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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.