This is a working document intended to be used as a resource to encourage the use of non endangered & non culturally appropriative plants for smoke cleansing. I, by no means claim to be an expert on indigenous, native customs. If you are looking for one I recommend you research the closest Native American/First Nations Center or Museum near you. I am constantly learning so invite comments and if you have any additions or edits you believe should be added please feel free to message me! Profound Gratitude.
First, THANK YOU for taking this step to ensure you are cleansing your self and spaces in a sustainable, ethical, and non-culturally-appropriative way.
Most of us are familiar with the most popular herbs used for Smoke Cleansing, such as White Sage, Palo Santo, Copal & Sweetgrass. However did you know that there are at least 30 other herbs that have been used for cleansing our bodies, spaces, and sacred ceremonies since ancient times?
This is especially important information today as many of our Sacred Herbs are being over-harvested due to ecologically exploitive practices of over-harvesting. Our society’s obsession with new age cultural & spiritual-bypassing practices also encourgae cultural appropriation by skipping the usual years of apprenticeship that those who worked with these herbs & ceremonial burning had to go through as it was customary in First Nations and Indigenous communities to ensure something like disrespectful overharvesting didnt occur in the first place.
First, THANK YOU for taking this step to ensure you are cleansing your self and spaces in a sustainable, ethical, and non-culturally-appropriative way.
Most of us are familiar with the most popular herbs used for Smoke Cleansing, such as White Sage, Palo Santo, Copal & Sweetgrass. However did you know that there are at least 30 other herbs that have been used for cleansing our bodies, spaces, and sacred ceremonies since ancient times?
This is especially important information today as many of our Sacred Herbs are being over-harvested due to ecologically exploitive practices of over-harvesting. Our society’s obsession with new age cultural & spiritual-bypassing practices also encourgae cultural appropriation by skipping the usual years of apprenticeship that those who worked with these herbs & ceremonial burning had to go through as it was customary in First Nations and Indigenous communities to ensure something like disrespectful overharvesting didnt occur in the first place.
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In an attempt to create an accessible source for alternatives to this dilemma, this list offers examples of other herbs that you can find in your garden or local herbal store, their place of origin in case you want to connect with ancestral lands or ensure you are not culturally appropriating and for some, their associated Element in case you want to create Smoke Bundles that are tailored to specific needs. It also shares a glimpse into how the plant grows (we can learn much from their activities and personalities) as well as what they tend to hold in their energetic essence.
We are asking that plants give their lives for our benefit… So this process must always be done with the most profound respect possible. Plants are not here to do our work for us. We should exhaust our resources before burning a plants body. |
When wild crafting or harvesting from a live plant, you must always
Once you have the plant cuttings or dried herbs it is important to continue to build your connection with the plant:
- Ask permission of the plant
- Tell the plant what your intention is and promise it will only be used with good will and healing purposes.
- Offer the plant water or songs
- Sit for a while and allow your heart perception to expand and perceive the plants' essence and allow the plant to perceive you and your intentions and gratitude.
- Once you feel the plant has received the message, take only what you need at the moment woth silence and serenity and gratitude.
- Be gentle with the plant. Touch it as little as possible. Take it slow. We move much faster than they do.
Once you have the plant cuttings or dried herbs it is important to continue to build your connection with the plant:
- Sit with the plant, smell it, hold it over your organs and see what comes to mind & emotion.
- Hold the cuttings over your heart. Allow your heart perception to expand and perceive the plants' essence.
- Offer gratitude to the plant fornits body and essence. This can be done with deep intention or with songs (plants like songs)
- Move slowly and intentionally as you work with the plant either in conscious silence or singing to it.
- When done hold thenplants over your heart one last time in gratitude.
Non Herbal Options:
First before taking the life & essence of a living plant, perhaps consider some non herbal methods for cleansing your self and your home.
First before taking the life & essence of a living plant, perhaps consider some non herbal methods for cleansing your self and your home.
- Various stones like tourmaline, coral, tigers eye etc
- Cascarilla (Eggshells)
- Salt
- Moonwater
- Floral Essences & Waters
- Infused Oils
- Breathwork
- Charged jewelry
- Sound
- Baths
- Fasting & Cleanses
- Hair cuts
- Menstrual Cycle
- Full Moon & New Moon Baths
- Meditating at the foot of a body of water such as a river or lake
- Rituals to strengthen your protective bioenergetic field or aura
- and so much more!
Herbs & Plants to Avoid
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Species that are at Risk:
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Culturally Appropriative:
*If you already have some of any of the above, you can gift it to a Native/First Nations/Indigenous Elder to use in their ceremonies, or keep it on your altar or special location since just their presence has a cleansing effect. If you must use it, I recommend saving it for an extremely special occasion (wedding, naming ceremony, new decade ceremonies, funeral, etc). |
Ethical & Sustainable Plants for Smoke Cleansing
, the following is a working document, I am constantly adding and editing. Please feel free to add in the comments below if there is any additional information you think should be added to this running document!
Allspice
Origin: Central & South America with special affinity with Jamaican, Maya & Arawak
Elements: Fire
How they grow: Trees need tropical climate and like their space (30 feet apart!) Only female trees bear berries
Energetic Essence: Attracting positive energy, determination, increases energy, especially good for healing energy
Aspen
Origins: Britain, Americas. Special affinity with Druid cultures
Element: Air
How it grows: Reproduces through shoots under ground spreading quickly. Tall long trunks reaching for the sky with shivering leaves on top.
Energetic Essence:
Protection, Overcoming fear. Death & rebirth
Note: burns quickly
Bay Leaves
Origin: Asia Minor & Mediterranean
Elements: Fire
How it grows: Propogates easily, indoors or outdoors, soil that drains well, bugs don’t seem to bother it.
Energetic Essence: Bay leaves can be used to asperge a space, object or person in preparation or as part of any ritual, a branch of many leaves may be used in a group situation.
Mood booster, Protection, Calming , Encourages Vision, Prosperity, Protection from Harassment and Unwanted Advances, Success
Increases positive healing energy, protects against negative energy that may be hanging around the sick room. Bay leaf is exceptionally useful as a fumigant during banishing and exorcism rites.
Blue Spruce
Origins: across Northern Hemisphere in Taiga & Boreal Forests with special affinity with Druid, Siberian, Nordic, Hopi, Lakota, Salish, Swedish, French, Russian & Greek Cultures.
Elements: Earth/Air
How it grows: withstands deep cold and adversity, possibly oldest tree on Earth is a Spruce in Sweden, reproduced by layering, 9,550 years old
Energetic Essence: Cleansing, serenity, grace and nobility, ancient wisdom, Goddess energy, healing, protection, purification, spiritual refreshment, fertility, strength, clarity. Blue Spruce is especially good for folks doing deep ritual work who require a safe space or for folks guiding ceremonies and rituals and who may need extra support keeping the space free of unwanted inorganic entities.
Bougainvillea
Origin: Carribean, South America, Hawaii
Elements: Fire
How they grow: warrior tree, a survivor... Although it has wicked thorns, more survival oriented than aggression due to the plant's adaptability and tolerance levels. It is a woody vine, which makes it very much a wonderful hedgerow plant. The hedgerow is a boundry - a guardian between "here" and "there" keeping order (mundane) in and disorder (magical, other world) seperated. This plant grows comfortabaly either as a part of a hedgerow or as a solitary plant, and in either situation it is gorgeous in full bloom. It survives drought easily, is evergreen in wet climates and adapts to decidious in climates with a wet and a dry season. If given too much "good" soil and/or fertalizer, this plant does not flower although I remains very green. It seems to thrive on a certain amount of challenge.
Energetic Essence: Adventure, beauty, cleansing, cosmic while staying grounded, radiance, passion, compatible for workings of change, of adapting to a new situation, protection and travel. Overcoming challenges. For those who are experiencing anxiety from the effects of a left-brain, male dominated society. Restores awareness of magick and the vision of one's higher spiritual path.
Note: odorless when dry, good for secret work
Calendula
Origin: Egypt, Greece, Rome, India
Elements: Fire
How they grow: propgates easily from seeds,full sun but not too much eat, strong scent,
Energetic Essence: For ceremonial purification, cleansing, detoxification, happiness & health. Can be hung over doors to keep harm or negativity from entering. Dried petals can be strewn to consecrate an area or burned in consecration incense.
Important Notes: do not confuse with Zempaxochitl/Mexican Marigold
.
Catnip
Origin: Southern & Eastern Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and parts of China
Elements: Water
How they grow: Propogate easily from cuttings or seeds. Grow wild easily as well.
Energetic Essence: Rather than banishing negative essences or beings it is used to attractive positive essences or beings. Catnip was burned for love, peace and happiness within the home and for attracting to you what you set out for with your intentions. Ideal for offerrings of gratitude.
Chamomile
Origin: Europe, Mediterranean
Elements: Water
How they grow: Prefers cool dry conditions, needs little tending and can spill over
Energetic Essence: Ideal for meditation. Encourages happiness, relaxation and comfort. For protection and purification, breaking curses and spells, healing, protecting children, peace, harmony, positivity, prosperity,
Cinnamon
Origin: Sri Lanka, used across Asia, Middle East & Africa since ancient times
Elements: Fire
How they grow: Cinnamon is cultivated by growing the tree for two years, then cutting the stems at ground level. The following year, about a dozen new shoots form from the roots, replacing those that were cut.
Energetic Essence: Money, prosperity and abundance to your physical, spiritual, and environmental body. It is said that when you light the incense, you fill your home with the energy of success. Cinnamon incense attracts physical and emotional well-being, reassures the environment, attracts good luck and joy to live. Its stimulating scent helps to combat depressive states and states of sadness, as it avoids pessimism. Also good if you need more energy and more sensuality.
Clove
Origin: Indonesia
Elements: Fire
How they grow: it is the dried flower of a tropical evergreen tree. Requires rich well drained soil
Energetic Essence: Burn cloves in a crushed form as part of a loose incense to attract riches, drive away hostile and negative forces, to produce spiritual vibrations, to purify the area. Drives away hostile, negative forces and purifies the area.
Dandelion
Origin: Eurasia
Elements: Air
How they grow: Considered weeds but actually a gift from Earth.
Energetic Essence: Divination, spirit calling, happiness, healing, wishes.
Garlic Peel
Origin: Central Asia, South Asia, Southwestern Siberia
Elements: Fire
How they grow: in community
Energetic Essence: Dispels negativity, protection, cleansing, when peels are burned in ceremonial limpias or cleansings
Lavender
Origin: Mediterranean, Middle East, India, Africa
Elements: Air, Water
How they grow: perennial, full sun well drained soil
Energetic Essence: Known to help encourage a restful night's sleep as well as peace of mind, relaxation and happiness. Clarity, cleansing, divine alignment, harmony and balance, healing, joy, protection, relaxation and stress relief, relationship healing, releasing guilt and shame.
Lemonbalm
Origin: South Central Europe, Mediterranean, Central Asia, Africa
Elements: Water
How they grow: Sends out shoots just under the soil.
Energetic Essence: Brings closure, closes cycles, release, clarity, healing, prosperity Both attracts positive essences as well as repels negative essences
Lemongrass
Origin: India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia
Elements: Air
How they grow: Likes a frost-free place in full sun or light shade. The herb likes moist, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic. It grows best in warm, humid conditions
Energetic Essence: Protection, repels evil, helps with psychic abilities, solve problems and clears obstacles,purifying, cleansing, & healing. Good for meditation to encourage clarity and focus and for cleansing for ceremonies.
Lilac
Origin: Mediterranean & Africa
Elements: Water
How they grow: They needs lots of space to grow. If you're planting a hedge, they'll need a spot at least seven to eight feet wide and ten feet wide for a shrub.
Energetic Essence: Balancing of our bioenergetic points, assists in passage between the dimensions, peace, psychic abilities. Good for summoning helpful inorganic beings as well as protection from ill intentioned inorganic beings.
Magnolia
Origin: Southeast Asia & North America
Elements: Water & Earth
How they grow: Magnolia trees are ancient plants. Have existed at least 95 million years. Since they've existed since before bees, they've slowly changed their flowers to become.more attractive to bees. They do not produce nectar but have protein rich pollen bees use as food.
Energetic Essence: Awakening ancient wisdom, accessing ancestral memories and dna, independence and personal power, protection, wonderment.
Mountain Mint
Origin: North America
Elements: Air
How they grow: It prefers full sun but will tolerate some shade. Its water needs are not great and it tolerates drought well. Spreads quickly & easily. Good for repelling insects.
Energetic Essence: Protection, release, renewal, stability, strength, resilience, courage, cutting ties
Mugwort
Origin: Europe, Asia
Elements: Earth
How they grow: Very hardy though it prefers lots of sun. It spreads by an underground root system, so care must be taken that your plants don’t escape your garden to become someone else’s weeds. Do not overwater mugwort. It is drought tolerant but does not like its feet wet. Otherwise, this plant is nearly impossible to kill. You can save yourself a bit of hassle by planting it in a pot.
Energetic Essence: Mugwort, the magickal herb used for protection to enhance lucid dreaming and for clairvoyance. Mugwort has long been known as a women's herb and helps open the Third Eye. Brings clarity, deepens intuitive abilities as well as removes unwanted energy.
Note: kindles very well so a good base in sticks, folks allergic to ragweed might be sensitive
Mullein
Origin: Europe, North Africa, Mediterranean, Asia
Elements: Fire
How they grow: grows wild & fast easily, considered a “weed”, needs space and grows very tall as high as 10 feet
Energetic Essence: Protection, dreamwork, communication with spirit world
Onion Peel
Origin: Iran, Pakistan, Central Asia
Elements: Fire
How they grow: Tops shoot out in cooler weather while underground growth builds in warmer weather
Energetic Essence: Prosperity, stability, endurance, protection, banishing negative influences, ending bad habits, and removing illness. Protection, exorcism, healing, prophetic dreams, prosperity. Different colored onions have subtley different essences,
Note: While the peel can be burned, the whole onion can also be left out to absorb then purify dense or negative essences & bacteria
Peppermint
Origin: Eurasia, Africa
Elements: Air
How they grow: vigorous perennials that spread easily
Energetic Essence: Bioenergetically healing, banishes dense or negative essences, attracts positive essences
Pine
Origin: 115 types across every continent
Element: Fire/Air
How they grow: Tall, majestic, oldest is 4600 yrs old in California
Energetic Essence: Pine is an excellent herb for cleansing and protection. Like all evergreens, Pine is associated with prosperity and good health. Pine needles are traditionally used to bless a new home. In Druid lore, the Pine tree stands for persistence, moderation, and self-confidence. Needles were burned to clear away infections and insects. Refreshes a tired mind, alleviates fatigue, nervous exhaustion, and overcomes feelings of weakness and self-doubt banishing, cleansing, healing, love, fertility, prosperity, money, protection, purification, regeneration, strength, physical and magickal energy
Red Raspberry Leaf
Origin: North America, Europe
Elements: Water
How they grow: brambly bushes,
Energetic Essence: Grounding, strengthening, connection to Mother Earth, protective
Note: as tea, vital for birthing & reproductive health, to be burned sparingly & intentionally
Rose
Origin: Asia, North America, Africa, Europe
Elements: Water
How they grow: Need full sun and space, well draining soil, daily watering, attention.
Energetic Essence: Love, peace happiness, abundance, beauty, clearing and blessings, dreams, emotional healing, friendship, protection, purification, romantic love, secrecy, self-love, spirituality
Rosemary
Origin: Mediterranean
Elements: Fire, Air
How they grow: needs 6-8 hours of full sun, sensitive to over watering
Energetic Essence: Rosemary is known to to be soothing and encourages a sense of peace within your environment. Rosemary also removes negative energy from places and spaces because of this is commonly used for exorcisms and home blessings.
Rue
Origin: Eurasia & Canary Islands
Elements: Fire
How they grow: drought tolerant, rarely needs watering, thrives with little to no care/attention,
Energetic Essence: independence, resilience, overcoming obstacles, very protective, very potent for banishing and warding to protect from negative influences. Rue also has a history of being used for cursing, though I do not have a lot of detail on this. Rue may be placed over the third eye to assist with developing second sight and encourage psychic abilities.
St Johns Wort
Origin: Africa, Asia, Europe
Elements: Fire
How they grow: very adaptable and low maintenance, thrives in pastures, prairies, woodlands, ditches. Blooms in the summer, especially around the summer solstice. Ground creepers before growing vertically.
Energetic Essence: protection, health, happiness, and strength. It is also thought to ward off ghosts, demons, and the evil eye. Recommended to be burned for the Summer & Winter Solstice for protection and purification of ritual space
Thyme
Origin: Mediterranean, Egypt
Elements: Water
How they grow: thyme grows well if left alone, prefers dry sunny conditions, many varieties that grow in different styles (tall, mats, bushes etc)
Energetic Essence: The word Thyme comes from the Greek meaning to “fumigate” highlighting its use since ancient times for sacred smoke cleansing in rituals. Thyme is an excellent herb for removing obstacles, mind blocks, negative feelings and it works as a memory booster, for releasing, bravery & strength. Fumigate your home or make a floor wash with thyme to dispel melancholy, hopelessness and other mellow but negative vibrations, especially after a family tragedy or during a long sickness. Add marjoram to the mix to help draw joy back in while you’re at it.
Yarrow
Origin: Europe, Asia, Africa
Elements: Water
How they grow: Yarrow is a hardy grower and spreads on underground shoots into thick clumps. It is resistant to drought and easily reseeds itself, coming back year after year in greater numbers. It is a good plant to use where soil erosion may be a problem, or where you simply can’t get anything else to grow.
Energetic Essence: Banishing and exorcism, divination, healing, releasing negative emotions, protection, known to enhance one's powers of perception, & provides strong, general protection for the personal energy field during divination, astral projection, ritual work or just everyday life.
Allspice
Origin: Central & South America with special affinity with Jamaican, Maya & Arawak
Elements: Fire
How they grow: Trees need tropical climate and like their space (30 feet apart!) Only female trees bear berries
Energetic Essence: Attracting positive energy, determination, increases energy, especially good for healing energy
Aspen
Origins: Britain, Americas. Special affinity with Druid cultures
Element: Air
How it grows: Reproduces through shoots under ground spreading quickly. Tall long trunks reaching for the sky with shivering leaves on top.
Energetic Essence:
Protection, Overcoming fear. Death & rebirth
Note: burns quickly
Bay Leaves
Origin: Asia Minor & Mediterranean
Elements: Fire
How it grows: Propogates easily, indoors or outdoors, soil that drains well, bugs don’t seem to bother it.
Energetic Essence: Bay leaves can be used to asperge a space, object or person in preparation or as part of any ritual, a branch of many leaves may be used in a group situation.
Mood booster, Protection, Calming , Encourages Vision, Prosperity, Protection from Harassment and Unwanted Advances, Success
Increases positive healing energy, protects against negative energy that may be hanging around the sick room. Bay leaf is exceptionally useful as a fumigant during banishing and exorcism rites.
Blue Spruce
Origins: across Northern Hemisphere in Taiga & Boreal Forests with special affinity with Druid, Siberian, Nordic, Hopi, Lakota, Salish, Swedish, French, Russian & Greek Cultures.
Elements: Earth/Air
How it grows: withstands deep cold and adversity, possibly oldest tree on Earth is a Spruce in Sweden, reproduced by layering, 9,550 years old
Energetic Essence: Cleansing, serenity, grace and nobility, ancient wisdom, Goddess energy, healing, protection, purification, spiritual refreshment, fertility, strength, clarity. Blue Spruce is especially good for folks doing deep ritual work who require a safe space or for folks guiding ceremonies and rituals and who may need extra support keeping the space free of unwanted inorganic entities.
Bougainvillea
Origin: Carribean, South America, Hawaii
Elements: Fire
How they grow: warrior tree, a survivor... Although it has wicked thorns, more survival oriented than aggression due to the plant's adaptability and tolerance levels. It is a woody vine, which makes it very much a wonderful hedgerow plant. The hedgerow is a boundry - a guardian between "here" and "there" keeping order (mundane) in and disorder (magical, other world) seperated. This plant grows comfortabaly either as a part of a hedgerow or as a solitary plant, and in either situation it is gorgeous in full bloom. It survives drought easily, is evergreen in wet climates and adapts to decidious in climates with a wet and a dry season. If given too much "good" soil and/or fertalizer, this plant does not flower although I remains very green. It seems to thrive on a certain amount of challenge.
Energetic Essence: Adventure, beauty, cleansing, cosmic while staying grounded, radiance, passion, compatible for workings of change, of adapting to a new situation, protection and travel. Overcoming challenges. For those who are experiencing anxiety from the effects of a left-brain, male dominated society. Restores awareness of magick and the vision of one's higher spiritual path.
Note: odorless when dry, good for secret work
Calendula
Origin: Egypt, Greece, Rome, India
Elements: Fire
How they grow: propgates easily from seeds,full sun but not too much eat, strong scent,
Energetic Essence: For ceremonial purification, cleansing, detoxification, happiness & health. Can be hung over doors to keep harm or negativity from entering. Dried petals can be strewn to consecrate an area or burned in consecration incense.
Important Notes: do not confuse with Zempaxochitl/Mexican Marigold
.
Catnip
Origin: Southern & Eastern Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and parts of China
Elements: Water
How they grow: Propogate easily from cuttings or seeds. Grow wild easily as well.
Energetic Essence: Rather than banishing negative essences or beings it is used to attractive positive essences or beings. Catnip was burned for love, peace and happiness within the home and for attracting to you what you set out for with your intentions. Ideal for offerrings of gratitude.
Chamomile
Origin: Europe, Mediterranean
Elements: Water
How they grow: Prefers cool dry conditions, needs little tending and can spill over
Energetic Essence: Ideal for meditation. Encourages happiness, relaxation and comfort. For protection and purification, breaking curses and spells, healing, protecting children, peace, harmony, positivity, prosperity,
Cinnamon
Origin: Sri Lanka, used across Asia, Middle East & Africa since ancient times
Elements: Fire
How they grow: Cinnamon is cultivated by growing the tree for two years, then cutting the stems at ground level. The following year, about a dozen new shoots form from the roots, replacing those that were cut.
Energetic Essence: Money, prosperity and abundance to your physical, spiritual, and environmental body. It is said that when you light the incense, you fill your home with the energy of success. Cinnamon incense attracts physical and emotional well-being, reassures the environment, attracts good luck and joy to live. Its stimulating scent helps to combat depressive states and states of sadness, as it avoids pessimism. Also good if you need more energy and more sensuality.
Clove
Origin: Indonesia
Elements: Fire
How they grow: it is the dried flower of a tropical evergreen tree. Requires rich well drained soil
Energetic Essence: Burn cloves in a crushed form as part of a loose incense to attract riches, drive away hostile and negative forces, to produce spiritual vibrations, to purify the area. Drives away hostile, negative forces and purifies the area.
Dandelion
Origin: Eurasia
Elements: Air
How they grow: Considered weeds but actually a gift from Earth.
Energetic Essence: Divination, spirit calling, happiness, healing, wishes.
Garlic Peel
Origin: Central Asia, South Asia, Southwestern Siberia
Elements: Fire
How they grow: in community
Energetic Essence: Dispels negativity, protection, cleansing, when peels are burned in ceremonial limpias or cleansings
Lavender
Origin: Mediterranean, Middle East, India, Africa
Elements: Air, Water
How they grow: perennial, full sun well drained soil
Energetic Essence: Known to help encourage a restful night's sleep as well as peace of mind, relaxation and happiness. Clarity, cleansing, divine alignment, harmony and balance, healing, joy, protection, relaxation and stress relief, relationship healing, releasing guilt and shame.
Lemonbalm
Origin: South Central Europe, Mediterranean, Central Asia, Africa
Elements: Water
How they grow: Sends out shoots just under the soil.
Energetic Essence: Brings closure, closes cycles, release, clarity, healing, prosperity Both attracts positive essences as well as repels negative essences
Lemongrass
Origin: India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia
Elements: Air
How they grow: Likes a frost-free place in full sun or light shade. The herb likes moist, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic. It grows best in warm, humid conditions
Energetic Essence: Protection, repels evil, helps with psychic abilities, solve problems and clears obstacles,purifying, cleansing, & healing. Good for meditation to encourage clarity and focus and for cleansing for ceremonies.
Lilac
Origin: Mediterranean & Africa
Elements: Water
How they grow: They needs lots of space to grow. If you're planting a hedge, they'll need a spot at least seven to eight feet wide and ten feet wide for a shrub.
Energetic Essence: Balancing of our bioenergetic points, assists in passage between the dimensions, peace, psychic abilities. Good for summoning helpful inorganic beings as well as protection from ill intentioned inorganic beings.
Magnolia
Origin: Southeast Asia & North America
Elements: Water & Earth
How they grow: Magnolia trees are ancient plants. Have existed at least 95 million years. Since they've existed since before bees, they've slowly changed their flowers to become.more attractive to bees. They do not produce nectar but have protein rich pollen bees use as food.
Energetic Essence: Awakening ancient wisdom, accessing ancestral memories and dna, independence and personal power, protection, wonderment.
Mountain Mint
Origin: North America
Elements: Air
How they grow: It prefers full sun but will tolerate some shade. Its water needs are not great and it tolerates drought well. Spreads quickly & easily. Good for repelling insects.
Energetic Essence: Protection, release, renewal, stability, strength, resilience, courage, cutting ties
Mugwort
Origin: Europe, Asia
Elements: Earth
How they grow: Very hardy though it prefers lots of sun. It spreads by an underground root system, so care must be taken that your plants don’t escape your garden to become someone else’s weeds. Do not overwater mugwort. It is drought tolerant but does not like its feet wet. Otherwise, this plant is nearly impossible to kill. You can save yourself a bit of hassle by planting it in a pot.
Energetic Essence: Mugwort, the magickal herb used for protection to enhance lucid dreaming and for clairvoyance. Mugwort has long been known as a women's herb and helps open the Third Eye. Brings clarity, deepens intuitive abilities as well as removes unwanted energy.
Note: kindles very well so a good base in sticks, folks allergic to ragweed might be sensitive
Mullein
Origin: Europe, North Africa, Mediterranean, Asia
Elements: Fire
How they grow: grows wild & fast easily, considered a “weed”, needs space and grows very tall as high as 10 feet
Energetic Essence: Protection, dreamwork, communication with spirit world
Onion Peel
Origin: Iran, Pakistan, Central Asia
Elements: Fire
How they grow: Tops shoot out in cooler weather while underground growth builds in warmer weather
Energetic Essence: Prosperity, stability, endurance, protection, banishing negative influences, ending bad habits, and removing illness. Protection, exorcism, healing, prophetic dreams, prosperity. Different colored onions have subtley different essences,
Note: While the peel can be burned, the whole onion can also be left out to absorb then purify dense or negative essences & bacteria
Peppermint
Origin: Eurasia, Africa
Elements: Air
How they grow: vigorous perennials that spread easily
Energetic Essence: Bioenergetically healing, banishes dense or negative essences, attracts positive essences
Pine
Origin: 115 types across every continent
Element: Fire/Air
How they grow: Tall, majestic, oldest is 4600 yrs old in California
Energetic Essence: Pine is an excellent herb for cleansing and protection. Like all evergreens, Pine is associated with prosperity and good health. Pine needles are traditionally used to bless a new home. In Druid lore, the Pine tree stands for persistence, moderation, and self-confidence. Needles were burned to clear away infections and insects. Refreshes a tired mind, alleviates fatigue, nervous exhaustion, and overcomes feelings of weakness and self-doubt banishing, cleansing, healing, love, fertility, prosperity, money, protection, purification, regeneration, strength, physical and magickal energy
Red Raspberry Leaf
Origin: North America, Europe
Elements: Water
How they grow: brambly bushes,
Energetic Essence: Grounding, strengthening, connection to Mother Earth, protective
Note: as tea, vital for birthing & reproductive health, to be burned sparingly & intentionally
Rose
Origin: Asia, North America, Africa, Europe
Elements: Water
How they grow: Need full sun and space, well draining soil, daily watering, attention.
Energetic Essence: Love, peace happiness, abundance, beauty, clearing and blessings, dreams, emotional healing, friendship, protection, purification, romantic love, secrecy, self-love, spirituality
Rosemary
Origin: Mediterranean
Elements: Fire, Air
How they grow: needs 6-8 hours of full sun, sensitive to over watering
Energetic Essence: Rosemary is known to to be soothing and encourages a sense of peace within your environment. Rosemary also removes negative energy from places and spaces because of this is commonly used for exorcisms and home blessings.
Rue
Origin: Eurasia & Canary Islands
Elements: Fire
How they grow: drought tolerant, rarely needs watering, thrives with little to no care/attention,
Energetic Essence: independence, resilience, overcoming obstacles, very protective, very potent for banishing and warding to protect from negative influences. Rue also has a history of being used for cursing, though I do not have a lot of detail on this. Rue may be placed over the third eye to assist with developing second sight and encourage psychic abilities.
St Johns Wort
Origin: Africa, Asia, Europe
Elements: Fire
How they grow: very adaptable and low maintenance, thrives in pastures, prairies, woodlands, ditches. Blooms in the summer, especially around the summer solstice. Ground creepers before growing vertically.
Energetic Essence: protection, health, happiness, and strength. It is also thought to ward off ghosts, demons, and the evil eye. Recommended to be burned for the Summer & Winter Solstice for protection and purification of ritual space
Thyme
Origin: Mediterranean, Egypt
Elements: Water
How they grow: thyme grows well if left alone, prefers dry sunny conditions, many varieties that grow in different styles (tall, mats, bushes etc)
Energetic Essence: The word Thyme comes from the Greek meaning to “fumigate” highlighting its use since ancient times for sacred smoke cleansing in rituals. Thyme is an excellent herb for removing obstacles, mind blocks, negative feelings and it works as a memory booster, for releasing, bravery & strength. Fumigate your home or make a floor wash with thyme to dispel melancholy, hopelessness and other mellow but negative vibrations, especially after a family tragedy or during a long sickness. Add marjoram to the mix to help draw joy back in while you’re at it.
Yarrow
Origin: Europe, Asia, Africa
Elements: Water
How they grow: Yarrow is a hardy grower and spreads on underground shoots into thick clumps. It is resistant to drought and easily reseeds itself, coming back year after year in greater numbers. It is a good plant to use where soil erosion may be a problem, or where you simply can’t get anything else to grow.
Energetic Essence: Banishing and exorcism, divination, healing, releasing negative emotions, protection, known to enhance one's powers of perception, & provides strong, general protection for the personal energy field during divination, astral projection, ritual work or just everyday life.
