Mistletoe: magical uses, folklore and safety

How to read the labels Historical what the old sources say. Later tradition what later writers added. Modern modern practice and my own notes.

Mistletoe grows between earth and sky, rooted in the branches of a tree rather than the ground, and stays green and white-berried through winter. That in-between nature made it sacred to druids, deadly in Norse myth and romantic at Christmas. In modern witchcraft it is a Yule plant of peace, love and protection, used only as a decoration because it is poisonous.

Safety first: mistletoe is toxic. Never eat or drink any part of mistletoe and never burn it. Hang it high, sweep up fallen berries, and keep it away from children and pets. If someone swallows berries or leaves, contact a poison center.

At a glance

How witches use mistletoe today

Modern All mistletoe magic on this page is hung, displayed or symbolic.

Yule doorway blessing. A bunch of mistletoe hung above the main door at midwinter is a modern sign of peace and welcome. Many witches hang it with a short blessing for everyone who passes under.

Love. Kissing under the mistletoe is an English Christmas custom that modern witches treat as a small love spell. Enjoy it with consent and a sense of humour.

Protection. Cunningham lists protection against misfortune of every kind. A sprig in a sealed glass jar, kept high, is an alternative to a loose bunch.

Between the worlds. Because it grows neither on earth nor in the sky, mistletoe suits rituals about thresholds and new beginnings, such as the first new moon after Yule. Use a picture or a drawing on the altar if you have pets.

Tarot pairing. I pair mistletoe with The Lovers: union, choice and the meeting of two worlds.

Journal prompt. Which quarrel could I set down this winter, even if only in my own heart?

Try this: a peace blessing at the door

1. Buy a small bunch of mistletoe, or draw a sprig on card if you have pets or small children.
2. Tie it with white or red ribbon and hang it high above your main door.
3. Say: “Under this green, let quarrels end and peace begin.”
4. Each time you pass beneath it during the Yule season, let one small grudge go.
5. Take it down after Twelfth Night, wrap it in paper and put it in the rubbish, not the compost if animals visit your garden.

Folklore and history

Historical Pliny the Elder described Gaulish druids cutting mistletoe from an oak with a golden sickle on the sixth day of the moon, catching it in a white cloak, and sacrificing two white bulls. In Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda, the god Baldr is killed by a dart of mistletoe, the one plant that had not sworn an oath not to harm him.

Later tradition The Woodland Trust notes that through the Middle Ages mistletoe was linked with fertility and vitality. Kissing under the mistletoe became a popular English Christmas custom.

Modern Modern pagans use mistletoe at Yule as a sign of peace and of life persisting in the dark.

Safety

Toxicity. NCCIH notes that European mistletoe berries and leaves can cause serious harmful effects when taken by mouth and that it is probably unsafe in pregnancy. Prescription mistletoe extracts used in some countries are a medical matter, not a home remedy.

Pets. The ASPCA lists American mistletoe as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Fallen berries are a hazard: check the floor daily.

Fake berries. Artificial mistletoe can have small plastic berries that are a choking hazard. Hang it out of reach too.

What next

Read about oak, the druids’ tree, and see my Yule guide for more midwinter magic.