Apple Magick: Using Apples in Witchcraft & Herbalism
Folklore & History
Apples have a long-standing history from folk medicinal uses, mythology, and occult traditions.
In mythology, there is a multitude of apples in reference to death (from youth to immortality). In Norse mythology, the gods ate apples of immortality gifted by Idunn to preserve their youth. In Celtic mythology, the apple is associated with the otherworld (the place of the dead and the land of the fae). Other legends talk about the god Gobniu's creation of a heavy sacred ale made from apples drunk to ensure eternal youth. Even some Greek myths claim a branch of a flowered Apple tree would allow mortals to enter the underworld. This association with the otherworld explains why apples were often found buried with the dead. This tradition continues with burying apples on Samhain as an offering to the deceased.
Apple, as with its Rose family's seduction & attraction around the forbidden, is also prominent in mythology. Not only with the idea of immortality but with the concept of knowledge. Apple is thought to be the fruit that tempted Eve, although this is under debate by some scholars. Then there is the traditional sense of attraction, beauty, and lust, like their sibling roses. Apples have been a favorite offering to deities of beauty and love, such as Aphrodite and Venus.
As many witches know, apples have been used in the occult for protection, especially in witchcraft, as cutting open an apple will reveal a pentagram, a known symbol for protection. In areas of England, nature spirits are protectors of orchards. Lazy Lawrence, a pixie inhabiting the New Forest, will send people to sleep beneath trees, making them lazy. Tales of Awd Goggie, a bogie in the form of a giant invisible caterpillar known to swallow children, were used to deter children from going into forests and orchards.
Apples have been used in many occult rituals. Wassailing, a ritual to sip from a communal bowl with spiced cider, was used to encourage spirits to provide a good harvest. In some lore, apple tree blossoms blooming out of season were warnings of the imminent death of a loved one.
Bobbing for apples was used for divination to reveal who would be married first. Found grimoires describe carving spells or words of power on apples.
A 'smelling apple' was carried around in the Middle Ages to prevent plague or exposure to other miasmas. Rubbing an apple is thought to remove any negative energy or spirits that may have taken up residence within the apple before use.
The history and occult properties of apples are solid and vast.
Apples & Magickal Uses
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Gender: Feminine
Deities: Aphrodite, Apollo, Athena, Idunn, Venus
Powers: Attraction, Beauty, Fertility, Health, Knowledge, Longevity, Love, Knowledge, Peace, Protection, Youth
How To Use Apples for Plant Magick
Plant magick's beauty is there are a million different ways to utilize the spirit's power for your intention. As always, I recommend following your intuition, but here are some of my favorite magickal uses of apples.
Carve a heart in the skin of an apple and eat to promote self-love.
Breathe on an apple and give it to someone you wish to attract.
Give as an offering to Aphrodite/Venus or your ancestors.
Bury an apple on Samhain as an offering to the dead and protect property from harmful spirits.
Inscribe spells, affirmations, or sigils on an apple.
Create incense or simmer pots from apples.
Eat a consecrated apple daily to promote youth and health.
Place an apple seed in each corner of the house for protection.
Cut an apple in half and bury it on each property corner for protection.
Peel a piece of apple skin and place it in water to reveal the first initial of your soulmate.
Provide an apple as an offering to the Fae folk.
Create rune stones out of an apple branch.
Cut an apple in half and burn a black candle on top for a protection spell.
Bury 13 apple leaves in your garden to promote a fruitful harvest.
Apple Magick Spell Recipes
Apple Herbal Actions
*This information is for information only; always work with a doctor
Fruit: Tonic (digestive & liver), Stimulant, Diuretic, Laxative, Antiseptic
Leaves & Bark: Astringents
Some traditional folk uses for apples medicinal include:
Drink juice or create an infusion to use apple cooling properties against fevers
Eat stewed apples to help with stomach bugs & soothe bowls
Eat apples to help lower cholesterol and reduce high blood pressures
It is said apples eaten late at night will help with insomnia
Apples eaten first thing in the morning to help with morning sickness
References
"Apple | the Plant Medicine School." Theplantmedicineschool.com, theplantmedicineschool.com/plants/apple. Accessed 27 Oct. 2023.
Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Woodbury, Mn., Llewellyn Publications, 2013.
---. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen. Llewellyn Worldwide, 8 Apr. 2012.
Schulke, Daniel, and Benjamin Vierling. The Green Mysteries an Occult Herbarium. Three Hands Pr, 2017.
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