My Ultimate Guide to Incorporate Herbs & Botanical Magick Into Everyday Life

Here’s your beginner-friendly guide to incorporating herbal magick into your day to day 

Learning the magickal properties as well as the folklore of herbs and botanicals was one of the first things I did to deepen my knowledge into seasonal living, and overall I found it deeply comforting returning to the wisdom of plants and learning about all the ways they can support us.

Healing herbs and botanicals don’t need to live only in elaborate rituals or apothecary jars… there are so many simple ways we can incorporate them intentionally in our day to days, and often, we are already doing so without knowing! 

They can become part of your morning tea, your bath at the end of the day, the herbs growing by your kitchen window or the flowers in your vase on your dining table.

As I write this we are at the end of May here in the UK, so nature is literally bursting into life with elderflower blooms, nettles growing wild in abundance, mint flourishes, roses and peonies begin opening and gardens are full of colour and scent. It’s really such a beautiful time and I would say May is my favourite month of the year for this reason. 

It’s the perfect season to begin reconnecting with the plants around you if you’re new to this (although don’t worry if you’re starting after or before May, you can of course still find herbals and botanicals that are seasonal thriving in whatever month you start to deepen your herbal practise - in fact I encourage you to align seasonally by working with what botanicals are around you, even in winter you’ll find some ways to incorporate it!)

Herbal Tea

One of THE easiest ways to work with herbs is through tea - and as I mentioned above your may already be doing it! Not only are you getting the physical benefits through drinking it, but with a little intention, you can also connect with the magickal properties of each ingredient. 

Firstly, choose herbs based on the energy or support you need:

• Chamomile for calm & rest
• Peppermint for digestion & clarity
• Nettle for nourishment & minerals
• Lemon balm for stress relief & emotional balance
• Rose for self-love & heart healing
• Elderflower for protection & gentle detoxification

Of course there are many ingredients you could work with so just research into the magickal properties and physical properties of each one. 

Simple tea rituals can become grounding moments throughout the day, here’s when I like to drink herbal teas…

• Morning intention tea
• Afternoon nervous system reset or energy boost
• Evening wind-down blend
• Moon or seasonal ritual tea

Adding to Meals & Drinks

I got so excited when I first heard about kitchen witchery.. you mean I can do protection spells and set intentions whilst I cook? Yes… yes you can.

Simple ways to include them:

• Fresh mint in water or salads for focus and clarity 
• Rosemary in roasted potatoes for protection 
• Thyme in soups and breads for strengthening intuition 
• Basil in pasta dishes for abundance 
• Lavender in baking for calming 
• Edible flowers on cakes or salads for connection to nature and fae energy
• Nettle in soups or pesto for protection 
• You can also intentionally make drinks like tonics and smoothies

Seasonal living often starts in the kitchen, so whether you’re just wanting to connect to nature with seasonal cooking and aligning your recipes with what is abundant around you or you’re wanting to go deeper by setting intentions, this is one that is so easy to weave into every day life. 

If you’re wanting to do a little ritual whilst cooking, simply think about the magickal properties of the ingredients you’re cooking with and set your intentions by stating them out loud or in your mind. I like to state aloud it 3 times. Stir clockwise to bring in positive energies and set intentions or anti clockwise for protection or releasing. 

Bath Rituals 

Image: IG @girlandthemoon_rituals

Botanical baths are one of the most soothing ways to use herbs and botanicals and is a wonderful way to incorporate some self care into your week. 

You can place herbs in a muslin bag or tea infuser to avoid mess and make it easier to clean up if you wish! I like to use whole rose heads rather than petals as it makes it much easier to clean up. Also adding essential oils, a few candles and incense make it that much more special. 

Try adding any of these that you feel drawn to:

• Lavender for relaxation
• Roses for softness and self-love
• Calendula for skin support
• Chamomile for calming energy
• Oats for nourishment
• Sunflowers for joy and radiance

Infuse into oils, balms and honey 

I avoided trying anything like this for a while until I realised how EASY it really was. You don’t need to be a kitchen whizz to try this out.

Simple infusions can become so many different things including:

• Herbal salad dressings
• Tea sweeteners
• Massage oils
• Hair oils
• Ritual oils
• Perfumes
• Moisturisers
• Lip balms 

Here’s some beginner-friendly ideas, but watch this space as I’ll be sharing personally tried and tested intentional, seasonal recipes both in the blog and within the Your Magick World membership app:

• Rosemary olive oil for cooking (gorgeous on toasted bread!)
• Lavender honey (for extra sweetness in your breakfast bowls)
• Rose face oil (a perfect serum before you go to bed to promote self-love)
• Thyme-infused oil (perfect for cooking and serves well as a ritual oil for heightening intuition)

Cleansing your home

Both figuratively and energetically cleansing your home. You can do this in many ways depending on what suits you and your house hold. I personally love smoke wand and making homemade cleansing sprays but for those who have young children and/or pets you may choose not to use smoke wands as often if at all, so you could opt for the simmer pots. 

Smoke wands can be easily made by gathering any wild or homegrown herbs/flowers and bundling them together with twine or string, once you’ve bundled together you allow this to dry for a couple of weeks before burning it to cleanse your home or invite positive energy. 

Simmer pots are even more simpler. Gather your herbs and botanicals, pop them in a pot of water and slowly bring to the boil on the stove. Stir anticlockwise for releasing and clockwise for bringing in positive energy to your home. I like to state my intentions out loud 3 times for this one. Bonus - they make your home smell amazing! 

Homemade cleansing sprays are a budget friendly and non-toxic way to physically clean your home is to make your own cleansing spray! Simply infuse ingredients like lemon, peppermint, oranges, lavender and cloves into some water on a low heat for about 20 minutes, I like to let it sit for an hour or 2 to properly infuse and cool down before straining and pouring into a spray bottle! You can also use this spray for energy cleansing if you want. (Little hack - if you’ve made a simmer pot, you can also strain and pour this into a bottle for similar use!) 

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Healing and using herbs and botanicals intentionally does not have to be complicated! Just started off with simple recipes, rituals and intentions is enough.. I recommend starting off with 2-3 of the botanicals you’re drawn to most and learn all about them and ways you can bring them into your day to day through cooking, spell work, decorating your home or beauty routines then build up from there! 

The more we slow down and work with the seasons, the more we remember that healing can be woven into everyday life.

If you’re interested in learning more and going deeper into seasonal and spiritual living, you can find exclusive recipe cards, ritual guides, seasonal living practises, workshops and a community inside Your Magick World membership app.

Alternatively watch me on YouTube for slow living vlogs, seasonal rituals, slow travel and spiritual chats! 

Follow along on Instagram @sophiesmagickworld for daily inspiration, rituals, seasonal living, behind-the-scenes moments, and little reminders to reconnect with yourself and nature.