Eclectic Witchcraft by Charlotte Wilde

Author:Charlotte Wilde
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: CVR09262022;witch;witchcraft;pagan;paganism;charlotte wild;charlotte wilde;eclectic witch;eclectic witchcraft;old ways;modern magic
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Published: 2023-04-14T17:30:02+00:00

Herbal Code Names

This section is included for the pure enjoyment of the alternate names for plants. You have likely heard the phrases “eye of newt or “toe of frog” before, be it in a Shakespearean production or movies and novels pertaining to witches. If you have ever scratched your head at what those plants may be, this section is for you. These terms are not literal, but rather, they are code names for flowers and herbs. Many of the terms, such as toe or tongue, refer to the specific part of the plant that is needed, such as a leaf or petal.

This list can be a way to add historical traditionalism to your workings, or it can just be a list to explore so you can drop the terms into the conversation and confuse the other participant. No matter what you are hoping to achieve, it is undoubtedly interesting to dig into the past names for some of the herbs that we are familiar with today.

This list is largely an abridged version of the Folk Names Cross-Reference section found in Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs.58

Absinthe: Wormwood

Ass’s ear: Comfrey

Ass’s foot: Coltsfoot

Bat’s wing: Holly leaves

Bear’s foot: Lady’s mantle

Bee balm: Lemon balm

Beer flower: Hops

Bindweed: Morning glory

Bird’s-eye: Pansy

Bird’s-foot: Fenugreek

Bird’s nest: Carrot

Blindeyes: Poppy

Blind worm’s sting: Knotweed

Bloody fingers: Foxglove

Bride of the sun: Calendula

Calf’s snout: Snapdragon

Cat’s-foot: Ground ivy

Cat’s wort: Catnip

Crow’s foot: Wild geranium

Devil plant: Basil

Devil’s dung: Asafoetida

Devil’s eye: Henbane

Devil’s nettle: Yarrow

Dew of the sea: Rosemary

Drunkard: Marigold

Elf leaf: Lavender

Englishman’s foot: Common plantain

Eye of newt: Mustard seed

Fair lady: Belladonna

Fairy finger: Foxglove

Graveyard dust: Mullein

Graveyard flowers: Plumeria

Ground apple: Chamomile

Hag’s taper: Mullein

Herb of Circe: Mandrake

Herb of enchantment: Vervain

Juno’s tears: Vervain

Lady of the woods: Birch

Lady’s key: Cowslip

Lady’s mantle: Yarrow

Lion’s foot: Lady’s mantle

Lion’s-mouth: Foxglove

Lion’s-tooth: Dandelion

Mother of the herbs: Rue

Naughty man: Mugwort

Naughty man’s cherries: Belladonna

Nosebleed: Yarrow

Old-man’s-flannel: Mullein

Old-man’s-pepper: Yarrow

Old uncle Henry: Mugwort

Raccoonberry: Mandrake

Serpent’s-tongue: Adder’s-tongue

Sparrow’s tongue: Knotweed

Tongue of dog: Hounds tongue

Witches’ aspirin: White willow bark

Witches’ bells: Foxglove

Witches’ berry: Belladonna

Witches’ broom: Mistletoes

Witches’ herb: Basil

Witches’ thimble: Datura

Witch herb: Mugwort

Witchwood: Rowan

Broom Closet Witch Tips

If you thought crystals were easy to conceal, herbs are even easier, and they open the gateway to a vast array of witchy practices, such as kitchen witchery, spellwork, and ritual baths. Gardening is not an innately witchy practice, but the act of tending to a garden can be highly spiritual as it allows a direct connection with the earth as well as the individual energies of the plants you choose to grow. Furthermore, keeping a small herb garden indoors is also a great way to connect to the herbs themselves for those who live in cities!

The herbs you grow can then be made useful in simple kitchen witchery, which consists of intentionally crafting your meals and teas with specific intentions. Kitchen witchery is an easily concealed practice as we all must eat to sustain life. By making use of kitchen magick, we can create an altar in our kitchens. Herbs and salt represent the earth, pots or cups stand for water, and, depending on your tradition, wooden spoons and knives can represent either fire or air.

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