Often seen dotting the waysides, in the past common or wood mallow (Malva sylvestris) and musk mallow (M. moschata), pictured, were grown as culinary and medicinal herbs and as a vegetable. The round, lobed fruit looks like a little wheel of cheese and was the source of the folk names cheese plant and fairy cheese.
        Mallow was used medicinally by the ancient Chinese, Greeks, and Romans and later by the Anglo-Saxons. Roman poet Marcus Valerius Martialis noted that mallow was a cure for post-orgy hangovers. Pliny the Elder recommended its use to aid in achieving orgasm and for centuries mallow was regarded as an aphrodisiac. By the late Middle Ages, the opposite was believed and it was prescribed to put a damper on passions. In North America, the Iroquois used the low-growing dwarf mallow (M. neglecta) to cause vomiting as cure to counteract love medicine.
        According to Irish legend, mallow was one of seven herbs that nothing natural or supernatural could harm. However, to be effective against evil it had to be gathered at noon on a sunny day around the time of the full moon. It was also believed that lightly striking a person with the stem of a mallow plant on May Eve would provide protection from disease and faeries.
        In Germany, mallow was used to cure someone effected by witchcraft. In England, mallow was included in May Day garlands. The fruits were regarded as faery food; however, human children playing in the fields enjoyed eating them, too.
        As you might expect, musk mallow was named for its musky fragrance. Essential oil from the seeds is used in perfumery as an alternative to traditional musk from deer (and a lot easier to gather).
        Of course, mallow has magical uses, but is it an aphrodisiac or love cure? A bit of both. To attract love, infuse oil with the flowers or use the flower essence and dab a little behind your ears. Burn a handful of dried flowers as part of a banish spell to send someone packing.
        For other magical uses, scatter a few dried leaves or flowers on your altar to increase your ability to communicate with spirits. Looking like little moons, place a few of the fruit on your altar for esbat rituals to boost lunar energy. Place a few in a special outdoor area to invite the faeries to your property.