Herbs have been used for centuries for both healing and magic, a great deal is known about their actions in both fields. Herbs occupy a primary place in a Witches magickal practices. In ancient times witches were the only resource for those in their village who were ill, and they used herbs for much of their healing work. As with other natural objects herbs are natural repositories of the earth’s power.                 It is important to note how the herb is to be used for the intended purpose. Are you to burn it as incense on a glowing charcoal? Scatter it in front of your home? Put it in a magickal bag and carry it? - "Firewolf's Book of Spells, Book 1"

Rue and the Cimaruta 

"RUE, also known as RUTA or RUDA, is widely held to be a Magical herb. Many people carry a pinch of Rue in a cloth bag or place it above the front door to ward off the Evil Eye. In Italy it is so highly valued for this purpose that a silver charm called Cimaruta or Sprig of Rue is worn as a protective amulet. Some folks make a tea of Rue and sprinkle it around the home for Protection or bathe in it to break spells. Mix Rue with Comfrey Root to Improve Health Matters or burn Rue with Verbena, Mistletoe, and Benzoin to take off jinxes. Rue is also said to aid in Love Matters. Burned with Lavender Flowers and Sandalwood, it is thought to be a Lover's Incense and if placed in a man's left shoe, it is believed to hold him. 

Rue, Ruda, Ruta (Ruta graveolens) is a European perennial herb with multi-lobed, matte-finish grey-green leaves, inconspicuous yellow flowers, and a distinctively sharp and aromatic fragrance that verges on being "stinky." After the flowers are fertilized, the Rue plant makes clusters of bumpy green four-lobed fruits, containing numerous brown seeds. The Spanish name for Rue is Ruda and the Italian name is Ruta, and although it was not native to the New World, it has been widely accepted as a magical herb by the indigenous people of Central and South America and among African-Americans as well. It is used in love spells, as described above, but more often in protection spells.  For centuries Rue has been considered one of the foremost protective herbs, especially against the evil eye, a belief that originated in the Middle East and which holds that magical harm can come to people through the glance of an envious onlooker. In Italy, faith in the protective qualities of Rue is so great that a special charm, the Cimaruta or "Sprig of Rue" is worn as a pendant to ward off the evil eye. It is always made of sterling silver (the most common metal for apostrophic charms, due to the metal's symbolic association with the moon, which is thought to protect women and children, the most frequent victims of the evil eye) and it is most often found in the vicinity of Naples, where generations of artisans have developed a variety of Cimaruta designs.

The Cimaruta or "Sprig of Rue"

Most Cimaruta charms are fairly large, almost 3 inches across and it depicts a variety of lucky and protective items attached to the sprig of Rue. They consist of a Rue leaf, a bird, a rose, a Rue fruit, a key, a hand holding a wand or sword, a flaming heart, a crescent moon with a face in it, a snake (its body replaces one of the branches), an owl a plumed Medieval helmet, a cluster of Rue fruits, a Gobo (Italian lucky hunchback) other motifs found on Cimaruta amulets include mermaids, hands making the mano fico and mano cornuta gestures, and all-seeing eyes.