Basil: Magical Properties & Uses

Basil is a herb of fierce protectiveness that presents itself as warmth: it belongs in any working for protection of the home, prosperity, and the opening of luck. Its fire nature and Mars rulership make it an excellent addition to spells requiring quick action and decisive force. In Italian folk magic it is the primary herb for attracting love and repelling enemies; in prosperity workings, fresh basil kept in the kitchen and rubbed between the fingers before business dealings is a long-standing charm. Its bright, aggressive scent cuts through stagnation and sets things in motion.

Basil is among the most extensively cultivated culinary herbs in the world, central to Italian, Greek, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisines. Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is considered an adaptogen and nervine tonic in Ayurvedic medicine. The sweet basil of Western cooking has demonstrated antimicrobial properties; the essential oil has been studied for anti-inflammatory effects. Culpeper recommended it for head complaints and the clearing of obstructions.

Vishnu, Erzulie, Mars

Called the Witches' Herb in old Italian kitchens, basil's reputation spans from the Mediterranean to India, where it is sacred to Vishnu and used in temple offerings and wedding garlands. In ancient Greece it was associated with hatred and the evil eye (to grow it was to invite misfortune) while in Rome it was a plant of love and fertility. In Italy the cunning folk used it in love spells; in Haitian Vodou it is sacred to Erzulie. Culpeper noted the contradictions in the herb's reputation with typical pragmatism, observing that common basil is under the dominion of Mars.