- This is just s short list of poisonous herbs that can be commonly found. It is of utmost importance that great precautions be taken when dealing with any poisonous plants, and never should they be dealt with by novices or without proper research.
Aconite
alt names: wolf's bane, monkshood, blue rocket, friar's cap, Auld Wife's Huid
Magical Uses: Protection & invisibility
Parts Poisonous: All parts, but particularly the roots.
Symptoms of Poisoning: “tingling and numbness of tongue and mouth and a sensation of ants crawling over the body, nausea and vomiting with epigastric pain, labored breathing, pulse irregular and weak, skin cold and clammy, features bloodless, giddiness, staggering, mind remains clear.” - Botanical.com
Belladonna
alt names: Atropa belladonna, deadly nightshade, devil's cherries, naughty man's cherries, divale, black cherry, devil's herb, great morel, dwayberry
Magical Uses: Encourages astral projection, visions, & helps the deceased move on.
Parts Poisonous: All parts, but particularly the roots and seeds.
Symptoms of Poisoning: dry mouth, hot skin, rash, blurred vision, fear, restlessness, confusion, vomiting, convulsions, learning impairment, permanent eye damage, permanent brain damage, death from heart failure and hallucinations which may contain elements of ecstasy and eroticism.
Foxglove
alt names: witches' gloves, dead men's bells, fairy's glove, gloves of our lady, bloody fingers, virgin's glove, fairy caps, folk's glove, fairy thimbles, Revbielde (Norwegian), Fingerhut (German)
Magical Uses: Protection, Fairy Magic, & assists in communicaton with the Underworld.
Parts Poisonous: All parts, seeds, stems, leaves and blossoms. {Coincidentally, the digitalis in Foxglove is an antidote-- when injected --to Aconite poisoning}
Symptoms of Poisoning: “Blurred vision, confusion, depression, disorientation or hallucinations, fainting, halos around objects (yellow, green, white), headache, irregular or slow heartbeat, lethargy, loss of appetite, low blood pressure, rash or hives, stomach pain, vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea, weakness or drowsiness. (Hallucinations, loss of appetite, and halos are usually only seen in people who have been poisoned over a long period of time.)” - MedlinePlus
Black Hellebore
alt names: christe herbe, christmas rose, melampode
Magical Uses: Protection, invisibility, blessing animals and pets {but not to breathe or ingest... that's a no-no}. Place dried berries or pieces of root into a pouch for safest use.
Parts Poisonous: Rhizome and root.
Symptoms of Poisoning: “scratchy feeling in the mouth and throat, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, possible spasm, and asphyxiation. Black hellebore contains cardiac glycosides, which can help control irregular heartbeat, reduce the backup of blood and fluid in the body, and increase blood flow through the kidneys, helping to excrete sodium and relieve swelling in body tissues. However, a buildup of cardiac glycosides can occur, especially when the herb is combined with certain medications or other herbs that contain cardiac glycosides, causing arrhythmias, abnormally slow heartbeat, heart failure, and even death.” - Black Hellebore
Hemlock
alt names: herb bennet, spotted corobane, musquash root, beaver poison, poison hemlock, poison parsley, spotted hemlock, kex, kecksies
Magical Uses: Destroy sex drive, aids in astral projection and the juice can be {carefully} rubbed on magical blades to empower/purify them.
Parts Poisonous: Leaves, fruit and seeds.
Symptoms of Poisoning: “salivation, muscle weakness, diaphoresis (excessive sweating), tachycardia (greatly increased heart-rate), low blood pressure, constricted pupils, coma, paralysis.” - WrongDiagnosis
Henbane
alt names: common henbane, hyoscyamus, hog's-bean, jupiter's-bean, dymphonica, cassilata, cassilago, deus caballinus, henbell (Anglo-Saxon), jusquiame (French)
Magical Uses: Attracts love when worn. Used in ointments and brews and can induce delirium. Excellent herb for consecrating ceremonial vessels. Said to attract rabbits.
Parts Poisonous: Fresh leaves, flowering tops and branches and seeds.
Symptoms of Poisoning: “increased rate of heartbeat, dry mouth, dilated pupils, impaired vision, general sense of weakness and debility, headache, dizziness, difficulties in swallowing, stomach cramps, body aches and pains, increased temperature with hot flashes and reddened skin, agitated excitement, sometimes aggressive rage, convulsions, confusion, hallucinations, followed by deep sleep, delirium, or in severe cases, death. The most significant psychotropic effects of Henbane are: A sense of body dissolution or distortion, the sensation of flying and erotic hallucinations. Also remarkable is the total oblivion that follows the period of intoxication. Frequently, the next day the person remembers nothing of what happened.” - Sacred Earth
Mandrake
alt names: mandragora, satan's apple
Magical Uses: Protection, love, money, fertility, health and it is said to empower visions. Intensifies the magic of any situation. A whole mandrake root placed in the home will bring protection and prosperity. Carried, it will attract love. (Can be substituted with ash roots, apples, root of the briony, or the mayapple).
Parts Poisonous: All, but the root is most often used.
Symptoms of Poisoning: *see Belladonna, as mandrake shares its poisonous qualities
Mayapple
alt names: american mandrake, wild lemon, racoonberry, duck's foot, hog apple
Magical Uses: Money, but it is generally used as a substitute for true mandrake.
Parts Poisonous: Root and resin, mostly, but all parts are toxic {with the exception of the fruit}.
Symptoms of Poisoning: “nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, salivation, headache, fever breathing difficulty, reduced blood pressure, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, failure of muscular coordination, dizziness, drowsiness, paralysis, tingling, stupor, decreased concentration of white blood cells in the blood, liver damage, reduced urination, kidney failure, decreased concentration of platelets in the blood, abnormally low levels of potassium in the blood [Conjunctivitis, keratitis, skin ulcers and skin lesions with skin exposure to powdered rhizome]” - WrongDiagnosis
Mistletoe
alt names: birdlime mistletoe, herbe de la croix, mystyldene, lignum crucis
Magical Uses: Protection, love, hunting, fertility, health, exorcism
Parts Poisonous: Leaves, twigs and berries.
Symptoms of Poisoning: “stomach irritation, intestinal irritation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, reduced blood pressure, slowed pulse, nausea, vomiting, failure of muscular coordination, slowed heart rate, cardiovascular collapse, seizures.” - WrongDiagnosis
Periwinkles
alt names: lesser periwinkle, greater periwinkle, madagascar periwinkle,
Magical Uses: Love, lust, mental powers, money, protection, helps banish negative energy, makes one feel desirable and. helps grieving parents heal from their loss by keeping the memory of the lost child alive without any unhealthy attachments.
Parts Poisonous: All parts and breeds.
Symptoms of Poisoning: “hypothermia, hallucinations, dilated pupils, sweating, nausea, vomiting, excessive sweating, headache, muscle weakness or rigidity, breathing difficulty, seizures, slowed heart rate, respiratory arrest.” - WrongDiagnosis
