Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

Chickweed, a humble, easy to grow plant as one might surmise from its name, is used for similar purposes in both hoodoo and Wicca.  Chickweed is thought to attract love and, even more so, to encourage it.

In hoodoo, dried chickweed is secretly added to a spouse’s food to keep the marriage happy.  Needless to say, this subterfuge is usually thought to be the domain of the distaff half of the union.  I had an old Creole lady tell me once that adding chickweed to Herbs de Provence was the best way to sneak chickweed into just about any savory dish.  No one could taste it for the lavender, she said.

Root workers also squeeze the juice from leaves and stalks.  This is added to floor washes to keep a home peaceful and surrounded by love.  A small amount can also be added to a bath for the same purpose, particularly if the bather is the cause of unrest in the home.

According to Scott Cunningham, chickweed is added to the ingredients of love spells and sachets to encourage strong and lasting affection.  Chickweed is certainly the go to love-drawing herb for those who are ready to make a lifetime commitment.  Bonne chance ~

Header: Pointe de Convention by Boilly c 1797

3 comments:

Timmy! said...

"Chickweed" almost sounds like an insult one might hurl at someone, Pauline

Pauline said...

It wouldn't be as effective as "dillweed", though :)

Timmy! said...

Or "jerkweed"...