Poisonous Plants and Their Place in Witchcraft

Homer wrote about Circe, the witch who turned humans into swine with her potions and poisoned the waters where her rival nymphs swam. Shakespeare wrote about the three hideous witches who stirred “toil and trouble” into their cauldrons to help Macbeth with his schemes.

The idea of witches using poisonous plants has been well documented (and sensationalized) across recorded history and literature. But how much of this is fact, and how much is fiction? And what are the poisonous plants that witches actually work with in this day and age?

Our Pagan ancestors have been using poisonous plants in their rituals for millennia. In fact, in many languages, the words for “poisoner” and “sorcerer” are either the same or share the same linguistic root.

However, the use of such plants wasn’t always as malevolent as fiction would have us believe. Very often, poisonous plants were used to induce higher states of being, bringing the person who’d take it closer to a religious ecstasy to get answers or receive visions from the other side of the veil. Such practices were very common in ancient civilizations like Sumer and Egypt but also continued throughout the Middle Ages and can be seen in necromantic and alchemical rituals practiced by the Druids and the Vikings.

Long after witchcraft became persecuted in Europe and when Neo-Paganism first started emerging in the early 20th century, most practitioners tried to steer clear of any kind of practices that could be considered “evil.” Lately, however, many modern witches are reclaiming the path of poisonous plants and re-learning to work with them for various purposes.

Aconite was well-known to magickal practitioners since antiquity. It was believed to emerge from the jaws of Cerberus, Hades’ three-headed hound, while others believe Hecate herself invented the plant. There are 250 species of aconite, and most of them are extremely poisonous. Our Pagan ancestors used aconite to tip spears and arrows to repel wolves; hence it’s also called “wolf’s bane.” Aconite is connected to gods and goddesses of war and is thought to protect soldiers in battle. In its extremely diluted form, aconite is used in magickal and homeopathic practices to help with anxiety, fear, sadness, and pain.

Also known as fly agaric, the red and white-dotted mushroom is instantly recognizable even to the untrained eye. It’s poisonous, but it can be safe to consume if boiled twice (draining the water each time). In fact, many indigenous people from Siberia to the Middle East have been doing so for millennia, as it alters perception and induces visions and intense hallucinations.

Also known as deadly nightshade and banewort. All parts of the belladonna plant, from its foliage to its berries, are toxic—in fact, the berries, in particular, are known as “murder berries.” Yet that didn’t stop women in Renaissance Italy from taking belladonna in the form of eye drops to enlarge their pupils and thus look more alluring (“belladonna” translates to “beautiful woman” in Italian). Belladonna was used medicinally at least since the 4th century BCE to bring a deep sleep and treat pain, given before surgeries or as part of remedies.

Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) was historically used along with other plants such as mandrake and Datura (see below) in magick brews. All of its species contain narcotics that can bring heart palpitations, delirium, hallucinations, and death in large doses. In the early Middle Ages, it was thought that henbane was used by necromancers to invoke the souls of the dead, and it was broadly used in rituals by both the Druids and the Vikings. One interesting thing about henbane is that the person who took it would experience a sense of body suspension and flight, but they wouldn’t remember anything about it the next day.

Conium maculatum, broadly known as poison hemlock, was the poison of choice in ancient Greece and the Hellenistic world. When sentenced to death in the 4th century BCE and given the opportunity to choose how he wanted to die, Socrates chose to drink hemlock tea. About three centuries later, Cleopatra made the same choice when it was time to kill herself (only she injected it into her skin with a sharp hairpin). The plant, which is native to the Mediterranean, causes respiratory paralysis, and even a small bite can be fatal. Magickally, it is used to induce astral travel or for protection; turned into an oil, it can be used to anoint tools and charms.

Also known as “Devil’s trumpet,” the beautiful white flowers of Datura are actually poisonous and psychoactive. Datura has been used as a hallucinogenic for millennia, from Asia to Native America. It has a strong connection to Ayurveda, and it features in rituals for several Hindu deities, most notably Shiva and Ganesha. The smoke from burning Datura has been found to ease asthma symptoms, whereas the plant is also thought to have aphrodisiac effects.

Usually bright pink or purple, foxgloves or Digitalis appear in many folk myths. Some said that foxes wore those flowers on their paws so that they could be stealthy while hunting; others that the Fae used them instead. One legend, in particular, says that foxgloves bob and sway when a Fae passes—that’s why we sometimes see them move when there’s no wind. Foxgloves can be used for healing in homeopathy, to treat arrhythmias, and bring a sense of comfort, but they can also cause cardiac arrest in bigger dosages. There’s a long tradition of using its fresh flowers in love spells or visiting the realm of the Fae.

Also known as “the tree of death,” yew can kill both with its berries and wood. The tree symbolizes death and resurrection in Celtic culture (particularly the tree’s needles), and it was sacred to the Druids. To this day, using a sprig of yew serves to remember the dead and hope for rebirth.