Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs - Scott Cunningham 1985

Bittersweet
The Herbs

(Celastrus scandens—American Bittersweet; Solanum dulcamara—European Bittersweet) American Bittersweet: Poison

Folk Names: For American Bittersweet: Wax Work, False Bittersweet. For European Bittersweet: Violet Bloom, Felonwort, Woody Nightshade, Scarlet Berry, Dulcamara, Bitter Nightshade

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Mercury

Element: Air

Powers: Protection, Healing

Magical Uses: Some bittersweet placed beneath the pillow will help you in forgetting a past love.

The bittersweet is also used to protect against and to remove evil from both humans and animals, by tying a small piece of the herb somewhere on the body.

Tied to the neck, bittersweet cures vertigo or dizziness of the head, according to Culpeper.