Lavender (Lavandula)

Folk Names: Elf Leaf, Nard, Nardus, spike

Medicinal uses

Lavender has many beneficial properties and is commonly used to treat insomnia and for its calming effects. Lavender can be used in its raw form for its strong aromatic smell, steeped as a tea, used in cooking and baking, or burned as an incense. Lavender essential oil is antiseptic and has anti-inflammatory properties and can be used to treat wounds and bug bites. Works well for people of all ages.

Other common ailments where lavender can be of help are:

Anxiety: Use Lavender orally to treat anxiety. Sipping Lavender tea can work wonders! Lavender is a great addition to Chamomile tea as they both have calming effects.

Bug bites: Use Lavender essential oil on bug bites to help with itching and healing.

Depression: Use Lavender orally to treat depression. Just like with anxiety, drinking Lavender infused tea can aid in the treatment of depression.

Insomnia: Put Lavender under your pillow or a few drops of essential oil on your pillow to inhale the calming scent. Aids in relaxation and can help send you to sleep.

Minor burns: Use Lavender essential oil on minor burns to help with itching and healing.

Stress: Lavender tea and incense can aid with stress management.

Headaches: Inhaling Lavender essential oil is a great and safe way to relieve headaches. Has been proven to work even with migraine.

In Magic

Planet: Mercury, Neptune

Element: Air, Water

Zodiac: Gemini, Pisces & Virgo

Gender: Masculine

Deities: Selene

Crystals:

Chakra: Third Eye

Properties

Love/Attracting men: Wear Lavender as a perfume or use as an ingredient in your spell work. Suitable in beauty or love spells in order to attract your next lover to you, to encourage or strengthen pure love and to aid in fertility.

Calm: Lavender has calming properties when ingested. Use in cooking or steep as a tea.

Healing: The smell of Lavender is uplifting and relaxing at the same time making it great aroma therapy for depressed or stressed people. Add Lavender to your bath or dilute the essential oil in a mild oil to rub on your skin.

Stuffing a pillow with lavender buds may help insomniacs relax and fall asleep and soothes headaches.

Purification: Burn Lavender or take the fresh sprigs from it and use to sprinkle blessed water at home or in a magical space to clear negative energies.

Sleep: Steep into a tea, put in a little bag and place under your pillow to aid sleep and relax your mind.

Dreams: Said to promote good dreams.

Wisdom: Sharpens your mind and aids in spell work and clairvoyance.

Divination: Burn to aid in divination work.

Increase intelligence: Ingest it as a tea or used in cooking to enhance your brain powers.

Banish harmful spirits: Sprinkle Lavender flowers on the floor in your home or in a magical space to ward off evil spirits and negative energy.

Happiness: Add Lavender to your cookies or use the flowers to flavour your drink.

Long life: Carry the flowers on you or use Lavender in your beauty routine to promote longevity.

Dried lavender sticks or wands are great to burn like incense. Can be used in the same way as Sage for smudging.

Smudge with Lavender before performing a spell to sharpen your mind.

Culinary uses

Lavenders association with fertility and love in addition to its lovely taste makes it a great addition to wedding cakes.

You can make sugar flavoured with Lavender by adding Lavender to the sugar and storing it sealed for a month in a dark place. Sift out the lavender before use and enjoy a beautifully aromatic sugar in your tea or baking.

Household Uses

Lavender is also efficient at deterring fleas and moths. Place Lavender wands, buds or bags with flowers in your cupboards and closets, or put them in your pets sleeping area to deter pests.

You can also add Lavender to your dryer to make your clothes and towels smell great after a wash.

Disclaimer

Always consult a doctor before using a herb medicinally.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should take extra care and research the effects of any herb on a developing fetus. Consult with your doctor if you are unsure how this will affect you and your situation.