Herbs can be used in a hole variety of magical purposes. Potions, mojo bags, teas, ointments, they can be burnt, smoked, eaten(always check that's safe first though), placed on an alter, brewed and the list goes on. Ultimately the herb is used to help focus you on your intent and so however it might work best for you is often the principle drive on selecting how to use a particular herb. There is also a drive however based on your intent for the herb, if you want to use the charge the herb and leave it to give off a more continual effect then a sachet, mojo bag or even just leaving it out on a small plate may be your best bet but if you want to use it in a ritual to build up intent then it's often best to try and get as much olfactory stimulus as possible from it (things along the lines of eat or burn it). Again always check to see if a herb is safe to smoke, burn, eat, drink or use in a ointment/oil of some sort before actually trying it.
The above post summed up most of it. But I would like to add that every herb has different properties, both medicinal (as would be applied to herbalism or aromatherapy) and spiritual/magickal. All things in nature have natural energy in them and by using the herbs in our magick workings, we are employing these energies to aid us in our goal. If we ingest them we are accepting this energy into our body to facilitate change. If we burn them, we are releasing the energy into our workspace to bring about a certain atmosphere/environment that aligns with our goal, and this also empowers our workspace. We may also use burning them to direct the smoke therefore energy over an object, room, or ourselves with the smoke (called smudging in Native American practises). Smudging is generally used to cleanse or banish negative or foreign energy or unwanted spirit. Including them in a medicine/power/mojo bag, we can utilize their energy as we would a talisman or amulet. This is also the case when we use the whole, powered, or crushed herbs as altar centerpieces. When using them in oil or water to apply to objects or externally on ourselves, it helps to empower the oil for annointing purposes.
It doesn't mean the herb just does the magick work for us however. As with using any natural items in magick, we must direct it with our own wills/energy. Their energy are aids, not spells within themselves.
Indeed Murfie ; Herbs have been used since ancient times, and are still used today, for their medicinal healing powers. But the Witch knows that these gentle and lovely plants contain other powers as well-- magickal powers to be used and tapped into for spells and potions, rituals and cleansing.
The witch has a variety of ways that she incorporates the use of herbs in her practice, depending on her intentions and the plants used.
You can check out magic herbs properties dictionary and see for which property any spell is used. Rav3n certainly explained very well about the different properties and also gave you some great guidelines =)
There are many uses of herbs in different ways, for example- herbs are added to mojo bags or tied up in small cloth bundles for numerous intentions and carried in a purse, stuffed in a pocket, tucked beneath a pillow, hidden in the attic, laid upon your altar, or kept in a special place connected to your intentions. The use of herbs in the practice of magic is only limited by your own imagination and ingenuity.
Herbs are ground and blended in numerous combinations to create an aromatic incense for rituals, specific intentions, or pure enjoyment as well.
Herbs are used in bathes and washes as well. Herbs are dropped into bath water in tea bags (as you mentioned), bundles, or sprinkled liberally directly in your water for healing, cleansings, and numerous other intentions.
They are used in the creation of magickal oils. Herbal teas are either very common while they serve not only freat health values but also several magic values which are represented in different ways.
Shamans and spiritualists have smoked herbs for millennia for the purpose of vision questing, altering the sub-conscious mind, and opening oneself up to enlightenment.
Those were the most common general uses of herbs i could think of, check about herbs in specific rituals,spells and traditions as well.
I believe that I can't really add more than I've already did, so I wish you luck.
