By Isabella @TheWandCarver

from Google Images

Pennyroyal is a member of the Mint family and was once used as a flavouring for pork during Medieval times. Its name comes from the Latin word for flea and it is useful as a flea repellent. According to literature, the early Romans used it for this reason. Pennyroyal is a pretty wort and if you grow it in your garden, you can be sure to see a surge in the number of butterflies and bees coming round.  Take care, however, for it is a very aggressive grower and it you don’t manage it properly it will quite literally take over the world!

Magickal
Pennyroyal is a wort of peace and protection when worn in a talisman or as a sprig on your lapel or simply carried in a pocket. Keep a bowl of Pennyroyal in your house as on a kitchen table, nightstand, or coffee table to keep peace among family members and to prevent quarrelling. You may also add Pennyroyal to potpourri for this same purpose or heat Pennyroyal oil in an oil burner.

To protect against the Evil Eye or any form of evil and avarice, make a charm or sachet including Pennyroyal to carry with you at all times. The oil is particularly useful in anointing candles before rituals having to do with hex-breaking and protection. Also, burn Pennyroyal in loose incense for aura-clearing or smudging your home. Likewise, this is another useful way to use Pennyroyal in a hex-breaking ritual.

You can mix Pennyroyal, Nettle, and graveyard dirt [use Mullein if you don’t have actual graveyard dirt] and sprinkle it into your hair and onto your clothing, keep it there overnight in order to break a curse.

It is also said that Pennyroyal is good for sharpening one’s wits by tying it onto a bedpost. Long ago, Seamen tossed handfuls of Pennyroyal onto the waters they travelled to keep the seas calm and they kept it upon their person to prevent sea-sickness.

Use in spells to protect your psychic energy from the negativity of others and to strengthen, cleanse and repair the aura.

Healing

My dried Pennyroyal in my wort cabinet ~ photo by i.macy

Pennyroyal is the traveller’s wort – it is said if you sprinkle it in your shoes your feet will not grow tired, no matter how far you must go. In a pre-travelling blessing, include Pennyroyal in some way to protect the traveller.

Pennyroyal has been used since Roman times to keep away fleas. The tincture can be sprayed into the pets bedding or added to wash water or a sachet can be placed in the dryer. Do not let your pet eat it however. Infusing olive oil with Pennyroyal and other insect repelling herbs will create a herbal insect repellent to smooth onto your skin, as long as you’re not allergic or pregnant.

Pennyroyal tea is used for stomach complaints and to bring on delayed menstruation. Pennyroyal may lower blood sugar levels; however, it should not be used for an extended period and is therefore not useful for this purpose for those who need to regulate their blood sugar levels daily. If you are already taking any medication to regulate your blood sugar levels, you should not use Pennyroyal at all.

In Medieval Europe, people wore garlands of Pennyroyal around their heads to offset headache. Often, large boughs of Pennyroyal were hung in the sickroom for healing purposes.

Cautionary:
Pennyroyal should never be used in combination with other drugs or herbs that act on the liver. Certain OTC painkillers can cause liver damage so take care not to use these and Pennyroyal at the same time.

You should never ingest Pennyroyal oil [or any other essential oil]

Some people have allergies to Pennyroyal. If you experience any irritation of the mucus membranes, itching, difficulty breathing, stomach cramps or vomiting, stop using Pennyroyal immediately and go to the A&E [casualty/emergency department] if your symptoms are severe.

Pennyroyal should not be used during pregnancy due to an increased risk of miscarriage.

Death/Afterlife/Reincarnation:
Pennyroyal may be used to bath the body of the deceased prior to embalming. Its magick helps one’s spirit move in a positive direction on the path toward rebirth. It is an excellent herb to use when gaining knowledge of reincarnation.

Correspondences:
Planet: Venus
Gender: Female
Element: Earth
Chakra: Throat
Deity: Hecate, Eileithyia, and Demeter
Other Names: Pudding grass, Mosquito Plant, Tick Weed, Lurk in the Ditch, Organ Broth, Organ Tea, Pilioerian, Squaw Mint, Fleawort

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Sources:
Experience
Witchipedia.org