Licorice Root: Magical Properties & Uses

Licorice root is the herb of commanding power: of love that does not merely attract but holds, and of influence that operates over time and at a distance. Its primary magical uses are in commanding and compelling workings, in love workings that seek sustained devotion rather than new attraction, and in workings of personal power and authority. The root is carried to enhance personal power and attractiveness. In spells for fidelity the root is used to bind devotion. In workings for legal matters and dealings with authority figures, licorice strengthens the petitioner's position and presence.

Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is both widely used and one of the more medically significant herbs in the apothecary. Glycyrrhizin is anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and expectorant, making it genuinely useful for coughs, bronchitis, and gastric ulcers, where it has clinical support. However, glycyrrhizin causes pseudo-hyperaldosteronism in large doses, raising blood pressure, causing water retention, and lowering potassium, which can be serious. It should not be consumed in large quantities by those with hypertension, heart disease, or kidney disease. At normal doses for coughs and sore throats it is safe and effective.

Venus, Osiris

Found in the tomb of Tutankhamun and carried in the saddlebags of Alexander's soldiers, licorice is the root of long, slow, intentional power. It is the third most prescribed herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine after ginseng and astragalus, and has been used continuously in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Culpeper associated it with Mercury and recommended it for coughs, sore throats, and thirst. It appears in the pharmacopoeias of ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, and India: an extraordinary cross-cultural reach that reflects both its commercial availability on ancient trade routes and its genuine effectiveness across a wide range of conditions.