Being born in February I love violets. To me they hold the sweet soft side of plant magic, while still holding a little underworld energy. And I love creating cordials and offering blends from them. Not only is my labor to create the offering part of what I’m giving to the spirit world, but because I am so attached to them it feels like my offering comes from a deep part of my heart.

What Kind of Violets Should You Use for Magic and Herbal Work?

There are over 200 species of violets found all over the world. Viola odorata, or sweet violet, is native to Europe and Asia. If you live in North America, there are several species that can be used similarly. Most of them don’t have the same scent, and some of them are not as edible as V. odorata.

Yellow-flowered violets tend to be a bit acrid and irritating to digestion, although this isn’t true of the closely related Johnny Jump Up, Viola tricolor. And yes, you can use the smaller, less hybridized pansies, the ones whose flowers are about the size of a dime.

Violets will easily grow and spread in a shady part of the yard. Don’t use African violets. They are a completely different kind of plant.

Magical Properties of Violets in Witchcraft

It is ruled by the planet Venus astrologically and is also associated with female deities of love. It is aligned with the sign Libra so it can be added to spells when you want to bring balance or harmony.

It has a soothing and healing energy whether you use it physically or magically. Although I don’t work with crystals much, violets like quartz and amethyst crystals placed near them in the garden.

Violet Folk Magic and Traditional Uses

The heart-shaped leaves tell us the secrets of its magical uses. Violets are used in love magic and heart-healing magic of all kinds.

Make a simple violet charm. Gather the flowers as they bloom and dry them. Place them in a small charm or sachet bag. I hold the charm in my hands or near my heart when I am feeling sad.
Carry violets on you to protect from “wykked sperytis.”
A very intuitive friend of mine feels that sitting with violets and connecting with them will reveal the truth.
Working or sitting with violets or carrying them helps ease grief when someone has passed over.
Combining violets and lavender promotes feelings of love and attraction. Make a tea and spritz the room, or make a small bouquet.
Violets can be used in any love-drawing charm.
Because of their dark color and early bloom, they were sometimes associated with death in England. They are considered unlucky to bring into a home for this reason. Personally, I have not found this to be true, although they do seem to have a surprising amount of underworld energy for a spring bloom.
Making a tea of violets, fresh or dried, and bathing with it can be used in glamour magic to appear more glamorous.
Lay them under your pillow for prophetic dreams, particularly related to love or luck.

Violet Lore in Celtic, Greek, and Christian Tradition

They are associated with beauty in a few cultures. The Celtic warrior Labraid was said to have cheeks the color of violets. Apparently that was a good thing.

In the story of the moon goddess Io, violets were created to give her food after Zeus changed her into a white heifer to protect her from his wife’s jealousy. There are many versions of this story. In some she is human and was eventually restored to human form and became the first queen of Egypt. Other lore suggests that there were originally two different women named Io and that they were merged.

Violets were also the flower Persephone was picking when Hades abducted her.

Violets were also said to have sprung from the blood of the dying god Attis. His father, Agdistis, was double gendered, and the cult of Attis involved young men ritually castrating themselves and being devoted to Cybele. This is another story that has multiple different versions depending on the area and time in history it is told.

In Christian tradition, they are associated with modesty and faithfulness. In religious paintings, they symbolized someone who had deep spiritual insights.

Violets are the flower associated with February.

Violet Cordial Recipe for Magical Offerings

Start by harvesting about a cup of violet petals. Harvest them mid-morning to early afternoon once the dew has dried off the plants.

Give the plants an offering of water or whatever practice you use when harvesting, and lay them on a paper towel so the small bugs can escape. Remove any larger bugs. Gently stir them in a large bowl of water, just for a second or two, and place them in a strainer.

Some people like to remove the stems and sepals to get a better color and flavor.

Then light a candle. Let your hands get warm or imagine it so. You could ask that this work be pleasing in all the realms, since they are offerings.

Cover them with enough vodka so that there is about 1½ inches of brandy above the petals, or below, since sometimes the petals float.

How to Harvest and Dry Violets

Take a minute to sit with them and breathe. When you feel centered and connected to the plant ask if you can harvest the flowers. A no usually feels like a sense of aversion, repulsion or maybe a step back feeling in your body. Pay attention to your feelings and heart. Not your head. Tell the plants what you are going to use it for before you start to pick. Go slow and notice when it feels like time to stop

Dry them on unbleached muslin, a screen, or in a basket in a warm dark place. Sometimes I place cheesecloth over them to keep them from getting blown off the screen by drafts. Separate them well. If they are stacked, they will mold.

Devotional altars are shrines, sacred spaces to connect with the divine, be it a deity, ancestor, or spirits like the fae. These altars often include:

A representation or image of the being
A candle or offering light
A place for gifts: herbs, poems, coins, libations, or prayers

This can be a space of daily connection. A magical request or a place to do a magical working that could benefit from the assistance of a magical being. Spending time here not only honors the being but also helps you reset and connect to your magical center. These altars deepen relationship and offer a portal for presence and reciprocity.

Working with Violets in Witchcraft

Violet is a plant that reveals its secrets through personal interaction, even more so than other plants. Take some time to sit with it in the yard. If you pick them and bring them indoors, many species will waft a subtle scent throughout the room.

Precautions: The first year you plant violets, don’t eat the blooms unless they are organic.

If you are still buried under a lot of snow, Violets might not be blooming where you live yet. But if they are Violets are a richly magical early spring plant.