Magickal Herbs Q-T

Quince is a fruit resembling a pear that was first cultivated in the Middle East. In fact, the proverbial apple offered to Adam by Eve may actually be more accurately translated as a quince. Quinces cannot be eaten like pears or apples, with the exception of the less cultivated pineapple variety, but need to be baked or frozen to eliminate their acidity. 

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Among the ancient Greeks, the quince was a ritual offering at weddings, for it had come from the Levant withAphrodite and remained sacred to her. Plutarch reported that a Greek bride would nibble a quince to perfume her kiss before entering the bridal chamber, "in order that the first greeting may not be disagreeable nor unpleasant" (Roman Questions 3.65). It was a quince that Paris awarded Aphrodite. It was for a golden quince that Atalanta paused in her race. The Romans also used quinces; the Roman cookbook of Apicius gives recipes for stewing quince with honey, and even combining them, unexpectedly, with leeks. Pliny the Eldermentioned the one variety, Mulvian quince, that could be eaten raw. Columella mentioned three, one of which, the "golden apple" that may have been the paradisal fruit in the Garden of the Hesperides, has donated its name in Italian to the tomato

Once ripened, the yellowish fruit still has a hard exterior, much like a winter squash. If one is not using quinces immediately, cooking guides recommend storing them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The seeds can be poisonous in large quantities, so some people discard them. The core of the quince is very hard, but using a sharp paring knife will divest the quince of both the unusable core and the seeds.

• Quince juice is good for those suffering from anemia, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory illnesses, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and asthma.

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Red Clover Trifolium pratense (red clover) is a species of clover, native to Europe, Western Asia and northwest Africa.
Red clover is a source of many valuable nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C. Red clover is also considered to be one of the richest sources of isoflavones (water-soluble chemicals that act like estrogens and are found in many plants).

• Red Clover is used for cancer prevention
• Indegestion
• High Cholestrol
• Eases coughs due to whooping cough, asthma and bronchitis.
• Eases hot flashes, tenderness and cramping associated with PMS 
  
  Use in spell work to aid in financial draw, remove negative spirits

Rosemary is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs. The name "rosemary" derives from the Latin for "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea",^[2] because in many locations, it needs no water other than the humidity carried by the sea breeze to live. The plant is also sometimes called anthos, from the ancient Greek word ἄνθος, meaning "flower"

According to legend, it was draped around the Greek goddess Aphrodite when she rose from the sea, born of Ouranos's semen. The Virgin Mary is said to have spread her blue cloak over a white-blossomed rosemary bush when she was resting, and the flowers turned blue. The shrub then became known as the 'Rose of Mary'.

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In the Middle Ages, rosemary was associated with wedding ceremonies. The bride would wear a rosemary headpiece and the groom and wedding guests would all wear a sprig of rosemary, and from this association with weddings, rosemary evolved into a love charm. Newlywed couples would plant a branch of rosemary on their wedding day. If the branch grew, it was a good omen for the union and family. In ‘A Modern Herbal’, Mrs Grieves says, “A rosemary branch, richly gilded and tied with silken ribands of all colours, was also presented to wedding guests, as a symbol of love and loyalty.” If a young person would tap another with a rosemary sprig and if the sprig contained an open flower, it was said that the couple would fall in love.

• Improve memory
• Stimulate the liver
• Relieve symptoms of depression
• Benefit the digestive tract  
• Promote blood circulation
• Relieve muscle and joint pain
• Relieve headaches
• Fight fevers
• Relieve exhaustion

In spell work use Rosemary for a special ceremony that you wish to have a deep memory of.  Place under pillows to dispel nightmares. Hang in doorways (or as Sally in Practical Magic says by the garden gate) to repeal thieves. 

Burned to purify, aid in healing, prevent nightmares, preserve youthfulness, dispel depression, attract fairy folk, and promote restful sleep and pleasant dreams.

Sandalwood was first used in ancient times--probably more than 4,000 years ago. In India, it's been valued for at least 2,000 years as one of the most sacred trees--an important part of devotional rituals. The wood has been used to make various religious artifacts such as staffs and figurines, and a sandalwood paste was made for marking the skin. Because of its resistance to white ants, the wood was also used in early buildings.

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Sandalwood was an important medicinal herb in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicines. By 700 BCE., it was an important trade item and has been found in Egyptian embalming formulas. It was also used in death rituals in other countries--in India it was burned on funeral pyres or even used to make coffins for the very wealthy.

A key ingredient in perfumes and incense, lotions and body oils, sandalwood has been one of the most important perfume materials for more than 2000 years. In China, sandalwood joss sticks are very popular as incense. Sandalwood's use in European and American perfumery was not significant until the 1900s, where it was (and still is) appreciated for its fixative ability as well as its fragrance. Today it is often used in fine perfumes.

Following tradition, the wood of the sandalwood tree is still used to make sacred objects, carvings, and various handcrafted ornaments. In the past, it was often used for temple doors, and it is still valued for intricately carved furniture--although with today's high prices, it is used for this purpose less than in the past. Chips of wood are burned as an incense or ground to make incense sticks.

In spell work use Sandalwood for Protection, Wishes, Healing, Exorcism, Spirituality

• high spiritual vibrations 
• burn at seances and Full Moon rituals when mixed with frankincense. 
• Write your wish on a chip of sandalwood and burn in censer or cauldron. As it burns it sets the magic flowing, but remember to visualize your wish at the same time. 
• Sandalwood beads are protective and promote a spiritual awareness when worn. 
• Powdered sandalwood can be scattered about a place to clear it of negativity, and it is also used as an incense base.

Burned to exorcise demons and evil ghosts, conjure beneficial spirits, and promote spiritual awareness. Sandalwood incense is also used by many Witches for protection, astral projection, healing rituals and in wish-magick.

Tea Tree Oil is harvested from Narrow-Leaved Paperbark, Narrow-Leaved Tea-Tree, Narrow-Leaved Ti-Tree or Snow in Summer Tree.  These trees are native to Australia and are found along streams or in swamps. Leaves of these trees are linear, 10–35 mm long and 1 mm wide. White flowers occur in spikes 3–5 cm long. Small woody, cup-shaped fruit are 2–3 mm in diameter.

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Tea tree oil is a topical antibacterial and antifungal. It is commonly found in anticeptics, deoderants, shampoos, soaps and lotions. 

•  Tea tree oil is often used externally as an antibacterial or antifungal treatment.
•  Tea tree oil is used for a number of conditions including acne, athlete’s foot, nail fungus, wounds, and infections.
•  Other applications for tea tree oil include use for lice, oral candidiasis (thrush), cold sores, dandruff, and skin lesions 

Note: Tea Tree oil is highly toxic to pets and may cause death.  Keep out of reach of children and pets.

In spell work use Tea Tree Oil for healing spells.

Thyme (pronounced "time") is a fragrant, small-leafed, woody-stemmed culinary herb that is used frequently in Mediterranean, Italian and Provençal French cuisines.

Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used thyme in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples for courage. 

In the European Middle Ages, the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares. In this period, women would also often give knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves, as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Thyme was also used as incense and placed on coffins during funerals, as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life.

• Use thyme leaves as potpourri to repeal pests
• Poultice to relieve inflammation



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• Great for gastric issues or bronchitis

Note: Thymol, the essential oil of thyme, can cause adverse reactions if taken in its pure form, so use thyme-based medications sparingly. Taken as a tea, it should be used only once or twice per day. If used on the skin, use with caution as it may cause irritation. Ingesting thyme oil can cause headache, nausea, vomiting, weakness, thyroid impairment, as well as heart and respiratory depression.

In spell work use thyme for healing rituals, restful sleep, to banish negativity.

Burned for the purification of magickal spaces prior to rituals, to aid in healing, and to attract good health.