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

Yerba Buena Clinopodium douglasii
A Compendium of Plants

ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES

purification, peace, clarity

Not to be confused with spearmint or yerba santa, this is Clinopodium douglasii, a rambling, low-growing herb with dainty, delicate flowers—though she does smell a bit like spearmint. It’s not surprising that multiple plants go by this name, since it simply means “good herb.”

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Yerba buena is a pain reliever, particularly when used to relieve headaches, toothaches, and joint pain. Yerba buena tea has calming effects on the mind and nervous system as well, and yerba buena has long been used to relieve abdominal pain, colic, and diarrhea, and aid in indigestion.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES

When burned, yerba buena clears and purifies. If you like to purchase antiques, I suggest clearing their stagnant energies with yerba buena before bringing them into your home. But if that’s not practical, make sure you keep the windows open while you cleanse with yerba buena, and leave them open for half an hour afterward before burning juniper to bring in peaceful energy.

Yerba Buena Clarity Bath

This bath will purify your mind, body, and spirit, allowing for clarity as your open third eye can zoom in to the depths of your soul.

WHAT YOU NEED

4 cups water

1 tablespoon yerba buena, fresh or dried

1 teaspoon dried yerba buena

1 teaspoon dried lovage

White candle

WHAT TO DO

· Set the water to boil and add 1 tablespoon of fresh or dried yerba buena. Allow the mixture to boil for 10 minutes.

· Let this cool while you run your bath, then strain and add to your bath water.

· Mix the teaspoon of dried yerba buena with the lovage.

· Light your candle and use it to set your dried herbs aflame.

· Inhale the smoke as you relax in the bath, setting an intention for what it is you wish to see.

PLANT WISDOM

Keep yerba buena around to clear energies that can linger after a fight or an argument—she will maintain a sense of peace. I tie a sprig of yerba buena to my showerhead along with eucalyptus and mugwort—as they steam, they spark my third eye while I indulge in the medicine of water. Dreaming of yerba buena symbolizes a clear path ahead of you, letting you know that the next cycle of your journey won’t be as bumpy as the last. But if you dream of receiving yerba buena as a gift, it symbolizes the coming of a purge, of a letting go or surrender.