Red Clover: A Witch's Guide to This Powerful Herb

Hello Witches!

Welcome back to red clover newsletter! I’m so happy that we have 3 submissions this month - and such interesting ways to incorporate it along with books to read and suggestions on how to use it and a whole herbalist guide!

This Month’s magic: Red Clover

Next Month’s Magic: Plantains

Now into our explorations from Red Clover:

Haylee’s Exploration: Good luck, spring and intuitive spell casting!

This little flower has been my signal for years that spring is just around the corner. But I only recently learned that it’s the same plant as the lucky four-leaf clover! Lately, I’ve been fascinated by the blurred line between weed and medicine in herbalism.

Trusting that “I have everything I need” has felt nearly impossible—capitalist scarcity runs deep, I literally feel it physically when I try to make a big purchase. Red clover reminds me that abundance is always there, waiting for us to notice - no surprise the 4 leaf clover is a beacon of luck and abundance.

Red clover’s timing couldn’t be more perfect—just as it blooms, its cleansing properties help our bodies reset for spring. I discovered it is a blood cleanser when I found a tea blend at a local apothecary. I brought it to a mid-winter circle and loved that the full flower tops were still intact. Seeing the whole plant really helps me build a relationship with it. I haven’t worked any magic with them just yet—I'm waiting to harvest them fresh as we inch closer to spring!

I will keep you posted on the spell I use when I do!

Intuitive Spell Casting

As I deepen my connection with my witchy self, I find myself drawn to intuitive spell casting. There’s something that never quite sat right about copying spells from the internet. They can spark inspiration for sure, but it feels real for me when I turn inward and let my own wisdom lead the way.

For me, intuitive spell work feels a lot like a “yes” dance improv score—an embodied practice of listening and responding. I start by grounding myself in my intention, then move to where my body says yes. (This could be the spice cabinet, outside, to paper & colored pens...anything)  This trust in sensation, in my full-bodied Yes or No, has been one of my most valuable tools.

Looking back, I see that I’ve been slowly, quietly preparing for this. Each piece of herbalism knowledge, each moment of dance, has been building toward the confidence I feel now in my own magic. And so I write this as a reminder—for myself and for you.

Everything you need for spellwork is already within you. Trust.

Jenessy’s Exploration: Grounded by Gentle Red Clover During Stressful Times 

Diving deeper into my relationship with red clover has been such a rewarding experience. While I’ve used red clover in infusions and teas in the past, it was never a consistent part of my routine. I had often heard about its benefits for hormones and menstrual issues, which has always intrigued me, especially since that time of the month can be especially draining.

What I appreciated most during this exploration was the opportunity to slow down. I typically grab a teaspoon of red clover and make a quick infusion, but this time, I allowed myself to connect more thoughtfully. Even something as simple as looking at the dried flowers, I noticed tiny flicks of pink I hadn’t noticed before.

Red clover is known for being gentle yet powerful, and it’s often used to purify the blood. As I continue to learn more about herbs, I’ve been increasingly interested in the energetics side of plants, not just their physical health benefits. To explore this further, I read Dreaming with Red Clover: A Plant Spirit Short Read by Heather Sanderson. In her book, she discusses how red clover is deeply connected to the triple goddess archetype—maiden, mother, and crone—representing the cyclical nature of life, growth, and transformation. By embodying these stages, red clover invites us to embrace all aspects of our own journey, offering healing and wisdom at each phase. She also discusses how dreaming with red clover can be a transformative experience. I’m still working on dreaming with red clover and while I didn’t have any specific dreams about red clover, I did notice that my dreams became more vivid over the past two weeks, and I was able to remember them much more clearly. 

I also found myself navigating a very stressful period at work, largely due to the chaos surrounding the current American government. Around that time, I came across red clover flower essence. I haven’t worked much with flower essences before, but I decided to give it a try. The essence was slightly sweet, light, and cooling – nourishing in a way that immediately brought a smile to my face. During that stressful week, I took it regularly and felt surprisingly grounded, even amidst the instability at work.

It felt as though red clover was guiding me to release some old, pent-up emotions and move through them. I’m excited to continue working with this herb and explore its energetics further

Sheetal’s Exploration: Botanical, Medical and scientific exploration

Initially, diving into the world of red clover was a challenge for me. I had barely heard of it (only that clover was a good alternative to grass in lawns), I had never used it, and lacked a foundational connection to start from. 'm so glad I doubled down on my commitment to understand this plant - it has so many uses! I can’t wait to identify it in its natural setting in the spring.

This month, while I didn't physically work with red clover, I immersed myself in study and came to realize how beneficial a red clover tincture would be for my personal apothecary.

Below are the guides I've compiled on everything I've learned about red clover!

Apart from being so good for the environment, they are super healthy too! There was a long list of medicinal uses - and of course I wanted to know where the health benefits came from, and what in the red clovers were making them so good. Which of these were scientifically proven, which were folklore and what were the most beneficial compounds? Here is what I found!!

Starting out with an explanation of isoflavones, since they are the most exciting parts about red clovers!

Hope you found this useful and see you next month with a report back on plantains!