Green Witch Diaries: Rosemary

    by Quinn K Dyer

    Know it:

    Rosemary replenishes energy and the spirit. It’s said to help keep you young.

    This is particularly true for women. Rosemary is a woman’s plant; it feeds its guardian witch willingly. She will thrive as her rosemary does.

    Cleansing and protective properties. Helps to focus energy and help you to think clearly. The wood and twigs can be used for wands and charms.

    Rosemary and rainwater can be used to break a curse.

    Rosemary is one of my favorites for kitchen magic. You can eat it fresh or cooked. And it helps extend the shelf life of food.

    Grow it:

    Rosemary is very easy to grow and a great addition to any magical garden.

    An established plant can be pruned often and is extremely hardy. It loves the sun and is drought resistant.

    Though it does well in containers, rosemary quickly gets large.

    Rosemary is a good companion to grow with sage.

    It can be tricky to grow from seed because it has a low germination rate though it is possible if you’re patient.

    It’s much easier to grow from cuttings taken from an established plant. Rosemary cuttings take longer to become established than plants like basil or mint. This is because of rosemary’s woody stem.

    Take a single stem and strip the leaves, leaving the top four. Place the stem in a container of water and make sure the leaves stay dry.

    Leave the container in a sunny spot and in a few days you should see little white tendrils of the new roots beginning to grow.

    In a week or so, these roots will be a couple inches long and ready for planting!

    image via Canva

    Use it:

    Rosemary is known to stimulate the memory. There have even been studies on it!

    Carrying it will enhance your memory, but also others memory of you. Using a sprig as a bookmark will help you retain information while studying.

    Can be used in dream work to help remember dreams more clearly.

    One of the best ways to unlock rosemary’s magic is by smudging.

    It helps to purify the air and is one of my favorites to use alongside sage. You can put your harvest to work as smudge sticks too.

    To create your own smudge stick, start by tying the stems of your herbs together and wrapping tightly downwards. I prefer to use a natural, undyed cord.

    When you reach the end, wrap back toward the other end. Criss-cross your string as you wrap back the other way. Then just tie it off at the end.

    I like to dry the new smudge stick in the oven to speed up the drying time.

    Rosemary is easily dried in the oven at a low setting (170 F) for about an hour. It also dries beautifully in bunches and makes for some lovely witchy decor.

    It is traditionally woven into wreaths for protection. Or used at weddings and handfastings in crowns along with oregano for the couple as a symbol of fidelity and joy.

    It’s also used during the Yuletide with other evergreens as altar decorations.

    An herbal bath with rosemary sprigs or even essential oils has many beneficial magical and medicinal effects. A few sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and lavender eases joint pain and body aches.

    Lemongrass and rosemary can aid in circulation.

    Rosemary, mint, and lemon balm  can replenish the spirit and repair auras. A cup of Epsom salts can add an extra kick. They help relax muscles, ease joint pain, and eliminate toxins.

    Be wary when buying Epsom salts because they often have unnecessary added chemical fragrances and dyes.

    image source

    Rosemary and other fresh herbs make great additions to bath bombs too!

    Here’s an easy homemade bath bomb recipe:

    • 4.5 cups of baking soda
    • .5 cups epsom salts
    • 2 cup of cornstarch
    • 2 cups citric acid
    • .5 cups fresh, chopped herbs
    • 1-3 tsp of water
    • 6 tsp coconut oil
    • 20ish drops of essential oils
    • 10 drops of natural dye (optional)

    First mix the dry ingredients together thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients. I use a whisk or a mixer for this as the oils and water take a bit of work to blend.

    Then very slowly, you add the wet mix to the dry.

    This must be done very slowly, so the dry ingredients don’t activate. Otherwise you end up with an unfizzy bath bomb.

    The mixture should feel like damp sand and clump when pressed together.

    Then press the mix into your mold, let it sit for 30 seconds, and tap out. Repeat. Let dry overnight before use.

    Store in an airtight container. This will make about a dozen bath bombs depending on the mold size.

     

    IN CONCLUSION

    If this essay resonates with you, please join our WITCH email list by using the forms on this website so we can stay in touch.

     

    About the Author:

    Quinn K. Dyer is a native of Philadelphia, born under Gemini, a witch and a wanderer. She currently spends her time writing and creating art. Check out her website and Instagram.

     

    featured image via Canva

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