Herb Magic: Basil, the Ultimate Guide to a Classic Magical Herb

Basil. It’s not just a good name for sheep. When you think of basil, it’s likely your brain jumps to food. The Italian and Thai peoples in particular, make extensive use of this most aromatic of herbs. Considered a royal herb, Basil’s Latin name, Basileus means “king” and its Greek name, Basilikon, aligns it to the Basilisk.

Basil has been used for over 5,000 years in cooking, medicine, and of course, magic. This delicious herb is often overlooked by magic workers because it’s so common, but basil is powerful and really needs to be one of your permanent magical herbs. We will cover several spells in this post.

Like Rosemary, basil is one of those herbs that can be used for almost any type of spell. If you find yourself without a certain herb for a spell, basil is almost always a good “pinch hitter” herb that can stand in for any other herb. Basil is outstanding for:

• Abundance and prosperity spells
• Attraction — and repelling spells
• Banishing spells
• Dark magic 
• Flying ointments
• Protection spells (especially from the Evil Eye)
• Purification spells
• Tranquility and peace spells

With so many uses, one would be remiss to not keep it on hand at all times. The best thing is that basil is easy to grow indoors or outdoors. It likes a lot of light and is a fairly thirsty plant. I have never personally used fertilizers on my herbs because I want to avoid chemicals. Instead, I use something I have a lot of and basil seems to enjoy — used coffee grounds!

Save your morning coffee grounds (even from pods) and dump them around the plant, not going deeper than a half an inch (1.25 cm). My basil loves the acidity because the water where I live (Great Lakes region) is extremely alkaline (hard water). Coffee negates this and my basil thrives on it.

Basil Magic

Let’s talk about herbal magic now. Here are basil’s magical correspondences:

• Chakras — Heart, solar plexus, throat
• Crystals – Aventurine, citrine, ruby, tiger’s eye 
• Deities – Ares, Erzulie, Horus, Krishna, Lakshmi, Osaín, Vishnu, Yemója
• Element – Fire
• Gender – Masculine
• Planets – Mars, Venus
• Zodiac – Scorpio, Aries, Pisces (some sources also list Sagittarius)

Now three spells and several quick charms…

Spell No. 1 | Getting Rid of Bad Energies or Spirits

1. Mix basil, rue, hyssop, and myrrh in a mortar and pestle and grind them up. No mortar? Use a blender or Cuisinart! If our ancestors had them, they would have used them. 
2. Burn the mixture over a charcoal tablet on a heat-proof dish.
3. Carry the dish around your home, ensuring you get some smoke in every corner.
4. For extra power, burn Aunt Jacki’s Van Van candle. Van Van (another potent herb) excels at banishing spirits.

Spell No. 2 | Mending a Broken Friendship

To mend a broken friendship used to require an object link (hair, nail clippings, scrap of clothing, signature, etc.). We no longer need to sneak and get those. We can visit their social media profiles, print out a good photo and use that.

1. Print the photo out and place it on a white plate.
2. Cover it with basil (fresh is better, but dried basil will work as well).
3. Drizzle honey over the photo and basil or — if you have no honey — use  “friendship crystals” like Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Carnelian, or Lapis Lazuli.
4. Recite this phrase three times: 
   1. Bridges burned in moments rash,
   2. Mend the bond with heartfelt flash.
   3. From discord’s shadow, we now ascend,
   4. Together now, our spirits blend.
5. Leave it where the moon can shine on it for an entire 28-day cycle.
6. If they don’t reach out to you first, reach out to them on the 28th day.

Spell No. 3 | Prosperity Spell

As I stated earlier, basil is incredible for attracting prosperity, being the royal herb of the ancient kings. I highly recommend prosperity spells over money spells. Why? Prosperity spells solve the long term issue of not staying afloat, whereas a money spell tends to be a short term fix. Oftentimes we need both. We may need to pay bills now, but doing money spells every month is not a good solution. Better to cast a money spell now, and then immediately afterward, cast a prosperity spell to work at the root cause of the issue.

1. Choose a small pouch, preferably green for growth or gold for abundance. 
2. Place five basil leaves inside the pouch. Add coins to symbolize attracting wealth. Silver coins are ideal for moon energy that fosters growth.
3. Recite:
   1. Herb of abundance, basil so green,
   2. In this pouch, let prosperity be seen.
   3. Coins of silver, wealth flow to me,
   4. By my will, so mote it be!
4. Seal with intent. As you tie the pouch closed, visualize your financial goals being met with ease and grace.
5. Place in your workspace. Keep the pouch in your office or workspace, or carry it with you in your bag to draw prosperity towards you.

Quick Basil Charms 

• Give a potted basil plant to a newlywed couple so their marriage is sweet and prosperous.
• Got a stalker? An ex- that won’t let it go? Write their name on a basil leaf and let it dry up and wilt under your bed to stop that nonsense once and for all.
• Eat something with basil on Tuesdays when you need power to win battles.
• Add basil to your mopwater to bring prosperity to the home.
• Grow basil at the four corners of your home. The herb will act as a natural ward against negativity. If planting basil would be impossible, sprinkle the dried leaves at the corners, preferably under a full or waxing moon.
• Hang a basil leaf from your vehicle’s rear-view mirror when you go on long drives to protect you from accidents and road rage.
• Add basil to offerings to deities and ancestors when you need to ensure success.

Have you incorporated basil into your magical practices, or do you have rituals passed down in your culture? Share your experiences and insights below. We really want to hear them!