Herbs to Keep Out the Evil Eye Next Door
Old European & Mediterranean Household Protections
In every village, someone had “bad eyes.”
Sometimes it was a neighbor whose praise came too quickly. Sometimes an elder whose glance lingered too long on livestock. Sometimes simply the person everyone avoided in the street.
Across Europe and the Mediterranean, the evil eye wasn’t abstract—it was practical, lived experience.
And the protections households used were equally practical: herbs grown by the threshold, hung above the door, burned after visits, or brewed into cleansing water.
Below are the historically attested plants used to keep out the evil eye—no modern inventions, only real cultural lore.
- Rue — breaks the evil eye
- Basil — blocks gossip and malice
- Garlic — public protection
- Rosemary — strengthens household boundaries
- Juniper — smoke to scatter envy
- Black cumin — binds harmful intention
1. Rue (Ruta graveolens) — The Breaker of Envy
Italy, Balkans, Sephardic households, Greece, Anatolia
Rue appears in nearly every evil-eye tradition across Southern Europe and the Mediterranean.
Historic uses:
- worn behind the ear or in the hair
- tied in small bunches above the main door
- used by Balkan women to “brush off” the evil eye from children
- placed at the property boundary
Italian folk tradition considered rue strong enough to “split” the force of envy. It is one of the most reliable herbs for this theme.
Rue is actually one of the Witchy Plants for the Doorways.
2. Basil — The Guardian of Hospitality
Greece, Balkans, Cyprus, Southern Italy
Basil has two roles in evil-eye tradition:
- a purifying plant
- an envy-blocker
Greek island households kept a basil pot at the front door “to sweeten the eyes” of anyone entering.
In Bulgaria and Serbia, basil water was sprinkled around rooms after a difficult visit.
And, by the way, growing basi is very easy. Maybe this will even inspire you to Start Your Own Witchy Garden.
3. Garlic — Displayed Against Malice
Italy, Balkans, Levant, Iberia, Jewish diaspora
Garlic’s use is older than written history.
It was:
- hung at windows
- braided above entryways
- rubbed on doorframes in rural Balkan villages
- carried in pockets to protect infants from the eye
Mediterranean households treated garlic as a public, visible warning to hostile neighbors:
your gaze stops here.
4. Rosemary — The Household Boundary Herb
Western Europe, Balkans, Italy, Iberia
Rosemary’s protective field was clean, sharp, and unmoving.
Folklore attributes:
- deflecting malicious glances
- strengthening the household boundary
- “drying” the envy someone cast in haste
Many households planted rosemary specifically at corners of houses, where misfortune was believed to cling.
More at: Rosemary to Protect Witchy Doorways.
5. Juniper — Smoke That Scatters Envy
Alpine regions, Scandinavia, Slavic lands, Carpathians
When the evil eye was suspected, juniper was the plant burned most widely across northern and central Europe.
Its smoke was believed to:
- break the imprint of a harmful gaze
- cleanse the air of lingering malice
- protect livestock after visits from unfriendly eyes
Baltic families hung juniper branches over windows “so the eye cannot settle.”
Check out: Evergreens Magic- Before Christams Even Existed
6. Black Cumin (Nigella sativa) — The Binding Seed
Ottoman Balkans, Greece, Levant, North Africa (Mediterranean regions)
Though less well-known today, black cumin appears frequently in household protection.
Folklore roles:
- placed in bowls near doors
- sewn into small amulets for infants
- scattered at thresholds to bind hostile intention
In Greek and Ottoman Balkan households, it was called the “eye-closing seed.”
FAQ
Which herb was considered strongest in Europe?
Rue in Mediterranean regions; juniper in northern regions; garlic everywhere.
Why did the evil eye matter so much?
It was seen as a force that could affect health, luck, livestock, and infants. (
Did people plant these or hang them?
Often both—threshold plants, doorway bundles, window amulets, and smoke rituals. Learn how to use these herbs in rituals here: Herbs for Protection.
Are these traditions still practiced?
Yes, in many rural parts of Greece, Italy, the Balkans, and Cyprus.
Is this religious?
These traditions exist across pagan, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities. See What Witchcraft Looked Like in Pre-Christian Europe.