December: Bioregional Herb of the Month

This is the final installment in my year-long series on Bioregional Herbs and I'm excited to share with you my herbal pick for December.

Star Anise

This month as we prepare our Witchy brews, simmer pots, chai teas, mulling spices and aromatic blends, we will surely be looking for a seasonal favorite, Star Anise.

Who doesn't love this sweet little seed pod?? It smells divine and comes in it's own star shape. Swoon!

By now you know what I'm about to say, and that is Star Anise is not bioregional. I know... sad face.

Star Anise is the dried, star shaped fruit of the evergreen shrub, Illicium verum, and is related to the Magnolia tree. It's indigenous to Southern China and Vietnam, and today is grown in China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan. The genus name Illicium comes from the Latin illicere, meaning lure or attract.

This spice has been used for cooking and as a medicine in Southeastern China and Vietnam for over 3,000 years. In the late 1500s an English pirate and raider, Sir Thomas Cavendish, discovered it in the Philippines and brought the spice back to England, incorrectly placing its origin in the Philippines. From there, popularity for this 'new' spice quickly spread into European kitchens and then into Russia and Germany via tea routes through the 18th century. It was later brought to North America via European colonizers.

Risks for Poisonous Contamination

In 2003, the US FDA warned consumers not to consume teas brewed from Star Anise due to reports of serious side effects. Those side effects include vomiting and seizures, and have been reported in infants and adults given Star Anise tea. Star Anise (Illicium verum) teas may be contaminated with Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum), which is poisonous. High doses of Star Anise can also cause serious side effects.

Star Anise Compounds

The most important volatile oil that gives the characteristic sweet, aromatic flavor to Star Anise is anethole. This compound can also be found in Allspice, Anise Seed, Avocado, Oregano, Thyme, Coriander, Dill, Fennel, Lemon Balm, and Lovage.

Magickal Uses

Star Anise has an association with sweetness and good fortune. It was often carried for good luck or kept in a wallet or purse to draw money toward the owner. As such, it can be used to sweeten spells, bring good fortune, attract money, or generally empower spells.

Star Anise is associated with divination and astral travel. It's is often burned, simmered, or diffused to enhance psychic awareness, promote prophetic dreams, or reach an altered state of consciousness prior to hedge riding or other astral travel. The smoke can be used for scrying and the seeds are sometimes used as a pendulum.

It was also believed to ward off evil and bring good luck to anyone who found the spice with more than eight pods in a single star.

Bioregional Alternatives

Luckily we have a few good candidates for replacing Star Anise with that are also bioregional.

Scent & Energetics

For the scent or flavor profile alone, there are several option to replace your Star Anise with more bioregional options. I consider these to be great alternatives for those times you want to connect to similar energies as this spice:

Caraway & Tarragon

A blend of equal parts Caraway Seeds, zone 3-11, and Tarragon, zones 4 and warmer, is is very similar profile to Star Anise and makes an excellent replacement in WItchcraft recipes as well as culinary ones. Just be sure that if you are using it to consume, add the Caraway toward the end of the cooking cycle so it doesn't become bitter. This can be helpful when making a simmer pot, incense, floor wash or tea for meditation or ceremony that would normally include Star Anise, for example.

Caraway Magickal Attributes:

Caraway seeds are ideal to use for protection against negativity, evil spirits or entities. Add to charm bags to carry with you or blend with incense for this purpose. Add the seeds to any object that you want to stop from being stolen. Caraway seeds are also used in sachets or talismans to attract love and encourage fidelity.

Tarragon Magickal Attributes:

Tarragon is said to be an herb that vibrates with the element of fire and the planet Mars. It is associated with the Goddess Lilith and also Artemis, which is where it gets its botanical name Artemisea. This herb is used for magicks related to healing, banishing, protection, calm, nurturing, luck and love.

Fennel & Fennel Seed

Also containing Anethole, this plant, Foeniculum vulgare, is bold and zesty, slightly sweet and accented with warm notes of licorice. Fennel is suitable for zones 4-9.

Magickal Attributes: Used in Midsummer rituals and to protect from harmful energy and spirits. It can improve memory and psychic awareness, promotes renewal, courage, cleansing and virility.

Anise Seed

Anise Seed, Pimpinella anisum, sounds like Star Anise, Illicium verum, but they are different plants from different plant families. Unlike Star Anise that can only grow far across the world, Anise Seeds are hardy in zones 4-11.

Although Anise Seeds look a lot like Fennel Seeds, they are significantly smaller. Anise is known for its natural sweetness and unmistakable licorice flavor. Anise contains Anethole, which brings a similar aroma and taste profile to Licorice Root, Fennel, Star Anise, Tarragon, and Caraway. So on that front, Anise Seed is an easy substitute on its own.

Anise Seeds comes from the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae family and opens up more possibilities for bioregional alternatives. Included in this family are Angelica, Anise, Asafoetida, Caraway, Carrot, Celery, Chervil, Coriander, Cumin, Dill, Fennel, Lovage, Cow Parsley, Parsley, Parsnip and Sea Holly.

The family Apiaceae includes a significant number of phototoxic species, such as Giant Hogweed, and a smaller number of highly poisonous species, such as Poison Hemlock, Water Hemlock, Spotted Cowbane, Fool's Parsley, and various species of Water Dropwort.

Magickal Attributes: Nightmare Relief,Negativity Protection,Psychic Enhancement,Purification, Meditation and Spiritual Aid

Other Magickal Attributes

Magickally, let's break down some of the most common ways folks have used Star Anise in their Witchcraft and bioregional alternatives for each:

Choosing Your Substitutes

I can see a lot of different ways to incorporate substitutes for Star Anise that are bioregional to me. There are several options for every magickal attribute that I can easily reach for. I think if you wanted a solid all-purpose substitute to keep on hand, Anise Seed would be a good choice, because it embodies many of the same plan energies as Star Anise and is highly aromatic.

This is a good starting point for anyone who sees Star Anise in a spellbook or recipe and wants to choose something that grows closer to home. This is also why it's SO important (and why I say this over and over) to know exactly what the job is for every ingredient you use in a spell or ritual. What we often see is a list of herbs with no real explanation for why they've been chosen. As a new Witch or someone unfamiliar with magickal herb uses, you just have trust that the author knows what they are talking about (um.. often they don't) or had a good reason for listing those herbs. As Witches we have to take ownership for our choices rather than blindly follow someone else's practice. This includes being mindful about what herbs and ingredients you choose for your magickal crafting, because if you don't know why you are adding it, it can't really work on your behalf as effectively as when you can call on its specific properties and energies and connect more wholly to the Spirit of that plant.

Hopefully by now you can see how finding substitutes for Star Anise that are bioregional to you can be done in a variety of ways. There are several options that share each of the plant's magickal attributes. Anise Seed is a versatile, highly aromatic substitute that embodies many of the same plant energies as Star Anise, so it's a good all-purpose option to keep on hand.

This is an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to use something that grows closer to home when they come across Star Anise in a spellbook or recipe. This is also why it's crucial to understand exactly what each ingredient is used for in a spell or ritual (and why I say this over and over again). Often, we see a list of herbs with no explanation for why they've been chosen, and as a new Witch or someone unfamiliar with magical herb uses, you must trust that the author knows what they're talking about (which isn't always the case) or had a good reason for listing those herbs. As Witches, we must take ownership for our choices and be mindful of the herbs and ingredients we choose for our magickal crafting. If you don't know why you're adding something, it can't work as effectively on your behalf as when you can call on its specific properties and energies and connect more fully with the Spirit of that plant.

However you use Star Anise, I hope this helps give you some ideas and inspiration for working with your enchanted ingredients that bring your practice more into harmony with the Land and your magick!

Reflecting on the Magic of Herbalism

Whether you're well-established in your herbal journey or just starting out, I hope that this series has provided you with some valuable insights and helped you establish a deeper connection to the world of magickal herbalism. Although this series may have come to an end, I encourage you to continue exploring the origins of the plants and herbs you use, and to consider the impact of their growth, consumption, and production on the planet, its inhabitants, and your craft as a Witch.

Love,

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