Top 10 Favourite Magical Herbs

[Semjaza]

Hi,

Just wondering what are everyone's top ten favourite herbs to use in magic, and why? (I feel guilty about picking just 10, like I'm neglecting old friends or something, but I have to stop rambling on sometime.)

Mine are:

1) Wormwood (used to summon the dead; aids in psychicism): I love the smell, and I'm a bit of an absinthe obsessee.

2) Bittersweet Nightshade (not much magical lore attached, I use it as an offering to Hecate because I can't get Deadly Nightshade to grow at the moment): I've always found this plant beautiful, the way the leaves go purple in the autumn, and how the berries change from green to yellow to orange to red.

3) Opium Poppy (all hail chthonic Greek deities... and Woden...): So beautiful... and sleepy...

4) Mugwort (used for divination; most important incense/purification plant of the Germanic tribes): I finally have her in my garden! And she always sends me whacked out dreams, that make soo much sense in the strangest ways.

5) European Mandrake (used for, um... everything): After watching Harry Potter, my little brothers always loved it when I was re-potting mandrakes. Of course, I never could keep them alive that long (the roots always hit the bottom of their containers) but they were well worth the effort.

6) Mullein (substitution for graveyard dust; protective): Someday, I'm going to make a hag's taper...

7) Tomatoes (heh heh... love apples): I love their smell, I always have. Ridiculous, I know, but I have a thing for the Solanaceae family, so many of the witches' herbs belong to it.

8) Vervain (protection and purification; sacred to the Druids, the Romans, and about everyone else who crossed her path): I wrote an essay on her for an herbalism course, and I've liked her ever since. I started out with one plant, which had babies, and now it's always a pleasant surprise whenever I find her in an odd location.

9) Pumpkins (New World folklore; death and what lies beyond; lights to guide the souls of the dead): It's such a fun word to say... Pumpkins! Where I'm from, we grow giant pumpkins, sometimes over 1000 lbs, hollow them out, and use them as boats in races. Yeah, we're strange folk...

10) Borage (used to inspire courage): Lovely starry blue flowers...

Wow, picking 10 is so hard... And I've used the word 'love' an awful lot. I'm such a plant geek... I can't wait to see everyone else's favourites...

Cheers,

Semjaza
FFFF

[Witch1693]

SAGE ROXXOORZ MY SOXXORZ!

[hedge*]

Hey - I too have a thing for the Solanaceae family!

Ok, 10 and 10 only, in no particular order:

1. Chamomile - because it makes me feel good
2. Sage - good for cleansing, I do this a lot
3. Lavender - good for insomnia and dreams (the second being my favourite past time)
4. Jasmine - I just adore this Plant. It helps me connect with my femininity.
5. Patchouli - helps me connect with my masculinity
6. Opium Poppy - because she is dangerous and deadly and so blessed sweet.
7. Oak - all knowing, all wise, take me in your arms and let me sleep there for eternity.
8. Cloves - because they smell like xmas
9. Frankincense - I use this for protection
10. Ylang-Ylang - I use this adorable Plant to give my self confidence a boost.

[Sercee]

*sigh*
This takes a lot of thought. Only 10? Again, not in any real order.

1) Valerian - Helps me sleep
2) Chamomile - good for circulation and monthly cramps
3) Rosemary - revitalizing
4) Sage - Clears and energized my mind
5) Basil - I put it in nearly everything I cook
6) Tomatoes - See basil
7) Lavender - So pretty, calming, is synergistic with almost everything
8) Wormwood - I love the smell and it grows beautifully in my garden
9) Foxglove - For my faerie friends
10) Fennel - Good for digestion and gas

[Shaman of Bliss]

I hope everyone knows that mugwort and foxglove are poisonous? just making sure I don't want my pagan buddies to see the Goddess' face becuase they were misinformed or didn't know.

[Sercee]

It's been put up in other threads, Shaman. Thank you for making sure that's pointed out, though.

I love foxglove, but I grow it in my fenced yard so no kids get to it and I never ingest it. Someone here had an unfortunate incident with mugwort recently, though. She's doing fine now

[Shaman of Bliss]

I'm hopeing to grow some mugwort but ill be sure not to steep the tea to long if I drink it. I have a herb book here (at home) and it says Mugwort is perfectly ok in moderation. Also, I'm so obseessed with plants and things right now, lol, I made a forum just to have a place to keep all my notes.

[jcrowfoot]

Um. Ten. Right. <*digs around in the herb cabinet*>
Once again, no particular order. I'm going to try to not list what others have listed before, then list the ones that I also use afterwards. Or is that cheating? Oh bother!

1. Musk Root aka Sumbul. (ferula sumbul). An incredibly pleasant relative of Asafetida. Wonderful Smell when burned. Also makes a great addition to love potpourri. Spicy loving stuff. It's #1 right now because I can't find it and have only owned it once. The stuff grows in Africa, not Indiana and I'm no green thumb.
If you let me know of a source, you will know my eternal gratitude!
I now use Vetivert in it's place, but I like the smell of Musk Root better.

2. Melilot. (melilotus officinalis)I used it in potpourris for happiness and joy, and to break up a heavy atmosphere. It's a common weed near agricultural places since it has been grown to add nitrogen to the soil on farms. It looks like tall (2 to 4 feet tall) clover and has these funny little flowers that look like long clusters of yellow teardrops. Smells strongly of vanilla. Don't eat it, and use it in moderation.

3. Agrimony. Makes a pleasant tea. Nicely protective, and useful for cleansing. It grows wild in a stretch of woods near where I used to live.

4. Burdock. Never got the hang of harvesting this stuff wild, but I love using it for cleansing and protection. I also find it good for people who have trouble grounding. Must be those super deep roots!

5. Yarrow. Been using this stuff for years, and didn't find out until a few days ago that it's illegal to sell it for internal use in the USA. :-S
Also, if you get cut in the woods, *find* this plant. A good friend of mine cut himself while cutting wood, and I sealed up a cut that would have bled him out quickly. I'm not exaggerating. You have to chew it a bit first... but it works and if you are lost and injured, a lifesaver.

6. Marjoram. Great in food, great for depression!

7. Passion Flower. This is my ultimate treatment for sleep. Lets you dream while you are asleep. For some reason I have trouble with Valerian.

8. Mistletoe. Toxic, yes. It's very useful in magic for... everything.

9. Plantain. An amazingly flexible healer. Don't have a styptic pencil? Use this instead!

10.Pomegranite. I use this a lot for offerings to the Gods and food for the dead. I use the juice as a wine substitute.

I also use Bittersweet Nightshade, Lavender, Mugwort, Sage... and many, many others.

Next time let's try for a top 30.

[Eretik]

Mine are -

Bay leaves

fennel seeds

Basil

Sheep sorrel/dock

Hyssop

Juniper

Ivy

Rowan berries/Leaves

clove

lavender

It is something I had to think about, so I put the ones I use most often- for magical/non culinary purposes. I could also expand this list a lot, I 'd like to have a garden so I can grow my own herbs, I have grown some in pots but the cats find them attractive and chew them to bits.lol. I want to use the 'baneful' herbs more, but it's problematic with so many kids/cats, around the house, I have to be quite creative and careful with storing my stocks and supplies.

[kuotetsu]

Here's Mine

1) Sage - A very potent cleansing agent for me.

2) Bay Leaves - Cleansing..

3) Ginger - Just drawn to it.

4) Jasmine - It has a very sweet scent and my great grandma used to plant it all around the house. It really fumes the house at dawn

5) Cinnamon - (The bark), I mix with oil and spread it on my altar, it smells sacred to me.

6) Marigold (Calendula) - We won 3rd place in a class-dance presentation, although we really messed up.

7) Coriander - Just planted it 4 days ago, I can't take my eyes off the seeds.

8) Saffron - Trying to get to know her..

9) Coconut - Healing and Uncrossing..

10) Rosemary - Stimulates brain..

[adent]

Let's see my top ten most used herbs are.
1.) Dragon's Blood Resin- love the smell of this stuff, so many uses.
2.) Galangal Root- again lots of uses.
3.) Orris Root- What can I say, I'm a romantic.
4.) Frankincense- Good and uplifting
5.) Oregon Grape Root- I use it alot in money spells.
6.) Mayapple Root- I haven't found a decent supplier for true mandrake.
7.) Chickweed- Again my romantic side at work.
8.) Gum Arabic- I use it to bind some of my mixtures together.
9.) Horehound- Good for clearing the mind.
10.) Damiana- I use this one for when I need to get in touch with my creative side, sometimes we loose touch with each other.