Herbs are plants used in magick for many purposes, such as incense, dream pillows, smudging, ritual baths, and decoration. "Herb" has become a catch-all phrase as not all herbs are "herbs" - frankincense and myrrh, for example, are gums - however, for the most part, they are plants of one form or another. They are usually picked and dried for magickal use. They are creatures of earth; however some are associated equally, or even more so, with water (such as kelp, water lilies, and other water plants). Each type of herb has its own energy, and any one herb can be associated with any of the elements, direction, planets, days, etc. In other words, just because herbs, as plants, predominantly represent the earth element doesn’t mean that is their only correspondence.

 An important note: Some herbs are poisonous (such as hemlock, nightshade, mistletoe). Also, some herbs may cause an allergic reaction (depending on the person using them). And some herbs can irritate the skin (cinnamon, for example). Be very careful what you use, how you use it, and how much of it you use when dealing with potentially harmful herbs.

 There are many wonderful herb correspondence websites currently on the ‘Net, so rather than add to them by simply copying the information already available to you, I’ll simply provide the following links:

• Lady of the Earth: Herbs - Flowers - Trees

• Botanical.com: A Modern Herbal (by Mrs. M. Grieve)