A collection of information on various magical & medicinal herbs based on my personal Book of Shadows.
Each entry includes original artwork, folklore, a small growing guide, spell suggestions & recipes. Included are mint, lavender, basil, mugwort...
Leo's flower; sunflowers are symbols of the sun, fertility, and harvest time. They make a wonderful altar decoration or flower crown for midsummer into fall. Often used in late summer or fall handfasting rituals, sunflowers can be used to grant fertility.
Can be used for dispelling depression, cultivating confidence, for truth spells, and for happiness spells. Grow around your house to bless it with good vibes. Sunflowers exude positive, vibrant energy; they are warmth and sunlight. They bring good luck and wealth.
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Grow it:
Sunflowers love the sun and the heat. They absolutely need full sun. Plant seeds well after the last frost. Blooms late in the summer. It naturally extracts toxins from the soil as it grows. Sunflowers can grow over 12 feet tall, but there are varieties bred for containers as well! Sunflowers can fit into any sized garden.
For an extra special garden corner, grow your sunflowers in a circle! After a certain amount of time, they'll be taller than you are! This natural space provides a great veil for rituals between you and the outside world. Perfect for healing or happiness spells!
Many varieties of sunflower are just for the seeds and the oil they produce. Sunflower oil can be used in cooking and cosmetics. Whole dried heads make a great winter bird feeder. The heads begin to droop when the seeds are ready for harvest. The normal green color will fade to yellow and then brown. And the seeds will be nice and dark.
To preserve the seeds, soak in water overnight and then roast at 200 F until crisp. This will be a few hours. They can be used as an ingredient in seed breads or eaten as a snack.
When harvesting for the flowers, do so in the morning. The heat of the day can leave them looking wilty.
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Use it:
The sunflower and solar worship go hand in hand. The flower itself appears to worship the sun as it travels across the sky each day. It is the perfect tool to use when drawing down the sun. This practice is less common than drawing down the moon since we often seek the feminine energies the moon provides us with. But the sun's masculine energies can used to charge ritual tools or empower the spirit. It is an often-overlooked source of power.
Key times to perform sun rituals are sunrises, sunsets, and noon; at the height of the sun's power. Consider the possibilities of harnessing the energies of Midsummer's Day, solar festivals, or solar eclipses. Supercharge these sun spells by adding a mix of sunflowers with any of the following: calendula, rosemary, St. John's wort, or chamomile. And remember to never, ever look directly at the sun.
Sunflowers are also great for mending the spirit and instilling self-confidence. Take a symbolic soak in the bath with St. John's wort, lavender, and sunflowers for confidence and to dispel depression. Let all the bad vibes get sucked down the drain.
The moon in Leo or Aries is a great time to cast confidence spells. While the new moon is good time for rituals to overcome negative influences and push ourselves onwards. For an extra potent soak, combine the herbs with a cup of Epsom salts, they help purify toxins from the body. But be wary of added fragrances when buying them.
Harnessing the money drawing aspects of sunflowers is easy. Just keep a couple petals or seeds in your wallet or change jar. Super-charge the sunflower's money-drawing aspects by using it with chamomile, mint, or other money-drawing herbs.
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