Mardi: Herbal-Wise

We're one day closer to celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day and I thought the holiday might be a nice opportunity to delve into the magickal use of the clover, both as a plant and as a curio in the form of jewelry and other items made in the shape of clover leaves. So today, clover as it comes up out of the ground.

In Ireland and most of the British Isles, the much sought after four leafed clover generally comes from either a white or red clover plant. These varieties grow all over the Northern Hemisphere as well along with other clovers and clover as a generic species is essentially a weed. There are clovers from just about every corner of the globe, and even a “faux clover” to look out for at the nursery, especially around this time of year. For the purposes of this post, though, we will stick with the uses of red and white clover in hoodoo and other magickal disciplines.

In hoodoo, red clover is generally used in love magicks, either to draw a lover or to keep a marriage happy. The flowers and leaves are used in baths after being steeped as tea or are added to mojo bags. White clover, on the other hand, is used to keep evil at bay or nullify jinxes. As an example, white clover flowers are soaked in Four Thieves Vinegar for nine days. The resulting liquid can than be sprinkled around a room where negativity is a problem while concentrating on breaking up and banishing the bad energy. Some root workers recommend reciting the 37th Psalm as well. Do this every day for nine days and you will attract good luck, too. An added bonus is that this ritual is said to remove not only bad energy but bad people. Imagine the possibilities at the office and elsewhere.

Wiccans use white clover to drive away jinxes and recommend scattering the flowers or planting the seeds around your property to keep away negativity. Red clover flowers and leaves are used in money drawing spells and Scott Cunningham recommends using them in a bath to help you make good financial decisions. A clover placed in a shoe is said to keep evil away from the wearer. The shoe ritual is also recommended for women who wish to find a rich lover (a four leafed clover is thought to be ideal for this working). Clover wrapped in blue silk and worn at the chest will ease a broken heart.

Clover leaves come in clusters of between two and five to a stem, with three being the most common. This is why clover leaves have been identified since ancient times with the trinities of deities central to many religions. It is also why four leafed clovers are thought of as lucky since they are uncommon but yet more common than two or five. The plant known as Oxalis, which has leaves that look similar to four leafed clovers, is sold with the claim that it is in fact a clover. It isn’t at all, and the flowers look very different. Caveat emptor, as they say.

On Thursday, we’ll look again at the clover but this time as a man-made curio. A bientot ~

Header: Lucky Clover by Elizabeth H. Tudor