Witch Plants: Herbs & Recipes Every Witch Should Know

To many Witches and Wiccans, the Earth is sacred. Regardless of the pantheon you follow, the Earth along with all her flora and fauna are Gaia, the Mother Goddess.

Most Wiccan practitioners strive to have a close relationship with the Earth by revering all of the amazing creatures and by giving thanks for every gift in Nature. One of those gifts is the flora: the plants that inhabit the Earth’s sacred ground. They are nourished by her soil and mature into their own spectacular form.

There are a multitude of plants on Earth with a variety of names, healing attributes, and magickal properties. How is a Green Witch to know which plants to use?! Working with herbs and plants can be a wonderful addition to your magickal toolbox. These are a few herbs and plants that are quite well known and great for any beginner or experienced pagan to have at hand.

Top Witch Plants

1. Rosemary

Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean. It is a common evergreen shrub that has both delicious culinary uses as well as potent magickal uses. The plant produces white, blue, and pink flowers along with its pointy, evergreen leaves. Because it is so easy to grow, rosemary has many different uses. This strong, fragrant plant is excellent at repelling bugs which is helpful not only for its survival but also for humans as well. The colorful flowers also attract pollinators which help the plant to reproduce and thrive.

Medicinally, rosemary is a strong ally against all kinds of illnesses. It is a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. These compounds are believed to boost the immune system as well as improve blood circulation. Rosemary is also great for the mind as it is a cognitive stimulant. It helps to improve the memory and increases alertness and focus. Rosemary is most often used medicinally for digestive problems such as indigestion, heartburn, and general bowel discomfort.

Witch Uses for Rosemary

Tincture: If you suffer from fatigue or exhaustion, take 3.5 ml (50 drops) of rosemary tincture 3 times a day or combine it with the same amount of verbena tincture to fight off depression.

Rosemary inhalations are perfect for students: a drop of essential oil on each temple will work as an energetic brain stimulant and help you focus.

To relieve pains, mix 1/4 ml (5 drops) of rosemary essential oil and 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of almond oil and massage into sore joints or muscles or rub the temples in case of tension headaches.

In magickal work, rosemary attracts good energies and repels negative energies. It is perfect in love spells, so that a person is said to be ‘unforgettable’. But it also helps to dispel jealousy in a relationship. Rosemary is also used in lots of spells that focus on memory and dream work where it is placed in a sachet or used as an incense.

2. Mugwort

Mugwort is a bushy plant with grey-green, feathery leaves. It is native to Europe and Asia. At upwards of 6 feet tall, mugwort’s yellowish red flowers bloom in the summer. While often thought of as a poisonous weed, mugwort has a host of medicinal and magickal powers.

Medicinally, mugwort has historically been used to regulate a woman’s menstruation, but it also calms the digestive system. The young shoots and leaves make an excellent tea that helps people digest fatty foods popular in most Western diets.

Witch Uses for Mugwort

Mugwort can be made into a tea by adding 1.5 teaspoons of mugwort leaves to a cup of boiling water, steeping for 10 minutes then straining off the leaves and serving. Take two cups a day, from nine days before the period.

You can also find it in the form of a tincture, of which you can take 20 drops a day, with water or apple juice.

Magickally, mugwort is used to induce lucid dreaming, for astral projection, and to enhance psychic powers. In many ancient cultures around the globe, mugwort was burned to keep evil spirits at bay.

3. Sage

Originally from the Mediterranean area, this soft shrubby herb with grey-green leaves has bright spiky purple flowers in the summer. Its name derives from the Latin “salveo” meaning “to heal” or “to salve.” It is part of the mint family and is now popular, as well as cultivated, all over the world.

Sage is full of antioxidants which help to fortify the body’s defenses so that one is able to fight off illnesses. But it is also a powerful anti-inflammatory which helps to reduce fevers and ease pain. It is fantastic for digestive problems like heartburn, bloating, and diarrhea. Like rosemary, sage also improves cognitive function and staves off memory loss.

Witch Uses of Sage

Infusion: Add 2 sprigs of fresh sage to 1 cup of hot water. Drink 3 times a day for diarrhea, to improve digestive function, or to alleviate the symptoms of menopause.

Mouthwash: Use 1 cup of standard infusion of the leaves for gargling in case of sore throat, tonsillitis, angina or as a mouthwash for mouth sores, gingivitis, etc.

Tincture: Take 1ml – 2ml (20-40 drops) of tincture 3 times daily for menopause or as a digestive function tonic.

Hair rinse: Use 500ml of standard infusion for the final hair rinse if you have dandruff or to reinforce the color of graying hair.

Sage’s scent creates a calm, meditative, and magical state of mind. It is used most often in magick as a smudge for purifying sacred space. Sage promotes wisdom and brings good luck to the practitioner. It is a great way to help build emotional strength during rituals and spell work. During times of grief, sage can be especially useful in helping people energetically deal with loss. Sage is most often associated with protection as it is used as a smudge and the granting of wishes.

4. Mint

Mint is one of the easiest herbs to grow but beware as it can easily take over an entire garden! Mint refers to a host of plants that all come from the genus Mentha. Mint can be found in a variety of environments ranging from an indoor pot to a wild wooded area. It is an extremely aromatic herbs that is used in everything from iced tea to bug spray to toothpaste. It is a common ingredient in many culinary dishes in East India, Asia, and the Mediterranean.

Mint is a digestive aid because it calms the stomach without any side effect. Using peppermint oil has shown to internally reduce stomach pain as well as externally relieve muscle and joint pain.

Witch Uses of Mint

Mint tincture: It can be used for upset stomach, motion sickness and is said to be an excellent cure for the hiccups.

Fill a mason jar with fresh mint leaves (jar size depends on how many leaves you’ve gathered up), then cover with an 80 proof or higher alcohol like vodka or brandy.

Cap and store in a cool, dark place for 2 to 3 weeks before straining, shaking every day or two, as you remember. Start with a dose of a few drops, increasing a bit, if needed.

Mint is full of magickal energy. It helps with communication as well as vitality. Most of the time mint is used in prosperity spells as it draws money to the practitioner. But it also helps to ward off evil, so it is often placed around the home or used as an incense.

The history of magick is deeply rooted in the use of our natural plant life to treat illnesses. Using plants to both physically and spiritually heal is a wonderful part of any magickal practice!

Whether producing beautiful flowers, becoming a home for a rabbit family, or carefully cultivated for food, the plants on Earth provide humans and animals alike with sustenance. Not only do plants feed us, but they also help us heal. Each plant provides nourishment and a healing component that help us maintain our strength and vitality.

For Kitchen Witches, these healing herbs and plants also take on magickal qualities. Plants have a power of their own, an energy force that helps us find our Magick.

Looking for herbs for your Witches Garden? Learn more in the Green Witches Video Course