Old Names For Herbs - A to Z

In the old days, herbalists and midwives didn't use textbook botanical names for herbs. Medicinal and magical plants had colorful descriptive names. Often, old books about magic and herbal healing use the folk names instead of the names commonly used today, and it can be confusing. So, here is an alphabetical listing of those names, along with the common and botanical names in current use. You'll notice that some plants have a variety of names, and some names refer to a variety of plants.

• A Hawk's Heart: Heart of Wormwood Artemisia absinthium
• A Lion's Hairs: Tongue of a Turnip [i.e., the leaves of the taproot] Brassica napus
• A Man's Bile: Turnip Sap Brassica napus
• A Pig's Tail: Leopard's Bane Arnica montana
• A Titan's Blood: Wild Lettuce Lactuca virosa
• Aaron's Rod: Goldenrod Solidago Virgaurea -or- Great Mullein Verbascum thapsus
• A Bone of an Ibis: Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica
• Absinthe: Wormwood Artemisia Absinthium
• Adder's Fork: Bistort Polygonum Bistorta
• Adder's Mouth: Chickweed Stellaria Media
• Adder's Tongue: Dogstooth Violet Erythronium multiscapoideum

... I am so sorry, but this post has been moved to my new website, Magickal Ingredients, and can be found in its entirety here: Old Names For Herbs

Insomnia Spell - Hecate's Bath

Once upon a time, according to legend, Hecate had a temple in the ancient city of Colchis, surrounded by vast botanical gardens. Her priestesses, including her most famous devotee Medea, were famed for their botanical knowledge. No doubt they could concoct a sleeping potion or two. This simple bath uses two of Hecate's sacred materials - honey and lavender - to soothe the way to sleep and encourage healing dreams....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Magickal Apothecary, and can be found in its entirety here: Insomnia Spell - Hecate's Bath