Herb of the Month: Star Anise

Common name: Star Anise

Folk name: Chinese Anise

Parts used: leaves, oils, bark, seeds

Planet: Jupiter

Element: Air

Zodiac: Pisces, Sagittarius

Gender: Feminine

Goddess/ God: Buddha, Quan Yin

Medicinal uses: The fruits and foliage yield essential oil for medicinally promote appetite and digestion and to relieve chest complaints, rheumatism, and flatulence. Japanese Star Anise (Illicium anisatum) has cardamom-scented, poisonous fruits, used externally in Asian medicine. Its flower lacks scent and the leaves are a poison.

Folklore: The seed and pods are used as a spice in Asian cookery, notably as an ingredient of Chinese five-spice powder. The Japanese Star Anise is revered in Japan and planted near Buddhist temples, where the bark is burned as incense.

Magickal Effects: psychic awareness, calm, peace, luck

Magickal uses: Inhaling the scent of the dried fruits while sitting quietly can awaken your psychic abilities, allowing your subconscious to unlock its secrets. The Star Anise was made for incense with its pungent scent, especially incense used for meditation. The herb can also be used in luck spells especially in the form of a sachet; just add some of the strong smelling seeds/fruits in an orange sachet with the correct enchantments to unlock its luck attracting abilities (Your need and intent should be the enchantment let that energy flow into the star anise then carry them with you in the sachet.)