The Best Herbs and Plants for Summer Rituals

By Amber C. Snider

Instead of "summertime sadness," how about a little summertime magic? 
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Image by DebbieEM from Pixabay

With summer just around the corner, we wanted to focus on a few plants and herbs to enhance your wellbeing, spiritual healing, and spell work. Whether you're concocting delicious summer teas in large mason jars,  gathering plants for an herb bundle for smoke cleansing, or conducting summer evening bath rituals with intention, all of these herbs and plants can easily be found at your local farmer's market.  Or better yet, create a mini window garden and grow your own this summer. 

Please note that while we do carry herbs and dried plants for magic work, the herbs at Enchantments are *not* for ingestion. Anything you'd like to make into a tea or tincture, you can get at your local farmer's market (or you may even have it already in your kitchen cupboard. Remember that sometimes magic is about using what you have on hand, so without further ado, check out these four easy-to-find herbs to make either tinctures, teas, baths, or a smoke cleansing ritual for a magical boost this summer. 
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Calendula
Calendula, also known as marigold, contains bright yellow blossoms that really shine in the summer months. On the physical level, calendula helps with eyesight, healing wounds, skincare, and contains many antioxidants. And on the spiritual plane, it’s associated with the Sun/sun deities, the element of fire, and is typically used in magical work to evoke prosperity, growth, and confidence. It’s connected to the solar plexus (you can read more about that here), which is the energetic center of the body that deals with self-esteem and emotions, so it also has a balancing effect on the body and spirit. 

Try: A delicious summer tea with calendula. Steep the dried plant in hot water for five minutes and strain into a mason jar. You can also add chamomile and honey for a little sweetness. Drink it in the morning, while sitting in the sun, and use the strained herbs for an evening ritual bath. 

Calendula/Marigold flowers | Photo by Kat Furtak on Unsplash

​Honeysuckle
A beloved favorite during the summertime, honeysuckle blossoms are fragrant little jewels that can be made into solid perfumes, added to baths, or used to adorn sacred altars. It’s a plant often associated with beauty, sensuality, and “sweetness” so if you’re trying to add an extra dose of those elements in your life, try honeysuckle. Having a large bush near your house also draws in these properties and you can sip the luscious drops of nectar from the stem whenever you want. 

Try: A candle ritual using our Empress candle to help magnify self-love and confidence, as well as attract romantic attention. Sprinkle honeysuckle around the candle and/or use the plant in a ritual bath before burning the candle. 

You can also make your own perfumed oil using a few drops of our Honeysuckle fragrance oil in a small amber-colored bottle, adding a carrier oil (like jojoba oil), and a few drops of alcohol to preserve the mixture. As you create the blend focus on adding "sweetness" to your life, as well as enhanced beauty and maybe even love this summer. 
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Honeysuckle | Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Nettle
We love nettle teas in the summertime! It may sting the skin, but boy is it good for your insides. This purifying, cleansing, hardy plant has an array of health benefits, especially when made into simple tinctures and teas. It’s known to help reduce inflammation, regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, alleviate pain, and balance your system, plus it contains antioxidants for good health. Magically, it’s also good to use as an ally plant for maintaining boundaries, getting into better routines and making better life decisions, and promoting healing. 

Try: A nettle tincture, try to find fresh herbs at your farmer’s market and fill a sterilized mason jar with the leaves. Next, add 80 proof vodka into the jar, fill it up to the very top, and seal the jar for 2-3 weeks. Then, add your tincture to a sterilized dropper bottle and take a few drops under your tongue each day. 

Or you can add dried nettle herbs to a tea blend. Try a mixture nettle, dandelion, and rose for a summertime elixir that promotes balance, restoration, and overall good health. 

Nettle | Photo by Mike Erskine on Unsplash

​Sweetgrass
A great alternative to white sage, sweetgrass bundles can be used for smoke cleansing to promote good energy in the home and help consecrate and cleanse a sacred space. It’s used in magical practices around the world, but especially throughout North America and Europe. It has a sweet scent and can be braided into strands and either added to the home, burned with magical intention, or added to incense blends. 

Try: A house blessing/smoke cleansing ritual with sweetgrass. Take one of these mini sweetgrass braids ($13 for three) and burn the tip with a flame. Waft the fragrant smoke around your home, focusing on transmuting any stagnant or heavy energy into positive, flowing energy. 

​​What to know more about sacred herbs and oils? Check out our Plant Magic section here. 

*Please note that Enchantments' herbs and flowers are not for ingestion and should only be used for magical purposes only (baths, oils, smoke cleansing, etc.). For fresh, edible herbs and flowers, visit your local farmer's market.