Linh Anh Order

and are still used today, for their medicinal healing powers. But the Witch knows that these gentle and lovely plants contain other powers as well-- magickal powers to be used and tapped into for spells and potions, rituals and cleansing. The witch has a variety of ways that she incorporates the use of herbs in her practice, depending on her intentions and the plants used. Note that you should never ingest any herb, feed it to someone else, or even handle it with your bare hands, if you are not 100% sure that it is safe. Many herbs are edible, but there are just as many that are poisonous to ingest, and still others that can actually be absorbed through your skin, so handle with care. I abide by the old rule:

“When in doubt…don’t.”

Herbalism (also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology or phytotherapy) is the use of plants to cure human ailments. It is a traditional medicinal practice or folk medicine, dating back to the beginnings of human history, based on the use of plants and plant extracts (sometimes extended to include fungi, bee products, minerals, shells and even certain animal parts). It utilizes the fact that many plants synthesize substances (e.g. phenols and tannins) that are useful to the maintenance of health in humans and other animals. Some of these substances serve as the plant’s own defence mechanism against predation by microorganisms, insects and herbivores.