The genus name was derived from the Latin sanguis, meaning “blood,” which refers to the reddish-brown or red-orange juice that oozes from the rhizome/root when cut. Bloodroot was used by a number of Native American tribes as a dye for cloth and baskets. It was also an ingredient in war paint. This sweet little woodland plant was also used as a love charm.
The root was used medicinally for a range of ailments. European settlers adopted its therapeutic use and bloodroot continued to be listed as an official botanical drug in the United States until the early twentieth century. Although it is no longer considered safe for herbal medicine, bloodroot is often used an ornamental garden plant. The plant has a threatened or endangered species status in some areas; check vendor sources when purchasing bloodroot.
Magically, bloodroot can be used to release attachments, sprinkle crumbled, dried leaves in a meadow or wooded area. Burn a dried leaf to bolster courage or to add strength to spells. Place a flower or leaf on your altar to aid in divination. For esbat and women’s rituals, place three flowers on your altar or prepare a candle with flower essence. Place a few pieces of dried root in a sachet and carry it with you to attract love or under your bed to enhance lovemaking. If you find bloodroot in the wild, work with its energy and leave an offering.
Poor Arnica (Arnica montana) has been misidentified for centuries. During the Middle Ages in German-speaking areas of Europe, it had the folk name wohlverleih, meaning “bestowing wellbeing.” Unfortunately, the name was misunderstood and arnica was called wolfsleiche, which meant “wolf’s corpse.” German mystic and herbalist Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) added to the confusion by calling it Wolfesgelegena.
Its folk name leopard’s bane is another case of misidentification. Arnica looks very similar to great leopard’s bane (Doronicum pardalianches), which was believed to have the poisonous power to bring down a leopard. While arnica does not have the power to dispatch a great cat, Hildegard noted that it was an aphrodisiac and used in love magic.
In addition to love spells, Arnica has other magical qualities. Place a sprig of leaves on your altar to increase and enhance your psychic abilities during divination sessions. Use the seeds for a protection spell. Sprinkle them at the corners of your property as you visualize energy rising and creating a dome of safety. Raising energy inside your home with arnica helps settle restless spirits.
Erin Lale
Fellow faculty at Harvard Divinity School posted an open letter to Wolpe in response to his article. It's available on this page, below the call for p...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. The Wild Hunt has a roundup of numerous responses on its site, but it carried this one as a separate article. It is an accoun...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. This one is by a scholar of paganism. It's unfortunately a Facebook post so this link goes to Facebook. She posted the text o...
Erin Lale
Here's another link to a pagan response to the Atlantic article. I would have included this one in my story too if I had seen it before I published it...
