Magickal Properties of Basil: Witchcraft for Beginners:
- Anya I
- 6 hours ago
- 8 min read
Magickal Properties of Basil: Witchcraft for Beginners:
Welcome back to the continuation of my Witchcraft for Beginners Series, where we will continue to explore focused themes as we slowly expand on our witchcraft practice. Each post of these each post explores the magickal properties of everyday herbs and tools so you can deepen your connection to Spirit. Every week, we explore simple ways to bring the craft to life — from love spells and herbal tea rituals to the basil plant growing on your kitchen counter.
If you’re just starting your path, begin with my posts: Witchcraft for Beginners and Green Witchcraft Beginner's Guide, where I share how to root your practice in intention, not perfection.
Today, we’re exploring one of the most sacred plants in both witchcraft and the kitchen: Basil! Known for its ability to attract wealth, bring healing, and fill a home with positive energy, this simple herb carries powerful lessons about abundance, Spirit, and the everyday magick of life.
Table of Contents
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The History of Basil and it's Magickal Uses through the Centuries
Let's get right into it! The magickal properties of basil have been celebrated for centuries across cultures. Found in gardens, altars, and simmering pots of Italian cuisine, the basil leaf bridges the world of nourishment and spellwork. It’s a powerful force, an herb used accross many traditions, and a symbol of protection, love, prosperity and abundance.
Romans believed basil could strengthen romantic relationships and open the heart to passion, while ancient Greeks saw it as a sacred offering to the gods. In India, holy basil (tulsi) remains a revered plant, believed to purify the Spirit and protect the family home.
Associated with the planet Mars and the element of Fire, basil carries bold, assertive energy the kind that helps you draw abundance, ward off negative energy, and move through the world with confidence and clarity.
Magickal Properties of Basil (And Basil Correspondences)
To understand basil, understand that this herb embodies action, confidence, and abundance. It’s an excellent ally for transforming your intention into reality. In simple terms, basil is the perfect companion for spells that focus on wealth, healing, and life force energy.
Correspondence | Association |
Element | Fire |
Planet | Mars |
Gender | Masculine |
Deities | Vishnu, Lakshmi, Aphrodite |
Chakras | Solar Plexus, Heart |
Intentions for Spellwork | Prosperity, Protection, Love, Healing, Courage, Clarity |
Best Time to Work With | Tuesdays (Mars), Waxing Moon, Summer months |
Magickal Uses | Wealth, Love, Cleansing, Success, Banishing Negativity |
Common Forms | Fresh leaves, Dried leaves, Oil, Incense, Tea, Charm Bags |
Connecting with the Spirit of Basil Leaf
Before diving into recipes and spells, understand this: witchcraft isn’t about collecting jars of dried leaves just because someone says they’re powerful and you need to use them. The Spirit of basil invites you to slow down, and connect with your senses. My goal isn’t to have you memorize every property of this sacred plant, but to help you feel called to it. Touch it. Smell it. Listen to it.
Let it teach you how to use it.
Across cultures, basil has been seen as a bridge between the earthly and divine. In India, tulsi is planted at the heart of the home and tended daily as an act of devotion. In Italy, sweet basil has symbolized faithfulness and strong ties between lovers. In every tradition, basil isn’t just used — it’s loved.
To connect with basil’s Spirit, spend time with the plant itself — in your garden, on your windowsill, or even in your next meal. Feel its warmth, its joy, its grounding energy.
Reflective Question: When you hold or smell basil, what does it awaken in you — warmth, clarity, courage, peace? How might you invite that energy into your daily life?
Types of Basil in Magick
Not all basil plants carry the same vibration. Each variety offers its own unique magical properties and energetic tone. Are we splitting hairs here? In my opinion, yes. But it's still good to know that not all basil is the same. Afterall, this is a blog post on basil.
Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum): The most common variety — ruled by Mars and Fire — used to attract wealth, love, and good fortune. Sweet basil uplifts the home’s energy and clears away negativity.
Holy Basil / Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum): A sacred herb in Hinduism and Ayurveda, tulsi is the essence of Spirit and healing. It connects to divine wisdom and helps restore inner harmony and health.
Thai Basil: Bright, invigorating, and perfect for motivation or creativity spells. Its scent is sharper and its power bolder — a natural energy booster.
Cinnamon Basil: Combines sweetness and heat for love spells, attraction, and business success. Excellent for anyone manifesting more money or customers in their work.
Lemon Basil: Zesty and clarifying, lemon basil clears mental fog and welcomes joy, beauty, and a fresh outlook on life.
Ways to Incorporate this Herb into Your Witchcraft Practice
Basil Prosperity Charm Bag
Sometimes the simplest spells carry the most potent magic. This prosperity charm bag uses dried basil leaves, cinnamon, and intention to draw wealth and success into your life.
You’ll Need:
A small green or gold pouch (or an empty tea bag works well)
A pinch of dried basil (for abundance and protection)
A piece of cinnamon stick (for luck)
A coin (for financial flow)
A bay leaf with your goal written on it
Spell Steps:
Hold your materials in your hands and take three deep breaths.
One by one, add each ingredient, visualizing money and good fortune flowing toward you.
As you close the bag, say aloud:“By leaf and flame, by earth and air, abundance flows from everywhere.”
Keep the charm at your altar in your wallet, or wherever you handle money.
Refresh monthly with new basil leaves and a clear intention.
This charm doesn’t just attract wealth — it channels the Spirit of prosperity, inviting health, joy, and balance into your world.
Basil Prosperity Oil
Creating a basil prosperity oil is an easy and powerful way to harness basil’s energy for ongoing spells, spell jars, simmer pots, rituals, and anointing work. Its sweet, spicy scent raises vibration and helps draw prosperity, protect your home, and enhance love spells.
You’ll Need:
½ cup carrier oil (like jojoba, olive, or almond)
1 tablespoon dried basil or a few fresh basil leaves
1 small piece of cinnamon stick
A drop of lemon essential oil (optional, for clarity and joy)
A small glass bottle or pot for storage
Instructions:
Warm your carrier oil gently on the stove (never boil). Add the basil leaf, cinnamon, and lemon if desired.
Stir clockwise, focusing on prosperity, wealth, and abundance flowing toward you.
Remove from heat and let it steep for one hour, or set in sunlight for a day to charge with positive energy.
Strain and pour into your bottle.
How to Use:
Anoint green or gold candles during prosperity spells or success rituals.
Dab on your wrists before a job interview or important meeting.
Rub a drop onto your wallet or cash register to attract customers and more money, one of my favorite methods.
Add a few drops to pesto, pasta sauce, or juice (food-safe versions only).
Over time, this oil becomes a personal ally — a blend of Spirit, earth, and your own inner wisdom, reminding you that prosperity is both practical and sacred.
Fresh Basil Prosperity Tea Ritual
A simple cup of basil tea is one of the most direct ways to connect with this plant’s Spirit. The lemon, honey, and basil blend restores balance, purifies energy, and opens your heart to abundance.
You’ll Need:
5–6 fresh basil leaves (or 1 tsp dried basil)
1 slice of lemon
1 tsp honey
Hot water
Steps:
Pour hot water over the basil leaves and let it steep for 5–10 minutes.
Add lemon and honey, stirring clockwise as you visualize prosperity, success, and healing.
Drink mindfully, feeling the Spirit of basil align your energy with harmony, wisdom, and flow.
Basil Home Protection and Prosperity Floor Wash
A basil floor wash is a simple yet powerful way to cleanse your space, protect your home, and invite prosperity, good fortune, and positive energy. The sweet scent of fresh basil purifies the air and clears negative energy, while its magical properties help ground your intentions for abundance and harmony.
You’ll Need:
2 cups hot water
A handful of fresh basil leaves (or 2 tablespoons dried basil)
1 tablespoon sea salt (for cleansing and protection)
1 slice of lemon or a few drops of lemon juice (for brightness and clarity)
Optional: 3 drops of basil prosperity oil for added potency
Instructions:
Steep the basil leaves in hot water for about 10–15 minutes to create a strong infusion.
Strain the liquid and pour it into a bucket or spray bottle.
Add the salt and lemon, stirring clockwise as you say:“Basil bless this home with peace and wealth, protect this space, preserve its health.”
Wash your floors, doorways, or thresholds with the mixture, moving from the back of your home toward the front to sweep out stagnant energy.
As you clean, visualize your home glowing with light, protection, and prosperity.
How to Use:
Use weekly or during the waxing moon to maintain positive energy in your home.
Sprinkle a little along windowsills or your front steps to draw abundance and protect from negativity.
Add a small amount to your mop water for everyday cleansing with spiritual benefits.
Pour the remainder onto the soil of a basil plant or into your garden as an offering to the earth and Spirit.
This working turns an ordinary act of cleaning into a ritual of magic, healing, and abundance, reminding you that prosperity begins with a peaceful, energetically clear home.
Kitchen Witchery with Sweet Basil
To a kitchen witch, basil is more than a recipe ingredient — it’s a teacher.Cooking with intention transforms your kitchen into a temple and every meal into a spell for joy, health, and harmony.
Add fresh basil to pizza, pasta, or pesto, focusing on the healing and prosperity benefits you wish to receive. Each leaf, each sprig, becomes a carrier of Spirit — infusing your food with love, beauty, and positive energy.
Witchy Tip: Sprinkle a few dried basil leaves near your stove or in your garden to protect your home and draw good fortune into your family’s life.
Basil for the Green Witch
For the Green Witch, basil is a beautiful companion as its living expression of the earth’s generosity and offers us the Spirit of renewal. Its roots stretch deep into the soil while its scent lifts toward the heavens, teaching us how to stay grounded even as we grow toward the light.
Tending to a basil plant in your garden or kitchen window connects you directly to the cycles of life. Every leaf you water, every sprig you harvest, becomes a quiet act of devotion a reminder that true magick is cultivated, not rushed.
Try planting basil near your doorway to guard your home and draw good fortune, or add it to your compost as an offering of gratitude to the earth. When you work with basil as a Green Witch, you’re not just casting spells — you’re nurturing an ongoing relationship with Spirit, soil, and life itself.
Closing Thoughts
Basil reminds us that magick doesn’t need to be complicated to be powerful. Whether it’s growing in a pot on your windowsill, steeped in tea, or infused into an oil, this sacred herb teaches us how to live in rhythm with Spirit and the earth.
If you enjoyed exploring the magical properties of basil, I’d love to hear from you — do you enjoy working with basil in your own practice? Which herb should I feature next in this series? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Don't forget to check out my Green Witchcraft guide here and check back with my blog as I continue to add more herbs and their uses to my blog's grimoire.
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