One of the things you might notice when working with spells is they call for some different ingredients. For example, eye of newt, wool of bat, toe of frog. To some who happen across these spells it can help lend to some of the fear surrounding witches because some of the ingredients may seem a bit bizarre. However, you will often find that seldom will those ingredients be literal. For example, if you see eye of newt in a spell, you are not going go out and get an actual eye from a newt. It actually refers to mustard seed.
The reason we have these names, stems from ancient times when it was not safe to keep spells about. So to protect the craft these names would be used instead. Some of them are just Old English, and some even date back to ancient China. A lot of times, you will find that the name is based on what the herb resembles. You will also find that many witches still use these names to this day. The more you work with magick and spell work the more familiar with these names you will become. I wanted to provide you with a basic list that you can use to work with as you are becoming familiar with working with them. As you find more you can add more to it.
A Bone of an Ibis: Buckthorn
A Titan’s Blood: Wild Lettuce
A Lion’s Hairs: Tongue of a Turnip (the leaves of the taproot)
A Man’s Bile: Turnip Sap
A Pig’s Tail: Leopard’s Bane
A Hawk’s Heart: Heart of Wormwood
Aaron’s Rod: Goldenrod, Mullein
Absinthe: Wormwood
Achillea: yarrow
Adders Tongue: Dogstooth Violet
African Ginger: Ginger
Aftator Pear: Avocado
All Heal: Mistletoe, Valerian
American Dittany: Basil
Aneton: Dill
An Eagle: Wild Garlic
Aquifolius – Holly
Archangel – Angelica
Armstrong – Knotweed
Arrowroot – Yarrow
Assear: Comfrey
Ass’s Foot or Bull’s Foot: Coltsfoot
Ava – Kava Kava
Bad Man’s Plaything: Yarrow
Bairnwort – Daisy
Bat’s Wings: Holly
Battree – Elder
Bear’s Foot: Lady’s Mantle
Bee Balm – Lemon Balm
Beer Flower – Hops
Beggar’s Buttons – Burdock
Beggarweed – Dodder
Bereza – Birch
Bindweed – Morning Glory
Bird’s Eye – Pansy, Germander
Bird’s Foot – Feunugreek
Bird’s Nest – Carrot
Biscuits – Tomentil
Bitter Greass – Ague Root
Bitter Root – Gentian
Black Cherry – Belladonna
Black Maidenhair: Black Spleenwort
Black Sampson: Echinacea
Black Wort – Comfrey
Blessed Herb – Avens, Pimpernel
Blind Buff – Poppy
Blood: Elder sap or another tree sap
Blood of Hephaistos: Wormwood
Blood from a Head – Lupine
Blue Buttons – Periwinkle
Blue Eyes – Potato
Blood of Ares: Purslane
Blood of a Goose: Mulberry Tree’s Milk
Bloodwort: Yarrow
Blood of Hestia: Chamomile
Blood of an Eye: Tamarisk Gall
Blood from a Shoulder: Bear’s Breach
Bottle Brush: Horse Tail
Brain Thief: Mandrake
Bread and Cheese Tree – Hawthorne
Bride of the Meadow – Meadowsweet
Bride of the Sun: Marigold
Braisewort – Comfrey, Daisy
Bull’s Blood or Seed of Horus: Horehound
Burning Bush: White Dittany
Calendula: Marigold
Calf’s Snout: Snapdragon
Cankerwort: Dandelion, Ragwort
Candlemas Maiden: Snowdrop
Candlewick Plant: Mullein
Cape Gum: Acacia
Capon’s Tail: Valerian
Carpenter’s Weed: Yarrow
Catmint: Catnip
Cat’s Foot: Canada Snake Root and/or Ground Ivy
Cat’s Wort: Catnip
Cheeses: Marsh Mallow
Cherry Pie: Heliotrope
Chewing John: Glangal
China Root: Galangal
Chinese Parsley: Coriander
Chocolate: Carob
Chocolate Flower: Wild Geranium
Christ’s Eye: Vervain Sage
Christ’s Ladder: Centaury
Christ’s Thorn: Holly
Church Steeple: Agrimony
Clear-eye: Clary Sage
Click: Goosegrass
Clot: Great Mullein
Clove Root: Avens
Corpse Plant: Indian Pipe
Couch Grass: Witch’s Grass
Cowgrass: Knotweed
Crowdy Kit: Figwort
Crow Corn: Ague Root
Crow’s Foot: Cranesbill
Crown for a King: Wormwood
Crown of Thorns: Euphorbia
Cuckoo’s Bread: Common Planatin
Cuddy’s Lungs: Great Mullein
Cucumber Tree: Magnolia
Cupids Car: Wolf’s Bane
Daphne: Bay Laurel
Death Angel: Agaric
Death Flower: Yarrow
Death’s Herb: Belladonna
Delight of the Eye: Rowan
Devil’ Apple – Datura
Devil’s Cherries: Belladonna
Devils Dung: Asafoetida
Devil’s’ Eye: Henbane, Periwinkle
Devil’s Flower: Bachelor’s Buttons
Devil’s Plaything: Yarrow
Dew of the Sea: Rosemary
Dog’s Mouth: Snap Dragon
Dollar: Meadowsweet
Dove’s Foot: Wild Geranium
Dragon’s Blood: Calamus
Dragon Wort: Bistort
Dumbledore’s Delight: Wolf’s Bane
Earth Smoke: Fumitory
Elf Leaf: Lavender, Rosemary
Elf’s Wort: Elecampane
Enchanter’s Plant: Vervain
English Cowslip: Primrose
Englishman’s Foot: Common Plantain
Erba Santa Maria: Spearmint
Everlasting Friendship: Goosegrass
Eye Balm: Goldenseal
Eye of Christ: Germander Speedwell
Eye of the Day: Common Daisy
Eye of Newt: Mustard Seed
Eye of the Star: Horehound
Eye Root: Goldenseal
Eyes: Aster, Daisy, Eyebright
Fairies Horses: Ragwort
Fair Lady: Belladonna
Fairy Bells: Sorrell, Wood
Fairy Cup: Cow Slip
Fairy Fingers: Foxglove
Fairy Smoke: Indian Pipe
Fairy Petticoats: Foxglove
Fairy Weed: Foxglove
False Wintergreen: Pipsissewa
Fat from a Head: Spurge
Felon Herb: Mugwort
Field Hops: Yarrow
Five Fingers: Cinquefoil
Flute Plant: Meadow Rue
Folk’s Gloves: Foxglove
Fox Bells: Foxglove
Foxtail: Club Moss
French Wheat: Buckwheat
Frog’s Foot: Bulbous Buttercup
From the Belly: Earth-apple
From the Foot: Houseleek
From the Loins: Chamomile
Frozen Roses: Wood Rose
Fruit of the Gods: Apple
Fruit of the Underworld: Apple
Gagroot: Lobelia
Gallowsgrass: Hemp
Garden Heliotrope: Valerian
Ghost Flower: Datura
Gillies: Carnation
Gin Plant: Juniper
Giver of Life: Corn
Goat’s Foot: Ash Weed
Goat’s Leaf: Honeysuckle
Goat’s Weed: St John’s Wort
God’s Hair: Hart’s Tongue Fern
Golden Bough: Mistletoe
Golden Star: Avens
Goldes: Marigold
Gosling Wing: Goosegrass
Graveyard Dust: Mullein
Graveeyard Flowers: Plumeria
Ground Apple: Chamomile
Ground Raspberry: Golden Seal
Great Ox-eye: Ox-eye Daisy
Hairs of a Hamadryas Baboon: Dill Seed
Hair of Venus: Maidenhair Fern
Hag’s Taper: Great Mullein
Hagthorn: Hawthorn
Happy Major: Burdock
Harebell: Bluebell
Hare’s Beard: Great Mullein
Headache: Poppy
Healing Herb: Comfrey
Helmet Flower: Scullcap
Herb of Enchantment: Vervain
Herb of Grace: Rue, Vervain
Hind’s Tongue: Hart’s Tongue Fern
Holy Herb: Yerba Santa
Holy Rope: Hemp Agrimony
Honey Stalks: Clove
Hook and Arn: Yerba Santa
Horse Tongue: Hart’s Tongue Fern
Horse Hoof: Coltsfoot
Horse Violet: Pansy
Hundred Eyes: Periwinkle
Hundred Leaved Grass
Indian Dye: Golden Seal
Indian God Tree: Banyon
Indian Paint: Golden Seal
Indian Root: Trillium
Indian Sage – Bonesset
Indian Tobacco – Lobelia
Innocense: Bluets
Jacob’s Ladder – Lily of the Valley
Jacob’s Staff: Great Mullein
Jaundice R
Joy of the Mountain: Marjoram
Joy on the Ground: Periwinkle
Jupiter’s Staff: Great Mullein
Juno’s Tears – Vervain
King’s Crown: Black Haw
Knight’s Milfoil: Yarrow
Klamath Weed – St Johns Wort
Knight’s Milfoil – Yarrow
Knitback – Comfrey
Kronos’ Blood: sap of Cedar
Ladder to Heaven – Lily of the Valley
Lady’s Glove: Foxglove
Lady’s Meat: Hawthorn
Lad’s Love: Southernwood
Lamb’s Ears: Betony
Lamb Mint: Spearmint
Lion’s Herb: Columbine
Lion’s Mouth: Foxglove
Lion’s Tooth: Dandelion
Little Dragon: Tarragon
Love Fruit: Orange
Love Herbs: Lovage
Love Idol: Pansy
Love in Idleness: Pansy
Love Leaves: Burdock
Love Lies Bleeding: Amaranth/Anemone
Love Man: Goosegrass
Love Parsley: Lovage
Love Root: Orris Root
Mackeral Mint: Spearmint
Maiden’s Ruin: Southernwood
Man’s Health: Ginseng
Master of the Woods: Woodruff
May: Black Haw
May Lily: Lily of the Valley
May Rose: Black Haw
Mayflower: Hawthorne
Maypops: Passion Flower
Military Herb: Yarrow
Miracle Herb: Comfrey
Mistress of the Night: Tuberose
Mosquito Plant: Pennyroyal
Mutton Chops: Goosegrass
Naughty Man’s Cherries: Belladonna
Nine Hooks: Lady’s Mantle
Nine Joints: Knotweed
Nose Bleed: Yarrow
Obeah Wood: Ebony
Old-Maid’s-Nightcap: Wild Geranium
Old Man’s Flannel: Great Mullein
Old Man Fennel: Mullein
Old Man’s Pepper: Yarrow
Old Uncle Henry: Mugwort
Old Woman: Wormwood
Oliver: Olive
Organ Tea: Pennyroyal
Paddock Pipes: Horsetail
Password: Primrose
Pearl Moss: Irish Moss
Peter’s Staff: Great Mullein
Priest’s Crown: Dandelion leaves
Poor Man’s Treacle: Garlic
Pucha-Pat: Patchouli
Queen of the Night: Vanilla Cactus
Queen of the Meadow: Meadowsweet
Queen of the Meadow Root: Gravelroot
Queen’s Root: Stillengia
Quick: Hawthorn
Quickbane: Rowan
Quick Grass: Witch Grass
Rabbits: Toadflax
Ram’s Head: American Valerian
Red Cockscomb: Amaranth
Ring-o-bells: Bluebells
Robin-run-in-the-grass: Goosegrass
Run by the ground: Pennyroyal
Sacred Bark: Cascara Sagrada
Sacred Herb: Yerba Santa
Sacred Mother: Corn
Sacred Mushroom: Agaric
Sailor’s Tobacco: Mugwort
Scaldhead: Blackberry
See Bright: Clary Sage
Seed of Horus: Horehound
Semen of Ammon: Houseleek
Semen of Ares: Clover
Semen of Helios: White Hellebore
Semen of Herakles: Mustard-rocket
Semen of Hermes: Dill
Semen of Hephaistos: Fleabane
Seven Year’s Love: Yarrow
Shameface: Wild Geranium
Shepherd’s Heart: Shepherd’s Purse
Silver Bells: Black Haw
Silver Dollar: Honesty
Snake’s Grass: Yarrow
Soapwort: Comfrey or Daisy
Soldier’s Tea: Horehound
Sorcerer’s Berry: Belladonna
Sorcerer’s Herb: Datura
Sorcerer’s Violet: Periwinkle
Sparrow’s Tongue: Knotweed
St. John’s Herb: Hemp Agrimony
St. John’s Plant: Mugwort
Star Flower: Borage
Star of the Earth: Avens
Starweed: Chickweed
Storm Hat: Wolf’s Bane
Summer’s Bride: Marigold
Sweethearts: Goosegrass
Swine’s Snout: Dandelion Leaves
Tanner’s Bark: Toadflax
Tarragon: Mugwort
Tartar Root: Ginseng
Tears of a Hamadryas Baboon: Dill Juice
Thousand Weed: Yarrow
Thunder Plant: House Leek
Tongue of Dog: Houndstongue
Torches: Great Mullein
Unicorn Root: Ague Root
Wax Dolls: Fumitory
Weazel Snout: Yellow Archangel
White: Ox-eye Daisy
White Man’s Foot: Common Plantain
White Wood: White Cinnamon
Witch’s Asprin: White Willow Bark
Witch’s Brier: Brier Hips
Weasel Snout: Yellow Archangel
Wolf Claw: Club Moss
Wolf Foot: Bugle Weed
Wolf’s Milk: Euphorbia
Have a magickal day!
Much Love and Many Blessings,
Jasmeine Moonsong