Other traditions: spices in ritual
Folk custom, luck and protection, and uses that fit no single faith.
Other spiritual traditions and folk customs use spice in ways that do not fit the main groups, from the incense of Wicca and neo-pagan paths to the folk charms of many regions.
Folk custom
Across Europe, Africa and the Americas, folk traditions use salt, pepper, garlic, cloves and herbs in charms, house blessings and festival rites. Such customs are described as beliefs of those who hold them and are not claims of effect.
Modern practice
Contemporary spiritual paths use incense, herbs and spice in rites and in cooking, such as resins and woods for smoke, and cinnamon and clove in seasonal rituals.
Approach
This site records such uses neutrally, as practices people describe, and does not judge their truth or give advice.
Other traditions on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreThyme
The dried leaves of a Mediterranean mint-family herb, used to perfume stews and baths alike.Leaf · Earthy and deep · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreBay Laurelδάφνη
The dried leaf of a Mediterranean evergreen, used to infuse slow-cooked dishes with herbal depth.Sharp and pungent · Bitter
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Thyme: Evan-Amos, CC0, source
- Bay Laurel: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, source