a creeping plant with oval, gray-green leaves, and square, red-tinged stems. Dense clusters of flowers form a cylindrical spike at the top of the stems. The pink or violet-blue flowers have two lips: The lower lip has three lobes with the center one larger than the others and often fringed.

History and Lore

The names self all and heal all are variously spelled as one or two words or hyphenated. Despite its name, the plant’s medicinal uses were limited; however, it was widely popular in medieval Europe and Britain because people could use it to safely treat their own ailments. The Irish believed that self heal was so powerful that nothing natural or supernatural could harm it and used it to cure a child that had been fairy struck (enchanted). In parts of England, children were told that the plant belonged to the devil and they would be carried off by him in the middle of the night if they picked the flowers.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Self heal is a plant that aids in focusing on yourself in a healthy (non-egotistical) way for personal growth and to deepen your spiritual beliefs. Crumble a handful of dried leaves into your cauldron as part of a ritual to let go of things that may be holding you back.

Senna

Alexandrian Senna senna syn. C. Senna also known as true senna

Indian Senna angustifolia syn. S. also known as Tinnevelly senna

Senna is a woody plant about three feet tall. The feathery leaflets are oval to lance shaped. The leaves of Alexandrian Senna are grayish green; Indian senna leaves are larger and yellowish green. Both plants have five-petaled flowers that grow in clusters and oval, flat seedpods. Because of the tangled botanical names, some sources vary as to whether Alexandrian and Indian senna are the same plant.

History and Lore

Senna has been used medicinally for over a thousand years in India, Egypt, and the Middle East. It was introduced into Europe by Arab physicians during the ninth or tenth century. In addition to standard medicinal applications, the Arabs used senna to remove illness caused by sorcery, influences of the evil eye, and possession by jinn. In India, the plant was used to foster cooperation among people and in sachets used for love magic.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Seedpods can be used in love spells or tucked in a pocket or purse to attract love. Keep a few seedpods in the workplace to facilitate cooperation. Include dried leaves in counter-magic to remove unwanted influences.

Sesame

Sesame also known as benne, sum-sum

Sesame has oval, veined leaves growing along the length of its stalks, which can reach up to nine feet tall. The tube-shaped flowers can be white, light pink, or pinkish purple and grow at the base of the leaves. The seedpods form inside the flowers as they fade and burst open with a popping sound when they are ripe.

History and Lore

Sesame oil was used in Mesopotamia for ritual offerings and ceremonial anointing. According to Hindu legend, Yama, the god of death, created the sesame plant. In India, the oil was used as an offering in funeral rites as well as to anoint statues of deities. Cakes of sesame and honey called melloi in the shape of female genitalia were used as offerings to Demeter and Persephone during the three-day Thesmorphoria festival in Regarded as an aphrodisiac and symbol of fertility, sesame cakes were included in Greek and Roman wedding celebrations. According to the folklore of northern Pakistan, sesame was cultivated by mountain faeries in the Hindu Kush region.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

When seeking truth, place a dab of sesame seed oil on your third eye chakra, and then meditate on the situation. If you feel the urge to reveal a secret, eat a spoonful of tahini. Burn a few seeds as part of a banishing spell to get an unwanted spirit to move on.

Skullcap

Skullcap

Common Skullcap also known as European skullcap, helmet flower, hoodwort, marsh skullcap

Mad-dog Skullcap also known as American skullcap, blue skullcap, madweed, Virginia skullcap

Also spelled these plants have toothed leaves that are rounded at the bottom and taper to a point. Growing from the leaf axils, the flowers are an irregular trumpet shape with a flared, larger lower lip and an upper lip that forms a rounded hood. The common skullcap flowers are blue to violet with a pattern of blue dots on the inside of the lower lip. Mad-dog skullcap flowers are usually blue, but sometimes pink.

History and Lore

Although the common name may seem slightly ghoulish, it comes from the resemblance that the upper flower petal has to the small, round, close-fitting medieval headgear worn on the top of the head. Despite expectations, it does not have a macabre history. Because of its sedative effects, common skullcap was used in England to treat everything from headache to madness. In the United States, New Jersey physician Lawrence Van Derveer (1740–1815) promoted the use of mad -dog skullcap as a treatment for rabies. The Cherokee, Delaware, Iroquois, Meskwaki, and Ojibwe used skullcap for a range of ailments but most frequently for menstruation issues. It was also used for purification in ceremonies for girls entering womanhood.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Include skullcap in a ritual with your partner to mark your loyalty and strengthen your commitment. To bring emotions into balance after a family row, crumple dried leaves, sprinkle them in common areas of the house, and then vacuum them up as you focus on peace.

Snake Plant

Snake Plant trifasciata syn. Sansevieria

Variegated Snake Plant trifasciata var. laurentii syn. S. trifasciata var. also known as goldband sansevierias

Both plants are also known as bowstring hemp, devil’s tongue, good luck plant, magic sword, mother-in-law’s tongue, sword of St. George

Snake plants have a rosette of individual leaves that grow directly from the root. Reaching up to three feet tall, the stiff, sword-like leaves have a pointed tip and horizontal bands of gray-green and dark green. The variegated snake plant has golden-yellow leaf margins. Mature plants produce spikes of small, pale green flowers, but rarely as a houseplant.

History and Lore

In Africa and India, the snake plant has been used for its fibers and as first aid to treat snakebites. An important plant in Afro-Brazilian rituals, the snake plant was used to remove the evil eye and as a charm against bewitchment. In our homes, it is an excellent plant to help purify the air.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

To counteract a hex or any type of jinx against you, remove a leaf from the plant, and brandish it like a sword as you visualize sending the energy back to where it originated. Carry the plant when casting a circle to strengthen and enhance magic.

Snakeroot

Snakeroot also known as European birthwort, round-leaved birthwort, smearwort

Virginia Snakeroot serpentaria syn. Endodeca also known as birthwort, snakeweed, Virginia Dutchman’s pipe

Reaching about two feet tall, snakeroot stems zigzag from one rounded, heart-shaped leaf to the next. The leaves clasp the stem with basal lobes and from this axil a small, reddish purple, jack-in-the-pulpit-like flower grows. The stems of Virginia snakeroot also zigzag from one elongated, heart-shaped leaf to the next. However, its flowers grow under the leaves and close to the ground. The small, pale green to purplish brown flower has a long tube that curves down like a smoking pipe with the end opening horizontally. Like most species in this genus, these plants have malodorous flowers.

Caution: Both plants are poisonous if ingested; Virginia snakeroot is regarded as threatened or endanger in some areas.

History and Lore

Called “smearwort,” for its frequent use in salves, the Anglo-Saxons found snakeroot useful to treat the bites of snakes and rabid Reputedly, it could cure bewitchment and provide protection from demonic possession as well as elves. By medieval times in England, the plant was believed to have the power to ward off or kill serpents.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Gaining prosperity is not always a straightforward process; keep a piece of stem to remind you that you may need to zigzag your plans and make your own luck. For counter-magic to remove a hex or break knot magic take your cauldron outside and burn a handful of seeds.

Snapdragon

Common Snapdragon also known as bunny rabbits, dragon’s mouth, garden snapdragon, lady’s slipper, snap Jacks

Snapdragons grow on spires up to three feet tall with flowers growing around the tops of the stems. The flower is tubular and two-lipped with a muzzle-like shape. They can be white, yellow, pink, red, orange, peach, or purple. Gently squeezing the sides of the flower opens the “mouth.” The glossy, dark green leaves are lance shaped and grow in spirals around the stems.

History and Lore

Greek physician Dioscorides and Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder noted that wearing a bracelet of snapdragon flowers provided protection against illness and poisoning. According to ancient Greek magicians, sleeping with a flower under the tongue, and then reciting a certain incantation upon waking rendered a person invisible. Snapdragon has been a popular garden plant since medieval times in England where it was believed to protect against charms and enchantments. In parts of Ireland, snapdragon was grown on thatched roofs for luck and protection from fire. While Germans believed that the flowers provided shelter for elves, the plant was also said to have the power to break elven spells. In the American magical tradition of hoodoo, snapdragon is used against evil spirits, ghosts, and demonic possession.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Carry a small pouch of seeds as a charm against lies when you are going to be around a person who has previously deceived you. To aid in returning a jinx or negative energy to whomever sent it, place the flowers in front of a mirror as part of a protection spell.

Snowdrop

Common Snowdrop also known as death’s flower, drooping lily, fair maids, white bells, white queen

The snowdrop has narrow, grass-like leaves that surround the flower stems. Its drooping flowers are white with three inner and three outer petals. The inner petals have a touch of green at the tips. They often come up through a blanket of snow.

Caution: The bulbs are toxic if ingested.

History and Lore

According to Greek legend, Persephone brought the snowdrop with her when she returned from the underworld and like other flowers from that realm it was regarded as unlucky. Its association with death may also be attributed to the unopened flower looking like a little corpse in a shroud. Giving snowdrops to someone in the hospital in England was considered a death omen. Although unlucky to take indoors, if the cut flowers were kept in a vase just outside the house, they were said to ward off bad luck. In Wales, it was considered unlucky to take snowdrops indoors on Valentine’s Day; however, in the Welsh Borders a bowl of flowers was taken in at Imbolc to drive out evil spirits and mark the beginning of spring. In England and Scotland, the snowdrop was considered a flower of hope because it heralded spring. To see a snowdrop blooming before New Year’s Day in Scotland was said to bring luck for the year ahead.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

To aid perseverance when going through a difficult period, carry a sachet of dried flowers with you or dab a little flower essence behind your ears. When dealing with trust issues, write the initials of the person on a picture of snowdrops and keep it on your altar until it is resolved.

Solomon’s Seal

Common Solomon’s Seal also known as lady’s lockets, sow’s teats

Great Solomon’s Seal also known as lady’s seal, sealwort

Each plant has a single, elegantly arching stem with lance-shaped leaves growing on the upper side. The tubular flowers are creamy or waxy white and topped with yellowish green. They dangle beneath the stem under the leaves. Great Solomon’s seal can reach up to seven feet tall.

Caution: All parts of these plants are toxic if ingested.

Solomon’s Seal

History and Lore

King Solomon of Israel reputedly used a special signet/seal ring for magic and by medieval times in Europe he was regarded as a great wizard. According to legend in the Middle East, Solomon placed his seal upon this plant, which can be seen as circular scars on the roots. While the Greeks and Romans generally ignored the plant, by the Middle Ages herbalists and alchemists throughout Europe found it of value. The root was regarded as a powerful amulet if the design of the ancient seal ring could be discerned on it. In Germany, it was considered “a key to subterranean treasure On May Day in France and Belgium, fronds of Solomon’s seal were hung on houses and barns for luck.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

To bind an oath, write it on paper, fold it, and then dip the bottom of a flower in ink and press it to the paper to make a seal. To develop inner wisdom, hold a piece of root as you meditate. To repel negative energy, sprinkle powdered root around the outside of your home.

Southernwood

Southernwood also known as lad’s love, mother-wood, sweet Benjamin

Southernwood is a close cousin to mugwort and wormwood. Strongly aromatic, it releases a woodsy fragrance when brushed against. The fern-like, gray-green leaves retain their fragrance after drying and give off scent when burned. The flowers look like small, yellow buttons.

Caution: Southernwood is toxic if ingested in large amounts.

History and Lore

The ancient Greeks and Romans revered southernwood for its magical powers and effectiveness against sorcery, mundane ailments, and snakes. Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder designated it as an erotic herb and suggested placing it under the mattress to act as an aphrodisiac. Associated with courtship and flirting in Britain, women used southernwood in divination to discover whom they would marry; men used it as a buttonhole flower. A piece of the plant worn in a shoe was believed to attract a lover. In Germany, southernwood was used in love potions and in France it was placed in bouquets that lovers gave each other to symbolize fidelity. The Germans also used southernwood for protection from witches and spells. Reputedly in England, southernwood could cure faery-inflicted illness that befell a person after taking part in fae revels or eating their food.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

For a handfasting ceremony or renewal of vows, wrap a long stem around your wrists as you join hands. Tuck a few sprigs under the mattress to boost pleasure in the bedroom. To clear the energy and enhance your skills for divination, burn a few dried leaves before a session.

Speedwell

Common Speedwell also known as blue star, gypsy weed, heath speedwell, Veronica

Germander Speedwell also known as angel’s eyes, bird’s eye, blue eye, eyebright

Both plants are also known as bright-eye, cat’s eyes, mother-die, poor man’s tea, wish-me-well.

Speedwell has creeping stems and spikes of flowers that are tubular with four rounded, streaked petals. Common speedwell flowers can be pale blue, violet, or pinkish purple. The leaves are oval with toothed edges. Germander speedwell flowers can be various shades of blue, mauve, or pale violet with a white “eye” at the center. The oval leaves are slightly pointed.

History and Lore

In Ireland, speedwell was used to keep evil spirits away and to counteract spells. It was believed that the plant could not be harmed by anything natural or supernatural. Along with yarrow and other herbs, it was given to cows during calving to protect them against faeries and run-of-the-mill bad luck. With its name meaning “farewell” and “good luck,” speedwell was tucked into clothing for protection from accidents while traveling. According to various legends in England, picking the flowers could result in a thunderstorm, bird’s pecking your eyes out, or your mother dying.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

For luck, tuck a sprig of flowers into your suitcase while traveling or keep it in the glove box of your car. Include it in a protective charm to counteract spells or to dispel any form of negativity. Place a picture of speedwell on your altar to enhance intuition.

Spider Plant

Spider Plant comosum syn. Anthericum Hartwegia also known as hen and chickens, ribbon plant, spider ivy, walking anthericum

This popular houseplant consists of a rosette of spreading, arching leaves. The narrow leaves taper to a point and can be solid green or variegated with lengthwise stripes of white or pale yellow. The drooping flower stems produce white, star-shaped flowers. The flowers develop into tiny plants that dangle from the mother like little spiders on a web.

History and Lore

Spider plants have been used medicinally by the Indigenous people of South Africa and Zimbabwe and as a charm for pregnant mothers to protect them and their infants from evil spirits. According to Polish folklore, a flowering plant in the home indicated a wedding in the making or a baby on the way.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Good for clearing impurities from the air indoors, spider plants absorb negativity and give the energy of your home a boost. As part of a fertility spell, hang one in the bedroom if you are planning a pregnancy, or root one of the babies in its own pot and place it next to your bed.

Spikenard

American Spikenard also known as American sarsaparilla, Indian root, old man’s root, spiceberry, wild licorice

Ploughman’s Spikenard also known as cinnamon root, fly grass, great fleabane, poor man’s spikenard

Spikenard jatamansi syn. N. also known as Indian nard, Indian root, nard, true spikenard

Spikenard has lance-shaped leaves and mauve- to pinkish purple, bell-shaped flowers that grow in rounded clusters at the top of the stems. American spikenard has pointed oval leaves with serrated edges. Its tiny, green flowers grow in starburst clusters on branched stalks and develop into dark purple berries. Ploughman’s spikenard has lance-shaped leaves with serrated margins and branching purplish stems. Growing in clusters, its thistle-like, barrel-shaped flowers are dull yellow and purplish. All three plants grow about three feet tall and have aromatic roots.

Caution: True spikenard is a critically endangered species.

History and Lore

The Egyptians, Hebrews, and Hindus used spikenard medicinally and ritually. The scented oil was highly prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans who used it for anointing prior to crowning with wreaths at festivals. Ploughman’s spikenard was used medicinally by the Anglo-Saxons. In later centuries, the English hung roots in homes or burned them in alehouse fireplaces to scent the air and remove unpleasant odors. American spikenard was used medicinally by the Cherokee, Chippewa, Iroquois, Menominee, and Micmac for a wide range of ailments.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Because true spikenard is critically endangered it is best to work with it symbolically or use American or ploughman’s spikenard instead. The strong cleansing properties of these plants negate negative energy bringing balance and fidelity between people.

Spindletree

Spindletree

Spindletree also known as death alder, louse berry, pegwood, prickwood, spindle wood, spindleberry

Wahoo also known as burning bush, Indian arrow wood, purple spindletree

The spindletree has dull green, oval leaves and small, yellowish-green flowers. The reddish-pink fruit capsules contain orange berries. The wahoo has dark green, oval leaves, dark purple flowers, and scarlet-red fruit capsules.

Caution: All parts of these trees are toxic if ingested.

History and Lore

As might be expected, the name of the European tree comes from its use for making equipment for spinning and weaving. In England, Romani favored the wood for knitting needles. Since the time of the Anglo-Saxons, spindletree was used medicinally in England although in Buckinghamshire where it was known as death alder it was considered unlucky to take any part of it into the home. According to Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder, an abundance of flowers indicated an immanent outbreak of the plague. Used to make arrows, the name wahoo is from the Lakota Sioux word meaning “arrow Although all parts of the tree are poisonous, the Meskwaki and Winnebago used wahoo medicinally.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Because the spindle is a symbol of magic and manifestation, wrap a piece of yarn around a branch like a spindle to add power to your spells. To aid in breaking or deterring a hex, crush a handful of dried berries underfoot, and then scatter them outside.

Spruce

Black Spruce also known as American spruce, bog spruce, swamp spruce

Norway Spruce abies syn. also known as mountain spruce, red fir, white fir

White Spruce also known as Black Hills spruce, cat spruce, skunk spruce

Black spruce has stiff, blue-green needles and

purplish-brown, egg-shaped cones that grow in clusters. Norway spruce has a pyramid shape and dark green needles. Its main branches arch upward with smaller branches drooping from them. The blue-green needles of white spruce have a waxy, white coating and a pungent odor when crushed.

History and Lore

In Germany and Belgium, spruce was regarded highly enough to be used for Maypoles and Yule logs. It was commonly believed in Bavaria that spirits inhabited spruce trees. Like pine, spruce was also used on Walpurgis in the Austrian state of Tyrol where boughs were set alight and carried around villages accompanied by the ringing of bells and beating on pans to burn out witches. Spruce was used as a nail tree for sympathetic medicine and magic in Germany and Austria. Making a request for healing was accompanied by driving a nail into the tree. In Sweden, spruce branches were included in burials to cover the dead. This was believed to also prevent the deceased from coming back to haunt the living.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

To determine when to act on intuition, diffuse a little essential oil to aid you. To ground energy after ritual or magic work, hold a cone between your hands for a minute or two. For help with a problem, write keywords about it on a picture of spruce, visualize a resolution, and then burn it.

Spurge

Cypress Spurge also known as graveyard weed, love-in-a-huddle, witch’s milk, wolf’s milk

Sun Spurge also known as cat’s milk, devil’s milk, madwoman’s milk, wart weed, witch’s milk, wolf’s milk

These plants have clusters of unusual cup-shaped flowers with large, rounded bracts underneath. Cypress spurge is bushy and about twelve inches tall with needle-like foliage. Its flowers are lime yellow and grow at the tops of the erect stems. Sun spurge has distinctive red stems and serrated, oblong leaves that are wider at the ends and taper at the base. The flowers are light green to pale yellow. Both plants contain a milky latex sap.

Caution: Spurge is toxic if ingested, sun spurge can be fatal; the white sap can be toxic to the skin and eyes; sun spurge may cause photosensitivity.

History and Lore

Mentioned in ancient Greek magical texts, spurge has been used throughout the centuries in Europe to ward off demons and cure bewitchment. Despite the plant’s toxicity, it was used medicinally in Ireland and England. Herbalist Nicholas Culpeper also noted that it “provokes In England, cypress spurge was commonly planted in gardens and cemeteries. In Ireland, sun spurge was reputedly an aid for rescuing a woman who had been taken by faeries; however, to be effective the plant had to be gathered at a particular time during the month of August.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Include spurge in a spell to break any type of jinx against you by placing a few dabs of essential oil on your magical tools. Use a picture of spurge as a protective charm. Scatter a few seeds on your altar to help raise defensive energy.

Star Anise

Chinese Star Anise also known as aniseed stars

Japanese Star Anise anisatum syn. I. also known as anise shrub

Chinese star anise is a small tree; the Japanese tree is more of a large, bushy shrub. Both have glossy, oval leaves that taper at both ends. The spidery, yellowish-white flowers have a pink to reddish tinge and grow on long stems that sprout from the base of the leaves. The Chinese flowers are solitary; Japanese flowers grow in clusters. The eight-pointed, star-shaped seedpod is brown and woody when mature.

Caution: Japanese star anise is toxic if ingested.

History and Lore

In Asia, Chinese star anise has been used medicinally and as an aphrodisiac for centuries. According to Chinese folklore, it was also used for protection against the evil eye. Finding a seedpod with more than eight points was regarded as lucky. Japanese star anise was used as a temple offering to deities in Japan. The seedpods are burned as incense in Buddhist religious ceremonies.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Anoint each cardinal direction of your altar with the essential oil to amplify the power of ritual. Hold three seedpods between your hands for a minute before any type of psychic work to boost awareness. Use a seedpod as an amulet for success when taking an exam or for a job interview.

Stitchwort

Greater Stitchwort holostea syn. also known as devil’s nightcap, moon flower, morning stars, satin flower, starwort

Lesser Stitchwort, Common Stitchwort graminea syn. Alsine also known as piskie flower, starwort

Stitchwort has grass-like leaves and white, five-petaled flowers with deep notches that make them appear to have ten petals. Greater stitchwort reaches up to a foot tall; its flowers are about an inch in diameter. Low-growing lesser stitchwort hides its smaller, half-inch-wide flowers among meadow grasses.

History and Lore

The Anglo-Saxons used stitchwort to cure elf shot and other unexplained pains, especially in the side. Elf shot was believed to be an invisible magical weapon used by elves to cause disease. Stitchwort was also used as an amulet against the evil eye. British children were warned not to pick the flowers because it would cause thunder and lightning and in Cornwall, they were told that they would be pixie-led or bitten by adders. According to English legend, stitchwort was guarded by pixies so it could not be used in charms against them. It was also said to be under the protection of faeries because they were fond of the flowers and liked to make garlands with them.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

To boost lunar magic for esbat rituals, tie long flower stems into a circle to place on your altar. To create a sense of peace and tranquility, hold a picture of stitchwort between your hands as you visualize white light emanating from the flowers and surrounding you.

Stonecrop

Stonecrop

Stonecrop, Orpine telephium syn. Sedum also known as everlasting, life-everlasting, live-forever, love-forever, Midsummer men, witch’s moneybags

Reaching up to two feet tall, stonecrop has succulent, oblong or rounded leaves that are toothed and bluish green. The flowers grow in dense, flat-topped to convex branching clusters at the top of the stems. The flowers are star-shaped with five, spreading petals in colors that range from pink to purplish red and sometimes white or greenish.

History and Lore

Stonecrop has been used medicinally since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans and for centuries it was worn as a healing charm. Because the plant seemed to resist drying out and could grow in stony soil, it gained a wide-spread reputation of lasting forever. In Britain, Germany, and Switzerland, stonecrop was used for love divination on Midsummer’s Eve. At other times, it was used to indicate whether or not a lover was faithful. The French believed that it was an indicator of sorcery and that it would wither if a witch were nearby. In England, keeping stonecrop in the house was said to bring good health, and in Massachusetts, growing it in the garden would bring prosperity. Stonecrop was grown on roofs in Scandinavia to protect houses from lightning and fire; however, a plant that suddenly died was an omen that someone in the household would also.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Incorporate several clusters of flowers to strengthen a love spell. Grow it in your garden as a protective charm and to foster a sense of fidelity in your household. Sprinkle a handful of seeds on your altar or table to enhance divination sessions.

Storax

Liquidambar, Levant Storax also known as Asian storax, Levant stracte, Oriental sweet gum, styrax, Turkish sweet gum

Storax also known as snowbell bush, snowdrop bush, stracte, styrax

Sweet Gum also known as American storax, American styrax, witch’s burr

Storax is a small, shrubby tree with oval leaves. White, bell-shaped flowers grow in small, drooping clusters at the ends of the branches and develop into round, creamy-yellow fruit. The Liquidambar trees have coarsely toothed leaves with five to seven lobes. Tiny, yellow-green flowers grow in upright clusters (male) and dangling, round clusters (female). The female flowers develop into the spiny fruiting clusters called

Caution: The fruit of these trees is not edible.

History and Lore

The names styrax (Greek) and storax (Latin) have caused centuries of confusion. While the gum resin is called it was often distinguished as “liquid storax” if it came from the Liquidambar orientalis tree and “solid storax” if it came from Styrax However, scholars still debate over which one was the highly prized storax of the ancients. The Greeks and Romans burned the resin as offerings to deities and for centuries it was used as incense in churches and mosques throughout Europe and the Middle East. Storax was also burned in French medieval magical rites. The Aztec used sweet gum to flavor tobacco and in the Yucatan, it was used as temple incense.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Burn storax incense to raise psychic protection during divination and to aid in breaking hexes. Also include it in spells to increase their effectiveness. Diffuse a little essential oil to purify magic tools or to prepare space for ritual.

Strawberry

Cultivated Strawberry, Garden Strawberry x

Wild Strawberry

Strawberry leaves have three toothed leaflets and form a base rosette. The white, five-petaled flowers grow on separate stems. The cultivated strawberry grows about six inches tall; the wild strawberry looks like a smaller version of the garden plant.

History and Lore

According to Celtic legend, wild strawberries helped sustain the warrior band known as the Fianna when they were off fighting. While the Romans valued strawberries more for medicinal purposes, by the Middle Ages the French were happily eating them and in London they were prized treats sold by street vendors. Lovers in Germany traditionally exchanged bracelets of wild strawberry stems. Strawberries reputedly provided protection from demons and were a deterrent to witches and any illness caused by them. Drinking strawberry leaf tea was said to protect against bewitchment. The first strawberry plants found in the summer were believed to have especially strong healing powers. In Bavaria, small baskets of strawberries were tied between the horns of cows so elves would bless them with abundant milk.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

To attract abundance, make a wreath with long stems and hang it in your kitchen. Sprinkle a handful of dried leaves across the threshold of your front door to invite happiness and harmony. Kindle passion with your lover by slowly and sensually feeding strawberries to each other.

Sunflower

Common Sunflower also known as annual sunflower

Reaching up to ten feet tall, this iconic sunflower has thick, branching stems and coarse, heart-shaped leaves covered with rough hairs. The yellow-rayed flower head can measure four to twelve inches wide. A large disk of seeds forms in the middle of the flower.

History and Lore

With its large flowerhead resembling radiant beams, the sunflower was venerated by the Inca and represented their sun god. Priests and priestesses wore gold pendant disks with the image of a sunflower on it. They were also depicted in carvings on temple stones. Sunflower seeds were used for food and medicine by the Iroquois, Ojibwe, Shoshoni, Ute, and others. As a symbol of strength and endurance, the sunflower was included in the Sun Dance, an important and sacred ceremony of the Lakota Sioux, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Blackfoot. Imported into Europe in the sixteenth century, growing sunflowers in the garden was believed to bring luck in England.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

For help in manifesting your dreams and desires, float a handful of petals in your bath water as you visualize what you want. To bring clarity and solve a problem, prepare a candle with sunflower oil, and then burn it while you meditate on the situation.

Sweet Flag

Sweet Flag, Calamus calamus syn. Calamus also known as calamus root, flagroot, gladden, gladdon, sweet grass, sweet rush, sweet sedge

Sweet flag is an aquatic plant that reaches about three feet tall. It has flat, iris-like stems with sword-like leaves growing from the base. An off-centered ridge runs along the length of each leaf. A cylindrical protrusion halfway up the stem contains tiny, yellowish-brown, or greenish yellow flowers.

Caution: The root is toxic if ingested.

History and Lore

The Sumerians used sweet flag in sacred incense mixtures. In addition to incense, the Egyptians placed the flowers and leaves in tombs. To the ancient Romans and Arabs, the scent of sweet flag was an aphrodisiac. The Anglo-Saxons used it medicinally as did the Cherokee, Dakota, Iroquois, Lakota, Menominee, Ojibwe, Omaha, and Pawnee, some of whom also used it for its hallucinogenic effects. In Europe, these properties gave sweet flag an association with witchcraft despite its common use as a strewing herb in churches. According to Japanese folklore, sweet flag provided protection from evil. In Borneo, it was used to contact spirit beings for divination and healing rituals. In Papua New Guinea, sweet flag was an aid for communicating with the spirit world.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Diffuse sweet flag essential oil as you cast a circle to help contact and work with spirit guides. Also use the scent during meditation when seeking wisdom. To attract luck into your life, sprinkle powdered root under four stones that you place at the corners of your property.

Sweet Woodruff

Sweet Woodruff odoratum syn. Asperula also known as hay plant, master of the woods, sweet-scented bedstraw, wild baby’s breath

Reaching eight to fifteen inches tall, whorls of six to eight leaves form around the stems. Growing in small clusters, the dainty, white flowers are funnel shaped with petals that splay open at the ends. While the plant seems to have little or no fragrance, it develops a sweet, hay-like scent that gets stronger as it dries.

History and Lore

During the Middle Ages in Germany, sweet woodruff was strewn on floors to deter odors, insects, and evil spirits. Because witches were allegedly afraid of the flowers, they served as a magic charm for children and placing blossoms in cradles

protected the mother and infant from spells. Sweet woodruff was also carried in a linen pouch to keep poisonous animals at bay. During illness, Germans and Belgians hung little bouquets at the head of the bed for magical healing. In weather divination, the scent of sweet woodruff in a linen closet was said to be stronger before rain. Sweet woodruff is believed to be the plant called matry-silva that German scholar and occult writer Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa associated with the fixed star

Sweet Woodruff

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

To enhance dream work, drink woodruff tea before bed or place a sachet of dried leaves beside your pillow. For a boost to communication skills, keep a small jar of seeds in your workspace. As part of a spell for success, burn a few dried leaves.

Sweetgrass

Sweetgrass also known as bison grass, buffalo grass, holy grass, Seneca grass, vanilla grass

Sweetgrass stems reach up to three feet tall and are often reddish purple at the base. The leaves are long and narrow with rough edges and shiny undersides. Tiny yellowish-brown flowers grow in branched, tapering clusters. A vanilla-like fragrance develops when the plant begins to dry.

Caution: Sweetgrass has potentially toxic properties and should not be ingested.

History and Lore

The genus name Hierochloe was derived from the Greek “sacred,” and Sweetgrass is regarded as a sacred plant by Native American tribes across North America including the Blackfoot, Passamaquoddy, Ojibwe, Cheyenne, Chippewa, Mohawk, Lakota, and Potawatomi. It is often worn in a medicine pouch for spiritual protection and used as an aid for removing evil spirits. Tribal elders are given sweetgrass as a sign of respect. Braided leaves are burned as incense for sacred smoke in purification ceremonies and to carry prayers. Also native to Europe, sweetgrass was used medicinally and as a strewing herb in Eastern Europe. It was used to flavor vodka in Poland.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

Burn a small braid of sweetgrass and waft the smoke over you before any type of spiritual work or for healing. Burn a few leaves or diffuse the essential oil to consecrate and purify ritual space. Also burn a little when contacting and working with spirit guides.

Sycamore

American Sycamore also known as American plane tree, buttonwood, ghost tree

London Plane Tree x acerifolia syn. P. x also known as London planetree

Oriental Sycamore also known as ghost tree, oriental plane tree

The leaves of sycamore trees look like oversized maple leaves. Yellow and red flowers grow in small clusters that develop into fuzzy, brown seed balls. American sycamore seed balls grow singly, the London plane tree’s grow in pairs, and the oriental sycamore’s grow in clusters of two to six. Sycamore bark flakes or peels off revealing a lighter-colored inner bark sometimes giving the tree a ghostly appearance. A type of maple is also known as sycamore.

History and Lore

A valued shade tree, the thick foliage of the sycamore provided cool, convenient meeting places for the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Greeks considered the tree a gift from the gods; the Romans poured libations of wine on the roots. Couples in Greece who had to be temporarily separated each took half of a sycamore leaf to symbolize their love and their eventual reunion. Although it had some medicinal use in medieval Europe, it was believed that sycamores growing in a village would deter the plague from entering. Revered in Syria well into the nineteenth century, it was customary to hang amulets on the tree’s branches.

Magical Connections

Spells and Rituals

For help in dealing with problems and to wipe the slate clean for a fresh start, crumble a seed ball, and then scatter the pieces outside. Keep a twig on your desk to aid you in everyday communications. To prepare outdoor ritual areas, strew dried leaves before casting a circle.

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