🌿 Basil
Herb✨ Magical Properties
**Magical Properties:**
• Prosperity and wealth
• Love and passion
• Protection (especially of the home)
• Harmony and peace
• Courage and strength
**Elemental Association:** Fire
**Planetary Ruler:** Mars
**Common Uses:** Money spells, love magic, protection jars, harmony in the home
**Best Timing:** Tuesday for strength, Thursday for prosperity, Friday for love
⚠️ Safety Notes
Safe for culinary use. Fresh basil is preferable for magic. May interact with blood thinners in large medicinal amounts.
🌱 Cultivation & Preservation
🌱 Growing Tips
• Requires full sun (6-8 hours daily)
• Loves warm weather, plant after last frost
• Well-draining, rich soil
• Water regularly, keep soil moist but not soggy
• Pinch off flower buds to encourage leaf growth
• Harvest leaves regularly to promote bushiness
• Sensitive to cold - grow as annual or indoors
• Feed every 2-3 weeks with balanced fertilizer
• Space plants 12-18 inches apart
🌾 Drying & Preserving
• Best preserved frozen or in oil, but can dry
• Harvest before flowering
• Cut stems in morning
• Rinse and pat dry thoroughly
• Remove leaves from stems
• Dry on screens in single layer
• Keep in dark, warm place with good airflow
• Takes 3-7 days to dry
• Loses some flavor when dried - freezing is better
• Can also dehydrate at 95°F
📦 Storage
• Store dried leaves in airtight container
• Keep in cool, dark, dry place
• Best used within 6 months
• Freezing preserves flavor better than drying
• Can freeze in olive oil in ice cube trays
• Or blanch and freeze in bags
• Fresh basil lasts a week in water like flowers
• Dried basil best for cooked dishes
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