Damiana Leaf cut (Turnera diffusa)

Mexican legend holds that a liqueur made from damiana went into the very first margarita.

Origin & Traditional Use

Turnera diffusa is a small aromatic shrub of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Its leaves have long been brewed as a tea and made into a sweet liqueur, and it has carried a reputation as an aphrodisiac since at least the nineteenth century.

Uses by Tradition

Witchcraft & Folk Magick

• Lust sachet: blend with rose petals and a little cinnamon and carry it, or tuck it under the mattress.
• Visions: burn damiana as incense before divination or meditation to open the inner sight.
• Dream blend: add a pinch to a dream pillow alongside mugwort.

Hoodoo & Rootwork

• Lust and love: damiana is used in lust-drawing mixtures and mojo bags to heat up a partner’s desire.
• Candle dressing: the crumbled leaf is rolled onto dressed red candles in passion work.

A Simple Working

• Set out a red candle, a teaspoon of damiana and a few drops of olive oil.
• Carve your name and your partner’s name into the candle, one on each side.
• Anoint the candle with the oil from the base up toward the wick.
• Roll it in crumbled damiana.
• Light it in the bedroom and speak your desire plainly.
• Let it burn down completely, then keep any leftover herb under the mattress.

Pairs Well With

• Rose petals, for love alongside lust.
• Cinnamon, for heat and speed.
• A red candle, for passion workings.
• Mugwort, when using damiana for dreams and vision.

Lore & History

Damiana liqueur is sold in Mexico in a bottle shaped like a woman’s figure, a nod to the herb’s long association with desire. In the late nineteenth century it was marketed in the United States under the name Turnera aphrodisiaca.

What You Receive

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