Magical and Medicinal Uses of Thistle

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Powers: Exorcism, Hex-Breaking, Healing, Optimism, Protection, Purification, Strength

Magical Uses and History: Before I dive into the history and lore of thistle, I need to note that the word "thistle" has been used to refer to a variety of plants in the Asteraceae family, including, but not limited to, milk thistle, blessed thistle, and Scotch thistle. Where possible, I have noted the type of thistle experts believe the text references, but the correspondences largely overlap due to their characteristic sharp leaves, prickly spines, and dense purple or pink flower heads.

Thistle, like many plants, has a dualistic cosmogony, appearing as both a plant of the devil as well as a warder of evil. According to artiological legends, God allocated thistle, along with nettle, to the devil:

The Lord God, when He created the world, gave out and distributed various seeds: to people, animals, birds. He also gave a few grains of oats and buckwheat to the devil, but St. Michael said: Lord, these are good for people too, the devil will be just fine with thistles and nettles. – So take those away from him and give him these, God commanded. The angel flew after the devil and caught up with him at the crossroads as the latter screamed incessantly: “My oats, my buckwheat, my oats, my buckwheat!” – What you’re saying! The angel of God stopped him. – I seem to have forgotten – So I’ll remind you: yours is thistle and nettle. – Oh, thank you – and with that the devil carried on and shrieked again: “My thistle, my nettle!”.

Other sources say thistle was created by the devil and refer to it as devil's thistle, devil's seed, and devil's weed. Plants associated with the devil were often considered undesirable weeds. Farmers routinely removed thistle and other "weeds" from their fields, sometimes using magical means to do so. For example, on Christmas Day, rubbish would be swept into the field where thistle grew in hopes of banishing it, while on St. Stephen's Day, oats were spread over fields with thistle while saying "Devil, flee with the thistle, for I am sowing blessed oats." However, it is this association with the devil, as well as its thorny nature, that prompted its use in protection. Thistle was spread on thresholds, stuck in windows, hidden in roof seathing or thatch, and placed in stables and barns to protect against witches, the devil, and other untoward spirits.

Similar myths and legends exist across multiple cultures, where thistle has long been used as a protective amulet. In German folklore, it is said a merchant who forgot to wear his thistle was attacked, robbed, and murdered by a jealous thief. With his dying breath, the merchant placed a "curse of thistle" on the thief so that he would never know peace. Haunted by the curse, the thief eventually confessed to his sins and was hanged. Apuleius wrote some two thousand years ago about wearing amulets of thistle to 'avert all ills,' while in Estonia, thistle was placed on ripening grain to protect it from evil spirits who would spoil it. In the Balkans, silver thistle was carried to protect against slander, while in Russia it was used to protect livestock and children from witches and the devil.

However, one of the most famous uses of thistle for protection is in Scotland, where thistle (Scotch thistle) is believed to have helped the Scots win the Battle of Largs in the 13th century, when a Viking horde sought to ambush the sleeping clansmen. According to the stories, the Norsemen removed their shoes to quiet their footsteps. As they crept across the countryside, however, one of the men stepped on the thorny thistle, crying out in pain. This cry woke the Scots, who in turn defeated their foes.

While the thistle may have saved the Scots from the Norse invaders, the thistle was highly regarded by the Norse for its protective qualities, specifically against lightning. The Norse believed the thistle was created by lightning, thus associating it with Thor, and therefore could protect the wearer from lightning strikes. It was not only worn for such purposes, but also placed in homes for the same reason. As such, all forms of thistle can be used for spells and rituals for protection. Carry thistle on your person, place in your home, or grow in your garden to protect against evil, thieves, unwanted attention, and lightning. Add to baths to wash away unwanted negativity and break hexes. Add to protection bottles and spell bags, or weave into your clothing for similar purposes. Its uses in protection magic are pretty endless.

In the same vein of magic, thistle has also long been used for strength. In Scandinavian folklore, thistle was carried to draw strength and power from another. It was said that while holding thistle, if one thought about another person, they would draw their strength into them, thus weakening the other. Other folklore discusses eating thistle or carrying it to bring strength and vitality.

Apart from protection, thistle (milk thistle) is also associated with milk production and the Virgin Mary. In one Christian myth, milk cascaded from Mary's breast while feeding the infant God, and dropped onto the thistle, thus imbuing it with sacred powers. Imagery from Christian texts and church stained glass often depicts milk thistle, especially in conjunction with Mother Mary. In the Book of Hours, thistle frames Mary and the child, furthering their association with one another, and therefore a symbol of austerity and grace. Furthermore, milk thistle was often used to protect cows' milk from thieves. In Scandinavia, however, thistle is specifically named in runic inscriptions that are believed to aid women in giving birth. Medicinally, thistle was used to help lactating mothers, furthering its association with milk and new life. As such, thistle can be used in lactation spells and remedies, or spells and rituals related to childbirth, new life, and feminine fertility.

As with many plants, thistle has long been used for healing. Carrying thistle or weaving it into charms and amulets was said to dispel melancholy and bring joy. The Anglo-Saxons drank thistle tea to ease stomach pains, while the Romany used it to treat cancer. In Irish folk medicine, thistle was often boiled in milk to cure asthma and whooping cough. Culpepper wrote of thistle's use in treating venomous animal bites, boils, and plague sores, a cure Charlemagne also praised when thistle was used to treat disease when it broke out in his camp. Pliny the Elder said it could cure snakebites, treat bad breath, flatulence, and even baldness. Today, modern scientific advancements have proven thistle's use to treat gastrointestinal issues related to bile production as well as enhance breastmilk production. With this in mind, thistle can be used in spells, rituals, and remedies for health and wellness, especially for issues related to lactation and galbladder/liver function.

While most of the folklore focuses on protection and healing, some sources discuss thistle's use in love potions and divinations. Thistle was combined with cloves, laurel seeds, and sparrow wort in pigeon broth and drunk to ensnare a lover. Other spells involve planting thistle in a mixture of dirt from a blooming rose garden and semen from a black stallion, which is then watered by the urine of a white mare for one month before eating. To divine love, thistle flowers were placed in the four corners of one's pillow, each named from a different suitor. Whoever's head grew a new shoot first was said to foretell your future spouse. Finally, carrying thistle was said to make men better lovers. As such, thistle can be used in spells and rituals for love, specifically to attract it or ensare it.

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

      Healing Spells

      Strength Magic

      Protection Spells

      Love Spells

      Excocisms

Medicinal Uses: While I discussed thistles as a whole in the previous section, for medicinal purposes I will focus only on milk thistle (Silybum marianum), as it is the most widely used variety in medicine. Please pay attention to scientific names when working with medicinal plants. The seeds and leaves of milk thistle are a galactagogue, meaning they can be used to promote milk secretion (hence the name milk thistle). It is also a cholagogue, helping to stimulate the flow of bile from the gallbladder and liver, making it useful in treating gallbladder- and liver-related bile issues.

Preparation and Dosage: To create an infusion, combine one cup of boiling water with 1 teaspoon dried leaves. Let the mixture infuse for 10-15 minutes before enjoying. Drink up to three times a day. As a tincture, take 1-2 milliliters up to three times a day.

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Magical Properties of Dalmatian Jasper

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Midsommar Altar 2026

Midsommar was almost two weeks ago, and while I set up my altar and did a small celebration, I didn't get around to writing the post until now. I have been enjoying resting and spending time with friends and family in the short time I have before the school year starts again.

Midsommar is a festival to celebrate the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. Archaeological evidence, such as standing stones and other such monuments, suggests the summer solstice has been culturally important since the Neolithic era. While different cultures celebrated this festival differently, there are many common themes and practices, such as bonfires, feasting, and fertility rituals, and for a good reason. By the summer solstice, crops are ripening quickly in the field, providing extremely bountiful harvests, which were cause enough to celebrate. Here in Georgia, strawberry season has ended, but peach, blackberry, and blueberry season is well underway, along with watermelon, corn, summer squash, and zucchini.

As with each of my altars, I took the correspondences of the season to heart while I carefully chose the items that are featured. Midsommar is characterized by reds, oranges, and yellows, sun symbols, fire, and lush greenery, themes featured in this year's altar.

1. Sun Wheel- Unless you are new here, you have seen this sun wheel on more than one occasion. Since I made it, it has appeared on my summer solstice altar. It's one of my favorite crafts I've done over the years, and it was so simple and easy to make. As the name suggests, it represents the Sun, which is most prominent on the summer solstice, masculine energy, light, and fertility. Being that the summer solstice is the longest day of the year, it is only fitting to represent the Sun in all His strength. Sun wheels were commonly created by our ancestors as a form of sympathetic magic by helping the Sun remain strong through the rest of the growing season, which was needed to ensure a bountiful crop to make it through the darkest and coldest months of the year. In fact, there is a record of Nordic peoples creating sun wheels, albeit different from the one I have created here. You can read more about Nordic sun wheel representations in my post What is Midsommar? (Where did I get it: I made it; Cost: Under $5)

2. Various Candles- Of all the potential symbols and practices associated with Midsommar, bonfires are one of the few verifiable practices, as it is often referenced in historical documents. They were often lit as a form of protection, for both people and livestock, as the bright flames were said to burn or scare away harmful spirits. These practices were common across multiple cultures, so it seems obvious to include fire and candles to represent these practices on my altar. This year I decided to feature a wide array of candles at varying heights to represent the varying heights of flame during a bonfire. Fire is associated with strength, vitality, and life, common themes of Midsommar, and is also used as a form of sympathetic magic to attract the Sun. After all, the sun is what helps ripen crops in the field which will nourish us through the winter months to come. One of the candles featured is red, representing strength, fertility, lust, and love, which help bring forth life during these bright summer months. (Where did I get it: Candles- Dollar Tree; Cost: $2, Candle Holders- Dollar Tree; Cost: $4)

3. Calendula Petals- Calendula is a solar plant; its bright yellow is often compared to that of the shining rays of the sun. As such, calendula represents the Sun, strength, vitality, health, happiness, and abundance. As with other elements on my altar, the calendula petals work sympathetically to strengthen and empower the Sun to ensure continued abundance and prosperity for the remainder of the season. Furthermore, calendula is associated with the Norse goddess Freya, bringer of love, beauty, and fertility. Some evidence suggests that Freya and her twin Freyr were honored during the solstice as bringers of abundance, warmth, and vitality. The solstices are also liminal periods, and while not as powerful as the equinoxes, spirit work is often a certain focus of Midsommar festivities for hedge witches like myself. Calendula can be used as a dream enhancer, allowing for spirit communication. (Where did I get it: My Garden; Cost: Free)

4. Sowilo and Mannaz Runes- In the center of the altar are the runes Sowilo and Mannaz. I have written about both of these runes on my blog, and it seemed appropriate to include them on my Midsommar altar. Sowilo is known as the sun rune, and represents not only the sun, but also vitality and victory. It brings strength and life to the altar, correspondences of summer. Mannaz, however, is known as the humanity rune. It represents community, which has long been a central focus of all blóts and Midsommar festivities across multiple cultures. Blóts are always celebrated with the greater community and often used as a time to connect with not just neighbors, but also newcomers, ancestors, and land spirits. Midsommar is one of these festivals, so it seems only fitting to include the rune here. (Where did I get it: Won; Cost: Free)

5. Carnelian and Clear Quartz- With the runes are two different types of crystals: carnelian and a clear quartz tower. The two carnelian stones, in their reds and oranges, are associated with the Sun, strength, happiness, vitality, and growth. I went with two carnelian as the masculine energies of the season tend to dominate, but I also chose two because the number two represents balance and partnerships. While the masculine tends to be the more prominent energy of the season, life cannot be brought forth by the masculine alone. It takes the masculine and feminine coming together to create new life. The clear quartz tower adds additional strength to this altar dedicated to the Sun, while also representing the subtle energies of the feminine, balance, and focus. (Where did I get it: Various Occult Stores; Cost: $12)

6. Incense Holder & Solar Incense- Last, but not least, is my incense holder and within a solar incense. This blend, known as "Summer Solstice," was created by my local occult shop and contains sun-associated botanicals, resins, and sweet spices to celebrate the peak of the sun's power. I am not 100% sure what is in it, but it smells wonderful, wonderful enough that my husband asked me to bring it into the office after I was done with my celebrations.  Apart from its association with the sun, incense smoke is often used to carry messages to the other world. Since the veil tends to be thin during the solstices, this is a great time to commune with spirits, ancestors, and the like, and honor them. (Where did I get it: Local Occult Store; Cost: $2.50)

TOTAL COST: ~$16

Like my other altars, most of the items I use are found, made, or purchased for around $1, although if the items must be purchased by you, then the cost will be higher. This altar is more expensive than some of my previous altars because I wanted to include some new items I purchased this year. I hope you find this sort of breakdown helpful, especially for those of you looking to create Instagram-perfect altars on a budget!

I hope that you had a wonderful Midsommar, and were able to celebrate in whatever way is most meaningful to you, whether that be indoors or around a roaring bonfire with friends and family.

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Book Review: The Rag & Bone Man by Lee Morgan

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I was first asked to review The Rag & Bone Man by Lee Morgan, I was intrigued by the premise. Unlike other occult books, this one combines fiction and non-fiction, blending new and old ideas to create something unlike anything else I have come across in all my years of reading and reviewing books. Morgan is a prolific writer, but is probably best known for his work A Deed Without a Name, which is highly recommended among practitioners of traditional witchcraft. Knowing this, I wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to review his latest book.

As mentioned, The Rag & Bone Man combines both fiction and non-fiction, which Morgan refers to as "a story that has a head, a heart, and two working hands." What does this mean exactly? Well, the head refers to the first part of the book, which lays the historical foundation of the story (heart) that follows it. In this section, Morgan heavily focuses on the history of the Spiritualism movement, complete with footnotes and citations. As someone who studied the Spiritualism movement's impact on literature in college (yes, I was a science major, but I took a heavy load of English courses as well), I loved that it was the central focus of this section, and included major literary works that incorporated such fantastical elements. It is not something that is normally discussed in occult spaces, which is wild to me because much of the folklore and practices many of us use and practice today originated or spread widely during this time period. The introduction or "head" alone is well worth the read.

The "heart," as Morgan calls it, is a fictional story that takes the reader on a journey through the eyes of Henry and his interactions with the Rag & Bone man. The Rag & Bone man is a collector of memories, thoughts, and emotions, taking stories and transforming them into new things or repurposing them. I don't want to give too terribly much away, because you really need to read the story for yourself, but it explores themes of memory, identity, folklore, and our relationship with the inhuman. It ties in heavily with Spiritualism, which, as mentioned before, is the main focus of the introduction. I will say that the story heavily dominates this book. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, given what Morgan is trying to do, but out of 275 pages, the story takes up 238 of them, or 86.5% of the book. For some of you, I know this may be the determining fact as to whether or not you give The Rag & Bone Man a try. Not everyone wants to go on a literary adventure to explore witchcraft, and that is perfectly fine. For the rest of you, especially those that struggle to find context or meaning in their work, there is a very good chance this will be exactly what you are looking for.

Finally, the book concludes with "two working hands" or the practical grimoire. This section takes what we learned in the head and heart and turns it into actionable items such as "alignment with the fetch" and even conducting séances. This is not a straightforward grimoire, however, but a more intuitive guide. It is not bogged down with lists of ingredients and steps. The grimoire reminded me of Dulsky's works, which take a very similar approach to teaching the occult. She too likes to weave stories, followed by actionable items to develop your craft. Morgan's work is no different, albeit slightly less lyrical and easier to follow. While I enjoy this style, it is not the most accessible format for a grimoire, and is definitely not something you can easily flip open and find what you are looking for. If you like Dulsky's works, you will probably enjoy The Rag & Bone Man too.

Overall, The Rag & Bone Man is a unique combination of historical context, storytelling, and practical application woven seamlessly into a"new tradition. While I wish the story itself was shorter, I was impressed with Morgan's work, and know there is definitely a market for such a tale. I found a place for this one on my shelf, and will likely return to it again in the future, especially when I am navigating my own winding path through the dark.

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