Dodecatheon meadia
Shooting Star
This native of the Northeast has a history of being used in love magick and in binding spells. Mendocino Indian women decorated themselves with shooting star flowers for dances. Thompson Indian women made use of the flowers to get a man's love and to control him. The Thompsons also put the flowers into charms designed to attract wealth by making people give them presents, another kind of binding. Consider this Venus herb for all sorts of love magick and binding. Top

The binding nature of this magick herb is shown in the effects of its flower essence as well, which encourages a sense of the connection between all humans. This is based on the structure of the flower, which Linnaeus thought looked like the 12 Olympians seated around a table (it's even called "Gotterblume" or "Gods' flower" in German). It helps break down alienation and uprootedness and aids people in truly feeling a part of life. Top

The flowers appear in spring and are fragrant (some say they smell like grape juice). The scent is apparently psychoactive - the Kashaya Indians hung shooting star flowers over a baby's basket to make the baby sleepy. The blooms can be pink, lilac, or white and attract bumblebees and yellow butterflies, but they also make nice cut flowers. This is a spring ephemeral - the foliage dies back in the summer, but the plant is still alive. They look nice with columbines, jack-inthe-pulpit, lady's mantle, and bleeding hearts. Shooting star was once extremely common but is now protected, threatened, or endangered in many states, so grow some! This seed is collected from field-grown plants. Shooting star is also known as American cowslip, Indian chief, pride of Ohio, and rooster heads. Top

How to Grow Shooting Star

Sow the tiny seeds on a paper towel that has been wet and wrung out, then fold and put into a baggie and keep refrigerated for two months (or try Outdoor Treatment). Allow seeds to germinate in the paper towel, then tear it apart and press the pieces seed up onto moist planting medium. Keep misted until they are established, or put the pot into an open-top baggie to help keep humidity high until they "take." They will grow right through the paper towel. When they get their second set of leaves, divide and pot up. After hardening off, you can plant them 6-12" apart in sun or partial shade in rich, moist soil (it likes to grow in open woodlands or meadows in the wild). It can be grown under trees but not conifers. The pink, lilac, or white flowers appear on stalks 8-24"/64cm tall. It will reseed when happy, or you can divide it after it flowers, in about three years from seed. It's hardy in zones 4-8, down to -30F/-34C. General growing info. Top

Dodecatheon meadia
Shooting star seeds
100 seeds $3.50

Uses in Witchcraft & Magic:

Love Magic
Binding Spells
Venus Herb