Clove Meaning and magickal uses

A sharp, fragrant spice for protection, banishing gossip and drawing money.

• Intentions: Protection, Banishing, Prosperity, Love
• Element: Fire
• Planet: Jupiter
• Zodiac: Sagittarius
• Day: Thursday
• Moon phase: Waning Gibbous
• Parts used: Dried flower buds

Safety: Fine in normal cooking amounts. Clove oil is toxic if swallowed, a strong skin irritant, and toxic to cats and other pets: never swallow it, always dilute it heavily for skin, and keep it far from animals. Avoid clove oil during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Burning cloves makes heavy, irritating smoke, so ventilate well.

How to use it

• Pomander. Press whole cloves into an orange in spirals or rows, then let it dry somewhere airy. Hang it in your home through winter as a fragrant charm of protection and warmth.
• Stop gossip. Burn a few whole cloves on a charcoal disc while visualizing unkind talk about you fading away. Ventilate the room well and let the scent clear the air.
• Money pouch. Add three whole cloves to a small green pouch with a coin and a bay leaf. Carry it in your bag as a reminder to make clear, generous choices with money.

Works well with: Red Candle, Garnet, Thursday, Cinnamon Leaf, Yule

Folklore

Cloves are the dried flower buds of a tree native to the Maluku Islands, once called the Spice Islands. Traditionally, Chinese court officials held cloves in their mouths to sweeten their breath before speaking to the emperor. European traders fought over the clove trade for centuries. In folk magick, cloves became a favorite for protection and for stopping gossip, and the clove-studded orange pomander remains a cozy winter tradition that doubles as a home charm.