Guide to Magical Herbs: Vervain, Verbena Officinalis

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Used in ritual by the ancient Druids, this extremely bitter herb is beautiful to behold, with clusters of blue-purple flowers on tall, leafless stalks. Vervain is native to Europe while its cousin, Blue Vervain, Verbena hastata, is native to North America and is more commonly used in herbal medicine. Druids used Vervain for divination, consecration, and the ritual cleansing of sacred spaces; it is said that they harvested Vervain in August during the dark moon, when only Sirius the Dog Star is visible in the night sky. Vervain is also said to inspire poets and aid them in their work, and bards would often drink Vervain before performances or soliloquies.
Vervain is also said to be connected to the underworld, and taking a drink of Verain in wine on Samhain (Oct 31st) can open up contact with the dearly departed. In Ireland and the British Isles, Vervain was burned in ritual fires to protect crops and livestock on Beltane (May 1st). During the Summer Solstice (Jun 21st) celebrations, it was scattered over fields and gardens to ensure fertile growth. Roman soldiers also considered it to have protectant properties and carried Vervain with them into battle, and their messengers wore a protective wreath of Vervain as a sign of truce and truth. Likewise, Druidic and old Pagan traditions burned Vervain, sprinkled Vervain tea, or hung the dry herb in dwellings to keep out evil, and sometimes the dried stalks were used as wands for spell work. Medicinally, Vervain helps to clear out build ups such as kidney stones; it’s a bitter antispasmodic herb, so it’s great for cramping and tension as well as having antiseptic properties which make it suitable for cleaning wounds.