#elf bolt

A member of the aconite family and known variously (sometimes erroneously) as leopard’s bane, monkshood, and queen of poisons, wolfsbane is a lethally toxic plant that must be treated with great care! Apparently named for how it was used to poison the tips of arrows for killing wolves, wolfsbane is a potent plant for witchcraft, but can be very dangerous to grow.

Planets: Mars, Saturn

Elements: Fire, Aether

Zodiac: n/a

Deities: Hecate

Wolfsbane germinates in response to snow melt, and as such can be very difficult for the average gardener to grow. You can plant it in Autumn so that the seeds experience the Winter freeze and the Spring thaw, if your region has those distinct differences in the seasons. Alternatively, you can try soaking and freezing the seeds in a wet paper towel before soaking them for several days in cold water! Just keep in mind that the toxins are in the seeds, so wear gloves when handling them and safely dispose of the water used to soak them.

Believed by the ancient Greeks to have sprouted from the frothy saliva of Cerberus, wolfsbane may be incredibly toxic, but it’s not without its uses in herbal medicine: it’s been utilized in Chinese medicine and homeopathy alike! According to homeopathic physicians, liniments which contain the root of the plant as an ingredient can be used to diminish rheumatic and neuralgic pains. It is also known to give relief from fever, skin problems, psychological stress and panic attacks. Just take care to only use this herb as prescribed by an experienced herbalist, and only exactly as they tell you to take it.

In terms of its magickal applications, wolfsbane has been used to protect homes from werewolves and to prevent shapeshifting. Bundles of wolfsbane could be placed around barns and pastures to protect livestock from predators, taking care that the livestock have no access to it, lest they be killed themselves. Because of its baneful nature, it could be used in sympathetic magic to bring harm to another by creating "elf bolts" of sharpened flint dipped in wolfsbane juice and piercing a poppet for the victim with them.