CALENDULA
🌼 Calendula
Calendula officinalis
Also known as Pot Marigold, Bride of the Sun, or Mary’s Gold
Family: Asteraceae
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💫 Magical Properties
Healing & restoration
Protection (especially from spirits and illness)
Luck & good fortune
Happiness & sunny energy
Psychic dreams & spiritual clarity
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🧙♀️ Uses in Spellwork
Healing spells: Use in teas, salves, or sachets for physical or emotional wounds
Psychic enhancement: Place petals under pillow for dream messages
Luck & money magic: Add to charm bags or sprinkle around doors
Protection: Scatter dried petals at thresholds or burn during cleansing rituals
Bath magic: Combine with rose or lavender for a self-love ritual soak
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🔮 Elemental & Planetary Correspondences
Element: Fire
Planet: Sun
Chakra: Solar Plexus
Zodiac Signs: Leo, Aries, Sagittarius
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🌸 Deity Associations
Associated with Apollo, Ra, and Brigid
Sacred in solar and healing rites
Ideal for altar offerings and sun magick
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🌿 In the Garden
Easy to grow annual in full sun, tolerates poor soil
Helps repel pests and attracts beneficial insects
Drought-tolerant once established
Harvest flowers in the morning after dew dries
Pinch dead heads to promote more blooms
Can grow year-round in milder climates like coastal Tasmania
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🌱 Growing from Seed
Sow seeds directly in soil or start indoors early spring
Germinates in 7–14 days, loves cooler nights and warm days
Self-seeds easily — may return next year without replanting
Companion to herbs like chamomile, thyme, and lavender
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⚠️ Cautions
Calendula is generally safe but avoid internally during pregnancy unless cleared by a herbalist
May trigger allergies in those sensitive to ragweed/daisy family
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📜 Folklore & History
Named after the Latin “calendae” meaning “first day of the month” — it blooms constantly
Used in battlefield salves during ancient and medieval times
In folk magic, believed to bring a lover back if placed under the bed
Carried in court to encourage justice and truth