Mardi: Herbal-Wise

Cherries are a favorite in spring and summer all over the world.  They are a symbol of renewal in such diverse cultures as those of Japan and Washington, D.C.  And yeah; I’m gonna say Washington, D.C. has its own culture that is nothing at all like anything found in the real United States. 

Given their wide popularity, it is not surprising that cherries as fruits, as blossoms and as trees are used in magickal disciplines around the world.  The one focus of these magicks, almost without exception, is the finding and keeping of affection and love.

The working can be as simple as cherry cobbler or cherry pie, both of which are used by girls in the Pennsylvania Pow-Wow tradition to "sweeten" the temperament of a young man.

In Japan, old wives would advise their daughter to tie a lock of her hair to a budding cherry tree’s branch.  This would draw love to the girl, particularly if birds used the hair for their nests.  As a curious aside, gypsy lore warns people not to leave their hair out where birds can get to it as it is thought that, should the birds use your hair for nesting, you will be subject to migraines. 

Scott Cunningham tells us that cherry juice is an acceptable substitute for blood when the latter is called for in spell work.  He also advices that one can predict how long they will live by finding a tree full of ripe cherries and running around it at full tilt.  Then shake the tree very hard; the number of cherries that falls tells the years you’ve left to live.  This one sounds particularly specious, but it would be a fun way to harvest cherries for those yummy deserts.

In hoodoo, cherry bark is used for controlling work, particularly to keep a man from straying.  Love mojos are made with cherry bark, lavender and damiana.  If you are looking to attract a man, add catnip.  If your goal is a woman, add High John the Conqueror root.  Put these herbs in a red flannel bag and dress it frequently with Come to Me Oil or rose oil.  Carry it with you, close to your skin.  Bonne chance ~

Header: Veranda by Stephen Pan via American Gallery