Mandrake Meaning and magickal uses
Also called Mandragora, Mandragora officinarum, Satan's Apple
A legendary, toxic root of protection and power, best honored symbolically or substituted.
- Intentions
- Protection, Love, Prosperity
- Element
- Fire
- Planet
- Mercury
- Day
- Wednesday
- Moon phase
- Full Moon
- Parts used
- Root (traditionally); most witches use a substitute
How to use it
- House guardian
Instead of handling the real root, carve a small figure from an apple, ginger root or angelica root and name it as your mandrake. Set it on a shelf near the door as a guardian of the home.
- Altar of power
Place a sealed jar or a drawing of a mandrake on your altar during protection spells. Light a candle beside it and ask for steady courage and safety for everyone under your roof.
- Prosperity charm
Following an old custom, set a coin beside your mandrake figure or picture and leave it overnight. In the morning, carry the coin as a charm for steady earnings, and refresh it each month.
History and folklore
Mandrake's forked root can look like a small human figure, and that shape inspired centuries of legend. Medieval herbals claimed it screamed when pulled from the ground, so anyone who heard it would die, and they advised tying it to a dog to do the pulling. It was carried as a charm for love, fertility and fortune, and dressed and kept like a household spirit. Its strong, poisonous effects were well known, which is part of why it became a symbol of witchcraft itself.
A legendary, toxic root of protection and power, best honored symbolically or substituted.
- Intentions: Protection, Love, Prosperity
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mercury
- Day: Wednesday
- Moon phase: Full Moon
- Parts used: Root (traditionally); most witches use a substitute
Safety: Mandrake is toxic: every part, especially the root, can cause serious poisoning. Never eat, drink, smoke or burn it, and never make tea or oil from it. Wear gloves when handling it and wash your hands afterward. Keep it far from children and pets. Many witches never handle the real plant and use a substitute root or a picture instead. If anyone swallows it, call poison control or emergency services right away.
How to use it
- House guardian. Instead of handling the real root, carve a small figure from an apple, ginger root or angelica root and name it as your mandrake. Set it on a shelf near the door as a guardian of the home.
- Altar of power. Place a sealed jar or a drawing of a mandrake on your altar during protection spells. Light a candle beside it and ask for steady courage and safety for everyone under your roof.
- Prosperity charm. Following an old custom, set a coin beside your mandrake figure or picture and leave it overnight. In the morning, carry the coin as a charm for steady earnings, and refresh it each month.
Works well with: Black Candle, Obsidian, Full Moon, Samhain, Fire
Folklore
Mandrake's forked root can look like a small human figure, and that shape inspired centuries of legend. Medieval herbals claimed it screamed when pulled from the ground, so anyone who heard it would die, and they advised tying it to a dog to do the pulling. It was carried as a charm for love, fertility and fortune, and dressed and kept like a household spirit. Its strong, poisonous effects were well known, which is part of why it became a symbol of witchcraft itself.
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.