Celebrating The Magical and Healing Power of Nature

No, it's not a club or a witches' coven. I call it a Green Craft, in the Green Arts.
It's not something trending on FB or Twitter. Although there are probably several modern-day groups to be found.
Green Witchery is a talent, desire and way of living that is focused on nature, the seasons, and creating foods and remedies from what comes from the earth. If you feel more at home and happier in the forest, woods, mountains or garden, if you can seem to be able to grow anything, if you love camping rough, solitary walks through greenery and hiking, you already have the makings of becoming a Green Witch. Green Witchery is the practice of natural magic. It is not Paganism or Druidry, although related. Green Magic emphasizes the growing, harvesting, and the use of herbs and flowers for healthy eating and healing.

I consider Green Witchery to be a mindful practice that connects humans to earth and it's gifts. The earth is a living thing. Living mindfully, aware of the seasonal changes and celebrations of food and the natural world around you is a celebration of that life. For me, it's also a form of up cycling what nature has created, into a design and food production statement that exemplifies who you are and where you want to be, within your surroundings. Especially in your green spaces. but indoors, as well. It also is a non-religious practice, but thoroughly spiritual reverence and expression of gratitude for your abundance, as gifted by nature. Gardeners and herbalists have a little bit of green witch already residing within them. Any gender can easily "become" and share the rewards and gifts of that way of life. I do intensive gardening, give away my garden's extra bounty and the foods and potions I create from it all the time, and I practice herbalism, Chinese medicine and meditation. I proudly consider myself somewhat of a Green Witch.

The Celts and other ancient earth revering cultures focused their lives around nature's gifts and powers - celebrating harvests, changing seasons, and protecting it as their way of life. There is much good magic associated with nature over the centuries. These cultures were all but destroyed with the violent arrival of organized religions that banned the centuries-old practices, but many secretly practiced it and passed that magic and belief to future generations. Ironically, most of these earth based beliefs and practice were not an organized religion. They were the way of life for many ancient cultures. Many healers of the Romany culture practiced healing magic and made tinctures and cures, cast spells and were sought out by non-believers. The white witch living in seclusion in or near a forest was, and still is, sought out in Appalachia and deep rural areas for their medicines and spells.

To read more about nature myths, and botanical folklore and deities, visit this page, and for Garden Folklore, visit this page.
To learn about earth and nature-based religions, click here.

Many ethnicities and nationalities remember their grandmothers and great-grandmothers as someone who had the magical powers of healing, growing, cooking and natural living, and it was something ingrained within their souls. Immigrants brought with them plants and cures, recipes and methods of growing gardens, and many practiced the spring and fall rituals of foraging what nature provides for free.

A green witch practices natural magic that is easily accessible and powerful. From the use of herbs and flowers to essential oils, many of the items your average green witch uses in her practice are probably in your garden and pantry. Not everyone who practices magic identifies as a “witch” or Wiccan, but a green witch specifically identifies as a witch who embraces the power of nature for her magic. Some of us live 'seasonally" - by buying local, seasonal produce or growing your food and preserving your harvests for winter. Growing or foraging your food is important to seasonal living and your health. Grow a garden filled with veggies and herbs and lots of edible, fragrant and medicinal flowers. Seasonal awareness includes solstice celebrations.

Most green witches consider themselves nature witches – the seasons matter. A green witch will place extra focus on seasonal and lunar living, following the phases of the moon, planting according to the moon phases as the Native Americans and other cultures practiced, tracking the cycles, eating freshly grown produce that’s in season, nature crafting, making natural remedies, and looking to nature for everyday serenity and guidance. They also celebrate the solstice and equinox. Most Green Witches have sacred spaces in their gardens and homes, where they can retreat into serenity and feel the power and protection of Nature.

A Winter Celebration Of The Sun
Since long before recorded history, the winter solstice and the subsequent “return” of the sun have inspired celebrations and rituals in various societies around the world. Most often, winter solstice celebrations honored the symbolism of fire and light, along with life, death, the rising sun, and the moon.
The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year.
In the Northern Hemisphere, it takes place in late December; in the Southern Hemisphere, it occurs in June.
From Ancient Romans to Indigenous Americans, cultures around the world have long held feasts and celebrated holidays around the winter solstice.

Summer Solstice
Summer solstice is the two moments during the year when the path of the Sun in the sky is farthest north in the Northern Hemisphere (June 20 or 21) or farthest south in the Southern Hemisphere (December 21 or 22). At the summer solstice, the Sun travels the longest path through the sky, and that day therefore has the most daylight.

To learn how to design and grow a Moon or Moonlight Garden, visit this page

A green witch focuses on the mysticism of the earth, a white witch practices white magic. White witches use practical magic focused on the greater good. The 'wise' women and men could be found in most ancient and some modern-day Gaelic communities proclaim that their powers were granted for goodness and to counteract the powers of evil. Green witches focus on the natural energy of the flora (herbs, flowers, plants and trees) of the earth. Many who follow Green Witchery also appreciate the existence of the fae of the woods and forests, and many believe that they inhabit their gardens and can only be seen and heard at night. They are considered protective and they are protected. Many gardens are grown and ornamented with fairies in mind. They are believed to live among the growing things and all creatures that inhabit a garden at night.

I am reading "The Green Witch", by Arin Murphy-Hiscock - It's a guide to everything from green witch herbs to magical spells. You’ll learn the basics of plants, personal altars, essential oils, and other natural magic. I like it as a reference and an aid to meditation and mindfulness. It helps to make your space your own, where you can practice reverence for nature and it's beauty.

Western medicine is rooted in science, procedures, and transparently at treating the symptoms rather than the source. Eastern medicine practices will treat the source. Diets are examined first, assessing if food can heal common problems like gut issues, skin issues, or energy levels. Green Witchery is focused on plants and food that have the power to heal.

Common Trees Considered Magical by Green Witches
Who hasn't gazed up into the canopy of ancient trees and not wondered about what magic it has been and seen in the centuries of it's life?

Cherry
Cherry trees were believed to ward off the plague. During medieval times, pieces of bark were hung over doorways and sometimes placed inside the home.
Cherry pits, or stones, have been used as talismans to attract a lover.

Dogwood
The dogwood is a showy tree when it comes into bloom with its large, white flowers that are sometimes tinged with pink. In medieval Germany, carrying a handkerchief that had been dabbed in the sap of a dogwood on Midsummer's Day was believed to make a wish come true. Dogwood was believed to have highly protective powers. Leaves and flowers are sometimes placed under pillows to protect during sleep.

Hackberry
According to folklore in the Middle East, the hackberry's fruit was believed to grow only in the moonlight. Because it was revered as a protective tree, small pieces of wood were used as amulets. There was also a belief that a person who slept under a hackberry would be protected from evil spirits. This tree is frequently host to mistletoe.

Lemon - My favorite tree to grow and use
After it was introduced into the Mediterranean region, the lemon quickly became valued for medicinal purposes. Similarly, the lemon blossom became widely treasured for its fragrance. Crusaders took the fruit home with them and by the thirteenth century, lemons were being grown in the warmer regions of Europe. During the Middle Ages, the lemon was believed to protect against poison, the plague, and bewitchment. In art, it became a symbol of faithful love and fertility. Well known for its cleansing and purification properties. Place a drop or two of the essential oil in the melted wax of a candle to enhance meditation.

Lilac
Well-loved loved for the fragrance of its flowers. Regarded as prophetic in Wales, lilac flowers were an indication for the coming summer season. If the buds formed late and then opened quickly, the summer would be mostly rainy. If the flowers faded faster than normal, summer would be very warm. In Russia, it was believed that a baby placed under a lilac bush would receive the gift of wisdom. For seventeenth-century settlers in North America, lilacs were a link to the homeland they left behind. It was the second flowering shrub transported from Europe (rose was the first). Lilac is said to foster peace and happiness and deepens spirituality.

Maple
In medieval England large burls, a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk, were often used to make drinking bowls. The traditional wassail bowl was made from maple. In parts of England, the maple was known as the may poling tree. According to legend, the leaves became red in the autumn because the faery living in the tree painted them. According to weather lore, if the first sap from a tree is not sweet, it will be a long syrup season. However, if the sap is sweet, the season for tapping will be short.

Peach
In ancient China, the peach blossom was a symbol of renewal and fertility. According to Chinese mythology, a peach tree grew at the gate of the guardian spirits, giving the tree an association with protection. Because of this, people would hang branches and woodcarvings on their porches to ward off evil spirits. During the Middle Ages in Europe, the peach was used for healing. Throughout Europe, the peach was a symbol of the female genitals and used as an ingredient in love potions.

Sycamore
Sycamores are frequently misidentified as maples because of the shape of their leaves. Sycamore has been known as a ghost tree because its pale, mottled bark gives it an eerie appearance, especially on foggy mornings and at dusk. The ancient Greeks regarded this tree as a gift from the gods, and according to legend Hercules planted sycamores to honor his father Zeus. The Romans prized these trees so much that they poured libations of wine on their roots. During the Middles Ages, sycamore trees growing in a village was believed to keep the plague at bay. Sycamore aids in opening the mind to receive information and interpret messages.

Walnut
It was common practice for Romans to bury a coin beneath a walnut tree as an offering to Pomona, the goddess of fruit trees. Regarded as a magically protective tree, the walnut reputedly provided protection from lightning and supernatural forces. As a nut with two distinctive halves joined as one, walnuts were a symbol of marriage.

Willow
Usually found near water, the willow has been associated with sacred and mysterious powers as well as enchantment. Although linked with death and grieving, the weeping willow also has a long association with dispelling sadness and recovering from emotional darkness. It was often planted in cemeteries and depicted on gravestones for the dual purpose of both expressing and relieving grief. In Ireland, harps were often made of willow wood because it was believed that the tree's soul would come forth through the music. Willow can aid you in contacting nature spirits.

Typically, the colors in the garden have meaning to anyone practicing nature arts, and many practitioners follow that guideline in their plantings and ornamental decor. These same meanings occur in the art of Feng Shui.
To read about how to create a feng shui garden, visit this page.
To learn how to create a serenity or zen garden, visit this page.
Click here for the traditional meanings of flowers,

The Moon impacts plant growth through geotropism—which is how plants grow in response to gravity. Roots grow downward in the direction of gravitational pull and stems grow in the opposite direction (upwards). This behavior can be easily demonstrated with potted plants. Lay one on its side and the stem will grow upwards. Or think about bulbs: if you plant the bulb incorrectly with the pointed end down, (I tend to do that often, and the bulbs always turn around to the correct position) it will turn around and send its shoots upward, even though it’s in total darkness. When you plant a large seed, like melon or squash, it is suggested that you plant the seed on it's side, because that's where it will germinate and sprout. If you don't do this, and plant it point side down, the seed will rotate itself to the position where the germination begins to send up growth. There are several ongoing agricultural and scientific tests that aim to pinpoint and verify the behaviors of plants in relation to the moon phases.

The amount of moonlight at different times also influences the growth of plants
As the moonlight increases (new moon and second quarter), this stimulates leaf growth.

After the full moon, the moonlight decreases, putting energy into the plant roots. At this time, the above-ground leaf growth slows down.
This becomes a good time to plant your root crops and bulbs, because of the active root growth.

Plant your annual flowers and fruit and vegetables that produce crops above-ground (leafy greens, beans, peas, corn, tomatoes, watermelon, peppers, and zucchini) during the waxing of the Moon—from the day the Moon is new to the day it is full. Do this while following the guidelines of your first and last frost dates and how many days to maturity. As the moonlight increases night by night, plants are encouraged to grow leaves and stems.

At different moon phases, the gravitational pull of the sun and moon are combined to create a high sap run in plants. This is an optimum time to plant above-ground crops like leafy greens. At other times, these natural forces create a rest period for plants. This is an ideal time to prepare new gardens, prune, weed or harvest.

Green Witchery is a lovely lifestyle and tradition. So the next time you forage or harvest wild herbs, foods and medicines, do it with this soothing and healing mindset, and show gratitude and respect for the earth and it's creatures. Leave the land in the shape you found it, and don't gather more than you need to store for winter or to be self-sufficient. Try not to remove plants by their roots, unless the root is what you're foraging for as medicine or food. The earth will easily regenerate itself if not too much is disturbed, trampled or removed from the plants' habitat.

Article: 2022 marysbloomers.com
Photos ©2021-22 Mary Hyland

Sources of info and art:
Old Farmer's Almanac
wikipedia
History Channel
Britannica
Llewellyn's Publishing House - Body, Mind and Spirit
Pinterest - no credit found for moon graphic
Alphonse Mucha - Art nouveau goddess art