This post is part of a sporadic series focused on helping one to Be a Local Witch. With so much emphasis placed upon having all the “right tools” and the “right herbs” in modern witchcraft, it’s easy to forget to actually do the witchcraft. This series aims to show how terribly simple and amazingly rewarding it can be to center your witchcraft practice on the unique location in which you live. By working with what is readily available to you -be it trees, herbs, or spirits- you enable yourself to better connect to the natural energy currents where you live, to better establish yourself as a natural part of that environment, to better employ the aid of the genius loci, to broaden your knowledge of the area where you live as well as the plants and animals that also make it their home, and to align yourself with the spirit of the historical witch who would have used nothing that they did not find or make themselves. It is with that goal in mind, to strengthen your practice by narrowing focus to the use of local herbs, that this next post is offered. Later posts in this series will explore the idea of working with plants as magickal allies, a variety of native and naturalized herbs that are likely growing in your own backyard (such as the previous post on the hex breaker Witchgrass,) drying and storing herbs for the highest quality of dried herb matter, as well the subjects of offerings and things to keep in mind to help you to more respectfully interact with the Land and plant spirits when wildcrafting or just enjoying time in wild spaces. The practice of harvesting herbs from the wild is known as wildcrafting. When one gathers wild herbs with the intent of causing as little environmental impact as possible the process is called ethical wildcrafting. There are basic and straightforward guidelines to ethical wildcrafting that ensure that not only is the natural population of the plants you harvest left healthy and strong, but so, too, are the individual plants that you harvest from (the exception here being when roots are harvested.) These guidelines are very easy to employ, and the included infographic can be printed off and taken with you on your next wildcrafting trip until these guidelines become second nature. This next series of articles will focus on the use of local plants in witchcraft. Local plants are a combination of native plants, i.e. plants that originate from that area, and naturalized plants, i.e. plants that have been introduced from elsewhere but have established themselves as a part of the environment. Using local plants for your magick offers a lot of benefits, enhancing your magickal practice and effectively taking it to greater depths than are readily visible and that you may not fully believe are possible. Plus, working with local plants is a cost effective alternative to purchasing exotic plants that you have no idea how they were grown or harvested, and if their harvest negatively impacted their environment.
Working with local plants serves to better harmonize yourself with the local energies and spirits where you live. This is a highly suggested practice if you have intentions of working with the genus loci -localized spirits of place that are attached to the land- and is a great preliminary step in learning about Them. Each article will focus on one plant that is native to or naturalized within North America. As such, many of these plants can be found in Europe, especially within the United Kingdom. Many of the plants discussed are considered pests and weeds, plants that many people aggressively try to rid their yards of. Some may be wholly unknown to you, others familiar. But, each is an opportunity to broaden your knowledge and practice, becoming a stronger and more resourceful witch. Each of these plants is an often unappreciated and overlooked lovely that can offer powerful results -should you take the time to know them. Regardless of where you live, there is a wide variety of plants that are waiting for you to find them, to teach you their secrets, and to become your ally. My own practice of witchcraft is highlighted by the use of local plants. Every ingredient comes to me from the wilds, be it a barefoot hike through the forest, a hike through the mountains, or a walk down urban streets. Plants present themselves, often unexpectedly, that are perfect for the spell work that I need to do at that time. This is something that you can easily have as part of your practice, too, the wonder of such this series of articles hopes to impart. 10 Tips for Becoming a Magickal HerbalistHerbalism is one of those things that is so inexorably tied up with witchcraft that it's hard, if not impossible, to imagine anyone with a magickal practice who doesn't have at least a passing interest in herbs. There are few places on our world that don't have plants, and the potential to use them to create changes in our lives, warding off the unwanted and helping us to attract what we desire, is something that has enticed humanity throughout the ages. Even within medicinal herbalism, there is still that feel of mystery and magick surrounding the herbs and the gentle results they bring about.
Herbalism, both magickal and medicinal, is a multilayered modality that accommodates both beginner and expert alike, with a simple approach being just as feasible and rewarding as more complicated clinical herbal research. There is, perhaps, a greater simplicity in magickal herbalism than medicinal herbalism, but it can still seem no less daunting of a field within which to get started and learn. In no specific order, here are ten tips to help you on your way to becoming a magickal herbalist. The Sun crested the horizon and it quickly became apparent that it was going to be one of the last warm days of the year. My husband and I whispered, keeping the children unaware, and chugged coffee and tea, respectfully, in preparation for our hurriedly thrown together plan. We loaded up the truck with baskets, hiking gear, pellet guns, multiple cans of bug spray, and the small army that is our family. The forest beckoned: today was a day of harvest and hunting, today was Epic Root Harvest Day. With dreams of our farm in my head, visions of goats, honey bees, and dirt, I wander about the small container garden we have. There are 20-some pots this year (mind you, that's counting the garden outside only, not the jungle inside, of which a tour wil have to wait till another post...) with a mix of veggies, herbs, and flowers. A good many of the plants are perrenials, some ones that I've had for years (eight years on the longest) though many of them, this year, are brand new to the family. I'm hoping they'll last the coming Winter. So, come along on a little tour of my and my family's garden. The Harvest season is in full swing, the Equinox just around the corner, which makes now the last chance for harvesting herbs before the Winter cold sets in. In assuring the highest quality herbs for your magickal and medicinal uses, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to harvesting.
At this time of year, one of my favorite things to do is to grab my basket and head out into the woods and fields to pick wild edibles for meals. In fact, they can become quite the staple for us, being added to nearly every meal. It's a great way to eat seasonally and, thus, better align oneself with the Natural forces at work throughout the year. Plus, there's just something so rewarding about going outside and picking your meals.
With infants, one has to be so careful with what is put on their skin. Not only is baby's skin super sensitive from only ever being in a dark, wet environment, but infants absorb much more through their skin than adults do. Pair this with recent research revealing that many baby products are ladened with far worse chemicals than are found in the same products for adults, and the reason for using all natural, organic products on your baby becomes blatantly apparent.
A simple all purpose cleaner that's great for bathrooms and kitchens. Omit the water and use full strength for tougher jobs like the oven (unless your oven tends to look like mine, then there's just no hope...) Though Spring may be gradually turning back Winter, there are still many cold days left to endure. This means that the onslaught of dry heat and stagnant, germ filled air are something to still be concerned about. Rather than resort to chemical ladened sprays, here are two simple and low cost ways to naturally combat air-born bacteria.
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January 2023
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