For many witches, herbs play a huge role in our spiritual practices. That’s why there are certain herbs that appear to be staples in the witchcraft world, which include sage, lavender, mugwort and a handful of others. While there are numerous common herbs that we, as witches, may use in our day-to-day rituals, there are also quite a few others that don’t seem to get wide mention. The following list of five interesting herbs will hopefully give you some new ideas, and inspire you to spice up your herb cabinet
Acmella oleracea
Also known as the Toothache Plant, acmella oleracea is a beautiful ornamental that has culinary, medicinal — and potentially magical — properties. When the raw leaves are chewed it’s known to cause a numbing affect in the mouth — hence the nickname of Toothache plant. It grows abundantly in South America and Africa, but can also be grown elsewhere with proper care and maintenance. One cool trait of this flowering herb is that it attracts fireflies when it’s in bloom!
Magically speaking, the toothache plant can be used in a variety of spells. Knowing that it attracts fireflies, one could logically discern that this plant is associated with the fire element. Spells of love, passion and even aggression could make use of this herb. The medicinal numbing abilities of this plant make it useful in healing magic — but could also possibly be used in spells that stop gossip or the spreading of secrets.
Red Perilla
This plant, hailing from Asia, is used in a variety of applications from pickling and seasoning dishes to medicine. It’s also called the Shiso plant. This herb is incredibly easy to grow once it is established, and can actually thrive in a variety of environments. Medicinally, Perilla is used as an antioxidant and has been noted as a possible “antidote” for food poisoning.
According to this source, this plant was considered highly sacred in some ancient Asian traditions — though it doesn’t specify which Asian cultures. Use your imagination when it comes to applying this herb to your spiritual practice. For example, the red color that comes from the plant’s leaves can symbolize love, passion and even blood.
Pennywort
More specifically called Centella asiatica, this beautiful flowering herb is used in herbal hair loss remedies and applied to other healing uses. According to this source, you can use Pennywort to strengthen powerful love and sex spells. It can also be used in spells focusing on healing, spiritual awareness and psychic development.
Plectranthus amboinicus
Mexican Mint is the trade name given to this flowering herb, which is used for a variety of healing applications. Plectranthus amboinicus can be used to sooth an upset stomach and as an analgesic. When it comes to spirituality, Mexican Mint can potentially be used for protection spells, good luck and grounding magic.
Finger Root
Finger root (or Boesenbergia rotunda), is another herb that comes from the Asian continent, and is used medicinally as well as in culinary applications. It also has acknowledged aphrodisiac qualities, according to this report by the US National Library of Medicine. Knowing that this herb is a noted aphrodisiac, it only makes sense to consider the possibility of using Finger Root in love and sex magic.
Things to consider
- Make sure you thoroughly research any plants that you’re interested in before committing to growing or using them. You don’t want to accidentally purchase the wrong plant, nor do you want to unwittingly introduce an invasive plant to your environment. Check state and county laws or ordinances to become acquainted with any potential “no-no” plants in your own area.
- If you purchase herbs or seeds, be sure to obtain them from credible, well-trusted sources. There are countless people who sell seeds and plants on Amazon, Etsy or even their own virtual storefronts or websites. Research any merchant or store name prior to making purchases to be sure you’re not buying from a known scam source or someone who unethically sources their plants (i.e. stealing from native sources or protected areas)
- Consider looking for more local alternatives than what is on this list — unless, of course, you’re local to some of the aforementioned herbs. Sometimes your own environment can offer all you need in regards to your witchcraft practice.
