Category Archives: Magic and Occult

Emerald

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Emerald is regarded as the traditional birthstone for May, as well as the traditional gemstone for the astrological signs of Taurus, Gemini and sometimes Cancer. Astrologers also consider emerald a gem of the planets Mercury, Venus and Jupiter.

Emerald is regarded as the traditional birthstone for May, as well as the traditional gemstone for the astrological signs of Taurus, Gemini and sometimes Cancer. Astrologers also consider emerald a gem of the planets Mercury, Venus and Jupiter.

Emerald is a stone of hope and wisdom. Some consider emerald similar to a “magic mirror”, capable of reflecting experiences of a person’s past lives. Because it can reveal the past, the gem is also considered able to reveal the future.

In 15th–16th century Russia, Emerald was considered as a talisman bringing wisdom and serenity often used by mothers and seafarers because it also protects from infidelity. There is a belief that emerald will shatter or crumble if one of the spouses is unfaithful to another. It is also used to prevent or drive away storms.

Emerald helps to treat fever, inflammations, illness of liver, diabetes. It was believed to be very helpful against epilepsy, skin diseases as well as diseases of urinal-genital system of women. It was also said that just looking at this stone before going to sleep could prevent insomnia.

Emeralds can be used to strengthen health and bring longevity. The gem can also protect against snakebites. According to one legend, seeing an Emerald is fatal for poisonous snakes, as they are blinded by it.

One of the quainter anecdotes on emeralds was by the 16th-century historian Brantôme, who referred to the many impressive emeralds the Spanish under Cortez had brought back to Europe from Latin America. On one of Cortez’s most notable emeralds he had engraved Inter Natos Mulierum non sur-rexit mayor (“Among those born of woman there hath not arisen a greater,” Matthew 11:11) which referred to John the Baptist. Brantôme considered engraving such a beautiful and simple product of nature sacrilegious and considered this act the cause for Cortez’s loss of an extremely precious pearl (to which he dedicated a work, A beautiful and incomparable pearl), and even for the death of King Charles IX of France, who died soon after.

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Lily of the Valley

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Lily of the Valley is considered a "masculine" plant, dedicated to Mercury and associated with the element of Air. If you dream of Lily of the Valley, it can be indicative of a desire to flee the constraints of day-to-day life or re-discover the simple joys of nature.

Lily of the Valley is considered a “masculine” plant, dedicated to Mercury and associated with the element of Air. If you dream of Lily of the Valley, it can be indicative of a desire to flee the constraints of day-to-day life or re-discover the simple joys of nature.

Lily of the Valley, the flower of May much as emerald is the birthstone of May, since Maia, the daughter of Atlas, was the mother of Mercury. The flower is known by many names: May Lily, Our Lady’s Tears, and Jacob’s Ladder among them. (Daffodil, known as “lent lily,” and the well-known Easter Lily make this May Lily part of a springtime lily sequence.) Associated with the planet Mercury for astrological purposes and the healing gods Apollo and Aesculapius, the Lily of the Valley is a potent plant for magical medicinal purposes and for increasing mental abilities. It can therefore be considered related to the suit of Swords in the tarot deck.

However, all parts of the plant are highly poisonous, including the red berries which may be attractive to children. If ingested—even in small amounts—the plant can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, and a reduced heart rate.

IF YOU LIKED THIS POST ABOUT THE FOLKLORE & OCCULT QUALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY, CLICK HERE TO SEE MY FANTASY NOVELS IN WHICH ALL THE MAGIC AND SUPERNATURAL EVENTS ARE BASED ON AUTHENTIC MEDIEVAL-RENAISSANCE OCCULT BELIEFS AND PRACTICES.

Pussy willow

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Pussywillows, used in Central and Eastern Europe instead of palms on Palm Sunday, are considered sacred to goddesses of the moon, death, and royal power.

Pussywillows, used in Central and Eastern Europe instead of palms on Palm Sunday, are considered sacred to goddesses of the moon, death, and royal power.

Pussy willows are often used in Central and Eastern European churches on Palm Sunday instead of the nearly-impossible to obtain palms. They bloom in early spring and the branches are supple enough to use in the holiday decorations and festivities.

Pussy willows are also associated with the moon and water, often used when invoking Hecate, Artemis/Diana, Ceres, Persephone, Hera, or Mercury/Hermes for protection. All these are deities associated with the night and the dead, ex. Hermes leading the newly-departed to their abode in the Otherworld. Early British burial mounds, near marshes or lakes, are often lined with willow branches. It is said that if you plant a willow and it — or a cutting taken from it — is thriving when you die, you will be protected in your journey to the Otherworld and throughout the afterlife.

To conjure spirits, burn willow bark and sandalwood outdoors at night during the waning moon. “Knock on wood” (i.e willow trees or bark) to protect yourself from evil or attract good luck. Willow is also considered appropriate for a magical staff (the infamous “magic wand”) or to bind a broom to be used for magical purposes.