Ivy (Ground): Magical Properties & Uses

Ground ivy is the herb of clarity and the clearing of confusion that comes from outside the self: from enchantment, from deliberate misdirection, or from the psychic noise of other people's energies. Its primary magical uses are in uncrossing workings, in the removal of glamour and illusion from a situation, and in the purification of spaces that have accumulated confusion and muddied energy rather than outright negativity. It is gentler than hyssop for this purpose and appropriate for regular maintenance cleansing of a working space. In healing workings it addresses conditions of the sinuses, ears, and respiratory system: the clearing of what has become blocked.

Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) has been used medicinally in European herbalism for centuries. It contains volatile oils, tannins, and bitter principles with mild anti-inflammatory and expectorant properties. It has been used for coughs, bronchitis, sinusitis, and tinnitus, the last use persisting from Anglo-Saxon herbalism. Culpeper recommended it for ringing ears, ulcers, and the clearing of obstructions. It is used in modern herbal medicine as a gentle expectorant and anti-catarrhal. It is generally considered safe at normal herbal doses.

Dionysus, Osiris

A small, creeping, purple-flowered plant that brewed the ale of the Anglo-Saxons before hops took its place: ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) was added to ale to clarify it and add bitterness, a practice that gave it the old name alehoof. In Anglo-Saxon herbalism it was used for a wide range of conditions including eye complaints and tinnitus. It was associated with purification and the clearing of confusion; in British folk tradition it was used in garlands to prevent fairy enchantment and hung in dairies to protect the milk from being bewitched. Culpeper recommended it for ringing in the ears, kidney complaints, and the clearing of obstructions.