The Magic of Flowers: A Guide to Their Metaphysical Uses & Properties - Tess Whitehurst 2013

Oleander
The Flowers

Considering I was terrified of the oleander plant in the backyard of my early childhood home—I actually had nightmares about it!—I am intrigued by author Scott Cunningham’s statement that “Italian magical thought says that keeping any part of an oleander in the house brings sickness, disgrace, and misfortune of every kind to its inhabitants.” Similarly, herbal expert Andrew Chevallier relates that grazing livestock instinctively steer clear of oleander, which is highly poisonous. I can’t help but think that my magical child self was somehow onto all of that.

Still, despite her fearful reputation, when correctly employed, oleander possesses a good little selection of potent magical benefits. In fact—while I emphatically do not recommend trying this at home—oleander-derived medicines have been successfully employed in both ancient and modern medical systems to treat a whole gamut of health issues, including cancer, ringworm, asthma, psoriasis, and heart conditions.

Magical Uses

Emotional Healing

Whenever I go to the desert, I feel my emotional heaviness and pain come to the surface. Then, once I recognize and feel my feelings, their heaviness and toxicity begin to dry up and disappear. I feel cleansed and disinfected, like a thoroughly laundered blanket on a sunny clothesline. I share this because it’s an excellent way to describe the manner in which oleander works her magic to help heal our lingering, festering emotional wounds: she can help lift and evaporate them like moisture in the desert sun.

For this purpose, try taking two drops of the flower essence in a small glass of water morning and night, starting at the full moon and continuing until the new moon. Continue throughout the entire following moon cycle until the next new moon if additional healing is needed. Please only make the flower essence yourself if you are very confident with the process—otherwise, purchase from a reputable company.

Additionally or alternatively, spend time in quiet contemplation with a blossoming oleander, requesting her assistance with healing and purifying your specific emotional challenges.

You may also like to employ oleander to support the healing of any type of physical condition that you believe may stem from a deep-seated emotional issue.

Strength

Nobody messed with my Italian grandmother Cecelia, and I mean nobody. She may have been small, but she was unquestionably and immediately the boss of every situation in which she found herself. If your personality could use an injection of boss lady (or man) mojo, you may want to employ oleander’s unique magic in this regard.

By the same token, oleander can help infuse you with a shocking amount of resilience and courage. This can be especially helpful for those of us who may feel vulnerable because of our extreme sensitivity, or for anytime that you need to carry on when you seem to feel more like giving up. For this purpose, try either of the suggestions from the “emotional healing” section above.

Protection

As you know, when plants or animals are poisonous, it’s generally because they evolved that way in order to protect themselves from other life forms. And oleander is generally considered to be one of the most (if not the most) poisonous ornamental plants. What’s more, considering that all her other magical attributes (healing, strength, and transmutation) lend themselves to powerful energetic protection, she can help us establish magical boundaries through which negativity will be highly unlikely to penetrate. To employ oleander for this purpose, whether you want to protect yourself from physical, emotional, or spiritual harm of any kind, I suggest creating the following amulet.

PROTECTIVE AMULET

Tie a pink or red oleander blossom into a piece of red flannel, along with a clove of garlic, a pinch of rue, and nine safety pins. Anoint with frankincense oil. Hold in both hands and say:

To the left, I am safe.

To the right, I am safe.

Above me, I am safe.

Below me, I am safe.

To the north, south, east, and west, I am safe.

There is a circle of protection around me.

Oleander, garlic, and rue form a powerful boundary

Through which no negativity can penetrate.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Blessed be. And so it is.

Carry the amulet on your person whenever extra protection is needed. Or, to protect a loved one (if they are away and you can’t give them the amulet in person), place a picture of the loved one on your altar and place the amulet so that it touches the picture in some way, and adjust the chant accordingly (“you are safe”).

Transmutation

Oleander’s magical dynamic can help dismantle and then transmute what is no longer needed (or was never needed in the first place) into beautiful, helpful, bright, fiery energy to fuel your happiness, luck, and success. Perhaps this is why author Judika Illes (in The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells) recommends incorporating oleander into lucky mojo bags. Other ways you can incorporate the transmuting effects of oleander include:

✵ Tye an oleander blossom into a piece of red felt and hang it on or above your front door to transmute all negativity into positivity at the main entry point for energy in your home.

✵ Mist your workspace with spring water into which you’ve added two to four drops oleander essence and ten to twenty drops rosemary essential oil to transform negative workplace energy into good vibes and success.

✵ Spend time in quiet contemplation with a blossoming oleander plant and request her assistance with transmuting all your old emotional baggage into blessings, abundance, and luck. Once you make this request, relax and allow her to heal you in this way, like a reiki healer or shaman would.

Magical Correspondences

Element: Fire

Gender: Female

Planets: Saturn, Mars