A variety of poisonous plant drawings.
The history of sinister sounding ingredients in witchcraft goes back at least hundreds of years and possibly thousands. The three witches from Macbeth are the prototype for how many people think of witches and witchcraft still.
...Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and owlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.1
From Macbeth, by William Shakespeare
What you might not know, is that many of the terms in those old writings were not describing literal ingredients; they were folk names for plants. For example, "wool of bat" is commonly believed to refer to either moss or possibly holly leaves. And "eye of newt" is a pseudonym for mustard seed. Tongue of dog was Gypsyflower from the genus Hound's Tongue and Toe of Frog was buttercup! This is one of the main reasons it is so tricky to decipher formulas and spells from long ago: the meaning of the words has changed and, in many cases has been lost!
Some of the most famous and notorious ingredients for spells are poisonous plants. These are the plants used for deadly poisons and in some cases, in highly skilled hands, for medicinal work.
When it comes to using poisonous plants in magic, whether for spell bags, bottle charms or other work, careful consideration should be taken to ensure that you understand the risk, and that there isn't a less toxic alternative that would work just as well. Many plants were used in ages past because they didn't have or know about a replacement. Did you know Mullein leaf is considered a good and acceptable replacement for graveyard dirt in many spells? And Mullein is far easier to collect! Just something to consider...
Poisonous Plants
The following is a short list of poisonous plants that are among the most famous for use in magic. These are the classic "witch's weeds" and a few extra items that many articles and books mention. I do not walk the "poison path" myself. My background included some training in herbalism and medicine, and I am far too faint of heart to dance with these spirits. If you choose to pursue working with them, I highly recommend looking at the books linked in the Reference section. The links are for convenience, they are not affiliate links.
Hyoscyamus niger (Henbane)
Henbane comes in several cultivars and is another in the nightshade family Solanaceae. This is one of the classic "witch's weeds", which include Henbane, Belladonna, Datura, and Mandrake. Henbane is sacred to the Morrigan and has a place in witchcraft. Referred to sometimes as one of the "Weird Sisters", it is also known as one of The Witching Herbs in the book by Harold Roth (which I recommend!).
Historically, Henbane was used as anesthesia for delivering babies, particularly if something was going wrong such as a breech delivery. It took a very skilled hand to administer this early anesthesia, and many patients didn't survive its use, whether from the anesthesia or from the early surgeries, the whole process was scary.
While I don't work with this herb due to its toxicity, I know others who work with it when creating devotional materials for the Morrigan and sometimes in ritual bottles and similar.
This herb should also not be burned in enclosed spaces as the smoke can at least make you very sick when inhaled.
Atropa Belladonna (Deadly Nightshade)
Belladonna is arguably the queen of the nightshade family Solanaceae, and another of the so called "weird sisters". This is one of the classic "witch's weeds", which include Belladonna, Datura, Henbane and Mandrake. This plant has a very long, and very dark history. Used as a poison for many, many centuries, Belladonna goes against so many of the doctrines of signatures that herbalists hold dear.
Unlike most poisonous plants, the dark berries of this plant are sweet and reportedly taste delicious (until you die that is - yes, they are deadly)
The flowers smell enticing and are a luscious looking deep purple
Belladonna is listed as an ingredient in some texts, but it is incredibly toxic. And the death is particularly unpleasant. This one I don't even recommend as a spirit guide, although I know others work with it on the "poison path".
I do not work with this herb at all magically because of the extreme nature of its toxicity. More information on it can be found in the books linked below.
Datura (Jimsonweed or Thornapple)
Another of the nightshade family Solanaceae, Datura is another highly poisonous plant. Sometimes referred to as Thornapple or Jimsonweed, and even as "Hell's Bells", this is another classic "witch's weed" which includes deadly nightshade (belladonna), Henbane and Mandrake.
The toxicity of Datura depends on multiple factors, including the age of the plant, where it is growing, which cultivar, and local weather conditions.
Magically, dried Datura is used in spells for concealment and invisibility. Small spell bags are sometimes created containing dried Datura and other herbs to help shift focus away from the person who carries them. Dried Datura can also be used in spell bottles and bowls, although in the latter you must be very careful to avoid household pets or children accessing the plant material.
Important note: smoking this herb will also cause delirium and likely hospitalization. It can also cause death as it is very, very toxic.
Mandragora officinarum L. (Mandrake Root)
Mandrake is arguably one of the most famous of the witching herbs, famous in many written accounts, and handed down as one of the classic "witch's weeds", which include Belladonna, Datura, Henbane and Mandrake.
Stories tell of tying a cord to the tail of a black dog at midnight, then to the plant, then leaving the dog there and getting out of ear shot, finally whistling for the dog. The dog would then pull out the plant when he tried to leave and the deadly shriek of the plant as it is ripped from the ground would kill the dog. The person could then go back and collect the magic root and remain unharmed. I've also heard versions where the scream of the plant drove anyone who heard it insane.
The whole root was said to resemble a man and was sought in whole form and kept as a magical servant or familiar. The root was anointed with magical oils and the spirit of the plant was said to carry out the owner's bidding.
The American cultivar of this plant family is Podophyllum peltatum, sometimes known as American Mandrake or Mayapple. This is not the same plant as European Mandrake, although it is still very toxic, and has some similar properties for magic.
Mandrake is powerful for use in protection magic. I have used it in charm bags and bottles for protection; I avoid the use of this in bowls in case it was ever to spill and be consumed by my dogs. Mandrake is a Saturn ruled herb and was often made into charms for good luck and fortune.
And yes, it is extremely toxic. Consuming it, or using it topically can cause illness, liver failure and even death.
Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric Mushrooms)
You might not think you know these, but I promise you do. Those gorgeous bright red and orange mushrooms from children's books and fairy illustrations, with the white polka dots or "warts" all over the cap? Those are these mushrooms.
Amanita is said to be the home of the fae and other magical creatures. These bright and attractive little gems are native to northern Europe and Asia and were used for many years as part of various Winter Solstice ceremonies.
Amanita earns her place in this list because...you guessed it - she's very toxic. If consumed, these little forest gems can cause hallucinations at least, and a psychotic break at worst. She grows happily in forests of birch pine and spruce, and is best left in peace.
If consumed raw, you can expect at minimum violent nausea, vomiting and eventually similarly violent dysentery as the toxins work through your system.
Good to Know
Conium maculatum (Hemlock)
Hemlock is a plant that comes down through antiquity and was always considered a poison. Famous as the plant consumed by Socrates to end his life, Hemlock is an incredibly strong poison.
Hemlock looks almost exactly like Queen Anne's Lace, the lacy white "weed" also known as wild carrot. Queen Anne's Lace is edible and is the plant our modern carrots were bread from. The only difference in the way Queen Anne's Lace looks is that its stems are hairy, while the stems of Hemlock are smooth and may have small brown or violet dots.
Hemlock root is not edible and is deadly in even tiny amounts. The two plants are so similar in appearance, that according to the CDC, there have been about a hundred cases of hemlock fatalities in the United States. Experts think that number is probably much higher because the victims usually don’t survive to tell people what they ate. Hemlock also poses a threat to pets and livestock because a single root is toxic enough to kill a sixteen-hundred-pound cow!
Magically, Hemlock is said to conjure up demons. It is so toxic you can actually die from simply handling the cut stems and getting the sap or juice on your skin. I don't even pick Queen Anne's Lace because of the potential for mistaking Hemlock and getting the sap on my skin.
Toxicity
I am not trying to convince you as my reader of anything...but I do think it is critical that you completely understand the risks associated with these plants before deciding if you wish to use them, and how. Many texts describe or list the plants, but say nothing about toxicity! Many spells describe using the plants and leave the reader to figure if they mean to ingest or use on skin or just in bottles or charms.
The toxicity of the plants above is well documented. They do have magical applications for sure, but they also can be deadly poisons if taken internally or used on skin. Before deciding to use these plants internally or on your skin, please consider the following description (an old rhyme) used to describe the symptoms of poisoning from the type of toxins found in these plants:
"Blind as a bat, mad as a hatter, red as a beet, hot as a hare, dry as a bone, the bowel and bladder lose their tone, and the heart runs alone".2
The rhyme above refers to to the classic symptoms you can expect when you ingest (or use topically) one of these plants, sometimes in very small amounts. Vision may be blurred or even go dark. Dementia and delerium are often experienced. The individual turns bright red as if sun burnt, and runs a high fever. This causes the body tissues to dry out and the patient develops a horrible thirst that can't be relieved with water.
The "bowel and bladder lose their tone", you guessed it, they release their contents. And "the heart runs alone" refers to a racing heart in wild arythmias (irregular heart beats). This last can result in heart failure, and eventually death.
Resources/Additional Reading
The following books are provided with links to Amazon. They are not affiliate links, just added here for convenience. If you are able to get these from your local book seller or witch shop, please do!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it incredibly informative. Roth wrotes clearly and includes loads of history as well as modern day information to help make the material clear. Roth also hosts a site where seeds for the poison path herbs can be purchased if you wish to grow them.
I recently purchased this book and have started it. I will update with a quick overview once I get through it.
I love this book, as well as the companion book by Ms Inkwright Folk Magic and Healing: An Unusual History of Everyday Plants. These books are just gorgeous: linen covers, wonderful illustrations by the author, knowledgable, filled with wonderful snippets from history. Absolutely love them.
This one is kind of a coffee table book for people who like somewhat dark topics. It's in my bookcase. I love the history of plants and medicinals, and this is a nice, eaasy read.
1 Macbeth by William Shakespeare
2 Wikipedia article on Datura https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura
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