An updated version of this web page is now available at bay.
Bay is a plant and an herb.
- botanical information
- history
- astrological correspondences
- magick correspondences and uses
- Goddesses and deities
- cautions and contraindications
botanical information:
Botanical name: Laurus nobilis
Common name: bay, bay laurel, bay leaf
Use the botanical name when ordering seeds (bulbs, etc.) or when looking up information in the library. Common names vary by nation, culture, and region, and sometimes the same common name is applied to different plants.
history:
History: Bay laurel was commonly grown in ancient Egyptian temple gardens.
astrological correspondences:
Astrological planet: Sun
magickal correspondences and uses:
Gender: masculine (traditional western European magickal gender)
Western element: fire
Magickal uses: power, protection, success, vitality. Whole bay leave added to food as a garnish impart these magickal properties to the meal, especially if properly energized.
Solar spells: Bay (as herb or essential oil) may be used in as an ingredient or substitute for magick spells and formulas related to solar matters (healing, illumination, magickal power, physical energy, protection, success, and putting an end to legal matters). Be careful about substitutions for preparations that will be ingested or come in contact with the skin. These substitutions do not apply to medical uses. See the article on the Sun for a list of herbal substitutes for bay.
Using essential oils: Essential oils are just too concentrated and too expensve to use without dilution. If you purchase pure essential oil from a source such as Mountain Rose, you will want to place just a drop or two into a neutral carrier vegetable oil or jojoba. This conservation is typical of the use of essential oils in spells and other magick. It is wise to test a bit of any essential oil on your inner wrist before use. If any irritation occurs, do not use the essential oil. Keep essential oils out of reach of children and pets and away from heat and light. See the article on essential oils for detailed information on how to mix and use essential oils.
Magickal substitutions: Rosemary usually may be safely substituted for any herb in magick spells and rituals. Roses may safely be substituted for any flower.
deities associated with bay:
- Adonis (Greek God)
- Apollo (Greek God)
- Buddha (Buddhist)
- Eros (Greek God)
- Fides (Roman God)
cautions and contraindications:
Cautions and contraindications: Bay is believed to be safe.
Wild gathering: Avoid wild gathering. Some plants are endangered species. Please grow your own herbs in your own goddess garden (or window boxes).
Organic Labels: The Bush administrations USDA has announced that they will help large American food corporations increase their profits by purposely deceiving the American public by putting non-organic foods into foods labelled as being organic. Under U.S. law, for foods to labelled as organic, crops must be grown without chemical fertilizers, sewage sludge, bioengineering, or pesticides and animals must be raised without antibiotics and growth hormones and given access to the outdoors. The USDA has decided that 43 non-organic ingredeients can be added to foods labelled as organic. To protest this decision, go to Organic Consumers Association. One of the non-organic ingredients is Turkish bat leaves.
See also: herbs