Magical and Medicinal Uses of Fennel

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Mercury
Element: Fire
Powers: Enlightenment, Fertility, Healing, Lust, Protection, Purification, Wisdom

Magical Uses and History: Fennel likely originated in the Mediterranean, spreading throughout the rest of the world as trade prospered and cultures exchanged goods. Fennel has long been revered, not only for its culinary uses but also for its medicinal and magical properties, playing a significant role in rituals as far back as the ancient Greeks. These ritual uses did not die with the ancient Greeks, however, but spread and morphed with time.

In ancient Greece, fennel was most often used in religious ceremonies, most notably for the Greek god Dionysus. Fennel was used to create thyrsi, wands or staves made from giant fennel covered in ivy and leaves, and topped with a pine cone or artichoke. These staves were carried by devotees of Dionysus and used in Bacchic rituals. It was a symbol of fertility (it is a deliberately phallic object, after all), prosperity, and hedonism. By some accounts, iron points were hidden among the leaves and used as weapons to "incite madness." In the Bacchae and Other Plays, Euripides writes, "To raise my Bacchic shout, and clothe all who respond / In fawnskin habits, and put my thyrsus in their hands– / The weapon wreathed with ivy-shoots ... There's a brute wildness in the fennel-wands; reverence it well." By all accounts, the use of fennel in the thyrsus associates it with fertility, lust, and protection, and therefore, it can be used in spells and rituals for such purposes. If you work with Dionysus, consider creating your own thyrsus to use in rituals. Add fennel or fennel seeds to spells and recipes to attract or promote fertility, increase lust, and ignite passions. It works best when consumed.

Fennel wasn't just associated with Dionysus in ancient Greece, but also with Prometheus. Fennel is believed to be the plant Prometheus used to steal fire from the gods to gift to humanity. This associated fennel with enlightenment, knowledge, and wisdom. This symbolism is echoed by Pliny the Elder, who wrote that snakes rubbed against fennel plants to restore their eyesight while shedding. This led people to believe that eating fennel would improve one's eyesight, and as such, further links fennel to enlightenment and knowledge, as boosting eyesight helps one "see" the truth. This is further supported by fennel's association with Mercury, which Culpepper attributes to its versatile nature and associations with mental clarity and wit. As such, fennel can be used in spells, rituals, and recipes for clarity, enlightenment, wisdom, and knowledge. Fennel seeds can be burned, drunk as a tea, or used as an essential oil to enhance clairvoyance and promote focus.

The Romans, however, by and large revered fennel for its associations with strength, success, and longevity. Roman soldiers consumed fennel seeds prior to embarking on military campaigns to increase their stamina and ward off bad luck and evil spirits. In Goblet of Life, Longfellow suggests it was eaten by gladiators for similar purposes before entering the arena: "It gave new strength, and fearless mood; / And gladiators, fierce and rude, /Mingled it in their daily food; / And he who battled and subdued..." Furthermore, fennel was often used to crown the winners of games, thus associating fennel with success. This correspondence is echoed in Greece, where fennel is referred to as marathon after the battle of Marathon (490 BC) that was fought in a fennel field. Use fennel, especially the seeds, in spells and rituals to increase stamina, bring strength, or ensure success. It is also useful in ensuring the spell lasts and is successful.

Fennel was so well-regarded that Charlemagne encouraged its cultivation across Europe. It became a staple in royal kitchens, being served to kings with fruit, bread, and fish. Records indicate that King Edward I of England purchased fennel seed by the pound, which would have fetched a rather hefty price. Spanish missionaries spread fennel to the Americas, while the spice trade across Europe and Asia spread it into India and China. Across all of these cultures, fennel was highly regarded for its medicinal purposes, being used to cure a wide range of ailments. As mentioned earlier, fennel was associated with snakes, which likely led to its use in poultices to treat snake bites and as an antivenom. It was also used to treat diabetes, bronchitis, chronic cough, kidney stones, hookworms, and improve eyesight. In Longfellow's Goblet of Life, fennel is praised for its ability to restore eyesight: "Above the lowly plants it towers, / The fennel, with its yellow flowers, / And in an earlier age than ours / Was gifted with the wondrous powers, / Lost vision to restore." This use is also extolled in an old English rhyme: "Whaune the heddere (adder) is hurt in eye / Ye red fenel is hys prey, / And yif he mowe it fynde / Wonderly he doth hys kynde. / He schall it chow wonderly, / And leyn it to hys eye kindlely, / Ye jows shall sang and hely ye eye / Yat beforn was sicke et feye." Needless to say, fennel is deeply associated with healing and can be used in spells, rituals, and recipes for such purposes.

Apart from its use in improving eyesight (which modern science does not support), it was also used heavily as a digestive aid and an appetite suppressant. In the New England colonies, Puritans often chewed on fennel seeds to suppress their appetite during fasting. Churchgoers often chewed on fennel seeds during long services for similar purposes, earning them the name of "meeting seeds." Fennel seeds can be added to spells to strengthen their endurance or suppress an unwanted force from interfering with their success.

Finally, fennel has a long history of being used in purification and protection magic. In Medieval Europe, fennel was hung over the door, or seeds were placed in a keyhole, to protect against witches, ghosts, and evil spirits. Stuffing a keyhole with fennel seeds was believed to bar passage into the home. Both the hanging of fennel and the blocking of keyholes were done during Midsummer for protection. According to some accounts, fennel was also used to ward off fleas and other insects. As such, fennel can be added to spells and rituals for protection. Hang fennel above doors and windows or sprinkle seeds around your property, add to spell jars, burn seeds or dried leaves, or add to sachets for protection.

Fennel can be used in a number of spells, including:

      Protection Spells

      Fertility Magic

      Lust Spells

      Healing Spells

      Endurance Magic

      Strength Spells

      Enlightment Magic

Medicinal Uses: Fennel seeds make an excellent remedy for stomach and intestinal issues such as flatulence and colic, and are also often used to stimulate appetite and digestion due to their carminative and antispasmodic properties. As an expectorant, fennel seeds can also be used to treat bronchitis and coughs, and are often used to flavor cough remedies for this purpose. Fennel is also a natural galactagogue, meaning it can be used to initiate, maintain, or increase breast milk production, making it perfect for expecting or new mothers. Externally, fennel seeds can be used to treat muscular and rheumatic pains as they are a rubefacient, stimulating blood flow and creating a warming effect to relieve deep tissue pain and reduce inflammation.

Preparation and Dosage: To create an infusion, combine one cup of boiling water with 1-2 teaspoons of slightly crushed fennel seeds. Allow the mixture to infuse for 10 minutes. Drink up to three times a day. To relieve flatulence, drink one cup 30 minutes before meals. As a tincture, take 2-4 milliliters up to three times a day. To create a salve, combine 1.5 cups of lightly crushed fennel seeds with 1/2 cup of carrier oil. Allow the mixture to infuse in a window for 1-2 weeks or warm on very low heat for one hour. In a double boiler, combine infused oil with 1-2 tablespoons of beeswax. Pour into tins or glass jars and allow the salve to harden undisturbed. Use as needed for pain relief. To create a poultice, crush 1-2 tablespoons of fennel seeds and combine with a small amount of water to form a thick paste. Apply directly or in a gauze to the irritated or inflamed skin. Leave on for approximately 20 minutes before removing.

Want to print a copy of this for your Book of Shadows? Click below for your free copy!

If you liked this post, please consider leaving a small tip in the jar.