Altar Herbs

Refer to this list whenever you are setting up your altar and setting your intention for ritual work. It is a concise guide to the enchanted realm of herbs, essences, plants, and plant properties.

Benzoin can be used for purification, prosperity, work success, mental acuity, and memory.

Camphor can be used for healing, divining the future, and curbing excess, especially romantic obsessions and a surfeit of sexuality.

Cinnamon refreshes and directs spirituality. It is also a protection herb and handy for healing, money, love, lust, personal power, and success with work and creative projects.

Clove is good for bringing money to you, for protection, for your love life, and for helping evade and deter negative energies.

Copal should be used for love and purification.

Frankincense is another spiritual essence that purifies and protects.

Lavender is a plant for happiness, peace, true love, long life, and chastity, and is an excellent purifier that aids with sleep.

Myrrh has been considered since ancient times to be deeply sacred. It aids personal spirituality, heals and protects, and can help ward off negative spirits and energies.

Nutmeg is a lucky herb that promotes good health and prosperity and encourages fidelity.

Patchouli stimulates and grounds while engendering both sensuality and fertility. It also supports personal wealth and security.

Peppermint is an herb of purification, healing, and love. It supports relaxation and sleep as it helps to increase psychic powers.

Rosemary is good for purification, protection, healing, relaxation, and intelligence. It attracts love and sensuality, helps with memory, and can keep you youthful.

Sage brings wisdom, purification, protection, health, and a long life. It can help make your wishes come true.

Sandalwood is a mystical, healing, protective essence that helps attract the objects of your hopes and desires and disperses negative energies and spirits.

Star Anise is a lucky herb that aids divination and psychism.

Tonka Bean brings courage and draws love and money.

Vanilla brings love and enriches your mental capacity.

Wood Aloe is good for dressing or anointing talismans and amulets you want to use for protection.

The Meaning of Flowers Part V

V, W

Valerian: An accommodating disposition

Valerian, Greek: Rupture

Venus’ Car: Fly with me

Venus’ Looking Glass: Flattery

Venus Trap: Deceit

Verbena, Scarlet: Sensibility

Verbena, White: Pure and guileless

Vernal Grass: Poor, but happy

Veronica: Fidelity

Vervain: Enchantment

Vine: Intoxication

Violet, Blue: Faithfulness

Violet, Dame: Watchfulness

Violet, Sweet: Modesty

Violet, Yellow: Rural happiness

Virginia Creeper: Ever changing

Virgin’s Bower: Filial love

Volkmannia: May you be happy

Walnut: Intellect, stratagem

Wallflower: Fidelity in adversity

Water Lily: Purity of heart

Wax Plant: Susceptibility

Weigela: Accept a faithful heart

Wheat Stalk: Riches

Whin: Anger

White Lily: Purity and modesty

White Mullein: Good nature

White Oak: Independent

Whortleberry: Treason

Willow, Creeping: Love forsaken

Willow, Water: Freedom

Willow, Weeping: Mourning

Willow, Herb: Pretension

Willow, French: Bravery, humanity

Wisteria: I cling to thee

Witch Hazel: A spell

Woodbine: Fraternal love

X, Y, Z

Xanthium: Rudeness, pertinacity

Xeranthemum: Cheerfulness under adversity

Yew: Sorrow

Zephyr Flower: Expectation

Zinnia: Thoughts of absent friends

Carrier Oils

A carrier oil is a vegetable oil that is used to dilute essential oils without diminishing the effect of the essence. It ensures that essential oils used topically are comfortable on the skin. Each essence carries specific vibrations that hold much curative power. These base oils support other ingredients including essential oils and can also be agents for healing in themselves.

Apricot kernel oil, with its warmth and resilience, is especially good for women. Apricot protects love and nurtures women at every age and stage of life.

Avocado is thick, dense, and earthy, a powerful element in any love potion. It also is excellent for drawing forth money and is helpful in business and financial matters.

Borage oil brings a connection with the higher mind, as well as courage, a sense of honor, and the ability to cope with whatever life sends your way. It is said to encourage truth and resolution in legal and relationship problems. If you feel you are being deceived, turn to borage.

Evening primrose oil abets clairvoyance and paranormal gifts. It will help you to see clearly.

Grapeseed oil is regarded by some as the “food of the gods” because of the way it augments spiritual growth. This should be one of the oils that you turn to for anointing yourself or any statuary of gods and goddess before rituals.

Jojoba oil absorbs extremely well into the skin, bearing anything with which it is mixed along with it. It is also a remarkable anointing oil. It should be used in recipes that help to deal with depression and support perseverance in hardship.

Olive oil was named “liquid gold” by the ancient Greek poet Homer, and rightly so: it is about vitality, money, success, and joyfulness.

Sunflower oil, permeated with the energy of our sun, is powerful and life-giving. Use it when you desire rapid growth and amplification of positive energy.

Sweet almond is a gentle, all-purpose oil ready to increase the energy of other ingredients.

Virgo: Pine Helps Perfectionists

Sticklers by nature, Virgoans work hard to be organized, on time, and have things just so. None of us are perfect, so that can be a set up for failure when you fail to meet your own extremely high standards, as it can lead to a swirl of negative self-talk. To get out of this cycle of negativity, Virgos can reconnect to self-compassion with pine essence.

Cancer: Honeysuckle Health for Crabs

There are two sides to every coin, and that is so true here. Cancerians have a legendary love of history; so much so that they can start living there. Resist the pull of the past with Sweet Honeysuckle essence.

Gemini: Madia Mental Magic for Twins

Curious Geminis are can overwork their brains by engaging in research and analysis to the point of overthinking. Preserve your intellectual power with a mental balancing tonic. Madia may be a great flower essence to try, as it’s said to calm the waves of a wandering mind.

Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet: Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa)

Make a tincture or use the flower essence method and take twenty to forty drops three times a day to relieve menstrual cramps and arthritic pain. Black cohosh can also help perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms.