Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), known as the Witch’s Torch, has been a trusted ally of herbalists and witches for centuries. With its tall golden stalk, velvet-soft leaves, and deep folklore, this plant bridges the worlds of physical healing and magical protection. Whether brewed as a tea for the lungs or burned in ritual for warding spirits, mullein remains a steadfast companion along the crooked path.

- Traditional respiratory ally: eases coughs, asthma, bronchitis, and congestion.
- Contains mucilage (soothing), saponins (breaks up mucus), and anti-inflammatory compounds.
- Mullein tea and tinctures as gentle but effective lung remedies.
- Important straining tip: fine hairs on the leaf can irritate the throat if not strained properly.
- Dried stalks dipped in wax/tallow used as ritual torches (hence “Witch’s Torch”).
- Burned as incense for banishing, protection, and spirit communication.
- Carried as a charm for courage in spirit work or safe travel.
- Mixed with mugwort for dreamwork and divination.
- Planetary ties: Saturn (protection, banishing, boundaries).
- Element: Fire (illumination, courage, transformation).
- Used in European folk magic for centuries as a spirit ward.
- Appalachian lore: mullein leaf smoked or burned for protection against illness and curses.
- Symbol of light in the darkness, guiding travelers and spirit-workers.
- Witches carried mullein for courage and strength in unseen realms.

Mullein: The Witch’s Torch

Out in the forgotten fields and the lonely roadsides, a towering sentinel waits—soft leaves like velvet, a spire of golden flame pointing skyward. This is Mullein, the torch of witches and wanderers, an herb that has carried the whispers of firelight, healing, and magic through centuries.

Mullein does not sneak into the garden like other herbs—it announces itself. Tall, wild, and unashamed, it grows where the land seems barren, where the soil is dry, rocky, or overlooked. Its rosette of woolly leaves spreads across the ground like some green animal’s ear, catching dew, protecting itself with softness. And then, when the time is right, it rises—up to six feet high—bearing a candle of yellow blossoms that open one by one as if in ritual sequence. No wonder the folk once called it the Hag’s Taper or the Witch’s Torch.

A Plant Between Worlds

Mullein belongs to thresholds and borderlands. In old European lore, its dried stalks were dipped in tallow or wax and burned as torches to light rituals, banish spirits, or ward off curses. The stalk became a staff for witches, a symbol of authority and flame in the unseen realms. To carry Mullein was to walk with a lantern in the dark of both forest and spirit.

The herb straddles boundaries not just in magic, but in medicine. For the body, its smoke and tea open the lungs, soothing coughs, easing breath, chasing away the heaviness of phlegm. Yet the very same smoke was burned to exorcise spirits and cleanse spaces, curling into corners like a spirit-net. Breath and soul, lungs and ghost—the line is thin, and Mullein keeps watch on both sides.

The Witch’s Ally

To work with Mullein is to invite both gentleness and fire. Its leaves, soft as lamb’s ear, remind us that protection need not always be sharp or thorned; sometimes softness defends just as well. Yet when dried, the stalk becomes a weapon of flame—a reminder that every herb carries dualities.

Folk witches tucked its leaves into shoes to guard against fatigue, or carried them in sachets for courage during spirit work. In Appalachian traditions, Mullein leaf was smoked or burned in the hearth to repel illness and witchcraft gone sour. Its presence was always one of boundary-keeping—between health and sickness, between safety and danger, between this world and the next.

Correspondences

Element: Fire (though its softness also holds a whisper of Earth)
Planet: Saturn, sometimes Mercury (for its role in communication between worlds)
Magical Uses: Protection, courage, banishing evil spirits, calling ancestral guidance, aiding divination
Physical Uses: Respiratory ally, soothing to lungs, calming coughs, easing inflammation

A Spell of the Witch’s Torch

When you find yourself moving through shadow, whether grief, fear, or the dark night of the soul, gather Mullein leaf. Dry it in a bundle with rosemary and bay, then light the stalk of Mullein itself as a taper. As the flame climbs the dried spine, say:

“Torch of the Hag, burn away the night,
Guide my steps by your golden light.”

Stand in its glow, and know you are not alone in the liminal dark.

Closing the Circle

Mullein is not a dainty garden herb that asks to be cultivated—it is a wild thing. It grows where it pleases, offers its medicine freely, and burns with the memory of old witch-roads. To bring Mullein into your practice is to remember that softness and ferocity can belong to the same body, that protection can be velvet or flame. It is a torch for those who walk the crooked path, a sentinel at the crossroads, and a friend to those who breathe deeply of life, shadow and all.

Mystical Uses of Mullein

1. The Witch’s Torch

Dried Mullein stalks were dipped in beeswax, tallow, or resin and lit as ritual torches.
Used to banish unwanted spirits, light the way for the dead, or illuminate night workings.
Symbol of carrying your own light into shadowed places.

2. Spirit Protection

Hung over doorways to guard against malice, curses, or evil eye.
Stuffed into protective sachets or carried in a pocket for safe passage through dark places (both literal and spiritual).
Burned as incense to drive out unwelcome presences or cleanse ritual tools.

3. Courage & Power in the Unseen

Folklore says Mullein grants boldness against spirits, demons, and even wild beasts.
Placed in shoes to prevent weariness on long journeys, both mundane and magical.
Carried in spirit-work to strengthen your willpower and voice when addressing unseen beings.

4. Divination & Dreaming

Burned with Mugwort for visions and spirit-sight.
Stuffed under pillows to invite messages from ancestors or to walk in dreams with protection.
Smoked ritually (alone or in blend) to open the mind to liminal communication.

5. Crossing & Thresholds

Known as a “border herb” that grows in wastelands, crossroads, and neglected soil—marking thresholds between one state and another.
Used in spells of transition: endings, beginnings, initiations, and journeys through the liminal.
Mullein’s presence signals strength in walking between worlds without fear.

6. Saturn’s Ally

Planetary ties to Saturn give it gravitas: binding, banishing, protective, and grounding.
Use in ritual to set firm boundaries, cast circles, or strengthen wards.
A key ally when working with the bones of the earth and ancestral spirits.

Practical Spell Use Example

Torch of Protection: Dry a Mullein stalk, coat with wax, and light during rituals of banishment or when working in the dead of night.
Protective Smoke: Burn leaf with rosemary to cleanse a home or threshold.
Dreamwork Sachet: Combine Mullein leaf with mugwort and lavender in a small pouch under your pillow for guided, protected dreams.

Botanical Overview: Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Botanical Identity

Family: Scrophulariaceae (figwort family)
Genus & Species: Verbascum thapsus
Common Names: Common mullein, great mullein, hag’s taper, velvet plant, Aaron’s rod, torches of the witch, candlewick plant
Growth Habit: Biennial (lives two years).
Parts Used: Leaves, flowers, root (less common).

Plant Description

Mullein is an unmistakable plant in the wild. During its first year, it forms a basal rosette of large, felt-like, silver-green leaves. These leaves are covered in dense hairs, giving them a soft, velvety texture (hence the nickname “velvet plant”).

In the second year, the plant sends up a tall, erect flowering stalk that can reach 6–8 feet (2–2.5 m) in height. Along this stalk, numerous five-petaled, golden-yellow flowers bloom sequentially from bottom to top, each opening for just a day or two.

Mullein thrives in disturbed soils—roadsides, open fields, and dry, rocky places. It prefers full sun and well-drained ground, often appearing in places other plants abandon.

Geographic Distribution

Native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia, mullein has naturalized widely across North America and other temperate regions. Today it is common throughout the U.S., particularly in poor soils and waste areas.

Harvesting & Preparation

Leaves: Best gathered in the first year (before the flowering stalk forms) or in early spring of the second year. Should be dried carefully—if packed too tightly, they mold due to their fuzzy texture.
Flowers: Harvested fresh as they bloom (each flower only lasts a short time). Traditionally dried for respiratory teas and infused oils.
Root: Dug in autumn of the first year for tinctures, though less frequently used than leaf or flower.

Herbal Actions

Expectorant: Loosens and clears mucus from the lungs.
Demulcent: Soothes irritated mucous membranes with its soft, mucilaginous compounds.
Antispasmodic: Relaxes bronchial spasms and cough reflex.
Anti-inflammatory: Calms irritation in the respiratory tract.
Mild analgesic: Especially when infused in oil for earaches.

Constituents

Mucilage: Provides soothing, moistening action for tissues.
Saponins: Help break up and expel phlegm.
Iridoid glycosides (aucubin, catalpol): Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
Flavonoids: Antioxidant activity.
Volatile oils: Present in flowers, contributing to mild analgesic effect.

Medicinal Uses

Respiratory System: Classic remedy for coughs, bronchitis, asthma, whooping cough, and general lung weakness. Works by easing irritation while helping to expel mucus.
Earaches: Infused mullein flower oil (often combined with garlic) is a traditional folk remedy for ear infections.
Topical Applications: Poultices of leaf used historically for skin irritations, wounds, and hemorrhoids.
Musculoskeletal: Root tincture occasionally used in folk medicine for back pain and joint stiffness.

Safety Considerations

Generally regarded as safe.
The leaf hairs can cause irritation to the throat if not properly strained from teas—always strain mullein infusions through fine muslin or a coffee filter.
Avoid using mullein oil directly in the ear if the eardrum is perforated.

Quick Reference Summary

Parts Used: Leaves, flowers, root
Systems Supported: Respiratory, ear/nervous system, musculoskeletal (root)
Energetics: Cooling, moistening (demulcent)
Actions: Expectorant, demulcent, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory

Mullein