Top 50 Witchcraft Herbs and Their Magickal Properties
- Anya I
- 15 hours ago
- 5 min read
Top 50 Witchcraft Herbs and Their Magickal Properties
A grounded guide to herbal magic, magical workings, and intuitive plant relationships
Herbs are some of the oldest magickal tools we have. Long before spell kits or aesthetic collections, people worked with witchcraft herbs for protection, healing rituals, money drawing magic, love spells, psychic powers, and everyday balance. Herbal magic was practical, relational, and deeply tied to the land and the growing season.
This guide brings together classic magical herbs, folk remedies, and respected conjure herbs, organized by (magickal) magical properties  rather than rigid tradition lines — because in real witchcraft practice, herbs are used where they’re needed. A bay leaf may support money magic one day and protection the next. A garden herb may assist healing rituals while also strengthening personal power or self-confidence.
One important note before you dive in: this is not a list to buy all at once. You do not need fifty herbs to enhance magical powers. Herbal magic becomes stronger when your collection is intentional, relational, and lived with — not amassed. Let this be a reference you return to slowly, as certain plants call you in.
Authors Note: You’ll see me use both magic and magick throughout this post. It’s simply for SEO and discoverability (oh the mighty algorithm), it's the same intention, but a witch has got to grow this blog somehow.
Table of Contents
Witchcraft Herbs and their Magickal Properties
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Connecting With the Spirit of the Herb
Before focusing on magical uses, pause and connect with the magical energy of the herb itself. Hold it. Smell it. Notice what it stirs. Does it bring mental clarity or emotional softness? Does it feel grounding, uplifting, sharp, or soothing?
Herbal magic isn’t about forcing outcomes — it’s about collaboration. The spirit of the herb often reveals how it wants to be worked with. A powerful protection herb may evoke peace rather than defense. A love spell herb might surface grief, self-control, or the process of forgetting past loves. That listening deepens psychic awareness and strengthens magical workings.
If plant-centered magic resonates with you, you may enjoy my post What Is a Green Witch?, where I explore working with plants as allies rather than ingredients.
Protection, Cleansing & Hex-Breaking
Powerful protection herbs for bad luck, evil eye, and negative spirits
Bay Leaf / Bay Leaves — powerful protection, money spells, brings luck
Angelica Root — powerful protection, guardian energy, warding evil forces
Slippery Root (Slippery Elm) — self-control, legal magic, defense
Holy Thistle / Blessed Thistle — patron herb energy, protection, endurance
Rue — evil eye protection, banishing evil forces
Agrimony — hex breaking, reversal, dispelling anger
Hyssop — spiritual cleansing, purification after ritual work
Cedar — protection, home cleansing, ancestral grounding
Vervain — protection, boundary setting, sacred ritual work
Clove — protective fire energy, warding negativity
St. John’s Wort — protection, joy, warding melancholy, solar strength
Juniper — cleansing, protection, breaking stagnant energy
Psychic Powers, Dreams & Spirit Work
For psychic ability, prophetic dreams, and calling spirits
Dandelion Root — calling spirits, spirit quests
Lemon Balm — psychic awareness, emotional balance, brings peace (also used for healing)
Star Anise — psychic sight, spirit communication
Skullcap — trance work, calming the mind for spirit contact (also used for calming and peace)
Mullein — spirit communication, ancestor work
Yarrow — psychic protection, divination, courage
Elderflower — threshold magic, spirit boundaries
Valerian — deep sleep, dream magic, spirit travel
Money Magic, Luck & Personal Power
For attracting wealth, success, and confidence
Basil — attract wealth, promotes fidelity, attracts loyalty
Cinnamon — personal power, fast results, confidence
Mint — attract money, business magic
Dandelion Leaf — growth magic tied to the growing season
High John the Conqueror Root — personal power, success, domination
Patchouli — steady wealth, grounding abundance
Lemongrass — road opening, clearing obstacles to success
Dried Orange Peel — prosperity, joy, good fortune
Galangal Root — power, victory, influence
Lovage — attraction, success, influence over outcomes
Irish Moss — steady income, money drawing magic, long-term prosperity
Love, Sex Magic & Beauty Spells
For attraction, devotion, and self-confidence
Rose Petals — love spells, beauty spells, sex magic
Damiana — passion, desire, confidence
Lavender — promote peace, emotional healing
Marshmallow Root — gentle love, softening situations
Marigold (Calendula) — beauty, warmth, devotion
Cornflower — love, devotion, faithfulness, emotional openness
Jasmine — sensuality, attraction, prophetic love dreams
Honeysuckle — devotion, attraction, sweetening relationships
Healing, Balance & Peace
For emotional, physical, and energetic support
Chamomile — increase joy, calm emotions
Passionflower — calming racing thoughts, emotional regulation, peaceful rest
Elderflower — emotional release, gentle restoration
Valerian — nervous system support, deep rest (also used for dream work)
Motherwort — emotional steadiness, heart support, soothing anxiety
Meadowsweet — emotional comfort, easing tension, gentle peace
Nature, Garden & Folk Magic
Earth-based magical workings
Dried Herbs vs. Fresh Herbs
Both dried herbs and fresh herbs have a place in herbal magic. Fresh herbs carry living, active energy and are especially powerful for garden magic, fertility magic, healing rituals, and spells rooted in growth and renewal. Working with herbs you grow yourself strengthens the magical relationship and naturally enhances magical powers.
Dried herbs offer steadier, preserved energy and are ideal for charm bags, healing poppets, money satchels, and long-term magical workings. Drying herbs allows their magical properties to be stored, blended, and revisited, making them foundational to both folk magic and conjure traditions.
Working With These Herbs in Ritual Work
These magickal herbs can be used intuitively across many forms of ritual work. Herbs are often used to dress candles, layered into charm bags, added to a ritual bath for cleansing magic, or burned for smoke cleansing to clear negative spirits and invite good spirits. They may be sewn into healing poppets, carried for personal power, or worked into love spells and money spells aligned with your intention.
Pairing Witchcraft Herbs With Resins for Loose Incense
Herbs pair beautifully with resins like frankincense and myrrh when creating loose incense blends. Just grind up the resins into smaller pieces using a mortar and pestle. Resins are an important addition to loose incense as it anchors the blend together, while herbs bring movement, intention, and nuance. This combination is especially effective for cleansing magic, spirit work, and devotional practices.
If you’d like guidance on blending herbs and resins safely and intuitively, I share more in my How to Make Incense blog post.
Conclusion: Let the Herbs Choose You
Herbal magic isn’t about collecting — it’s about attention. The most powerful herbs in your witchcraft practice are often the ones that keep returning, growing nearby, or speaking through scent and sensation.
Let this list support your learning, not pressure it. Whether you’re working with bay leaves for money magic, lemon balm for peace, or rose petals for love spells, trust that the right plant allies will meet you where you are.
You don’t need more herbs. You need deeper relationship — and the willingness to listen.
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