The Element Encyclopedia of 1000 Spells: A Concise Reference Book for the Magical Arts. Judika Illes
it. That’s the only way it is guaranteed to be available. The plant realm is as ecologically devastated, if not more so, than the animal kingdom. Many plants are extinct or seriously endangered. The only way to work with some magical plants ( Solomon’s Seal or Low John the Conqueror, for instance), the only way to incorporate them into any spell, is to grow and nurture them. It is the only way their power will be available to you
Because there have always been economic, space, and climatic reasons why working with living plants is impractical, and because different parts of a plant (roots, leaves, flowers) manifest different magic power and energy, and thus are used independently in different spells, various methods of processing plants have evolved over millennia. These include: dried botanicals including incense, flower essence remedies, hydrosols and oils, including fixed, essential, and fragrance oils.
Harvesting Botanicals
In order to maximize botanicals’ magic potential, magic rituals and spells are incorporated into their harvesting.
Because plants are alive, removing them from Earth is a risky operation. One has the option of increasing and enhancing their inherent power, or of offending Earth and the presiding Plant Spirits. Once upon a time, all harvesting, for magical or other purposes, was accompanied by spells, rituals, and propitiation of various Earthly and Spirit forces. Unless you purchase your botanicals from magically oriented vendors, one can safely assume that modern harvesting is accompanied by no such rituals or spells.
If you practice extensive botanical spell-casting you may wish to incorporate similar gestures in other ways, to enhance your spells and to provide spiritual protection for yourself. If however, you grow and harvest your own botanicals, ancient spells and rituals may be borrowed or adapted.
Because they’re alive, have power, and must be treated with respect, it’s not appropriate to just go out and grab a handful of plant. Botanical materials are safely harvested through magic ritual. Essentially you cast a spell in order to gain materials to cast more spells. The plant (or its presiding spirit or Earth herself, however you best understand this) must be addressed. The purpose for gathering should be explained. Because of the principle of reciprocity, gifts are exchanged. Libations of water are always appropriate, however different traditions favor different gifts. Native Americans offered pinches of tobacco; Anglo-Saxons once offered oatmeal. The ancient Romans offered bread and wine. Honey, wine, and menstrual blood are popular offerings. Fragrant incense may be burned in the vicinity as a gift.
Magic spells are always as simple or as complex as the practitioner wishes. An involved, formal harvesting spell follows; follow it precisely, if it suits you, or consider how best to adapt for your own personal needs.
Sometimes distinct plants demand distinct rituals. Two spells follow, one from Wales, the other from ancient Greece, one for an extremely popular magic plant, the other for a more obscure one. Consider these spells, follow them precisely if you like or consider how best to adapt them for your own harvesting needs.
Virtually any list of Top 10 magical plants will include vervain. Legend says vervain sprang from Isis’ tears; the herb is believed to have a special fondness for humans and thus works extra hard to provide happiness and success for us. It is believed to have been one of the crucial ingredients of Cerridwen’s Cauldron. The Druids insisted that vervain be harvested with an iron knife. An ancient Welsh formula stipulates how vervain must be gathered in order to guarantee its maximum magic power:
WARNING!
Many people exhibit a dangerous tendency to assume that if a plant is used for magical reasons, particularly benevolent ones, it does not also create a physical impact. This is not true, and this assumption can lead to disaster.
Botanicals are an holistic power: they affect us simultaneously on spiritual, emotional, magical, and physical levels. It is possible to cast word charms, image magic or play with candles and crystals without profound physical effect. This is not so with plants. Plants are the basis of medical knowledge, and even magical plants have a physical effect.
Because something has power doesn’t mean it is always the right power for you. For instance, many magic spell sites on the Internet offer directions for protective spell baths featuring the herb rue with nary a health warning, despite the fact that it has abortifacient properties and the British master herbalist Nicholas Culpeper said that he couldn’t recommend that a pregnant woman even walk through a room containing rue, let alone handle or bathe with it.
Be careful. If you have anything that could be perceived as a physical vulnerability, it is your responsibility to verify whether any botanical may aggravate your condition. If you are pregnant, attempting to become pregnant or nursing a child, the potential safety of all botanicals must be determined. This is not obscure information. Many excellent literary sources on herbs and botanicals exist. Knowledgeable, professional herbalists, physicians, and medical providers can give you information as well. This does not only apply to traditional modes of internal application such as consuming botanicals, but also inhaling fumes or topical application such as bathing, or even perhaps intensive, concentrated handling, depending on the potency of the plant.
Magic is always intended to improve one’s life; injuring one’s health in the process of casting a spell defeats that purpose. Incorporate your personal needs into choosing the best spells for you.
Welsh Vervain Harvest Spell
1 The plant must be harvested during the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star, at an hour when both sun and moon are beneath the horizon.
2 Before uprooting the plant, offer a libation of honey.
3 You may only use your left hand during the entire operation, whether you are left or right handed: pull up the plant and wave it aloft.
4 Separate leaves, flowers, and roots, and dry them separately in the shade. (Each has its own magical uses.)
Ancient Greek Black Hellebore Harvest Spell
Although poisonous, black hellebore, the Christmas rose, is perceived to have magically protective powers.
1 Cast a magic circle around the intended plant, using a magic wand or knife. If you do not work with those ritual tools, consider a respectful way to demarcate the harvest space.
2 Request permission to gather the plant from Apollo and his son Asklepios, the plant’s presiding spirits.
3 Burn incense and make offerings to the spirits.
4 Offer a libation to the plant, and then gather it.
Casting Spells Using Dried Botanicals
The most prevalent ingredients of magic spells are processed botanicals, especially dried plants and oils. Drying plants preserves them for extended use, allowing you to work with plants out of season and those that cannot be grown in your personal region. Dried botanicals from all over the world, representing many magical traditions, may be purchased from herbal suppliers.
Dried botanicals are frequently sold already chopped up, cut or powdered. As this frequently needs to be done before spell-casting, purchasing botanicals in this form can be a real time and effort saver—with one caveat. Leaves and blossoms, even chopped, often remain easily distinguishable. Peppermint doesn’t smell like vervain or hibiscus, for instance. Roots, on the other hand, often the most magically potent part of a plant, once chopped or powdered, are fairly indistinguishable from each other. It is not uncommon for unethical or ignorant vendors to substitute one root for another. If you are looking for a distinct root, say High John the Conqueror, for which this is a common problem, buy the whole root and grind and powder it yourself, even though this can be difficult. It is the only way to guarantee that you are receiving what you want, the only way to maintain control over what may be a pivotal ingredient. Familiarize yourself with botanicals. Know what they should look like and what they should