A Witch's Garden: Purple Orchis

Disclaimer

This is NOT a page about Wiccans or neo-pagans, and I do not advocate the belief that Wiccans are Satan-worshippers and/or baby-killers. I am well aware that they are not. This is a starting point for historical research into the great witch craze of 1100-1700 AD. And please, don't ask me for spells.

Purple Orchis

Purple orchis was a plant widely used in love charms. It also goes by the names of Herb of Enticement (in Scotland), Satyrion, Gethsemane, Long Purples, Dead Men's Fingers, Cain-and-Abel, Ram's Horns, Crake Feet, Keat Legs, and Neat Legs.

The plant has two roots (one large, one small) which were seen to represent a man and a woman. These roots were used in divining the identity of a future spouse in at least two ways. In the first; with the thought of someone in your mind you picked the appropriate root before sunrise while facing south, then if the root sank when placed (immediately) in spring water the person in mind would indeed become your spouse. In the second divinatory method the root was ground up and placed under the pillow to bring dreams of your future mate (Miller - Purple Orchis).

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A Witch's Garden is copyright 1997-1998 to Shantell Powell.