Magical herbs

Cunningham, Scott, Cunningham s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1994. 

A. Salvia divinorum is a plant used for its psychoactive effects. Given the right dose, individual, set and setting, it produces a unique state of divine inebriation which has been traditionally used by Mazatec healers. This inebriation is quite different from that of alcohol. S. divinorum is both similar to, and different from, other drugs that affect the brain and behavior. In many ways Salvia divinorum is a unique magical herb. Salvia (and the salvinorin it contains) is very difficult to categorize pharmacologically. 

Zalewski, C. L. Herbs in magic and alchemy techniques from ancient herbal lore. Bridport Prism P, 1990. 149p. ISBN 1853270466... 

It seems more than a fairy story that so metaphysical an entity should yut be producible in a moment by no means of wisdom, no formula of magic, but by a simple herb. The wisest man emmet add happiness to others, though ihey be dowered with youth, beauty, wealth, wit and love the lowest blackguard shivering in rags, destitute, diseased, old, craven, stupid, a mere morass of envy, may have it with one swift-sucked breath, The thing is as paradoxical as life, as mystical as death. 

Fasting was necessary he insisted on weeks without meat. As well, Balsamo purchased and sacrificed nine live cockerels (a magical number, as everyone knew). They had to be black, white, and red three of each color in an expression of natural sympathy with the sparkling jewels of the hoard. He d also insisted they undertake ritual ablutions of the skin, followed by the application of special herbs, balms, unguents, and holy oils. All this he accompanied with chants in a high-pitched voice, like the Arabs when they prayed to Allah. 

The use of herbs once belonged partly to the realm of magic, in the healing rites performed by shamans (men and women of natural wisdom ) and also stems from observations of how animals treat themselves by using various plants when sick or wounded. But a careful study of herbs and their properties over thousands of years has developed Eastern herbal medicine into a highly refined and complex discipline. In Chinese medicine, diet is a matter of great importance in preventing... 

Harvey, A. L. (ed.) (1993) Drugs from Natural Products. Chichester Ellis Horwood Ltd. Huang, K. C. (1993) The Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs. Boca Raton, FL CRC Press. Mann, J. (1992) Murder, Magic, and Medicine. New York Oxford University Press. McKenna, T. (1992) Food of the Gods. New York Bantam Books. 

The Magical and Ritual Use of Herbs a Magickal Text on Legal Highs, Richard Alan Miller (Organization for the Advancement of Knowledge, 1980)... 

This book in its original format is also mandatory reading for Golden Dawn students as part of their 5=6 training, both in New Zealand and in some temples of the American branch of the Order. Overall the book is an excellent introduction to both the magical use of herbs and the ritual aspect of alchemy, and is something that could be built on by every person who studies, to suit their own individual temperament. 

In the following text I have endeavoured to lay out guidelines and instructions on how one goes about using herbs in magic and alchemy. Spagyric medicine includes the use of herbs, but I have not included spagyric herbal medicine in this text as the subject is so vast that, to do it justice, more than one volume would need to be written, and there are current publications on herbs and homoeopathy which already cover the subject adequately. 

A definition of the above is given in the following text. Although there are many ways in which a herb can be used magically that are not listed above, most of them would come under the given headings. 

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