The Archive
Protective & Ritual
Boundary plants, ward herbs, and those kept close for reasons older than medicine.
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6 specimens
Full Index A–Z →Elder
Sambucus nigra
Guardian of the threshold between worlds.
Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna
You may rest beneath it. You may not cut it down.
Mugwort
Artemisia vulgaris
Before all other herbs, remember mugwort.
Mullein
Verbascum thapsus
The hag's taper — torch of the cunning, lung of the meadow.
Wood Betony
Betonica officinalis
A quiet guardian with a long memory.
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
The soldier's herb — where blood flows, yarrow follows.