by Lyssa Delgado
Welcome to my weekly article, The Heretic's Herbiary! In this weekly article, I will be discussing different herbs and plants and their connections to witchcraft through different cultural histories. I will be taking requests for herbs to cover, and this week will be daisies!
Daisies are one of the most commonly used plants for magick. They are simple, classic, and very hardy. Legend says they can help you discover your true love under the right circumstances. In part, this is probably because it is ruled by the planet Venus, yet this is useful for many different things beyond just romantic encounters. People use the daisy for new baby blessings, healing, joy, and also divination. Some say it is connected to the element of water, while others find it very earthly or grounding. There are many different types of daisy: Shasta, Gerber, Aster, and the rest. They all carry similar properties in their magick. Some Christians associate the daisy with the Virgin Mary, and therefore peace and purity. Meanwhile, some Norse practitioners consider them sacred to the Goddess Freya, and helpful during childbirth.
Decorate the house with daisies at Midsummer’s Eve to bring happiness to the home and to obtain the blessings of faeries. Daisies are also worn at Midsummer for luck and blessings. In the old times, young maidens would weave and wear daisy chains in their hair to attract their beloved.
Even the great bard himself, William Shakespeare loved these delicate beauties. The daisy is featured several times in works such as Love’s Labours Lost, Hamlet and others. About this classic flower in The Two Noble Kinsmen he remarks:
Maiden pinks, of odor faint,Daises smell less, yet most quaint.
And sweet thyme true.
The magickal properties of daisies have been used for a long time in love spells. Most of us will have already used daisy magick when younger. Remember pulling out daisy petals one by one and saying “she/he loves me, she/he loves me not”? That’s a very simple form of a love spell… You can also use this method as a form of divination to find out the answer to any other yes/no question. If you want to re-ignite an old love affair, place some daisies under your pillow. This will help to bring the person you’re yearning for back into your life while also making you dream of them. Daisies are generally not seen as a flower for passionate love. They are used in love spells for long-lasting love or friendship Fill a small sachet with dried daisies and hang it over your children’s beds to keep them safe at night. Fill small vases with daisies and keep them in the home to form a protective net which keeps you feeling safe joyful. Placing daisies on your desk will help to reignite your passion for a project you’re struggling with. Daisies are often made into simple flower crowns to be worn during Beltane and other summer Sabbats. They are also a favourite of faeries and are thought to attract woodland dryads. That's it for this week's Heretic's Herbiary! Remember to comment with an herd or plant you'd like to see in the article next time! Have a magical day!
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