Magical Herb of the Week – Bayberry
Botanical Name: (Myrica pensylvanica and Myrica cerifera)
Element: Earth (sometimes Fire due to prosperity-candle tradition)
Planet: Jupiter, with occasional Mercury associations
Gender: Feminine
Deities/Spirits: Domestic guardians, hearth spirits
Magical Uses:
- Prosperity & abundance
- Financial luck, business success
- Protection of home
- Good fortune for the new year
- Road opening & clearing stagnant energy
- Safeguarding travelers
Bayberry has traditionally been regarded as an herb that is used to attract good luck, abundance, and strong protection when used magically and is a member of the Myrtle family.
Both species of Bayberry grow mainly in the eastern United States and Canada. During the 18th and 19th Centuries, bayberries, specifically Myrica cerifera, were harvested excessively from wild stands, putting incredible pressure on the plants.
Bayberry candles were extremely popular in early America, particularly for the holiday season. The berries produce a wax that is extracted by boiling the berries and skimming the wax. This wax is used to make beautifully scented candles for the holiday season. As wonderful as this sounds, it takes roughly 15 pounds of bayberries to produce just one pound of bayberry wax!
By the mid-18th century, paraffin, tallow, and beeswax became a much more efficient and affordable option for candlemaking. This allowed the bayberries to rebound.
Myrica pensylvanica is now widely used in landscaping, forest restoration, and erosion control and has shown itself to be very hardy and resilient.
One particular folk charm concerning bayberry candles goes like this:
“A bayberry candle burned to the socket brings food to the larder and gold to the pocket.”
If you do opt for bayberry or bayberry-scented candles, they are traditionally burned on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve. This practice on New Year’s Eve will bring a “Sweet Year.” But be sure to burn the candle all the way down naturally. Don’t snuff it, but definitely practice good candle/fire safety.
If you want to plant a bayberry plant around your home, plant it near a doorway, at the corners of your property, or along fences and borders. This will keep bad luck away, break any curses, and bless your homestead with steady prosperity. Even in poor soil, bayberry will thrive – symbolizing abundance despite occasional difficulties.
Brightest blessings to you all this holiday season!