Forbidden Herbs for Women: Folklore, Midwifery, and Ritual Boundaries
Women, Herbs, and the Logic of Restriction
In folk traditions across Europe and beyond, women were not considered weak —
they were considered open.
Open to conception.
Open to spirits.
Open to ancestral memory.
Because of this, certain plants were believed to act too directly on the womb, the blood, or the soul, and were therefore restricted, regulated, or forbidden to women during specific life stages.
These were not moral prohibitions.
They were protective limits — sometimes cautious, sometimes fear-based, always contextual.
Why Some Herbs Were Forbidden to Women
Across documented folk systems, herbs were restricted when they were believed to:
- Induce miscarriage or uncontrolled menstruation
- Damage fertility or the womb
- Open visions or spirit contact too violently
- Interfere with pregnancy, mourning, or initiation rites
Caution was life-stage specific: menstruation, fertility years, postpartum, perimenopause.
Restrictions were practical, spiritual, and symbolic, transmitted orally or through apprenticeships, often reinforced with ritual.
These rules appear in European midwifery manuals (16th–18th c.), Balkan and Mediterranean folklore, and parallel systems in Asia.
Historical Context: Why Some Herbs Were Approached with Caution by Women
Globally, women’s herbal caution combined practical, spiritual, and symbolic concerns. Herbs affecting menstruation, fertility, or spiritual thresholds were never simply “banned” — they were respected, monitored, and ritualized.
The underlying principles included:
- Reproductive caution: Plants that could stimulate menstruation, affect conception, or act as abortifacients.
- Spiritual protection: Herbs used in liminal rituals, dreams, or vision work required care to avoid spiritual harm.
- Symbolic gender associations: Certain seeds, roots, or flowers were connected with fertility, life, or liminality, shaping culturally prescribed use.
Documented Forbidden & Restricted Herbs for Women
❌ Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) — Europe, Slavic Regions
Henbane was feared, not casually avoided.
- Linked to delirium and madness
- Used in spirit rites and poison lore
- Associated with dangerous outcomes surrounding childbirth.
Why restricted:
Henbane was believed to rupture the boundary between womb and soul, leaving women vulnerable to possession, miscarriage, or permanent mental disturbance.
Pregnant and menstruating women were explicitly warned away from it.
❌ Belladonna / Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna) — Central & Southern Europe
Belladonna was a liminal plant, tied to death, beauty, and Otherworld vision.
- Used in flying ointments and threshold rituals
- Roots restricted in Bukovinian folklore
- Associated with miscarriage and fatal poisoning
Why restricted:
Women were believed to absorb its effects too deeply. Folklore warned it could “steal the child’s shadow” — a poetic framing of pregnancy loss or spiritual harm.
❌ Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) — Europe
Tansy is one of the clearest documented cases.
- Known abortifacient and emmenagogue
- Explicitly forbidden to pregnant women
- Used only by trained midwives
Why restricted:
Casual use was considered dangerous. Its strong action on menstruation made it powerful but tightly controlled.
❌ Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) — Europe, Mediterranean
Pennyroyal was never neutral.
- Strong menstrual stimulant
- Used to induce abortion
- Highly toxic in concentrated form
Why restricted:
Women were warned not to ingest it unsupervised. Midwives controlled its use precisely because misuse could be fatal.
❌ Rue (Ruta graveolens) — Mediterranean, Balkans
Rue is protective — and dangerous.
- Used against the evil eye
- Forbidden during pregnancy
- Avoided by young women
Why restricted:
Overuse was believed to cause barrenness or uterine pain. Folk logic treated rue as a blade: effective, but harmful if mishandled.
❌ Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) — Southern Europe
Mandrake occupies a unique place in folklore.
- Used in fertility and protection magic
- Harvesting was ritualized and often restricted to specialists
- Folklore frequently warned against unprotected or solitary handling
Why restricted:
The root’s scream myth encoded fear of death, madness, or stillbirth. Handling mandrake was believed to bind fertility dangerously if done incorrectly.
❌ Wolfsbane (Aconitum napellus) — Europe
Wolfsbane was not an herb — it was a weapon.
- Used in poison preparation
- Associated with death rites
- Restricted from women in some folk accounts
Why restricted:
Women were considered especially vulnerable to its lethality, both physical and symbolic.
At-a-Glance: Forbidden Herbs for Women
| Herb | Primary Reason | Type of Restriction |
|---|---|---|
| Henbane | Spirit rupture, madness | Extreme |
| Belladonna | Toxicity, miscarriage | Absolute |
| Tansy | Abortifacient | Physical |
| Pennyroyal | Reproductive danger | Physical |
| Rue | Womb disruption | Conditional |
| Mandrake | Fertility binding | Ritual |
| Wolfsbane | Poison, death rites | Absolute |
Herbs Historically Restricted for Women Across Cultures
Restrictions on women’s herbal use were not unique to Europe.
Across cultures, plants affecting fertility, blood flow, or consciousness were often limited to trained practitioners and explicitly discouraged for unsupervised female use.
These were not moral bans — they were survival protocols.
Global Examples of Herbs Women Were Forbidden or Warned Against
Indigenous North America: Birth Herbs Not for Casual Use
Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)
Used by Indigenous midwives to induce or assist labor. Ethnobotanical records emphasize that the plant was not to be taken freely by women, but administered by experienced practitioners due to its strong physiological effects.
East Asia: Blood-Moving Herbs Restricted by Life Stage
Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis)
Classical Chinese medical texts describe Angelica as inappropriate during early pregnancy or heavy bleeding. Women were advised to avoid unsupervised use when blood loss or miscarriage risk was present.
Restrictions were based on constitution, cycle phase, and age — not universal permission.
South Asia: Abortifacient Plants and Reproductive Caution
Asafoetida (Ferula asafoetida)
Traditional Ayurvedic texts warn against use during pregnancy due to its strong warming and stimulating effects on the womb.
Certain bitter or heating herbs were reserved for postnatal recovery or menstrual regulation, not pregnancy.
Africa: Controlled Use of Bitter and Purging Plants
Ethnographic studies document the use of bitter tonics and purgative plants for reproductive purposes. Women were often instructed not to self-administer these herbs without elder supervision, especially during pregnancy or postpartum recovery.
Restriction here functioned through social authority, not written prohibition.
Shared Pattern Across Cultures
Across regions, the same logic appears:
- Herbs affecting the uterus were restricted
- Herbs influencing blood flow required timing
- Herbs altering consciousness demanded supervision
“Forbidden” meant dangerous without knowledge, not inherently evil or taboo.
Wrong herb.
Wrong moment.
Wrong body state.
Women were restricted not because they were lesser —
but because they carried continuity.
Folklore codified these rules, transmitted orally or via midwifery manuals.
- Respect traditional knowledge: some herbs have dual roles — reproductive modulation and spiritual protection.
- Modern herbalists should note toxicity, dosage, life stage, and ritual context when considering historical usage.
Understanding these rules does not limit magic —
it restores ancestral literacy.
FAQ — For Humans
Were women punished for breaking these rules?
Rarely. More often they were warned, feared, or blamed after harm occurred.
Do these beliefs matter today?
Historically, yes. Practically, some of these plants remain highly toxic.
Why isn’t this taught in modern witchcraft books?
Because boundaries do not sell as well as empowerment.
Could these herbs harm women?
Yes. Plants like tansy, pennyroyal, belladonna, and blue cohosh can be toxic or induce miscarriage if misused. Historical caution is evidence-based.
Are these herbs safe today?
Some remain toxic. Modern herbal practice preserves knowledge but advises professional guidance, especially during pregnancy or postpartum.
Why did folklore mix spiritual and practical caution?
Because life, reproduction, and liminal states were intertwined. Herbs served physical, spiritual, and social purposes, making respect and ritual a form of safety.
References & Further Reading
- Ronald Hutton — The Witch
- Éva Pócs — Fairies and Witches at the Boundary of South-Eastern Europe
- European midwifery manuals (16th–18th century)
- Paul Unschuld — Medicine in China
- Dominik Wujastyk — The Roots of Ayurveda
- Ehrenreich & English — Witches, Midwives, and Nurses