The best herbs and curios for Academic Achievement+Success

Dear Miracles,

As school starts back up for many of us, it is time to work a little magic to craft the best possible approach to academic success and victory this year! Walk with me down the green path and let’s meet ten delightful natural allies that can help you do just that…

1.) Alkanet Root (Alkanna tinctoria) this root comes from a plant known as Dyer’s Bugloss and that should give you a clue about one of its uses — alkanet root creates a lovely and natural red dye. In Conjure folk magic the root is also used to hurry things up and speed things along (alkanet is one core ingredient in many a “Fast Luck” type formula). Since sometimes academic or work success needs to be hurried along a bit, working with Alkanet can provide that speedy edge.

Do: always add a pinch of alkanet to any sugar jar work you have going as sugar jars can be known to take their time before going into effect. If you have a lot of learning material to get through and comprehend, work with peppermint, rosemary, alkanet and bay leaf-perhaps making a mojo hand of all three and then wearing it on your person.

2.) Bay Leaf (laurus nobilis): This is in your kitchen drawer right now and is SO awesome! This aromatic leaf is wonderful in chile and soup but is also known for helping one achieve victory and high-flying success. In fact, Bay leaves were used to crown both poets and warriors in Ancient Greece and Rome and our esteemed appellation of “laureate” comes from the second part of Bay’s name: laurel.

Do: Write a petition for success and victory directly on a bay leaf. Add it to a prayer bundle, mojo bag, sugar jar, or wear it in the bottom of your right shoe.

3.) Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus): a Southeast Asian aromatic grass with many magical uses, lemongrass is used to open the road, clear out muck, and improve your luck.

Make: a magical floor wash/housecleaner by steeping lemongrass (and maybe some of the other herbs on this list too!) in boiling water or better yet, some vodka. You then use the liquid to wash your floors and clean your home before the start of each semester at school. Not sure about that? You can also buy commercial Florida Water and simply add some lemongrass to the bottle-let it sit for 9 days, and wash your home that way!

4.) Lillies (Lilium spp.): These beautiful flowers are sacred to St. Joseph (and various other holy figures) and St. Joseph is the individual who blesses the work of a person’s hands. If you are in a situation where you need to refine a skill set or have your own work be blessed and noticed (because it is excellent of course) the Lily is a good flower to work with!

Offer: lilies to St. Joseph with a petition or prayer that the work of your hands and the thoughts of your mind be blessed, improved, and generate prosperity for you and your family.

5.) Peppermint (Mentha pepirita) Peppermint is known for its clean, cutting scent, culinary uses, the ability to spiritually cleanse and to replace bad luck with good, and, in some circles, its use in money drawing magics. This aromatic herb is also wonderful to work with when you need to increase your ability to focus and concentrate.

Blend: Peppermint essential oil with Rosemary essential oil for a fantastic, fresh scent that will also truly aid you when you need to buckle down and concentrate.

6.) Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis): Rosemary is another beautiful aromatic herb best known for its culinary use. It has also been sought out for its protective properties and its ability to bless a home and family. Rosemary aids in mental clarity and concentration and the best part of all? You probably have it in your kitchen right now!

Infuse: Olive oil with rosemary — not only can you use it for cooking, you can also use the oil to lightly anoint your third eye before a big test to bring you wisdom and success in all your work.

7.) Sage (Salvia officinalis): when we say that someone is sagacious we are really saying that they are wise. It should be no surprise then that the herb sage-another culinary favorite that is probably hanging out right now in your kitchen cabinet-is used for intellectual success and smarts.

Burn: sage and use it to smudge your body before big academic events. When you do this, pay special attention to your head, hands, and feet.

8.) Solomon’s Seal Root (polygonatum officianle, p. biflorum, etc): King Solomon is reputed to have been the wisest man on earth and has long been invoked by magical sorts of all stripes. Solomon’s Seal Root is an essential ingredient for any work aimed at creating greater mental clarity, acumen, and wisdom.

Make: at the beginning of the academic year or when dealing with a situation where you need smarts and success make a poppet that represents you. When you do this, be sure to add hair from your head so that you are blessed with wisdom and add fingernails to the dolly to refine the work of your hands. Add Solomon’s Seal Root throughout, so that you are imbued with Solomon’s legendary wisdom. Pray over the poppet daily and speak affirmations of wisdom and success.

9.) Sugar: A lot of magical work that goes into academic success focuses on the student. As we all know, however, a great teacher can make a huge difference! Whether we are teacher OR student, sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where someone we need to favor and support us has taken a disliking to us or seems uncooperative. In cases like this, it’s time to bust out the honey, sugar, or your sweetening agent of choice. Sugar and its relatives has long been used to sweeten someone up and bring them to your side. It is most frequently referenced in love magic but can absolutely be used to influence a teacher, administrator, or supervisor in your favor.

Make: a magical sweetening jar  or toss a bit of sugar in the path of the person you would like to influence while petitioning that they work with you, favor you, and come over to your side of things.

10.) An intellectual giant’s graveyard dirt: I am pretty herb focused here but one curio that I absolutely wanted to mention the graveyard dirt of an intellectual powerhouse. A quick search on Find A Grave will help you see who is buried in your area. If you are comfortable and proficient in graveyard work, go buy or collect dirt from a smart spirit and use it to give you aid from beyond.

Add: graveyard dirt to candles, sachet powders, and mojo hands so that you can work in close connection with a brilliant spirit. Only do this work if you are already experienced in spirit work.