By Amber C. Snider As part of our new series, our Magical Farmer’s Market Guides bring you plant-based ritual tips from authors, folklore, and spells using local, seasonal ingredients, as well as custom-carved candle suggestions. Spinach Packed with vitamins like iron, calcium, folic acid, and vitamins A and C, Spinach, a “cold-hardy leafy green,” also contains antioxidants to help strengthen the body and fight stress. It’s good for eye sight and overall health, so you can ingest it with the intention of health and “psychic sight,” too. Laurel Woodward, author of Kitchen Witchery and Backyard Garden Witchery, cites its benefits in money spells, longevity, and vitality. Add some leaves to a smoothie (with coconut water or milk, berries, and bananas) during your morning manifestations and meditations. As you sip, focus on the magic of the plant moving through your body, filling you with energy and strength for the day. The plant is associated with the earth element and Jupiter, and according to Scott Cunningham, it’s useful for “promoting money, employment, and overall prosperity.” Along with bay leaves, add spinach to your money spells via baths, teas, ouanga bags, or sprinkle some on your spell candles. Custom-carved candle: Money Pyramid Candle, used for long-term financial growth. It helps build a solid financial foundation and promotes responsibility and good choices regarding money. Thyme Thyme is one of my favorite herbs! It’s fragrant, grows in abundance, and loaded with nutrients such as vitamin C for immune system support and potassium. According to WebMD, thyme can also help reduce inflammation and help with respiratory health, which is especially great during the seasonal transitions. In magic, it’s good for “communication, courage, and dreams,” as well as healing, love, luck, psychic powers, purification, sight, and success,” writes Laurel Woodward in Backyard Garden Witchery. You can add the fresh herb to nearly any dish for a zesty burst of flavor, or keep it dried in your pantry. It’s a calming herb that enhances psychic ability, so you can also add some to your nighttime teas, place a few sprigs in a sachet to keep under your pillow, or add to a sea salt blend for baths. Associated with Venus and the element of water, Scott Cunningham writes in his Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs that thyme can be worn to attract good health and used in healing spells. “Thyme is also a purificatory herb; the Greeks burned it in their temples to purify them and so thyme is often burned prior to magical rituals to cleanse the area.” Custom-carved candle: Throat Chakra Candle, used for cleansing, healing, balancing and strengthening the third chakra. This chakra is associated with energy, power, will, assertiveness, self-esteem, confidence, courage and appropriate self-discipline. Chocolate/Cacao Sensual, decadent, and uplifting, chocolate is associated with the planet Mars and good for “promoting protection and courage,” according to Scott Cunningham. It’s also associated with “magical strength and sexual energy,” he writes in Wicca in the Kitchen. If you find a chocolate dessert at the farmer’s market, eat it with the intention of invoking an abundant, luxurious life, sensuality, divine protection, pleasure, and of course, love. Add raw cacao to your smoothies, morning coffee, or make your own hot chocolate (a much healthier alternative to the packaged stuff). “Cacao also contains tryptophan, an amino acid that converts into serotonin, a neurotransmitter known to promote a sense of well-being and relaxation,” writes Laurel Woodward in Kitchen Witchery. The cacao tree was particularly important in ancient Mesoamerica, where it was used in sacred rituals by the Mayans, Aztecs, and others. Cacao is still widely used in spiritual ceremonies today. Custom-carved candle: Mystere Candle, an attraction spell which surrounds you with glamour, excitement, and an air of mystery and intrigue that helps attract potential suitors, drawing them in like moths to a flame. Parsnips A beautifully versatile root veggie, parsnips can be pureed, added to soups and stews, or roasted with olive oil as an autumnal side dish. They can be found at farmer’s markets or your local grocery store all year round, but are best in the fall and winter months. Packed with vitamin C and E, as well as potassium and other nutrients, they’re also low in calories. “Parsnips hold an earthy, masculine energy that supports creation and sex magick,” writes Laurel Woodward. Good for grounding spells or channeling the divine masculine, you can eat this superfood with intention –– or serve a hearty meal to your lover for an extra spark in the bedroom. Custom-carved candle: Root Chakra Candle, used for cleansing, healing, balancing and strengthening the root chakra. This chakra is associated with grounding, healthy boundaries, stability, security, trust, prosperity and health. Zucchini Harvested during the late summer months and early fall, zucchini has been “used in folk medicine to treat colds, aches, and various health conditions,” according to Healthline. I love sautéing zucchini in a pan as a side dish for dinner, adding it to stir fry (julienne style or sliced), or substituting for regular pasta (pairs really well with cream sauce), but they also pair surprisingly well with eggs in the morning. But what about its magical benefits? Laurel Woodward notes this veggie in helping to invoke “prosperity, protection, and psychic awareness,” in her book Backyard Garden Witchery. It’s also associated with sex and spirituality, as well as enlightenment and enhancing intuition, and considered an aphrodisiac. Custom-carved candle: Peace and Protection Candle, used to help keep out people who are invading your life through astral vibrations, visitations, psychic attack, verbal abuse, bickering, and paranoia. Helps quiet people who incite violence, slander and harm to others, and replaces their negative energies with ones of peace and tranquility. Basil There are so many uses for basil, whether it’s used as a botanical essential oil, steeped in teas, burned in sacred rituals, or added to incense blends, baths, soaps, lotions and more. It’s a super diverse, versatile, yummy culinary plant with several varieties. Also known as Tulsi, eating or drinking the herb can help reduce inflammation and contains “compounds that can help to alleviate anxiety and depression, increase your ability to think clearly, and lower the risk for age-related memory loss,” cites WebMD. In magic, it brings along “cheer and creativity,” according to author Laurel Woodward, as well as “happiness, harmony, love, and luck.” It’s associated with the planet Mars and can be used for protection and prosperity spells. Basil is also connected to the holiday Samhain which occurs on October 31st and November 1st, so consider making a tea offering to your ancestors at that time. It’s a soothing, calming herb, making it great for nighttime brews, as well. “A tea made from basil leaves will aid in spirit communication,” adds Woodward in Kitchen Witchery. Custom-carved candle: Love and Happiness Candle, which focuses on bringing an abundance of love and joy into your life. Paves the way for new friendships and/or relationships, memorable moments with loved ones and increased self-love. *Editor’s note: This article is intended for informational or educational purposes only, and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals. For more on plant magic, check out our Plant Series here and our Herbal Series here.
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5/1/2024 10:49:36 am
I wanted to express my gratitude for your insightful and engaging article. Your writing is clear and easy to follow, and I appreciated the way you presented your ideas in a thoughtful and organized manner. Your analysis was both thought-provoking and well-researched, and I enjoyed the real-life examples you used to illustrate your points. Your article has provided me with a fresh perspective on the subject matter and has inspired me to think more deeply about this topic.
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5/1/2024 11:01:12 am
Thank you! I'm glad you found my article helpful and thought-provoking. To find more content like it, try looking for publications or writers that cover topics you're interested in, and consider exploring books and academic journals. Thanks for your feedback!
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