Herbalism for Beginners: Working With Plants in Your Practice
- Wendy H.
- Oct 8, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 23
You don't need a garden to work with herbs.
You don't need dozens of dried plants lining your shelves or an encyclopedic knowledge of correspondences.
You need curiosity, a few plants you can actually access, and the willingness to learn as you go.
This guide shows you how to start incorporating herbs into your practice—whether you have a backyard, a windowsill, or just access to a grocery store.
No mystical jargon. No overwhelming herb lists. Just practical steps for building a relationship with plants.
Why Work With Herbs?
Herbs aren't magic ingredients that automatically create results.
They're tools that focus intention, engage your senses, and connect you to natural cycles.
When you work with a plant—growing it, harvesting it, preparing it, using it in ritual—you're doing something physical and intentional. That embodiment makes your magic more grounded and real.
Plus, plants have actual properties (medicinal, aromatic, energetic) that affect how you feel and think. Using them in ritual isn't just symbolic—it's working with real substances that create real effects.
Benefits of herbal practice:
Connects you to nature (even if you live in a city)
Engages multiple senses (sight, smell, touch, taste)
Grounds abstract intentions in physical action
Builds knowledge you can use practically
Creates self-sufficiency (grow your own ritual supplies)
You don't have to become an herbalist to benefit from herbs. Even working with 3-5 plants deepens your practice.
Start With What You Can Access
Before buying specialty herbs online or wildcrafting in forests, start with what's actually available to you.
Grocery Store Herbs (Easiest Start):
Fresh herbs in the produce section:
Rosemary - Protection, clarity, memory
Basil - Prosperity, love, protection
Mint - Cleansing, prosperity, healing
Thyme - Courage, purification, sleep
Sage - Wisdom, cleansing, protection
Dried herbs in the spice aisle:
Cinnamon - Success, prosperity, passion
Bay leaves - Wishes, protection, psychic power
Black pepper - Banishing, protection
Chamomile tea - Peace, sleep, prosperity
Cost: $2-5 per herb
Availability: Any grocery store
Advantage: You can touch, smell, and test them immediately
Kitchen Windowsill Garden:
Grow 2-3 herbs in small pots on your windowsill.
Easiest herbs to grow indoors:
Mint - Nearly impossible to kill, grows aggressively
Basil - Needs sun and water, very forgiving
Rosemary - Drought-tolerant once established
What you need:
Small pots with drainage holes
Potting soil
Seeds or starter plants (from grocery store or nursery)
Sunny windowsill
Time investment: 5 minutes weekly (watering)
Advantage: You watch the full growth cycle, build relationship with living plants
Backyard or Community Garden:
If you have outdoor space, grow herbs in pots or a small bed.
Easiest outdoor herbs (perennials - come back every year):
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Lavender
Mint (WARNING: plant in pots or it will take over everything)
Easiest annuals (plant yearly):
Basil
Chamomile
Calendula
Advantage: Larger quantities, outdoor connection, seasonal rhythm
Foraged/Wildcrafted (Advanced):
If you know how to identify plants safely:
Dandelion
Clover
Plantain
Pine needles
Rose hips
CRITICAL: Only forage if you're 100% certain of identification. Misidentifying plants can be dangerous or deadly.
Rules for ethical foraging:
Take only 10% from any area
Never harvest endangered species
Leave roots unless you need them specifically
Ask permission (landowner and plant)
Give back (water the plant, leave offering, say thanks)
Learn One Herb at a Time
Don't try to memorize hundreds of herbs. Start with one.
How to Study an Herb:
1. Choose one herb you have access to (Let's use rosemary as example)
2. Research it:
Botanical name: Rosmarinus officinalis
Traditional uses: Memory, protection, clarity, purification
Medicinal properties: Antioxidant, antimicrobial, improves circulation
Element: Fire
Planet: Sun
Practical uses: Cooking, tea, smoke cleansing, oil infusions
3. Experience it directly:
Smell it (how does it make you feel?)
Taste it (if safe - add to food)
Touch it (texture, temperature)
Grow it (if possible - watch how it grows)
Burn it (if safe - notice the smoke and scent)
4. Use it in practice:
Add to bath for purification
Burn as incense for clarity
Place on altar for protection
Make tea before divination work
Carry sprig for memory during studying
5. Journal your experiences:
How does this herb affect you?
What associations do you develop with it?
When do you naturally reach for it?
What works? What doesn't?
After 1-2 months with one herb, add another.
Build slowly. Deep knowledge of 5 herbs serves you better than shallow knowledge of 50.
Basic Herb Preparations
Once you have herbs, here's what to do with them:
Tea/Infusion (Easiest):
What it is: Hot water poured over herbs to extract properties
How to make:
Boil water
Add 1-2 teaspoons dried herbs (or small handful fresh) to mug
Pour hot water over herbs
Cover and steep 5-10 minutes
Strain and drink
Good for: Chamomile, mint, rosemary, thyme, lavender
Uses: Drinking before ritual, ritual bath, cleansing altar, offering
SAFETY: Only drink herbs you know are safe for consumption. When in doubt, use externally only.
Infused Oil:
What it is: Herbs soaked in oil to extract properties
How to make (solar method):
Fill jar ⅔ with dried herbs
Cover completely with oil (olive, grapeseed, jojoba)
Seal jar
Place in sunny windowsill for 2-4 weeks
Shake daily
Strain through cheesecloth
Store in dark bottle
OR (heat method - faster):
Add herbs and oil to small crockpot or double boiler
Heat on lowest setting for 2-4 hours (oil should be warm, not hot)
Strain
Store
Uses: Anointing candles, ritual baths, massage, salves
Good herbs: Lavender, rosemary, calendula, rose petals
Smoke Bundle/Loose Incense:
What it is: Dried herbs burned for smoke cleansing
How to make bundle:
Gather fresh herb stems (rosemary, sage, lavender)
Bundle together
Tie tightly with natural twine
Hang upside down to dry (2-4 weeks)
Light end, blow out flame, let smoke
OR loose incense:
Dry herbs completely
Crumble into small pieces
Mix herbs
Burn small pinch on charcoal disc
Uses: Cleansing space, ritual opening, meditation
Safety:
Never leave burning herbs unattended
Use fire-safe dish
Have water nearby
Ventilate room
Sachet/Charm Bag:
What it is: Herbs sewn or tied into small bag to carry
How to make:
Choose small fabric square or muslin bag
Add pinch of 1-3 herbs aligned with intention
Optional: Add crystal, written intention
Tie closed
Carry in pocket, purse, or place under pillow
Uses: Protection, prosperity, sleep, love, courage
Example combinations:
Protection: Rosemary + black pepper + bay leaf
Prosperity: Basil + cinnamon + mint
Sleep: Lavender + chamomile
Love: Rose petals + basil
Using Herbs in Ritual
Once you're comfortable preparing herbs, integrate them into your practice:
On Your Altar:
Fresh herbs in vase - Living plant energy on altar
Dried bundles - Seasonal or intentional decoration
Small dishes of herbs - Offerings to deities/spirits
Potted plants - Ongoing relationship with living herb
In Candle Magic:
Dress candles with infused oil - Anoint before burning
Roll candle in crushed herbs - After oiling, roll in herb powder
Burn herbs beside candle - On fire-safe dish
Add herbs to candle wax - If making your own candles
In Bath Rituals:
Tea method: Make strong herbal tea, add to bath
Sachet method: Fill muslin bag with herbs, let steep in bath
Direct method: Add herbs directly (WARNING: clogs drain - use sparingly)
Good bath herbs: Lavender, rose petals, chamomile, rosemary, mint
As Offerings:
Leave fresh or dried herbs on altar for deities
Scatter herbs in nature as thanks
Burn herbs as fragrant offering
Add to ritual libations
In Floor Washes/Cleaning:
Add herbal tea to floor wash water
Wipe down altar with herb-infused water
Clean ritual tools with herbal rinse
Correspondences: A Starting Point
Herb correspondences (traditional magical associations) are useful starting points, not rigid rules.
Quick Reference:
Herb | Traditional Uses | Element | Practical Uses |
Rosemary | Protection, memory, purification | Fire | Tea, smoke, oil, cooking |
Basil | Prosperity, love, protection | Fire | Tea, cooking, sachets |
Mint | Cleansing, prosperity, healing | Air | Tea, bath, floor wash |
Lavender | Peace, sleep, love, purification | Air | Bath, sachets, oil |
Sage | Wisdom, cleansing, protection | Air | Smoke, tea |
Cinnamon | Success, prosperity, passion | Fire | Powder in spells, tea |
Bay Leaf | Wishes, protection, psychic work | Fire | Write intention and burn |
Chamomile | Peace, sleep, prosperity | Water | Tea, bath |
Thyme | Courage, purification, sleep | Water | Tea, cooking, sachets |
But: Your personal experience with an herb matters more than traditional correspondence.
If lavender makes you feel energized instead of calm, use it for energy work. If rosemary helps you sleep, use it for that.
Trust your direct experience.
Building Intuitive Relationship With Herbs
Book knowledge is foundation. Personal experience is practice.
Ways to Develop Intuition:
1. Keep an herb journal:
Date, moon phase, herb used
Preparation method
Intention/purpose
Results/how you felt
Notes on effectiveness
Track patterns over months.
2. Notice which herbs you're drawn to:
What do you reach for naturally?
Which herbs make you feel good?
Which ones work best for you?
3. Observe effects:
Does chamomile actually calm you?
Does rosemary help you focus?
Does mint energize you?
Test traditional correspondences against your experience.
4. Pay attention to synchronicities:
Herbs showing up repeatedly in your life
Dreams featuring specific plants
Unexpected gifts of herbs
Strong pull toward certain plants
5. Meditate with herbs:
Hold herb in hand
Notice sensations, images, feelings
Ask: "What do you want to teach me?"
Journal what comes up
6. Grow herbs if possible:
Watching growth cycle builds relationship
Daily tending creates bond
Harvest becomes ritual
Safety & Common Sense
Herbs are powerful substances. Use them responsibly.
General Safety Rules:
For internal use (teas, tinctures, food):
✅ Research thoroughly before consuming any herb
✅ Start with small amounts
✅ Know your allergies
✅ Avoid during pregnancy/nursing (many herbs unsafe)
✅ Check interactions with medications
✅ When in doubt, consult herbalist or doctor
For external use (oils, baths, smoke):
✅ Test on small skin patch first (allergic reactions)
✅ Dilute essential oils (never use undiluted on skin)
✅ Ventilate when burning herbs
✅ Keep away from pets (many herbs toxic to animals)
For foraging:
✅ Be 100% certain of plant identification
✅ Avoid areas with pesticides/pollution
✅ Never harvest endangered species
✅ Take only what you need
CRITICAL: Just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it's safe. Poison ivy is natural. Hemlock is natural. Do your research.
Recommended Resources
Books (Check your library):
For beginners:
The Green Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide
For preparation methods:
The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook by James Green
The Herbal Apothecary by JJ Pursell
For magical correspondences:
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham
Online Resources:
Mountain Rose Herbs (herb profiles and quality sourcing)
Botanical.com (herb database)
Local herbalists or herb shops (hands-on learning)
IMPORTANT: Always cross-reference information. Different sources may give different (sometimes contradicting) information. Use multiple sources and your own experience.
Starting Small: Your First Month
Week 1: Choose and acquire
Pick 1-2 herbs from grocery store
Read about them
Smell, touch, taste (if safe)
Week 2: Simple preparation
Make tea or infusion
Note effects
Use in one ritual or practice
Week 3: Expand use
Try different preparation (oil, sachet, smoke)
Use in daily practice
Journal results
Week 4: Reflect and plan
What worked?
What didn't?
Which herb to add next?
Month 2: Add one new herb
Month 3: Add another
After 6 months, you'll have deep knowledge of 4-6 herbs.
That's more valuable than surface knowledge of 50.
The Minimalist Herbal Practice
If you only work with 3 herbs:
Rosemary - Protection, clarity, purification
Lavender - Peace, sleep, love
Mint - Cleansing, prosperity, energy
You can:
Protect your space (rosemary)
Calm your mind (lavender)
Cleanse energy (mint)
Enhance rituals (all three)
Make teas, oils, sachets, smoke bundles
Three herbs are enough for a complete practice.
Everything else is expansion, not requirement.
A Note on Perfectionism
You won't memorize every herb property.
You'll kill plants. You'll burn sage bundles too fast. You'll make tea that tastes terrible. You'll forget which jar is which dried herb.
That's all part of learning.
Herbalism is a relationship, not a checklist.
Start small. Be patient with yourself. Let the plants teach you.
The magic isn't in having a perfect apothecary. It's in showing up consistently to learn from the plants you do have.
Getting Started Today
Right now, you can:
Go to your kitchen
Find one herb (spice rack, tea, produce)
Smell it deeply
Write down what you notice
Research one thing about it
Use it intentionally today (in food, tea, or ritual)
That's herbalism.
Not complicated. Not expensive. Just attention and intention applied to plants.
The rest unfolds from there.
Want to track your practice?
Get the free Simple Practice Tracker—a Notion template with daily logging, moon phase calendar, and weekly/monthly reflections to help you build a consistent practice without overwhelm.
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