Tag: herbalism

Magical Gardening Tips for Complete Beginners

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Witches and plants go hand in hand. (Generally, of course. I’m not the boss of your craft, but, you know, it’s generally a thing.)

But gardening is expensive. So expensive. You wouldn’t think nature, the thing we live on, in, around, and with would be difficult to acquire, but it is. You can easily drop hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year on gardening – just indoor gardening. Never mind external gardens.

And witchy plants? SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE. Either you need to safely wildcraft them (and some of those plants shouldn’t be removed from their environment if you aren’t 1000% sure you can handle them, because the plants need all the propagation opportunities possible) or you buy those plants. Buying seeds can be a few bucks here and a few bucks there, but there’s always a good chance that your plant won’t grow. Then you’re out a few bucks and all you have is a jar of failed dirt. Buying live plants is a better middle ground, but plants do experience trauma so you still have a risk of them dying.

Aside from the expense of the actual plants, you may need to purchase soil, soil additives (because soil is not the same everywhere and some plants are unhappy without certain soil), pots and planters, plant trays and moving wheeled platforms for larger pots, plant food, and possibly plant lights or a water system. That’s for indoor plants. Outdoors? That’s a whole different expensive level. 

So, here’s some witchy truths and tips for indoor gardens.

True Facts

  • You will fail. Plants will die. You may feel like a murderer. It happens to us all.
  • Google plant care for your plant. It may just save your plant’s life.
  • Ask fellow gardeners and witches for advice. This is something all of us do in regards to plants so many are quite happy to talk about it.
  • It’s better to have one healthy plant than six unhealthy plants.
  • Plants do not always smell good. Some plants smell like ass and others will smell like death, piss, or onions. The prize may outweigh the cost, but not always. 
  • You will have bugs. Even indoors, there will be bugs.
  • Sometimes the organic or better quality stuff isn’t best. Think before you buy stuff for your garden. You organic soil may sprout mushrooms that kill your plants (true story) and you may find that a clear vase of water with a handful of rocks is better for a plant than a specific growing pot. Trial and error helps here, but don’t sink a ton of money on something without trying to more common stuff first.
  • Many, many, many plants are invasive. Mugwort, mullein, chamomile, and mint are common invasive plants used in witchcraft. I recommend googling before purchasing or at least googling before planting in the ground for all plants. Some plants spread like crazy and will destroy your garden if giving the chance. 
  • Annual means that it grows for less than two years and will need to be replaced, most lasting a single season. Perennial means it comes back again and again. Some perennials self-sow so you may get a perennial plant to come back, just not the same plant as before.
  • Keep an eye on how warm your plants can get. Too much heat will kill them, but so will too much cold. It may be best to put a plant on a table near a window than in a cold window sill, even if the window gets better light. 
  • Not all plants are pet-friendly. Google may tell you if a plant is toxic to animals, but a better bet is to just keep them out of a pet’s range.
  • Plants do weird shit. Expect to be surprised.

Where to get your plants

  • Grow from seeds
  • Get a cutting or live plant from a friend
  • Grow them from kitchen scraps
  • Buy a live plant at a store or nursery (online or local)
  • Wildcraft one (so long as the population of said plant is super stable)
  • Check the clearance section of a store or nursery 

I’ll be honest. I normally search the clearance section of stores first for plants to rescue. Normally these are plants that are growing weirdly, need transplanting desperately, or simply look unhealthy. And they may be all of that! But they’re usually really cheap so I tend to rescue them first and foremost.

I can, have, and do grow plants from seeds. I usually keep my plant purchases to a minimum from seeds, merely because I don’t have space to give lots of plants a head-start indoors. (Most of my growing space is a single large window where all the indoor plants live during the cooler months). I normally harvest seeds from foods I’ve consumed (like avocado or lemons), but I also buy seeds from Baker’s Creek (rareseeds.com). They sell heirloom vegetables seeds as well as flower and herb seeds.

My favorite (and cheapest) suggestion is to grow plants from fruits and vegetables you already have purchased. I’ve gotten ginger, scallions (green onions), potatoes, sweet potatoes, celery, garlic, and pineapples from kitchen scraps. Root vegetables and plants with bases like celery are easier to re-grow, in my opinion. A quick google search of ‘food you can re-grow from kitchen scraps’ will yield good results. 

Some of my best plants I get from nurseries. Yup, they’re more expensive (but not much more, to be honest, then home improvement stores), but they’re way happier plants. And you can get some beautiful selections you might not get elsewhere. Plus, you’re supporting a local small business, which is always a good thing to do. Two years ago, my household scored black petunias (actually a very dark purple) at a nursery whereas we had never seen them before. My preferred nursery is owned and operated by a single woman and conveniently is a few houses down from my preferred farmer’s market. I just have to remember to grab some bug spray before going and I’m a happy witch.

I rarely get plants in other ways. I sometimes will transplant a wild plant to save it from becoming someone’s lawn clippings (like I did with my bittersweet nightshade) and I’ve gotten plants from other people, but largely, I acquire my plants in the above ways right now.

Planting and grow your plants

Following your plant’s care recommendations, provided by google, is best. Seriously. Each plant will require a learning curve. 

My favorite pots for growing are a large clear glass jar and some cheap clay pots. I do have plastic ones, but I tend to only use them for very, very large plants. Ceramic pots are great too and I use them often. I skip concrete planters – they’re very heavy and I’ve had them crack in the New England cold winters. Who knew? Most of the time though, you’ll find a lot of my water-based plants growing in recycled olive or jam jars. I love the eclectic look of the different pots and jars, but if you like things more streamline and uniform, pick something that’s netural and available widely in a variety of sizes.

You can also use a double pot system. Plant your plant in something that might not be pretty, but you can place inside something that is pretty. I do this with plants that haven’t outgrown the pots they come in. Grow pots are cheap plastic and aren’t great, but sometimes moving a plant isn’t the best idea. I often just leave plants alone until they need some attention. I’ve done best at keeping things alive when I work in this manner.

I use decent but not stellar soil for my indoor plants (and I skip the organic stuff after a mushroom episode). I use dollar stone china plates for the bottom of my planters when I can’t find a real one to fit. Driveway gravel is great for draining rocks for the bottom of my planters, but it can be a bit sharp for some delicate rooted plants.. I dig using my hands and end up with dirt everywhere. I water as needed (unless the plants are liars) and feed them as often as I dare.

Working outdoors is a whole different game. There I have shovels, trowels, work gloves, clippers, shears, scissors, ladders, and every other thing under the sun. I use decent soil to bolster the land as needed or dive for gardening tomes to help balance the PH in the soil. I use mulch and large brim hats and consider the merits of growing compost and curse my yard’s poor dirt.

How I set up my pots generally follows like this:

  1. I pick a pot about slightly less than twice the size of the pot the plant currently is in. If it’s a seed, then I use a very small pot about six inches tall and three inches wide. If the plant is very root bound (as in the roots are all tangled together inside the pot), I’ll upgrade to a larger pot.
  2. I put a small layer of driveway gravel at the bottom of the pot. This is so the water doesn’t sit on the roots or soak the soil too much. If your pot has holes at the bottom (and you have a plant liner tray) then you can skip this step, but I generally always use the gravel. The gravel is somewhat pointy so be aware that it may damage very tender roots, so handle with care. I add more gravel if I’m planting something that needs drier soil, like a succulent or cactus. Some water plants are anchored by gravel and use smaller rocks for additional root assistance.
  3. Then I put a little soil in, just enough to cover the rocks (or more if the plant is short but deep roots or it’s a seed)
  4. I pull the plant out of the pot it’s already in, shaking some of the soil from the roots. If the plant is a seed, just plop it in the soil and plant according to recommendations. If it’s very root bound, you may end up spending several minutes loosening up the soil between the roots so the plant can have more room to grow. Be careful not to break the roots or any stems when handling the plant. Be gentle.
  5. Then I pad the sides of the plant with soil, layering on more and more until the roots are completely covered and the plant is well secured.
  6. Sometimes I add rocks at the top, but that’s largely depending on how much I want or need to protect the plant from soil erosion by water. 
  7. Then I drizzle water on the plant until the soil is wet. Finally, the plant can be placed happily in where I want it to go. I’ll add watering and feeding times to my calendar, as suggested by plant growing guides, and call it a day. 

Planting Outside

I won’t cover planting outside right now, because it’s a super large topic and the advice will vary depending on soil type, weather, climate, sun/shade ratios, wind, what’s already growing, wildlife, and how much time you have to devote to it all.

My general advice for outdoor gardeners is to do a soil test, then you’ll have a general idea how much work you’ll need to do to adjust to plants. That being said, it may be easier for you to simply grow in containers than in the ground, especially if there’s a lot of trees, roots, shade, or something buried in the ground, like a septic tank.

Take photos and notes of the areas you want to grow in for at least a week at various times of the day. I just leave a little notebook in the window closest to that area and take notes and a photo every time I walk by. This will help you determine how much sun, wind, and shade that area gets at various times of the day. It also may tell you what wildlife is nearby.

Armed with that information, you can start planning a garden. Again, this is a huge topic, but I typically suggest raised beds, because they’re just so much easier to take care of and work with.

Now, if you have specific plants you want to grow in a specific area, then do a test. I plant my desired plant in a container and place it in a spot where I’d like to plant it in the ground in the future. It helps determine whether or not the plant will survive there. There’s no guarantee even if all this is done. Some plants just don’t do well in certain soils. You’ll have to risk failure to succeed.

You’ll also want to keep in mind how much a plant will grow and how invasive it’ll be. Mint, for example, grows easily in containers, but shouldn’t be planted in the ground or it’ll take over the whole yard. Ground cover can be useful, but sometimes it’s impossible to get rid of later and becomes a nightmare. Do your research before you plant something with a reputation of being invasive in this manner.

Adding some magic

Magic can be added to any part of the routine.

When selecting plants, I seek out the ones that are calling for help or seem to want me specifically. I listen to what the plant wants and that’s how I get many of my plants to do well. This is an animist’s point of view, of course, but I find that it really works well.

You can plant by the phases of the moon and some people do really well with it. I have a theory that if you have a lot of water on the property, planting by the moon works better, but I don’t have near enough data to really propose this seriously right now.

Water can be enchanted with the power of the sun or moon. You can also used infused water, like a tea or water from making pasta to water plants with. This will largely depend on the plant itself. For example, I use nothing but clear, clean filtered or purified water for my indoor bamboo. If I use anything else at all, it dies rapidly and it very difficult to save. Google will, yet again, be your friend.

What you fertilize your plants with can also be enchanted. Rose, according to some gardeners, like calcium so planting a hank of your hair alongside your roses is good for them. I’ve tried eggshells, but I didn’t notice any changes with my rose bush, but I think that’s largely due to the location rather than the plant itself. Once you figure out what weird things you can fertilize your plants with, the magical connections should come quickly after that.

Of course, you can additionally enchant the soil you plant in with enchanted water, carefully made compost, or enchanted draining rocks with sigils painted on them in environmentally friendly paint.

Pots are probably the easiest to enchant. You can draw or paint with environmentally safe paint on the outside and inside of the plant to encourage grow and health in the plant. This can be as simple as a sigil or written word or as complicated as an intricate painting. The choice is yours.

Placing decorations inside the pot is also useful. This can be done by placing a tiny statue in the pot with the plant in a manner where the plant won’t be crowded. I’m plotting to turn the soil around my palm plant into a tiny fairy cottage, lacing each item I acquire or make with spells for prosperity, abundance, and household happiness and health.

There are many other ways to enchant your gardening too. Garden tools can be enchanted for strength and to be rust-proof. Gloves can be enchanting to keep the hands safe. Support for plants can be soaked in enchanted water.

Don’t forget that you can simply verbalize spells by talking to your plants. There’s some research to support that plants like being talked to nicely and sweetly and that backs up my experience nicely. (The only plant I ever struggle with is a climbing rose I’ve named Diva and she’s the most prickly thing I’ve ever met. She gets me every time, no matter what I’m doing.) I like to hum or sing-song to my plants as I work on them, if I’m not just straight-out having a one-sided conversation with them. I get some strange looks, especially from my brother, but I don’t mind.

Those are some basic tips! Hope it helps!

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Starter Plants for a Witchy Garden

Starting a witchy garden? Or maybe you’re just trying to add more magic to your cooking with fresh herbs? It can be so hard to know which plants to start with and which herbs to keep on hand.

Starter Plants for a Witchy Garden by This Crooked Crown

 

This “must haves” for your practice is going to vary wildly. It’s even going to vary on what purpose you might have for those plants. Are you keeping them around for their herbal benefit or magical?

Many people try out green or kitchen witchery only to run away from it or struggle with it. This largely comes from difficulties in knowing complimenting flavors and tastes (remember to taste your food when cooking folks!) and accidentally killing your plants.

I get you. I really do. I have a light green thumb – I can keep things alive but sometimes they just kick the bucket. My best plant right now is my aloe which I leave alone and it’s happy.  When it comes to kitchen witchery, rest assured, I’ve made plenty of stupid mistakes there too. I’ve heard the song of the fire alarm plenty of times.

Knowing what to start with and what to try is super difficult, especially when you’re just starting out. Here’s some tips for you new witchlings (and maybe a gentle reminder for us old-timers)

 

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Kiki avidly watches birds and squirrels.

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Start small

Those big beautiful gardens you see on Pinterest? Yeah, they’re not created in a single season or even a single year. Same thing with indoor gardens. Pick a plant or two tend to them. If they’re still alive and kicking a few months later, add on another plant. Plan for what you want. This also allows you to save up money for garden because it is not a cheap hobby.

If you have such a black thumb that you can kill off a plastic plant, rest assured that you’re not without option. You can use fresh spices. A farmer’s market is your best friend. Some farmer’s markets operate all year around and others are only seasonally. Check out your local ones and see what they offer.

Protip: Take a day and visit both your farmer’s markets and grocery stores. Sometimes farmer’s markets actually partially stock from farmers that also sell to your grocery stores. Or you’ll find that you don’t like that specific potato sold at that farm or discover that while the grocery store is cheaper then farmer’s market tastes better. Figure out where’s the best places to get certain things and you’ll save yourself the heartache of “aw, the radishes are so much better at this farmer’s market!”.

 

Growing versus buying

If you’ve been to online communities you may have run across the idea that plants you grow are more useful than buying herbs. This is only kind of true. (If you’re making a face, keep reading.)

My experience is this: If you’re a spirit worker, the plants you grow develop bonds and relationships with you because you’ll probably talk to that spirit. That plant will be infinitely more powerful – but probably only for certain things. You might discover that the plant you grow is really only good for protection spells. It’s not really going to help you with a luck spell.

But the same fresh or dried herbs you get from the market or store? Those babies can be used for anything they’re associated with rather than being shoehorned into whatever the plant wants to be used for. So they’re infinitely more useful even if you can’t control their quality.

That’s the other main argument: you can’t control the growing conditions, ethical conditions, and quality if you buy. This it true so I highly suggest to look into farmer’s markets to circumvent these things. You can also quickly google on your phone farms the food comes from to see how controversial or unlikable they are. You might be the weirdo standing there for five minutes staring at a head of cabbage but isn’t that better than working with something you don’t agree with?

Growing is, of course, cheaper except for the initial investment. But growing also requires a lot of…

 

Research

I feel like a broke record but research your stuff! This is especially true if you’re growing things. Just some simple research in how certain plants grows (or even that specific breed of plant) can entirely change how I care for a plant.

Research can also change how and why you grow a plant. I don’t use a lot of lavender in my practice but I do for my herbal medicine. So I’d rather grow it outside and harvest it than keep it inside. I use citrus in my craft for cleansing and for my herbalism. I grow mini trees in pots. Same thing with peppers. I grow them in pots so I can have fresh peppers for protection spells and curses.

Research can also tell you on whether or not you actually need a bunch of that plant. If you never use mint in spells but for rare occasions and never cook with it… then why are you growing it? Why waste that time? So what if everyone recommends it or uses it in their spells? YOU don’t and that matters. Develop your own list and needs for what you use in your practice. look through your spells and decide for yourself.

 

 

Those are some super basics. Ready for my go to list of plants for basic witchcraft?

Basil

Sex or sexual attention,  soothing fights between couples or family, dieting or fasting, health and healing, the home, sympathy, harmony, increasing money, good luck, to curse others, fire element, fertility, weddings, romance or romantic love, for attractiveness, exorcism or banishing.

Lemon Balm

For improving memory, easing depression or grief, lifting one’s spirits, for romantic love or romance, for clairvoyant dreams, health and healing, and youthfulness.

Lavender

To see ghosts or spirits, to attract men (especially sexually), for women’s strength or sexual attractiveness, to calm, to calm nerves or anxiety, against unwanted sexual attention, fertility or childbirth, for sleep, healing and health in general, air element, divination, purification or cleansing, for sex or sexual attention, easing depression or grief, relaxation, and for romantic love or romance.

Mint

For increasing money, prosperity, wealth, trade or increasing business, dieting or fasting, cleansing or purification, clairvoyant dreams, divination, relaxation, easing anxiety or nerves, health or healing in general, for improving memory, air element, for sex or sexual attention, romance or romantic love, and creating change or a catalyst.

Rose

Protection, peace, harmony, romance or romantic love, sex or sexual attention, soothing fights between couples or families, for newlyweds, for weddings, for women’s sexual attractiveness or strength, for sleep, healing or health in general, attuning or aiding psychic powers, for clairvoyant dreams, divination, clairvoyance or second sight, and against or wards off negativity, bad luck, spells, curses, or malevolent spirits.

Rosemary

Cleverness or mental clarity, focus, for confidence, against thieves or trespassing, for courage or against fear, purification or cleansing, improving memory, against nightmares, for rejuvenation or power / energy, youthfulness, women’s strength or sexual attractiveness, for beauty, for physical strength or endurance, romance or romantic love, to attract friends, healing or health in general, exorcism or banishing, protection, protection at sea, to invoke the sea, against unwanted sexual attention, boosting the five senses, clairvoyance or second sight, and against or wards off negativity, bad luck, spells, curses, or malevolent spirits.

Thyme

Wards off fatigue while traveling, victory, to win a battle or overcome an enemy, ease depression or grief, for courage or bravery, wards off fear, wards off nightmares, healing or health in general, for sex or sexual attention, to see faeries, funerary rites or to send off the dead, purification or cleansing, hex / curse breaking or spell breaking, for rejuvenation or power / energy, clairvoyance or the second sight, and against or wards off negativity, bad luck, spells, curses, or malevolent spirits.

Sage

Youthfulness, prosperity, wealth, trade or increasing business, health or healing, for improving memory, easing depression or grief, and earth element

Apple

Youthfulness, to know or enter the underworld or land of the dead, for romance or romantic love, for sex or sexual attention, water element, relaxation, for happiness or joy, for success, for gardening success, for rejuvenation or power / energy, health or healing, to use in place of a poppet or for image magic, and wood can be used to create magical tools.

Mugwort and/or Wormwood

Divination, scrying, to strengthen divination tools, for magic mirrors, for clairvoyant dreams, clairvoyance or second sight, to see ghosts or spirits, to contact or manifest spirits, air element, health or healing, for protection while traveling, wards off wild animals, wards off fatigue while traveling, and purification or cleansing.

Yarrow

Divination, clairvoyance or second sight, attuning or aiding psychic powers, romance or romantic love, for weddings, health or healing in general, sexual prowess or fertility, water element, for fair weather, for courage or bravery, wards off fear, for wisdom, purification or cleansing, for rejuvenation or power / energy, exorcism or banishing, and against or wards off negativity, bad luck, spells, curses, or malevolent spirits.

Peppers in general

Protection, against envy or jealousy (both directed at you and your own), exorcism or banishing, for curses or hexes, and fire element.

 

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My grapes are ripening nicely.

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What did you notice about that list? Most of the list can be bought in stores or probably grows locally to you. All of it can be eaten (but please check your allergies and health warnings first!) It’s an excellent start and it covers a lot of things you might be trying to do.

(Side note, my list is from various numerous sources. Too many to list in a blog post. If you want to know where I got a piece of lore from, drop me a line and I’ll give you the source.)

Also, every single one of those plants can be grown in pots at least for a few years. Yes, even apples. There’s some intrepid farmers that make dwarf apple trees but you’ll probably do much better just planting it in the ground. Cayenne peppers, lavender, and roses will need fairly large pots in order to thrive (and do yourself a favor and put them on little rolling plant trays). Most of the rest can be kept in your standard windowsill.

Again, what you grow or keep around entirely depends on your personal practice and needs. Good luck with your gardening!

 

Money Powders

Money powders are an often under utilized magical tool that is so easy to create and use. I use money powders quite often in my money spells and in general day-to-day money handling.

For All Sorts of Money Powder by This Crooked Crown

First, let’s cover what a money powder is. Simply put: it is ground magical ingredients enchanted to bring money or financial boons to where-ever it’s placed. So if you sprinkle money powder on a spell candle, that spell will be affected. If you sprinkle money powder on the floor or in your laundry, then your home and laundry will be affected. Simple, right?

Money powders have endless combinations and composition. Pretty much any ingredient under the sun can be used in money related spells in some way or another. Deciding what to put in a money powder and how many ingredients to put into it will entirely come down to preference.

Want to know my secret for money powders? Here it is: You need to believe it. Not necessarily that the magic will work or the spell is working. Or even in the powder itself. Here, belief is more about knowledge. You have to “know” the ingredients are good for money magic.

 

 

For example, roses aren’t super well-known for money magic but I do sometimes use roses in a money spell, especially when I want to increase money for an art-related thing or for personal beauty. But I wouldn’t use it in a money related spell for gambling. I’d probably pick cinquefoil and clover.

There’s also a difference what kind of money you need. If you start looking at herbal folklore texts, people didn’t always use the same ingredients for personal wealth versus business wealth. This may come down to how that piece of folklore is written down and shared but in a comparison of seventeen herbs pulled from three different sources only mint and cinquefoil was on both lists. Also, spells to find employment only share ingredients about half the time, I’ve found.

By the way, those seventeen herbs are as follows: For increasing money Scott Cunningham in Magical Herbalism suggests almond, basil, hyssop, mint, bryony, ciquefoil, High John the Conqueror, honeysuckle but for business pursuits he recommends mint, peony, cinnamon, benzoin, and cinquefoil. Almanac.com suggests sage for increasing business and Miranda Seymour in her delightful little book A Brief History of Thyme and Other Herbs also suggest sage but adds valerian and dill to the business increasing list.

 

Common Money Spell Ingredients by This Crooked Crown

 

That being said, sometimes you might just need money from any source and you don’t care where that money comes from. For situations like that, an all-purpose money powder is your go-to. For our purposes, a business related spell or money powder is directly you selling goods or services for money. it may cause your job to get a big new client or for you to get a raise. Personal wealth spells may cause any of those business related things to happen but it’s also likely to have you find twenty bucks in a forgotten pocket or have someone pay you back for lunch from five years ago out of the blue.

My favorite way to use money powders is to sprinkle them across the threshold of my work-space or even on my desk overnight. In the morning, I simply sweep them up and toss them in the compost. I keep a jar of all purpose money powder at the ready for candle spells and throw a pinch of non-dying powder in my laundry for events.

 

For All Sorts of Money Powder by This Crooked Crown

 

Ready for a recipe? Straight from my own recipe book, here’s two. All you need to do is to ground the ingredients together in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Or take the smart route and buy the ingredients pre-powdered such as ginger powder or almond flour.

 

For All Sorts of Money (All-Purpose Money Powder)

  • Basil
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Sugar
  • Mint
  • Clover
  • Cinquefoil

 

For Personal Wealth (Non-Business Money Powder)

  • Basil
  • Sugar
  • Mint
  • Cinquefoil
  • Cinnamon
  • Almond flour
  • Ginger

 

For Increasing Business (Non-Personal Wealth)

  • Basil
  • Salt
  • Mint
  • Cinquefoil
  • Cinnamon
  • Sage
  • Coffee

 

For All Sorts of Money Powder by This Crooked Crown

 

Of course, if you’re not into the mixing and grinding, you can always pop over to my shop and buy an ounce for yourself.

Remember that the recipes above are just a place to start. You get to have fun and personalize your recipe according to your own preferences and practice. Experiment with what you can create and see what kind of magic can happen!

A Plant’s Curse [Spell Saturday #46]

Plants are usually seen as healers or helpers in magic. It’s not rare to run into a plant that can also be used for cursing. Added to that, most plants used in cursing are used dry and only a bit of it. This spell is not one of those.

This is a spell that only grows in strength. As the plant grows stronger, your target’s success and life begins to fall apart. It’s a serious business curse. It’s not the kind you use when someone’s a jackass but when someone truly deserves to have their life ruined.

What makes a person deserve such treatment? I leave that up to you to decide.

 

A Plant's Curse by This Crooked Crown

 

What you’ll need:

  • A plant you can keep alive
  • A picture of your target
  • The name of your target
  • A piece of your target’s hair (optional)
  • A pot for the plant
  • Soil for the plant
  • Rocks for drainage for the plant (optional)
  • Chalk or sharpie

First thing you’ll need to do is to get a plant you can keep alive. The easiest choice for this spell is a cactus with spines. Poisonous plants are a fairly obvious choice as well. The second choices could be any number of poisonous plants. I think roses would be a great choice if you were cursing an ex-lover. Cuttings from your target’s yard or re-potting a plant that was a gift from them would also be good. Or you can just pick something that you know you can keep alive. The only real requirement is that the plant must be grown in soil. Do not pick an air plant or a plant that grows primarily in water.

Once you have your plant picked out, pick an appropriately sized potted plant, soil appropriate for the plant, and rocks for water drainage if necessary. Do yourself a favor and spend ten minutes googling your plant’s requirements for soil, water, light, and drainage before you buy it. I’ve spent twenty minutes standing in the middle of a greenhouse staring at my phone to make sure I had everything I needed for a plant’s survival. Since the plant’s life is immediately tied to this spell, it behooves you to make sure you can keep the plant alive to the best of your ability.

 

 

Next gather the items related to your target. Print out a picture of your target and make sure you have their full name. If you can, get some of their hair. Be careful with how much hair you grab. Roses, for example, love calcium so a hank of your target’s hair is absolutely perfect for a potted rosebush. They’ll love you for it. But some plants want different soil requirements so if you add calcium to the soil, you’ll change the pH levels and risk killing the plant. A few strands of hair won’t hurt your plant but double check your plant’s requirement before dropping a handful in there.

Write on the interior bottom of the pot your target’s full name. Use chalk or a sharpie. Place a few rocks at the very bottom for drainage, if needed. If not, put a thin layer of soil there instead.

Next, rip up the photograph into as small of pieces as you possibly can get. Sprinkle them into the pot. Now place the rest of your rocks for drainage on top of the paper and layer a very thin layer of soil on top of the paper until there’s none showing.

Wet the soil and rocks a little and gently pick up the plant, massaging the roots (without breaking them!) as much as possible and say,

“Little plant

You’ll grow so strong

And all you’ve got to do

Is to take from [target’s name]

Take your strength from their success

The weaker they grow, the stronger you’ll grow

Ruin their life so you can thrive.”

Finish potting the plant, watering it as needed, and place it in the best place for the plant to grow. Ideally, the plant will grow big and strong while your target’s life will slowly fall to ruin. If your plant needs re-potting, simply repeat the spell with new soil, target’s name, picture, and hair.

Make sure to take care of the plant really well. If the plant dies, so does your curse.

 

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Close up of one of my new plant friends.

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If you want to cancel this curse, you have two choices. And neither are guaranteed to work. The whole curse is based on the plant growing and so does the curse. Canceling that is going to be tricky.

The first choice is to uproot the plant. Either let it dry out in the sun or burn it. Scatter the soil from the plant at a crossroads and cast the stones used for drainage into living water. The picture and hair, if any traces of it remain, should be burned in a different fire than you used to burn the plant. The pot should be smashed or otherwise destroyed.

The second option relies entirely on your confidence to cleanse things. If you’re very competent at cleansing, then take the plant out of the pot it’s currently in and place it on the ground or on a plate temporarily. Cleanse the plant. Reach deep and make sure the plant understands that it no longer derives strength from your target. Give it another source to derive power from, like water, fertilizer, or the sun. You can reuse the pot and drainage rocks but scatter the soil at a crossroads. Re-pot the plant in a new batch of soil. Once again, remind the plant of its new magical source of energy as you re-pot it.

 

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A new succulent has joined the windowsill family. ♡

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Notes:

  • If you need to scatter the soil during re-potting, feel free to use as many crossroads as possible. No one’s going to want to see a mound of dirt in an intersection so you’re better off taking a walk or drive and tossing dirt here and there along the way.
  • The stronger the connection you have to the plant, the stronger the curse will be – and the more likely that the plant will be able to cancel it at a later date using the second method.
  • Using hair is the best option here. Skip fingernails as they take longer to break down. Blood could also be used but that’s far less sanitary. Avoid urine or other bodily fluids and they could kill the plant.
  • Plastic’s way cheaper and lighter than a terracotta or ceramic pot but they can be harder to break. Consider this ahead of time.
  • If you’re particularly malicious feeling, you can give your cursing plant to your target as a gift. Only do this if you know they’re going to take care of it.

Happy cursing!

Yule Candle (Spell Saturday #38)

This is called a Yule Candle. It’s a strictly holiday based spell. Traditionally, it’s lit during dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day but this is kind of one of those traditions that’s not based in any particular religion so you an easily adopt it to your own traditions.  So this can be lit during your designated big  winter holiday meal.

 

yule-candle-by-this-crooked-crown

 

This is pretty much the easiest candle spell you’ll ever see. Everything is optional. The colors are up to you. It’s comes down to one, singular rule: Light the candle before you sit down to eat and don’t let it go out until you’re done eating. That’s it. That’s the spell.

Following the Yule Candle rule will allow you to avoid bad luck. It’s a pretty adaptable spell so you can do what you like but this spell will combine blessings, safety, prosperity, good luck, and security (enough food, enough rent money, job security, etc.).

I lit mine during my family’s Christmas Day brunch but sometimes I’ll also light it if we don’t go out for dinner on Christmas Eve. Depends on what we’re doing that year. (For reference, my family does a secular gift exchange on Christmas. Religion’s checked at the door for us.) Typically this is lit and left on the table among the family but I like to leave it off to the side or even in the kitchen (within sight of the table) so it doesn’t get knocked over.

What you’ll need:

  • A candle that can last the length of your meal, any color
  • Sturdy, stable candle holder appropriate for the candle size
  • Cinnamon, powdered
  • Clover, diced
  • Clove, powdered
  • Nutmeg, powdered
  • Sage, powdered
  • Rosemary, diced
  • Thyme, diced
  • Ginger, powdered
  • Lavender, crushed and crumbled
  • Rose petals, crumbled
  • Pine needles (optional)
  • Drawing oil or flame

 

common-money-spell-ingredients-by-this-crooked-crown

Mix your herbs together and spread them out on a plate. Get your candle and make sure to remove any labels for it. You may wish to rough up the sides a bit too with a knife or your fingernails to make the herbs stick better but that’s optional

Coat your candle in drawing oil. You can even use something like vegetable oil or olive oil if you don’t have a designated drawing oil. While the candle is still oily and wet, roll it in the herbs, coating all the sides.

Alternatively, if you want to skip the oil, slowly and carefully heat the sides of the candle up and roll the hot wax in the herbs. This techniques requires more patience and a severe eye for fire safety so you don’t burn yourself but the herbs literally become the candle.

A third option is to melt the candle down, add in the herbs to the melted wax, and pour the wax into a fireproof container or candle mold. Make sure to include the wick and check to see if your newly made candle can fit in any candle holder you own.

Once your candle is dressed, store it in a sunny window or in your kitchen until it’s time for your big holiday meal. Right as people are getting ready to sit down and eat, light the candle. You don’t need to say anything but you can if you wish.

Let the candle burn throughout your entire meal and when everyone has left the table, blow it out. You can discard the candle alongside your meal or holiday decorations or you can save it until next year, using the leftovers to forge a new candle.

Notes:

  • Pillars, tapers, and jar candles are really good for this spell. Large pillars can even be stored in a box or bag and used annually.You can use votive candles, as shown, if your meal isn’t going to be a huge affair.
  • The herb choices here will be largely personal. I have orange zest, ginger peel, and hydrangea petals in my mix for personal reasons. Go with your instincts here. Add dried florals or herbs from your garden or pick a dried herb that screams your holiday to you.
  • Pine needles are included here under the assumption you’re using a holiday tree. If you’re not, skip it.
  • When you blow out the candle will depend on your family. For example, my family doesn’t serve dessert at the main meal – we eat it hours later. But we do sit down and play games after we clear the table from dishes. While we’re clearing the table of dishes, I blow the candle out. Your family’s probably different so trust your instincts here.

Happy casting!

WTF Do I Put in A Money Spell?

Or, Herbs, Spices, Ingredients, and Additives You Can Put In A Money Spell

 

wtfdipiams

I disregard most of the magical herb recommendations. Why? Because most of the time these books don’t tell you why they’re recommending it. And I think that’s pretty important stuff to know.

Don’t get me wrong; I own at least three different magical ingredient or herb books. I used Cunningham’s book when I was younger and I got great results. But when I learned to think critically, I stopped using them as intended and started using them to figure out where to start researching.

I personally feel that if you’re including an ingredient in your spell, you should know at least some basic information about it. A flower you selected because of the sweet scent for your attraction spell might also be a climbing plant. The people you attract might be sweet, but clingy, and choke up your lifestyle.

Because of this kind of logic, I use herbs and spices from the historical trading routes. Many of the spices or items listed below come from the Incense Route, Silk Route, and the East India Trading Company. Or just general historical knowledge of various trade goods wanted in different places. I’d check what your ancestors traded for in the past (if that’s applicable).

Common Money Spell Ingredients by This Crooked Crown

The list of course is by no means inclusive.

  • Salt (since the word salary comes from salt)
  • Actual money (coins, bills, etc) [Gold is probably best but whatever]
  • Silk
  • Magnets (or magnetic stones) [Mandatory IMO for money spells]
  • Incense
  • Cardamom
  • Cinnamon
  • Apricot
  • Cassia
  • Ginger
  • Allspice
  • Cloves
  • Sugar
  • Cotton
  • Vanilla
  • Turmeric
  • Tea [Green tea is my default]
  • Coffee
  • Tobacco
  • Chocolate
  • Sandalwood
  • Mace (the plant)
  • Bell and Chili peppers (dried)
  • Saffron
  • Cumin
  • Pepper
  • Grains of Paradise
  • Wine (any alcohol, really)
  • Galangal
  • Imported fruits or vegetables (dried) [These weren’t often traded because rot but they would have been. They were usually dried. Dried figs anyone?]
  • Precious metals (Gold, silver, copper, steel, etc.) [Try gold foil used in baking]
  • Jewels, gemstones, and semi-precious stones
  • Fine textiles (brocade, velvet, etc.)

Now, I’ll usually throw in candle wax from my money candle (I use the same money candle for every money spell I do). I’ll sew up gold silk charm bags with green thread. I embroider in gold or green money-oil soaked embroidery symbols of money or prosperity. I’ll drip rainwater from a full moon (to keep the wallet full). Tiny scraps of fabric can be used to stuff the bag as well. I also put magnetic sand or magnet chips in as well. I’ll mix whatever herbs on hand into an oil or ointment and smear it all over a coin.

I don’t recommend using shells or beads (unless cowrie beads, semi-precious stones, gemstones, or real pearls). Shells and beads have been used to fuck over indigenous people for centuries but you do what’s best for you.

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Have herbs, will travel.

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You don’t need much. A pinch of whatever’s on hand will work. All of that dumped in the charm bag and tucked into a purse, wallet, pocket, cash register, whatever and you’re good to go. And really, bits of anything expensive can go into a charm bag. Do what feels right and bring the money in.

Originally posted over on my tumblr.

Grace Under Fire Potion

Sometimes, you just need to keep your cool despite all the stress and annoyances in life. This potion can help you do just that.

You’ll need:

  • Saucepan
  • Open flame (see notes)
  • 1 pint Purified water
  • 3 parts Ginger
  • 1 part Rosewater or Pink roses
  • Pinch Allspice
  • Pinch Betony
  • Pinch Valerian
  • Pinch Sage

Over an open flame, simmer all the ingredients together. Don’t allow to boil. Set aside and let cool to drinking temperature. You can serve over ice.

Consumption tips:

Taste-wise, this isn’t all that great. You may want to play around with the recipe a bit until you find something tasty.

Notes:

  • Ginger ale, candied ginger, or ginger beer can be exchanged for ginger
  • Candied rose petals are a good alternative
  • Valerian and sage can be omitted if desired. Betony is essential.
  • You can make this in two parts, a tisane with allspice, betony, valerian, and sage followed by a rosewater and ginger shot. Or, you can drink the tisane and eat candied rose petals and candied ginger.
  • Open flame is necessary for this specific potion. Stove top flame is perfect for this but you could heat this up over a candle or campfire stove.
  • Remember fire safety!

Happy casting!

Does this seem familiar? There’s a spell version of it!

Blessing & Ensorcelling Your Plants

Earth day is here. Some practitioners will even have rituals to renew the environment, praise mother nature, or volunteer to help clean up pollution. Others will spend their day adding or tending their garden or houseplants. And then there’s some who don’t care or have “oh shit!” moments ten minutes to midnight and light a candle and dust off their cactus. To each their own.

 

Nature tends to be a very large portion of a great many people’s practices and growing the plants used in your practice is kind of assumed at times. But gardening isn’t easy. Some plants are notoriously difficult to grow like mandrake and others like mint can go wildly out of control if caution isn’t taken. You have to decide what’s better for you to grow versus what’s better for you to buy when needed. Then you add in your climate, local laws, and just how much space you even need to grow plants. Gardening is a huge endeavor and can get expensive very quickly.

I’m no green thumb. I kill plants all the time. I blame this largely because of space issues – I have too much space in the Crossroads House. House plants are far-flung so it becomes a hassle to care for them in a timely manner and when conveniently or aesthetically placed, there’s little sun for the plants to grow. Outside, the soil’s not great but it’s the layout of the property itself that makes it a gardening challenge. And let me tell you: It is a major annoyance of mine. My neighbors have this palatial garden next door and it irks me so much.

My number one gardening tip is to take it slow. Pick two or three plants a growing season and focus on them. Read up about their care and see how that does. Then pick up another few the next year. Over time you’ll have all the plants you want and you’ll know how to care for them without sinking a big chunk of cash into it. Plus, you’ll develop gardening habits so six weeks in you don’t slack off and kill hundreds of dollars worth of plants.

But what do you do with them? Outside of caring for them and using the bits in your practice, how do you work magic with living plants? There’s numerous ways to do it.

 

Plant with a blessing. For my 21st birthday I asked for a tree and a cat. I got Kiki and a cherry blossom tree. My tree is now huge and beautiful but it didn’t grow that way without help. When I planted my tree, I layered clean water on blessed herbal water on clean water, then murmured numerous beneficial inspiration and motivation as I planted it. I layered in spells for protection and health. Make the entire act of planting a spell and ritual.

Add enchanted decoration. Hanging a crystal from a tree branch or adding quartz to a flower pot not only adds an aesthetic beauty but also can add energy to the plant itself. Crystals aren’t the only thing you can use though! I enchant a very large number of wind chimes to my purposes and hang them up.  I’ve also used pinwheels, tiny statues, and wooden signs.

 

Placement and pots. Adding a fun or funny pot can make or break a “boring” plant. Planting flowers with interesting color combinations can really make your garden stunning. Enchant those things. When you add soil to your garden or water the grow before planting, mutter your spells and send energy towards it. I write in chalk or water sigils or spells inside and outside the pot to encourage growth, strength, and health.

Work with what you got. Look to see what already grows naturally around you. The Crossroads House came with grapevines so I had a crash course in how to care for them. To my delight, poke weed and bittersweet nightshade all grow naturally in my yard (but so does poison ivy and poison sumac. Oops.) But don’t be afraid to ditch what you got. I’m not a fan of hostas but there were over a dozen of them when we bought the house. I ended up re-homing a bunch of them to friends back in college and I’m still finding more of them half a decade later. Just because you have plants you didn’t super want doesn’t mean you can’t enchant them too. When I cut back or rearrange the creeping jenny and grapevines, I put spells on them.

Ask the plant! If you’re an animist, then you’re probably of the school of thought that plants have spirits. So simply ask the plant what spells they should be used in. I tend to plop down somewhere sunny and meditate with the plant for a little while until I get a sense of what I should do. Sometimes it follows along with folklore and sometimes it’s out of left field. For example, I have a climbing rose bush that I only use for curses or vengeful bindings because the plant is mean and vindictive. I never come away working with that rose bush without several new wounds. No other rose bush gives me that trouble. My bittersweet nightshade is a sweetie though and super laid back. My hydrangeas are perfectly happy to protect, encourage, or connect to the spiritual world – in exchange for a a gallon or so of water. Maybe I’m projecting but my spells work and the plants are alive still so I give it the benefit of a doubt.

 

But what kind of spells can you use? Anything. Growth, protection, and health spells are the easiest to pull off. But money or job spells? Sure. I grow basil as a money spell. Curses? Yup. My creeping jenny will stop any enemy or thief in their tracks. It’ll take care of curses too. And that’s just from telling it what I want it to do while taking care of it. I find plants to be a really great alternative to positive jar spells. Plant some sunflowers or marigolds in soil mixed with a few pinches of other herbs can really boost household happiness.

Heads up though. Unless killing the plant is the purpose, be careful with what you add to your plant. You might want to toss in a bunch of ingredients to have a living spell but the weird additions to the soil ends up killing your plant – and your spell.

 

As for myself, this Earth Day I’ll spend my day picking up one of the local beaches, painting a few clever sayings on some pots, and getting to know my new plant friends.

Basil, King of Herbs, Continuous Money Spell (Spell Saturday #4)

This is an original spell of my own creation. I don’t know where I first heard basil is the king of herbs but it’s an incredibly common plant used in money spells.

Some of the ideas you’ll see in this spell do appear in other works. They’re scattered like rambling thoughts throughout European spells. Just a glance through the money spells section in Judika Illes’ Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells would reveal this. I’ve combined some of the best ideas into one mega spell for continuous wealth and money.

The idea behind the spell:

Ideally, this spell will “grow” your money. As long as the basil plant lives and is cherished, money will continue to grow and come into the home. If the basil dies or is destroyed, cleanse the home and start again.

What you’ll need:

  • Flower pot (any is good but it should be well-draining)
  • A sunny place in your kitchen, near the front door, or the heart of the home
  • Dirt. Can be bought but put at least a small handful of dirt from the property should also be added.
  • Small slip of paper and a writing utensil
  • Coins with the year of your birth. Find additional coins for each member of your household with the years of their birth. You may also want to add a coin from the year your family or business moved in.
  • A basil plant. You can buy one, transplant one, or grow from seed.
  1. Write down your desire for the spell. If you want a certain amount to come in each week, then write that. If you want money to just come in steadily, write that instead. Example: Every full moon this plant see will double my bank account or As this plant grows so does my money and wealth and when this plant dies, my debts die with it.
  2. Layer some dirt in the bottom of the flower pot. Then intermittently layer dirt and coins until about 1/3 of the pot is full.
  3. Fold up the piece of paper and put it in the center of the pot. Place the plant on top of the paper. Fill in with soil. Place the plant in that sunny spot and enjoy!

What results to expect:

As long as the plant grows, so will your money. You’ll probably begin to see a slow but steady increase of work hours, customers, or just extra money. Random checks from miscalculated bills in your favor may appear or a really sweet coupon or you could even find $20 in an old pair of shoes. This should be a steady stream and will continue to grow so be sure you can handle the extra hours of work being thrown at you if necessary. I noticed the proximity of the basil to my work desk would increase the chances of more clients. When I’m booked, I’ll move the basil plant somewhere else for a little while and the pressure seems to wear off a bit.

Notes for the ingredients:

Flower pot: I tend to prefer terracotta flower pots but that’s mostly aesthetic. Smaller pots are better for windowsills but really, it depends on where you’re growing your plant. Remember that you can always add symbols, sigils, and other magical drawings or written spells to both the inside and outside of the flower pot to help the plant and your money grow.

A sunny place: I specifically say places such as the kitchen, front door, and the heart of the home. The heart of the home will be the center of the home or the place where the family is most often. (Or where you do the most work if you’re a business). The kitchen is often considered the heart of the home but this may not be true for you. Near the front door is a great place to put a basil plant for a business but if you most commonly come in through the back door, then that location isn’t very useful in the home. Pick a spot that is the most powerful and yet undisturbed in your home. For me, I grow several plants, one in my office area, one in my green house, one on my front steps, and one in my mother’s kitchen. I’d put one in my own but I don’t get enough light. So pick your spot with both the power of the home and the plant’s needs in mind.

Dirt: I have crappy soil in my current home so I buy soil in 50 pound bags. When I do this spell however, I add a handful of dirt from the richest, most lush part of my yard. When I lived in an apartment, I added some dirt I snagged some the apartment’s driveway as there was no grass on the property. Similar spells sometimes ask for graveyard dirt or crossroads dirt. These requirements puzzle me as they don’t explain why you would need that earth. Tradition maybe. The graveyard dirt might be useful if you want to encourage spirits to aid your home’s wealth or if you want to ask ancestor’s to bless your home financially. Crossroads dirt might be useful if you want to scatter debts to the wind (but that’s kind of a different direction to take this spell), to borrow the power of the crossroad, or if you work with crossroads spirits. I’d pick a crossroads where businesses sit on all four roads if only so you can draw in the energy and wealth from their businesses too. I also add some used coffee grounds to the flower pot to give the spell a kick of energy and to speed along the process.

Small scrap of paper and writing utensil: You might want to use organic paper and magical ink. I usually use scrap paper and a sharpie. Sometimes I’ll write my spell in blood. It depends on my mood. Using blood or magical inks would give the spell and extra kick but the spell works just as well if you use a crayon and notebook paper, to be honest. Just avoid putting post it notes in the soil. The adhesive usually isn’t good for the plant.

Coins with the year of your birth: This is an older tradition from where I don’t know. Maybe it’s just one of those things that crop up. I tend to pick coins that are the largest denomination with my birth year that I can find, or even add a handful of coins. Then I select the same for anyone living in my house (or your employees). I might even toss in some coins for friends, depending on my exact purpose and mood at the time. You could even use paper money, if you want but searching the couch for coins is probably easier than watching a $20 be buried under soil. Add as many coins as you want but don’t cover the bottom entirely as the flower pot won’t drain. You may also want to dress the coins with money-drawing powder, oils, or herbs.

A basil plant: I’ve transplanted basil, bought it, and grown it from seed. I’ve been given it by friends. Basil is known as the king of herbs traditionally and it’s well known for prosperity and increasing things. It’s also used for fertility, romance, and to increase wealth. It’s been used in funerary rites and is sacred to a few deities. You don’t have to grow just basil though. You can add other plants like marigolds (for sunny wealth), thyme (another traditional money plant), cactus (because it doesn’t die), or whatever else you’d want to use.

Other suggestions:

Bless, cleanse, and consecrate your tools as needed. You might want to bless the coins or cleanse them for example. You can enchant each tool and ingredient to bring in wealth and money.

You may also want to meditate with the plant to see if you can speak to it’s spirit and tell it the purpose of the spell and ask for it’s aid. This is especially true if you’re an animist. I tend to talk to the plant while casting this spell, especially when messing with the soil. Dialogue usually sounds like this: “You’re going to be the biggest, best basil plant ever and each leaf you grow will bring me so much money. It’s going to be great. You get water and love and I get to pay all my bills comfortably AND buy stuff AND save money. Fuck yeah, you’re the bestest basil plant ever.” It might not be the witchiest verse ever but it works for me. Do what works best for you.

I didn’t mention intent above but if you use purposefully intent in your spells you’ll want to see yourself comfortably paying your bills, stopping off for a luxurious coffee, buying something you want in a store without worrying about bills, and being pleased with money in your savings account. For businesses, you’ll want to see that you’re in the black and a steady stream of customers. You’ll also want to envision this happening immediately, in the season you’re in and with the way things are now.

You may want to wait for the right astrological correspondence. For this spell, I believe it’s Wednesday and the full moon.

Watering the plant? Every so often steep basil in water like a tea and once cool use that to water the plant. Don’t do this every time as plants prefer clear, clean water but it can give the spell a kick.

Google up some basil plant care instructions so you know how to best handle your basil plant.

Happy casting!

Information on Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris – Common Mugwort)

This information was gathered and posted so my customers and clients are better informed when purchasing products that contain mugwort. The following information is not exclusive. Every purchase of a product that contains mugwort is sent a pamphlet with this information, current research, safety tips and tricks, and instructions. Please use with caution and at your own risk.

Do NOT use any mugwort product if pregnant and/or breastfeeding. Mugwort is an abortive and may cause miscarriage. It has also been known to cause the uterus to contract and cause menstruation.

Mugwort is also an allergen. If you are allergic to ragweed, marigolds, daisies, chamomile, and other members of the Asteraceae and Compositae families, do not take mugwort. If you are allergic to celery, carrot, birch, tobacco, sunflower, cabbage, grass, hazelnut, olive, mustard, sweet bell pepper, kiwi, peach, mango, apple, or royal jelly, you should also avoid mugwort. This is similarly true for cinnamon, clove honey, and nutmeg which are also ingredients in this salve.

Do not take with together with acetylsalicylic acid, anticoagulant medications, anti-platelet medications, or anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. It is suggested that one should refrain from taking flying salves while on hormonal birth control, although there is currently little information available on this subject.

Long term and consistent usage of mugwort has been known to cause damage with the nervous system. Regular daily use of large amounts of mugwort will increase these risks.

All of the above said, my products do not contain enough of any of the plant ingredients to be worth concern to most. There have been no reported cases of any of the above symptoms by users of any of my products.

Mugwort is known to cause “mugwort hangovers” after usage. This is not unusual and should not be a cause for concern. Drink plenty of fluids and eat heartily.

If you experience nausea, vomiting, respiratory problems such as wheezing or shortness of breath, skin allergic reactions such as rash or hives, cease usage immediately, wash the applied area and drink fluids. Call your health care provider, emergency services, or your Poison Control Center. In the United States the number is 1-800-222-1222.