Herbal Substitutions...

A question I get asked a lot..."When working a spell what if I don't have the right ingredients, what can I use to substitute?"

And my answer is always the same... "use your intuition".

A spell always has a specific intent and the ingredients used whether it is the colour of the candle, the oil or the herb - each one will be a layer added for extra oomph and each one will correspond with the intent of the working.

Actually I prefer to use ingredients that my intuition has picked rather than a list made by someone else because I think it brings more personal power to the working.

So...if for instance your spell is for prosperity and it calls for the use of basil and you don't have any, take a look in your garden or your spice and herb cupboard.  Get the intent of prosperity firmly fixed in your mind and ask (out loud or silently) what herb or spice you should use for the spell...a particular pot of herbs may catch your eye or the name may pop into your head.

If you want to be really 'book worm' about it and prefer to look up the correspondences then look for a herb that has the same intent so instead of basil you might choose mint, nutmeg, fenugreek or cloves - all of these other herbs and spices have the magical property of money and prosperity and each one would be a perfect substitution for basil.  However just because someone in a book or on the internet somewhere said basil is good for prosperity doesn't mean that it is the right one for you to use, you may find that mint works much better for you.

Don't feel you have to be bound by someone else's instructions or ideas, spell working is incredibly personal and the more individual you make it and the more of your own energy you add to it the more powerful and specific to you it will be.

Trust your intuition...