Est. Read time: 3 min, 45 sec
Pliny’s account of Druid mistletoe magic is familiar. White robed Druid’s scaling the oak to cut the mistletoe with a golden blade, caught in a white cloth, while sacrificing 2 white oxen. There is much more to mistletoes use in magic.
Table of Contents
Mistletoe for Protection Magic
- Hang a sprig or sachet of mistletoe on a cradle to protect the baby from being taken by fairies and replaced by a changing.
Fay, or fairies, are otherworldly beings who live under the Sidhe mounds of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Brittan. There are many folktales of fairies taking human babies and replacing them with their own changelings. Fairy changelings are insufferable. They wail constantly, eat but are never filled, and grow to adult size in months or days.
Use in cooperation with Copper Pyramid, Apache Tears, or Protection Blessed Herbal Candle.
Mistletoe for Love Magic
- Suspend mistletoe over a doorway or from a ceiling. Anyone who passes under should receive a kiss of peace and love.
Frigg protected from all harm the Norse pagan god Baldr, son of Odin and Frigga. A mistletoe arrow fatally wound him, but the goddesses and gods restored his life. Afterwards, mistletoe was under the authority of Frigg and made an emblem of love.
When Balder was born, his mother, the Scandinavian goddess Frigg, secured a promise from all the elements: Fire, Aire, Water, Earth; and all creatures to not bring any harm to Baldr. She kept these promises a secret. The god Loki, however, deceived her into revealing her secret to him. Loki fashioned an arrow of mistletoe and tricked the blind god Hödr into firing it. The arrow struck Baldr with a fatal blow. Balder was handsomely radiant and good-hearted. The goddesses and gods, who all favored Baldr, restored him to life.
But why mistletoe? Mistletoe is not of Fire, Air, Water or Earth. It was also too young at Baldr’s birth to make a promise to Frigg. After Baldr’s resurrection, the goddesses and gods gave Frigg control of mistletoe for safe keeping. This prevented the mistletoe from being used adversely against her or to harm any other.
In keeping the tradition of a kiss under the mistletoe, we take part in the assurance that mistletoe is no longer an instrument of harm and mischief.
Use in cooperation with: Lavender Hydrosol / Spray Smudge, Love Herbal Magic Pillar Candle, Damiana
Mistletoe Magic for Unlocking Locks
- Aids in opening things that are locked.
Albert Magnus wrote that mistletoe could help a person unlock locked things. We believe it to open all locks. This can mean metaphysical locks as well. Seeking and understanding magic that you have yet to unlock. Including Mugwort, Mandrake and Vervain along with Mistletoe may be helpful for opening locks. An elixir of Mistletoe and Mugwort may be most helpful.
Use in cooperation with: Gold Seal of Solomon Talisman
Mistletoe for Health
- Wear a ring of mistletoe will ward off sickness and carrying some will heal fresh wounds. (!! Do not apply mistletoe to open wounds.)
The Druids referred to mistletoe as ‘All-Heal’. They believed mistletoe had medicinal and magical properties to heal all kinds of diseases. They also believed mistletoe to be an antidote to all kinds of poisons.
In the Swiss Canton of Aargau, mistletoe, harvested using a specific process, is believed to be a remedy for every childhood illness. “The mistletoe in oak is ascribed to great power. They shrink from cutting it off in the usual manner. When the Sun is in Sagittarius and the moon is on the wane, on the first, third or fourth day of the new moon, one ought to shoot down the mistletoe with an arrow and catch it in the left hand as it falls. Such mistletoe is a remedy for every ailment of children.” (Beyerl 255)
Use in cooperation with:: Thyme, Rosemary Smudge Stick, Good Health Herbal Magic Pillar Candle
Mistletoe for Fertility Magic
- Use the white mistletoe berries that grow in pairs, in sympathetic magic to represent the male testicles. (or ovaries- read on)
Sympathetic magic is a type of magic where X stands in as a symbol for Y. What if you don’t have actual mistletoe berries? You could use two small (or large if the case may be) white marbles.
Why represent testicles and not ovaries?! This is based on tradition. We associate mistletoe with the Sun, which is masculine and ruled the sign Leo, another masculine association. Today, it’s known that gender is neither binary nor static. World mythology provides us with evidence of solar goddesses. It is my firm opinion that we can use mistletoe for all genders, including gender fluid for fertility.
Use in cooperation with: Rose Hips, Sacral Chakra Love Candle Jar
Conclusion
Some details of these magic uses have been lost to time. You and I have permission from the ancestors to use wisdom, knowledge and creativity to fill in the detail. Magic is seldom consistent, which is why it takes practice and refinement.
Possible side effects of mistletoe—generally experienced when the dosage is too high—include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure or dizziness.
Bibliography
Beyerl, P. V. (1998). A compendium of Herbal Magick. Phoenix Pub.
Cunningham, S. (2016). Cunningham’s encyclopedia of magical herbs. Llewellyn Publications.
Folkard, R. (2010). Plant Lore, legends, and lyrics: Embracing the myths, traditions, superstitions, and folk-lore.. Nabu Press.
Grieve, M. (1971). Modern herbal: V. 2. Dover Pub.
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