Basil Meaning and magickal uses
Also called Sweet Basil, St. Joseph's Wort
A warm kitchen herb for drawing in money, love and harmony at home.
- Intentions
- Prosperity, Love, Protection
- Element
- Fire
- Planet
- Mars
- Day
- Tuesday
- Moon phase
- Waxing Crescent
- Parts used
- Leaves
- Also used for
- Cooking, kitchen witchery
How to use it
- Money jar
Drop a few dried basil leaves into a jar with coins and a slip of paper naming what you are working toward. Add a coin each week as you hold that intention clearly in mind.
- Cook with intention
When you add fresh basil to a meal, pause and name what you want to grow in your home, such as warmth, harmony or steady income. Stir clockwise as you think it.
- Grow a pot
Keep a basil plant on a sunny kitchen sill. Folklore says a healthy basil plant keeps a household peaceful and welcoming, and tending it becomes a small daily ritual.
Works well with
History and folklore
Basil has traveled a long way to reach the witch's kitchen. In folklore it was linked with both love and protection: Italian tradition tells of a pot of basil set on the windowsill to show a sweetheart was welcome, while other European lore says it guarded the home. Shopkeepers traditionally tucked leaves near the till to draw customers. Because it is easy to grow and joyful to cook with, basil is often one of the first herbs a new witch learns to work with.
A warm kitchen herb for drawing in money, love and harmony at home.
- Intentions: Prosperity, Love, Protection
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mars
- Zodiac: Aries, Scorpio
- Day: Tuesday
- Moon phase: Waxing Crescent
- Parts used: Leaves
- Also used for: Cooking, kitchen witchery
Safety: Safe in normal cooking amounts and not on the ASPCA toxic plant list for cats, dogs or horses. Basil essential oil is a different matter: never swallow it, dilute it well for skin, keep it away from pets (cats especially), and avoid the oil during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
How to use it
- Money jar. Drop a few dried basil leaves into a jar with coins and a slip of paper naming what you are working toward. Add a coin each week as you hold that intention clearly in mind.
- Cook with intention. When you add fresh basil to a meal, pause and name what you want to grow in your home, such as warmth, harmony or steady income. Stir clockwise as you think it.
- Grow a pot. Keep a basil plant on a sunny kitchen sill. Folklore says a healthy basil plant keeps a household peaceful and welcoming, and tending it becomes a small daily ritual.
Works well with: Green Candle, Green Aventurine, Thursday, Bergamot
Folklore
Basil has traveled a long way to reach the witch's kitchen. In folklore it was linked with both love and protection: Italian tradition tells of a pot of basil set on the windowsill to show a sweetheart was welcome, while other European lore says it guarded the home. Shopkeepers traditionally tucked leaves near the till to draw customers. Because it is easy to grow and joyful to cook with, basil is often one of the first herbs a new witch learns to work with.
The Witch's Cabinet is a free reference for your practice. Correspondences are traditional associations, not medical advice. Always follow the safety notes, especially with herbs and essential oils around children, pets and during pregnancy.