Aphrodisiac or Love Cure?

Often seen dotting the waysides as well as gardens, the common or wood mallow (Malva sylvestris) and musk mallow (M. moschata) were grown as culinary and medicinal herbs in the past. Reaching up to four feet tall, common mallow has notched flowers that range from rosy to purplish pink with darker streaks radiating from the center. Musk mallow is smaller, only growing about two or three feet tall. Its saucer shaped flowers are soft pink. As you might expect, musk mallow was named for the musky fragrance that’s released when the flowers or foliage have been crushed. The round, lobed fruit of both plants resemble little cheese wheels and was the source of the folk names cheese plant and fairy cheese.

Mallow was used medicinally by the ancient Chinese, Greeks, and Romans and later by the Anglo-Saxons. Roman poet Marcus Valerius Martialis noted that mallow was a cure for post-orgy hangovers. Pliny the Elder recommended its use to aid in achieving orgasm and for centuries mallow was regarded as an aphrodisiac. However, by the late Middle Ages the opposite was believed and mallow was prescribed to put a damper on passions. In North America, the Iroquois used the low-growing dwarf mallow (M. neglecta) to cause vomiting as cure to counteract love medicine.

According to Irish legend, mallow was one of seven herbs that couldn’t be harmed by anything natural or supernatural. However, to be effective against evil it had to be gathered at noon on a sunny day around the time of the full moon. It was also believed that lightly striking a person with the stem of a mallow plant on May Eve would provide protection from disease and fairy mischief.

In Germany, mallow was used to break hexes and cure a person who had been influenced by witchcraft. In England, mallow was included in May Day garlands. Even though the fruits were regarded as fairy food, human children playing in the fields enjoyed eating them, too.

In Magic Today

Of course, mallow has magical uses, but is it an aphrodisiac or love cure? Maybe a bit of both, actually. To attract love, infuse oil with the flowers and dab a little behind your ears. Burn a handful of dried flowers as part of a banishing spell to send someone packing.

For other magical uses, scatter a few dried leaves or flowers on your altar to increase your ability to communicate with spirits. Looking like little moons, place a few of the fruit on your altar for esbat rituals to boost lunar energy. Place a few of the fruits in a special outdoor area to invite fairies to your property.

If you would like to read more about plants and magic, check out my book The Witches’ Encyclopedia of Magical Plants.