Bay Leaves

Laurus nobilis

Did anyone else ever see the whole bay leaves in their mother’s spice cabinet and feel totally justified in all of your backyard potions? Just me? Bay was my first legitimate introduction to using whole herbs. Sure, I had heard the call of nature and concocted any number of “natural remedies” but I had never really known up until that moment that those things were actually real. Most of my initial cooking experience was baking which included lots of chocolate chips and a handful of powdered spices. Maybe if I had paid more attention during dinnertime I might have started my education earlier. At any rate, every time I add a bay leaf to something I think fondly of how far it inspired me to come in my herbal studies and reminds me that there are still plenty of plants out there to meet.

Dried bay leaves can be used whole or crumbled into cooking. They are an important ingredient in many French, Moroccan, and Turkish dishes as well as joining with parsley and thyme to become the blend Bouquet Garni. This subtle yet flavorful blend enhances soups, stews, and sauces. Bay leaves can also be steeped as a tea.

Bay leaves not only protected people from thunderstorms and evil spirits but also helped the priestesses at the Temple of Delphi with divining the future. Today bay leaves are still a relevant and easy to use spell component. The simplest spell is to write your wish on a dried bay leaf and then burn it to make your wish come true. Bay is considered a dual-fold herb and can remove evil from a dwelling as well as bless it with positive energy.

Medicinal Properties:

Holistic Uses:

Culinary Uses:

• Use whole leaves to flavor soups, stews, roasts, sauces and other dishes that simmer for long periods.
• Bay leaves should be added at the beginning of cooking as they impart the best flavor when simmered for a long time.
• Add to a bouquet garni.

Household Uses:

• Bay leaf is very aromatic and holds it shape and fragrance well when dried making it a nice addition to many potpourris, wreaths, and other herbal crafts. It blends well in aromatherapy combination with bergamot, cedar, lemon, rosemary, and patchouli.
• It can also be added to sachets to keep moths out of your closets. A bay leaf dropped in a bag of flour may also help keep bugs out of that.

Simple Spells:

• Sprinkle around a place of business to draw customers.
• Add oil to green candles for money spells.
• Cook bay leaves in a soup for protection.
• Add to any spell or potion designed to enhance psychic ability. Bay is a great addition to a psychic dream pillow.
• Burn bay leaves in a sick room to purify it.
• Wear wreaths of bay leaves during healing ceremonies.
• Bay leaf is extremely useful as a fumigant during banishing or exorcism rites.
• Mix with sandlewood to break curses.
• Carry to protect against misfortune and to brink luck in athletic competitions.
• Write your wish on a dried bay leaf and then burn it to make your wish come true.
• May be used to decorate altars to Apollo.
• May be used as decoration during sun festivals.

Disclaimer: Please note that I am a not medical professional and everything written here is a product of my own research. Don’t take any advice given here over that of a trained doctor. If you ingest any herbs, always make sure that you’re 100% sure that they’re safe. If you’re pregnant or giving to a child, always consult a doctor before ingesting herbs and plant you aren’t familiar with. Magickal instruction and spells are for personal entertainment purposes only. The desired result/outcome cannot be guaranteed as a result of using any magickal item, and should not be used as a replacement for medical/professional assistance.