Amulet or Gris Gris Bags by Christine

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Herbal Magic - Amulet bags or Gris Gris Bags

Herbal amulets, gris gris bags and sachets are small fabric bags filled
with herbs and other fillings intended to achieve a particular magical
goal. They are popular for protection and attracting positive influences
into your life such as love, psychic ability, prosperity and the like.

Amulet bags are consrtucted with ritual incorporating appropriate
correspondences for the magical intent they are being created to
achieve.These correspondences include the time and day they are made,
the color of the cloth used, and the herbs and other items often
including crystals which are enclosed in the amulet. You will need to
chose the contents based upon what you want to achieve with the amulet.
See the section on Crystal Correspondences for choosing crystals, and
see below for the herbs.

Choose the color of the fabric based upon the Color Correspondences
section and purchase a 1/4 yard piece of cloth in the appropriate color.
If you have a quilting store nearby purchase a "fat quarter" as the
fabric will be in a wider strip allowing more choice in the size and
shape of the sachets. It's alright to use a print with shades of the
correct color or other colors with complimentary meanings. You will need
to cut a piece of the fabric to size. If you want to make a drawstring
bag for your sachet cut a piece about 2-3 inches wide by 7-10 inches
long. This allows for the fabric to be folded in half, meeting the
printed or right sides together, with the unprinted or wrong side on the
outside. You will also need a piece of cord for the drawstring about 10
inches long. If you want to make a simple sachet, cut a 3 inch square
of fabric. Directions for making simple sachets and amulet bags follow.
The sewing involved is minimal, you don't need a sewing machine, just a
needle and thread.
Directions for Making an Amulet Bag with a Drawstring
Step one: Fold down about 3/4 inch at the top and bottom, cut ends to
create the pocket for the drawstring. Stitch straight across at both
ends.

Step two: Fold fabric in half with wrong sides on the outside and right
sides together.

Step three: Stitch along sides of bag, stopping at the stitching line
for the drawstring pocket and allowing about a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Step four: Turn the bag right side out. Using a 10 inch piece of
matching rat tail cord, thread the cord through one side of the pocket,
turn and come back through the other side. Knot the ends of the cord.

Choosing the Herbs

You may use the Herbal Correspondences section or the Planetary
Correspondences section to determine the correct correspondences for
your magical intent and to find the herbs that are appropriate to your
magical intent. Look up the Planetary Correspondence for the intent and
then find herbs that correspond to that planet in the tables of Herbal
Correspondences. You may also use the following table which gives a list
of herbs that are traditionally carried for a particular purpose. There
are also recipes for herbal sachet blends following the table. Any
herbs used should be consecrated to the magical intent using ritual done
on the day and hour appropriate to the purpose. This adds immeasurably
to the power of the amulet or sachet which should not be overlooked.


Herbs Carried for Various Magical Intents
Magical Intent Herbs
Chastity Camphor, Hawthorn, Lavender with Rosemary, Rue, Witch Hazel

Courage Basil, Black Cohosh, Borage, Columbine, Iris, Mullein, Nettle
with Yarrow, Poke, Sweet Pea, Tea, Thyme, Tonka, Wahoo, Yarrow

Creativity
Acorns, Beech, Lily, Mistletoe

Employment Devil's Shoestring, Lucky Hand

Fertility Acorns, Banana, Barley, Bistort, Brackenfern, Cuckoo Flower,
Dates, Hawthorn, Hazelnuts, Horsetail, Mistletoe, Mugwort, Patchouli,
Pomegranate, Poppy Seeds, Wheat

Fidelity Caraway, Cumin, Elder, Spikenard

Friendship Love Seed, Passion Fruit, Sweet Pea, Yarrow

Happiness Celandine, Chamomile, Hawthorn, High John the Conqueror,
Jasmine, Marjoram, Motherwort, Savory, St. John's Wort, Thistle, Vervain

Healing Angelica, Balm, Brackenfern, Calamus, Camphor, Carnation,
Cinnamon, Coriander, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Gardenia, Heliotrope, Hops,
Lavender, Mimosa, Mint, Mugwort, Myrrh, Peppermint, Pine, Rosemary,
Rowan, Rue, Sage, Sassafras, Spearmint, Thyme, Vervain, Willow,
Wintergreen, Wood Sorrel

Health and Longevity Acorn, Carnation, Cinquefoil, Cowslip, Cypress,
Eucalyptus, Feverfew, Figwort, Garlic, Ginseng, Horse Chestnut,
Lavender, Life Everlasting, Linden, Mint, Mistletoe, Mugwort, Myrtle,
Nutmeg, Peach, Peony, Pine Cones, Rosemary, Rowan, Rue, Sage, St. John's
Wort, Spikenard, Sumbul, Tansy, Thyme, Tonka, Vervain, Walnut, Wood
Sorrel
Legal Matters Buckthorn, Cascara, Celandine, Cinquefoil, Marigold, Skunk
Cabbage

Love Adam and Eve Roots, Apple Blossoms, Apricot, Ash, Aster, Balm, Balm
of Gilead, Basil, Bedstraw, Belladonna, Betony, Black Snakeroot,
Bloodroot, Brazil Nut, Capers, Cardamon, Catnip, Cedar, Chickweed,
Cloves, Black Cohosh, Coltsfoot, Coriander, Cubeb, Daisy, Dogbane,
Dutchman's Breeches, Elecampane, Elm, Eryngo, Gentian, Ginseng, Grains
of Paradise, Henbane, Hibiscus, Hyacinth, Indian Paint Brush, Jasmine,
Juniper, Lady's Mantle, Lavender, Lemon, Lemon Verbena, Licorice,
Mallow, Meadow Rue, Meadowsweet, Mimosa, Mullein, Myrtle, Orange,
Orchids, Orris, Pansy, Patchouli, Pimento, Purslane, Quassia, Rose,
Rosemary, Saffron, St. John's Wort, Southernwood, Spiderwort, Sumbul,
Tamarind, Tonka, Tormentil, Valerian, Vervain, Vetivert, Violet, Willow,
Wormwood, Yarrow, Yerba Mate

Luck Daffodil, Devil's Bit, Devil's Shoestring, Frankincense, Galangal,
Grains of Paradise, High John the Conqueror, Holly, Huckleberry, Irish
Moss, Ivy, Job's Tears, Lotus, Lucky Hand, Male Fern, Meadow Rue,
Nutmeg, Oak, Olive, Poppy Seeds, Purslane, Rose, Rowan, Snakeroot,
Spikenard, Star Anise, Straw, Strawberry, Sumbul, Tonka, Trillium,
Vetivert, Violet with Lavender

Lust Acorn, Capers, Cattail, Damiana, Galangal, Ginseng, Grains of
Paradise, Juniper Berries, Mugwort, Nettle, Patchouli, Rosemary,
Saffron, Witch Grass, Yohimbe

Power Cedar, Cinquefoil, Oak, Rowan

Prophetic Dreams (Use in Sleep Pillow, see directions below.) Celandine,
Chamomile, Clary Sage, Coltsfoot, Heliotrope, Hops, Jasmine, Lavender,
Linden, Marigold, Mimosa, Mugwort, Nutmeg, Peppermint, St. John's Wort,
Vervain, Wormwood

Prosperity Alfalfa, Alkanet, Allspice, Almond, Banana, Basil, Bergamot,
Bistort, Black Snakeroot, Blue Flag, Cascara, Cashew, Cedar, Cinquefoil,
Galangal, Ginger, Ginseng, Grains of Paradise, Heliotrope, Honesty,
Irish Moss, Oats, Orange, Oregon Grape, Patchouli, Pecans, Pineapple,
Pipsissewa, Pomegranate, Poplar, Poppy Seeds, Sage, Sassafras,
Snakeroot, Sweet Woodruff, Tea, Tonka, Trillium, Tulip, Vetivert, Wheat
Protection Agrimony, Ague Root, Althea, Angelica, Bay, Beans, Betony,
Bittersweet, Boneset, Brackenfern, Burdock, Caraway, Carnation, Castor,
Cinchona, Cinnamon, Comfrey, Devil's Bit, Dogwood, Dragon's Blood,
Ebony, Elder, Elecampane, Eryngo, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Frankincense,
Galangal, Garlic, High John the Conqueror, Horehound, Lady's Slipper,
Larch, Leeks, Marjoram, Mint, Mistletoe, Motherwort, Mullein, Nettle,
Nightshade, Oak, Peony, Pepper Tree, Rice, Rose, Rose Geranium, Rowan,
Rue, Sloe, Holy Thistle, Toadflax, Tulip, Valerian, Vervain, Wax Plant,
Willow, Wolf's Bane, Wormwood, Yerba Santa

Psychic Powers Althea, Bladderwrack, Broom, Clary Sage, Cinnamon,
Dandelion, Deerstongue, Eyebright, Galangal, Grass, Lavender, Linden,
Mugwort, Juniper, Rowan, Thyme, Uva Ursi, Vervain, Wormwood, Yerba Santa

Safe Travel Comfrey, Daffodil, Eryngo, Feverfew, Garlic, Heather, Irish
Moss, Juniper, Mountain Mahogany, Mint, Mistletoe, Mugwort, Mullein,
Oak, Pennyroyal, Quince Seeds, Rowan, Rue, Sweet Woodruff, Ti, Wormwood

Spirituality Cinnamon, Frankincense, Iris, Yerba Santa, Wood Aloes

Strength Bay, Betony, Carnation, Comfrey, Nettle, Pennyroyal, St. John's
Wort, Sweet Woodruff, Tea, Thistle

Success Balm, Cinquefoil, Fennel, Frankincense, Ginger, High John the
Conqueror, Horse Chestnut, Lucky Hand, Oregon Grape, Pennyroyal, Rowan,
Wahoo, Winter's Bark

Wisdom and Mental Powers Bodhi, Cinquefoil, Dill, Eyebright, Hazelnuts,
Horehound, Iris, Mace, Mustard Seed, Rue, Sage, Savory, Spearmint,
Vanilla