In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, the grieving goddess refuses wine and asks instead for barley water mixed with tender pennyroyal, the drink later used in the Eleusinian Mysteries.
Origin & Traditional Use
Pennyroyal is a low, creeping mint of damp European ground. It was strewn on floors and rubbed on bedding to keep fleas away, used to flavour puddings and sausages in England, and carried by sailors to freshen water.
Uses by Tradition
Witchcraft & Folk Magick
- Hung in the home or added to floor washes to keep quarrels down and bring peace.
- Carried for protection and for strength on the road.
- Burned or added to cleansing baths to clear away stale, sour energy.
Hoodoo & Rootwork
- Used in peaceful home formulas to stop fighting between family members.
- Added to protection packets against the evil eye and ill-wishing.
Ceremonial & Occult Magick
- Remembered in modern Hellenic and Mystery-inspired rites as the herb of the kykeon offered to Demeter.
A Simple Working
- Steep a spoonful of pennyroyal in a pot of hot water.
- Add a spoonful of lavender and a pinch of salt.
- Strain into a bucket of floor-wash water.
- Wash the floors from the back of the house toward the front door.
- Speak aloud that arguments and bad tempers leave with the water.
- Throw the water out the front door and light a blue candle.
Pairs Well With
- Lavender: a gentle partner for peace in the home.
- Passion flower: another calming herb for household harmony.
- Rosemary: adds protection to the same wash.
- A blue candle: the traditional colour for peace.
Lore & History
Pliny the Elder wrote that pennyroyal was hung in bedrooms and wreathed about the head. In English folklore it was one of the herbs strewn on floors to sweeten rooms and drive out fleas.
What You Receive
Cut and sifted dried pennyroyal leaf, available in 1 oz, 2 oz and 1 lb.
Did You Know?
Pennyroyal’s Latin name, pulegium, comes from pulex, the Latin word for flea.
| Weight | N/A |
|---|---|
| Size | 1 oz, 2 oz, 1 lb |
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