Chaparral Leaf cut

How to Use It

Witchcraft & Folk Magick

• Clearing: present-day desert practitioners burn small amounts of the dried leaf or simmer it to clear a room.
• Protective bundle: a sprig or pouch of leaf is kept by the door or in a car for protection.

A Simple Working

• Simmer a tablespoon of chaparral in two cups of water for ten minutes, with a window open.
• Strain and let it cool.
• Add a pinch of salt.
• Starting at the back of the home, wipe each doorframe with a cloth dipped in the wash, working toward the front.
• Open the front door and pour any remaining wash outside.
• Light a white candle in the main room to close the working.

Pairs Well With

• Salt, for floor and door washes.
• Rosemary, for a fresher cleansing blend.
• A white candle, to close a clearing.

What You Receive

Cut and dried chaparral leaf, available in 1 oz, 2 oz and 1 lb.

Origin & Lore

Chaparral is the leaf of Larrea tridentata, the creosote bush of the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Indigenous peoples of the region used it extensively in traditional medicine, and the lac deposited on its branches by scale insects was gathered as a glue for mending pots and fixing arrowheads.

The smell people describe as desert rain is largely this plant: when the first drops land on creosote bush, its resinous leaves release a sharp, clean scent across miles of scrub.

The Spanish name gobernadora, the governess, is often explained by the way the bush dominates the ground around it, leaving little room for other plants. Hediondilla, little stinker, refers to its strong smell.