Source: Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
Lavender
Power: Love, Protection, Sleep, Chastity, Longevity, Purification, Happiness, Peace
Magical Use: Lavender has long been used in love spells and sachets. Clothing nabbed with the fragrant flowers (or lavender placed in drawers with clothes) attracts love. A piece of paper on which you've rubbed lavender is excellent for writing love notes. The scent of lavender particularly attracts men, and lavender water or the essential oil was worn by prostitutes several centuries ago to both advertise their profession as well as to attract (through magic) customers. Lavender also protects against cruel treatment at the hands of a spouse if worn.
These flowers are also burned or smoldered to induce sleep and rest, and are scattered about the home to maintain its peacefulness. The plant is so powerful that, if when depressed one gazes upon the plant, all sorrow will depart and a joyous feeling will settle upon the observer. Indeed, the odor of lavender is conducive to long life, and so should be smelled as often as possible if this is a concern.
Lavender is also used in healing mixtures, carried to see ghosts, and worn to protect against the evil eye. It is added to purification baths. Despite lavender's love associations, in the Renaissance it was believed that lavender together with rosemary, if worn, would preserve a woman's chastity.
A wish divination: Place lavender under your pillow while thinking of your wish. Do this just prior to retiring for the night. In the morning, if you have dreamed of anything relating to your wish, it will come true. However, if you did not have dreams, or if they were unconnected with your wish, it will not manifest. Lavindin is a type of lavender that was bred for its powerful scent. It is a particularly good choice for sachets and pillows.
Rose
Power: Love, Psychic Powers, Healing, Love
Divination, Luck, Protection
Magical Use: Roses have long been used in
love mixtures, owing to the flower's associations
with the emotions. A chaplet of
roses worn when performing love spells
(remove the thorns), or a single rose in a
vase on the altar, are powerful love-magic aids.
Rose water distilled from the petals
is added to love baths. Rose hips (the fruit
of the rose) are strung and worn as loveattracting
beads.
A tea of rosebuds drunk before sleep
induces prophetic dreams. To discover
their romantic future, women used to take
three green rose leaves and name each for
one of their lovers. The one that stayed
green the longest answered the question of
"which one?"
Rose petals and hips are also used in
healing spells and mixtures, and a rosewater
saturated cloth laid to the temples will
relieve headache pain.
Roses are also added to fast-luck mixtures
and, when carried, act as personal
protectants.
Rose petals sprinkled around the
house calm personal stress and household
upheavals.
Roses planted in the garden attract fairies,
and are said to grow best when stolen.
Flaxseed:
Power: Money, Protection, Beauty, Psychic
Powers, Healing
Ritual Use: Flax was used in rituals to
Hulda, the Teutonic Goddess who first
taught mortals to cultivate flax, and to spin
it into linen thread and weave it into cloth.
Magical Use: Flax seeds are used in money spells. A few can be placed
in the pocket, wallet or purse, or ajar should be placed on the altar
and a few coins, plus some flax seed, added. This should be repeated
each day to attract money. A bit of flax in the shoe wards off poverty.
The blue flax flowers are worn as a preservative against sorcery. To
protect yourself while asleep, mix equal parts flax seed and mustard
seed and place this mixture next to your bed. On the other side of the
bed place a pan of cold water. You will be guarded during your slumber.
Alternatively, a combination of red pepper and flax seed, kept in a box somewhere in the house, prevents evil from entering. To ensure that your child grows up to be a beautiful or handsome adult, let him or her dance among growing flax at the age of seven years.
Sprinkle the altar with flax seed while performing healing rituals, or include it in healing mixtures. To help cure lumbago, tie a hank of flax around the loins.
If you suffer from dizziness, this is a somewhat drastic cure: run naked, after sunset, three times through a field of flax. While you do this the flax will take to itself your dizziness and you'll be cured. You may get a cold, but you won't be dizzy!
Alternatively, a combination of red pepper and flax seed, kept in a box somewhere in the house, prevents evil from entering. To ensure that your child grows up to be a beautiful or handsome adult, let him or her dance among growing flax at the age of seven years.
Sprinkle the altar with flax seed while performing healing rituals, or include it in healing mixtures. To help cure lumbago, tie a hank of flax around the loins.
If you suffer from dizziness, this is a somewhat drastic cure: run naked, after sunset, three times through a field of flax. While you do this the flax will take to itself your dizziness and you'll be cured. You may get a cold, but you won't be dizzy!
This is one of my personal creations.
I used 1/2 cup of dried rose petals, dried lavender buds, and organic flax seeds. I don't/can't grow my own plants to dry and use in these sorts of things, so we went to a place that has dried herbs for 'cheap', and bought the seeds at the grocery store. While I use it for aromatherapy purposes, I suppose the added benefits couldn't hurt either!. The pentacle on the front is for added protection. I don't want something horrible to be attracted to me because of this bag, so although the seeds have protective qualities, I wanted to ensure further that my husband and I would be safe.
When putting the herbs together, put them in an old nylon, and tie off the top. This'll prevent them from poking through the cloth you chose. These little pillows are excellent to help you sleep, especially if you use chamomile flowers. For me, I use it for the aromatherapy benefits, for others, they might appreciate the added knowledge of what flax can promote during a ceremony.
