The spiritual meaning of ginger comes from the heat you feel when you bite into it. In folk magic and modern witchcraft, that heat stands for energy and speed. You add ginger when you want a spell to move faster, money to arrive sooner, love to warm up or healing to take hold.
None of this is proven, and below we show you which parts of the lore are old and which are new. Ginger taken by mouth also needs a little care, which we cover near the end.
Quick pick
Which Ginger Use Fits What You Need?
Tap the line that sounds most like you to jump to your match.
- Feeling flat before a ritual? Chew a thin slice of ginger first
- Does your spell feel slow? Add ginger as a booster
- Need money soon? Make a ginger money pouch
- Want to warm up a relationship? Cook a ginger dinner together
- Pregnant, or taking a blood thinner? Read the safety notes first
Keep reading below What ginger means Where the beliefs come from Healing spell Kitchen magic Questions
Ginger rarely works alone, so you will often find it beside the other magical herbs people use for protection. You can meet the rest of the plants on our page of herbs and their meanings.
What Is the Spiritual Meaning of Ginger?
Ask a practitioner what ginger means and you will usually hear one word: fire. Modern correspondence lists give it to the element of fire and the planet Mars, and they file it under power, success, money and love.
The fire is not only a symbol. In a small study published in 2018, Sugimoto and colleagues found that a drink made with ginger extract warmed the skin of the women who tried it. As the authors put it, ginger is known to warm the body.
So when you add ginger to a ritual, the idea is simple. You are blowing on the embers of your intention to get a real flame going.
That is also why ginger is rarely the star of a spell. Most practitioners treat it as a helper. It carries the other ingredients and speeds up the work, rather than doing the work alone.
○ Where the Beliefs Come From
Ginger has been part of folk medicine since ancient times, says the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). The UK Committee on Toxicity traces the plant itself to Southeast Asia. A root that people trusted for so long to settle the body was always going to find its way into ritual too.
The oldest ritual use we could read for ourselves comes from Dobu, a small island off the eastern tip of New Guinea, now part of Papua New Guinea. In a note printed in the British New Guinea annual report for 1893 to 1894, the missionary Reverend W. Bromilow described a sorcerer hired to guard a garden, who would “spray chewed betel-nut and ginger from his mouth” and tie leaves together as a sign to keep out.
That is one community’s protection rite, and we share it as a record of their custom, not as a recipe. But it shows that chewing ginger and spitting it out with intention (the heart of the healing spell further down) has at least one old, written parallel.
The tidy lists you see online (fire, Mars, masculine, money, love) are much newer. They come from modern witchcraft books and blogs, and we could not trace them to any older record. So treat them as today’s tradition, not ancient lore.
○ Is Ginger in the Bible?
Some popular videos call ginger a “spiritual weapon” and tie it to the Bible. A keyword search on Bible Gateway finds no verse that names ginger, so that idea comes from today’s preachers and creators rather than from scripture.
If ginger is part of your prayer life, you can still use it as a reminder of warmth and renewal. Just know that it is a personal practice.
Ginger for Energy Before a Ritual
Many witches like to raise their energy before they cast. Some sing or dance, some chant, and some simply put on a song they love.
For many witches, ginger is the quickest way in.
You chew a little fresh root, or sip a cup of ginger tea, and let its bite mark the moment your work begins.
- Peel a thin coin of fresh ginger. Fresh root is fiery, so start small.
- Sit where you will do your spell and take one slow breath.
- Chew slowly and notice the heat building on your tongue and in your throat.
- As the warmth spreads, say your intention once, out loud or in your head.
- Swallow or spit out the fibres, take a sip of water and begin.
Picture it on a cold evening. A candle is lit on your desk, a mug of ginger tea is steaming beside it, and that sharp, lemony smell fills the room. By the time the tea is half gone you feel awake and ready, and that readiness is exactly what the ritual is for.
If raw ginger is too strong for you, a ginger biscuit or a glass of real ginger ale does the same symbolic job (yes, a snack counts).
Ginger as a Booster for Other Herbs
Ginger’s best-known job is to make other herbs work harder.
Think of it as a quickener. You can add a pinch to almost any blend that feels slow, and many practitioners do exactly that.
Here are a few ways to do it:
- Add a pinch of dried ginger to a sachet or spell jar with your other herbs.
- Mix a drop of ginger essential oil into a carrier oil with your other oils, then dress a candle with it.
- Cook ginger with other kitchen herbs and spices, and stir your intention in as you go.
- Drop a few slices into a simmer pot with cinnamon, orange peel or rosemary.
Ginger is also the herb for when time matters. Say you need a new job before the month is out. Adding ginger is a way of saying “soon, please”, and many practitioners believe it pushes the wish out into the Universe faster.
We would add one thing. Ginger can speed up a spell, but it cannot send the application for you, so pair it with the real step that moves your life forward.
○ Smoke-Free Ways to Use It
Older guides, this one included, used to suggest burning ginger in incense or a smoke wand. You can, but you do not need smoke to work with ginger. Smoke-free is kinder in a home with a cat, someone with asthma or a no-candles rule.
A simmer pot is the easiest swap. Put sliced ginger, a cinnamon stick and some orange peel in a pan of water and warm it on the lowest heat. Let the steam carry your intention through the house (and top up the water so it never boils dry).
If you do burn ginger, keep a window open and stay in the room until it is out. Our guide to herbs for protection and cleansing explains what herb smoke does to indoor air and how to burn more safely.
Ginger in Healing Spells
Because ginger has been a folk remedy for so long, it has a natural place in healing magic. You can use it to send warmth and strength to someone who is ill, perhaps beside a healing candle or a prayer.
Here is a simple chewing spell that many practitioners use:
- Sit quietly and picture the person you want to help. See their face clearly.
- Put a small piece of fresh ginger in your mouth and chew. Imagine the heat is their illness or pain.
- Keep chewing as the burn fades. Picture the illness burning itself out with it.
- Spit the ginger into a tissue. Imagine you are spitting the illness out of their body.
- Throw the tissue away and wash your hands.
This spell is a way to send care, not a treatment. Anyone who is unwell still needs a doctor, so let the spell sit beside real medical help, not replace it.
Ginger for Money and Quick Luck
Practitioners tie ginger to money because of its speed.
It is the herb you reach for when the rent is due, not for slow savings.
You can use ginger alone, but it works nicely with other money herbs. Two favourites are calendula, the sunny marigold of success spells, and mint, which many witches use to draw money in.
To make a small money pouch:
- Take a small green or gold cloth bag.
- Add a few pieces of dried ginger, a pinch of calendula petals and a few dried mint leaves.
- Drop in a coin as a sign of the money you are calling in.
- Hold the closed bag in both hands and say what the money is for, in one plain sentence.
- Carry it in your purse or pocket, next to your wallet.
Be specific when you speak.
“I have enough for my rent on time” gives your intention a shape that “I want money” never will.
Refresh the herbs when they lose their smell.
Skip the sellers who offer to cast a ginger money spell for a fee. A pouch like this costs a few coins and runs on your own intention.
Ginger for Love and Passion
Ginger’s heat also stands for passion. In love magic it is the herb for spark, whether you want new attraction or want to warm a relationship that has gone a little cold.
For new love, dress a red or pink candle with diluted ginger oil and light it. Picture the kind of love you want while you repeat a short chant.
Keep the focus on the feeling and the kind of partner you want, not on making one particular person fall for you. Love that has to be pushed is not the love you are looking for.
For a relationship you already have, the simplest ginger spell is dinner. Cook a meal with fresh ginger in it (a stir fry, a curry or a honey glaze). Stir in the thought of the warmth you want back.
Then sit down together, phones away, and enjoy it.
Ginger tea with honey and a few rose petals is another favourite for a quiet night in.
What Ginger Does for Your Body
Modern research backs only some of ginger’s old uses. NCCIH says studies show ginger may help with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, and that supplements might ease period cramps. But most studies have not found that it helps motion sickness.
For knee arthritis, NCCIH calls much of the research poor quality, and ginger rubbed on the skin has not been shown to help. Weight loss, cholesterol, blood sugar and heart disease are not on NCCIH’s ginger page at all. So please do not use ginger in place of treatment for any of them.
○ Ginger for Skin and Hair
Some people add ginger to their beauty routine, hoping to fade dark marks or scars or to wake up the scalp for healthier-looking hair. These are beauty traditions, not proven treatments, so enjoy them for the ritual and the warm smell.
Never put ginger oil straight on your skin. Mayo Clinic advises diluting essential oils in a carrier oil such as almond or jojoba and keeping them away from your eyes. Its example of a 1 percent mix is 1 drop of oil in 1 teaspoon of carrier oil.
Then test it before you use it widely. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests putting a new product on a small spot, such as the inside of your elbow, twice a day for 7 to 10 days. If your skin reacts, wash it off and do not use it again.
Who Should Be Careful With Ginger?
Most of what follows is about pills and shots, not your dinner.
The UK Committee on Toxicity says eating ginger the usual way, as part of your cooking, is not considered a health concern.
Concentrated forms are different: capsules, ginger shots, extracts and very strong home brews. NCCIH lists stomach discomfort, heartburn, diarrhoea and mouth or throat irritation as side effects. If you take any medicine, it asks you to talk with a doctor before using ginger as a herbal product.
○ Blood Thinners, Surgery and Gallstones
Ginger can make blood slower to clot. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) warns that ginger supplements may raise the risk of bleeding if you take warfarin, another blood thinner or anti-inflammatory painkillers (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. It adds that a review of the evidence found it inconclusive.
Home brews count too. MSKCC records the case of an 80-year-old man on a blood thinner who died of bleeding that began days after he took a boiled mixture of ginger and cinnamon. So if you take a blood thinner, treat a strong ginger tea or tonic as a dose, and ask your doctor or pharmacist first.
Surgery is the same story. MSKCC says to stop ginger supplements 2 weeks before an operation, not to use them for sickness straight after it, and to avoid them with a bleeding disorder. Tell your surgeon about every herb you take, even the ones that feel like food.
If you have gallstones, go easy as well. MSKCC says ginger supplements may increase the flow of bile, and the University of Texas at El Paso’s herbal safety guide advises against large doses for anyone with gallstones.
○ Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Ginger is one of the best-known home remedies for morning sickness. The NHS suggests eating foods or drinks that contain ginger, and asks you to check with a pharmacist before taking ginger supplements.
What amount do doctors have in mind? Poison Control (the US National Capital Poison Center) says the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends ginger for morning sickness at 250 mg 4 times a day. That is a measured dose, which is hard to judge with fresh root or tea, so let your doctor or midwife guide you.
Not every expert agrees.
The UK Committee on Toxicity found that ginger supplements and shots vary so much that it is hard to know how much you are getting. It also noted that animal studies hint at unwanted effects in early pregnancy at high doses. MSKCC goes further and says to avoid ginger supplements in pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
NCCIH, for its part, says ginger supplements may be safe in pregnancy but asks you to check with your health care provider first, and it says little is known about breastfeeding. So our view is simple. Enjoy ginger biscuits, tea and cooking for nausea, and let capsules, shots and extracts wait until a doctor, midwife or pharmacist says yes.
○ Ginger Oil, Cats and Dogs
Ginger oil and cats are a poor mix. Pet Poison Helpline explains that cats lack a liver enzyme they need to clear essential oils, and that even the tiny droplets from an oil diffuser still put them at risk.
If your cat starts breathing fast, coughing or wheezing near an oil, move it into fresh air at once. Pet Poison Helpline says a cat whose signs do not settle quickly needs emergency vet care, and you can reach the helpline at (855) 764-7661.
We could not find official guidance on the ginger root itself for dogs and cats. So ask your vet before you share ginger snacks or tea with a pet, and keep sachets and jars where curious noses cannot reach them.
Kitchen Magic With Ginger
Cooking is where most people meet ginger, and kitchen witches say every meal can be a small spell. Stir clockwise to draw something in, name your intention as you add the ginger, and share the food with people you love.
Ginger fits almost anywhere: soups, rice, dressings, curries, stir fries, hummus, cakes and drinks. It pairs well with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, coriander, fennel, lemongrass and mustard, so you can build a flavour around your intention.
A few easy ideas to start with:
- A morning cup of ginger and lemon tea for energy before a busy day.
- A ginger and honey glaze on a shared dinner, for warmth between you.
- Ginger biscuits baked for a friend who needs luck before an interview.
- A piece of candied ginger in your bag as a pick-me-up before a ritual.
And if you love the bite, thin slices of fresh ginger make a sharp, refreshing snack on their own. Next time you grate ginger for dinner, breathe in that bright smell and decide what you would like it to warm up in your life.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ginger
Quick answers on working with ginger, and on growing, drying and storing it at home.
What is ginger used for in witchcraft?
Ginger is mostly used to add heat and speed. Witches use it to raise their own energy before a ritual, to boost other herbs, and in money, love and healing spells, usually as a helper rather than the main herb.
What should you not mix ginger with?
In spells, ginger mixes with almost anything, though its strong energy can drown out gentle herbs. By mouth, take care if you use blood thinners such as warfarin or anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen, have surgery coming up, have gallstones or are pregnant. If you take any medicine, check with a doctor or pharmacist before trying ginger supplements.
Is ginger good for protection?
Ginger is not a classic protection herb on its own. Practitioners add it to protection oils, jars and pouches to give garlic, salt, rosemary or bay more fire. Our guide to herbs for protection covers the main ones.
How do you grow and harvest ginger?
Plant a plump piece of ginger root with visible buds just under rich, loose soil, in a warm spot with morning sun and afternoon shade. Keep the soil moist but never soggy, because wet roots rot. When the leaves turn yellow and die back, dig up the root, keep what you need and replant a budded piece to grow again.
Do you need to refrigerate ginger?
Fresh ginger keeps longest in the fridge. Store it whole and unpeeled in a sealed bag or container. Dried ginger only needs an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard.
How do you dry ginger?
Peel the ginger and slice it as thin as you can, because thin slices dry faster. Spread the slices on a tray and dry them in a dehydrator or a very low oven, or leave them in a warm, dry, airy place for a few days. They are ready when they snap instead of bend.
