Sealing the Nine Herbs Charm.

The working complete. Or maybe it's just begun.

“Now these nine plants have might against nine powerful diseases,

Against nine poisons and against nine infections,

Against the red poison, against the running poison, against the white poison, against the pale blue poison,

Against the yellow poison, against the green poison, against the pale poison,

against the dark blue poison, against the bright poison, against the purple poison.

Against worm-blister, against water-blister,

Against thorn-blister, against thistle-blister,

Against ice-blister, against poison-blister.

If any poison flying from the east

Or any from the north should come

Or any from the west over the tribe of men.

The Lord stood over the ancient malevolent race,

“I alone know the running rivers

And they enclose nine adders,

All weeds may now spring up as herbs,

Seas slide apart, all salt water

While I blow this poison from you.”

[Mugwort, Waybread which has opened from the east, Lamb’s Cress, Attorlaðe, Maythe, Nettle, Wood Sourapple, Chervil and Fennel.

Work the herbs to a powder, mix with old soap and with apple’s juice; make a paste from water and ash; take fennel and boil it in the paste and warm it with the mixture when he puts on the salve. Both before and after, sing the charm on each of the herbs thrice before they will used, and on the apple likewise, and sing it into the man’s mouth and ears and onto the wound before he puts on the salve.]

My intention for making this Charm was simple. I had a slew of projects on the go and ready to begin, including zines, first aid kits, teas, and other sundries utilising my skills and wisdom that I wanted to share with the world. I also wanted to make talismanic herbal oils that could be used in ritual and as wearable affirmations. The Nine Herbs Charm nudged its way out of my memory webs and said, “Remember me? Let’s do a talismanic oil for general healing.” When I decided that the Charm was a good and appropriate formula as any would be for the purpose, it began to take on a life of its own. I realised that I needed to make it as contextually authentic as possible. It required complete trust in the plants themselves, as well as the god Woden, whom the Charm is dedicated to and evokes. What I had imagined would be a simple homage developed into an elaborate ritual. During the planning of the initial infusion and the ritual of the Charm’s incantation over the oil, I had an overwhelming urge to then bury the infusing oil in the earth to gestate for one complete lunar cycle. This began on the new moon of 28^th May 2025, which happened to be a Wednesday. During this ‘pregnancy’, I was instructed to undertake nine Seiðr workings, or nine shamanistic journeys. A journey for each of the nine plants to learn of their wisdom in relation to the Charm. I had two simple questions to ask of each plant – what is your role in the Charm, and what is your relationship to Woden? My previous nine posts here have been the raw field notes from these meetings.

The Greenmail (Wildwood Tarot) & filtered Charm. M.Carnochan 2025.

On the new moon of the 25^th June 2025, also a Wednesday, I unearthed the now infused Charm and then sat it in ritual of final incantation and offering to Wodan/Oðin. The Working was now complete. In hindsight however, this was not just the working of making a talismanic charm, it was a greater Working and initiation for me. It has been the culmination of the ancestral work that I had been doing, as well as a springboard for a deeper apprenticeship in the more esoteric aspects of this Arte. It has and continues to be transformative to my overall praxis – in healing for others as well as myself. In a world where words like ‘authenticity’ have become substance less buzzwords, all I can say in all sincerity is that it has helped me come home. I will have around 40 bottles, give or take, that I will be making available. My intention is simply that it will offer the same to those who also wish to work with it.

I feel that this is a working that I will be doing and making available once a year. Who knows if the plant known as Attorlaðe will also change with each year? I am curious to find out. In the meantime, my next post about the Charm will begin looking into the history, standard monographs for each plant, the myths referred to in the journeys, and my Seiðr work and the magical working in general, and these will be for paid subscribers. To those who come along for that ride, your support is very much appreciated.

Until then, I will be back soon for my free subscribers and curious onlookers with other wyrd and wonder-filled ponderings about navigating our primal imprints and creating our own magical monomyth with the noble allies that join us along the way.

Blessings,

Michelle x