Saffron Meaning and magickal uses
Also called Crocus sativus, Red Gold
A golden spice of sunlit joy, love, healing and psychic sight.
- Intentions
- Love, Healing, Divination, Prosperity
- Element
- Fire
- Planet
- The Sun
- Zodiac
- Leo
- Day
- Sunday
- Moon phase
- Full Moon
- Parts used
- Dried stigmas (threads)
How to use it
- Golden ink
Steep a few threads in a spoonful of warm water until it turns gold, then use a fine brush to write an intention or sigil. Let it dry in sunlight.
- Joyful kitchen magick
Cook a dish with saffron on a Sunday for people you love. As the color spreads, picture happiness and warmth spreading through everyone who shares the meal.
- Sun water
Drop a single thread into a bowl of water on your altar during a full moon reading. Let its golden color remind you to look for the clear, bright answer.
Works well with
History and folklore
Saffron is hand-picked from the stigmas of a purple crocus, and it takes many thousands of flowers to make a small amount, which is why it has always been costly. It appears in Bronze Age wall paintings from the island of Thera and was prized in Persia, Greece and Rome as a dye, perfume and offering. In Western folk magick its golden color links it to the sun, and it is traditionally used for love, happiness, healing and opening psychic sight.
A golden spice of sunlit joy, love, healing and psychic sight.
- Intentions: Love, Healing, Divination, Prosperity
- Element: Fire
- Planet: The Sun
- Zodiac: Leo
- Day: Sunday
- Moon phase: Full Moon
- Parts used: Dried stigmas (threads)
Safety: Safe in normal cooking amounts, but toxic if swallowed in large amounts. Avoid more than culinary amounts while pregnant, as it may stimulate the uterus. Do not confuse with autumn crocus or meadow saffron (Colchicum), which is deadly; crocus bulbs are also toxic to pets. Keep saffron out of reach of cats and dogs.
How to use it
- Golden ink. Steep a few threads in a spoonful of warm water until it turns gold, then use a fine brush to write an intention or sigil. Let it dry in sunlight.
- Joyful kitchen magick. Cook a dish with saffron on a Sunday for people you love. As the color spreads, picture happiness and warmth spreading through everyone who shares the meal.
- Sun water. Drop a single thread into a bowl of water on your altar during a full moon reading. Let its golden color remind you to look for the clear, bright answer.
Works well with: Gold Candle, Yellow Candle, Sunstone, Sunday, Litha, The Sun
Folklore
Saffron is hand-picked from the stigmas of a purple crocus, and it takes many thousands of flowers to make a small amount, which is why it has always been costly. It appears in Bronze Age wall paintings from the island of Thera and was prized in Persia, Greece and Rome as a dye, perfume and offering. In Western folk magick its golden color links it to the sun, and it is traditionally used for love, happiness, healing and opening psychic sight.
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.