The first herb I want to highlight for 2025 is Rosemary. It is hands down one of my most favorite herbs ever. I work with it weekly, maybe even daily. It’s one of the plants I have a deep connection to personally, and it has become a dear friend.

Every single day I greet my Rosemary bush as I am leaving or entering my home. He sits proudly and protectively on my front step, greeting and welcoming those with good intention into our sacred space, and repelling all that may be ill-willed.

Rosemary is known to brighten the mood and relieve anxiety, stress and depression. So it’s no wonder my daily dose of happiness starts when I gently and carefully rub my hands across the stalks of my Rosemary plant as I am telling it “hello dear one”. Followed by a deep inhale of the pungent, yet beautiful, oils that are transferred onto my hand in our loving exchange.

I love all my plants like this, but my Rosemary plant and I have a special bond for sure. (Yes, this may make me a weirdo, but as an animist, it’s pretty normal!)

I work with Rosemary in many of my spiritual crafts as well as in my everyday household.

Let’s talk about the magical uses first-

For years I have used Rosemary to cleanse my hands before working on my altar or before creating magical workings. I have an oil blend of Rosemary oil and Jojoba oil that I have blessed and I just apply a few drops on my hands and rub my hands together (I do this in a particular way and say a blessing that I will not share at this time, but you could make your own blessing that is unique to you). This just helps clear any negative energy from my hands so that it doesn’t transfer onto the things I create. It’s an added layer of intention and blessing that feels good to me, and I particularly love doing this before creating items for the shop (Ink & Amethyst).

Rosemary is my favorite type of smoke cleanse! Yes, even more than White Sage! Plus, it’s more sustainable, and easier to source ethically. It feels right, and clearing my home with it brings in a sense of peace and comfort. Perhaps that is because it is one of the herbs my Celtic ancestors used in their sacred Saining rituals. (My close second is Juniper followed by Cedar, then Mugwort and Lavender.) But Rosemary is always my first choice. I highly recommend you try it, especially if you have been stuck on using White Sage and Palo Santo, as it would be a great alternative, and healthier for our environment.

I use Rosemary in so many ways, it would take too long to list them all here, so I will just tell you one more magical way I use it often, before telling you some of the more practical ways I use it. I have, in my opinion, perfected a long passed down recipe for Black Salt, and one of the important ingredients is Rosemary. Not only the ash from months of Saining ritual, but also hand-picked, dried, and ground from the plant(s) I grow myself. In my personal mix for my home apothecary I even put in a couple drops of Rosemary oil. But I leave the oil out for the shop’s apothecary to help keep it more shelf-stable. So if you make your own Black Salt, it would be a great ingredient to add, or, if you purchase from me over at Ink & Amethyst, you can add a couple drops of Rosemary oil if you would like an extra kick.

Here are a few more magical ways to use Rosemary, some are as old as Ancient Greece and Rome!

Practical & Medicinal Rosemary Uses

Some of the best ways to use Rosemary are simply in food. It’s delicious in so many things, potatoes, breads, and meats are among my favorites. If you are into kitchen witchery, it’s a double bonus! Not only will you be infusing your foods with medicine for the body, but medicine for the soul too.

As someone who has type 2 diabetes in the family, I try to make a habit of drinking a couple cups of Rosemary tea each week. Compounds in Rosemary tea, like carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid, may have insulin-like effects on blood sugar. Rosemary tea may slow down how quickly sugar is absorbed in the gut, which can help prevent blood sugar spikes after eating and may help increase insulin sensitivity, which can help regulate blood sugar levels. It also has many other benefits as well (see chart below) **NOTE** Over consuming Rosemary can be dangerous, and Rosemary tea should never take the place of medicine. Consult your Dr or licensed Herbalist first.

Almost 15 years ago, I had to have a complete hysterectomy and one of the worst side effects for me personally has been hair loss. Over the years I have tried many things to promote hair growth, but nothing has seemed to work. About a year ago I found a recipe for hair growth oil and started using it a few times a month. While I wish I could say it has given me a miraculous hair growth…(I can’t). I can say for sure, that it has helped overall. I have new growth coming in where the bald patches are, and my normal growth is even fuller. If only I could remember to make time to do this weekly, I think it could be even more beneficial. The concoction is a simple mix of Rosemary and Castor oil. I plan to make and test out a Rosemary shampoo and conditioner this year as well.

Earlier, under the “magical uses” section of this post, I talked about smoke cleansing with Rosemary. Well there are practical/medicinal benefits of smoke cleansing with Rosemary to go along with the spiritual ones. Rosemary has antibacterial and purifying benefits. So it can help heal certain illness. In ancient times, they would put Rosemary around hospitals and in bedrooms of sick people to get rid of germs. So if you have had that crud going around lately, you may want to burn some Rosemary to get rid of any residual germs lurking around the house.

The final “practical use” I have for Rosemary is so simple, it might be silly to mention. But it’s almost everyday that I do it, so I feel I should. As I mentioned earlier, I take the time to smell my Rosemary plant daily. It’s such a great herb to use for aromatherapy, as it is mood boosting and promotes feelings of wellness. So if you have a Rosemary plant, you can do what I often do, and snip a little sprig and put it in your pocket. Pull it out and sniff it throughout the day as you feel you need to. Simple, but so effective.

Here are a few more practical ways to use Rosemary:

A couple of fun old Folk Magic mentions that use Rosemary :

• If you store Rosemary next to other herbs, it will cleanse and purify them.
• In old Ireland it was hung above children’s beds to prevent them being taken by faeries and exchanged for a changeling.
• Placing Rosemary on the Gravestone of a loved one ensured their spirit they would never be forgotten.
• Smelling Rosemary often was thought to preserve youthfulness.
• Burning Rosemary on charcoal and smelling its smoke is said to give you knowledge or answer a question.
• Rosemary is used in exorcism rituals in many cultures.
• Rosemary is known to help with dream recall.

If you come back in a few days, I will have a post up about Imbolc, and Rosemary is one of the Herbs associated with and used for this sacred Sabbat. So be sure to check back for info there too!

In the meantime, I hope you find a use for Rosemary in your practice or everyday life that brings you as much joy as it does me!

References:

National Library of Medicine

Plant Witchery by Juliet Diaz

Folk Magic and Healing by Fez Inkwright

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham