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

Valerian
The Flowers

Of course every flower is magical. But, like a wise old woman who lives alone in a cottage out past the edge of town, spending all her time brewing potions in a huge black cauldron, I think of valerian as being somehow synonymous with magic. Though she’s best known for her relaxing and sleep-inducing qualities, her wisdom is vast and her powers are multifaceted. If there is a “must-have” magical plant, it is quite possibly valerian.

Magical Uses

Dream Magic

Valerian root has been traditionally employed to induce healing, inspiring, prophetic dreams. Valerian blossom can be used for the same purpose, albeit in a subtler sense. For example, taking valerian essence or misting your sleep area with the dream magic mist potion (see next page) just before bed can help with any of the following dream magic endeavors, particularly when coupled with a clearly set intention:

✵ inducing prophetic and problem-solving dreams

✵ inducing healing dreams

✵ inducing inspiring and wisdom-deepening dreams

✵ supporting astral travel

DREAM MAGIC MIST POTION

Add four drops valerian flower essence, eight drops lavender essential oil, and four drops ylang ylang essential oil to a mister of rose water. (Optional: add a small apophyllite crystal or four drops apophyllite gem elixir—you might consider this when astral travel is your intention.) Shake and lightly mist your sleep area before bed.

Healing Depression

While it might seem counterintuitive to employ a relaxing magical ingredient to combat depression, a condition often characterized by lethargy and lack of enthusiasm, valerian can help, in fact, since depression stems from a lack of alignment with one’s natural rhythm and most joyful life path. Have you ever been embarrassed to dance, then taken a shot or two of alcohol, only to find you’re suddenly ripping up the dance floor? Same concept: valerian can help you relax, get into a natural groove, and merge with the divine music of life.

For this purpose, try cultivating or caring for valerian plants in your garden or taking two to three drops of the flower essence every morning and evening until your spirits improve and remain relatively balanced for at least one month.

Heart-Opening

Sometimes our hearts close and we stifle our feelings because we are reluctant to allow ourselves to experience our full range of emotions. For example, compassion can sometimes sting when we consider the pain or heartbreak experienced by someone we love. Similarly, joy is often accompanied by grief when we consider that every moment eventually passes away into the nothingness from which it came.

Because valerian helps us feel comfortable with our full range of emotions, she can help smooth our transition from a closed heart to an open one. This can support us in attracting and maintaining harmonious relationships, as well as in rediscovering our inspiration and joy. For example:

HEART-OPENING ANOINTING OIL

Fill a tiny brown or blue glass bottle with a dropper three-fourths of the way full with sweet almond oil. Add five drops rose essential oil or rose absolute and three drops valerian flower essence. Before bed and first thing in the morning, shake gently and lightly anoint your sternum and heart area.

Influence

Traditionally, valerian root has been associated with the pied piper’s all-encompassing influence over rats, and she’s been employed magically to induce a similarly hypnotic effect over potential romantic interests. Naturally, you have to be very careful with any kind of magic that might encroach upon someone else’s free will. With this in mind, you might employ the essence in rituals designed for helping you exert your influence over others in a gentle and harmonious way, whether your intention relates to romance, career, politics, or anything else. For example, you might try drinking the following potion to turn on the charm or increase the chances of getting your way in any given situation.

CHARISMA POTION

Fill a wine glass with sparkling apple cider. Gently crush two leaves of fresh mint between the fingers of both hands as you say, “My charisma is awakened.” Add the leaves to the glass by opening your fingers with a flourishing flick. Lean down to the liquid and whisper, “My influence is vast.” Then add four drops valerian flower essence as you say: “I am irresistible.” Drink the entire glass before any situation during which you’d like to exert an exceptional degree of influence or exude an exceptional amount of charm. (Consuming the mint leaves is optional.)

Peace and Harmony

Valerian is adept at establishing peace within individuals, partnerships, and groups. You may like to employ the essence or blossom into rituals, charms, or potions designed for that purpose. For example, the following potion is great to have on hand to soothe discord and facilitate harmony.

PEACE POTION

Add four drops valerian essence to a mister of rose water, along with ten drops peppermint essential oil and ten drops lavender essential oil. Shake gently and mist the space to stop or dissuade arguments and help find peaceful resolutions.

Relaxation and Stress Relief

Magically speaking, valerian (both flower and herb) is perhaps best known for her ability to soothe stress and promote relaxation. If either of these are your intention, you really can’t go wrong with valerian essence or blossom.

For this purpose, you might create the peace potion (above) and mist yourself and your space on a regular basis, employ the essence or blossom into rituals designed for the purpose, or take valerian essence regularly or as needed. For an extra relaxing and stress-relieving kick, you might add two drops valerian flower essence to a bottle of Bach Rescue Remedy and (similarly) take two to three times per day or as needed. Cultivating or spending time near valerian blossoms might also be a good idea.

Incidentally, an added benefit of employing valerian for this purpose is heightened sensuality and a gentle opening to intimacy. This is why it can be especially helpful and harmonizing for stressed-out couples.

Sleep

Valerian’s healing abilities very heartily lend themselves to helping us get enough sleep and generally balance out our sleep patterns. While many people ingest valerian root in tea or supplement form to help promote restful sleep as needed, you can employ the flower essence to help you find your own natural rhythm and most beneficial sleep habits. For this purpose, try taking four drops of the essence at the same time each evening until your sleep patterns reach and maintain a desirable balance for at least one month.

Soothing Grief

At one time or another, we all experience grief. And since times of grief can be characterized by depression, stress, and the disruption of sleep patterns, valerian can help support and balance us as we weather these periods.

Wealth

Because wealth is our natural state, subtracting stress, tension, and limiting beliefs (and getting into our most natural and harmonious life flow) can sometimes be a much more powerful wealth-drawing endeavor than adding anything else. This is why valerian can help us attract wealth—she gets us into a receptive state and clears the way for the blessings to flow.

WEALTH-DRAWING CHARM

On the evening of the full moon, tie a few valerian blossoms (not the whole head, just a few of the tiny blossoms) into a piece of blue flannel, along with a moonstone and a clean silver dollar or other silver coin. Hold the charm in both hands and say: “I now relax and allow good fortune to come to me. Wealth is my natural state.” Anoint with lemon essential oil. Keep the charm in a place that feels powerful to you, such as your wallet or near your checkbook and banking information.

Wisdom

Just like wealth, wisdom naturally desires to flow to everyone in abundance. It’s the stripping away of ego, stress, and limiting beliefs that allows its simple beauty to shine forth in the most helpful way. And since valerian is all about calming us down and getting us into the flow, she can help us tap into that vast, divine wisdom that is our birthright.

Magical Correspondences

Elements: Air, Water

Gender: Female

Planets: Moon, Jupiter