Garden Witch's Herbal (12 page)

Garden Witch Tip:
This wild herb is a strong protection against evil, negativity, bad mojo, and astral nasties. With the term “astral nasties,” I'm not trying to sound cute—I literally mean random elementals, spirits, or thoughtforms that are hanging around and causing you grief. Maybe they were created by you—and maybe they were not. Want them gone? Here's how.

Banishing Astral Nasties with Mullein

With mullein's magick power, I ward and protect me,

I now push away all spirits, evil, and astral nasties.

With the strong influence of Saturn, this will never occur,

By the element of fire, I banish you forever.

Close the spell with these lines:

This protective wildflower spell is spun from the heart,

Worked for the good of all with a Green Witch's art.

Prairie Rose (
Rosa setigera
)

Also called the climbing wild rose. In the Rosaceae (rose) family, there are over 3,300 varieties worldwide. The prairie rose climbs or forms sprawling bushes with arching, thorny canes. The flowers are soft pink, heavily scented, and usually three inches across. The blooms are single with five petals and many bright yellow stamens. Bloom time is May through July. The leaves are set up into three leaflets on older stalks and in groups of five on newer growth. These roses do produce hips that will turn a beautiful red in the fall. Find this plant in sun and part shade, moist fields, prairie thickets, streamside, and along roads and fence rows.

Garden Witch Tip:
If you'd like to grow some of these carefree beauties in your yard, look for roses that are called landscape roses or “nearly wild.” These modern varieties of roses will produce the same kind of old-fashioned blooms as the prairie rose.

The old flower folklore suggests that the wild rose symbolizes maidenly beauty. It says that the recipient of this wildflower is “as bonny and virginal as this pure bloom.” In natural magick, the rose and its petals are used quite often for various spells and charms, including love, healing, and protection. (Please refer to my book
Garden Witchery
for more information on the magick of all the various colors of roses.) It is important to note that the five-petaled wild rose is an ancient symbol of the Goddess. The astrological correspondence for the wild rose is the same as the hybrid rose: it is Venus, and the elemental association is water.

A Fragrant Call for the Goddess's Blessings

May the Goddess and all her blessings shine down on me,

Whether I am on land, in the sky, or on the sea.

A five-petaled rose is a symbol of her power,

May my life be as sweet as this magickal flower.

Close the Goddess blessing with these lines:

This fragrant wildflower spell is spun from the heart,

Worked for the good of all with a Green Witch's art.

Skullcap (
Scutellaria incana
)

Hoary skullcap grows two to three feet in height and is part of the mint family. This particular variety of skullcap grows from the midsections of the country to the eastern coast of the United States. Hoary skullcap grows as far south as Texas and as far north as New York state (and all the states in between, all the way to the East Coast). The stems of the hoary skullcap are short, branched, and covered in fine grey hair. The flowers are purplish blue and clustered together in an oblong grouping.

There is also another variety of wild skullcap that is common throughout the United States and Britain, and it is called
Scutellaria galericulata
. Known as the Common Skullcap, it is often called Marsh Skullcap or Hooded Skullcap. This plant grows one to three feet in height and is common in meadows, marshes, and wet shores. All of the skullcap's purple-blue flowers are a half-inch long and start to bloom from the bottom up from June through September. The plant's leaves are oval shaped with pointed ends. This plant likes full sun to partial shade in wooded slopes, alongside streams, and in rocky, open woods.

Garden Witch Tip:
In the home garden, skullcap performs best in rich, fertile, and moist soil. Skullcap has to have lots of sun and moist soil for the best growing success.

Magickally, skullcap is used to promote relaxation and peace. The astrological association is Saturn; the elemental correspondence is water. It is also said to protect your man from the wiles of other women. Here is a wildflower spell to use for just such an occasion.

Skullcap Spell to Keep a Good Man

They say that a good man is hard to find,

So stay far away from this man of mine.

By the banishing powers of Saturn, you will move along,

You shall not ruin our love, for it is faithful, true, and strong.

Close the spell with these lines:

This loving wildflower spell is spun from the heart,

Worked for the good of all with a Green Witch's art.

Spiderwort (
Tradescantia longipes
)

Also known as the wild crocus, spiderwort is a low-growing plant six to eight inches tall, with bright purplish blue trilobed flowers. There are also some varieties that are magenta, but blue is the most common. The flower petals are arranged in the shape of a triangle and often bloom together in small clusters. Bloom time is April and May. The leaves are grasslike with a wide crease, or vein, down the center. This plant likes acidic soils and shade to part shade in wooded slopes and valleys. Spiderwort is another easy to find and popular wildflower at most nurseries. Nursery varieties may grow taller than their wild cousins.

Spiderwort adds a little mystery and wildness to your part-shade gardens. They got their name (
wort
being an old word for “herb”) because they were mistaken for another plant that was thought to cure the bite of a poisonous spider. In reality, they do not cure spider bites—and they don't attract spiders either.

In the language of flowers, the spiderwort confesses that it feels “respect but not romantic love.” Magickally, spiderwort is associated with both the planet Venus and the goddess Venus/
Aphrodite (as are all true blue flowers), and the
tripetaled
spiderwort flower may be easily worked into spells for friendship and to help you gain respect from others, which can come in handy when you are applying for a new job or looking to be accepted by a new group.

Winning Acceptance from a New Group

By the three blue petals of the spiderwort plant,

I'll be accepted by this group/job that I so want.

A triangle of magick the little petals do form;

In the best possible way, their feelings toward me shall warm.

Close the spell with these lines:

This simple wildflower spell is spun from the heart,

Worked for the good of all with a Green Witch's art.

Thistle (
Cirsium vulgare
)

The thistle is part of the daisy family. This particular variety is commonly known as the bull thistle, plumed thistle, or the roadside thistle. Thistle may grow up to seven feet in height. The upper stems and branches are covered in thorns and prickles. The flower heads are pale lavender to a rose color. Bloom time is from June through September. There are many varieties of thistles, and they are easy to spot, as the spines grow right up to the flower-heads. The leaves are deeply lobed, silvery green, and hairy and spiny as well. Find these plants in fields, waste places, and roadsides.

The thistle is a common wildflower throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Another thistle variety,
Onopordum acanthium
, commonly called the Scotch thistle, is the national flower of Scotland. In the language of flowers, the thistle symbolizes simplicity and independence. If you grow thistles in the garden, you will encourage protection, strength, and healing.

Magickally, these plants are used to break hexes and to ward off negativity and evil. Their astrological influence is Mars, and they are aligned with the element of fire.

Garden Witch Tip:
Thistles do tend to volunteer in the garden from time to time. As long as you don't have small children running around, I would encourage you to let one or two grow wild in an out-of-the-way place and enjoy the protective qualities of this herbal wildflower. These wildflowers also attract goldfinches and butterflies. Thistles brought into the house from the garden are used to break spells and malevolent charms.

Breaking Hexes with Thistle

By the protective magick of thorns and prickles,

I break all hexes with the help of the thistle.

By fire's bright power all evil must flee,

And as I do will it, then so must it be!

Close the spell with these lines:

This protective wildflower spell is spun from the heart,

Worked for the good of all with a Green Witch's art.