Dill: Magical Properties & Uses

Dill is primarily a protective herb with a particular affinity for protecting children and new beginnings from the interference of ill-wishing. Its folk use in cradles and nurseries reflects this specifically: it guards what is new, tender, and not yet strong enough to protect itself. In household protection workings dill is hung or placed at doorways and windows. In prosperity workings it is used to protect money and resources that have been worked for and should not be allowed to slip away. Its Mercury rulership makes it useful in communication workings where clarity and the prevention of misunderstanding are required.

Dill (Anethum graveolens) is widely used as a culinary herb and as a traditional remedy for digestive complaints. Dill water (prepared from the seeds) has been given to infants for colic for centuries, and this use has some clinical support; the volatile oils are genuinely carminative. Culpeper recommended it for flatulence, hiccoughs, and to promote milk in nursing mothers. The seeds have demonstrated mild antimicrobial and antispasmodic properties. Dill is considered very safe and is one of the few herbs that can be given to infants and children without concern.

Merlin (attributed)

Hung above the doorways of Puritan houses to keep witches out, and tucked into the cradles of babies to keep mischief away: dill's protective reputation is one of the most specifically documented in both European and early American folk magic. In Norse tradition it was hung in the home to protect against witchcraft. The word dill derives from the Old Norse dilla, meaning to lull or calm, reflecting its long association with soothing infants and stilling restlessness. In ancient Egypt dill was used medicinally and was found in the tomb of Amenhotep II. Culpeper associated it with Mercury and recommended it for hiccoughs and flatulence.