The Big Book of Practical Spells: Everyday Magic That Works - Judika Illes 2016

The Baby's Pillow
Protection for Infants and Children
Spells

Mugwort is not for kids and shouldn't be a part of a children's dream pillow. A good rule of thumb for mugwort is, if you're not old enough to menstruate, you're not old enough for mugwort. Children rarely have trouble accessing their dreams anyway. What they need (or at least what their parents need!) are herbs to provide a soothing peaceful transition to dreamland.

Malachite attached to a baby's bed encourages sound sleep while warding off any malevolent spirits. Make sure it's placed so that the baby can't choke on the hard stone.

Baby Dream Pillow

Select one or any combination of the following:

Calendula flowers

Catnip (but not if you have a cat!)

Raspberry leaves

Rose petals

Vervain (to bring joy and inspire a lifetime love of learning!)

Chamomile flowers, hops, lavender blossoms and linden flowers promote sound sleep. (Avoid chamomile if there's a family history of ragweed allergies.)

Mix the herbs and place into a closed bag of the softest flannel. A child old enough to be out of the oral stage can sleep with it, but a baby should only be allowed to touch or handle the pillow under supervision. Otherwise place the pillow near enough so that the aromas may be inhaled but not so close that the baby can chew on the bag, potentially freeing the herbs and choking.

Should a child fall ill, a small flannel pillow shaped like a bear and stuffed with dried rosemary and lavender soothes, amuses and promotes healing. Black mustard seeds in a red flannel pillow are also reputed to boost immunity or try the Immunity Incense to keep your young one hale and hearty.

It used to be a fashion to sprinkle garlic under a child's pillow for protection during the night. Of course, those were the days when parents didn't ask kids for input. A more discreet and less aromatic alternative is to slip one clove of garlic into the very center of a child's dream pillow.

A necklace of cloves strung onto red thread and hung on the wall near the baby's bed (but far out of reach of a small child) brings good luck, protection and stimulates intelligence.

Immunity Incense

Bay leaves, chopped

Frankincense resin

Mash the ingredients together to form a paste and burn. (You may want to burn the incense without the child in the room and with the doors and windows closed. When the incense has burned down, open the windows and settle your child in the room.)

· A few drops of essential oil of eucalyptus, pine or rosemary in a pan of water near a source of heat also cleanses the air of the microbes and psychic dangers that tend to travel hand in hand.

Sweet Sibling Spell

If the new child is not the first, elder siblings may experience some jealousy. To prevent jealousy, just before the siblings are formally introduced, a few grains of sugar are placed in the infant's hand (never substitute honey, which even in small doses may be harmful to an infant). The elder siblings lick the sugar off the baby's hand. It must be swallowed immediately for the spell to be effective.