Many of these herbs are still used today, including a lot of the herbs previously grown in the traditional and terrifying witch's garden � Hellebore, Henbane, Thornapple, Opium Poppy, Bittersweet, Deadly Nightshade, Wolfsbane, Foxglove and Mandrake. Used both in herbal preparations and in ritual, this herb of Venus is magickal and healing. Berg, William, "Hecate: Greek or "Anatolian"? Lewis Richard Farnell, (1896). Historically, growing the herb deliberately could buy you a one way ticket to the stake! The poppy also features in Greek myths, as it appeared around Demeter as she searched for her daughter Persephone, who had been abducted by Hades. She’s often accompanied by a large black dog and is well-versed in plants, both medicinal and poisonous. Like Belladonna, Henbane has a long standing reputation as a poison and all round dangerous herb. It begins with a sunny yellow flower and ends with a wish. I was thinking about Hecate as I gathered some dandelion leaves for this morning’s tea. Visit someone you've missed. These plants, with their dark leaves, and often purple or white flowers, conjure up clear images of wizened old women, evil curses, magic performed in the dark and never spoken about. Hecate has many symbols. Hecate has three aspects: goddess of fertility and plenty; goddess of the moon; and queen of the night, ghosts and shades. These plants, with their dark leaves, and often purple or white flowers, conjure up clear images of wizened old women, evil curses, magic performed in the dark and never spoken about. In larger doses it can kill very easily so its best not to use it, and to leave it up to a qualified herbalist to prescribe this plant. Unsurprisingly, this is another plant with a long history has a hallucinogenic and narcotic, and was reputed to be a witches and sorcerer's herb. An herb of Mercury as well, lavender essential oil may be used to anoint candles during workings involving communication and clarity.

It’s also a lovely addition to dream pillows. Pages 57 to 64, Roscher, 1889; Heckenbach, 2781; Rohde, ii. English translation used here from: William Wynn Wescott (tr.

The plant grows to approximately 30 inches tall and is biennial, and easily cultivated from seed. It grows wild in some fields and wastelands, as well as being cultivated in an assortment of different variations as an attractive garden plant � generally by those who are unaware of its ancient power and reputation. Aradia in Sardinia: The Archaeology of a Folk Character. Its varied fragrance is found in essential oils, sachets, and potpourri and it’s a staple on my altar for use in love magick and herbal incense. Mugwort is as prolific as comfrey, which means you never want this plant to flower. The berries are about the same size as cherries and are highly poisonous. The Greeks dedicated it to Aphrodite. As such, she is associated with the Dark of the Moon. My blog contains affiliate links from advertisers. It promotes menses, so mugwort tea should never be used by a woman who either is pregnant or is attempting to become pregnant. The flowers are fascinating, pale creamy coloured with dark veins and a darker throat, and are usually 6 petalled, appearing on tall flower stems above the main plant. Anoint candles with peppermint essential oil to increase clarity and to stimulate energy and spearmint to calm emotional distress. She is variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, night, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery. Throughout the history of mankind, we have told fairy tales and myths and legends featuring fantastic creatures, gnarled witches, spooky forests and epic quests. Her associations with spellwork have given her affiliations to numerous plants. Some of the plants referred to as 'Mandrake' of one sort of another are not part of the Mandrake family � for example Bryony (Brionia dioica) which is sometimes referred to as 'English Mandrake'. When you think of witchcraft, this is perhaps the first plant that springs to mind, such is the nature of the lore associated with it.

According to later stories, the Anglo Saxons dipped the heads of their hunting arrows in the juice of the plant when hunting wolves, hence the alternative name of Wolfsbane, although this may also come from the myth that it can be used to cure or ward off werewolves � this depending heavily on personal opinion. A traditional spell involving the use of Henbane dictates that the practitioner should go to a dark, enchanted forest and burn an incense of Henbane, Fennel root, Frankincense, Coriander and Cassia in a censer on a stump surrounded by black candles � the candles will go out once the spirits have arrived . Never let it go to seed unless you want it everywhere. The thornapple is a member of the Solanaceae family, as are Henbane, Mandrake and Belladonna, and like Henbane, it has unusually shaped, toothed leaves and a strong, unpleasant smell.
So, the next time you take a walk, and you find yourself at the crossroads, lay down some garlic, or perhaps a sprig of lavender flowers, and say a silent blessing to Hecate before continuing on your path. On the other side of the coin, they were used as a general good luck charm.

May 2010 Garlic is assigned to both Hecate and Lilith and is useful in magickal workings involving protection, self-empowerment, passion, and courage. "Many have been caught by the obvious resemblance of the Gr. Lets take a closer look at some of these mysterious and often deadly plants. It has deeply divided, palmate leaves which are a glossy dark green above and silvery below, and blue violet coloured flowers formed in tall spikes, which appear between May and June each year. Legend has it that the plant was originally introduced to Britain by Gypsies, who smoked it as a hallucinogenic � whether there is any truth in this remains to be seen.

These are the herbs that must be used cautiously, with crone wisdom and clear sight, for small doses can bring about huge amounts of change, and larger doses can kill. 19 K), Apollodorus, Melanthius, Hegesander, Chariclides (iii. Roel Sterckx, Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. Call, text, send email, write letters. An herb of Jupiter, dandelion promotes prosperity, leadership, justice, and understanding. Any reposting of my work without permission can be considered as copyright infringement, so please ask. The Celts used it as a poisonous coating for their arrows, and it later became associated with witches and witchcraft during the medieval era. Rohde, i. The plant is quite rare in the UK these days which is probably a good thing, as the whole plant is extremely narcotic to the touch and is only used medicinally in minute doses. Who could forget the tale of the young girl, with hair black as night, skin white as snow and lips red as blood, who so infuriated her father's new wife that she attempted to have the girl killed in a number of unpleasant ways, the last and most successful of which concerned giving the girl an apple liberally seasoned with Deadly Nightshade � known commonly these days as Atropa belladonna, or Belladonna.

264 f., and notes, 275–277, ii.

), "A top of Hekate is a golden sphere enclosing a lapis lazuli in its middle that is twisted through a cow-hide leather thong and having engraved letters all over it.

Belladonna � 'beautiful woman'. Last, but most certainly not least, is the venerable Mandrake, a plant that has a huge amount of folklore, myth and legend associated with it. 79, n. 1. also Ammonius (p. 79, Valckenaer), Foreign Influence on Ancient India, Krishna Chandra Sagar, Northern Book Centre, 1992, Household and Family Religion in Antiquity by John Bodel and Saul M. Olyan, page 221, published by John Wiley & Sons, 2009, d'Este & Rankine, Hekate Liminal Rites, Avalonia, 2009. I may earn from clicks, subscriptions, and/or purchases that readers may be interested in pursuing.

In order to avoid the lethal screams, a dog would be tied to the plant and urged to pull it up, using raw meat to encourage the dog's movement. It has a fairly substantial amount of folklore surrounding it, unsurprising given its decidedly sinister appearance. And if I give permission, you MUST clearly reference my name as author and my website. As with many of the herbs associated with witchcraft, Aconite first stimulates the nervous system and grants pain relief, but later on leads to paralysis, vomiting, stomach pains, diarrhoea and finally death. When the leaves become ragged-looking, allow the roots to take the energy and then gather some in the fall for winter decoctions to keep the body in balance. Mandrake dates back to the Egyptians, roughly 1700BCE, and has been found in some of the pyramids. doi:10.2307/1087735. Hecate or Hekate (/ ˈ h ɛ k. ə. t i /; Ancient Greek: Ἑκάτη, Hekátē) is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches or a key and in later periods depicted in triple form. Typically enough, this is another of the herbs that has a double edged reputation � in this case, it can both deter demons and summon them. But above all, don’t forget a cup of mint and chamomile tea in the evening for a lovely herbal end to the day. Hecate and the Egyptian Goddess, Isis are closely associated.

If this is not the case and you wish an image removed, please do email me. Francis Douce, Illustrations of Shakspeare, and of Ancient Manners, 1807, p. 235-243. In both old and modern medicine, Henbane has been used to treat pain, as in small doses it is a very effective painkiller. Considering that general consensus is that this is one of the most dangerous plants in the British Isles, this is a singularly stupid use of the plant, although not greatly surprising given the other herbs also associated with witches. Witch, Empath, Herbalist, Author, Reiki Master, Kenpo Black Belt, Beekeeper, and Goddess Blessed, As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Such things they call charms, whether it is the matter of a spherical object, or a triangular one, or some other shape.

In modern day herbal medicine, the plant is used as an antispasmodic for painful, spasmodic conditions of the digestive system, urinary tract and respiratory tract, as well as to treat asthma and as a pain killer and sedative. Some of the most common are the following: Crossroads, Keys, Torches, Entrence ways, Gate ways, Black Dogs or Hounds, Black ewe lambs, Cauldron, Snakes, All phases of the Moon, the Sea and Graveyards.
Medea used the herb to poison Theseus after he deserted her. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”. The name 'Monkshood' comes, not only from the appearance of the flowers, but also from the monks, who used to grow it in their gardens and use it as an addition to rubs to relieve joint aches and pains. The ancients used it as an anodyne and soporific, to treat rheumatic complaints, while larger doses of it can cause delirium and madness, typical of many of the Underworld associated plants. Somniferum derives from Greek, and means 'sleep bearing', unsurprisingly. [Diviners] spin this sphere and make invocations. These are the herbs traditionally associated with Hecate, Goddess of Night and Death, Crone of wisdom and change.

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