Mullein: Magical Properties & Uses

Mullein is the herb of courage in the dark, of protection during liminal and dangerous passages, and of contact with spirits. The Hag's Taper connection gives it a specific association with witch magic and with the kind of working done in the small hours: its light is the witch's light, carried through the night. In protection workings it guards against negative entities and psychic attack. In divination and spirit communication it creates a protected space for the working. The dried leaves can be burned as incense; the stalk, dipped in wax, makes a genuine torch that burns for hours. In dream magic it promotes sleep and prevents nightmares.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) has been used medicinally throughout Europe and North America for respiratory conditions. Its primary application is as an expectorant and demulcent for coughs, bronchitis, and asthma; the mucilaginous quality of the leaves soothes inflamed mucous membranes. Culpeper recommended it for coughs and lung complaints with considerable detail. Mullein leaf tea and mullein ear oil are still widely used in contemporary herbal medicine. The leaf infused in warm olive oil is a traditional remedy for ear infections with some clinical support. The seeds are toxic and should not be consumed.

Jupiter, Hecate, Circe

The Hag's Taper, whose tall pale stalks were dipped in fat and burned by witches as torches in the dark, is one of the most evocative names in the British herbal tradition. Mullein's great woolly leaves and tall flowering spikes make it unmistakable in the landscape. Culpeper associated it with Saturn and noted its use for coughs, colds, and lung complaints. In American folk magic it is one of the primary herbs for uncrossing and purification. In the Appalachian tradition it was hung in smokehouses and barns for protection. It features in the magical traditions of multiple indigenous North American peoples as a protective and purifying herb.