When we hear the word clove images of snow laden landscapes, Yule trees, and piping hot tea no doubt come to mind. And for many, pomander balls (oranges and other fruits adorned with cloves) first used in the European Middle Ages as a form of air freshener and as a protection against negative spirits, jealousy, and harm were part of childhood crafting in history class. The word clove comes from the latin root word clavus which means nail due to the shape of the spice’s shaft. Aside from its aromatic and magical properties, clove is also a spice that we know has medicinal properties that span as far back as 1834. Let’s explore clove magical properties, remedies, and folklore.

What is Clove?

Cloves are the unopened, dried flower buds of the evergreen tree Syzygium aromaticum. It is a tropical evergreen tree that is said to “always face the sea” in order to thrive. This tree is native to the North Malucca Islands in Indonesia and has been a seductive lure in history, along with its cousins nutmeg and mace, for cultures looking to dominate the spice trade. First the Portuguese made their way to the Spice Islands around 1514 while the Dutch would follow around 1605 and control the trade of nutmeg and clove until the late 18^th century. By then, the French had constructed a smuggling operation to ship clove tree seedlings to the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba which then spread further throughout the world. 

Clove’s Part in the Spice Wars

Like cinnamon and nutmeg, clove was worth its weight in gold and wars were fought over the control of the clove trade which became a large part of European commerce which began long before the Portuguese landed on the Spice Islands. It is widely accepted that clove entered euro-commerce as far back as the 8^th century. Clove is thought to have been imported from Indonesia to China more than 2000 years ago. Financially, clove was so lucrative that the 50 tons of clove and nutmeg retrieved by Magellan during his global sailing journey were enough to make the trip a financial success all on their own.

Clove has long been used by various cultures in the mundane, magical, medical, and culinary arts. Every continent in the world has recipes that use clove as an ingredient for flavor. Magically, it has been used by multiple cultures for protection, prosperity, and attraction. Medicinally, the properties of clove offer carminative and anaesthetic properties among other uses. And in the mundane, cloves have been made into cigarettes/cigars and are a great means of repelling insects.

Mythology and Folklore of Clove

Though clove is thought to have entered euro-commerce in the 8^th century it’s history and folklore go even further back. The first written evidence of clove in the east can be found in Chinese literature written during the Han dynasty around the 3^rd century. The spice was first dubbed hi-sho-hiang which means ‘bird’s tongue’ or ‘chicken-tongue-spice’.

In the Molucca Islands where the clove tree was first discovered, it was customary for a clove tree to be planted upon the birth of a child. This custom continues today though not as widespread as it once was. The clove tree was treated with great care so as not disturb the flowering process and cause the tree to drop the fruits of its labor. This was a parallel to pregnant mothers who were also treated with care as the Moluccan people believed that if a mother were to be frightened in pregnancy, it could result in miscarriage.

Mole And Clove – A Folktale

Mole poblano, a traditional Mexican dish from Puebla with a reddish-brown sauce from made with dried poblano peppers and chocolate to be served over turkey, has an interesting clove-ish folktale. It is thought that the cloves added to the dish were just as important as the turkey in making it successful. It was created frantically by a group of nuns throwing random items together because they had a surprise visit from an archbishop and needed something to impress.

Magical Properties and Associations of Clove

Clove magical properties are mainly used in spell work for its properties of protection, attraction, and prosperity. However, it also has been used for love, healing, mental clarity, psychic enhancement and even spirit working. Clove is most often used whole, crushed, or for its essential oil. Clove is unique in that 15 to 20 percent of the clove bud can be extracted into oil.

• Name: Syzygium aromaticum, Caryophyllus aromaticus, Eugenia caryophyllata
• Parts Used: whole (dried flowering bud), powdered, essential oil
• Uses: Magical, medicinal, culinary, mundane
• Folk Names:  bird’s tongue, chicken-tongue-spice, flower of the Gods (Nepal and Tibet)
• Planet: Jupiter, Sun
• Sign: Aries
• Energy: Masculine
• Chakra: Root, Solar Plexus, and Sacral
• Day of the Week: Thursday, Sunday
• Element: Fire and Air
• Deities: Osiris, Oya, Malaysia/Nepal/Tibet deities
• Clove Magical Properties: money-drawing, prosperity, room-renting, friendship, psychic enhancement, mental clarity, healing, exorcism, protection, love and purification (protection from harm, negative energy, negative entities, jealousy and envy) 
• Clove Symbolic Meaning: Like cinnamon, clove was a symbol of luxury, wealth, and affluent status in the ancient world. The clove also derives its name from the latin clavus which means nail. Using the clove strictly symbolically it could be used to represent nails in hexes as a substitute for actual nails.
• Safety Concerns: Clove oil is not safe to ingest by mouth as even small amounts can cause seizures, liver damage, and fluid imbalances. It can also cause blood disorders as one of the chemicals used for its anaesthetic properties in dentistry slows the process of clotting. Clove should NEVER be used on children.

Ways to Use Clove Magical Properties in Your Practice

We’ve briefly touched on the clove magical properties, but how can we use them in our everyday magical practices?

1. Money-Drawing Mojo

Add 7 cloves to a green bag with 7 cinnamon sticks dressed in fast-luck oil and a whole nutmeg dressed in money-drawing oil. Add additional money and luck herbs to the bag keeping with the number 7. Carry the bag in your purse or on your person away from prying eyes.

2. Gambling Mojo

Whether you’re buying a scratch off ticket or visiting a casino, a gambling mojo is sure to bring luck. Add a pair of lucky dice that are no longer in use along with five-finger grass, cloves, thyme, cinnamon and irish moss to a red flannel bag. Dressin lady luck oil, special dice oil, or hoyt’s cologne. Continue to feed the bag with this oil and carry it on your person when trying your luck.

3. Clove Incense

Burning clove incense provides a variety of benefits. It can attract money, drive away negative energy and entities, and purify the room all in one hit.

4. To Stop Gossip

Adorn a red candle in cloves by pushing them into the wax. Burn the candle to stop malicious gossip or lies. And don’t be surprised if your enemies suddenly want to take you out to lunch. You can also crush the cloves into a powder and sprinkle over yourself or blow through your doorway.

5. Clove Powder in Your Wallet

Crush cloves in a mortar and pestle. Sprinkle the powder in your wallet to attract wealth.

6. Healing Poppet

Place whole cloves into a healing poppet along with other herbs for healing. Place the poppet under your sick bed or wherever you are spending most of your time laid up.

7. Place in a Locket for Love

Wearing cloves attracts lovers to you and can also ease suffering while in a state of grief over the death of a loved one or a metaphorical death taking place in your life.

8. Increase Psychic Ability and Clear Your Mind

Brew a tea with clove to increase your psychic energy and clear your mind. This is an excellent practice for those who practice divination regularly or professionally. Starting your day with a clove tea will provide easier psychic access to information being imparted to you from the divine.

9. Simmer Pot

Clove is another excellent ingredient to be added to simmer pots. Its aroma will clear your head and your space while attracting prosperity into your space.

10. Cloves For Protection

To protect yourself from negative energies and entities while also keeping jealous eyes away, craft a bracelet or necklace from cloves. If you find wearing them is not an option, they can always be added to a protection spell jar or mojo bag with other ingredients. You can also hang a bag of cloves over your child’s bed to protect them during sleep.

11. Cleanse Your Aura

Placing cloves into a muslin bag and throwing it in your nightly bath water is a good way to clear out the sludge mucking up your aura. It’s an excellent and easy maintenance practice for anyone spiritually minded to participate in.

12. To Enhance Friendships

Placing cloves out in the open during a social event invites positive energy and optimism into the space. This can encourage positive social interactions and strengthen relationships. This is one of many clove magical properties.

13.Kitchen Witchery

Using cloves in chai tea, to flavor meats, spice up curries, and add to pastries to promote prosperity, friendship, purity, and love.

14. Spirit Possession

Burn clove incense and anoint the third eye of the possessed to drive out the negative entity or rid the person of negative energy.

15. Increase Love and Passion

Steep cloves into wine that will be imbibed to increase love between you and the other person. Surround a red candle with 7 clove buds to increase passion in the relationship.

Health Benefits of Clove: Analgesic, Antimicrobial, Digestive Aid, Anti-Inflammatory, and More

Clove has a variety of medicinal properties and has been applied as a medicinal aid throughout human history. As always, be sure to check with your medical doctor and a certified herbalist prior to use to ensure there are no contraindications to you personally.

Analgesic: Clove oil has long been used in dentistry for its analgesic properties. It’s why when you have a toothache, clove oil on the gums is recommended. Clove oil contains a chemical called Eugenol that helps alleviate pain and was first extracted from cloves in 1834.  

Antimicrobial: Clove has been proven to kill bacteria including E. Coli. When used as a mouthwash, it has shown to improve gum health, breath odor, and reduce the amount of plaque and bacteria present in the mouth.

Blood Sugar: Including cloves in your diet may help to regulate blood sugar. It has been used in studies with mice with diabetes and has proven to help lower blood sugar levels.

Itchy Skin: Using clove oil on itchy skin has been proven to reduce itch. In a study of 50 people, 25 were given petroleum oil and 25 were given clove oil. The 25 that were given clove oil reported reduced itch compared to the 25 that were given petroleum oil.   

Liver Function: Eugenol, the analgesic in cloves, has shown in studies to reduce liver cirrhosis and other fatty liver diseases. It may also promote better liver function in those who have healthy livers.   

Anti-Inflammatory: Again, the hero of clove Eugenol, is also an anti-inflammatory. It’s a secondary function of the analgesic use in dentistry and also helps reduce the risk of chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.

Anti-Cancer: Clove studies have been done on animals with cancer that show it may be an effective treatment alone or combined with chemotherapy. However, much more research needs to be done in this area as to its effectiveness.

Reduce Ulcer Occurance: Cloves can protect the stomach from developing ulcers, as well as healing existing ulcers, because it thickens the protective mucus of the stomach.

Digestive Aid: Relieves gas, aids in digestion, and supports gastrointestinal health.

Sources

• Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic: A Materia Magica of African-American Conjure and Traditional Formulary Giving the Spiritual Uses of Natural Herbs, Roots, Minerals and Zoological Curios by Catherin Yronwode
• Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham
• Spices: Exotic Flavors and Medicines University of California Los Angeles
• McCormick Science Institute
• The Early History of Clove, Nutmeg, and Mace by Matthew McIntosh
• Food Origins by Timothy Kelly
• Cloves: Magical Uses & Spiritual Meanings by Plentiful Earth
• Health Benefits of Clove by VeryWell Health
• Health Benefits of Clove by WebMD

Meet Resident Writer: Allorah Rayne

Allorah Rayne is a practitioner of witchcraft and has been part of the online spiritual community since 2012. She is a Virgo sun, Pisces moon, and Leo rising. Her introduction to tarot was at the age of nine and she pursued more intensive learning at fifteen. Allorah is the founder of The Wayfaring Witch © where she offers soul origin profiles, tarot and oracle card readings, and individualized mentorships in the ways of the witch. She is also the co-founder alongside Kitty of Burning Hallows Productions which produces The Otherworldly Oracle Official Podcast and Mimir’s Well podcast. You can contact Allorah at the following social media sites Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, on The Wayfaring Witch © website via live chat, or by e-mail at allorahrayne@gmail.com. Read Allorah’s last article for the Witches Cabinet on the magic of Bay Leaves.