Metaphysical Properties Of Bloodroot
Official Name: Sanguinaria canadensis
Other Names: King Root, Red Root, Tetterwort
Gender: Masculine
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Metaphysical Powers: Love, Protection, Purification
Common Magickal Uses and Folklore
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The root is carried or worn to draw love.
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It is also carried to avert evil spells and negativity.
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Place near doorways and windowsills so the home will be protected. The darkest red roots are considered the best and are known as "king roots" or "he roots."
This magic herb is excellent for family protection and family luck, typically powdered and sprinkled around the outside of the house. It has strong traditions of Mars protective magic. The Iroquois bathed people who had seen a ghost in the smoke of this plant to protect them from being haunted further. The Menominee made a face paint for warriors from it, and the Ojibwe likewise made a facepaint for war from the red stage of the bloodroot. Still, plenty of tribes used red bloodroot just for skin decoration, so there's a neat sort of fluctuation in its use between Mars (war paint) and Venus (love magic, attention to the skin). Indeed, re Venus, the MicMac considered this herb an aphrodisiac, and Ponca bachelors rubbed it on their palms for love magic. The Algonquin used bloodroot to make love charms and color their skin, clothing, and weapons, so they recognized both the love and war/protection possibilities of this herb. Bloodroot also makes a lovely Fire incense when blended with dragon's blood, safflower petals, red sandalwood, and olibanum. This magic herb makes a permanent red dye with alum as a mordant.
Most of the active constituents of the bloodroot are stored in the rhizome. This sap is very toxic. It contains morphine-like compounds and also destroys animal tissue. It is traditionally used in herbal medicine as a component of ointments designed to destroy abnormal skin growths such as melanoma, warts, and skin tags. This is an excruciating process and can result in severe scarring if not done correctly. The FDA has investigated and indicted practitioners for carrying out this particular remedy.