LATIN NAME: Gentiana lutea

MAGICKAL USES: Spiritual Development | Attracting Love

IS IT NECESSARY: No, unless you like making bitters and bitter tinctures, then it’s a must have.

EASY TO FIND: It’s easy to find in most herb shops and online.

COST: Approximately $2-$4 an ounce.

PARTS USED: Roots

GODS/GODDESSES: I’ve yet to discover any gods or goddesses associated with gentian. If you do know of any, please contact me and let me know!

ELEMENTS: Fire

ZODIAC SIGNS: Aries | Leo

PLANETS: Mars

ENERGY: Masculine | Expressive | Active

FLOWER LANGUAGE SYMBOLISM: Justice, Victory, and Determination

FOLKLORE & MAGICK: You can use Gentian to enhance your spiritual practices and growth so you can overcome obstacles. It can help clear blockages and help you find clarity and see things for what they really are. It can be used to attract love. 

THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES: Gentian is the epitome of bitter herbs. It’s commonly used as the base when making bitters. It makes an excellent tonic for stimulating the digestion, hence its use in bitters. It’s also known to improve circulation and help with anxiety. Applied to the skin as a tea, it can speed wound healing. However, Gentian shouldn’t be consumed for long periods of time because it’s very stimulating. No more than a few weeks at time.

MAGICKAL USES: Gentian is a great herb to work with when you’re experiencing spiritual blockages. Working with it can help you gain clarity and stimulate spiritual growth. It’s also been traditionally used for drawing in love. 

THERAPEUTIC USES: Gentian is the base for a lot of bitters recipes. Bitter compounds found is some herbs are excellent for stimulating digestion and have been used for centuries for this purpose. I always keep a tincture of gentian bitters to use a base for other bitters recipes. If I’ve eaten too much, a teaspoon of gentian is some Peppermint tea will help move things along. But don’t forget some honey or sugar because even in small doses, gentian packs a bitter punch!

IDEAS FOR USING GENTIAN: Meditate with gentian to gain clarity on any spiritual blockages. It can be placed in bath water to draw love to you or used in love spells. I use it for a base in most of my bitters recipes. You could use it in tinctures and potions for spiritual work or love spells.

When extracted into a tincture or glycerite:

BEST EXTRACTION RATIO: Bitters 1:3. Tincture | Glycerite 1:5

BEST ALCOHOL PROOF: 80 proof

TIME TO STEEP: 4 weeks

FLAVOR: Pure bitter

CHEMISTRY: Potently bitter compounds such as iridioid glycosides

The information provided is not intended to replace medical advice or treatment. Always consult your doctor or physician before taking any herbs or supplements. Herbs may have side effects, cause individual sensitivities or allergies, or interact with medications, and it is important to discuss these risks with your healthcare provider. Exercise caution if you are pregnant or nursing before taking any herbs or supplements.

Our website and information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Occult properties of herbs are provided for historical interest only. All magick and magickal items, recipes, and formulations are intended for curio only. No magickal effects are guaranteed.