By Katrina Rasbold
Goldenseal is a guardian herb that protects the wearer or holder from all forms of evil or danger.
Herbalism For Your Day – Goldenseal
Category: Herbalism For Your Day By Katrina Rasbold
Herbalism For Your Day – Hyssop
By Katrina Rasbold
Hyssopus officinalis will go to battle for you as a protective and purifying herb. Its purification properties extend to health and healers often use it to treat cold symptoms.
Herbalism For Your Day: Feverfew
By Katrina Rasbold
Ruled by Venus, feverfew is used to ease the pain of premenstrual syndrome and delayed menstruation.
Herbalism For Your Day – Mullein
By Katrina Rasbold
One of the more unique attributes of mullein is that it is work to keep wild animals away from the wearer on hikes. It instills courage and opens the heart to love.
Herbalism For Your Day: Cinnamon
By Katrina Rasbold
Cinnamon come from the bark of several different trees from the cinnamomum genus. It is one of the most stimulating herbs in common use and its versatility in bark and oil form makes it a fantastic and invigorating addition to incenses, teas, potions, and spellwork.
Herbalism For Your Day: Peppermint
By Katrina Rasbold
The presence of menthol in in peppermint makes it an excellent anodyne and a drop or two of pure peppermint extract onto an aching tooth can ease the pain for at least an hour or two. Be prepared. Actual peppermint oil is intense and for a minute, takes your breath away.
Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Peppermint
Herbalism For Your Day: Rosemary
By Katrina Rasbold
People lean heavily into the sages, cedar, and juniper, but rosemary is one of the strongest cleansing and purifying herbs to use. It not only cleanses, but also protects property and the people on it. Rosemary is a primary ingredient in the Fiery Wall of Protection oil and spray that I make. Plant rosemary, a sturdy and forgiving bushy herb, outside your home to convey its protection to the house and grounds.
Herbalism For Your Day: Pennyroyal
By Katrina Rasbold
Pennyroyal was the name of a Girl Scout camp near where I grew up, but it is also the name of a versatile healing herb used for hundreds of years. I’m pretty sure those facts are somehow related. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Pennyroyal
Herbalism For Your Day: Yarrow
By Katrina Rasbold
People have used yarrow for healing and magic since before recorded history. Legend says the most precious yarrow grows on the burial site of Confucious. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Yarrow
Herbalism For Your Day: Chamomile
By Katrina Rasbold
Chamomile is just a precious little plant. I have grown it and even for a black thumb person like me, it’s fairly easy to cultivate and you can feel the gentleness of it radiating from its little blossoms. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Chamomile
Herbalism For Your Day: Hibiscus
By Katrina Rasbold
The next several Herbalism For Your Day posts look like a walk through my tea cabinet and that is purely by coincidence, but here we go.
Hibiscus looks like it should be a poisonous plant with its brightly colored flowers and extremely proud and vital stamen and it is poisonous to cats.
Its power as an aphrodesiac is so intense that in some countries, women are forbidden from drinking the tea because certainly, we would not want a bunch of horned up women roaming the streets all hepped up on hibiscus tea. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Hibiscus
Herbalism For Your Day: Anise, Star & Otherwise
by Katrina Rasbold
Anise and star anises are two different herbs from two different plants, but they share the same scent profile because of anethole, an essential oil produced by both plants. The flavor is slightly different with star anise being more bitter. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Anise, Star & Otherwise
Herbalism For Your Day: Lemon Balm
By Katrina Rasbold
Lemon balm is one of the most common herbs we have covered so far, known for its aromatic citrus smell. It is related to the mint family and the leaves are very similar, even if the scent is not. Its fancy name is “Melissa” and it flourishes in any warm or temperate area worldwide. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Lemon Balm
Herbalism For Your Day: Cascara Sagrada
By Katrina Rasbold
Cascara sagrada grows in the Pacific Northwest and is an extract from the bark of the buckthorn tree. You will noticed that we previously covered the wonderful effects of buckthorn in an earlier column. Interestingly, like buckthorn, cascara sagrada was one of the first magical herbs I used in my practice. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Cascara Sagrada
Herbalism For Your Day: Job’s Tears
By Katrina Rasbold
Like kava kava, Job’s tears are a foreign plant to everyone who does not live in Asia, which is where the plant almost exclusively grows. As mentioned in the article on kava kava, we always achieve a higher energy impact on our shellwork when we use herbs and stones native to our geographical area. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Job’s Tears
Herbalism For Your Day: Kava Kava
By Katrina Rasbold
Kava kava is an interesting plant in that all seeds it produces are sterile. This means that the only way to propagate the plant is through cuttings. It is high needs, so you will not likely be able to grow it in a pot or even in a greenhouse. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Kava Kava
Herbalism For Your Day: Witch Hazel
By Katrina Rasbold
Those of us who are of a particular age remember using witch hazel as a facial astringent back in “the day.” I am sure few of us realized the intense magical influence we were dabbing all over our pretty faces. Intention is everything, but the inherent powers of this plant shine through on their own. I’m sure our parents were pleased with the results it gave to us. (wink) Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Witch Hazel
Herbalism For Your Day: Slippery Elm
By Katrina Rasbold
What we loosely call “herbs” when we talk about magical herbalism is an inclusive label that also includes flowers, roots, barks, and in this case, trees. Where most people think of small green things growing in pretty pots when they talk about herbs, Witches and other magical folks basically mean, “botany” and we are voracious about studying the energy of all parts of pretty much any plant. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Slippery Elm
Herbalism For Your Day: Buckthorn
By Katrina Rasbold
Buckthorn was one of the first magical herbs I learned about back in the 1980s. I was in Scorpio Herbs (no longer in operation) in Texas and one of the folks working in the shop told me that buckthorn “brings the magic together.” She went on to explain that if you include herbs in your spell work, you should also throw in some buckthorn because it encourages the other herbs to work together more cohesively toward your goal.
Herbalism For Your Day: Elecampane
By Katrina Rasbold
Legend says Elecampane (Inula helenium) as named for Helen of Troy and grew in the places where her tears fell. Related to the sunflower, this plant is quite tall, up to sixty inches or so. It has a rigid stem with leaves that are green on the top and white on the bottom. It has vibrant yellow blooms that smell a bit like sweet camphor. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Elecampane