Clover Magick

Every herb, flower, and spice that grows in Nature can be used in our Craft. Some have very specific attributes and magickal properties, while others can be used in a variety of potions, spells, and rituals.

But very few plants are as powerful and as versatile as the clover, whose different varieties have been used in different contexts for thousands of years.

Let’s get to know this powerhouse of a plant better!

Clover has been a native wild plant in most of the world since antiquity: our Pagan ancestors were very aware of its medicinal and magickal properties.

The ancient Chinese used clover as a cough remedy — a practice also favored by Native Americans. When the European settlers arrived in America, they gradually started using clover to treat croup. Red clover has certain blood-thinning properties that make it great for people who suffer from blood clots.

At the same time, it can also be used to treat liver issues, stomach and indigestion problems, and assist in menstruation and fertility. Yellow sweet clover has been traditionally used to repel insects and help with breathing problems, coughs, and menstrual issues.

There are many ways to consume clover, all of them safe. You can eat it raw, steam it or fry it, or use its flowers to make homemade wine. But perhaps the most frequent and effective use is to steep dried clover flowers into hot water and drink it as a tea.

Clover has always been considered a mystical and religious symbol. Because in its most common form, it has three leaves, it always had an association with the unseen. For our ancient Pagan ancestors, its three leaves represented the Triple Goddess (Mother, Maiden, Crone). They also believed that rubbing clover leaves on a sword would make that sword never miss its target.

For the Celts, the clover was a sacred symbol of the sun — perhaps that’s why it later became the national flower of Ireland. Another reason for that would be clover’s ability to keep snakes away from where it grows, as the legend says about St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint who “chased the snakes away from Ireland.”

Later on, during Christian times, the plant’s three leaves became associated with the Holy Trinity. From the Middle Ages onwards, ever since playing cards were imported from China and Europeans started making their own symbols for the decks, the clover was depicted in the club suit due to its ancient association with swords and death.

Because clover can be found in Nature in so many different forms, it’s like a magickal power-tool that can help you with all kinds of spells and rituals.

Two-leafed clovers are somewhat rare. It is thought that if you encounter one, you will find a lover soon.

Three-leafed clovers, the most common kind, are thought to bring protection thanks to their triple nature. It is traditional to wear three-leafed clovers as protective talismans.

Four-leafed clovers are exceedingly rare — hence their legend of bringing good luck. Four-leafed clover is also thought to protect from all kinds of evil, malevolent spirits, diseases, and madness. It’s believed to unlock the door to psychic powers and give you glimpses of the fairy realm. The wearer of a four-leafed clover is said to have riches and treasure waiting for them.

Due to its color, white clover is traditionally used against hexes or in protection and purification rituals.

Red clover is traditionally used to help with financial problems, heartache, lust, and success in all things. It also protects from malevolent spirits.

In Hoodoo practices, particularly, red clover is used to bring good fortune in a friendship or love and marriage.

Precisely because of its versatility, there’s practically no end to the different ways you can use clover in your magickal workings.

Below are some of the best ways to yield the mystical power of clover into your work:

As protection against hexes, curses, and psychic attacks of all kinds, use white clover; carry it in a pouch on you or put it on a small satchel under your pillow for protection while you sleep. You can also place it inside your left shoe for protection when you walk.

As a way to mend a broken heart, use red clover; put it in a pouch of blue silk and wear it near your heart for a few days or weeks until you start feeling better. You can also drink it as a tea for that same purpose.

As a protection and purification tool for your home (this also taps into clover’s natural ability to remove insects, so it’s both a ritual and practical use), use white clover: place a few buds in vinegar and let them soak for a while. Then, add this mix to a spray bottle, add water to dilute the smell, and spray in a counterclockwise motion all the spaces you want to purify.

As a way to instill beauty and good fortune in love, use red clover: you can burn it as an incense, drink it as a tea, place it in a mojo bag along with other herbs, add it to your ritual bath mix or into your love spells and potions.

As a way to attract money and success, use red or yellow clover: include the flowers into your ritual bath mix, or add to sachets you will be carrying with you or inside your right shoe.

Clover is considered a masculine plant with powerful energy, making it a good fit for Beltane. The fact that it can have both red and white flowers speaks to the plant’s plurality: you can work with all different types of clover in Beltane to celebrate the Wiccan Sabbat, which, at its core, is a Sacred Union of different energies.