Friday – apple, myrtle; the Goddess; birch. Planet: Venus. Colors: pink, aqua, green. Herb: thyme. Influences: love, friendship, social activities, strangers, pleasure, art, music, incense and perfumes. [Green Witchcraft]
Tag: Venus
Sunflower (Helianthus annus)
Sun rituals, Midsummer, happiness, blessings, fertility, strength, courage, action, self-image, consecrating healing stones and gems. Ruled by the sun, the element of fire, and the star sign Leo. Sacred to Apollo, Demeter, Helios, and Venus. [1]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)
Blessing, love, Midsummer, fertility. Ruled by the planet Venus and the elements of earth or water. Sacred to fairies, Freya, love goddesses, and mother goddesses. [1]
In parts of Bavaria, it was traditional come springtime to tie little bags or baskets of wild strawberries to the cows’ horns to appease the fairies and elves, and to protect the cows. [2]
Some of the fairies’ preferred gathering places at Beltane are “fairy rings’ – circles of wild mushrooms; as well as circles of lawn daisies, patches of wild violets, patches of wild thyme, and, most of all, swathes of wild strawberries. [2]
Strawberry Mythology
Some Native American Indian tribes have long associated wild strawberries with spring and rebirth, as they are the first wild fruits to ripen. They used them mixed with cornmeal to make strawberry bread, which whtie settlers transformed to strawberry shortcake, a traditional Memorial Day weekend dessert.
During meieval times, the strawberry signified perfection and righteousness and strawberry fruits also symbolized esteem, love, purity, passion, health, and perfection, and were a popular embroidery motif. In heraldry, depictions of strawberry leaves were sometimes used to denote rank.
Strawberries are one of Venus’s symbols, due to their red heart shape. Frigga, the Norse marriage goddess, was believe to smuggle dad children to heaven by hiding them in strawberry patches. Both Freya, the Norse goddess of love, and the Christian Virgin Mary have been associated with strawberries.
Dutch early surrealist artist Hieronymus Bosch painted one of his most famous works, the triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights, in the fifteenth century. It is now housed at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, and, if you are unfamiliar with Bosch’s work, it is wonderfully strange. The center panel, which represents a lustful earthly paradise, features many oversized strawberries. At the bottom right are two human-sized straberries, one bursting open to emit round blue balls, and the other being used as an exercise ball by a naked woman. One of the men is offering the woman a strawberry as big as a melon. Another giant strawberry, with fairy wings, rides on the back of a naked man, a spiny tail emergy from a slit on its side. [2]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
[2] Llewellyn’s 2022 Sabbats Almanac: Samhain 2021 to Mabon 2022
Rose (Rosa spp.)
Rebirth, resurrection, funerals, memorials, initiations, luck, love, passion, sexuality, sensuality, seduction, marriage, Great Rite, handfasting, Beltane. The white rose represents purity, perfection, innocence, virginity, and the Maiden Goddess, while the red rose is earthly passion, fertility, and the Mother Goddess. Red roses are ruled by Jupiter, damask roses by the planet Venus, and white roses by the moon. All fall under the element of water. Sacred to Adonis, Aphrodite, Artemis, Aurora, Bacchus, Blodeuwedd, Christ, Cupid, Demeter, Dionysus, Eros, Flora, Freya, Hathor, Horus, Hulda, Hymen, Inanna, Ishtar, Isis, Kubaba, the Mothers, Nike, Ninsianna, Saule, Venus, Virgin Mary, and Vishnu. [1]
When thinking about planting a protective barrier or plants and flowers near your threshold, let’s not forget to mention roses. The flower of peace, love, and friendship, the rose is also highly protective when planted near the entrance of a home. It helps prevent negativity from entering any dwelling. Just scattering a few rose petals near the threshold will ease domestic tensions. This will also neutralize any dark energy left behind by an unpleasant visitor who has just left. Today there are many easy-care roses available, so you needn’t worry about fussing over them with toxic sprays. However, today’s easy-to-grow roses shouldn’t need sraying. Simply plant them and enjoy their protective qualities. [2]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
[2] Llewellyn’s 2022 Magical Almanac by Chi Cicero
Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
Clarity, cleansing. Ruled by the planet Venus, the element of air, and the star signs virgo and Aquarius. Sacred to Hades and Minthe. [1]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Lily (Lilium spp.)
New moon, Imbolc. Ruled by the moon and the element of water. Sacred to Adonis, Astarte, Athena, Attis, Ceres, Isis, Jupiter, Kundalini, Lakshmi, maiden goddesses, moon goddesses, Osiris, Psyche, Sophia, and Venus. [1]
If you want to keep the evil eye, negative spirits, and unwanted visitors away from your threshold, plant a few lily bulbs. These tall beauties grow three to four feet high. Not only will they bring protection to your doorstep, but they’ll also add charm. As a bonus, their trumpet-shaped flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds. [2]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium: Magical and Natural Living for Everyday by Anna Franklin
[2] Llewellyn’s 2022 Magical Almanac by Chi Cicero
Clover (Trifolium spp.)
Visionary herb, Beltane, faithfulness. Ruled by the planet Mercury and all four elements. Sacred to Aphrodite, Freya, Hathor, and Venus. [1]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis, Aloe indica, Aloe perfoliata, Aloe vulgaris)
Healing, love, home protection, divination, spiritual development. Ruled by the moon and the element of water. Sacred to Aeacus, Amun Ra, Artemis, Chandra, Indra, moon goddesses, Rhadamanthus, Venus, Vulcan, and Yama. [1]
Succulents. Protection, prosperity, abundance, good luck, friendship, healing. In addition to these correspondences, certain succulents are especially suited to specific intentions:
- Aloe. Healing, fertility. [2]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
[2] Practical Witch’s Almanac 2022 by Friday Gladheart
Apple (Malus spp.)
Bury in the garden on Samhain as food for the departing spirits, love (share an apple with the one you love), health, attracts unicorns, associated with Friday. [Green Witchcraft]
Fertility, lust, love, marriage, immortality, fidelity, harvest, initiation, wisdom. Ruled by the sun and Venus, the element of water, and the sign of Taurus. Sacred to Aphrodite, Apollo, Bel, Ceridwen, Demeter, Diana, Eve, Flora, Godiva, Herakles, Hesperides, Iduna, Inanna, Kore, Lugh, Meliae, Morgana, Nehallenia, Olwen, Perspephone, Pomona, sun gods, Titaea, Venus, and Zeus. [1]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Brush outdoor ritual area with a branch to purify and sanctify, burn for cleansing, pine needles used in money spells, birth, rebirth, made into stangs, associated with Thursday. [Green Witchcraft]
Purification, cleansing, dispelling negativity, spring equinox, fertility, regeneration, new beginnings. Ruled by teh planet Mars and the elements of earth and air. Sacred to Astarte, Attis, Cernunnos, Cybele, Dionysus, the Great Mohter, Herne, Osiris, Pan, Pitys, Poseidon, Rhea, sun gods, Sylvanus, and Venus. [The Hearth Witch’s Companion]
Adana Luna 