Aloe Vera: Magical Properties & Uses

Aloe vera is primarily a protective and healing herb in the magical tradition: worn or kept in the home it guards against accidents, bad luck, and the grief that follows loss. In Afro-Caribbean magical traditions it is hung above doorways to protect the household and to bring good fortune. It is one of the few plants with a direct association with both healing and luck, making it appropriate for workings that address the aftermath of difficulty as well as its prevention. The living plant on the windowsill is itself a working: a quietly maintained spell for the protection and wellbeing of those within.

Aloe vera gel (from Aloe barbadensis miller) is one of the most clinically validated topical herbal preparations. It genuinely accelerates the healing of minor burns, sunburn, and skin irritations; the evidence for first- and second-degree burns is particularly strong. The gel contains polysaccharides, particularly acemannan, with demonstrated anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. It is also used in digestive preparations for constipation: aloe latex (from just under the skin) is a powerful laxative. The gel is safe for topical use; the latex requires caution as it is a strong stimulant laxative.

Venus, Ra

The Plant of Immortality: grown in the homes of Egyptian pharaohs and on the windowsills of modern witches alike. The ancient Egyptians considered aloe one of the plants of immortality and used it in the embalming process; it appears in Egyptian medical papyri from 1550 BCE. Alexander the Great is said to have conquered the island of Socotra specifically to secure its aloe groves for his wounded soldiers. In ancient Egypt it was planted by graves to ease the transition into the afterlife. Cleopatra reputedly used it in her beauty preparations. It spread throughout the Mediterranean world via trade routes and appears in the works of Dioscorides, Pliny, and later Culpeper.