Agrimony / Agrimonia
Agrimonia eupatoria
Yellow flowers, hooked burs, and a place in historical astrology and contemporary protective herbal magic.
Book of Shadows
Touch of Magick · A living grimoire
Plants, stories & spiritual practice
Welcome to our Book of Shadows: a growing reference for the herbs, crystals, and spiritual tools on our shelves. Begin with the plants, explore the traditions behind them, and make room for your own observations.
Every guide brings together botanical identity, documented history, spiritual uses, correspondences, and a link to the matching supply.
The herb library
44 plants to explore, arranged alphabetically. Choose an herb to read its guide or visit its listing.
Alfalfa / Alfalfa
Medicago sativa
A long-cultivated forage plant, explored here through modern prosperity symbolism and the care of everyday resources.
Allspice / Pimienta de Jamaica
Pimenta dioica · ground dried fruit
One Caribbean and Central American fruit, explored through documented Jamaican history and original themes of warmth, resourcefulness, and shared abundance.
Anise Seed / Anís
Pimpinella anisum · powdered fruit
True anise, its white umbels and aromatic fruits, with documented Mediterranean history and original themes of clarity and intentional speech.
Avocado Leaves / Hojas de Aguacate
Persea americana · dried leaves
A Mesoamerican tree with deep documented history, approached here through modern themes of rooted care, continuity, and household steadiness.
Basil
Ocimum basilicum · Albahaca
A familiar aromatic herb with a place in blessing, protection, and prosperity work.
Bay Laurel
Laurus nobilis · Laurel
An evergreen leaf connected with achievement, protection, and the pursuit of knowledge.
Bitterbush / Aguedita
Picramnia pentandra · dried herb
A Caribbean shrub studied through verified botany and careful modern themes of discernment, boundaries, and learning from bitterness.
Blessed Thistle / Cardo Santo
Centaurea benedicta · syn. Cnicus benedictus
A yellow-flowered thistle with early modern literary and astrological records, explored through modern symbolism of courage and boundaries.
Blue Vervain / Verbena Azul
Verbena hastata · North American species
A North American wetland plant with violet-blue spikes, a carefully bounded ethnobotanical record, and original themes of steady voice and resolve.
Burdock / Bardana
Arctium lappa
Burdock’s deep taproot and clinging burrs offer a vivid language for grounding, discernment, and choosing what we carry forward.
Calendula
Calendula officinalis · Caléndula
Golden flowers with a place in solar symbolism, protection work, and intentions for a brighter beginning.
Catnip / Hierba Gatera
Nepeta cataria
An aromatic garden herb with a famous feline relationship, Culpeper’s Venus attribution, and gentle symbolism of joy and trust.
Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla · Manzanilla
Small golden-centered flowers used in modern peace, dream, and prosperity work.
Chives / Cebollino
Allium schoenoprasum · dried herb
A northern-hemisphere Allium with hollow leaves and violet umbels, explored through documented botany and modern boundary symbolism.
Cinnamon
Cinnamomum species — cassia bark · Canela
A fragrant bark with a history in sacred perfume and modern prosperity and protective work.
Cleavers / Amor de Hortelano
Galium aparine
Hooked hairs and clinging stems offer a vivid language for mutual support, discerning attachment, boundaries, and release.
Coriander Seeds / Semillas de Cilantro
Coriandrum sativum · dried fruits (“seeds”)
A long-traveled aromatic plant whose ribbed fruits appear in historical materia medica, explored here with clearly labeled modern intentions.
Damiana / Damiana
Turnera diffusa · dried leaves
A Baja California and Mexican shrub with yellow flowers, documented ethnobotanical history, and carefully framed modern themes of warmth and confidence.
Dandelion
Common dandelions — Taraxacum officinale aggregate · Diente de León
A familiar yellow flower invites a closer look at resilience, wishes, and the questions we bring to divination.
Dill / Eneldo
Anethum graveolens
Dill’s fine leaves and bright umbels carry a long documented history—from ancient gardens to household folklore and modern protective symbolism.
Echinacea / Equinácea
Echinacea purpurea
Purple coneflower explored through exact botany, carefully attributed ethnobotanical history, and modern reflection on resilient connection.
Eucalyptus / Eucalipto
Eucalyptus globulus
Eucalyptus pairs blue-green leaves and resinous fragrance with careful botanical context, documented Australian plant relationships, and modern protection symbolism.
Ginger Root / Raíz de Jengibre
Zingiber officinale
Ginger’s branching rhizome connects an ancient spice-trade history with carefully attributed modern themes of momentum, courage, and prosperity.
Hawthorn / Espino blanco
Crataegus monogyna
Hawthorn joins blossom and thorn, hedge and threshold—a tree whose documented history invites careful reflection on protection and belonging.
Hibiscus / Roselle
Hibiscus sabdariffa; Kew synonym of Sabdariffa gossypiifolia · Flor de Jamaica
Roselle’s rich red calyces connect a recognizable household plant with modern love and dream symbolism.
Hyssop / Hisopo
Hyssopus officinalis
Common garden hyssop, considered through historical astrology and the symbolic language of purification.
Indian Heliotrope / Alacrancillo
Heliotropium angiospermum · dried herb
A tropical American heliotrope explored through Caribbean ethnobotanical context and modern themes of attention and course correction.
Jasmine / Jazmín
Jasminum officinale
Jasmine’s small white flowers open a study of fragrance, sacred gardens, devotion, love, and the importance of distinguishing species and traditions.
Juniper Berries / Bayas de Enebro
Juniperus communis
Juniper’s evergreen needles and blue-black cones connect regional household traditions, Culpeper’s solar attribution, and modern protection symbolism.
Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia — common lavender reference · Lavanda
An aromatic flower connected with quiet reflection, cleansing intentions, and household harmony.
Lemon Balm / Toronjil
Melissa officinalis
A lemon-scented garden herb with historical Jupiter symbolism and contemporary associations with peace.
Mugwort
Artemisia vulgaris · Artemisa
An herb with a documented place in an Old English charm and a modern association with dreams and divination.
Patchouli / Pachulí
Pogostemon cablin
Patchouli’s deep, earthy fragrance connects a Southeast Asian aromatic plant with global perfume history and modern prosperity symbolism.
Rose Petals
Rosa species; linked listing labeled Rosa canina · Pétalos de rosa
A flower whose meanings include affection, devotion, beauty, and care.
Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus · Romero
An evergreen herb associated with remembrance, protection, and the care of a home.
Rue
Ruta graveolens · Ruda
Ruda carries a documented history of protective symbolism and a modern place in cleansing and boundary-setting work.
Solomon’s Seal
Polygonatum odoratum · Sello de Salomón
An arching woodland plant whose jointed rhizome offers a thoughtful symbol for continuity and boundaries.
Stinging Nettle
Urtica dioica · Ortiga
An easily overlooked plant with historical Mars symbolism and a contemporary place in protective herbal magic.
Thyme
Thymus vulgaris · Tomillo
A familiar aromatic plant with historical Venus symbolism and contemporary uses in good-luck workings.
Tropical Almond / Almendra
Terminalia catappa · dried herb
A tiered coastal shade tree explored through pan-tropical history and modern themes of shelter, generous structure, and seasonal release.
True Indigo / Añil
Indigofera tinctoria · dried leaves
A famous dye plant considered through its real botany, skilled labor, global history, and the ethics of remembering who made beauty possible.
Wild Bergamot / Bergamota Silvestre
Monarda fistulosa
A North American mint-family plant explored through named ethnobotanical records and modern themes of community and clear expression.
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium · Milenrama
A finely divided flowering herb with historical Venus symbolism and modern associations with love and protection.
Tradition, scholarship & living practice
We use botanical references, historical texts, museums, and scholarly studies for identity and context. Contemporary practitioner sources supply many modern spiritual correspondences. Each guide names its sources so you can follow the thread.
Correspondences vary between authors and traditions. A planet or element here belongs to the named source; it is not a universal rule. Our suggested practices and ritual colors are identified as Touch of Magick suggestions.
Plants may appear in several religious communities, but those communities have their own histories and ways of learning. A shared herb does not make their rites interchangeable.
The next chapters
Crystals & stones
Our next section will pair mineral identity and history with spiritual uses, correspondences, and the stones in our shop.
Oils, resins & ritual tools
Future chapters will explore the materials that support your practice, one well-sourced entry at a time.
Keep learning with Everyday Witchery and Witchy Botany, or ask us about a supply.