Therefore, I am removing all the associations with various deities and culture, in other words, the “why” these plants are used as they are. Anyone who would like more information on the sacred plants of specific cultures, PM me here (username Jennifer) with your email address and I’ll send the rest of the info along. If there’s enough interest garnered, I’ll post it as a separate article.
Now, onto gaming!
Herbs and Plants in Spell-working
The following associations come straight out of history although I haven’t put in the “whys.” Assume that most of the local people out of specific cultures know many of these associations and will be able to identify the type of spell being performed based on the herb used. All associations are divided into three categories: Weak, Strong, and Powerful. Weak, technically, is not that weak; it denotes personal or a single effect. In the hands of the non-magician, most of the spells below will have a Weak effect; commoners have superstitions regarding the plants, but this should not mean there isn’t some truth to the legends. For effects that are Strong or Powerful, a magician must undertake a ritual or cast a spellworking that is not readily explained here. Make it up as you go.
Anti-hex:
Used against witchcraft or to remove spells and curses. Weak remedies disrupt simple spells or provide enough power to “cure” a single person; Strong remove whole curses from communities or a group of people. Powerful remedies disrupt all magic in area, even good ones. Consider the following flora Weak unless otherwise mentioned.
- Dill (drunk): Hexes and curses
- Gourd: Rattle against evil
- Fumitory: Strong, burned in exorcisms
- Parsley: Strong when bathed in
- Portulaca (Purslane): Powerful. Anti-magic and anti-evil when strewn
- Figwort: Protects against evil eye
- Ragwort: Talisman against charms and spells
- Blessed Thistle: Strong; wards off hexes
- Yarrow: Exorcisms. Strong
- Agrimony: Powerful, reverses spells, banishes evil
- Witch’s grass: Strong for anti-hexing and uncrossing rituals
- Snakeroot: Breaks hexes and curses
- Horseradish: Diffuses spells on you (halved or three-quartered, GM’s choice)
- Wormwood: Carried, protects against bewitchment
- Lady’s slipper: Carried guards against all hexes, curses, evil eyes, and spells
- Wood Avens: Exorcisms
- Lily: Good against love spells
- Mallows: Anointed ointment drives out devils and breaks curses.
- Horehound: Guards against enchantments and glamouries
- Squill: Breaks hexes and curses
- Nettles: Removes curses and sends them back.
- Vervain: Protects against all enchantments
- Strawberry Tree: Exorcisms
- Birch: Strong exorcism plant
- Frankincense: Powerful
- Dragon’s Blood: Strong when burned
- Pistachio: Breaks zombie curse
- Tamarisk: Strong and ancient exorcism herb
Protection:
Keeps evil and dark forces away. Weak ones work as shield, Strong ones repel or prevent entry by evil, and powerful ones are avoided by evil at all cost—can kill/wound evil creatures on contact.
- Angelica: Strong protector
- Rice: Carried as amulet, Weak
- Beans: Amulet against evil or used in rattle, Weak
- Coix: Seeds as monk’s necklace. Necklace causes Strong protection when blessed
- Aniseed: Fresh seeds drive off evil, circle will protect those inside. Strong
- Mullien: In India, concerned best safeguard against evil spirits and demons
- Agrimony: Protects against evil and poison, Strong
- Witch’s grass: Weak against evil
- Aloe: Strong protective when grown
- Alkanet: Incense drives out evil, Strong
- Horseradish: Sprinkled around area to clear out negativity
- Southernwood: Burned as incense to guard again all negativity
- Sagebrush: Bathed in to purify of all evil deeds, burning drives away evil, strong
- Mugwort: Drives out evil, protects children from harm
- Turmeric: Purification, drives out evil, Strong
- Hypericum: Strong. Keeps ghosts, necromancers, evil-doers away; banishes spirits and demons
- Motherwort: Powerful against evil
- Peony: Strong. Worn, guards body, spirit, soul
- Tormentil: Guards against permanent possession (used by mediums)
- Clover: Three-leaves protective amulet, weak
- Nettles: Thrown in fire to avert danger, held in hand to ward off ghosts
- Vervain: Crown protects magician while invoking spirits, Strong
- Myrrh: Cleans items and such when passed through smoke
- Holly: Bears ward off evil; strong
- Rosemary: Strong protective when burned
- Birch: Protects against evil and lightning
- Frankincense: Powerful protector
- Oak: Protects from all harm, weak
- Sandalwood: Strong protector
- Peach: Pit hung around neck to keep demons away
- Mountain Ash: Strong Protector
- Rue: Carried to guard bearer from poisons, werewolves, and ills
Magical Healing:
Weak ones prevent further weakening (stop hit point loss), medium-strong ones return half a d6’s worth. Powerful ones either return a d6’s worth of life points or specifically cure one ailment completely.
- Angelica (drunk): powerful against plague (cure, no hit point return).
- Centaura/cornflower: Weak against poison.
- Blessed Thistle: Weak against plague.
- Sweet Flag: As beads, strong healer.
- Onion/Garlic: Wards off illness.
- Anemone/Liverwort: Strong healer
- Mugwort: Powerful, cures disease and madness. (Cure, no hit point return)
- Saffron: Weak
- Yerba Santa: worn to protect from illnesses and wounds
- Lemon Balm: Powerful. Said its powers are so great that if it was attached to a sword that had made a wound the blood would immediately be staunched.
- Mints: Weak healers
- Vervain: Strong, juice smeared on body cures disease, guards against future health problems.
- Blackberries: Leaves and berries strong healers
- Eucalyptus: Strong Healer
- Ash: Cures snakebite, Powerful
- Apples: Preventative healing, Weak
- Oak: Illnesses and pains, weak.
Longevity/Immortality/Youth Restorers:
Well, who wouldn’t want this? Figure those carrying/using/drinking potions of these things have natural saving throws. For non-magicians, these plants add lucky saving throws against illnesses, but will not prevent accidental death. For magicians who charge up their herbs or undergo complicated spells (higher difficulty), these herbs do exactly as proscribed. Youth restorers are treated the same: for non-magicians, it may slow process down, but if a magician undergoes a spell, they can make a concoction to stave off old age. These potions can be sold for an incredibly high prove, regardless of whether they actually work.
- Catsfoot: European amulet to confer cats’ nine lives ability on wearer
- Asclepias: Rumored ingredient of Indian soma, said to give life and immortality to Hindu gods and men. Use to bring back from dead.
- Cudweed: Spells of longevity and restoring youth.
- Cowslip (primrose): Preserves youth or returns it if lost
- Tansy: Life-lengthening
- Vervain: Carried for everlasting youth
- Heather: Brings long physical life
- Sage: Long life when drunk or eaten frequently
- Peach: Wood carries to increase lifespan
Social Improvers:
From increasing social skills to making people happier. Weak ones add +1 advantage to social skills or checks. Powerful ones add +3.
- Chervil: Weak. Makes one merry, sharpens the wit
- Wormwood: Weak, burned removes anger
- Calamint: Strong, soothe sorrows, increase joy
- Yerba santa: Strong, to improve or attain beauty
- Gravelroot: Carried to gain good first impression
- Lachnanthes: Improves speaking ability and eloquence of speech
- Senna: Powerful, enhances tact and diplomacy; encourages cooperation
Deity Calling:
A quick rundown of generics for quick roleplaying. For more, contact by PM. Weak provides +1 assistance to request/prayer, Powerful will definitely be heard.
- Celery (Wild and domesticated): Strong. Cthonian mythos
- Blessed Thistle: Weak. Pan or Sun God
- Sunflower: Strong. Sun Gods, specifically in Mesoamercia
- Barley: Earth Mothers and the like. Weak
- Tobacco: Offering to various gods and other spirits or appeasement, strong
- Basil: Holy basil (tulsi) offered to Vishnu and Tulasi. Also Erzuli
- Rice: Ideal offering for every deity. Strong
- Parsley: Mother deities
- Fenugreek: Apollo
- Corn: Agricultural goddesses
- Yarrow: Horned God
- Garlic: Hecate
- Daisies: Freya
- Chamomile: Sun Gods
- Costmary: Artemis, deities of women
- Dittany: Gods of the underworld
- Asafoetida: Male fertility gods
- Lotus: Most Asian and some African gods
- Marjoram: Venus
- Oregano: Thunder Deities
- Peony: Moon goddesses
- Cowslip (primrose): Freya
- Myrrh: Ra, Adonis, Isis
- Ti: Hawaiian deities
- Lavender: Hecate and Saturn
- Rose: Love deities
- Birch: Thor, Aino, woodland goddesses
- Frankincense: Ra, Apollo, Baal, Christian god
- Star Anise: Asian Deities
- Apples: Fertility deities
- Mulberry: Minerva, San Ku Fu Jen
Talking to Dead/Other Spirits:
Weak ones get their attention, Strong ones get you to hear them, Powerful ones force them to come and heed you.
- Celery: Strong, talk to spirits
- Tobacco: smoked, weak. Drunk (risky!) medium-strong
- Amaranth: Powerful, calls forth dead
- Wormwood: Strong, burned (with sandalwood) to summon spirits, burned in graveyards to cause spirits to rise and speak
- Dittany: Burned to cause wraiths to appear in smoke
- Heather: Conjures ghosts
- Mastic: Burned to conjure spirits
Increasing Bravery/Willpower:
Increases resistance to “fear” spells or actions or reduces risk of losing it. Weak provides boost, Strong takes away all fear.
- Borage (eaten): Weak, grants courage
- Blessed Thistle: Weak, boosts motivation
- Columbine: Weak, worn or hands washed in juices for courage and daring
- Fennel: Strong. Provides courage when facing danger, makes you strong of heart and capable of facing dire times
Magic Boosters:
Used alongside rituals and spells; weak increases chance of success (+1), Strong increases magic power (+ one level of power).
- Centaurea/Cornflower (incense): weak
- Yarrow: As tea, Weak. Boosts power
- Alchemilla: Strong; provides either power or skill boost
- Mallows: Strong booster
- Horehound: Weak booster
- Plantain: Strong Booster
- Dandelion: Tea weak booster (but readily available and identifiable!)
- Ginger: Power-booster, weak, ensures success
Repellents:
Weak keeps things at bay from personal space, Powerful makes them leave the county. Weak unless otherwise mentioned.
- Cornflower (burned): Strong, repels snakes and serpents, causing smaller ones (six feet or smaller) to leave area and makes larger ones irritable. Magical serpents, such as snake-like dragons or hydra are irritated
- Basil: Goats, Strong
- Evening Primrose: Snakes
- Mullien: Worn against wild animals
- Onion: Venomous beasts
- Garlic: Monsters, Thieves
- Southernwood: burned repels snakes
- Mugwort: In building prevents monsters and Elves from entering
- Papyrus: On boats protects against crocodiles
- Dittany: Juice on body drives away venomous beasts
- Cleavers: Insects
- Rosemary: Keeps thieves away
- Ash: Snakes
- Agrimony: Protects against goblins
Attractants:
Sometimes useful, sometimes bad. All attract any of those types of creatures to area. Once within range of scent, target cannot help but be compelled to get to plant. More intelligent creatures merely find the scent wonderful and make them more amenable.
- Basil: Scorpions
- Wood Anemone: Sylphs
- Life-Everlasting: Undines or gnomes
- Daisies: Attract fairies
- All-good: Elves
- Fennel: Elemental salamanders
- Hypericum: Elemental salamanders
- Elecampane: Called elfwort, irresistible to elves
- Watercress: Undines
- Houseleek: Juice combines with nettles will attract fish
- Dandelion: Puffball attracts sylphs
- Lsvender: Attracts snakes and serpents
- Rosemary: Fairies
- Sage: Toads
- Savory: Satyrs
- Lilac: Dwarves love it
- Rowan/Mountain Ash: Berries and wood invoke familiars, astral guides, spirit teachers, elemental creatures
- Tarragon: attracts/pacifies Dragons
Scrying/Visions:
Most scrying is going to be in the weak “hint, hint” category. Scrying will be considered of the future unless otherwise noted. Strong scrying plants require more difficult spells to use, but the results will have a better guarantee of accuracy.
- Gourds (inc. Pumpkins): shaman scrying bowl
- Wormwood: Burned to increase power
- Mugwort: Burned to increase power, used to wash crystal balls or scrying bowls
- Damiana: Strong for visions (not just future)
- Vervain: Juice smeared on body helps see future. Strong
- Bearberry: Worn increases psychic powers and intuitive abilities
- Bay Laurel: Strong prophecy
Love/Lust Spells:
To draw and attract love or induce lust. Weak ones garner interest—increase attraction—and are not generally considered manipulative. Townsfolk and peasants will use weak love spells and potions to garner interest from anyone they meet or, if they use it on a specific person, it will simply generate attraction that can be easily resisted. Strong ones push the limits of good taste. These are spells with effort, and usually a target is involved. The compulsion is harder to resist and takes a great effort to recognize that an enchantment has been worked. Powerful ones are compulsory—the victim is in love. Most compelled victims show signs of enchantment: glazed eyes, reduced appetite, slurred speech. Weak unless otherwise stated.
- Poppy: Strong. Induce love
- Parsley: Lust when eaten
- Alchemilla: Attractant of men
- Beans: To draw men. Strong
- Sesame: Lust-inducing when eaten
- Yarrow: Weak, attracts love
- Maguey: Strong, induces lust.
- Southernwood: Increases male virility, makes women fall in love, strong
- Tarragon: Weak, rubbed on body to attract love
- Daisies: Weak for love and lust
- Saffron: Weak, induces lust
- Cyclamen: Strong, raises manipulated passion
- Cardamom: Powder added to wine for quick lust inducer
- Licorice: Love and lust potions, weak
- Iris: Finds and holds love
- Liatris: Attracts men
- Lemon Balm: Influences love
- Orchids: Strong attractants
- Houseleek: Combined with periwinkle: potion causes two people to fall in love, Powerful
- Damiana: Strong lust inducer
- Vervain: Weak, attracts lovers
- Lavender: Strong. Particularly attracts men
- Matice: enhances prowess
- Rose: Love mixtures
- Orange blossoms/peel: Strong love inducer
- Apples: Used in many potions, up to strong
Good Luck/Fortune/Wealth:
Usually weak, but boosters of luck are well worth knowing
- Basil: Luck, Money
- Evening Primrose: Rubbed on shoes for good luck in hunting
- Poppyheads: Money
- Pineapple: dried in bags and held
- Snakeroot: Good luck charm, Strong: Said to lead bearer to money
- Tarragon: Carried for good luck on hunt
- Rock Samphire: Good luck and protection while fishing in oceans
- Clover: Four-leaved lucky
- Bethroot: Strong bringer of luck and money
Increase Fertility:
What most characters don't want. Can also mean to increase fertility of fields, but that’s no fun. Considered weak but all of the following can be used as vehicles in stronger spells to make sure the female “catches” the first time.
- Rice: Increases fertility
- Beans: Male fertility booster
- Helonias: Cures impotence
- Cyclamen: Promotes conception
- Hawthorn: Increases fertility
- Figs: Increases fertility and men’s potency
Promote Chastity:
Hey, it happens. Although more of a story background for a character, stating that one’s character has an herbal back-up to their chastity means that the GM could only use a god to break it.
- Vervain: Special ritual will cause one to lose all desire for sex for seven years
- Camphor: Smelling camphor lessens sexual desire
- Coconut: Used in chastity spells
Animal Magic:
Either healing, calling, or telepathy with animals. No weak or strong here, just helpful.
- Chickweed: Helpful when working with animals, especially healing birds
- Columbine: Useful in all animal magic but especially birds and eagles
- Cloth-of-gold: Power to understand birds and beasts
- Loosestrife: Holds power to calm and soothe animals and creatures
- Sea Buckthorn: All animal magic; best with riders and their rides
- Box: All animal magic, but especially to protect
- Cassia: Specifically rabbits and amphibians, but useful for all
- Caroba: Animal magic with foxes
Specials: These are the nifty powers that are straightforward and do not fit in other categories.
- Sesame: Power to open locked doors, secret chambers
- Sweet Flag: Protections against hunger and poverty
- Alchemilla: Good starting plant for alchemists
- Garlic: Against shipwrecks. Shields from first blow of enemy (Strong, first blow always misses)
- Amaranth: Wreath worn (head, waist) confers invisibility
- Mugwort: Carried to protect from harm from poisonings, wild beasts, sunstroke
- Daisies: Communicate with fairies or dryads.
- Bluebell: Helps open doors between worlds, worn, wearer is compelled to tell truth
- Perennial Chamomile: Heals other plants
- All-good: Useful for getting into fairie realms
- Chrysanthemum: Said to protect from wrath of gods
- Hypericum: Makes soldiers invincible, protects against lightning and fire, can help bearer detect other magicians
- Lobelia: Powdered root thrown at impending storm will cause it to dissipate
- Lotus: Opens locked doors
- Stonecrop: Increases strength, both physical prowess and strength of character
- Pitcher Plant: Potion causes one to forget all sorrows and misfortunes
- Heather: Protects against rape and violent crimes
- Ti: Leaves, when carried on ship, keep storms away; worn, ensures bearer won’t drown
- Heliotrope: Carried in small horn for invisibility; your movements shall not attract attention
- Rosemary: Enhances memory
- Elder: Wards off attackers of all kinds when worn
- Thyme: Worn to see fairies
- Ash: Prevents drowning at sea
- Tamarack: Prevents fire/burning
- Moonwort: Opens any passageway
- Greater Celandine: Aids in escaping unwarranted imprisonment and entrapments
Next time: Mind-Altering Plants: When Characters Get High
