The Magick of Herb Robert

One day a few years ago I was walking in the woods, and kept feeling called to the same type of  diminutive plant with tiny rose pink flowers.

I stopped and said hello, touched the leaves and flowers carefully, took some pictures. I kept walking, but another patch of the same plant called out to me, so I went and said hello to that one too. But it wouldn't leave me alone. Everywhere I looked, I saw the soft foliage and tiny flowers, waving gently in the breeze, drawing me in. I wasn't even certain of the plant's identity at the time: some kind of wild geranium, I was pretty sure, but that was about it. Finally I took the hint and carefully gathered some sprigs of the plant, including leaves, flowers and unopened seed pods. Holding the plant in my hands, I felt an interesting sensation of being pulled more tightly into myself--a sensation I associate with being centered, being fully present inside myself. It wasn't a closed off feeling at all, and it didn't feel like a shield or like protection. Instead it felt like being more me, like I was inhabiting myself more fully. I put the plant in the big front pocket of my shirt, and throughout the rest of my walk I found myself patting the pocket affectionately. There was such a sweetness about the plant, even though it didn’t smell very nice at all.

Once home, I spread the plant on screens to dry. Then I pulled out herb books and got on the internet and confirmed the identity of my new friend: Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum), a European native who's made themself at home in the woods and shade gardens of North America. In some areas (including my own) it’s considered invasive.

Curious to see if my experience of the plant's energy resembled that of any other magical practitioners, I turned to my collection of titles on magical herbs--but none of them mentioned herb Robert, or any other wild geranium. (Cunningham does mention a “geranium”, but they’re varieties of Pelargonium, who are very different from Geranium species.) Turning to the internet, I found an interesting post by blogger Cathy Skipper, who had this to say about herb Robert:

"I felt that he was teaching about boundaries in relationships…sacred, personal space in relationship, instead of moving towards someone that you want to get closer to, step back into oneself and meet the person in oneself … real partnership is about two whole and separate people who meet but retain their separateness, there is no neediness. I don’t know if you have ever noticed that the flowers grow in twos and each flower has its own petiole, they are together but separate from each other."

This really lined up with my feeling of being more myself, but in a way that allowed me to be open with others. The combination of self-sustaining and loving is a hard one to find.

Other notes in Cathy's post included "Very shallow, fragile, nearly non-existent roots, ‘I don’t need to be anchored with roots because I am the earth’" and  "Stand in your own space and the world will bring you all you need to be yourself and all relating will come from this point of authenticity -from this point of anchorage in yourself comes all you have been waiting for."

This felt very right. But I like to get as many sources as possible to confirm my feelings about a plant, so I turned to Matthew Wood's Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Plants. In it, Wood says herb Robert has similar properties to cranesbill, another wild geranium (Geranium maculatum), and especially recommends it to stop bleeding.  

And Scott Kloos says in Northwest Medicinal Plants, “All parts of this plant are astringent and helpful for a wide range of inflammatory conditions where the tissues need tightening.” (emphasis mine).

There, again, is confirmation of this energy: self containment, holding onto one's self and one's essence, in this case physically.

Curious about the comparison to Cranesbill, I went to Earthwise Herbal: New World Plants to read about wild geranium. Wood recommends Geranium maculatum for:

"People who have lost a part of their essence; people who depend on prescription or recreational drugs to function and have lost the ability to function on their own; people in recovery from drug addiction.

"Helps to separate people who have been closely connected after the failure of a marriage, relationship, or friendship.

"Helps mothers separate themselves from children."

At this point, I felt very comfortable with my sense of herb Robert's magical character.

Once dry, that bit of herb Robert I brought home went into a love talisman. Using herb Robert in love magic might seem counter intuitive after all this talk of self-reliance and self-sustenance, but here's the thing: it's very easy to lose ourselves when we fall in love. It's easy, and unfortunately common, to give up a great deal of what makes us ourselves when we find a partner. And this is tragic, because it leads to unhappiness and loneliness even as we become deeply intimate with another. So a charm to attract a love that lasts benefits from the presence of an element of self-reliance, to assure us we can love and care for ourselves while we love and care for others.

I would also use herb Robert in spells for confidence--which would make it useful when looking for a job, going to court, starting a new venture, etc.--and for courage, especially alongside borage.

Herb Robert seems like an excellent plant ally for anyone who needs help cultivating self love. There aren't many plants that strengthen our sense of self while also allowing love to flow freely through our whole being, but herb Robert does it well and - in my experience, at least - works their magick quickly.

And yes, I will continue to use it in love spells when there’s a lack of confidence or difficulty setting healthy boundaries and practicing self care in relationships. 

For any of these purposes, one might create a tincture, glycerite or elixir of herb robert and take a few drops as needed. Or dry the herb and put it in a pouch or bottle you can carry, along with other herbs and/or stones. You could also make an infusion of dried or fresh herb and add it to the bath, or make a flower essence from the blossoms. Be warned, though— while my research assures me herb Robert is safe for internal use, and I've eaten a bit of it with no ill effects, this little plant smells and tastes a bit unpleasant. In other words, you can drink it in tea, but you probably wouldn’t enjoy it very much.

One final note, herb Robert can be quite aggressive. I don't recommend planting it on purpose unless you can be sure it will be easily contained in your garden. And if you are in an area where the plant is invasive, as I am, I suggest harvesting more intensively than I'd usually recommend, to help control the plant population rather than increasing it. I know parts of my yard would be completely eaten by this friend if I didn't remove them frequently. So why not get to know them better and work with their magick in the process?

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