Garden Witch's Herbal (16 page)

The Crab Apple Spell

Is your love a bit crabby at the moment? Want to sweeten them up and restore their good mood? Try working with the foliage and fruit of the crab apple tree. You may work this spell in a waning moon to decrease their sour mood. Or you could work in the waxing moon and increase the love and restore the happiness that you share as a couple. You can also work on a Friday, a Venus day. It's your choice, and you always have options when it comes to spellcasting.

Gather a few leaves from the crab apple and a couple of the small fruits. Place them carefully around a pink spell candle a few inches away from the base of the candleholder in a ring. The pink candle is used in this spell to encourage romance and warm, fuzzy feelings. Please make sure you keep the foliage well away from the flames, and then light the candle and repeat the following charm:

With a rosy pink spell candle burning so bright,

Your mood will now improve on this enchanted night.

Your sour mood is drawn to the sour fruit of the crab apple tree,

With harm to none and for the good of all, as I will, so mote it be.

Allow the spell candle to burn out in a safe place. Neatly return the foliage to nature by adding it to your yard waste or compost pile, and remember to thank the crab apple tree for the use of its fruit and foliage.

A Walker Between the Worlds

We live between two worlds; we soar in the atmosphere; we creep upon the soil …

w. winwood reade

A Witch is a person who walks between the physical world and the astral world. To spend all of their time in either world would make them disconnected from the magick or hold them separate from reality. So, in essence, they easily and happily travel back and forth between the two. For example, Witches may spend their mornings contentedly working in the garden, and be at their job in the afternoon and evening, but they may fill the later evening hours with study, meditation, and spellcraft. This ability to successfully work and live in both worlds is the hallmark of any adept Witch.

There is also a school of thought that says a Hedge Witch straddles the two worlds, and in so doing, the Witch becomes a bridge, or link, between them—in other words, they are “riding the hedge.” Visualize this as the Hedge Witch connecting the physical world of nature and green magick with the astral planes, or the spirit world. The hedge itself is a metaphor and a division between the physical world and the world of spirit, while the Hedge Witch becomes the divine connection between the two.

Who Are the Hedge Witches?

When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest.

william hazlitt

The term
Hedge Witch
is a controversial one; let's not pretend otherwise. If you do a search on the Internet and look up “Hedge Witch,” you'll find a plethora of opinions, ideas, and definitions. At its most basic explanation, a Hedge Witch is often described as a solitary practitioner who works their magick, using herbs and green magick, quietly and in harmony with the land. The current term “Hedge Witch” was coined by the British author Rae Beth. It's somewhat the British equivalent to being a solitary, self-trained practitioner here in the States today.

However, if you ask several Witches what a Hedge Witch is, you'll very likely get completely different answers. As I researched this topic, I found many different characterizations and opinions on this kind of Witch, but what really caught my attention was the popularity of the term. It seems that everywhere I looked, the term Hedge Witch was popping up—on the Internet, in a lovely article in a magickal calendar, and in more and more magickal books.

An acquaintance of mine, who is a rabid reader and science fiction fan, casually informed me that the term Hedge Witch was a popular term in science fiction/ fantasy novels. He then told me the term denoted a magickal practitioner who was not formally trained. They lived on the outskirts of town or on the edge of the woods and practiced their magick alone and spontaneously with whatever supplies they could gather.

Ah-ha!
I pounced on that idea. Practicing magick quietly, with only some down-to-earth and simple items supplied by nature … using plants and your instinct, voice, heart, and two hands to create your spirituality … well, hello. I've been writing about that magickal subject for years now.
Hmmm
… I was off and running.

However, calling oneself a Hedge Witch is a title that either makes a person feel right at home or it makes them argue passionately about what they believe the term truly means. If you do a little digging and research the term, you find some very interesting definitions on this brand of witchery from some of the most respected writers on the Craft today.

Wiccan author Raymond Buckland, in his book
The Witch Book
, claims that a Hedge Witch doesn't use complicated rituals and may not always become involved with the religious aspect of Witchcraft.

In
The New Encyclopedia of the Occult,
author John Michael Greer defines a Hedge Witch in this way: “In modern Paganism, a term used by and for solitary Witches whose practices incorporate large amounts of natural magic, herb lore, and similar subjects, and who generally do not claim a connection with any particular tradition.”

Other practitioners believe that a Hedge Witch is a Witch who focuses on more shamanic practices. In Raven Grimassi's book
The Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft
, he defines a Hedge Witch as an eclectic and self-taught solitary practitioner—a person who typically works with a familiar spirit, herbal magick, trance, and shamanic practices such as drumming to create altered states of consciousness. In Grimassi's characterization, a Hedge Witch only uses natural and very simple supplies for their magickal purposes.

So, with all the fuss about politically correct titles, what is a Witch to do? Truthfully, you are going to have to decide for yourself what suits you the best. There are many paths to the Craft and to understanding the mysteries. A few of these paths fall under the category of green magick and hearth and home magick.

If you take a good look at all of these different accounts of what a Hedge Witch is, you begin to see that while there is a difference of opinion, there are also many points that are agreed upon. A Hedge Witch is an enigma, and sometimes the best way to gain knowledge of a topic is to study the mystery and consider all the possibilities. Then, as you begin to comprehend its complexities, you start to gain wisdom, and you are, in fact, teaching yourself something new. With that in mind, let's take a deeper look at the magick of the Hedge Witch.

Hedge Witch Magick

Hedge Witch: a solitary Witch, answering to no one,
belonging to no coven; claiming the right to be what she or he was born to be—magical.

rae beth,
the wiccan way

Our modern Hedge Witch practice is a holdover from olden times, when to openly practice Witchcraft was a dangerous thing. However, these very down-to-earth practitioners kept a low profile. They went about the business of tending a home and raising a family. Spirituality was earthy, natural, and a part of their everyday life. The use of everyday items as magickal tools was clever and practical. If all of their magickal tools were hidden as mundane, everyday household accruements, they blended in and were safe.

For example, the one good kitchen knife was also the magickal knife. The broom that was used to sweep the floors clean was the ceremonial magickal staff. The cauldron used for cooking stews, soups, and meals was also the magick cauldron for brews and potions. The herbs drying from the beams in the ceiling, the flowers and plants growing in the garden—everything that a Hedge Witch put his or her hands on with intention was magick. Any item in their home or garden could be sacred—and their homes would have been dedicated to the practitioner's personal gods of hearth and home.

It seems to me that the term Hedge Witch is definitely in vogue. Fifteen years ago, these types of magicians would have been referred to as Kitchen Witches, and they do share many things in common. Both the Hedge and Kitchen Witches are hearth and home practitioners. These folks are no-nonsense, practice a green or nature-based spirituality, and, most importantly, they work natural magick in a practical way with the plants, supplies, and tools that they have on hand.

So using a bit of the Hedge Witch's practicality, let's not get into such a lather about what the title means. Instead, let's enjoy what wonderful, down-to-earth magick and natural enchantments the green practice of the Hedge Witch can share with us.

Green spirituality is a foundation of the Craft. Green is the color of nature and the plant kingdom, and it is the color of life. When we are intimately connected with nature, our spirituality blossoms, and we grow. If you want the chance to spread out and stretch your comprehension of the Craft, then take a real look at the natural world. Spend some time in nature. Plant a garden, or grow pots of herbs on your porch. Go camping, go on a boat trip, or take a walk in the park. Get outside! Because that is where you will find the true advanced lessons.

Everyone is always searching for “advanced” topics and “advanced” books. But what they do not realize is that the advanced spiritual lessons are not held within the pages of a book. The book can guide you and point you down the path, or in my case, this Garden Witch's book is waving its imaginary arms at you like crazy and is pointing frantically outside—it's okay, you can take this guide book with you. Just go outside. However, at the end of the day, each Witch must make the journey out into nature on their own.

It is vital for every Witch to walk their spiritual path all by themselves and for themselves. This is why the enchanting topics of the garden, the trees, and the hedgerow are such important ones. So now I have to ask you: what have you learned so far? Do you believe that you are ready to grow and learn a little more? If so, then go ahead and stroll right into the green world, and look around. Dare to add a bit of the traditional magick of the hedgerow to your herbal magick and to your craft.

[contents]

Chapter 6

Magick and Folklore
of Trees

To dwellers in a wood, almost every species
of tree has its voice as well as its feature.

thomas hardy,
under the greenwood tree

It is hard to imagine herbalism and green magick without a discussion of magickal trees. The Old Ones worshipped in forests under the trees. In these early temples, the people felt that communion with their gods was only possible in the wild

places in areas away from other people. The land itself held a magickal importance. These natural, sacred spots were called nemetons.

Both the ancient Greeks and the Celts worshiped in sacred groves called
nemetoi
. These spaces were identified as clearings open to the sky and were reserved in the woodland and considered to be magickal places, held in awe by the people. Goddesses such as Nemetona and Arnemetia were the deities of these sacred groves.

The word
nemeton
means a circular clearing in the woods or a mystical, mysterious sanctuary. This was an in-between place; sometimes a spring or stream rolled within or close by the grove. The groves could consist of many types of magickal trees, or perhaps it was a stand of all the same species. Some of the trees in the groves were probably rowan, birch, elm, ash, and oak.

It is believed that these natural groves attracted nature spirits and local land devas to them. You can select your favorite place in nature as your personal nemeton—a secluded spot in a secret area of your garden, beneath a favorite tree, or alongside a natural body of water. Ageless elemental powers reside in the woodlands, and they are hidden in the urban areas as well. While they are tougher to find in the cities and urban areas, their magickal powers are more fierce there. Why? Trees must be tough to survive and to thrive in an urban area. Those who search for these energies will indeed come into contact with them in any place in nature—in the park, under a tree growing along the sidewalk, or in a natural woodland. Remember that when you embrace nature and all of her sacred places, nature then gives you the chance to heal and to reconnect. It makes us feel happier, and our green magick becomes revitalized. Then, finally, our spiritual connection to the Old Ones and to nature is reestablished.

The Groves:
Closer Than You Think

The groves were God's first temples.

william cullen bryant

What exactly do I mean by a sacred grove? The Latin word for
sacred
gives us the word
sanctuary
—a word describing not only a sacred site but also a place of shelter and protection. A grove is defined as a small wood or a lush green niche found within a woodland or a great forest. A grove may be discovered alongside natural bodies of water, at the borders of creeks and streams. A grove may even be created within your own backyard—a personal sanctuary of sorts. This can be anywhere you like, tucked under older trees and between tall shrubs or sheltered within a modern hedgerow. By allowing a little corner of your property to grow somewhat wild, you can create a secret, sacred garden for yourself and the animals and birds. In other words, a sacred grove.

Now, some folks are happy enough just standing back and looking at the trees in the yard, the park, or the forest. They might breathe deeply and look around in awe at the natural beauty that surrounds them and sit for a while to read or meditate or eat their lunch. Later, when they leave, they usually feel lighter and happier. Other people may find peace and contentment strolling along a shady, secluded, leafy garden path. They might be inspired or relaxed by the natural loveliness that they encounter, but other than enjoying the scenery, what do you suppose they really learn?

Many of the great naturalists of our time—Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Muir, and even Theodore Roosevelt—believed that the forests and woodlands were sacred places that beneficially influenced the spirit. Why do you suppose that herbs, flowers, and trees have such a soothing, uplifting, and cheerful influence on us? Maybe it is because they so completely change the natural ambiance that surrounds them. Take an hour out of your hectic life and blow off some steam by strolling around the local park. Toss a blanket on the grass in the backyard and watch the sunlight filter down through the leaves. Try walking among the local trees and quietly talking to them, and see what lessons they may have for you. I imagine that you too will feel lighter and happier if you reconnect to nature. Do you suppose it is possible that plants and nature could be spiritual and magickal filters? You bet they are.

The average person usually lacks the desire to look closer at the secret places of nature where the far greater mysteries lie. As green magick practitioners and Witches, we more than anyone will need to look a bit deeper at nature, listen a little harder to the flora and fauna, and pay attention to all of our senses while we are outdoors. For those practitioners who want to explore their green spirituality further and who want to expand their magickal abilities to the advanced or to an adept level, they can begin this process by acknowledging the very spiritual side of the natural world. Look to the trees.

Tree Wisdom

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could learn what it had to teach …

henry david thoreau

A tree can, in fact, be a tangible manifestation for the old Craft adage, “As above, so below.” The tree may be considered a sort of magickal bridge between heaven and earth, as it is rooted to the earth but reaches for the sky. Throughout history, trees have been considered sacred and honored because they were the tallest and most lasting of all living organisms. Trees have embellished and blessed homes and gardens with their beauty, structure, and shelter. Trees have provided us with bark and foliage that yield various dyes to add color to cloth and produce flavoring for food or herbal medicines for the sick. Trees interact dynamically with the environment, as they produce oxygen for the planet and provide both food and shelter for wildlife as well as humans.

In the woods and forests, a naturally occurring circle of trees was considered a primitive and sacred grove. Stands of elms and oaks and junipers were protected and cherished. These natural groves were sacred and holy places where people could gather and pay homage to the old gods of forest and stream. Indeed, even the trees' leaves and blooming branches were and are used to celebrate the holidays, observe the changing seasons, and decorate religious altars.

The old folk healers, the herbalists, and the wise women and men were the first to discover and utilize the potent magick of the trees. Deep in the forests and alongside springs and streams, they gathered their barks, berries, herbs, and plants and worked their wonders. Some herbal trees and plants were encouraged to grow on the healer's property. These early gardens contained plants for medicine and plants for magick. The common folk did not dare to disturb these gardens, for only the wise ones knew for certain which plants brought comfort and healing and which plants could bring about suffering and death.

Tree magick is a sensory type of enchantment that is available to you all year long. See the pristine blooms of the rowan and hawthorn declare joy and wonder as the earth renews herself each spring. Listen for the wisdom in the quiet rustle of ash leaves on a warm summer evening. During the fall months, you can catch a glimpse of a tree's humor as acorns drop down upon you, full and ripe, from the branches of old sentinel oaks brushed with a brilliant fall color. During the winter, it is the trees who remind us that life does indeed go on, for the holly, pine, and spruce are still luxuriously green and fragrant.

The old wise ones are whispering to us even now. Are you listening? It only takes an open mind and an accepting heart to hear them. As we delve deeper into the folklore, myth, and magick of the natural world, the greatest tools that a Witch can possess is an open heart and an open mind. The imagination can be a wonderful gift from the mind, and your instincts are an endowment from the old gods to your heart.

Take a walk in the park or the woods. Get to know the trees growing close to your home. While you are taking note of the various species of trees, be sure to look up at those beautiful leaves, gaze at the landscape around you, and cast all of your senses outward. Green magick and witchery surrounds you at all times, and its natural energies are present each and every day of the year. And here is a prime example of that year-long wonder: the trees and plants of the Celtic year.

The Calendar of Celtic Trees

Of all the trees that grow so fair,
Old England to adorn,
Greater are none beneath the sun,
Than oak, and ash, and thorn.

rudyard kipling

The following herbal trees and plants marked out the thirteen months, or moons, of the old Celtic year. A few of these magickal trees were also featured in our hedgerow chapter as well. A few of the “trees” of the year are not trees at all—such as the ivy, the vine, and the reed.

Each of the following trees or plants is listed along with its approximate calendar dates. The tree's botanical name, folklore, deity associations, and magickal information will follow. At the end of the information is the Celtic/Irish name, or the associated Ogham for the featured plant. There are magickal information and ideas for each plant, so you can try your hand at conjuring up some green magick of your very own design. See how much of this green, leafy magick you can add into your life and your craft.