Plant Witchery: Discover the Sacred Language, Wisdom, and Magic of 200 Plants - Juliet Diaz 2020
Avocado Persea americana
A Compendium of Plants
ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES
self-love, love
Also known as alligator pear or butter fruit, the avocado was treasured long before it became ubiquitous on toast as a staple food in Mexico and the Caribbean. There is evidence that it was eaten by our ancestors around 10,000 years ago. The word avocado is derived from a Nahuatl word, huacatl, which means “testicle.” Botanically speaking, her fruit is actually a very large berry with a very large seed. Its smooth, creamy texture and flavor varies from species to species, but is pretty much universally delicious. Avocados are easily grown from seed; you can readily have your own little avocado tree in your home!
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Avocados are extremely rich in nutrients, containing healthy fats along with fiber, vitamins C, E, K, B6, and more. Avocados contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which improve eyesight, protecting you from damage from ultraviolet light. They can also improve digestion, lower your risk of depression, treat osteoporosis, and generally detoxify your system.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES
Avocado has a gentle, compassionate, and nurturing spirit. She asks us to be mindful of how we treat ourselves, what we do to our physical and spiritual bodies. “Am I eating as healthfully as I can?” “Am I taking good care of my body, mind, spirit?” She teaches us that the mundane world is just a small part of what makes us who we are, and that we can only embody our true selves when we pay attention and take good care of all of our parts.
Placing a pit of an avocado under your bed will help you find your sexuality, passion, and inner fire. Placing a pair of avocados on each side of the bed will increase the love in a relationship. Use avocado oil in your candle Magic in spells for love and self-love, and also for balance, as balance is key when navigating the space between lust and love.
PLANT WISDOM
When you work with avocado, know that she may share her wisdom in a variety of ways. Some people describe her as a trickster, but in my experience, she’s not trying to be tricky, she’s simply doing whatever is necessary to get you to open up, to bring your awareness to new levels, and get your spirit flowing. She navigates as she sees fit, and this is to your benefit.
If you dream of avocado, she’s making you aware of any poisons you may be feeding your mind, body, or spirit. Allow her to guide you in this dream and take note of both what you feel and where in your body you feel it, so that when you wake up you can apply healing and extra care to those areas.
Avocado Self-Love Tea
This gentle tea will help you feel love for yourself, love that is always there even if it is sometimes hard to access.
WHAT YOU NEED
1 ripe avocado
4 cups water
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon dried chamomile
1 teaspoon pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon dried rose (optional)
WHAT TO DO
· Remove the seed from the avocado.
· Bring the water to a boil, and add the seed. Reduce the heat and let the seed simmer for 5 minutes.
· By that time, the seed should have softened. Remove it carefully and cut it into small pieces.
· Return the seed pieces to the pot of water, letting them steep for 10 minutes.
· Strain your tea, adding honey for more love, and chamomile for a soothing effect on the heart. You can also add pepper if you want to ignite passion, and rose if you seek to heal a loving relationship.