By Katrina Rasbold
This week’s herb is one many Witches use for self-care and that is Saint John’s Wort (Hypericum). This herb grows well in the Western US and throughout Europe and Asia. I was pleased to find it growing wild next to my new home when I moved in.
Saint John’s Wort is toxic, so be sure to carefully research the herb before you take it internally. This beautiful plant has dark green leaves and blooms with bright yellow flowers in the summertime.
Medically, it is used as an astringent, to treat jaundice, as an expectorant, and to treat nervous conditions, especially in calming extreme emotional reactions and mood swings, as well as chronic depression/melancholy.
It is a protective herb, especially for mental health. Planting St. John’s Wort near your home encourages emotional balance within the home and protects those who live there from disharmony. Some add the flowers and leaves of Saint John’s Wort to home blessing bottles to ward off evil spirits.
To attract love, harvest Saint John’s Wort on Midsummer or on a Friday morning while the dew still clings to it.
Here is a video on how to make a home blessing bottle:
Katrina Rasbold is a professional Witch, published author, priestess, and editor of Green Egg Magazine. She and her husband, Eric, are the creators of the CUSP spiritual path and owners of Crossroads Occult. She and Dahlia Rose host the popular livestreamed video broadcast “Crossroads of Cognizance” most Thursday afternoons. You can reach her through www.katrinarasbold.com.