Arnica; poisonous in large amounts which can cause serve gastroenteritis, fever, nausea, dizziness, abnormal pulse rate, diarrhea, skin reactions, and internal bleedingof the digestive tract.
Azalea; poisonous and causes nausea, vomiting, depression, difficulties breathing, coma, and it is rarely lethal.
Balm of Gilead; can cause skin irritation, serve stomach upset, and pregnant/breastfeeding woman should avoid.
Belladonna; very deadly poisonous causes blurred vision, staggering, loss of balance, dry mouth and throat, headache, rash, constipation, confusion, hallucination, and convulsions. Careful when handling because it can be adsorbed through skin.
Bleeding Heart; may be poisonous in large amountswhich cause convulsion and other nervous symptoms.
Blue Flag; nausea, vomiting, irritation of the mouth, throat, digestive tract, skin, headaches, watery eyes.
Bryony; all parts of are poisonous and can cause death, lethal if consumed.
Buttercup; irritant juices may severely damage the digestive system.
Calamus; toxic in large dosages and causes hallucinations, nausea, and vomiting.
Calabar Bean; extremely toxic which can cause excessive sweating and saliva, reduced pupil size, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, irregular heartbeat, blood pressure changes, confusion, seizures, coma, muscle weakness, paralysis, serve breathing problems, and death.
Camphor; serve allergic reaction which include rashes, hives, itching, difficulties breathing, tightness in chest, swelling of the mouth, eyes, face, lips, or tongue.
Castor Oil Plant; poisonous and causes burning sensation in mouth and throat, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea. In the next several days dehydration, drop in blood pressure, and decrease in urine. Unless treated death can be within 3-5 days.
Celandine; nausea, dizziness, fatigue, fever, and liver damage.
Christmas Rose; causes burning of the mouth, eyes, throat, oral ulceration, gastroenteritis, and vomiting blood.
Cowbane;
poisonous and can attack the central nervous system which can induce seizures.
Daffodil; can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and can be but usually not fatal.
Daphne; poisonous, causes burns to the mouth and the digestive tract then followed by a coma. Can be fatal.
Dog’s Mercury; poisoning will appear in the next few hours which includes vomiting, pain, gastric and kidney inflammation, sometimes inflammation of the jaw and cheeks, and drowsiness.
Elderberry; poisonous and causes nausea and digestive upset.
Elephant Ear; all parts are poisonous and causes irritation of the mouth and tongue, can be fatal.
Ergot; can be fatal and can also cause nausea, vomiting, muscle pain or weakness, numbness, itching, vision problems, convulsion, confusion, spams, and unconsciousness.
Gelsemium; extremely poisonous even in small amounts very toxic and can cause headaches, vision problems, difficulties swallowing, dizziness, muscle problems, seizures, breathing problems, and slowing of the heart.
Golden Chain; serve poisoning which causes excitement, staggering, convulsions, and coma. This can be lethal.
Foxglove; large amounts can cause irregular heartbeat, digest upset, mental confusion, and can be fatal.
Hellebore; likely unsafe if ingested or applied to skin which can cause irritation of the mouth and throat lining and also slow down the heartbeat. Large dosages cause vomiting, diarrhea, difficulties swallowing, nerve problems, blindness, convulsions, paralysis, difficulties breathing and death.
Hemlock; stomach pains, vomiting, and progressive paralysis of the central nervous system.
Henbane; cause dilated pupils, hallucinations, increased heart rate, convulsions, vomiting, hypertension, and ataxia.
Holly; berries can be deadly and the leaves can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach and intestinal problems.
Honeysuckle; can cause allergic reactions which include rashes.
Horse balm; gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, dizziness, and painful urination.
Hyacinth; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and can be fatal.
Ilex; serve allergic reactions which include rash, hives, itching, difficulties breathing, redness, burning, swelling of the mouth, eyes, face, lips, or tongue.
Iris; serve digest upset.
Ivy; poisonous, causes stomach pains, labored breathing, and possible coma.
Jewelweed; dangerous when consumed in large amounts.
Jerusalem Cherry; nausea and vomiting and occasionally fatal especially to children
Jimsonweed; do not inhale or consume, can cause many toxic effects like dry mouth, extreme thirst, vision problem, nausea, vomiting, constipation, fast heart rate, hallucinations, high temperatures, seizures, confusion, loss of conciseness, breathing problems, and death.
Laburnum; intense sleepiness, vomiting, excitement, staggering, convulsive movements, frothing at the mouth, unequally dilated pupils, coma and death.
Larkspur; digestive upset, nervous excitement, depression, and can be fatal.
Laurel; poisoning produces anorexia, profuse salivation, depression, uncoordination, vomiting, watering of the eyes, difficulties breathing, weakness, cardiac distress, convulsion, coma, and eventually death.
Lily of the Valley; irregular heartbeat and pulse accompanied by digest upset and mental confusion.
Lobelia; potentially toxic which can cause vomiting, it also can interfere with medication.
Jack-In-The-Pulpit; produces allergic reactions and causes skin, mouth, throat irritation, swelling, burning, difficulties breathing, and stomach upset.
Kava Kava; can cause liver problems, nausea, rapid heartbeat, vomiting, drowsiness, numbness around mouth, hallucinations, kidney effects, shortness of breath, and disorientation.
Mandrake; poisonous which can cause blurred vision, dryness of the mouth, difficulties urinating, headaches, vomiting, rapid heart rate, and hallucinations.
Mayapple; diarrhea and serve digestive upset.
Mistletoe; poisonous and causes gastrointestinal discomfort, diarrhea, weak/slow pulse, seizures, and it is rarely lethal to humans.
Morning Glory; toxic and causes diarrhea, gastrointestinal upset, disorientation, ataxia, anorexia, and hallucinations.
Mugwort; use in a well ventilated area and with the right dosage, too much can be lethal.
Nightshade; fatal and intense digestive disturbance and nervous symptoms.
Oak; poisonous in large amounts and gradually affects the kidneys.
Oleander; extremely poisonous can cause heart effects, serve digest upset and even death.
Pennyroyal; can cause serve liver and kidney damage and also stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, burning of the throat, fever, confusion, restlessness, dizziness, high blood pressure, abortions, and brain damage.
Periwinkle; contains poisonous chemicals and should no be ingested can cause nausea, vomiting, hearing loss, hair loss, dizziness, bleeding, nerve problems, seizures, liver damage, low blood sugar, and even death.
Pleurisy Root; can cause serve heart problems, nausea, vomiting, and skin rashes.
Poinsettia; skin rashes, serve eye irritation, and irritation or burns to the mouth, throat, stomach, and intestinal lining.
Pokeweed; all parts are poisonous and when handling use gloves because some chemicals can pass through skin and affect the blood and it also causes nausea, vomiting, cramping, stomach pain, diarrhea, low blood pressure, difficulty controlling urine, and thirst.
Rhubarb; fatal and large amounts can cause convulsions, coma, and a rapid death.
Snakeroot; can be fatal, cause nausea and vomiting.
Spurge; unsafe and has chemicals that cause cancer, other effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, burning of the mouth, dilated pupils, dizziness, painful bowel movements, near unconsciousness, irregular heartbeat, rashes, reddening, itching, burning, and blisters.
St John’s Wort; can be poisonous and cause fatigue, dizziness, confusion, and dry mouth.
Skullcap; pregnant women should not use it can cause a miscarriage
Thorn Apple; abnormal thirst, distorted sight, delirium, incoherence and can be fatal.
Uva Ursi; can cause skin discoloration, headaches, tinnitus, dizziness, muscle twitching, tremors, convulsion, seizures, nausea, vomiting, irritation to the skin and eyes.
Wahoo; poisonous and potentially deadly, symptoms include serve upset stomach, bloody diarrhea, fever, shortness of breath, unconsciousness, spams and coma.
Wisteria; mild to serve digestive upset, many children have been poisoned by this plant.
Wolfsbane; also know as Aconite, disables nerves, lowers blood pressure, and can stop the heart. Avoid skin contact.
Wormwood; can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, insomnia, restlessness, vertigo, and seizures.
Yellow Jasmine; poisonous and cause nausea and vomiting.
Yew; fatal, death is usually sudden without any warning symptoms.
This is EXACTLY why I recommend practical herbology studies alongside magical learning.
Exactly! seriously guys.. even ‘harmless’ things like licorice root have side effects (raising blood pressure) .. of course most of these herbs are fantastic and very effective /when used properly/ and in the right situations
also remember that you wouldn’t treat the same issue in different people with the same herbs.. so.. just… don’t take herbs medicinally (or even at all) unless talking to an herbalist, studying practical herbalism yourself (not just internet searches) or unless you have extensive personal experience with said herb.
When in doubt, and you want to use these herbs magickally, just use them as spell ingredients! And don’t ingest them or apply them (in any real concentration) topically.
According to Michael Howard, Trad Craft refers to “any non-Gardnerian, non-Alexandrian, non-Wiccan or pre-modern form of the Craft, especially if it has been inspired by historical forms of witchcraft and folk magic”.
Traditional Witchcraft, therefore, is not a single monolith. We can, in fact, distinguish between:
Operative Witchcraft or Folk Magic
Ritual(istic) Witchcraft
This first difference is taken from Margaret Murray; she used the first term for indicating the practice of magic, as carried out by cunning folk and folk magicians, and included the non-religious practice of spells, charms, divinations, etc. “whether used by a professed witch or by a professed Christian, whether intended for good or for evil, for killing or for curing. Such charms and spells are common to every nation and country, and are practised by the priests and people of every religion. They are part of the common heritage of the human race and are therefore of no practical value in the study of any one particular cult.” (The Witch-Cult, p. 11.)
The second term (also called “Dianic cult” by Murray) indicates, instead, “the religious beliefs and ritual of the people, known in late mediaeval times as ‘Witches’. The evidence proves that underlying the Christian religion was a cult practised by many classes of the community, chiefly, however, by the more ignorant or those in the less thickly inhabited parts of the country. It can be traced back to pre-Christian times”. Therefore we can say that Ritual Witchcraft is the cult of pre-Christian Deities or Spirits connected to the witches.
While the ideas of Murray about this cult have now been discredited, other scholars have reopened this field as a viable area of study, discovering many ecstatic witch-cults. The most known academics in this field are: Carlo Ginzburg, Éva Pócs, Emma Wilby, Claude Lecouteux, Wolfgang Behringer, Sabina Magliocco, Gábor Klaniczay, Gustav Henningsen and Bengt Ankarloo.
Relying on the work of these scholars, we can say therefore that Ritual Witchcraft was/is the religious system surrounding the Sabbath, the Procession of the Dominae Nocturnae from house to house, the spiritual flight, Elphame, the Wild Hunt, the Night Battles, etc.
As we can understand, even if the majority of the Ritual Witches were/are also Operative Witches (practitioners of Folk Magic), not all the Operative Witches were/are also Ritual Witches. The majority of Folk Magicians/Operative Witches, in fact, didn’t go to the Sabbath, didn’t astrally fly, didn’t astrally go with the Wild Hunt, from house to house with the Domina Nocturna, to Elphame/the Otherworld or to the Night Battles. Ritual Witches did.
We can say, therefore, that Operative Witchcraft is a practice, while Ritual Witchcraft is a religion.
Traditional Witches who are secular are, therefore, usually Operative and not Ritual Witches.
While the distinction between Ritual and Operative Witchcraft is an established one in the Witchcraft community, I introduce a new, according to me useful, second distinction, inside Ritual Witchcraft (i.e. Witchcraft as a religion), by borrowing the terms “Revivalism” and “Reconstructionism” from Polytheism, in which it’s an already established terminology:
Hereditary Witchcraft
Revivalist Witchcraft
Reconstructionist Witchcraft
Hereditary Traditional Witchcraft brings together all the traditions that claim a lineage from the Witchcraft of the past.
Revivalist Traditional Witchcraft is inspired by folklore, trials and the figure of the witch without any presumption of hereditarity. Unlike the Reconstructionist one, it leaves ample space for personal initiative and the influence of other traditions, without slavishly following the history in every single detail.
Reconstructionist Traditional Witchcraft, finally, tries to resume, starting from the in-depth study of folklore, historical trials and documents, the exact practices and beliefs of Historical Witchcraft. For example, the pantheon of Spirits, the festivities, the structure of the Sabbath, the structure of the offerings, and so on.
An important aspect for those who practice Reconstructionism is the resumption of the names of the Gods (or it would be more correct to say, of the “Deific Familiar Spirits” or “Major Spirits”) forgotten and remained only in the trials papers and in folklore. The idea is to reopen roads, ways to these Spirits. Reconstructing therefore means paying homage to these Spirits and allowing those interested to re-establish a connection with Them.
We said before that Traditional Witchcraft is not Wicca. What’s the difference?
According to the Traditional Witchcraft author Lee Morgan:
“It could easily be said that one of the major differences between the modern revival referred to as “Traditional Witchcraft” and the other modern revival known as “Wicca”, is that Traditional Witchcraft draws on “folkloric material” and is largely “shamanic” whereas Wicca is more of a fusion of Western Occult ceremonial and natural magic traditions.”
(From: Lee Morgan’s “A Deed Without a Name: Unearthing the Legacy of Traditional Witchcraft”)
Samhain is comiiiiiinggggg and i’m one excited witch!
Samhain (pronounced ‘sow-in’) is drawing very near, and as its my favorite holiday i can’t seem to make enough posts about it. It begins at midnight on October 31st, and celebrations often go on until November 2nd. It is the witches new year!
Some historic traditions:
Just like at Beltane, bonfires are lit in high places on Samhain, like at hilltops, and around them rituals would take place. During this community ritual, people would take flames from the bonfire and use them to relight the hearths of their homes. They did this to bind the community together. They would also use these fires for divination in their rituals.
In Gaelic regions, during household festivities many rituals that took place were intended to divine the future of everyone there, for example apple bobbing. (If you don’t already know this, Apples are strongly associated with ancestors and the other world.) The first to bite into an apple was the next allowed to marry!
As you most likely have heard a zillion times, The veil between our world and the next is thinner on Samhain. This is true, Samhain is a liminal time, and that means the barriers separating the world of the living and the dead and other spirits can be crossed more easily than at any other point in the year. It is said that entities called ‘Aos Si’ can slip from their world into ours, through a summoning or their own will. During Samhain it is traditional to leave libations for any aos si that have come into our realm. This is usually in the form of food & drink, like a plate of soul cakes, a small portion of a meal and a cup of wine. Due to this thin veil, it is a time for honoring those who have passed. It is widely believed spirits of loved ones will come and visit their former homes and seek hospitality from those within. Places should always be set for loved ones who have passed at the table on Samhain. I even set a place for a spirit I feel in my home. People will often hold a “dumb supper”. It is a silent meal during which you set a place for visiting spirits, and invite them to join you.
Traditional Samhain Activities
Bobbing for Apples- The fewer tries it took to catch an apple, the sooner you’d fall in love or marry. If the apple was crisp and crunchy, the participant would have a happy marriage. If it was soft or rotten, it was bad news for your love life future.
Peeling the Apple- You peel one long strip of skin from an apple and then throw the peel over your shoulder. Whatever letter the peel resembles is said to be the first letter of your soulmates name.
Hazelnut Divination- Couples would throw hazelnuts into a fire, and if it burned it predicted a long and happy relationship, and if it cracked open it showed a rocky road ahead.
Samhain Correspondences
Colors: Red, brown, gold, yellow and orange.
Herbs: Rosemary, mullein, rue, mugwort, calendula, tobacco, apple leaf, sage, wormwood, tarragon, bay leaf, almond, hazelnut, garlic, mandrake root, yew, sandalwood, pumpkin, pennyroyal, pine needle, cedar, chrysanthemum, & hemlock.
Symbols: Lanterns, candles, acorns, bones, photos or memoirs of passed loved ones, Jack O’ Lanterns, corn dolls and corn stalks, scythes, cauldrons, spiderwebs, masks, oak leaves and mirrors.
Food & Drinks: Apples (or foods with apples baked in), potatoes, corn, nuts, turnips, pumpkins, mead, cider, mulled/spiced wine, tea.
Things to do: DIVINATIOOOON GIRLLL(scrying, tarot reading, rune casting, pendulum reading, etc.), holding a dumb supper, lighting a bonfire, looking into your past life,leaving offerings for spirits, cooking, feasting, dressing up in a costume.
Animals: Black cats, owls, bats, stags, ravens, crows, spiders and black dogs.
I would like to add a note to be cautious on Samhain. If you have a black pet please keep it inside, lots of sick people will harm these animals on this night. Please be careful with spirit work as well, the veil is very thin and as you would normally with spirit work protect yourself, but x10 on samhain. Carry a gris-gris, Create your circles, Keep blessed salt around, Make sure you end conversations with the Ouija and it won’t hurt to keep a silver coin on it, like they say it keeps evil spirits from coming through. Treat spirits, creatures and humans around you with respect.
Blessed be, I hope everyone enjoys Samhain!! Note your favorite samhain activities and traditions, and please note any traditions passed down to you!
The garden spiral is like a snail shell, with stone spiraling upward to create multiple micro-climates and a cornucopia of flavors on a small footprint. Spirals can come in any size to fit any space, from an urban courtyard to an entire yard. You don’t even need a patch of ground, as they can be built on top of patios, pavement, and rooftops. You can spiral over an old stump or on top of poor soil. By building up vertically, you create more growing space, make watering easy, and lessen the need to bend over while harvesting. To boot, spirals add instant architecture and year-round beauty to your landscape: the perfect garden focal point.
One of the beauties of an herb spiral is that you are creating multiple microclimates in a small space. The combination of stones, shape, and vertical structure offers a variety of planting niches for a diversity of plants. The stones also serve as a thermal mass, minimizing temperature swings and extending the growing seasons. Whatever you grow in your spiral, it will pump out a great harvest for the small space it occupies. I’ve grown monstrous cucumbers in my large garden spiral, with one plant producing over 30 prize-size fruits. The spiral is a food-producing superstar!
Stacked stones create perennial habitat for beneficial critters, such as lizards and spiders that help balance pest populations in the garden. The stone network is a year-round safe haven for beneficial insects and other crawlies that work constantly to keep your garden in balance—and you in the hammock. A little design for them up-front pays big, tasty dividends later.
Just a reminder that these herbs are based on traditional remedies and are purposefully vague in relation to their placement in the image. Please do your own research/consult a professional before using any herbs yourself.
