Beth Root (High John)

Ruled by Saturn, who is ever mindful of limits, this magick herb is concerned with borders. It is used in witchcraft to protect one's borders by turning back negative magick or to strengthen and protect the family. The fresh root was also cooked and eaten as an aphrodisiac by Native people, so it clearly has a strong Venus aspect and is important in love magick. A perennial of the woods, Beth root is also known as Birth root because Native Americans used it to aid in birth. It acts on the female reproductive system and contains a precursor of female sex hormones; in the past, it was used to stop excessive uterine bleeding.