When you think of thyme, some of your favorite recipes probably spring to mind. But what many people do not realize is that this popular culinary herb is also one of the magical herbs with powerful spiritual properties.
This post will introduce you to thyme’s magical properties as well as its household uses. We will also tell you how you can grow thyme in your own magical herb garden and preserve it for use.
Thyme Magical Properties
Thyme is a herb of the heart. It has a solid connection to our emotional lives and can connect us with the natural world. Below, we explain how you can use thyme in your rituals to enhance your emotional and spiritual well-being.
â—‹ Cultivate Courage and Boldness (Antient Ritual)
According to the lore surrounding thyme in ancient Greece and Rome, soldiers bathed in thyme-infused water before heading into battle.
By adding thyme to your bathwater, you can recreate this ritual. As you do, you will be participating in a timeless tradition of warriors, drawing on the same source of strength and power.
Do this ritual before a job interview, a presentation, or any other personal challenge you need to face. As you soak and breathe in the scent of thyme from the water, imagine it suffusing your body and spirit with courage and boldness.
â—‹ Unblock Your Heart Chakra with Thyme
Thyme resonates with the heart chakra. This chakra’s energy is green, and its location is at the level of your heart.
When the heart chakra is out of balance, you may struggle with jealousy and loneliness. You might also behave in a demanding way toward others.
Try burning thyme incense as you meditate on your heart chakra, imagining it opening and glowing with green light. Repeat heart chakra affirmations to align your chakra and welcome love and connection into your life.
â—‹ Thyme Helps Heal Emotional Wounds
With its connection to the heart chakra, thyme is great for clearing your emotional energy field of negative influences and effects. It can help to heal your psychic scar tissue and restore harmony and emotional safety.
Since our emotional pain tends to reside in our physical environments, it can help to clear that energy from the air using thyme.
Try hanging thyme over thresholds throughout your home. After a few days, you may find your home environment feels more peaceful, welcoming and safe. The emotional clutter that has stifled the energy around and within you should lift.
â—‹ Magical Properties of Thyme for Loving and Loyal Relationships
Thyme’s link to the heart chakra means that it also is useful in magic for relationships.
- Fill a small sachet with thyme and carry it in your pocket. Wherever you go, you will bring the heart-opening power of this herb with you, strengthening your connections to others.
- Thyme can be a good herb for helping you meet someone new, whether a lover or a friend. It also can help to cultivate loyalty and love within your existing relationships.
- If you have been looking for a breakthrough with a loved one, this herb could help you find it. Consider inviting your lover, friend or family member over and cooking them a meal infused with the relationship-healing magic of thyme.
â—‹ Cleanse and Protect with Thyme
If you need to purify your ritual space, a thyme smoke wand or smudge stick can help you cleanse away toxic influences or uninvited entities. Rosemary, lavender, and chamomile, in conjunction with thyme, can exert an even more powerful cleansing and protective effect.
The smoke from thyme can also cleanse the tools you use in your rituals before going to work.
â—‹ Thyme Lets You Connect With the Fey
It is believed that there is a strong connection between thyme and the world of the fey. The reason for the association could be the diminutive size of the flowers and leaves. These herbs look right at home, growing in a fairy garden.
- If you want fey influence in your home, you can try planting thyme by your windows and doors.
- Carrying thyme in a sachet as you explore the woods (or your own backyard) might even allow you to catch a glimpse of the fairies.
- Even though fairies are said to like thyme, some practitioners say that you can use the herb as a ward if you are worried about fey trickery.
As you experiment with using thyme, you should get a feel for how the local fey are responding to it.
Healing and Household Uses for Thyme
If you grow thyme for magical use, you will be pleased to discover that it also has a variety of other uses around the home, in and out of the kitchen.
â—‹ Natural Pest Control
There are a number of insects that stay away from thyme. Some of these include mosquitoes, whiteflies, maggots, earworms and hornworms.
- Hanging thyme in your doorways or planting it nearby may help deter mosquitoes from entering your home.
- You also can plant it in your garden near other plants that some of these insects target. As companion plants, they will provide some protection against those garden pests.
You might even be able to reduce your use of pesticides, which will be healthier for your whole garden.
â—‹ Make a Healing Tea with Thyme
According to WebMD, the nutritional goodness of thyme helps to support your cells, respiratory system, immune response, bones, blood clotting and immune system. It also is good for your GI tract.
A cup of thyme tea can provide you with a healthy dose of vitamin C. It contains magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc, iron and calcium as well.
Fresh, dried, and powdered thyme can all be used to make the tea. If you use the powder, stir to achieve an even consistency. If you use the fresh or dried leaves, strain them out after boiling.
â—‹ Cook With Thyme
Thyme tastes delicious in a wide range of recipes. Some ingredients it accompanies well include potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and chicken. You can also add it to soups, stews and marinades.
It is especially popular in Mediterranean recipes, and can instantly give any dish you make a bit of Mediterranean flair.
It is not as common to put thyme in sweet dishes, but it does work well in lemon-based dessert recipes such as shortbread or bars. You can also add it to fruity cocktails.
Some other spices that thyme blends well with include rosemary, marjoram and sage.Â
Frequently Asked Questions about Thyme
Now that you know more about the magical properties and household uses for thyme, you may have some questions about growing and using it. Below are answers to frequently asked questions.
How do you grow thyme?
Loamy or sandy soil are ideal for thyme. Plant this herb where it receives full sun. Once established, thyme is a drought-tolerant plant that does not need a lot of watering.
How do you harvest thyme?
The ideal time to harvest thyme is right before the plant produces blooms. In the morning, wait for the dew to evaporate. Then, use shears to trim off around 5-6″.Â
Is thyme better fresh or dried?
Which is ideal to use may depend both on the dish you are making and your taste. Consider cooking with dried thyme and using fresh thyme for cold dishes.
How do you dry thyme?
You can use a dehydrator, oven or microwave to dry thyme quickly, or you can air dry it for a slower approach.
How do you preserve thyme?
You can put thyme in a Ziploc bag with a damp paper towel to keep it fresh in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Dried thyme does not need to go in the refrigerator, but you should still keep it in a sealed bag or container.
Interestingly enough, you can also freeze thyme. You may be surprised by how well the flavour holds.Â
