Metaphysical Properties Of Balm of Gilead
Official Name: Commiphora opobalsamum
Other Names: Balesan, Balsam Tree, Balsumodendron Gileadensis, Bechan, Mecca Balsam
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Metaphysical Powers: Love, Manifestations, Protection, Healing
Common Magickal Uses and Folklore
- Carry the buds of the balm of Gilead to mend a broken heart or to attract new love.
- Steep them in a red wine for a simple love drink.
- Burn as a material basis for spirits, and also carry for protective purposes.
- Many plants carry this name. Be sure to know what you are buying or picking.
The balsam is not water-soluble, so it is necessary to extract it either with fat, by macerating it in oil or cocoa butter in a warm place (do not boil. Otherwise, the buds might get burnt), or to prepare an alcoholic extract (tincture).Magical Uses of Balm of Gilead
Balsam Poplar or Cottonwood is one of the most sacred trees in Native American plant lore. Many tribes regard them as a kind of spirit conductor, conveying messages of the spirit world through their rustling leaves. Sacred objects, like the Hopi Kachinas, were fashioned from Cottonwood. Cottonwoods were associated with fertility. Cottonwood is not a European tree, but indigenous species of Poplar also played a role in folk magic, albeit a minor one. In European plants, lore poplars are considered protective, especially against lightning and snakes.