Lemon Balm Cut, 1 oz Wildcrafted (Melissa officinalis)

A love and friendship herb. Lemon Balm's oldest working is love: carried to draw a lover near, or folded into sachets for loving, faithful bonds between friends, family, and partners.

A herb of success. Beyond love, Cunningham records lemon balm in spells to ensure success, making it a fitting addition to ambition, opportunity, and new-beginning workings.

Soft, lunar, and uplifting. A herb of the Moon and Water, lemon balm was long burned in incenses, hung in the home to drive off heaviness, and worked to invite peace and good cheer into a space.

• Botanical: Melissa officinalis (lemon balm)
• Folk names: bee balm, sweet balm, sweet Melissa, heart's delight
• Form: cut and sifted dried leaf
• Weight: 1 oz
• Sourced: wildcrafted
• For ritual and spiritual use only; not a food, drug, or supplement, and not for ingestion
• Storage: keep in a sealed container in a cool, dry place away from light

In Scott Cunningham's correspondences, lemon balm is a herb of the Moon and the element Water, with love and success among its powers, which places it on Monday among the days of the week. Its name tells its oldest story: Melissa is the Greek word for honeybee, and the herb was sacred to the bee-priestesses, the Melissae, who served Artemis and Demeter. Beekeepers rubbed it on the hives to keep the bees home and draw new ones, and that gathering, binding quality carried into its magic, where lemon balm is the herb of loving bonds between friends, family, and lovers.

The old sources also record a love charm involving lemon balm steeped in wine and shared, which we pass along as the historical lore it is rather than as an instruction. Plentiful Earth offers this leaf strictly for ritual and spiritual use, not as a food, drug, or supplement, and it is not for ingestion. Worked in the ways we do offer it, its lunar, watery nature suits sachets, charms, and incense: carried to draw affection, folded into a bag for loving bonds, burned for good cheer, or hung in the home in the old custom to lift a heavy atmosphere.

1. Carry it for love. The dried leaf carried on the person is the simplest of the old love workings.
2. Fold it into a sachet with rose or lavender for friendship and loving bonds, and keep it where your household gathers.
3. Add it to a candle dressing or a sachet when setting out on a new venture, for the success register.
4. Burn a pinch as incense over charcoal in a fire-safe dish, in a ventilated room and within sight, for peace and good cheer.
5. Store it sealed, in a cool, dark place, so it keeps its bright, lemony scent.

• Love Gemstone Set, 5 Stones: the heart-current stones to anchor lemon balm's love and friendship work.
• Pink Rose Petals (Rosa gallica): the classic love flower to pair with lemon balm in a sachet.
• Lavender Flowers Whole (Lavandula angustifolia): pair for peace and gentle, heart-soothing blends.
• Peace Soy Votive Candle: light it alongside lemon balm to settle a home and lift the spirits.
• Lemon Balm Cut, 1 Lb: step up to the bulk size for regular love, friendship, and peace work.

What is lemon balm used for in magic?

Lemon balm is primarily a love and friendship herb, worked to draw love, strengthen loving bonds, and invite good cheer. Cunningham also records it in spells for success, and folk custom hung it in the home to lift a heavy atmosphere.

Can I make lemon balm tea, or drink it in wine?

No. Plentiful Earth offers this leaf strictly for ritual and spiritual use, not as a food, drug, or supplement, and it is not for ingestion. The old wine charm is historical lore, and we pass it along as such rather than as an instruction. Food-grade lemon balm is sold separately as a food product.

What are lemon balm's correspondences?

Cunningham places lemon balm under the Moon and the element Water, with love and success among its powers, which puts it on Monday. Its lunar, watery nature gives it a soft, heart-opening character.

Why is it tied to bees?

Its name, Melissa, is the Greek word for honeybee, and it was sacred to the bee-priestesses of Artemis and Demeter. Beekeepers rubbed it on hives to keep bees home, and that gathering, binding quality became part of its magic of loving bonds.

Can a beginner use lemon balm?

Yes. A pinch in a love sachet, a leaf carried to draw affection, or a little burned for good cheer is a complete working on its own. It is one of the gentlest herbs to begin love work with.

How should I store it?

Keep it sealed in a cool, dry place away from light. The cut leaf holds its bright, lemony scent for a year or more.