Plant Witchery: Discover the Sacred Language, Wisdom, and Magic of 200 Plants - Juliet Diaz 2020

Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba
A Compendium of Plants

ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES

intuition, psychic ability

Ginkgo is also known as the maidenhair tree. Her leaves have a distinct fan shape, and turn a vivid yellow in the fall. She is a living fossil, having been around for 270 million years. She is native to China, where she was first valued for both her nutritive and medicinal properties. Ginkgo nuts do not smell good when they fall from their trees, but when prepared properly they are delicious, and are served at celebrations of the Chinese New Year.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Ginkgo is widely appreciated for her ability to support memory function—she has even been used to treat people with Alzheimer’s disease. However, you want to be careful not to consume too much, as the side effects of overuse can include nausea, heart palpitations, and headaches.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES

The ginkgo tree can live for a thousand years, and helps us maintain our connection with our ancestors. Placing a fresh ginkgo branch on your altar when doing ancestral work will allow you to see and hear the hidden world. She will open your third eye, helping you tune in to the divine. She doesn’t exactly help you speak to your ancestors directly—rather, she helps you tap into the lessons and teachings they have passed on to you.

To activate your psychic gifts, you can place a ginkgo nut in a glass of water. Add a dash of pepper and one or two ginkgo leaves. Keep it in front of you as you meditate. You can also carry ginkgo or drink a cup of ginkgo tea before working divination tools such as tarot or runes to awaken your intuition.

PLANT WISDOM

Ginkgo’s wisdom is born of centuries of evolution and expansion. She knows that the knowledge we seek already lives with us, and so when she connects us with our ancestors, she is reminding us that they are there with us, running through our blood and bones. Dreaming of ginkgo is rare, but when it happens it means she has come to point out any blockages in your spirit that are preventing you from accessing your gifts.