Mistletoe Cut, 1 oz (Phoradendron flavescens)

No plant is more wrapped in myth than mistletoe. Sacred to the Druids as the golden bough that grew on the holy oak, hung at Yule for the famous kiss, Phoradendron is a Sun-and-Air herb of protection, love, and fertility. It is also poisonous, and we offer it for hanging and charm work only, never to be eaten.

Important safety note. Mistletoe leaves and berries are toxic. Never eat any part of it or brew it; keep it well away from children and pets, and hang or store it where it will not be nibbled.

This ounce of cut mistletoe is the starter size for protective hangings, love and fertility charms, and Yule work; the working pound goes deeper. Reach for the golden bough when you want its old, layered magic of guard and love.

Key Features of Mistletoe

The protective bough. Mistletoe's oldest role is protective: hung in the home, it was believed to guard against fire, lightning, ill luck, and evil, and to ward the threshold.

Love and fertility. The Yule kissing custom carries mistletoe's love magic; Cunningham names love and fertility among its powers.

The Druid's golden bough, handled with care. Storied and sacred, mistletoe is also poisonous; we offer it for hanging and charm work, never to be consumed.

Product Details

• Botanical name: Phoradendron flavescens (American mistletoe)
• Tradition: Cunningham places mistletoe under the Sun and the element Air
• Form: cut and sifted dried herb
• Weight: 1 oz
• Toxic: for ritual use only. Never eat any part or brew it; keep away from children and pets.
• Storage: keep sealed in a cool, dark place, away from food

The Spiritual Significance

Mistletoe grows where nothing should, rooted not in earth but high in the branches of other trees, green and berried in the dead of winter, and that strangeness made it holy. The Druids are said to have cut it from the sacred oak with a golden sickle as their most powerful all-purpose charm, and Cunningham seats it under the Sun and the element Air, naming protection, love, fertility, and exorcism among its powers. Hung in the home, mistletoe was believed to guard against fire, lightning, ill luck, and evil; the Yule custom of kissing beneath it carries its love and fertility magic into the winter calendar.

For all its blessing, mistletoe is genuinely poisonous: its leaves and berries are toxic, and no part of it should be eaten or brewed. Plentiful Earth offers this dried herb strictly for ritual use, hung as a protective bough or worked into sealed charms, and it is not for ingestion. Hang or store it where children and pets cannot reach it.

How To Use Mistletoe

1. Hang the protective bough. Hang a sprig of mistletoe over a doorway or hearth to guard the home, out of reach of children and pets.
2. Charm for love. Add mistletoe to a sealed love or fertility charm, in the old Yule spirit.
3. Ward at Yule. Use it in winter and Yule workings for protection and blessing.
4. Exorcise and clear. Add it to charms meant to drive off evil and ill luck.
5. Store it safely. Keep sealed in a cool, dark place, away from children, pets, and food.

Pairs Well With

• Bay Leaves, Whole, 1 oz: a protective, wish-bearing leaf for the home.
• Cloves Whole, 1 oz: the winter pomander spice of protection and blessing.
• Protection Oil: dress the threshold the bough guards.
• Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham: the source of these attributions.
• Mistletoe Cut Herb, 1 Lb: the working pound for frequent protective work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is mistletoe used for in magic?

For protection above all, hung in the home to guard against fire, lightning, ill luck, and evil, and for love and fertility, carried in the Yule kissing custom. It is also used in exorcism work. Cunningham places it under the Sun and Air.

Is mistletoe poisonous? Can I eat the berries?

Yes, mistletoe is toxic; its leaves and berries are poisonous and no part of it should be eaten or brewed. Plentiful Earth offers it for hanging and sealed-charm work only, not for ingestion, and it should be kept away from children and pets.

How do I use it for protection?

Hang a sprig over a doorway or hearth, out of reach of children and pets, to guard the home in the old way, or add it to sealed protective charms. The hung bough is the classic protective working.

What are mistletoe's correspondences?

Cunningham seats mistletoe under the Sun and the element Air, naming protection, love, fertility, and exorcism among its powers, the layered magic of the Druids' sacred golden bough.

How should I store it?

Keep the cut herb sealed in a cool, dark place, away from food, children, and pets. Stored safely and used in hung boughs or sealed charms, an ounce will carry you through many protective workings.