A Mini Post: Sunflowers In Witchcraft 🌻

A Mini Post: Sunflowers in Witchcraft 🌻

Harvesting & Storage In late September, the petals will fall off of the sunflower head and the head will start to curl. When you peak into the head you will find that the seeds are visible and turning black. When this happens, cut the stem far enough from the head that you have a good handle. Then hang the head upside down in a well ventilated area out of the sun until it is thoroughly dried out then shake and rub the seeds out into a bag. Alternatively, put a mesh bag over the sunflower as it starts to ripen to protect it from the birds and let it ripen on the stem.

The seeds will keep longer in their shells. They will store up to a year in the freezer but will start to go bad after about 2 months. The oils begin to go rancid. Exposure to sunlight and heat will speed up the process so store them in a cool, dark spot to get the most out of them. You can roast them like pumpkin seeds in the oven, sprinkled with a little salt, or not.

Magical Attributes Sunflower is associated with the sun and all solar deities. Its essence helps balance the first chakra and also helps with confidence in leadership roles. Growing sunflower in the garden brings positive energy to the home. (Plant near the front door so everyone sees it before they come in!)

The sunflower is also considered a figure for internal healing and happiness. It can be paired with rose, lavender, sage, and balsam to boost spells while you cast.

Cleansing Crystals If you have certain crystals that should not be cleansed in water, you can always place them in a bowl of flower petals; adding sunflower petals to the mix can really help with your process.

Household Use Sunflower oil can be used to make homemade soap (though coconut oil is best) Sunflowers can be used to extract toxins from the soil including lead, arsenic and uranium. Simply plant them in the tainted area and don’t eat their seeds!

Healing Attributes Sunflower oil can be used as a carrier oil for healing used in massages and ointments. If you work with candles to to cleanse your energy from negative to positive, you can combine lavender, sage, and sunflower petals during your meditation. As a best practice, blessing your candles and your flower petals can really help boost your meditation and transfer to ensure that you’re filtering out as much negative energy as possible.

sources: Grimoire for the Green Witch, Witchipedia, Witchy Tendencies