Okay, so a little back ground on my adventures with The Magic of Daffodils. I love these little rays of sunshine! They are the first flowers to show up in my yard every spring so for me, they are the first sign that the long, cold, miserable, Midwest winter is almost over. Yeah! Spring time!!!
I’ve been adulting since ’92, bought our first house in ’96 and I’ve grown them at almost every house I’ve lived in since. I didn’t start intentionally using them in magic until 2014. That year I tested out some spells and rituals. I was quite happy with the results so I began picking and drying out the flowers towards the end of their growing season.
I picked too many so I offered them in my shop.
It became an accidental success so I continue to harvest my daffodils every year. You can find them here.
Daffodils (aka. Narcissus, jonquil, lent lily, chalice flower, goose leek)
Growing Guide
Plant bulbs in the fall, about 2-4 weeks before the ground freezes. Choose a spot that will get full to partial sun in the spring. A good rule of thumb is to plant bulb twice as deep as they are tall. Space them 3-6 inches apart so they don’t have to compete for nutrients. All bulbs want to be buried in fertile well drained soil so if its too wet or soggy the bulb will rot. If you want, you can sprinkle a little bulb fertilizer in the hole before you place the bulb in.
Here in Northwest Indiana, my daffodils start peeking out of the ground at the end of February and then start blooming by the end of March. Yours may show up earlier or later, depending on where you live and the micro climate of your yard. As your daffodils peek out of the ground, don’t remove the mulch. They’ll be fine and the mulch will continue to insulate the bulbs. Don’t stress if you do get a hard freeze after they sprout. The exposed leaf may turn brown but it will continue to grow and bloom.
Harvesting
You can pick the flowers once they fully open. I give them a day or two to feed the beneficial insects because who am I to deny a butterfly a tasty meal? When you cut the flowers to bring inside, keep them in a vase by themselves. In other words, don’t mix them with other flowers. Daffodils release a chemical from their stems that will kill other flowers.
If you choose not to cut the flowers for vases be sure to deadhead or pick the dying flower off the plant as the flowers wilt. Let the leaves continue to grow for another 6 weeks or until they start to die back on their own. This allows the plant to store energy in its bulb for next year.
When you do finally cut back the dying leaves, you can add some bone meal to the dirt. This will help boost next years blooms.
Propagation
Daffodil bulbs, like garlic bulbs, will begin to grow ‘daughter bulbs’ which are small side bulbs that sprout their own flowers. Every couple years your daffodils will start looking congested or crowded. When this happens they may stop blooming as much to let you know they’re crowded. After the blooms have faded and the leaves start to die back, dig them up, divide them and replant.
Side note: This isn’t really common practice and I’ve never read or heard gardeners’ talk about this, but I feel like keeping ‘families’ within close proximity keeps the daffodil garden healthier and more productive. Usually when I’ve divided my clumps of daffodils, I have to move some of them to another part of the yard because I’m running out of space. In these cases, I’ll take the whole clump; mothers and daughters and sometimes granddaughters and plant them together as opposed to pulling off the daughters and transplanting in a different location. This is purely my intuition and as far as I know science hasn’t proved whether it’s beneficial or not.
Preserving/Using
All parts of daffodils are toxic. Do not ingest in any way, shape or form. They contain oxalic acid which deters deer and rodents as well as causing severe burning of the mouth and throat in humans. Daffodils also contain lycorine that will cause nausea and vomiting when ingested.
That being said, I let my daffodils dry in vases. Once mostly dry, I pick the flower head off the stem and let it completely dry on a baking sheet before storing in glass jars. If its humid in the house, I will pop it in a low temperature oven for an hour before storing or using in spell work. Too much heat will darken or brown the flowers. The stems are composted.
Medicinal:
Once again daffodils are toxic and should not be used in medicine. Any medicinal value they hold is purely energetic, which science doesn’t recognize and can’t ethically be called medicinal.
Magic of Daffodils
The Magic of Daffodils will show you how to harness the power of rebirth and true strength. They grow through the decay of last years autumn debris, in spite of the ice and snow, hard rain and wicked winds.
Fresh cut daffodils will bring happiness and joy into the home. Place them on altars as offering to your Spring Deities and Ancestors.
Daffodils signify winters end and future prosperity. They were adopted by the druids as their flower; symbolizing purity. Daffodils are also favored by fairies.
Use:
To harness the Magic of Daffodils throughout the year, dry flowers for use in spells, poppets, talisman, medicine bags, and rituals.
- – sprinkle on alter to attract friendly spirits
- – sprinkle on door step to keep negative energy away
- – add to bath to increase luck and draw new people into your life.
- – mix with rose petals to draw back a wandering
Energy
All plants have their own energetic signature, which means they give off their own vibrations that can, if you allow it, mingle with our own vibrations thus shifting ours in a way that benefits us. Not everyone can feel the difference right off the bat. Plant energy is subtle but just because you can’t feel it, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. The shift is also subtle but sometimes that’s all we need.
Daffodils emit a bright, uplifting, cheerful energy that can bring joviality into you life. Like that word? Jovility, it sounds so Victorian.
These happy yellow flowers can help you tap into your own inner light to bring out the easy exuberant person in you. They are especially good for those who feel restricted by their own insecurities or misunderstood by those around them. Daffodils can help remove feelings of self doubt or shame.
Alternately, Daffodils will help naturally sunny people to confidently confront their shadows. A lot of happy people avoid the darker side at all costs. I get it, its scary. However, it’s also important because if you don’t work it out, you live it out and that’s harder. Speaking from experience.
Daffodils can help to balance the emotions. Life is all about balance. Swing too far one way or the other and your life will feel off center.
Yet, when we are in balance, we find we are more opens to new possibilities in social relationships as well as being more open to feelings of authenticity and personal freedom
My thoughts
I believe this is because Daffodil energy can amplify and clarify the inner voice of the Goddess, God, and/or Spirit Guides. Of course, this is my interpretation. I realize that not everyone is eager to believe in a Greater Being or Invisible Friends and that’s cool. I feel like Daffodils can still work. The energy is real, I feel it.
Fresh daffodils have a stronger vibration than dry daffodils. I encourage everyone who has the space available to grow some and enjoy the vibe every spring. But also to dry them and store them for when you do need that extra push to get you through the hard days. Dry daffodils keep their energy for about 12-15 months. They gradually loose their color and structure.
You can read more about it here.
If you don’t have the space to grow your own and you can’t find fresh daffodils locally, once again, I do have a limited supply of dry flower heads in my Etsy shop here.
Don’t forget to download your free Daffodil Information page. You can find the link on our Resource Page
Disclaimer: All information herein is from traditional or historical reference and intended to help you make an informed decision. No herbal product is intended as a substitute for competent medical care. Please see your physician and/or therapist if you’re suffering from depression, anxiety, or thoughts of suicide. Daffodil energy and magic can work in conjunction with practical therapies.
Pursuant to the United States Postal Service regulations and other State and Federal laws, I am unable to make any claim as to the effectiveness either magical or medicinal of any of the products here or at The Mystic’s Haven.
While the products are either traditional or specific to the craft, I am unable to make any guarantees and I’m required to advise they are “Sold as Curios Only”
