forgotten knowledge
Commonly Used Spell Components
Herbs
"Herbs" is a catchall term, commonly used in reference to any plant substance such as bark, root, leaves, resin, flowers or stems. Often they are used in incense recipes, in mojo bags, ground and sprinkled as powder, or hung in bunches. Some herbs are used as tea, for a combination of medicinal and magical purposes. Since essential oils have the same purpose as their source herbs, I will only list those herbs which are used solely in herb form, or have medicinal value.
Acacia: Stimulates psychism
Adam and Eve Root: Useful for spells to get married or heal a broken marriage
Asafoetida: Use sparingly in exorcism and banishing incense and powder
Balm of Gilead: Burn to cause spirits to appear
Bear Berries: Carry to increase psychic abilities
Black Snakeroot: Carry for courage
Buckthorn: As a tea, makes an excellent cathartic
Copal: Used in image magic to represent your target's heart
Damiana: As a tea, acts as a mild aphrodesiac
Dittany of Crete: Burn to cause spirits to appear
Fava Beans: Also called Mojo Wishing Beans
Hand Root: Used in mojo bags for good fortune, especially six-fingered
Hyssop: As tea, oil, or incense, used universally for purification
Jalap Root: Carry to increase power and courage
Job's Tears: Wish on seven of these, and throw them into running water
Mandrake: Either may be used in image magic
Male Mandrake: Used to stimulate one's personal power
Female Mandrake: Kept in one's house for protection and good luck
Orchid Root: Carry to attract love, or powder and sprinkle on the object of your love
Orris Root: Used in mojo bags to attract and keep a lover
Patchouli: May be used in some cases where Graveyard Dust is called for
Raspberry Leaf: As a tea, used by some to relieve menstrual pain
Tonka Beans: Wish on one, and throw it into running water
Yew: Bury a wand of Yew in a grave for one full moon to raise the deceased's spirit
Oils
Many practitioners of magic using traditions like to use scented oils. Oils are either "essential" (pressed or extracted from real substances) or "fragrance" (substitute or synthetic scents). The essences on this list may also be used in whole-herb form for the same purposes.
Allspice: Used in money sachets and incense
Catnip: Good for psychic bonding with feline familiars
Cinnamon: Burned as incense, or used as anointing oil, to stimulate spiritual power
Clove: Attracts the opposite sex
Frankincense: Burned or used in anointing oils for purification and power
Galangal: Used in anointing oils to stimulate spiritual power
Jasmine: Stimulates psychic powers, and also induces sleep
Lavender: Used to induce sleep, also attracts men
Lemon Verbena: Attracts the opposite sex
Lotus: Stimulates spiritual power
Mastic: Burn to cause spirits to appear or stimulate psychic powers
Mint: Used in mojo bags to attract wealth
Mugwort: Rinse scrying devices with an infusion to activate them
Myrrh: Used as an oil or incense to consecrate altars or ritual tools
Rosemary: As oil or incense, used to purify a space
Saffron: Drunk as an infusion to become prescient
Vetiver Root: As oil or incense, use to break hexes
Wormwood: Burn as incense to increase psychism
Stones
Precious and semi-precious stones and crystals are very important to many magic-using traditions. Often they are used as amulets and in mojo bags.
AGATE:banded protection
AGATE:black protection
AGATE:blue lace peace, happiness
AGATE:brown success, victory, wealth
AGATE:green health AGATE:moss energy, healing
AGATE:red healing, calming
ADVENTURINE: mental powers, gambling
AMAZONITE :gambling, success
AMBER: luck, healing, strength, protection, beauty, love
AMETHYST: peace, psychism, love
AQUAMARINE :psychism, peace, purification
BERYL: psychism, healing, love, energy
BLOODSTONE :healing, victory, courage, halting bleeding, wealth,
legal matters, strength
CALCITE:clear spirituality, meditation
CALCITE:pink centering, grounding, calming, love
CALCITE:blue healing, purification
CALCITE:green money-drawing, prosperity
CALCITE:orange protection, peace, healing, sexual energy
CARNELIAN: protection, peace, healing, sexual energy
CHRYSOPRASE :happiness, friendship, luck, protection, healing
CITRINE :anti-nightmare, psychism, protection
DIAMOND: spirituality, protection, courage, peace, healing
EMERALD :love, money, mental powers, psychism, exorcism,
eyesight
FLUORITE :mental powers, psychism
GARNET: healing, protection, strength
HEMATITE :healing, grounding, divination
JADE :love, healing, longevity, wisdom, protection
JASPER:red protection, healing
JASPER:green healing, sleep
JASPER:brown centering, grounding
JET: protection, anti-nightmare, luck, divination,
health
KUNZITE: relaxation, peace, grounding
LAPIS LAZULI :healing, joy, love, fidelity, psychism, protection
LAVA :protection
LEPIDOLITE :peace, spirituality, luck, protection,
anti-nightmare
MALACHITE :power, protection, love, peace, business success
MOONSTONE: love, psychism, divination, sleep, gardening,
protection
OBSIDIAN :protection, grounding, divination, peace
ONYX :protection, defensive magick
OPAL :astral projection, psychism, beauty, money,
luck, power
PEARL :love, money, protection, luck
PERIDOT :protection, health, wealth, sleep
QUARTZ:crystal protection, healing, psychism, power
QUARTZ:rose peace, happiness, fidelity, love
RHODOCROSITE :energy, peace, love
RUBY :wealth, protection, power, joy
SAPPHIRE :psychism, love, peace, meditation, defensive
magick, healing
SODALITE :healing, meditation, wisdom, peace
SPINEL :energy, money
SUGALITE :psychism, spirituality, healing, wisdom
SUNSTONE :protection, energy, health, sexual energy
TIGER'S EYE :money, courage, protection, energy, luck,
divination
TOPAZ :protection, weight loss, healing, money, love
TOURMALINE:pink love, friendship
TOURMALINE:red energy, protection, courage
TOURMALINE:green money, success in business, creativity
TOURMALINE:blue stress relief, peace, sleep
TOURMALINE:black grounding, protective
TOURMALINE:watermelon balance of male & female energy, love attracting
TURQUOISE :protection, courage, money, love, friendship,
healing, luck
ZIRCON,brown :grounding, centering, money
ZIRCON,yellow :sexual energy, love, mental awareness
ZIRCON,clear: protection, mental awareness
ZIRCON,orange :beauty, safe travel, safe home
ZIRCON,red :Wealth, protection, healing
ZIRCON,green :money, prosperity
Metals
ALUMINUM: Mental abilities, travel, image magick
BRASS: Healing, protection, money
COPPER: Energy direction, healing, love, protection, luck, money
GOLD :Power, healing, wisdom, protection, money, success
IRON :Protection, defensive magick, strength, healing
LEAD: Divination, protection, defensive magick
LODESTONE :Power, healing, attraction, friendship, love, fidelity,
protection, business
PYRITE: Money, luck, divination
SILVER :Love, psychism, dreams, peace, protection, travel
STEEL :Protection, anti-nightmare, healing
TIN :Divination, luck, money
Numerical
[1] singlemindedness, individuality, wellness
[2] duality, balance, harmony, agreement
[3] trinity (divine and human), persistence, strength
[4] foundations, attainment, purpose
[5] magick, flexibility, psychic gifts
[6] tenacity, protection, fulfillment
[7] diversity, intuition, foresight
[8] leadership, changes, increasing energy
[9] kindness, charity, truth and justice
These are some of the components commonly used in practical magic. Learn them well, not from any list but from your own experience. Books are well and good, but only as springboards--your best magic will come not only from within, but with time.
