Category: Herbal Magic

Herbal Magic has been a practice since the first meal was ever made. Teas, breads, and full meals all contain the magic you put into it. The first medicines were made of herbs, spices, plants, and minerals. In fact, they still are. But there’s more to medicine than just blending a nice tea or a potion. Herbal Magic requires intention. Subscribe for further updates as they’re added.

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Magic with Rosemary

When it comes to magic with rosemary you might be remembering the famous quote from Practical Magic about keeping rosemary by your garden gate. Rosemary is such a powerful herb and many grocery stores grow it in their parking lots. Though I don’t recommend wild harvesting from those locations since so many of their landscaper companies use pesticides on them. The best place to get rosemary is to grow it yourself, buy from an organic seller, or get a small sprig of organic rosemary at a local food market that’s known for offering safe food.

“There are some things I know for certain: always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder; keep rosemary by your garden gate; plant lavender for luck; and fall in love whenever you can.” ~Sally Owens, Practical Magic

While there are numerous websites that offer their input on the magic of rosemary, I lean toward understanding its physical influence on the mind and body, then learn how that corresponds in the spirit.

Rosemary is a wonderful herb to grow in your own garden for a variety of medicinal uses. Rosemary is wonderfully supportive for lung health, improving memory, kicking the coffee habit, eliminate dandruff, and to aid in digestion.

Rosemary is associated with Aquarius and these Wellness and Balance Crystals.

From the head down to the mid region, rosemary has its influence over our lives. It corresponds with your third eye, throat, and heart chakras. Any magic that comes from these areas can be influenced and supported by rosemary.



Since rosemary can support memory function, it also works well to improve clear thinking and intuitive skills. Pair your rosemary with clear quartz for heightened awareness. Steep some rosemary and lemon zest in hot water to make a tea for memory and psychic improvement. This is the perfect magical tea to substitute for your morning coffee to help kick the caffeine habit. Rosemary and lemon helps to boost brain function in a more powerful way than coffee does. You can add a tumbled quartz to your cup too! If you’re not comfortable working with crystals in your drinks, plant a clear quartz in your rosemary planter.

You can also work with rosemary to alleviate struggles with your respiratory system which influences your communication. For this method of use I would work with rosemary essential oil instead of the plant. You can diffuse rosemary essential oil in a water diffuser to help improve lung function. Keep a diffuser in the bathroom and run it with rosemary essential oil while showering. The steam from the shower will help the diffuser mist to fill the room for you to breathe while getting ready for the day. For communication magic add a larimar heart to your diffuser water.

There’s so much more we can do if we partner with rosemary. Please join us in our FB group Circle of Intuition to learn more.

Magical blessings,

Sisterlisa

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Magic with Oregano

I remember when I first started working with oregano to infuse our family dinners with those powerful little leaves. Crushing the leaves released that strong aroma most associated with spaghetti sauce. Little did my family know that I was weaving some magic over our meal.

When I’m cooking our spaghetti dinner I begin with a sauce pan and some olive oil. Heating it up just enough to send the aroma of the fresh crushed leaves into the kitchen air. I had to add some garlic too, of course. That pungent little bulb that seems to sweeten when its cooked. While I’m adding these powerful ingredients to the pan, I speak words of blessing over the simmering blend. Whatever words inspire family togetherness and laughter. While it simmers on the stove I prepare another yummy potion in a small dipping dish. We each take turns adding to the olive oil… garlic, herbs, and a dash of pepper. Creating the dipping oil together is an important part of this magical meal time. The final ingredient was the balsamic vinegar.

Then came the bread, slightly warmed in the oven and sliced for dipping. We talk together while enjoying our pre-dinner snack and as the simmering pot becomes ready the sauce goes in.



Oregano is a powerful herb for protection, as is garlic. But it’s more than just the protection I wish to cover my family with. It’s the ancestry of our family that brings us together. Family means everything. Nurturing a family of togetherness takes hard work and self discipline.

When you can bring the family together under a memory making meal with fragrant aromas and delicious tastes, you build new memories for them to hang onto when times get tough. These dinner time rituals hold more power than you think. Each time you set this ritual in motion their minds are reminded of the happy nights you spent together dipping bread together, in unity as a family.

Magical blessings,

Sisterlisa

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Best Herbal Correspondences to Boost Your Zodiac Sign

All of us, no matter where on the Zodiac chart we find ourselves, have herbs that can support who we are in the cosmos. There are a few herbs for each Zodiac, but in this chart I focus in on one main herb to support you. When I’m feeling like I’m not in alignment with my highest good, feeling out of my magick zone, or like every day is Mercury in retrograde, I reach for herbs associated with my sign and brew a potion to give me a boost. Sometimes it comes down to just needing a ritual oil made of the essence of my corresponding herbs, or even diffusing its essential oil in my water diffuser. **When you get to the bottom of this post you can find the master list of herbs for the zodiac to share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. Without further adieu, here are the best herbal correspondences to boost your Zodiac sign.

Aries- For Aries you’re going to be supported by Geranium. Geraniums begin to bloom during your birth month and offer such vibrant beauty to the world around them. Their flowers range in color from white to red. The color red represents the element of fire, of which your sign is corresponded to. Add geranium flower petals to your next batch of moon water or use its essential oil to support your complexion’s health. Pair your herb with a meditation journey accompanied by Peach Satin Spar to invite rest to your weary soul. Adorn your sacred space with geraniums or make a ritual oil to anoint when you need to realign yourself.

Taurus- Catnip is beneficial for the Taurean because it can be steeped in tea to create a soothing nighttime potion to help you rest well. It helps boost mood, relaxation, and eases anxiety. While a Taurus typically takes a while to get angry, catnip can help during those times when you’re seeing red all around. For additional calming energy, try pairing with a crystal associated with Taurus.

Gemini- Lavender is a fragrant herb that can be used to support feeling relaxed and to inspire an overall feeling of well-being. A Gemini can become distracted from tasks and lavender can help calm anxiousness when you feel like moving on to the next project too quickly. Anoint your pillow with lavender essential oil for a good night’s rest. You can even anoint amethyst with lavender essential oil to support your intuitive work. You can add an aromatherapy hand soap to give you that aromatic lift several times a day when you’re washing your hands. Memorize a mantra that work for you and your hand washing practice becomes a magical practice.

Cancer- One of my personal favorites (even though I’m not a Cancer) is white sage. Cancer tends to be the sign that struggles the most with anxiety, emotional upheaval, and picks up on all sorts of vibes so white sage is the best herb to support you. Sage cleansing with white sage can help bring you back to Mother Earth and settle those turbulent emotions. Incorporate smoky quartz into your intuitive practice with white sage. Cancers tend to be quite empathic and need the additional support and protection. Join our Circle of Intuition for additional support to create a shielding practice that aligns with your sign.

Leo- Sunflower is the herb for our fiery Leos and they’re quite the show off among the herbal community. Their bright yellow petals symbolize the sun, which is the ruling planet of Leo. Dry the petals and use them in your next bonfire offering or adorn your altar with its petals and a Bumblebee Jasper crystal, which can deliver the kind of consistency Leos are known to exhibit. If you’re not a Leo, this powerful sign might have shown up in your natal chart. Click over and discover your chart right now.

Virgo- The herb I chose for the holy woman of the Zodiac is marjoram. Virgo holds the power of healing with her intentions of making the world a better place. Marjoram is a medicinal herb that is antioxidant and has antimicrobial properties. You can steep marjoram in hot water for a steamy respiratory aid. Place your steeping potion in the center of a crystal grid made from Green Opal palm stones to heal your communication with others. Working with marjoram is like having your own private spiritual nurse to soothe your emotion pain.

Libra- Thyme is an herb that symbolizes balance and since Libra is all about the scales of justice we find thyme to be the best herb for a Libra to partner with. Thyme is known for offering support for balanced skin health. Many Libras struggle with self-confidence so reach for an aromatic solution made with thyme to bring out your radiant self. Keep a Howlite Heart on your vanity to remind you everyday that you’re worthy of a life filled with promise.

Scorpio- Some folklore claims that scorpions would breed in the presence of basil and this sign of the Zodiac is represented by the reproductive organs. The sting of a scorpion can leave quite a scar, but working with basil can bring Scorpio healing (even when you’ve been stung by your own stinger). Accompany your magick with a tumbled Stilbite for meditative healing and eliminate any dark entities that seek to disrupt your path.

Sagittarius- Saffron is quite the vibrant spice with its fiery hues. It’s the most expensive in the herbal/spice community which makes it ideal for a Sagittarius (who loves the finer things in life). Like the Sag, Saffron is corresponded to the element of fire. A pinch of saffron in warm milk at night is said to boost your libido, not that a Sag would need help in that area. 😉 Place a Carnelian Flame by your bedside on those romantic evenings to raise sexual energy that magnifies your magickal practice.



Capricorn- A Capricorn has an active mind and rosemary is known to support brain stimulation. Its herbal power offers the Capricorn the magick of its essence. Simply steep fresh crushed rosemary in hot water to feel the brain benefit in its steam as you inhale with deep breaths. Add a Kambaba (Crocodile) Jasper sphere to your morning meditation altar to boost your memory rituals and conjure the ancient wisdom you were meant to receive.

Aquarius- Aquarius pairs best with fennel because Aquarians tend to have a developed cosmic affinity to know what makes people tick. Their mind is always searching for sound philosophy and understanding to the human psyche. Fennel is believed to support focus and to help the mind retain information. It’s fragrance strengthens the mind and the memory, making this the most ideal herb to work with. Danburite is a wise choice when working with fennel for psychic enhancement, because you deserve to be in the know at all times.

Pisces- The herb I believe to be the most supportive for a Pisces is lemon balm. Pisces tend to need support to avoid addictions brought on by anxiety. They can be restless at times and seek to self medicate. Whether it’s through traditional medicines or by relieving that itch for sugar with a massive ice cream sundae, lemon balm can ease that tension. Try creating a lemon balm honey to be used in your next cup of chamomile tea. Place a Lemurian Blue Calcite Pyramid next to your herbal potion to support your morning affirmations to raise the energy you’re meant to enjoy.

Below is the master list of herbs for the Zodiac. Feel free to share with everyone! The social media icons are below the list.

*Add your Zodiac sign to the notes in your purchase for your free Zodiac sticker designed by me.

Magical blessings to you,

Sisterlisa

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Magic with Cinnamon

There’s something magical about entering a store just after they have stocked their cinnamon pine cones for the Autumn season. I always take a deep breath and welcome in the magic of this glorious time of year. They invoke such a joyful response in my soul. Their sweet and spicy aroma makes my spirit want to jump out of my skin and fly through the air with the golden leaves swirling in the wind. Not only do they have such a magical aroma, but they also welcome success and prosperity, which makes it understandable why stores bring them in for the busy shopping season.

Truly, they’re an element that all magic practitioners should have in their personal apothecary cabinets. I purchase them in bulk and keep them in an airtight jar. I also crush a few in my mortar to keep in a small jar because it makes it more convenient when I’m crafting a quick brew.

Cinnamon is a common part of most baker’s pantry shelves, but did you know there are two types of cinnamon you may want to keep on hand? The type of cinnamon you may already have is probably Ceylon cinnamon. This is the most common. There’s also Cassia. Cassia is typically a bolder flavor and aroma with a bit of a kick. This makes Cassia Cinnamon such a powerful element to have in your magical apothecary.

Cinnamon is known to help support blood flow, which makes it the perfect choice when crafting potions and incense for improving vitality of your soul life. It’s generally accepted as a Fire element correspondence and associated with Leo. Is it any wonder now why I recommend it for magical purpose to liven up your life? Working with Cinnamon is like inviting all your Leo friends over for a party.

This is why I have chosen to share my favorite magic potion for the best party experience.

This is a simple Witch’s Brew magic potion to stir up fire just before your guests arrive. But first allow me to inform you of the magical correspondences of each element. Each element is represented in this recipe.

Cast Iron Pot- This is your main tool with this potion. Iron is a mineral that improves our blood and improves our energy when feeling fatigued. This makes for a wonderful container to infuse your party potion.

Wood Spoon- This is your Earth elemental tool for stirring up the fiery passion of this potion.

Cinnamon- This Fire element is full of life, passion, and prosperity and who doesn’t want a prosperous party?

Apples- In my Norse ancestry, the Goddess Iðunn (Ydun) was written about in the Prose Edda as being the keeper of apples and eternal youthfulness. Any good party worth attending should make you feel youthful again. Apples are a Water element. The planet Venus, which is the planetary symbol of love, has a mountain named after Iðunn. All the more reason to add apples and invite Venus and Iðunn to your night of cocktails.

Orange Rind- The orange rind has a beautiful and crisp aroma and when combined with apples, makes a beautiful bouquet for the senses. It’s also known for being the fruit of joy.

Star Anise- This Air element spice lends its Gemini energy to help lift the aromas into your party place and invites its masculine energy associated with Apollo, Jupiter, and Mercury. The spice is also believed to protect from intruders and no one wants a party crasher!

Cloves- This spice helps to keep your friends close and inhibits anyone wishing to ruin your celebration with idle gossip.

Now let’s get busy making our potion!

Ingredients and Supplies:

  • Cast Iron Pot
  • Wood Spoon
  • 5 cups of water (even better if you infused the water under a Full Moon with Carnelian added. Be sure to remove the carnelian beforehand)
  • 5 Cinnamon sticks
  • 10 Slices of Apple (remove seeds)
  • Rind of 1 large Orange
  • 1 Star Anise
  • 5 Cloves

Directions:

**When you add each ingredient you’re going to speak the words of magic/intentions you wish to gain from each of these ingredients. For example: “I add Cinnamon to work with it’s fire, passion, and prosperity to create a lively party experience for me and my guests.”

Place the water in the pot and place over a medium flame. You’ll want the water to simmer.

In your mortar, crush the cinnamon sticks into pieces until they’re about 1/2-1 inch size.

Add Star Anise and Cloves and crush just to release their aroma.  Set aside.

When slicing your apples, do so by placing the apple on it’s side so the cuts render you round slices of apple. Carefully remove seeds and try to keep the star shape intact. Set aside.



Peel your orange and slice into thin strips.

The water should be nicely heated now and you can begin by sprinkling the spice blend in first.

Gently stir with a wood spoon.

Slowly add your apple slices and orange rinds.

Simmer for 1 hour BEFORE your party begins, adding more water as the level sinks to avoid burning. Never leave unattended. I recommend you set a loud timer or an alarm on your phone for every 20 minutes to remind you in case you get distracted while preparing for your evening.

For an added bit of fun, make a sachet with the ingredients (substituting dried apples and dried orange peels) and placing in an organza or muslin bag to gift to your guests as party favors. They can use it in a bath before they attend their next party. You can download and print the correspondences and this recipe to give to them as well.

Witch’s Party Brew <<click here

May your parties be filled with magic!

Sisterlisa

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Magic with Bay Leaves

Most of us know about Bay leaves from our grandmother’s soup recipes, but they have magnificent health benefits too. Culinary uses aren’t the only way to use these green gifts from Mother Earth. Sure, their flavor is to be desired, as with the health benefits, but don’t forget to work your magic with Bay leaves too.

The benefits of using a Bay leaves in a medicinal tea far outweigh their culinary uses. These beautiful green gifts are packed with nutrients such as, vitamins A, C, magnesium, calcium, manganese, potassium, and iron. Also, since they’re anti fungal and antibacterial they make  great poultice for wounds. Did you know you can also make a tea with them to support freer breathing during the cold season? With all these benefits, they make for a lovely ‘get well’ gift for a sick friend. Create a sweet little tea bag gift and add a Green Aventurine crystal to the bag for added crystal therapy.

Get Well Tea Bag Sachet:

  • 5 Bay Leaves
  • 1/2 Cinnamon Stick
  • 1 tsp Thyme leaves
  • 1 tumbled Green Aventurine
  • 1 Cotton Muslin tea bag

Directions:

Light an anointed white or green candle with a drop or two of essential oil (sweet marjoram is lovely). Light your candle and set your intentions for healing your loved one.

Crush cinnamon stick in your mortar into small pieces.

Add the Bay leaves and crush into pieces small enough so they will fit into the tea bag.

Add Thyme leaves and continue to crush until they’re all blended well (but not into powder). Carefully smell (don’t inhale) the aroma. Close your eyes and imagine the health benefits manifesting support for your loved one.

Add the mix into the tea bag then add the Green Aventurine.

Bless the tea mix with your magic words then close the blessing with “And so it is”.

Blow out your candle and watch the smoke carry your magic into the air.

Now the tea is ready for it’s work! Simply add to a cup of hot water and steep for 5 minutes. You can also use honey to sweeten, if desired.

**You can also use this as a bath sachet instead of drinking it as a tea.

You can learn more about using herbs in your magical practice in my class Earth as Medicine.

Many magical wellness blessings to you,

Sisterlisa

*This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. Please consult your physician before working with herbs for wellness, as some herbs can interrupt some existing medications.

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Magic with Peppercorns for Protective Charms

Who would’ve thought peppercorns could be worked with magically? Pepper, after all, is more often associated with the dining room table and your sour cream topped baked potato. Pepper has come a long way since it’s origins in the trade routes. I doubt our ancestors ever thought pepper could be wild harvested on the other side of the world in a modern town such as Irvine, California. One Autumn afternoon, I was visiting with friends at a local Southern California park and I noticed the small pink peppercorns on several of the trees. This park happened to have a nature center so I stopped in to inquire about these beautiful gifts from nature. The woman assured me no pesticides had been used on their trees and informed me of their precise name, Peruvian Peppercorns. Also nicknamed, California Peppercorn, these trees are native to Peru. She granted me permission to wild harvest a few small handfuls and my adventure to learn more about the magic of peppercorns ensued!

“Gratitude shields you from negativity.”-

Peppercorns were once highly protected by those who traded them with wealthy customers and lore of peppercorn fields being protected by dragons made it difficult to get in any other way than through these expensive trade routes. Fantastic stories of magical monsters have been used to protect secrets for thousands of years, but I’ll keep the monsters at bay and teach you some of my own mysteries.  This magical spice was not always as common as every dinner table in the world. At one point in history, peppercorns accounted for seventy percent of the international spice trade. Little did they know, these tiny berries could be used for magical purposes.

While we usually see pepper already ground into tiny granules ready for sprinkling from a pepper shaker, pepper mills are a popular method of distribution over your dish. Fancy restaurants have servers trained to offer and grind fresh cracked peppercorns over your entrée. However, my favorite method of preparing peppercorn for meals and for magic is with my mortar and pestle. There is an intoxicating experience to be had when pulverizing the peppercorns with your pestle and bare hands.

Whether you use Peruvian Peppercorns or your kitchen’s common Black Pepper, you’re going to have a different experience when grinding it in a mortar and pestle. The aroma of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) is going to be the same aroma you detect when you swirl an opened black pepper essential oil bottle under your nose. Contrariwise, Peruvian Peppercorns (especially fresh ones) will have a sweeter aroma.

You can probably get away with using whichever peppercorn you want in your magical recipe, but I prefer to use them in different ways. Since one is strikingly sharper than it’s sweeter counterpart, I have specific purposes for each one. I prefer to work with Peruvian Peppercorn when I need to have a sweet disposition in dealing with protective magic. While Black Peppercorn is my go-to when I need a strong and abrupt protection charm. I correspond Black Peppercorns with the Hindu God of Protection, Vishnu. Black Pepper is native to India and it makes sense to me to connect Vishnu with Black Pepper. My correspondence with Peruvian Peppercorn is Pachamama, the Peruvian Mother Earth. You can most certainly combine the two types of peppercorn in your protective charm and honor both masculine and feminine deities at the same time. Doing so would add both the sweetness in your spirit and the strong abrupt power at the same time.

You can learn more about the magic of peppercorns and how to use them in creative ways when you join the Circle of Intuition.

Protective blessings to you and yours,

Sisterlisa

Praesidium Candle Magick Kit
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Magic with Chamomile

When I’m working with Chamomile I can’t help but to think happy thoughts. The dainty little flowers with a tiny button of sunshine right in the center seem to dance in the cool Spring breeze. Witnessing their playful whirling in the wind takes me back to my daughter’s childhood as we walked through a field of Chamomile to take photos. They were the perfect backdrop for her deep blue eyes and golden blond hair.

Kneeling down to my daughter’s level, as she pinched a blossom from its stem, we examined its delicate white petals with delight. When you’re little you appreciate all other things that are tiny too. Those tiny petals, her tiny fingers, her cute little button nose as she lifted the chamomile to investigate its scent.

The very memory of that day works the kind of magic you would naturally suspect from the chamomile field. It brings calm, rest, joy, and fond memories of mother and daughter exploring the outdoor wonders of Mother Nature.

I don’t wish to bore you with encyclopedia-like facts about chamomile, I’m certain there are millions of websites and books to tell you the medicinal benefits of this soothing herb. My desire is to introduce you to the magic of chamomile. I’m not simply talking about sipping honey infused chamomile tea or creating a tincture to take each day, though you most certainly can use these methods in your magical practice.

The notion of magical chamomile need not be a mystery to anyone who is willing to learn. Mother Nature freely gives and we show gratitude in the thanks giving we offer.

The meaning of the Chamomile name comes as no surprise, as it is known to have a sweet apple flavor. From the Greek we learn Chamomile’s origin is khamaimēlon, meaning “earth apple”.

(source)

The Saxons held Chamomile as one of nine sacred herbs and the Egyptians associated it with their sun god, Ra. The gentle herb also corresponds with Leo, Fire, the Sun, and can be used as an offering during your Lughnasadh ritual. These are some of the most common magical connections to Chamomile, but I like to walk through the fire a little more. Magic should not be kept in the old halls of our ancestors. Magic is evolutionary and we should be exploring more attributes with the guidance of our higher counselors and intuition.

As I sit in sacred space with Chamomile I am reminded of the perfect balance between the sun and the moon. The sun is represented by the bright yellow disk in the center of the flower and the moon in the white petals that surround it, like the halo we often see around a full moon on a misty evening. When I read sources that attribute fire and the sun to chamomile, I feel they’ve been too shy to point out the correspondence to the moon.

Chamomile is the herb for tea medicine to help soothe tension and as we know tension is part of our emotional journey and emotions are associated with the water and moon. Various magical books and websites can be a good starting point, but living and breathing magic encompasses so much more. Don’t be timid in searching in other planes to connect your magic with Chamomile. Just because you haven’t read about it in a book doesn’t mean it’s not true for you.

Many magical blessings,

Sisterlisa