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Wortcunning For Daemonolatry A Formulary For The Daemonolater Alchemist and Gardener
Wortcunning For Daemonolatry A Formulary For The Daemonolater Alchemist and Gardener
Ψ
S. Connolly
DB PUBLISHING 2015
MMXV
DB Publishing is an arm of Darkerwood Publishing Group, PO Box 2011, Arvada, CO 80001.
ELECTRONIC EDITION
Wortcunning for Daemonolatry © 2015 by S. Connolly. No part of this book may be reproduced in
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Bases
For any mixture, whether incense or oil, I like to start out with what
I call a "base". Depending on the purpose of the mixture, the herbal base
will change. Base oils or herbal mixtures will give an incense or oleum the
"bulk" of its body, and oftentimes the base scent as well. Some believe that
the base will absorb the properties of the other plants. I prefer to say that the
base compliments the properties of the other ingredients and enhances
them.
For example, in a calming mixture I might use a base of lavender and
add to it from there. For Goetia, there are traditional bases for the incense.
It's what you add afterward that attunes each recipe to the Daemonic force
it's made for. One important point I'd like to make right up front: Using
bases is not required. They're simply the initial energy you're starting with,
or a balanced bulk of energy. This is why many of the bases are elemental
in nature. For Goetia, some of the bases are based on spirit rank within the
hierarchy. You can choose to create your own bases based on planetary
influences, numeric influences, or even personal preferences. The bases in
this book are just suggestions. Also note that it's perfectly acceptable to
make substitutions. To substitute one plant for another one only needs to
match properties and aspects. You may also omit certain ingredients that
you do not have or cannot obtain.
A method for using herbs fresh off the plant.
First, thank the plant spirit for giving its flesh for your magickal
purpose. It's rather common for gardening witches to grow specific plants
for specific purposes. While the plant grows you can focus on its intent and
purpose, dedicating and blessing the plant to a specific magickal goal, or a
general magickal goal. The plant then grows attuned to that particular
purpose.
Once the plant is thanked, you can then harvest the parts of the plant
for use.
If you plan to uproot the plant and use the entire thing, thank the plant
spirit for giving its life, then, with the Athamé circle the soil around the
plant three times while saying, “Blessed is this plant. Blessed are its roots.
Blessed are its leaves.” All the while focus on what you’ll be using the
plant for.
Again, growing base plant matter, when you can, can be a gratifying
endeavor, especially of any plant you find yourself using a lot of. I've
always loved growing sage. It's easy to grow, you can get a lot of it in a
short time, it deals well with constant pruning as you need it, and the smell
is heavenly. Mugwort, wormwood, mints, lemon grass, lemon balm, and
hibiscus are other staples you can consider. Also consider growing magickal
plants with multiple purposes for culinary, medicinal and their magickal
properties. Plants with multiple uses become exceedingly valuable to the
discerning witch/alchemist/magician/Daemonolater.
The Base Oleums
Usually the base refers to the main plant material used in creating an
oleum. So, for example, if a Lucifer Oleum calls for a Lemon Balm base
that means that Lemon Balm will be the primary ingredient in the oleum.
Or you can use a base oleum, which you then add additional herbs to. Or, in
some instances, only a few drops of the base oleum are added to an entirely
new mixture. It depends what you’re doing and I’ll explain that more in a
minute.
It’s probably good to keep a standard bottle of base oleum handy. By
bottle I mean at least 4-5 ounces. That way if you need it as an actual base
for another oleum, you can use an ounce or two in the new oleum.
The base oleum – (if you’re using a base) has certain properties. In
Daemonolatry, these bases are often said to contain the main elements of
Daemonic current. So you can see how this might make a good foundation
for certain types of oleum, especially oleums for magick, self-anointing
oleums, and even elemental oleums. When you use an oleum base, you are
starting the new oleum with a balanced current. If you simply add a few
drops of base oleum to a new oleum, you are simply adding the balance, but
the current is more aligned to what the new oleum will be used for.
Basic Oleum & Incense Recipes
See my quick and dirty tips for making bases and other oils in the
previous section. Feel free to make your own base oils as well. Experiment
and find out what works best for you.
Selinda’s Favorite BASE (add elemental plant base if you are making
elemental) - Selinda was my teacher and she has allowed me to print her
favorite base in all of my books.
· 4 cups of Pure Virgin Olive Oil (Eliminate oil if you are making an
incense.)
· 2 pinches of Parsley
· 1 tablespoon Celery Root
· 1 cup of Cinquefoil
· 1 Pinch of Mandrake
· 1 teaspoon Poppy seeds
· 1 teaspoon Vervain
· 1 tablespoon Patchouli
· Tincture of Benzoin - four drops per 2 drams
BASE #1
· 2 cups Pure Virgin Olive Oil (Eliminate oil if you are making an
incense.)
· 1 tablespoon Sandalwood
· 1 tablespoon Orris Root
· 1 teaspoon Thyme
· 1 tablespoon Poppy Seed
· 1 tablespoon Myrrh
· 1 teaspoon Frankincense
· Tincture of Benzoin - four drops per 2 drams
BASE #2
· 1 cup Pure Virgin Olive Oil (Eliminate oil if you are making an
incense.)
· 1 tablespoon Hemlock (poisonous!)
· 1/4 cup Wormwood
· Corn silks (take a pinky-width, wrap and tie it together and drop
into mixture)
· Optional: 1 dropper full of Colostrum Formulae ( i.e milk and
honey)
· Tincture of Benzoin - four drops per 2 drams
BASE #3
· 1 cup Pure Virgin Olive Oil (Eliminate oil if you are making an
incense.)
· 2 pinches of Wild Celery
· 4 Poplar Leaves
· 1 cup of Birch wood (anything from the birch family)
· Tincture of Benzoin - four drops per 2 drams
BASE #4 (recommended)
· 4 cups Pure Virgin Olive Oil (Eliminate oil if you are making an
incense.)
· 1 cup Wormwood
· 1/2 cup Cinquefoil
· 1 tablespoon Wild Celery
· 4 Poplar Leaves (optional)
· 1 tablespoon Soot (if salve - optional)
· Tincture of Benzoin - four drops per 2 drams
INITIATION BASE
· 1 cup Pure Virgin Olive Oil (Eliminate oil if you are making an
incense.)
· 1 tablespoon Catnip
· 1 tablespoon white Sandalwood
· 1 teaspoon crushed Frankincense
· 1 teaspoon Myrrh
· Tincture of Benzoin - four drops per 2 drams
Tincture of Benzoin (add a pinch of Myrrh if you want more energy)
· 1 part Benzoin finely ground
· 3 parts alcohol
Elemental Base Plant Matter
· Earth: North, Belial - Vetivert, Yew, or Solomon’s Seal
· Air: East, Lucifer - Lemon Balm, nutmeg, or cinquefoil
· Fire: South, Flereous - Wormwood, Dittany root, or Jasmine
· Water: West, Leviathan - Calamus, Chamomile, or Orris Root
The Goetic Daemonic Hierarchy Base Plant Matter
Add to a light carrier oil or pure water for oleum. Use as a bulk for base
incense -
● Corson - Earth Base, add Sage and/or Vetivert.
● Goap - Fire Base, add Dittany and/or Galangal.
● Amaymon - Air Base, add Fennel and/or Lavender.
● Zimimar - Water Base, add Calamus and/or Chamomile.
A quick example how to use this information along with the information
below to formulate a specific incense. Let’s say you want to work with Bael
for creativity. You know Bael is a King and associated with Fire. So you’d
start with the King base, Frankincense. Then perhaps add some Angelica
root (both fire/Venus, and associated with creativity). One might also add a
bit of Cedar for inspiration.
Kings – Frankincense
· Bael (Fire)
· Vine (Water)
· Paymon/Paimon (Water)
· Balam (Earth)
· Belial (Fire)
· Zagan (Earth)
· Asmoday (Air)
· Purson (Earth)
· Beleth (Earth)
Dukes – Sandalwood
· Agares (Earth)
· Barbatos (Fire)
· Gusoin (Water)
· Zepar (Earth)
· Aim (Fire)
· Bune (Earth)
· Astaroth (Earth)
· Berith (Fire)
· Focalor (Water)
· Vapula (Air)
· Amducious (Air)
· Vepar (Water)
· Uvall (Water)
· Crocell (Water)
· Alloces (Fire)
· Murmur (Fire)
· Gremory (Water)
· Haures (Fire)
· Dantalion (Water)
· Bathin (Earth)
· Sallos (Earth)
· Elgios (Water)
· Valfar/Valfor (Earth)
Marquis – Jasmine
· Decarabia (Air)
· Cimejes (Earth)
· Andrealphus (Air)
· Andras (Fire)
· Amon (Water)
· Naberius (Fire)
· Ronove (Air)
· Forneus (Water)
· Marchosias (Fire)
· Phenex (Fire)
· Sabnock (Fire)
· Shax (Air)
· Leraje (Fire)
· Oriax (Air)
Princes – Cedar
· Vassago (Water)
· Sitri (Earth)
· Ipos (Water)
· Stolas (Air)
· Orobas (Water)
· Seere (Fire)
Presidents – Storax
· Gamigin (Water)
· Marbas (Air)
· Buer (Fire)
· Botis (Water)
· Marax (Earth)
· Glasya-Labolas (Fire)
· Foras (Earth)
· Gaap (Air)
· Haagenti (Earth)
· Caim (Air)
· Ose (Air)
· Amy (Fire)
· Volac (Earth)
· Malphas (Air)
Earls – Dragon’s Blood
· Furfur (Fire)
· Halphas (Air)
· Raum (Air)
· Bifrons (Earth)
· Andromalius (Fire)
Knights – Myrrh
· Furcus (Air)
Finally, let's move to the recipes.
Miscellany
Magickal Recipes and Random Daemons
See the Incenses and Oleums section to learn how to make Incenses and
Oleums. If you are looking for a recipe that isn’t here, use the herb guide
and match the herbs to the Daemonic attributes (or magickal attributes)
you wish to utilize. To substitute, do the same thing.
There are random Daemons also in this section who don’t really fit
into any of the included hierarchies in this book.
Many of these recipes make great loose incense (for burning on
incense charcoals) or are meant to be macerated in oil or alcohol for oleums
or tinctures. Feel free to adjust the recipes to your personal taste and
preferences. Hate Cinnamon? Eliminate it or add less. Don’t have the right
herb? Substitute it with something comparable correspondence-wise.
Please Note: You may recognize some of these recipes from my various
books (a few never been published before). However, you will also notice
that this book provides actual measurements to tell you how much of each
ingredient to use. It is my hope that by including the full recipes in this
book that you won't need to continually search through numerous other
books to find the one thing you're looking for.
Abramelin - Macerated method: 1 teaspoon powdered Myrrh, 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Galangal added to 1/2 cup Olive Oil. Let steep for at
least two weeks, strain, and then bottle for use. If you want to use essential
oils try 3 drops Myrrh oil, 1 drop Cinnamon oil, 3 drops Calamus oil, 3
drops Cassia oil (optional) to 1/2 oz. of Olive Oil. This can be worn as a
perfume. Also — all the literature referring to Abramelin oil suggests it
should be stored upon or under the altar. For those who live in states where
Cannabis is legal, try adding 2-3 drops of Cannabis oil to the Abramelin. I
personally haven’t noticed much of a difference in adding it, but allegedly it
adds a psychoactive property. Since it’s not being consumed this would
assume that the psychoactive properties are absorbed through the skin.
Depends where. I regularly use Cannabis oil for muscle and joint pain as a
topical. To get psychoactive properties you would have to ingest or apply to
a mucus membrane. I do not think there is enough in this recipe to produce
ANY of that.
Air (Lucifer) – 2 teaspoons Goldenrod, 1/2 cup Lemon Balm, 1 pinch
Lemon (rind or dried flesh - or juice of 1/4 lemon), 1 small High John Root
(grated)
Altar Oil – 1 cup olive/grapeseed oil, 1 tbsp. Myrrh, 1 tbsp. Cinnamon.
Steep 30 days. This is a good general consecration and anointing oil. You
can bless it or charge it with the energy of your Matron/Patron to make it
more potent.
Ascension Tincture (Calamus tincture) - To use, anoint the chakras with
this tincture before ascension practice. There are two ways to make this
tincture. In 4ml of water at .25 oz. of powdered Calamus Root, run it
through the distillation process. Add to the distillate 1 drop of Clary Sage
oil. In a jar you can place 1/4 cup of pounded Calamus root into one cup of
water and 1/4 cup of alcohol. Wrap this in tinfoil and keep outdoors in
summer in full sun, gently rotating the jar once a day. After two weeks,
bring the mixture in and strain it, then add to the mixture 4 drops of Clary
Sage essential oil.
Astral to Daemonic Plane – 1 part Rose, 2 parts Chamomile, 1 part
Camphor. As an oil, anoint the third eye before ascension/astral work. Keep
away from mucus membranes.
Astral Travel #2 – 1 teaspoon Lovage, 2 tablespoons Hops, 1 teaspoon
Valerian, 2 tablespoons Sage (salvia divinorum if you can get it. See Mind
Altering Substances for more information.) If you add this to a carrier oil,
you can anoint your third eye. You can use this blend on mucus membranes
if you like. Be careful to start out with the smallest potent amount.
Astral Travel #3 (Azlyn) – Anoint 3rd eye with Camphor
Ba’al Oleums (for more See Dukante Hierarchy recipes) – 1/2 cup Pig fat,
1 tablespoon Frankincense (crushed), Blood (a few drops of your own, or a
tablespoon of pig or chicken blood)
Ba’al Peor – 1 teaspoon Salt and 1 teaspoon Sulfur
Ba’al Marduk – Ground Shellfish
Ba’al Berith – 1 tablespoon Cocoa and 1/4 cup ground Mullein
Ba’al Zebual – 6 ground Almonds to one cup Lavender
Ba’al At – 1 dried and ground Banana Leaf and one pinch Salt
Blood oil - Blood oil will require you to take blood from yourself for at
least 30 days. Women can make this oil more quickly during a single
menstrual cycle. For 30 days drop one drop of your blood onto a shallow
ceramic dish. Let it dry and then gently scrape the dried blood into a vial or
jar. For menses blood, do the same thing. Put the blood on a shallow dish
and let it dry. Then scrape it into a jar or vial. Depending how much blood
you get — add 1 teaspoon dried blood to every 1/4 cup of oil.
Blood wine – 2 cups Orange Juice, 1/3 cup Tequila, 1 shot Grenadine, 5
drops of blood from each participant
Circle Construction Herbal Powder – 2 tablespoons Rue, 1 teaspoon
Pennyroyal, 1/4 cup Vervain, 2 tablespoons powdered Calamus, mix with a
branch of Yew clockwise nine times.
Cleanse Anything Blend
● 1 pinch of Myrrh
● 1 Teaspoon of Patchouli
● 1/2 Teaspoon of Sandalwood
● 2 oz. of Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil
Let it steep for two weeks before use. Strain if desired before use.
This is both a potent uncrossing and clearing oil that should work to remove
astral sludge or negativity, or previous energies from anything. You can use
it as a spray if you add these ingredients to alcohol.
Conjuring Incense – 1/4 cup Mugwort, 1/8 cup Wormwood, 1/4 cup
Lavender, and 1 grain crushed Frankincense
Contact a Familiar Incense – 5 Hibiscus flowers dried and crushed, 1
tablespoon Sandalwood (white), 1/2 teaspoon ground Lovage, 1/2 teaspoon
ground Willow, 1/2 teaspoon Vetivert, and a pinch of Agrimony
Controlling Oil – 1/4 cup crushed Calamus added to two cups of carrier
oil.
Cramps (for) – Brew 2 Tablespoons Chamomile and juice of 1/2 lemon in
tea. Add a pinch of Black Cohosh and a pinch of Valerian.
Curse #1 – 1/4 cup Graveyard Dust (powdered mullein), Blood (2 drops),
Ashes of curse request
Curse #2 – 1 teaspoon Thyme, 1 teaspoon Rue, 2 tablespoons Orris Root, 1
teaspoon Devils Claw, 2 tablespoons Calamus, 1 teaspoon Vervain, 2
tablespoons Graveyard Dust
Curse Breaker Incense – 2 Bay leaves, 2 tablespoon Dragon’s Blood, 1
teaspoon Frankincense
Dagon – 1 tablespoon Fennel, 1/8 cup Calamus, 2 tablespoon Rose hips, 1
teaspoon Myrrh
Diffuse any Negative Situation - Incense/Sachets/Oil
Per Sachet or Incense or Per Cup of Olive Oil
● 1/2 cup Lavender
● 1 Teaspoon Benzoin Gum (powdered)
● 1 Tablespoon Vetivert
You can use essential oils. To two ounces of grapeseed oil, add 8 drops of
lavender oil, 3 drops of vetivert oil, and 1-2 drops of tincture of benzoin to
preserve.
For sachets, hang in bags on door knobs throughout the space you want to
diffuse tense or negative situations. Burn the incense in spaces you want to
remain calm. Use the oil to refresh sachets or diffuse using an oil diffuser.
Dispel Negativity Sachet – 1 pinch of each – Juniper, Cloves, Rose petals,
Dill, Saffron, Sandalwood, Frankincense, Myrrh, and Cumin.
Earth (Belial) – 1 cup Mugwort, one pinch Skullcap, 1 tablespoon
Cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon Sandalwood (red or white), one pinch ground
Benzoin, 1/2 teaspoon ground Frankincense, 2 tablespoons Black Poppy,
one pinch Hemlock, 1/4 cup Patchouli. Grind it all together feeling the
heaviness of earth.
Equinox/Solstice Incense – 1 tablespoon Sandalwood, 1/8 cup Orris Root,
one pinch Thyme, 1 teaspoon Poppy seed, 12 Rose petals, 1 teaspoon
Benzoin, 1 pinch Myrrh, 1 teaspoon crushed Frankincense
Exorcism/Purification – 2 whole cloves Garlic (or 1 tablespoon) and 1
teaspoon ground Frankincense
Fast Hair Growth – 2 eggs, ½ can beer, ¼ cup hibiscus, 2 tbsp. Flax Seed,
2 tbsp. Sage, 3 tbsp. Lavender. Let steep 2 hours – Shampoo in and leave
for 10 minutes. Rinse well with room temperature water.
Favorite Herbal Tea – 1 tsp. Spearmint, 3 tsp. Chamomile, 1 tsp. Rose
hips, 2 tsp. Hibiscus (crushed). If you can get all of your ingredients fresh,
rinse, bruise, and then steep. Be careful that no pesticides or herbicides have
been used on or around any plants you take internally.
Feminine Mystique – 1/4 cup Patchouli, the petals of two yellow Roses,
petals from 1 Narcissus or 1 teaspoon ground Mandrake
Fertility – 1 tablespoon Sandalwood, 1/4 cup Patchouli
Fifth Element (Satan) – 2 tablespoons Elder Berries, 1 tablespoon Poppy,
1 teaspoon Nettles, 1/8 cup Wormwood, 2 teaspoons Witch-hazel Bark, 1
teaspoon Alum
Fire (Flereous) – 1 pinch Arnica, 1 pinch Saffron, 1/8 cup Roses, 2
tablespoons Red Sandalwood, 1 Passion Flower, 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
Hecate - 2 teaspoons crushed Copal, 2 teaspoons powdered white
Sandalwood, 1 tablespoon powdered Orris root, 1 tablespoon powdered
Rose Petals, 1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg. Mix well.
Herbal Aphrodisiac (Asmodeus) – 1 teaspoon Blue Vervain and 1
teaspoon Fennel seeds steeped in a cup of hot water. It is taken internally.
Be careful with Vervain as it can interfere with blood pressure medications.
This blend can help with depression, too.
Hex Oil – 1 teaspoon Myrrh, 1 teaspoon Mandrake, 1/2 teaspoon Creolin, 1
tablespoon Ginger, 1 teaspoon Dragon’s Blood, 1/4 cup Graveyard Dust,
1/4 cup Water, 1/4 cup Olive Oil (or carrier oil)
Hex Powder – 2 tablespoons Myrrh, 1 teaspoon Mandrake, 1 tablespoon
Ginger, 1 tablespoon Dragon’s Blood, and a small handful of Graveyard
Dust (powdered mullein). After grinding each ingredient while thinking of
what you want to happen to your enemy, mix all ingredients together with
your dominant hand.
House Protection – 1 tablespoon crushed Frankincense, 2 tablespoons
powdered Garlic (or two cloves dried and then crushed to powder), 1
teaspoon Myrrh, 1 teaspoon Sandalwood, 1/4 cup Wormwood. Used as an
incense, you may need to open the windows when burning. As an oil, anoint
the top of each door and window frame.
Impotency (to cause) – One pinch of Hemlock, 1 teaspoon finely ground
Wormwood, 1 teaspoon finely ground Thyme, 5 drops of your Urine, 1 drop
of your Blood. This particular mixture is either added to food (I am not
advocating this, just telling you the method of the recipe), burned on a
charcoal in the same room the person you’re trying to make impotent is in,
or as an oleum it can be used to anoint the items of the person you want to
make impotent or as a massage oil. As an anointing oil, all the person has to
do is get rid of the cursed item, or wash and cleanse it really good to destroy
the curse. Impotency can be metaphoric as well.
Incense of Sorcery (Delepitoré) – 6 Rose Petals, 1 tsp. Dragon’s Blood, 1
tsp. Devils Claw, 1 tsp. Cinnamon, 1 pinch Blood Root, 6 drops Blue Dye.
Allow it to dry.
Incubus Powder – 1 part Calamus, 4 parts Sandalwood, 4 parts Sage, and 3
parts Sarsaparilla. Can be placed under the bed to attract sexual dreams, or
burned as an incense during sex magick rituals.
Initiation Oil – 1/4 cup ground Catnip to 1 cup ingestible Oil (just in case
kitty gets into it). If you have a feline companion, expect them to want to
join in the ritual. Keep the bottle closed and in a cool dark place out of
kitty’s reach, please.
Initiation Incense – 3 parts Sandalwood, 1 part Frankincense, and 1 part
Myrrh
Interview Oil (Floral - to have someone see you as more compassionate) –
1 drops Rose essential oil, 2 drops musk, and 1 drop of Lavender essential
oil added to 2 drams of a light carrier oil. Wear on pulse points during an
interview. (Musky - for more “take-charge” positions requiring confidence)
- 3 drops musk oil and 1 drop of clary sage oil added to 2 drams of light
carrier oil. Wear on pulse points during an interview.
Kasdeya - (This is also a great Pluto planetary oil!) 1 teaspoon Saw
Palmetto, 1 teaspoon crushed Galangal root (powdered is fine, but freshly
powdered or cut is better), 2 tablespoons of Damiana. Add to 1/2 cup of
Olive Oil.
Love Incense – 5 parts Jasmine, 5 parts Roses, 2 parts Lavender, 1 part
Tansy, 1 part Mugwort, 2 parts Fennel, 5 parts Rosemary
Love Potpourri (Asafoetida/Rosier) – 9 Cardamom seeds crushed and
powdered, 1 tablespoon Cinnamon, 9 Cloves - powdered , 1 teaspoon
powdered Dill, 1 teaspoon powdered Thyme, 1 teaspoon powdered
Dragon’s Blood, 1 teaspoon powdered Ginger, 1 cup Lavender, 1/4 cup red
Rose petals
Divination Tinctures
Please note that these tinctures are all either poisonous or illegal. I
only include them for reference. Use them at your own risk.
Tincture of Mandrake - for Ascension Practice (POISONOUS)
This can be made one of two ways. The first is to take a mandrake
root, score it, and macerate it in a jar of vodka forever, using it as needed.
Keep it in a cool, dark place. The second method is to fill a beaker with
distilled water. Add fresh leaves from the mandrake plant (crush them to
release their essence) into the water. Each week, add new leaves and new
water - not removing the old water or old leaves. Do this for a month. This
is an extraction of mandrake essence by method of putrefaction. Once the
month has passed, the putrefied mandrake essence water is strained of all
plant matter. It should smell awful. This liquid is then added to the vodka
directly. You can add a scored mandrake root to the liquid after that and
then store it in a cool, dark place and use as needed. Usage: I recommend 5
drops sub lingually (under the tongue) to start before any channeling or
ascension session.
Tincture of Salvia (Divinorum) - for Ascension Practice (ILLEGAL)
Please note that salvia divinorum is illegal in most states nowadays
due to stupid kids using it to get high. This particular plant has been used by
shamans for centuries during divination and spiritual work. If you can get it,
add a half gram of 20x or 30x Salvia Divinorum to two ounces of rum or
vodka. Let it steep for at least two weeks. Then use it a few drops under the
tongue at a time. You can increase the number of drops as you go. I don’t
recommend more than 10-15 drops per session. Remember that the goal of
the tincture is to help you get over those inhibitions holding you back from
allowing the connection to the Daemonic force. Not to get high.
Tincture of Wormwood - for general Divination and Communication
(TOXIC IN LARGE DOSES)
For tincture of wormwood I will often add a cup of wormwood to
two or three cups of vodka and let it steep for at least a month before use,
rotating the jar (to mix) once a week. The herbal matter can then be drained
off and the tincture can be used 3-5 drops under the tongue (to start) before
any divination or communication session.
Divination Teas
Chervil Tea (to aid in sciomancy and other communication): Take one
sprig of fresh Chervil and steep along with a pinch of all three Rosemary,
Sage, and Thyme, along with four hibiscus flowers, a dash of cinnamon,
and a couple of rosehips. Steep in hot water, allow to cool and drink before
divination sessions.
Hibiscus Diviner’s Tea - Four dried hibiscus flowers, crushed. One
teaspoon dried and crushed rosehips. A pinch of cinnamon. 1/4 cup
chamomile. Add this to some cheesecloth or a tea ball and steep in 1-2 cups
of hot water. Drink before a divination session.
Vision Tea - 1 tablespoon Black Tea. I like Twinnings English Breakfast
Tea. To this add 1 teaspoon Spearmint, 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon
crushed Rosehips, and a pinch of Orange Peel.
Scrying Waters
Eurynomous’ Water of the Dead
Two teaspoons of dried wormwood leaves, one inch of mandrake
root, one teaspoon belladonna and some willow bark and, during the dark
moon, mix it in a jar with two cups of distilled water and a teaspoon of
black ink. Bury the water in the earth for a full month. Unearth it, strain it,
and use. This water is used ½ cup at a time, and should be used for
divination sessions where you are seeking to contact the dead or the
Daemons of death.
Leviathan’s “Foresight Blend”
· Two cups of rain water (or distilled water)
· Five drops of clary sage oil
· One pinch of mandrake root (or five drops of mandrake tincture)
· One pinch of fine ground belladonna leaves (or five drops of
belladonna tincture.)
You can adjust the amount of clary sage to your liking for scent.
Mix the tinctures (or plant matter) and oils in the water and let them steep in
a dark jar (or a regular clear jar in a root cellar or cool, dry place) for a full
moon cycle. If you used plant material, strain the liquid and use. If you used
already strained tinctures and the oil, you can use it directly without
straining. About ½ cup is used for each divination session. Distilling your
own water is one method to give this water (and all waters for that matter) a
“power-up”.
Scrying Milk
1/4 cup tincture of benzoin made with vodka. 1 tablespoon
powdered Storax. One pinch of powdered cinnamon and one pinch of
powdered nutmeg. Let steep for one month from full moon to full moon,
then strain, bottle in amber bottles and use. Light colored scrying bowls are
best.
Water of Ashtaroth
In two cups of rain water, steep nine yellow rose petals (dried is
fine), one bay leaf, a whole dandelion root, one hibiscus flower (dried is
fine). Stir the mixture with a willow branch then let steep for one week
before use. Strain and use. Use this water to divine about relationships and
love.
Water of Lucifuge
With two cups of rain water (or distilled water) create a wormwood
hydrosol. Add to this three dried yarrow flowers. Let this steep for at least a
week (a month is better). Strain and then use. About ½ cup per divination
session.
Magickal Inks
Magickal inks are used as an extension of your will. To speak the
word is to claim intent. To write it down is to manifest it. The written word
holds a great deal of power in the magickal requests, pacts, and formulas we
write down. Remember this when creating your magickal inks. Make sure
you are focused on your intent when making ANY herbal mixture. I also
recommend charging your inks in containers with Daemonic sigils on them.
You can also use magickal inks to scry. Just pour a small amount of ink into
the water of your scrying bowl and see what you get. You can also use the
ink by itself to scry into, in place of a scrying water or milk.
The first thing you need to know about making magickal inks is that
they’re very versatile. The easiest way to make an ink is to make a solid
base and add finely powdered herbs or essential oils, drop-by-drop, aligned
to the ink’s magickal purpose or the Daemonic force you want to associate
it with. That said - here are some how-to recipes for magickal inks that you
can modify and adjust as necessary to create just about any ink you can
think of. You can adjust the amounts based on how much ink you need.
Just like with Oleums - magickal inks can be attuned to you by the
addition of blood or sexual fluids. If you do choose to do this, do not allow
anyone else to use your magickal ink(s). If you are using fountain pens,
make sure your inks are completely liquid to keep them from gumming up
your pen’s inner workings.
For inks that are not for use in fountain pens, is common to use
thickeners. These thickeners often include gum Arabic, or alum. Alum is
always a good choice because it can be found at your local grocer in the
spices section since it is often used to thicken sauces.
Base Ink: During a new moon mix 1 tablespoon Gum Arabic, 5 drops
myrrh oil, 2 drops alcohol, 1 teaspoon red dragons blood resin, some lamp
black (about a half teaspoon) — mix well. Then add just enough distilled
water and/or red (or red/blue mix) food coloring. Yes - the food coloring is
a cheat for color, but it doesn’t negate the magickal application of an ink.
Please note that most food colorings are vegetable based, but the gels are
actually insect based. Watch out for synthetics if you can. One of my editors
pointed out that she gets different results with natural vs. unnatural food
coloring sources.
Magickal Ink#1 – Beet Juice added to powdered Gum Arabic until the
right consistency is achieved.
Magickal Ink#2 – Mix together one tablespoon Sandalwood (red), 1/2
teaspoon Alum, and 1 pinch powdered Gum Arabic, then add Dragons
Blood Oil until the right consistency is achieved.
Another cheat: Take black or red fountain pen ink, add the amount you
need to a small bottle (via a dropper — do this by the sink as it’s easier to
clean up), then add essential oils (use oils containing the magickal
properties for the work). Add blood if you wish to attune it to you. Mix well
and use. This is handy if you only need a little bit of ink for one particular
working, or you want an ink that won’t gum up your fountain pens. You can
mix as much as you need with little to no waste and you don’t have to buy
hundreds of different magickal inks.
Dukante Hierarchy Recipes
For oils, use the traditional base, then additionally add the ingredients
listed. For incenses, try these ingredients alone. All recipes done in “parts”
so you can make as little or as much as you like. Consider adding
additional plant matter based on the specific purpose of the magick you are
performing. Not all Dukanté Daemons may be included here. I’ve included
everything from my private, hand-written formulary to date. To create an
incense for any missing Daemons, or Daemons for whom there are no listed
ingredients, use herbs whose correspondences match that of the Daemon.
This can include element, planetary influences, or herbs with the same
properties. For example, for Azlyn, consider herbs that align with divination
and insight as well as the moon and water.
Elemental/Nine Divinities
“Fifth Element” (Satan): ¼ cup Ground Sage, ¼ cup Mullein, ¼
Mandrake (ground), 1 tsp. Lucifuge Oil. Let the oil soak up and make sure
it’s well incorporated before burning.
Lucifer: 1/4 cup ground Lemon Grass, 1 pinch Lemon Balm Powder, 2
Bay Leaves, and 1 teaspoon of finely powdered Fennel seeds. Mix this
together with a Willow branch/wand.
Flereous: 1 pinch of Benzoin, 1 pinch of Orris root, 1 tablespoon of Pine, 1
teaspoon of Tobacco, and add 1 tablespoon of Coffee. I’ll tell you right
now that if used as an incense this should be burnt in a well ventilated area,
but it’s a mighty powerful Fire blend. It smells great as an oleum though.
Probably because I love Coffee.
Belial: 1/4 cup of Sage, 2 teaspoons Patchouli, 1 pinch Grains of Paradise,
and 1 teaspoon Solomon’s Seal Root finely powdered.
Leviathan: 1 teaspoon of powdered Calamus Root, 1 tablespoon Orris
Root, 1 pinch of Alum, 4 grains of crushed Solar Sea Salt, 1 tablespoon
Coltsfoot. I like to add Clary Sage to this recipe because I like the watery
energy of the Calamus and Clary Sage together. If you can find the Clary
Sage plant, add 1 tablespoon.
For a quick Leviathan anointing oil, steep 1 teaspoon of Orris Root and 1
teaspoon of Clary Sage (plant) in 1/2 cup of Grape Seed Oil.
For a powerful Leviathan hydrosol add .25 oz. of the mixture above to 4 ml
of rain water (or water from a running stream, or the ocean), and distill it
via apparatus or using a stove top distillation method.
Verrine – 5 drops of Bayberry oil, 3 drops of Mulberry, a pinch of Dragon’s
Blood powder, and 2 drops of Camphor oil.
Amducious: 2 tablespoons Black Mustard Seed, 1 teaspoon Bayberry (or 4
drops of the oil), 1 tablespoon white Sandalwood
Unsere - 1/4 cup Lemon Grass, 2 tablespoons Calamus, 2 tablespoons
Mugwort
Eurynomous : 1 teaspoon Cumin, 1 teaspoon Poppy, 1 tablespoon Juniper,
1 tablespoon Mandrake, 1/4 cup Hibiscus
The Rest of the Hierarchy
Abigor – 1 teaspoon Poppy, 1/2 cup Radish (greens), 1 teaspoon
Goldenseal, 1/4 cup Mugwort, and 1 pinch of Hemlock
Agaliarept: 1/2 cup powdered Mullein, 1 tablespoon Cinnamon, 1
tablespoon Sage, 1/4 cup of powdered Cinquefoil, and two pinches of Rue
Ammon: 1 teaspoon of Ginger, 1/4 cup Mugwort, and 2 tablespoons
powdered Dandelion Leaves.
Ashtaroth: For friendship and/or Divination: Take 2 parts sandalwood,
grind in 1/2 part mace, and put in one part cinnamon. Mix well. To make an
oleum, add the mixture to enough grape seed oil (or olive oil, but I
personally find olive oil too thick as a carrier for this oleum) to cover it,
plus a dram or two, and let it steep in a cool dark place for at least a week
before use. It smells good, it has good energy, and it can be used in both
friendship and divination work. (Also see the section about divination
recipes.)
For a love blend, grind a handful of dried rose petals, two pinches of
lavender flowers and a teaspoon of cinnamon and add this to about a cup of
your carrier oil, steep for a week then use. You can substitute ginger for the
rose petals. Not everyone agrees that rose petals belong in love incense. For
me they're more symbolic. Again, grape seed oil.
Asmodeus: 1 tablespoon Cinnamon, 2 tablespoons Lavender, and 1
teaspoon of Agrimony
Azlyn: One drop of Camphor Oil, 1 tablespoon Cinnamon, one pinch of
Nutmeg, and one ground Clove. For an oleum/balm/salve, this can be put
on the third eye, but be careful not to get it in your eyes. Also, test on a
small patch of skin first. (You can add a pinch of mugwort to this recipe,
too, if you need additional insight.)
Baal: 1 teaspoon powdered Frankincense, 2 tablespoons mugwort
Baalberith: 1 teaspoon Coltsfoot, 1/4 teaspoon Saffron, 1/4 teaspoon Pau
de Arco, 1/2 teaspoon ground Devils Claw, 4 grains of powdered
Frankincense, 1 tablespoon ground Solomon’s Seal
Babael: 1/2 teaspoon grated High John root, 1 teaspoon Rue, 1 teaspoon of
foxglove, 1 tablespoon of Basil.
Beelzebuth: 1/4 cup of Eyebright, 2 tablespoons Cinquefoil, and 2
tablespoons chamomile. I add a few drops of sage oil to this, too.
Belphegore – 1 teaspoon Crushed Gum Arabic to 1 tablespoon
Frankincense
Belphegore 2 - 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cloves. Add one drop
peppermint oil and burn. Note this one is very potent.
Delepitore: 1 pinch of powdered Mullein added to 1/4 cup crushed Rose
Petals, 1 finely grated Dandelion Root, 1 teaspoon powdered Frankincense,
and add Clary Sage oil drop by drop until you like the scent.
Lilith – the petals of three white Roses, five leaves of fresh cut Sage, and a
pinch of fresh or dried Black Cohosh (you can add this at the end if it’s
dried already). Allow the ingredients to dry by moonlight from new moon
to full moon (keep it covered by day). Then, on the night of the full moon,
grind it up into a powder.
Lucifuge Rofocale: There are several recipes here.
Incense – 1 teaspoon Alum, 2 tablespoons (or two cloves) Garlic, 1/4 cup
Blue Vervain, 1/4 cup Nettles, 1 teaspoon Pennyroyal and 1 teaspoon Pau
de Arco
Lucifuge Oil – 1 cup olive juice, 1 tsp. olive oil, 3 Types of Perfume, ½ cup
alcohol
Lucifuge Oleum – 2 pinches Orris, 1 pinch Pennyroyal, 1 pinch Thyme, 1
pinch Sarsaparilla added to 1/2 cup Grapeseed Oil. You can add Red Devils
Claw. To make an infusion to add to a bath or to rub on the body, add the
ingredients to a tea bag and add hot water (1/2 cup) to steep
Charging Rite
One of the most common ways to bless a magickal mixture is by
consecrating it with all of the elements. This is normally accomplished by
creating a standard Daemonolatry circle, passing the mixture through the
smoke of a purification type incense (like myrrh and frankincense) and then
saying,
“I consecrate and charge this mixture in the name of Lucifer. May it
serve its purpose. So be it.”
Then to charge it by earth and water you would mix the salt and
water together and sprinkle a little over the container the mixture is inside
and say,
“I consecrate and charge this mixture in the names of Belial and
Leviathan. May it serve its purpose. So be it.”
And finally, you would pass the container over a candle flame and
say,
“I consecrate and charge this mixture in the name of Flereous. May
it serve its purpose. So be it.”
And there you are. However… while I’m not opposed to this
method, I do think there are better methods out there and I say that because
you don’t always WANT an elementally balanced and charged brew. No,
for necromantic work you want something aligned with the earth. For
mixtures deal with passion or action, they should be aligned with fire. For
wisdom and divination, water. For communication and mental acuity, air.
For insight - both water and air. For creative action and prosperity, fire and
earth, maybe a hint of water in there. And so on! So while you could
modify a basic charging/consecration to elementally suit your mixture’s
purpose, there are far more specific ways to accomplish charging.
Energy Work and Meditation
Earlier in this book when I discussed the creation of the Daemonic
Elixirs, I suggested the magician, to fine tune a magickal brew to
him/herself, should do energy work and meditate over the mixture in a
hands-on way. Using this method, the magician brings the elixir to his
temple and places it before him. He cups his hands around it. Through
channeling, he draws the Daemonic through himself, and thus that
Daemonic energy, and pushes that energy through his hands into the elixir,
charging it, leaving both a signature of the Daemonic and himself. Each
time the magician repeats this meditation, even if only fifteen minutes a day
(during an appropriate time, think magickal hours and planetary influences),
eventually the elixir's charge will grow and grow until it is impregnated
with Daemonic energy appropriate to it, thus changing it - transforming it.
Some magicians may even visualize the elixir undergoing transmutation
from something raw and common, to something magical and pure. It
becomes as gold in its transformation.
Pillar Rite (For Charging Magickal Mixtures)
Use this ritual to charge any magickal mixture whether it be liquid
or solid. First let me give you the skinny on Pillar rites. These are rituals (of
various construction) wherein you make pillars of energy within which the
item to be charged is encased. In this case, magickal mixtures. The easiest
method to accomplish this is to place 5 candles (the color to correspond
with the Daemon, plant spirit(s), and/or purpose the mixture embodies) in a
circle on the altar, and place the mixture inside the circle. The candles are lit
and the circle of candles acts as the perimeter of the pillar of energy.
Now using energy work and visualization, visualize a pillar of light
of fast moving energy that extends from the ground to the sky/ceiling. It
should be the color of the Daemonic force the mixture was made for (or
aligned to the purpose of the work). This creates the pillar. Usually pillar
rites are done for several days up to a month at a time. It takes a minimum
of four days to properly infuse items with the required energies. I usually go
a full week. This means you would repeat the meditation with the pillar of
energy for 10-15 minutes per day, at which time you light the candles. The
candles can be inscribed with appropriate names, words, or sigils, and
anointed with corresponding ritual or essential oils. You can let the candles
burn down, and start with new candles each day. Or only keep the candles
lit during the pillar “feeding” each day. Use the method that works best for
you. Don’t leave lit candles unattended.
Ritual to Attune a Plant to a Magickal Purpose
Many times we grow magickal plants for multiple uses. But let’s
say, for example, you decide to grow one particular plant for use in a
specific oil, incense, or elixir. This would be a good reason to attune the
plant to a magickal purpose. I, for example, have attuned my mandrake
plant to the purpose of wisdom and enlightenment. I only use parts of the
plant in tinctures meant to help the magician connect to the divine
intelligence (Daemonic).
Either sit in front of the plant in the garden, or take it into your
temple with you and place it in front of you. The main point being the plant
needs to be in front of you as you do it. If you just planted the seeds, the pot
with seeds in it. Rub your palms together until they become warm. Take a
deep breath, focus, and cup your hands around the plant. Make sure you
take deep measured breaths with this.
Imagine your desire, your purpose for growing this plant, manifest
itself into a colored orb of bright light between your hands. Feel the energy
grow and expand until it’s pulsating and moving with vibrant life. Now
imagine the plant absorbing it. Another method is to build the energy
between your palms first, then push it into the plant until the plant is
impregnated with the appropriate energy. Do this for 10-15 minutes a day to
start, then feed the plant by repeating the exercise once a week.
If you are seeking to dedicate a plant to a particular Daemonic force,
you can recite the Daemons enn over the plant before and/or after
performing this exercise.
There are many ways to modify this ritual for your particular use.
Ritual to Attune a Magickal Mixture to the Magician
Needed:
● Fresh blood (2 drops) or dried blood 1/2 teaspoon.
● Magickal mixture.
Usually, the reason you would attune a magickal mixture to you is to
make it your own. To bring it into balance with your energies so that it
works with you. When you do this, no one else should ever use these
mixtures. For any liquid mixture, simply add 1-2 drops of your own blood
to it. For incenses or powders, add a half teaspoon of your own blood to it.
Combine thoroughly.
Next, take the mixture into the ritual chamber with you. Hold it
between your palms or next to your stomach or chest and imagine yourself
putting your own essence into it. Say your power words or incorporate your
personal invocation into this process to make it even stronger. (See The
Complete Book of Demonolatry) When you’re finished, the mixture may
feel like part of you. Keep it in a cool dark place away from your
generalized magickal mixtures and use for personal power rituals or
magickal work sacred and profound to you.
Ritual to Attune a Magickal Mixture to a Specific Daemon
(See the charging rite to charge a mixture with intent or Daemonic
energy. This rite is similar.) In a prepared ritual space in which you’ve
invoked the Daemon you’re working with, take your magickal mixture to
the altar and place it on top of the sigil of the Daemon you wish to attune it
to. You can make the sigil out of anything you see fit. Even paper and ink.
Cup your palms around the mixture and begin chanting the enn of the
Daemon you wish to attune the mixture to. Feel the Daemonic energy
pulsing between your palms and into the mixture. Do this for at least 15
minutes.
There are a couple additional ways in which you can accomplish
this, too. As previously mentioned you can charge the mixture in a pillar
rite, the pillar created in the name of the Daemonic force you wish to imbue
the mixture with. Additionally, you can make a sigil on parchment with
magickal ink, burn it, and add the ash of the sigil into the mixture.
Offering Rites
Offerings to Daemons
Use this ritual to use any oleum, incense, tincture, infusion, etc… as
an offering to the Daemonic.
People are always asking me what they can offer to the Daemons.
Offerings can take a lot of different forms from candles and incenses to
alcohol, fruits, water, and flowers. You can even leave a living plant on a
permanent altar to a Daemon. One often overlooked offering is the
Oleum/Tincture/Infusion offering. You can make large batches of offerings
that you can use over time (about 6 months). I often prefer infusions since
they’re easier to make and not as expensive to make.
Save oleums and tinctures as “special” offerings since they often
require more work and material put into them. For infusions you just need
plant matter and water, and you can keep them fresh in the refrigerator for
extended use. Now, you don’t have to get fancy. You can simply leave the
offering on an altar for the Daemonic force you’re working with. That’s
fine. Or, in the case of oleums, tinctures, and infusions, you can pour it out
onto an outdoor altar or ritual space. However, some people prefer more
formal rituals, or may want a formal ritual for more special offerings. So
here is a rite for that:
● Oleum of the Daemon you’re leaving offerings to.
● Oleum, Tincture, or Infusion for offering + bowl or dish to pour it
into.
● Any other offerings
● Piece of Parchment
● Magickal ink and writing implement.
● Offering bowl
● Standard ritual tools (dagger, incense of the chosen Daemon,
burner, offering bowl, burning bowl, altar candles, prayer cord,
chalice of wine, chalice of water, sea salt)
● One new candle of the chosen Daemon's color. I like to use the
smaller candles as offering candles. Votives and tealights work great
here.
● Lancet for blood letting
You can do this rite within a constructed ritual space as per The
Complete Book of Daemonolatry, but there really is no need for that unless
you insist. The offering altar should face the direction of the Daemonic
force being honored. You would begin by consecrating the altar. This is
accomplished by mixing the salt and water and chanting:
"Talot pasa oida Belial et Leviathan."
Sprinkle this mixture around the altar and over the altar. Next, invoke
the Daemon the offering rite is for using its enn (or its ens for you
alchemists out there). If using an actual ens you would dab it onto the altar
or pour the ens around the altar. Once you feel sufficient Daemonic
presence, go ahead and etch the Daemon’s sigil onto the candle with your
ritual dagger. You can also inscribe the Daemonic name on the candle.
Anoint the candle properly (from the center outward) with the oleum of the
Daemon. When finished, place the candle in the holder and say: “I dedicate
this candle to [Daemon]. In your honor this flame burns eternal.” Light
the candle.
Light the ritual incense. Next, using the ritual ink, draw the
Daemon’s sigil on a piece of parchment. Anoint the parchment with the
oleum. Then say: “I offer you your seal anointed in oleum.”
Now, use the lancet and draw a drop of blood from your finger. Add
this to the parchment. Say: “I offer you my blood. Praise be Sobek, the
blood is the life.” (Omit the blood offering for Daemons who do not
require or wish it. This includes most (not all) Khemetic Daemons. Some
like blood offering, some tolerate it minimally, others have no taste for it. If
you don’t know what your Daemon prefers - find out!)
Hold the parchment on high and say: “I honor you [Daemon]. With
this offering may I be blessed with your wisdom and guidance.”
Light the parchment in the flame of the candle and place in the
offering bowl.
Next, place the offerings that you are leaving on the altar. If you are
pouring an offering, you would do this now.
Now you would offer prayers if that’s your wish. If you use a prayer
cord, you would also have this with you.
When finished, you may take a sip of the wine to share in the
offering with the Daemon, but you would leave the remainder of the wine
for him/her. The wine will evaporate in a few days. Be sure to use a wine
glass that cleans easy. I recommend glass. When you’ve finished an
offering rite, extinguish the candle (and reuse at the next offering you do),
bow to the altar, thank the Daemonic force present. Close the ritual
construct if you went that far. Then leave the ritual chamber. It’s often
considered rude to turn your back on an altar (especially for Khemetic
Daemon altars), so back out of your temple and do your best to always face
the altar, giving it your undivided attention. Especially during ceremonious
offering rites.
How long to leave offerings? Depends on the offering. Dry offerings
can be replaced monthly. Stone offerings can be left permanently. Liquid
offerings must be emptied and replaced once they’ve evaporated or dried
up. Fresh flower offerings can be replaced once the flowers are dried up.
Fruit offerings should be disposed of and replaced when the fruit starts
rotting or drying up.
Disposing of Offerings: I have a ritual space outdoors where I dispose
of offerings, including ashes from requests. This is the best way to do this.
Allow the offerings to go back to the earth.
Offerings to Plants
An initial offering to a plant when transplanting new plants or
starting new plants from cuttings.
First, find a willow tree. Next, thank the willow tree for offering
some of itself for your purpose before gathering up a few of the willow
branches (be sure to get the tips). Strip the branches of their leaves (you can
dry the leaves for other recipes). Then cut the branches into 4-5 inch pieces
and place them in a jar. A big mayonnaise jar is fine. A gallon tea jar would
work well, too, especially if you’re doing A LOT of plant propagation. Now
boil some water. Add the hot water to the jar. Let it steep for 24 hours. Yes,
essentially you’re making a tea/infusion.
This is the offering you will make to your new plants.
Now take this mixture to an outdoor altar along with all of the
magickal plants you’ll be transplanting. If your cuttings will root in water
directly, place some of the willow infusion into a small vase then place the
cuttings in the willow infused water until new root growth appears before
planting them in the soil. If you’re simply potting up some new plants, do
this on the altar while envisioning the magical purpose for each plant. Then,
once each plant is potted up, water them with the willow infused water
saying something like, “I honor you, spirit of [plant], and hope you drink
deeply of this willow infusion to bring you strength and vitality.”
Once you are finished, you can store the remaining willow tree
infusion for use for up to two months (make sure to label and date it!). At
the two month mark, give it to your garden.
Why it works? Believe it or not there is science, not necessarily
magick, behind why this works. Willow contains plant hormones that
promote rooting. That particular chemical compound is concentrated at the
tips of willow branches. So technically - you’re offering your new
transplants rooting hormone and water — giving them a strong start. The
bonus - willow infusions are free if you have a willow tree to draw on, and
they’re natural, so they won’t harm you or your plants unlike some
commercial rooting chemicals. You can’t really overfeed your plants this
stuff, but you likely don’t want to feed them with it more than a few times.
That should be enough. You can perform this offering for any type of plant
at any place in the garden (even your indoor garden).
Disposing of Magickal Mixtures
I always suggest disposing of magickal mixtures by using them as
offerings to the Daemons they were made for, or offerings to the element(s)
the mixture is aligned to. If you live in an apartment, you can keep a pot of
soil for these offerings on your balcony or patio. If you have a yard, set
aside a corner to leave offerings. The quickest, most simple method to do
this is to dig a small hole and pour the mixtures in there saying, “I give this
back to the earth.” That’s it.
Now if you prefer something more formal, you may create your
magickal mixtures within a temple, then once they’ve been used and you
have need to dispose of their ash or liquid, you would place the matter to be
disposed of in a ritually consecrated bowl or dish made of wood, ceramic,
or metal and have a formal procession to the outdoors where you leave
offerings to the gods, the spirits, and the Daemonic. You would then
formally lift the dish on high and say, “I hereby commend this back to the
earth. My will be done. So be it.”
You can add to this lighting of candles or prayers to the spirits
you are working with.
The Magickal Gardener
My first memories of the garden go back to my childhood. My
parents fenced off half of the small backyard of our suburban home and put
in a relatively sizable garden. We grew corn, radishes, lettuce, carrots,
beans, and peas, among other things. I remember wanting to help, and my
dad allowing me to drop the seeds, one at a time, in the rows. I remember
him watering the garden and I remember helping pick the vegetables. We
had several more vegetable gardens over the years. During my teenage
years I surrounded myself with witches and wizards who knew the ways of
wortcunning. One such woman, Kathy, taught me how to identify wild sage,
cinquefoil, mullein, hemlock and other native plants, much of it found in
the wilds of the Rocky Mountains. Another friend, Chris, taught me about
the magick of trees and introduced me to an old oak grove where I procured
my first wand.
So I guess I've always had an affinity for plants and considered
myself an amateur botanist at heart. In my early twenties, when I finally had
an apartment with great light, I began collecting house plants and
eventually began growing my own herbs and medicinal plants. I had a green
thumb with aloe Vera and soon found myself breeding aloe and giving
plants to everyone I knew.
Obviously all of this fits into how I got into Wortcunning. I started
like so many young witches do. I learned to identify and collect magickal
plants from the wild. Those I couldn't find, I'd buy from an herb catalog or
the local witches shop. I was, as they say, an "off-the-shelf" herbalist. Much
like one who grabs a cookbook off the shelf, goes to the store to buy the
ingredients, and then puts it all together - I was simply finding and mixing
together what the books told me to mix together.
It wasn't until I was in my late twenties that I realized just how
much I was missing. There's something to be said for growing your own
magickal plants and using them in your incenses, oils and tinctures. That’s
when I began growing some of what I put into my own mixtures. As I got
older, I began experimenting with growing more and more. Nowadays,
while I'm still just a hobby gardener, I'm always experimenting with
something new.
I have a greenhouse out back and every year I do a vegetable
garden. In the short Colorado growing season, zone 5, my garden has
always been an adventure. I learned that if you grow corn, the raccoons and
squirrels will love you forever and visit your garden every year. They’re
also quite fond of garlic. But for the most part, my Colorado garden is
virtually pest free.
Over the years I’ve experimented growing various herbs in pots and
experimented with various methods of turning my magickal plants into
inks, incenses, oils, teas, and salves (among other things) as well as
ingredients in magickal items or poured candles, soaps, lotions, lip balms,
shampoo and conditioner.
I grow aeroponic tomatoes and peppers in the winter. My indoor
garden contains such lovelies as mandrake, wormwood and lemon balm.
I've found ways to pot my feral mint. I even took a college course in plant
propagation to learn what professional botanists know.
This is how I ended up becoming a magickal herbalist. Now I make
no claims to being a master gardener or master herbalist. I am neither. I also
make no claims of being an expert. Instead – I do profess to be a real
magickal herbalist. I said once (on my blog) that there’s a difference
between the real magickal herbalists and the off-the-shelf herbalists. In my
own magickal mixtures I try to use only what I grow. Sometimes a recipe
calls for something I can’t grow in Zone 5 (or haven’t had luck with). In
cases like that I will actually buy the necessary ingredients from those who
can grow whatever it is I’m looking for.
The information from this point forward covers growing magickal
herbs in your home, in your yard, and/or in your greenhouse and how to
harvest and prepare your plants for use in you magickal incenses, oils,
tinctures, teas, and salves using the methods previously outlined in the
book.
Why Grow Your Own Magickal Ingredients?
For those of you who are magickal herbalists of the off-the-shelf
variety, growing your own ingredients is the eventual next step in your
evolution as an herbalist and witch. Most of those who practice the art of
wortcunning do grow their own plants and they’ll tell you that in growing
your own plants you are actually infusing your magickal mixtures with a
strong, vibrant, living magickal energy. You also become intimately
acquainted with the spirit of the plant(s) you’re working with.
It’s also the best way to control quality. You know exactly what
you put into your plants, whether or not they’re organic, etc… Especially if
you are growing edible magickal plants for teas or ingestion - knowing
what went into the plant’s care and nurturing is important.
Next, I think growing your own magickal ingredients gives you a
closer connection to the earth and all that is. There’s something calming and
meditative about nurturing a seed to a seedling, to an adult plant. There’s a
great deal of gratification we can get from gardening, too, by producing
plants you’ll use in your magickal works.
Getting Started
Depending on your situation, getting started growing magickal plants
isn’t that difficult. You can use any space you have to work with. You can
grow plants in any building with just a single window with bright light or
an aeroponic garden like the Aerogarden. Even grow lamps. I knew one
woman who grew tropical plants in her shower window. The plants loved
the humidity and the light. Outdoors, you can use a balcony and some pots
or even a small plot of land. A few feet (depending what you’re growing)
can give you high yields. Now clearly if you’re doing any commercial
production you’ll need land and maybe even a greenhouse. For the average
magickal herbalist you’ll only be growing for yourself and maybe a few
friends so a few pots and a sunny window should be okay, depending what
you’re growing.
First you want to plan your garden. The problem with a lot of
people is they get too ambitious for their first try (and every try after that).
Myself included. Every year I have about 500 things I want to plant and
only room for about 5 of those indoors and 10-15 outside. I suggest picking
a few plants that appeal to you and sticking with that for now. Tending the
magickal garden takes time. If you’re unsure what to grow, try your typical
culinary herb garden. A lot of culinary herbs can do double duty as
magickal plants. Thyme, Basil, and Sage are three that come to mind.
Once you decide what you’ll grow you need to decide if you want
to be adventurous and try to grow it from seed, or if you want to buy a
mature plant and nurture it for continuous harvest. This is up to you.
Starting from seed is cheaper, but it can be tough getting seeds to germinate
(especially tough germinators like the various nightshades). Seeds need
consistent temperatures and need to be kept damp, not sopping wet, in order
to germinate. Some also need grow lamps or warming mats and a bright
window for germinating indoors. Some will germinate just fine in a room
that receives indirect daylight.
Or you can make a cold frame (a small wooden box filled half way
with soil that seeds are planted into, then it’s covered with a sheet of glass)
or get a small four-tier greenhouse, which is a shelf with a plastic cover, for
outdoor spring germination. You’ll need to keep the soil moist regardless
the method. For most beginners you’ll probably buy small plants from your
local garden center and start your plants that way. It’s certainly easier.
If growing outdoors, consider starting with plants that are native
to the area in which you live. Learn your gardening zone and find out what
plants will work for you outdoors and what won’t. This will save you
money in the long run. For example, most of us in the colder U.S. states
should never put rosemary (a tender Mediterranean plant) in the ground
unless we want to dig it up, put it in a pot, and bring it inside year after
year. However, if you keep it in a pot it can do okay wintering over in a
solar greenhouse with regular light watering or indoors with indirect light in
a cool window and regular light watering.
Another serious question you’ll need to answer before deciding
what to grow is are you able to grow poisonous plants without having to
worry about pets and children? Especially when we’re talking magickal
plants like nightshade, belladonna, foxglove etc… If you have pets or
children you should only keep these plants if you have high inaccessible
shelves or a plant room that is not accessible. Before you plant know if the
plant is poisonous and if it is, know its antidote. You don’t accidentally
want to mistake hemlock for parsley and put it in tonight’s dinner. I put tape
on my pots and use marker to mark what is in the pot just in case I forget or
the plants get mixed up. Seedlings often look alike until they start getting
secondary leaves. I’ve gotten to a point where I can recognize my plants by
the shape of their leaves and their overall appearance. Some people can’t
(especially in the seedling stage or if you’re a beginning gardener). So
labeling your plants is REALLY important. It’s also important to note that
pets can be poisoned by common plants we think of as harmless, like
tomatoes, onions and peppers. I had a cat who kept poisoning herself on my
tomato plants. It took us several trips to the vet and about $500 before we
figured out what she was getting into. So always be aware of what you’re
growing and whether or not it can harm your animals.
More on the Importance of Labeling & Knowing Your Plants:
Here I go again, repeating myself. Sadly I’ve known too many
people who accidentally poisoned themselves. It’s not that hard to do!
Take Cowslip, sometimes called Keys of Heaven and a red flower
called Keys of Heaven for example.
This was a problem recently when a friend posted the healing
properties of a plant called Keys of Heaven. Well – the only Keys of
Heaven I’ve ever seen are red, and the flowers on the picture she posted
were yellow. Obviously, she was talking about Cowslip, also called Keys of
Heaven. There are some huge differences between Primula Veris (Cowslip,
aka Keys of Heaven) and Centranthus ruber coccineus (aka Keys of
Heaven). And while I don’t know if the latter is edible – what if it wasn’t?
What if it was poisonous in fact? What if she had indirectly instructed her
friends to ingest a plant that was not edible – even poisonous?
This is where both visual identification and both Latin and common
name knowledge are helpful.
Another conundrum - Hemlock can look an awful lot like chervil
(used in teas to help with divination and necromancy), wild parsnip and
wild carrots to the untrained eye. Obviously it’s very poisonous if ingested
and it will kill you. So just like Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) which
is a wild carrot is different from wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) or Chervil
(Anthriscus cerefolium) -- Hemlock (Conium maculatum) is a very different
plant, too. Despite the fact that all four look very similar.
Growing Indoors: Starting from Seed
Seeds should be placed in a seeding tray on a seedling heating mat
and kept moist with a misting spray bottle. Seeds sown too deeply or in too
shallow soil may not germinate properly or may not be able to germinate at
all. A good rule of thumb is to look at how wide the seed is and place it
twice that width down in the soil. This means that really small seeds should
just be tossed on top of the moist soil, tamped down, and not covered with
soil, whereas larger seeds may need a quarter of an inch of soil.
What is cold stratification?
Cold stratification (cold strat) is where you simulate a winter thaw
by placing the seeds in cold water in the fridge. This can serve two
purposes. First, to wash all impurities or anti-germination chemicals from
seeds, and second to simulate melting snow, telling the seed that it’s time to
germinate. A lot of magickal plants native to colder climates will require
this. Calamus, belladonna, nightshade, Cyprus, and mandrake are just a few
magickal plants that need cold stratification.
Aeroponics and Hydroponics
This is where you don’t grow your plants in soil, but instead grow
your plants in other types of “medium”. In an Aeroponic garden, your plant
grows in a sponge like material and it roots are directly in contact with a
nutrient rich water that is constantly circulating. In a hydroponic garden it’s
the same thing except there is more grow medium than water, but it’s the
same concept. Nutrient rich water circulates through the grow medium and
hence the roots of the plant. You can set up your own aeroponic and
hydroponic systems in a small amount of space. They can be somewhat
pricey however and some plants don’t like that much water.
Growing Outdoors
If you live in a zone where the plant you want to grow thrives, you
can grow it (or a variation of it) outside in either a pot or a garden plot. To
grow year round, if you live in a colder climate, you will need to bring
plants that aren’t cold hearty in for the winter. Consider this when choosing
pots vs in-ground planting.
Pots vs. Garden Plots
Gardening in pots is essential if you live in a second floor apartment
and your only garden space is a balcony. It’s also handy if you want to bring
your plants indoors during the winter, or if you want to control the soil and
minimize weeding. Most plants will do really well in pots. Others, not so
much. This is a matter of trial and error for most of us. I’ve found I can
grow quite a bit in pots. If you want to use pots, look for plant varieties,
usually smaller, specially bred to be raised in pots. Sometimes you can find
them. Other times - not. The good thing about growing plants in the ground
is you can be relatively sure it will grow. The bad thing about growing
plants in a garden plot is you will need to weed more often, and aerate the
soil more frequently.
Growing in a Greenhouse
Growing plants in a greenhouse can take a little getting used to. You
can better control your growing environment in a greenhouse, but it must be
properly outfitted with everything from heating and cooling systems to
misting systems. If the conditions are off in any way, you risk your fruit
bearing plants not producing fruits and looking rather pale and wilted if too
hot, or it could be too cold to produce. Working in a greenhouse can take a
few years to master, but this could be a solution if you don’t have space in
your house to keep your plants and you want to grow year round.
Nutrients
Some plants may grow naturally outdoors without much
interference at all, but if you plan on using your plants to cultivate herb
matter for magick, you’ll want to make sure you feed them. Fish oils, fish
or bone meals, and plant food will all work. Be sure to use all natural plant
foods for plants you plan on ingesting. The fewer chemicals on your plants
the safer they will be to ingest. Some plants are acid loving, others need a
lot of calcium. Do the research and read up on the plants you want to grow.
Natural Pest Control
When you can, choose natural pest control for your plants whether
outdoors or indoors. Indoors I use a soap based natural bug killing spray.
Outdoors I’ll use neem oil sprays and the soap sprays to keep my edibles
healthy and pest free.
Plant Propagation
There is no way I could cover all the specifics of plant propagation
in this book. This chapter really is just a general overview of things you
should know about when you start. Usually you’ll start plants from seeds
or from starts (I.e. baby plants). But other times you might start your plants
from cuttings. Some plants cuttings will root in water and once the roots are
formed you can plop them right into a pot of soil. Other times you need to
help the cutting along by dipping the ends in cloning gel or solution, and
then sticking it into moistened soil so it can form roots. It’s doubtful you’ll
start with any grafting right away. Check the suggested reading for some
good gardening books to help you in your quest to propagate your plants.
Knowing how to propagate effectively will bring you more success and
help you make the most of your plant budget.
Harvesting
Depending what you’re harvesting will determine when you should
harvest it. For example - you can only harvest apples when they start to turn
color. The same with certain vegetables. Herbs, however, can be harvested
as soon as the plant reaches at least 6 inches tall. Roots sometimes require
at least a year worth of growth before they can be harvested. For mandrake,
if your goal is a homunculus, it should be at least three years old before you
unearth the root. If you’re simply using the root in tinctures or for drying,
however, you can probably cut small pieces from the bottom of the root of
an established plant after two years.
Drying
Some plants you just harvest the fruits or flowers. Other plants
you’ll harvest roots. Other plants you’ll take leaves and stems. If you will
be drying the whole plant, sometimes it’s just easier to dig up the whole
thing, tie it with cotton string and hang it in a cool, dark place like your
basement/root cellar, or a garage. If you are just harvesting one part of the
plant you can spread out the parts on a cookie sheet and leave them in the
oven for a few hours at low heat, checking often. Some people will use
food dehydrators to dry their plants. There are a lot of ways to do this. What
you don’t want to do is dry the plants outside if it might rain, or leave the
plants, still moist in a jar or bag. The plant matter will rot.
Powdering
Some people prefer storing their harvested and dried plant matter as
powder. If you are powdering a lot, consider a coffee grinder. If you want to
have more contact with the plant matter and you want to infuse it with
intent, use a heavy marble mortar and pestle.
Storing
I use glass jars with strong rubber seals on them. You can also use
mason jars. Make sure all your containers are dry before putting your dried
plant matter into them, then seal them tightly and keep them in a cool, dark
cupboard. Again - label everything. Buy yourself a box of labels and a
marker and never put anything away without a label.
Where to get gardening help: For outdoor plantings, in the United States,
contact your county extension office. They will usually have master
gardeners on call to help you with all your horticulture questions from trees
and grass, to flowers and edibles. No matter what you’re growing, they can
help you with advice consisting of years of experience in your particular
geographic area. For houseplants, visit any of the online gardening forums.
These forums are full of horticulture experts who will happily answer your
growing questions.
Sometimes you are going to be successful. Sometimes you’ll fail.
Plants will die, but some will thrive. Don’t beat yourself up if you
accidentally kill a few plants. Just try-try again and take a different
approach the second time.
Resources
A Compendium of Herbal Magick, Paul Beyerl, Phoenix Publishing
Inc.; First Edition (May 1998)
American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully
Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques, Alan Toogood,
DK; 1st American edition (April 26, 1999)
Culpeper's Complete Herbal: A Book of Natural Remedies for Ancient
Ills, Nicholas Culpeper, Wordsworth Editions Ltd (November 5, 1998)
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (Llewellyn's
Sourcebook Series) Scott Cunningham, Llewellyn Publications; 1st edition
(October 1985)
Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees (Dover Pictorial
Archive) Ernst and Johanna Lehner, Dover Publications (October 23, 2003)
Greenhouse Gardener's Companion, Revised: Growing Food &
Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace, Shane Smith, Fulcrum
Publishing; Rev Exp Su edition (April 10, 2000)
Herbal Alchemist's Handbook, The: A Grimoire of Philtres. Elixirs,
Oils, Incense, and Formulas for Ritual Use, Karen Harrison, Weiser Books
(June 1, 2011)
Herbs in Magic and Alchemy: Techniques from Ancient Herbal Lore
C. L. Zalewski, Prism Pr Ltd (September 1990)
Leechdoms, Wortcunning, and Starcraft of Early England: Being a
Collection of Documents Illustrating the History of Science in this Country
before the ... Library Collection - Rolls) (Volumes 1-3) Thomas Oswald
Cockayne, Cambridge University Press (November 15, 2012)
Master Book of Herbalism, The, Paul Beyerl, Phoenix Publishing
1987.
Mythic & Magickal Folklore of Plants, T. F. Thiselton-Dyer, Lulu,
2008
Secret Life of Plants, The: a Fascinating Account of the Physical,
Emotional, and Spiritual Relations Between Plants and Man, Peter
Tompkins and Christopher Bird, Harper & Row, Publishers (March 8, 1989)
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