Sacred Botany: The Folklore, Healing, and Magic of 6 Beloved Plants

For centuries, plants have been revered for their healing properties and spiritual essence. This guide explores some of my favorite plants rooted in folklore and magic.

Download the free pdf version here: Sacred Botany, Part 1 or stay right where you are and keep reading!

Regardless of your plant knowledge, these botanical allies can help you connect with nature and bring a little more magic into your daily life. Plants and herbs are personal and proven over time. What I connect with may be different for you.

If you feel comfortable, please share with me the plants and herbs that mean the most to you!

Journey Through Herbal Magic, Myth, and Medicine

Damiana

Want to remember your dreams?

This herb is for you!

Folklore: Used by Indigenous cultures in Central and South America for love spells, sexual vitality, and as a sacred tonic. The Mayans considered it an aphrodisiac and spiritual stimulant.

Uses: Brew into a tea to lift mood, enhance intimacy, and open the heart chakra. Can use both leaf and stem. Damiana is also an ingredient in love- drawing spells and potions. Burn as incense or add to charm bags focused on passion, confidence, and connection.

Growing Tips: Prefers warm, sunny climates and well-drained soil. Can be grown in containers in temperate zones and overwintered indoors.

My Connection: I use damiana to induce vivid dreams. I notice when I use it in my tea blends, I remember my dreams, so it’s easier to receive messages.

Aloe

Folklore: Aloe vera has been used for over 6,000 years, originating in the Arabian Peninsula and becoming prominent in Egyptian, Greek, and Indian healing traditions. Ancient Egyptians called it the “Plant of Immortality,” and used it in burial rituals and as an offering to the gods. It was considered a plant of protection and healing, used to ward off evil spirits and cleanse spaces.

Uses: Aloe’s cooling gel can soothe burns, moisturize the skin, and aid in the healing process. Use it in rituals for healing, purification, and emotional balance. The plant is believed to absorb negative energy, making it perfect for placement near doorways or electronic devices. In spiritual practices, aloe can be used in cleansing baths, added to spellwork focused on renewal, and kept on altars to symbolize vitality and resilience.

Growing Tips: Aloe vera thrives in warm climates and needs plenty of sunlight. Use a cactus or succulent potting mix and allow the soil to dry between waterings. It’s best grown in containers that allow good drainage. Harvest mature leaves by cutting them at the base, and scrape out the inner gel.

My Connection: I use the gel for bug bites and poison ivy. If I remember, I add mucinogens like aloe (another one I love is chia seeds, and I also enjoy slippery elm bark) to my smoothies to help with digestion. I keep two pots of aloe vera in my home and love witnessing the fast regrowth.

Jade

Folklore: Perceived as a symbol of luck, prosperity, and wealth, the jade plant has a strong presence in feng shui and is often gifted during the Lunar New Year to bring abundance and harmony. In African and Chinese cultures, it was believed to invite good fortune and protection into the home. Some traditions consider it a plant that absorbs negative energy and protects against spiritual depletion.

Uses: Place a jade plant near your financial documents, on your desk, or in the southeast corner of your home or workspace to invite steady financial growth. In magical practice, you can write affirmations for abundance and place them beneath the pot.

Growing Tips: Jade plants are easy to grow and long-lived. They thrive in bright, indirect light and well-draining soil. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings to avoid root rot. Prune to maintain shape and encourage new growth.

My Connection: I keep Jade in a pot in the southeast corner of my house. Its plump, coin-shaped leaves symbolize wealth and long-term success - I like to say, “what’s up, girl? You look good!” when I walk by. Jade reminds me to focus on my goals.

Dandelion

My first friend!

A vastly underrated plant.

Folklore: Dandelion has a long history as a magical plant. Blowing its seeds into the wind is one of the most well- known forms of wish-making. In Celtic tradition, it was associated with the sun and with divination. In some cultures, they were believed to carry messages to the spirit world. Their bright yellow flowers were seen as a sign of hope, clarity, and the return of joy.

Uses: Use in wish magic, divination rituals, and grounding teas. Place dried flowers on your altar to attract positive energy. Carry the root for protection and resilience.

Healing Properties: Dandelion is a powerful detoxifier and liver support herb. The root can be used in teas to aid digestion and help balance blood sugar. The leaves are a gentle diuretic and are rich in potassium and calcium. The flowers contain antioxidants and can be infused in oils for skincare.

Growing Tips: Dandelions are hardy, perennial plants. They can grow almost anywhere, including poor or compacted soils- perfect for low-maintenance gardens.

My Connection: Dandelions were the first plant that opened my eyes to the hidden truths behind the pharmaceutical industry and our relationship with nature. Why are these powerful healers labeled as weeds and targeted by chemicals like Roundup? Because they heal. I use the leaves and roots in my teas and the flowers in my salads. Each time, I quietly affirm, "I believe you."

Lavender

Folklore: Lavender has been a fan fave across many cultures. Ancient Egyptians used it in mummification and cosmetics, and Romans added it to baths and believed in its protective qualities. In medieval Europe, lavender was hung in doorways to ward off evil and bring peace to the home. It has long been associated with love, purification, and calm.

Uses: Use in sachets, sprays, or oils for calming energy and purification. Ideal for meditation spaces or relieving anxiety. Add to bathwater, use in sleep pillows, or blend into homemade beauty products.

Healing Properties: Lavender is known for its calming and sedative effects. Topically, it soothes burns, bug bites, and skin irritations. Burn lavender for peace. Place under your pillow to encourage prophetic dreams.

Growing Tips: This Mediterranean plant thrives in full sun and well-draining, slightly alkaline soil. Avoid overwatering —let the soil dry between waterings. Prune in early spring to encourage growth. Harvest the flowering stalks just as the buds begin to open.

My Connection: Me at 11 years old hearing “Plant lavender for luck,” in the Practical Magic movie sparked my interest in plant spirits. Currently, I have a lavender plant I call “my zombie plant” because it lives in poorly drained clay soil (the opposite of what it should have) and yet it continuously survives the harshest of winter freezes. I keep lavender by my bed and add to my evening tea.

Rosemary

Folklore: In ancient Greece, students wore garlands of rosemary to improve memory while studying. Romans considered it sacred to Venus, used as a symbol of fidelity and enduring love in wedding ceremonies. In the Middle Ages, rosemary was burned in homes to ward off illness and carried during travel for protection. It symbolized remembrance and the soul’s immortality, so sprigs were laid on coffins or planted at graves to honor the departed.

Uses: Rosemary is a kitchen and magic staple. Burn it’s aromatic leaves for cleansing, hang it for protection, infuse it in oil or baths for clarity, or sip as tea to wake the mind. It brings flavor and prosperity. Add to incense blends for cleansing rituals or burn during ancestral altars and Samhain ceremonies.

Growing Tips: Another Mediterranean plant that loves the sun and well-draining soil. Avoid overwatering—let the soil dry between waterings to prevent root rot. Prune regularly to encourage bushier growth. While it’s a hardy plant in Mediterranean climates, it struggles with cold or humidity.

My Connection: I’ve only ever grown scraggly rosemary in a pot, barely hanging on. Luckily, there’s a restaurant nearby with thriving bushes. After chatting with the bartender, I was permitted to snip sprigs. To me, rosemary feels like a cranky old man, but a generous one (thanks to my neighbor!). I like adding it to the pitcher of water I keep in the fridge. Every time I take a refreshing sip, I’m reminded of my caring community. I keep a potted plant by my garden gate (another nod to Practical Magic).

I hope this blog was a sweet supplement as you grow your garden, your practice, and your spirit. Working with plants is a reminder of what we’ve always known: that nature holds the keys to healing, magic, and connection.

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