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

Calendula officinalis
A Compendium of Plants

ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES

happiness, love, opening the door between realms

Calendula, often referred to as marigold, is a charming, bright little ball of sunshine. She can be yellow or an intense orange, and is a wonderful addition to any garden. She acts as a natural pest-deterrent, as many slugs and insects don’t want to be around her. Her blossoms are edible and make a wonderful dye.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Calendula has much to offer as a medicinal plant. She can encourage a delayed period to start, and help with the cramps once it does. She can treat a fever, and has been used to combat smallpox, measles, and jaundice. She aids in the growth of new tissue, and so is wonderful for wound-healing—she helped in this way on Civil War battlefields. Nowadays she is most often found in skin care products, as her gentle nature soothes the skin.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES

Calendula can foster communication with those who have passed, helping them stay present in our lives. She is also the traditional “he loves me, he loves me not” flower, and symbolizes love and constancy. Her association with the Sun makes her at her most powerful when picked at noon, so time your spells carefully. Taking a bath with dried marigold will give you good dreams. Her name itself is said to derive from how she blooms new flowers monthly, symbolizing the New Moon.

PLANT WISDOM

I call calendula “Little Miss Sunshine,” for she is always positive and brings light to all situations. I love seeing her in a cemetery, growing within an abundant Latinx community. Indigenous peoples, especially from Mexico, believe in placing calendula on the gravestones of passed loved ones, comforting them and helping them to communicate. As you know, I grew up surrounded by the hills of a cemetery, and it is where I played and spent the majority of my time. I definitely saw more spirit activity where these beauties where placed. Grow them in your garden or place them in your home, and they will bring a message and energy of love and light so abundant that even the most negative of people will be lifted by her presence.

I don’t recommend asking calendula to join you in your dreams, for although she is a joy in the mundane world, in the dreamworld she likes to be playful—a little too playful. In fact, she can be a bit of a trickster and isn’t the best dream companion for anyone looking for a restful sleep.