Herbal Profile ~ Flower Power ~ ROSE

 Hello to all seekers of plant knowledge,

I hope you are all keeping well ~ it's summer here in Australia, and I must admit that I do not do well in the heat.  So instead of being outside in the garden, I am under a fan in my office doing this blog instead.

Today I bring to you a mini-deep-dive into the most beautifully romantic flower in all of history - the ROSE.  I know that some people absolutely love roses - whether they be in their garden, or gifted 30 long stemmed red roses from a loved one - and some people hate them completely.

I have 6 rose bushes growing in my garden, ranging from light pink, dark pink, red & white, lilac and orange.

                                    ROSE

BOTANIC NAME ~ Rosa spp / Rosa Rugosa

AKA ~ Dog rose, Rosie, Rosetta

GENDER ~ Female (Cold)

DEITY ~ Venus, Isis, Eros, Cupid, Adonis, Aphrodite, Demeter

PLANET ~ Venus

CRYSTAL ~ Amazonite

NOTED ~ Roses are noted for use in enticing a lover.  It's intoxicating scent is good for enhancing the mood and is used in stress relief.

FOLKLORE ~ Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, was seen as the creator of the rose.  Adonis her lover was mortally wounded by a boar while hunting.  She hastened to his side, and from the mixture of his blood and her tears grew the most fragrant red rose.

USES ~ Roses have a calming affect, they are anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic and antispasmodic.  Rose tea can be a good digestive aid and immune support.

Rose water can be used in sweets and deserts (as can the petals themselves).  The rosehips are high in Vitamin C and can be made into a syrup to keep your immune system functioning. Used in weddings to line the path of the bride's walk to the altar.

ALLERGIES ~ Roses are pretty much allergy free, some people can get hey fever from the pollen, and some people can get contact dermatitis when handling the plant.

WITCHCRAFT USES ~ Rose is used in spells and sachets to do with love, healing, conciliation restoration and self-love.
Petals can be used in attraction spells.
The thorns can be used in banishing spells, as they are potent guardians against negativity.

The oil can be used in salves/balms and has a nurturing aspect for the skin.
The dried petals can be used in herbal incense mixes, and used to clear negativity away before ritual.

My little book of herbal info

With a little flip up bit :)

DECODING A ROSES COLOUR ~

  BLUE: desire, mystery

  GREEN: abundance, peace

  IVORY: charm, elegance, thoughtfulness

  ORANGE: desire, enthusiasm.  

   PEACH: gratitude.              

  PINK:  admiration, gratitude, thanks

  PURPLE-DEEP : celebration, splendour

  PURPLE-LILAC: enchantment, love at first sight

  RED: love and passion

  WHITE: purity, remembrance, youth

  WHITE & RED: union

  YELLOW: friendship, joy

I must admit that I love roses, they were my Father's favourite flower.  He used to grow them in every garden that we had - either in England, or here in Australia.

I remember him taking pride in his rose bushes, attending to their every need, pruning them, sorting out issues like black spot (though in those days he used chemical sprays, which I try not to use today).  He would research as much as he could (didn't have internet in those days), and he would make notes in a diary of what he did and how it turned out.  I would love to have those diaries now - I don't know what ever happened to them, which is a shame.

So there you have it - a compact version of the Rose.  I hope it encourages you to delve a little deeper into this luxurious, wonderfully scented plant.

Do you have roses growing in your garden?

What do you like about them? (or dislike about them).

Let me know in the comments below.

Thank you for reading this far - have a lovely week ahead and I am sending you many blessings my friend.

Until next time,
Annette )O( xxx

Herbal Profile ~ YARROW

 Hello again for the fourth time this week (can you tell I am on holidays???).  

Today I am bringing you another herbal profile - this is another plant that I have growing in my garden, and I am currently drying - it is YARROW.

BOTANIC NAME ~ Achillea millefolium

AKA ~ Herbal Militaris, The Soldier's herb, Seven year's love, sanguinary, thousand seal, woundwort, stench weed, ladies mantle, milfoil, field hops and many, many more..

GENDER ~ Female (cold).

ELEMENT ~ Water.

PLANET ~ Mars & Venus.

DEITY ~ Achilles, Venus, Quan-Yin.

CRYSTAL ~ Bloodstone.

NOTED ~ For its healing properties both internally and externally.  It is a herb of peace and friendship.

FOLKLORE ~ It was used on battlefields during times of war and conflict to stop wounds from bleeding out.  The Druids used yarrow stems to divine the weather for each coming season, and according to the ancient writings, they were more accurate than those of our satellite pictures today. Used by Chiron the Centaur to cure the heel wound of Achilles

USES ~ Internally it has a calming affect and can also increase perspiration.  Yarrow tea can be taken to relieve all bodily weaknesses caused by infectious diseases like colds and flu, or any other prolonged debilitating illness, it is often mixed with other herbs to speed up its work.  Externally it is an antiseptic and speeds up wound healing.  Can be used in oils and salves for a healing balm.  Great for men who cut themselves shaving - just go out to the herb garden, grab some Yarrow leaf and press it firmly against the spot - the bleeding will stop.

WITCHCRAFT USES ~ It is used in workings for Healing, Courage, Friendship, Psychic abilities, Hex breaking, Love, Clairvoyance, Exorcism and keeping negative energies at bay.

Used in Love sachets and marriage charms.

If worn as an amulet it will ward off negativity.

A tea of Yarrow drunk before divination will enhance one's powers of perception.

Can be added to incense blends to keep evil at bay.

FOR GARDENERS ~ it is a great thing to mix Yarrow and Comfrey into your compost bin to speed up the compost activation.  All you need is a few leaves chopped up and mixed in to your compost.  Yarrow will also enhance the flavour, strength and health of any other herb gown near it (but beware - it spreads like the mint family does, so be careful where you put it in your garden).  I have a white variety (as seen in these pictures) growing by my Sage and WOW - that sage (& Yarrow) is potent..  I would love to find the pink or red variety to grow as well - but I haven't seen any for sale yet.

YES - I did another entry into my little book of Mischief,

even has a little secret addition:

Yarrow pressed onto the page from my garden..

Yarrow has to be one of my favourites in the garden, not only is it handy to have, but it looks pretty with its feathery leaves and stems of flowers in the spring and summer.

So there you have it - a run down on the wonderful YARROW.

Join me next time when I will be looking into another herb from my witches garden.

Until then, take care of yourself and those you love,

Blessings to you all.

Annette )O( xxx

Herbal Profiles ~ ROSEMARY

 Hello there you mighty bunch of lovely people,

Today I am doing a herb profile on ROSEMARY....

BOTANIC NAME ~ Rosemarinus officinalis

AKA ~ Dew of the sea, Sea dew, Rosmaris, Rosemarine, Rosemarie, Guardrobe, Libanotis.

GENDER ~ Male (Hot).

ELEMENT ~ Fire.

PLANET ~ Sun.

DEITY ~ Jupiter & Hecate.

CRYSTAL ~ Aventurine.

NOTED ~ For remembrance, for it's unique taste and smell, as a "clear all" for your health.

FOLKLORE ~ Rosemary evokes sweet remembrance, and is often used at funerals, also ANZAC day parades (Australia) to remember those who fell in the wars.  It is believed that it grows where the sea can be seen, where the righteous abide, or where a woman rules the house.

USES ~ Rosemary is an all purpose herb which can be used in all sorts of culinary dishes from seasoning meats, to adding to bread, stews, soups and seasonings.  It makes a wonderful tonic and is great for both hair and skin.  Using a Rosemary toner will tighten up your skin and heal it of any acne nor skin irritations.  Rosemary can be made into an oil and put into salves, skin creams, soaps, shampoos and conditioners.  The parts used are the leaves ~ dried, powdered and fresh.

WITCHCRAFT USES ~ Can be used to cleanse your work or ritual area.

(Smoke stick like in the picture here -------->)

It is used for purification, love, protection, to improve the intellectual aspects.

Add to all purification workings, bath sachets, love incenses, protection incenses.

Wear a sprig of Rosemary to aid memory, use in Sea rituals or in sachets to ensure sage passage whilst travelling.

Use Rosemary soap to wash hands before a ritual.

Burn a Rosemary & Juniper mix as a healing/recuperation aid.

Use in baths to sooth the body.

Drink Rosemary Tea to help your liver function, and open up the mind for meditation.

Again here is what I wrote in my book with my scruffy writing LOL (Hopefully one day my writing will be neat and tidy....but don't hold your breath haha).

Rosemary is very easy to grow and is always a handy herb to have on hand.  I have two plants growing, one in my front garden, and one in a pot out in my back garden - it grows well in either the ground or a pot, so it's easy to grow if you don't have a yard, or if you live in an apartment- just grow some on your window sill or balcony if you have one.  It loves a good prune every now and again, but be sure to only take about a quarter of the plant so as not to kill it.  It also loves a good soak of SEASOL fertiliser every now and again.

AND as always, please consult your medical practitioner before you use ANY herbal remedy as they may have contraindications to any medications you may be taking.

I hope you enjoyed this little delve into Rosemary.

Let me know in the comments below how you use Rosemary - what is your favourite thing to do with it (be it culinary or Witchy..)

Until next time, please take care of yourselves and each other.

Blessings to you all,

Annette )O( xxx

Herbal Profiles ~ Chamomile

 Hello my lovelies,

Here I am again with another Herbal Profile from the plants in my garden ~ this time it is the beautiful calming CHAMOMILE...

Roman Chamomile

BOTANIC NAME: Anthemis nobilis.

AKA: Maythen, Manzanilla, Whig plant, Roman chamomile, German chamomile, Ground Apple, Chamaimelon, Camamyle, Camomile.

GENDER: Male (Hot).

ELEMENT: Water.

PLANET: Sun.

DEITY: Ra, Helios, Apollo, Balder, Cernunnos.

NOTED ~ For it's calmative, purification and meditative states.

FOLKLORE ~ Egyptian women mixed it with rose petals to apply it to their skin for a youthful appeal.  Cooks used to soak rancid meat in to mask the odour (way before modern food preservation techniques).  In the Middle Ages they use to scatter the flower on the floor to repel vermin and pests, plus as to serve as a natural deodoriser. 

About my 4th harvest of 2025

USES ~ Make into a tea for a good night's sleep. Make into an infusion to cleanse your house (windows, door frames, floors) by adding the infusion to a bucket of water.  You can make a hair rinse (infusion same as cleaning for your house) or add powdered chamomile to your shampoo mix. You can soak it in milk to add to baked goods.

Plant near other plants to dispel pests.

Drying it on paper

ALLERGIES ~ If you are allergic to ragweed, daisies, chrysanthemums, marigold, or any plants related to the Asteraceae or Compositea species ~ best avoid this one.

If you are pregnant ~ then consult your medical practitioner before using any herbal remedy.

WITCHCRAFT USES ~ Use in prosperity charms to draw in money.  Add to incenses to bring on restful states for meditation, it induces sleep if burned.

Used for purification, love, evil eye protection, strength in difficult times.

Here is the excerpt in my book - not a really good picture because of the shadow in my room and the fact that I did a drawing on the other side of the page which sort of buckled the paper a bit...hence why I have taken to drawing on a piece of paper, cutting it out and sticking it in my book...

Again - please don't mind my scribble hahaha..

I keep mine in a jar so that I can use it when I need to (for tea, or tea blends, for using in incenses, oils, washes etc).

I also have an deck of cards called "The Green Witch's Deck of Magical Herbalism" by Arin Murphy-Hiscock, which has the most beautiful cards of all the herbs and flowers that a Green Witch would use. Each card has a load of information as to what it is used magically for - but also the booklet has a lot more.

I am finding them handy as I research the information for my own purposes.

I use it to find a plant to work with for the week - when I say "work with" it's more like a get to know in depth - though I feel like I have only skimmed the surface with these plants as I go - there is much, much more to know about them.

So this is CHAMOMILE, I am sure you are all familiar with it, or have used it in one capacity or another.  Maybe I have told you something you didn't know ~ maybe not.

AND - if you have any further information on the wonderful Chamomile, I would be only too happy to receive that in the comments.

Until next time take care,

Blessing to you all,

Annette )O(