This table lists the traditional magical associations of herbs, flowers, and trees that are easy to find in a kitchen, a garden, or a hedgerow. For how to work with them, see our guide to herbal magick.
Before you use this table
These are magical and symbolic associations, not medical uses. Where a tea, a drink, or a bath is mentioned, it means an ordinary kitchen herb that is sold as food, used in ordinary food amounts. Nothing else here is advice to eat, drink, or apply any plant. Several of the plants listed are poisonous, and many are unsafe in pregnancy, with certain medicines, or around pets. Read the caution for each one.
| Herb | Element | Associations | Traditional uses | Caution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | Water | Love, wisdom, the harvest, the Otherworld | Cut across to show the star. Offerings at Mabon and Samhain. | Do not eat the seeds in quantity. |
| Basil | Fire | Prosperity, harmony, protection of the home | A pot in the kitchen. Leaves in money charms. | Food herb. |
| Bay | Fire | Wishes, success, clarity, protection | Write a wish on a leaf and burn it. Wreaths. | Use culinary bay only, since other plants called laurel are poisonous. Burn in a fireproof dish, as the leaves spit. |
| Birch | Water | Beginnings, purification, renewal | Twigs for a besom. Bark as a writing surface for intentions. | Take only fallen bark and twigs. |
| Black pepper | Fire | Protection, banishing, courage | A pinch in protection charms and jars. | Irritates eyes and lungs. |
| Calendula | Fire | The sun, joy, comfort, protection | Petals on the altar at Litha. In baths and sachets. | Avoid if allergic to the daisy family. |
| Chamomile | Water | Calm, sleep, gentle luck | Tea before bed. Sachets. Cooled tea as a hand rinse before a working, for luck. | Avoid if allergic to the daisy family. |
| Cinnamon | Fire | Success, warmth, speed, prosperity | Simmer pots. A stick on the altar. Stirred into drinks. | The powder irritates skin and lungs. |
| Clove | Fire | Protection, prosperity, stopping gossip | Pomanders. Simmer pots. Charm bags. | The essential oil is a strong irritant. |
| Dandelion | Air | Wishes, divination, resilience | Blow the seed head with a wish. Flowers as a sign of the sun. | Gather only from unsprayed ground. |
| Dill | Fire | Protection, luck, prosperity | Hung over a door. Seeds in money charms. | Food herb. |
| Elder | Water | Protection, endings, the Otherworld | In folklore, the tree's permission is asked before cutting. Flowers at midsummer. | Raw berries, leaves, bark, and stems are toxic. |
| Fennel | Fire | Courage, strength, protection | Hung at midsummer. Seeds carried for confidence. | Food herb. |
| Garlic | Fire | Protection, banishing, good health | A braid in the kitchen. Cloves in protection jars. | Toxic to cats and dogs. |
| Ginger | Fire | Energy, courage, speeding things up | Tea before a demanding task. Kitchen spells. | Food herb. |
| Hawthorn | Fire | Beltane, protection, the heart, fairy lore | Blossom honored outdoors in May. A tree for ribbons and wishes. | Thorns. Do not take internally with heart medicines. |
| Holly | Fire | Protection, Yule, the waning year | Midwinter decoration. Planted by the door. | The berries are poisonous. |
| Ivy | Water | Loyalty, endurance, Yule | Midwinter decoration with holly. | Poisonous if eaten. The sap can irritate skin. |
| Juniper | Fire | Purification, protection | Dried sprigs burned to cleanse a room. | Not for use in pregnancy. |
| Lavender | Air | Calm, sleep, peace, purification | Sachets. Baths. Burned for cleansing. | The essential oil is toxic to cats. |
| Lemon balm | Water | Joy, calm, affection | Sun tea at midsummer. Baths. | Check with a doctor if you take thyroid medicine. |
| Mint | Air | Clarity, energy, prosperity, safe travel | Tea while planning. A leaf in the wallet. | Peppermint oil is not for young children or pets. |
| Mistletoe | Air | Peace, protection, Yule | Hung at midwinter. | All parts are poisonous. Keep from children and pets. |
| Mugwort | Earth | Dreams, divination, protection on journeys | Dream pillows. Burned before divination. | Not in pregnancy. Can trigger ragweed allergy. Do not ingest. |
| Nettle | Fire | Protection, courage, turning harm back | Dried leaf in protection charms. | Stings when fresh. Wear gloves. |
| Oak | Fire | Strength, endurance, luck, the God | Acorns on the altar and windowsill. Leaves at Litha. | Raw acorns are not edible. |
| Pine | Air | Cleansing, resilience, prosperity, Yule | Needles in a floor wash. Cones on the altar. | Keep needles away from pets. |
| Rose | Water | Love, friendship, self-kindness | Petals in baths, sachets, and on the altar. | Store-bought flowers are sprayed. Do not eat or drink them. |
| Rosemary | Fire | Protection, cleansing, memory | Burned, hung, or added to baths. A substitute for almost any herb. | Avoid large amounts in pregnancy. |
| Rowan | Fire | Protection, especially in British folklore | Twigs tied with red thread. Berries strung as a charm. | Raw berries should not be eaten. |
| Sage | Air | Wisdom, cleansing, long life | Garden sage burned to cleanse. Leaves in charm bags. | Avoid large amounts in pregnancy. |
| St. John's wort | Fire | Midsummer, protection, good cheer | Hung over doors at Litha. | Do not take internally without medical advice. It interferes with many medicines. |
| Sunflower | Fire | The sun, confidence, loyalty | Seeds as offerings. Flowers at Litha and Lughnasadh. | None of note. |
| Thyme | Water | Courage, good health, purification | Baths. Burned for cleansing. Sprigs carried for courage. | Food herb. |
| Willow | Water | The moon, grief, intuition, flexibility | Fallen twigs for wands. Charms for mourning. | Do not take internally if sensitive to aspirin. |
| Yarrow | Water | Courage, love, divination, boundaries | Dried flowers in charm bags. Hung over the bed. | Not in pregnancy. Avoid if allergic to the daisy family. |
Herbs by purpose
| Purpose | Herbs to reach for |
|---|---|
| Protection | Rosemary, bay, garlic, black pepper, rowan, juniper, nettle |
| Cleansing | Rosemary, sage, juniper, lavender, pine, thyme |
| Love and friendship | Rose, apple, yarrow, lemon balm |
| Prosperity | Basil, mint, cinnamon, bay, dill |
| Calm and sleep | Lavender, chamomile, lemon balm |
| Courage and energy | Thyme, fennel, ginger, nettle, oak |
| Divination and dreams | Mugwort, yarrow, dandelion, bay |
| Wishes and luck | Bay, dandelion, chamomile, oak |
A note on the elements
The element given for each herb follows the attributions most often used in modern witchcraft. They derive from older systems that sorted plants by their taste, their heat, and the planet that was thought to govern them. Sources do not always agree. If you would place a plant differently from your own experience of it, trust your experience.