Today I want to talk about one of my favorite plants & their use in SIM/astrological magic. First, because most people have no idea what it actually looks like. Second, bc there are some safety precautions one should take. Third, because they're AMAZING

HELLEBORES

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Hellebores are an evergreen perrenial plant that flowers between December and April (this varies based on location & environment). They're considered evergreen because even after the flowers fade, the foilage continues to live through the year

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The Hellebore that is mentioned in the Picatrix and Agrippa is the Black Hellebore. This is NOT referring to the color of the flower, but for the color of their roots. The taxinomical name is Helleborus Niger. The flower is white that turns a pale green as it seeds

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That being said, there are many Hellebore hybrids that could work equally as well in your operations, including double and triple headed varieties (where there are 2 or 3 rows of sepals/petals). Don't expect their seeds to create the same variety, tho! (More on that later!)

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Black Hellebore is mentioned in several operations, sometimes as a suffimigant, sometimes as part of the talisman itself (placed under the stone you inscribe). Most notoriously Black Hellebore is considered a flower of "the most malicious star in the sky," Algol.

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The correlation with baneful SIM & the fixed star Algol is actually funny, considering that the Black Hellebore's folk name is The Lenten Rose, as it blooms during the season of Lent. Culpepper says it is an herb of Saturn, and this tracks with the Picatrix + Agrippa

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That's all fine & dandy, but let's talk safety. Hellebore (no matter which specie) is HIGHLY toxic. It should not be ingested AT ALL, you need to be cautious when handling the plant as it can cause a nasty rash, and burning the plant is also questionable (see next tweet)...

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Daniel Schulke addresses the toxicity of Hellebore in his book Veneficium, noting: "Severe Hellebore poisoning is a grim affair: before the bleak twilight of unconsciousness or cardiac arrest, the victim suffers burning of the mouth, slavering, a great roaring in the ears...

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"and visual aberations. Some persons report visionary effects and delirium from smoking the dried leaves, but given the disagreeable relationship between Hellebore toxins and the human organism, this is discouraged."

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What's a practitioner to do? Three things:

1. Always wear gloves when handling, even if dried

2. Suffimigate in TINY amounts throughout the operation, with ventilation & a mask

3. For the love of gods, DO NOT CONSUME THIS PLANT, keep out of reach from children/animals

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Growing the Hellebore is pretty easy. They love cooler temps, thrive in partial to full shade, water 1-2x a week; meaning that they do well indoors. Getting the seeds to germinate requires stratification, which is imitating winter conditions. They prefer to self seed.

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Other than the base species, don't expect their seeds to give you the same flowers. Most hybrids create seeds that will vary greatly from the original plant. This is both magically surprising and frustrating if you're not expecting it.

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Hellebores are powerful psychic protection allies if you journey frequently. I have hellebores growing above my head in my bedroom, almost like the shield of Medusa (Algol). In fact, Medusa means "protectress".

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So, to wrap things up... Hellebores are beautiful but deadly. Please use with caution when using magically. If you're looking for an easy-growing plant companion, these guys are super chill and very protective when you've bonded.

Thank you for attending my TED talk.

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P.S. None of the photographs or art are my own. These were used for educational purposes. Feel free to reverse image search if you'd like to locate the photographer or artist.