Garden Witchery (2 page)

Who bends a knee where violets grow

a hundred secret things shall know.

Rachel Field

I

What Is Garden Wi­tchery?

F
or some folks, garden witchery conjures up images of lush, enchanted gardens where butterflies dance and children play. Wind chimes sing in the breeze and fountains trickle and splash. In this magickal place, the witch who lives there strolls about under sunny skies or dappled moonlight, gathering plants for her spellwork and for their fragrance. Fantasy? No. All of those things are possible in a city, suburban, or rural yard.

The gardens described for you in the introduction are real. I was describing my gardens. Suburban magickal gardens are a reality. You can do it. All it takes is hard work, determination, and time. Let's add two more very important magickal ingredients to this mixture: you and your imagination.

Use yours for a moment to visit me in my magickal gardens. Just come as you are. Let me assure you that I do not waft around the yard in ritual wear. Nor do I expect you to. How will you find me? I can usually be found working in the gardens, toting around a five-gallon bucket full of gardening supplies. I am typically crawling around on my hands and knees, attired in sturdy clothes and sunglasses. It's more than likely I'll either be planting, weeding, or dead-heading the gardens. I'm probably grubby and having a great time.

Sorry for the lack of mystique. There is no big drama here. I am a very down-to-earth type of witch. I have often been accused by my friends of being a cross between Martha Stewart and Samantha Stevens. You know, I can live with that.

Come on around back and sit with me under the shade of one of the old maples in the backyard. Let's plop down in the grass and chat. I suppose you have lots of questions . . . that great big chartreuse plant? That's a Sum and Substance hosta. Yeah, he is a monster. You like the silver gazing globe? Thanks, my kids gave it to me for Mother's Day last year. That fragrance? Ah . . . what does it smell like to you? Sort of an orange-floral? It could be the monarda, or is that scent you're noticing a captivating combination of soil, sunscreen, and bug spray? Why, that would be me.

So, you're here because you want to learn about magickal gardening? I have plenty to tell and to teach you. But first, I'd like you to look me in the eyes. Our eyes meet and hold. I smile and let out a contented sigh, and we both begin to laugh. Now let me see your hands, don't mind any garden soil that is still on mine . . .

I grasp your hands and turn over your palms to give them a steely eyed stare. No, I'm not looking for a green thumb. I'm looking to see if you have an open and loving heart, determination, and strong hands. That's what it takes to be a garden witch. The heart, I am sure, is just fine. As for the hands . . . trust me. If you are seriously determined to get into gardening, you will have those strong, capable hands soon enough.

A garden witch is not unlike a kitchen witch in that they both practice a hearth and home type of magick. However, don't let that fool you into complacency! A kitchen witch or garden witch on their home turf is an awesome magickal force indeed. Stay with me here, we are still talking about an advanced magickal system. Nothing winds me up faster than those who would sneer down at the home-based, family-oriented type of witches.

Practicing a down-to-earth, practical style of witchcraft is both enjoyable and fulfilling. There is nothing wrong with raising your family and quietly living the natural magician's life. How do you imagine the wisewomen of old lived? It's a pretty safe bet that they practiced alone and discreetly. (In the old days, it was safer that way.)

The solitary path is one that many modern witches find themselves walking today, some by choice, others by chance. It can be discouraging working by yourself without the benefit of a coven for support and advice. It can also be illuminating to go it alone. Use this time to expand your knowledge and understanding of the earth's magicks. Go ahead, get out there in the yard and plant some herbs. Stir up a little herbal magick in the kitchen, it's fun! You don't have to have an entourage along to expand your skills. You simply need yourself. Often the most important and powerful magick performed by a witch is done privately.

Some magickal folks hear the words “kitchen witch” and their brains just shut down. Oh, they might give you a patronizing smile and a pat on the head. Then they'll inform you how they've come a long way from their days of kitchen magick. Don't let them intimidate you.

Growing your own magickal plants and herbs and using them properly becomes a complex part of a major magickal working. It is true that working advanced magick requires more time, study, and effort on your part. That time and effort you put out to elevate your skills is well spent. It separates the novice from the adept practitioner.

Magickal herbalism in itself is considered to be a major magick. Major magicks are defined as those that require a higher level of knowledge and expertise. It may take months before your plants are ready to harvest. Magickal herbs have their own energies and correspondences to be considered as well. It requires discipline, patience, and competence to use plant energies effectively. Think about it.

So many witches are in a rush to learn a new spell or a new technique that they often overlook the obvious. It's not about the spells, it's about the magick.
Your
magick. Each person is drawn to a specialty in magick, or a favorite type of magick, if you will—something that just clicks for them. For some of us, it's herbs and gardening.

If you had to assemble herbs for a healing spell and you wanted a lot of magickal
oomph
, what do you think would be most likely to deliver it? Some dried lavender that you ordered online? Who knows what sort of chemicals could have been sprayed on the plants? Or how old the herb is? Or how many people handled it?

Instead, consider some homegrown lavender or yarrow that you would have tended yourself. We'll take this a step further and add that you harvested in a correct phase of the moon that corresponded with the results you were trying to achieve. Astrological timing plays a large part in garden witchery. These magickal herbs and flowers that you've grown can be further enhanced by the correct use of astrological timing. These will be discussed in detail in chapter 6.

There is nothing quite like making—or growing, for that matter—a magickal tool yourself. As you know, a self-created magickal tool or object becomes twice as powerful from absorbing the energy that you expended in the making of the item. So the same can be said for cultivating your own magickal flowers and herbs. As you sow, raise, and then harvest your herbs and plants, your energy has seeped into the plant every time you touched it. Now all that energy is waiting to be programmed or released.

Garden witches and natural magicians can be city dwellers working in community gardens as easily as suburban Pagans doing the “weekend warrior” thing in their backyards. The point is that you will be working in the garden, whether it's in pots and window boxes on your balcony, in the backyard, or on the farm. It doesn't matter where. It is the
quality
of the plants, not the quantity of them, that counts. Connecting with nature is our goal here. Sound good? Great! Roll up your sleeves and get ready to dig in.

Herbs and garden plants play a meaningful part in the folklore and tradition of every culture. Their arcane and phenomenal powers to heal the mind and body fascinate us and confirm humankind's connection to the natural world. A garden is a place that encourages and lures people to unearth the magick, mystery, and unexpected surprises that nature will reveal to anyone who wants to take a closer look. The garden does and will talk back, teaching us about success as well as failure. What do you imagine you could learn if we were to settle down in the grass, be still, and listen closely to Nature as she teaches us? You would discover many secret things and learn a myriad of valuable lessons. That's a good place to start, just don't stop there.

Now, how much more information, do you suppose, would be divined by getting out there and actually getting your hands dirty? As gardeners, be it magickal or mundane, we cultivate more than just herbs and flowers. We are cultivating a sensitivity and appreciation for the environment. By tapping into the magick of the earth, you increase your abilities and strengthen your magickal expertise. To “walk with power” means that you move in tune with the powers of nature, the powers of the Earth herself. This is a very important step toward becoming a responsible magician and a jubilant guardian of the Earth.

All the wild witches, those most noble ladies,
For all their broomsticks and their tears,
Their angry tears, are gone.

William Butler Yeats

The Legacy of the Wisewomen

The history of herbalism begins at the dawn of time, when our earliest ancestors discovered that certain plants had a specific effect on their health and well-being. Other plants were found to comfort, had pleasant aromas, produced a colored dye, or were good to eat.

It is no surprise, then, that plants were thought to possess powers either for good or evil, and then became objects of reverence and worship. The trees especially, as they lived for much longer than a single human's life span. Most of the plants that were considered magickal were used for medicine rather than for foodstuff.

As magick and faith, biology and medicine, botany and philosophy all initially existed together rather than being thought of as separate sciences, rituals began around the harvesting and use of plants and herbs. To be the most effective they were picked at certain times of the year or prepared during specific cycles of the moon. The custodians of this knowledge were the first witches, the wisewomen.

The legacy of the wisewomen instills love and reverence for the Earth. From these lessons we learn the hidden meanings of the folk names of flowers and the legends of the trees, the uses of astrological timing, the portents of nature, and the creatures of the garden.

Traditionally, the witch was a solitary practitioner, a seer and the village wisewoman or cunning man. From their modest gardens they produced herbal amulets and charms for the common folk. Local practitioners birthed babies and cast their spells. They whispered herbal treatments to their clients and performed spells for love, healing, prosperity, and an abundant harvest.

How do we know what sort of Craft these wisewomen practiced? What varieties of plants did they actually grow? There really is no easy answer, but I have a good idea where to look for clues. We must try to find the truth between the much-maligned historical figure of the witch and her modern counterpart of today.

Gothic Plants and Their Magickal Alternatives

Historically, witch plants carry a sinister reputation, such as belladonna, foxglove, and deadly nightshade. Hemlock, monkshood, and the yew with its berries are all beautiful plants and all extremely toxic. Unfortunately, witches were often accused of being poisoners. Yikes! I have read gardening and herb books that only list those types of plants as “witch” plants. How very narrow-minded and unfair of them.

Well
, you're thinking,
who would grow such plants today?
If you walk into your local nursery with a list of plants like that, they are going to get real suspicious. Once I had someone do that to me. After I stopped gaping, I wrote down a reading list for her and then we had a nice little chat (my kids would tell you that means a lecture) about magickal plant alternatives to gothic witch garden plants.

Yes, many common plants and shrubs are poisonous. Some you may not even know or suspect, like azaleas, morning glories, and lily of the valley. If you have children or pets, I urge you to be cautious with your plantings. Do your homework.

I contacted the Missouri Botanical Garden for a list of poisonous plants. They sent me their list and a list from the Missouri Poison System. Call the Master Gardeners in your area for advice. Master Gardeners usually are based out of a University Extension Office. These offices operate individually out of their own specific counties. Check the phone book for a “University Outreach” or “Local Extension Office.” Ask if they can mail you some information. Also, in chapter 5, there is a quick index of poisonous garden plants for you to refer to.