Burdock Root | Protection & Purification | Esoteric Roots

Burdock Root (Arctium lappa), with its large leaves and tenacious burrs, has been used in magical practise for centuries across European, Asian, and American folk traditions. This powerful protective herb is prized for its abilities to ward off negativity, purify spaces, break hexes, and provide strong spiritual protection against harm.

Magical Properties:

• Powerful protection against negative energies and evil
• Purification and spiritual cleansing
• Breaking hexes, curses, and jinxes
• Warding off unwanted influences and people
• Grounding and stabilising energy
• Healing and health magic
• Banishing negativity from spaces
• Strengthening personal boundaries

Uses in Practise:

• Add to protection sachets and charm bags
• Use in uncrossing and hex-breaking rituals
• Burn as incense for purification and protection
• Add to protective floor washes and baths
• Scatter around property boundaries for protection
• Carry to ward off negative people and energies
• Use in banishing and exorcism work
• Add to healing spell bags
• Include in grounding and centring rituals

Folklore:

Burdock has a long and distinguished history in European folk magic and medicine, where it was valued both for its healing properties and its powerful protective abilities. The plant's most distinctive feature—its burrs that cling tenaciously to anything that touches them—gave rise to its magical associations with persistence, protection, and the ability to "stick" to one's purpose or repel unwanted influences.

In medieval Europe, burdock was considered a powerful ward against evil spirits, witchcraft, and the evil eye. The large leaves were hung over doorways and windows to prevent negative entities from entering the home, whilst the roots were buried at the corners of property to create a protective barrier. It was believed that burdock's clinging burrs symbolised the plant's ability to catch and hold negative energies, preventing them from reaching their intended target.

British folk tradition held that burdock could protect against lightning strikes and that carrying the root would ward off mad dogs and venomous creatures. The plant was also associated with healing, particularly for purifying the blood and removing toxins—a physical property that translated into magical uses for spiritual purification and removing negative influences from one's life.

In traditional Chinese medicine and Taoist magic, burdock (known as niúbàng) has been used for thousands of years for both healing and spiritual protection. Chinese practitioners valued the root for its ability to clear heat and toxins, which in magical terms meant removing negative energy and spiritual pollution. The plant was used in protective amulets and carried to ward off evil spirits and bad luck.

Japanese folk magic also embraced burdock (gobō), using it in purification rituals and protective charms. The long, deep-growing root was seen as symbolically connecting the earthly realm with deeper spiritual forces, making it valuable for grounding work and establishing strong spiritual foundations.

In Hoodoo and American folk magic, burdock root became essential for uncrossing work and protection spells. Practitioners used it in baths to remove jinxes and crossed conditions, and carried pieces of the root in mojo bags for ongoing protection. Burdock was particularly valued for its ability to send negative energy back to its source, making it useful in reversal and mirror spells. The root was often combined with other protective herbs in floor washes to cleanse homes and businesses of negative influences.

Folk healers across cultures recognised burdock's affinity for removing unwanted things—whether physical toxins, spiritual negativity, or unwanted people. This made it particularly useful in spells to banish troublesome individuals or remove obstacles. The plant's tendency to spread and take root easily was seen as symbolic of its ability to establish strong, persistent protection.

Packaging: 50g supplied in a peel and seal envelope, approximately 3.54 x 4.72 inches / 9 x 12 cm.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: For spiritual and magical purposes only. Not for consumption. This product is sold as a curio for magical and spiritual practise only. Whilst Burdock Root has traditional uses in herbal medicine, this product is not sold for medicinal purposes and should not be ingested. Keep out of reach of children and pets. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have any medical conditions, consult a healthcare professional before handling herbs. External use only in spiritual practise. The seller takes no responsibility for the outcomes of any magical workings performed with this product.