02/11/2026
Herb of the Week – Bay Leaf
Bay Laurel (Laurel noblis) is considered an herb of success and is often used to attract romance or love. It is connected to solar energy and is used to invoke Apollo, Daphne, Diana, Amun-Ra, and was used with great care by the Priestesses of Delphi in their visionary work.
Olympic athletes and Roman conquerors made wreaths or crowns of bay laurel to commemorate victory. Today, in modern magical circles, a crown of bay leaves is often gifted to the newly initiated. It is used for manifestation magic, for healing and for protection.
Sleeping with bay leaves under your pillow is believed to bring about prophetic dreams. Other uses include tucking a bay leaf in your wallet or billfold as a way to keep your money affairs in order.
Here is a simple spell using a bay leaf. You will need a candle, a pen to write on the leaf (fine tipped, permanent markers work very well), and a candle.
• Close your eyes and focus your intention while holding the bay leaf. Infuse it with your energy, and sense it glowing with the light and warmth of the sun along with what you want to create.
• Write your intention, whether it is actual words, symbols or sigils onto the bay leaf.
• Light the candle, then carefully ignite the leaf. Allow it to burn in a fire-safe dish. The flame consumes the leaf and the smoke lifts your desires to the Universe.
• You can put the ashes from the leaf into a spell jar OR you can release them to nature. Make sure that the ashes can in no way re-ignite if you are placing them outdoors.
Bay leaves are also naturally protective and you can use the spell above in a similar fashion to banish negative things from your life as well.
Photo by Misterneedlemouse, courtesy of Wikimedia Creative Commons