magickal properties of bay leavves – Wicca Now – Everything You Need To Know About Wicca

Hi, my loves and welcome to WiccaNow. Recently I’ve been covering some of the common magickal herbs and plants that you might come in contact with in your magickal practice. I’ve written posts about cinnamon, lavender, another about sage, one about rose and most recently a post about mint. All these can also be found in my botanical Witchipidia where I give an overview of a lot of magickal plants and herbs. Today I want to talk about another common magickal herb, today I want to discuss the magickal properties of bay leaves. Bay laurel, or Laurus Nobilis, is a powerful magickal plant which is ruled by fire and the sun. Its magickal properties include healing, protection, love and success. Its medicinal properties include lowering blood sugar levels, helping with muscle and joint pain and aiding digestion issues. Bay leaf is a common ingredient for cooks, often being used in pickles or for stews and stocks. So, without further ado, let’s talk about the magickal properties of bay leaves! Disclaimer: Any medicinal benefits given here are a product of my own research and as such should not be taken over the advice of trained medical professionals. If you are ill, please go and see a doctor. Always make sure that anything you consume is 100% safe and if you are pregnant, consult your doctor or midwife before consuming something you haven’t tired before. Before you continue reading all about bay leaves below, take a minute to check out this gorgeous plant magick grimoire we've created. It contains 29 of our favourite magickal plants and herbs and details their magickal properties along with gorgeous illustrations. This is exclusively available on our website and blog. The best bit? It comes in a hand digital format meaning no twiddling your thumbs waiting for things to arrive in the mail! A Brief History of Bay Leaves Bay leaf, also known as laurel leaf, comes from the Lauraceae family and is indigenous Asia Minor from where it spread to the Mediterranean and other regions with a similar climate. It’s a tree that has been cultivated for a very long time. The Ancient Greeks used it as a symbol of victory. The winning Olympic athletes were crowned with a bay leaf wreath as early as 776BC. Even today the word “laurel” still implies victory and success. Think about how we call Nobel Prize winners “Nobel Laureates”. The definition of a laureate is, in fact, ”a person who is honoured with an award for outstanding creative or intellectual achievement.”. Some countries still award a bay laurel wreath to those graduating with a masters degree and many other countries incorporate bay laurel into their ceremonies. It’s amazing how long a tradition can be carried on for, isn’t it? The crown of champions and scholars. Fun Facts about Bay Leaves The Ancient Egyptians thought bay leaves could help cure hangovers“Resting on your laurels” is a term that’s still often used, and implies using your previous successes for your own gain long after you’ve achieved those successes. “Look to one’s laurels” is another term, though not as widely used, urging people to be careful as they might be overtaken our outranked by their competition. Bay leaves in Myths The Greek word for bay laurel is “dhafni”. This came about because there is a myth about a Nymph called Daphne who caught Apollo’s eye. In order to avoid being raped (why is it that so many women in myths have to have their forms changed in order to avoid sexual violence?) the Earth Goddess Gaea transformed her into a Laurel Tree. Apollo then made this tree sacred and since then it’s been a symbol of honour. Some versions state that Apollo angered Eros, so Eros shot him with an arrow of love for Daphne and shot Daphne with an arrow of hate and repulsion for Apollo. Apollo chasing Daphne as she turns into a bay laurel tree. Many Greeks and Romans believed that bay leaves would protect them from the gods and goddesses responsible for thunder and lighting. They would wear bay leaves during thunderstorms to prevent themselves from being hit by lightning. Apollo is sometimes known as the God of Poets, so it’s interesting that his sacred tree has given its name to those who achieve outstanding success. Medicinal Uses of Bay Leaves Please note that eating whole bay leaves may not be safe as the leaves are undigestable for humans and may become lodged in your digestive tract. Can help against diabetes as it can lower blood sugar levelsLeaves are antibacterial and antifungal Good for joint paintHelps reduce gasCan help with dandruffAids digestionMay treat migrainesMay help to keep your heart healthyMay reduce anxiety and stress Magickal Properties of Bay Leaves Strong healing powerProtectionPsychic workSuccessWishesLove Creativity Associations Deities: Apollo, Daphne, Gaia Correspondances Zodiac: Leo Planet: Sun Element: Fire Gender: Masculine Crystals: Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Citrine 3 Simple Spells with Bay Leaves These 3 super simple spells all use the magickal properties of bay leaves. Add some of the corresponding crystals to the spells to make them extra powerful! Bay Leaf Protection Spell This is a really simple protection spell which you can complete daily. It uses the protective magickal properties of bay leaves in order to break any curses, remove all negative energy and reverse any bad luck you may have been experiencing. It's a nice little morning ritual so that you can start the day off with fresh energy and protection. Ingredients 1 Bay LeafMatches or a lighterFire-proof bowl or surface Method Light the bay leaf and place into your fire-proof vessel.Visualise light emanating from the bay leaf and filling your home with clean, pure energy. Let this light chase out any negative energy. Focus on the light filling every nook and cranny of your home.When you're ready, clap your hands 3x to end the spell. Repeat daily. Bay Leaf Love Spell This is a love spell for people who might have already met someone that they would like to keep in their lives. It requires the participation of both parties, so make sure that both people consent before beginning this spell! Ingredients A Bay tree if you're lucky enough to have access to one or a fresh bay leaf if you don't. A willing partner Method Take your partner and walk to the bay leaf tree. If you don't have a bay leaf tree, simply take a minute to appreciate each other. Choose, and pick a bay leaf from the tree. If you don't have a tree, take a second to appreciate the bay leaf that you do have.Both close your eyes and focus individually on what you want from the relationship. Take however much time you need, whether this is a minute or much longer. Open your eyes.Break the bay leaf in half.Both partners keep one half of the leaf each. This will help your love to strengthen and prevail and helps to increase trust in the relationship. Repeat as often as you feel is necessary. Bay Leaf Money Spell This easy spell harnesses the money and success magickal properties of bay leaf. Repeat it when you feel it's stopped working to maximum effect. This is a super simple spell. Take a bay leaf, and write an amount you would like to receive on the leaf. Make sure that it's an achievable number. While you may win the lotto, asking for 100 million has an extremely small chance of success. Focus all your energy on this number, imagine you have already achieved it and that it's in your wallet already. The stronger you're able to enter into this feeling the more likely it is that the spell will succeed. When you're finished, place the bay leaf in your wallet and wait for the money to start flowing to you. Bay leaves are wonderful for this type of wish magick. You can apply this spell to any wish you have. Simply write your wish onto the bay leaf, enter the feeling of the wish having already come true and then keep the bay leaf close to you, such as in a bag or a wallet. Except instead of a shooting star, make your wish on a bay leaf! So my loves, I hope this answers all your questions about the magickal properties of bay leaves! Until next time, Blessed Be, Amaria xx Check out our Secret Grimoire After realising that there just aren't that many resources out there, we've created our own gorgeous grimoire to share with you! It's filled with an eclectic mix of our own tips and tricks along with some of our favourite rituals and spells. Amythest has hand-illustrated every page right here in Berlin to create this gorgeous guide to witchcraft!