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...
The scent of thyme inspires calm. Like the calm before the storm. It can help to steady nerves and invoke courage. Thyme inspires positivity and can make the impossible seem possible. Sometimes this is exactly what is needed in a love spell; Thyme has associations with Venus and love spells. Wild thyme invokes wildly passionate love.
Thyme has both protection and money drawing aspects. Plant it in your garden, as it grows so will your funds. Can be used for dream spells; provides protection from nightmares.
Folklore says that fairies make their homes in patches of wild thyme. And that blowing thyme leaves in the air will summon them.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Grow it:
Thyme is hard to start from seed and the sprouts are also very fragile. Like mint, it's easier to start from cuttings taken from a well-established plant. Take a single stem and strip the leaves except the top few. Place the stem in a container of water, making sure the leaves stay dry. Leave the container in a sunny spot and in about a week you should see new roots beginning to grow. In another week or so, these roots will be a couple inches long and ready for planting.
Thyme can be used as a fragrant ground cover. Some varieties are more bushy, while some spread low. If you don't want it spreading, you'll have to prune it. Creeping thyme is particular, has tendrils that are pretty in containers. It grows well with sage, rosemary, strawberries, or tomatoes. It likes full sun and is drought tolerant. Well draining soil is a must, as thyme is susceptible to root rot.
There are dozens of varieties of thyme: English, French, caraway, creeping, lemon, etc. And also like mint, thyme has a habit of hybridizing, so planting more than one variety will result in new ones! Most non-ornamental varieties are medicinal, including common kitchen varieties.
Thyme is evergreen in the winter and can be harvested year round once established. Though it does go dormant in winter, it can still be harvested. For the best tasting thyme, harvest on a warm day, prior to flowering.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Use it:
Thyme can be dried with the leaves right on the stem; in bunches or in the oven on a low setting. Strip the leaves before use.
Dried thyme is handy to use as an incense or in the kitchen.
Thyme naturally helps clear congestion; a few drops of thyme essential oils in a hot bath or a diffuser provides relief. A honey infusion in tea works beautifully for coughs & chest congestion. Just don't use milk in thyme tea. It messes with the plant's tannins.
Smudging with thyme can be used for a number of purposes: for protection and courage or luck and love. Or it can be used with rosemary for a purifying house blessing.
Fresh herbs, like thyme, make great additions to bath bombs too! I like to use bath bombs like little, premade bath spells all set to go when you need them. Just chuck 'em into the water and you're ready!
And they're so simple to make.
What's your favorite way to use thyme? Leave me a comment and let me know! I'd love to try it out!
Check out themoonmanual.com for digital downloads of art, my book, and more!
