green witch aesthetic

green witch aesthetics, information, and inspiration she//her 25 . USA. i'm an eclectic witch, but green magic is the largest aspect of my craft. i love nature and decided to dedicate a blog solely to these things.

[wheres-my-grimoire]

Plant bulbs to form your sacred circle; why didn’t I think of that :p

[aloesthetic]

ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ♡

[vampireapologist-archive-deacti]

I get a lot of questions from  people who want to teach their kids environmental stewardship and my advice is to get them passionate about the nature around them. Distant wildlife is exciting and cool! It can teach them to appreciate, but I find it rarely teaches them to value.

Value and respect come from recognizing your place in nature and your ability to both help and hurt.

Go outside and just move some rocks and let them hold some worms. Let them get muddy. If they squash a bug, ask them why. Tell them the bugs live here too.

This sounds silly, but it’s tried and true. Each time I’ve seen a kid smash a bug, I say “why did you feel that bug wasn’t allowed to be alive?” Never in an accusing tone, never judgmental. Ask them gently, honestly. They might be dismissive and bashful at first, but if you ask them again, if you say “I like bugs, and I think it’s good that they are alive,” they start to think. You can see it happen. You can see them begin to consider life they’ve probably been told before doesn’t mater.

Tell them what you like about bugs. If you’re afraid of bugs, tell them that too. tell them “I find them a little scary, but this is why they’re still good.” Tell them they don’t have to like something for it to have value. Tell them even the things they don’t like have value.

Every time a child says they’re afraid of bugs, or dirt, we go outside, and I find a worm (most people react best to them because they don’t have a bunch of little legs), and I hold it and tell them some simple little facts. I ask them if they want to hold it. They almost always do. It’s okay if they don’t want to. Never force the interaction. It’s vital to form positive experiences and associations.

I wipe some mud on my hands. I ask them if they want some mud on their hands. If they do, I give them some mud. I tell them what worms are doing down their in the ground, which anyone can learn on google to share.

We move rocks and find beetles and spiders. They’re delicate, so we don’t pick them up. We watch them. I ask them what they imagine beetles think about all day, and they always make me laugh with their ideas. I tell them “maybe, maybe that’s what beetles think about.” Let them imagine.

Look up the birds where you live. Yes, even the “boring” ones like pigeons and sparrows. Talk about what the eat, where they go at night to sleep. Ask them where they think birds sleep. In beds like us? They’ll usually tell you no, in trees! Kids want to teach as much as they want to learn.

We talk about grass and trees. We talk about what makes the world alive. Their young minds change and make new decisions about how they want to exist in the world.

One day, if all goes well, value and respect grow into a sense of responsibility and obligation.

Do this again and again.

[vampireapologist-archive-deacti]

A final thought:

If a child asks, and you don’t know, tell them “let’s find out together.” Search on your phone. 

You don’t have to know much yourself to teach stewardship. You only have to know and teach that it’s important to be curious, and above all, to root your curiosity in kindness.

[gardencorekid]

With all the talk about telling people to start planting and growing crops to feed themselves and their communities during this time of crisis, I’m surprised I haven’t seen much about HOW MUCH to plant to feed people. Here’s a good article to serve as a jumping-off point, to give people an idea of when to plant and how much to plant to keep people fed. Keep in mind that unless you live on a fairly sizeable plot of land that has ideal growing conditions, you probably won’t be able to completely feed a family of four, at least with traditional gardening methods. However, you can still heavily supplement your diet with homegrown food if you plot your garden carefully.

How Much to Plant per Person in the Vegetable Garden

It's time to plan the vegetable garden, but how much should you plant per person to feed your family?

Some things you can do to save space include growing plants in stackable towers rather than flat rows. Not everything can grow this way, but growing herbs or even strawberries or some kinds of tomatoes in them can save a lot of space. Bonus points if you can get some vertical vining plants like beans or tomatoes to grow up the sides of them to maximize the space used.

Hanging planters can also be used for things like tomatoes, herbs, some berries, etc. The people who grew up watching TV in the 2000s may remember ads for the topsy-turvy tomato planter. I can’t vouch for the effectiveness of them, but it may be good inspiration for creative DIY hanging planters.

Many people don’t seem to know this (to be fair, it’s not very intuitive), but small melons and gourds can be grown vertically on a trellis. You will need pantyhose or something else that can act like a sling for when the fruit gets large enough, and you’ll also want to make sure the trellis is very sturdy. Here is an example of a watermelon growing on a trellis, with squash growing in the background:

Other good options that require a bit more DIY are hydroponics towers and walls. It’s basically just a series of pipes with holes for plants to grow out of. The only downside is they will require very regular fertilization and supplementation with other micronutrients that are essential for plant growth, because the plants are typically grown in either a non-nutritious medium like coconut coir or nothing at all.

Planter walls are the next step down, basically just building shelves with pots in them to fill with soil. Put these on a wall that gets good morning sun and some afternoon sunlight for best results. These and hydroponics both also have the advantage of being able to hook up to your gutters so that rainwater will go towards watering your plants rather than just being wasted.

If you want to get really fancy, aquaponics is the next step up. With aquaponics, you create a system that circulates water between plants and a tank full of fish. The fish waste provides fertilizer for the plants, and the plants help filter out the waste so the water stays cleaner. I’ve heard they’re a bit tricky to establish, but once you find the right balance, all you’ll need to do is feed the fish. This has the added bonus of providing a source of fish for people who can’t eat things like nuts and legumes but need protein. Here is a link to an article explaining what aquaponics is, how it works, and how it differs from hydroponics.

What is Aquaponics? | The Aquaponic Source

WHAT IS AQUAPONICS? What is Aquaponics? Many definitions of aquaponics recognize the ‘ponics’ part of this word for hydroponics which is gro

I also want to add that if you don’t have the space or ability to maintain a large garden, there are other options. Find or create a group with access to enough food to supplement or completely fulfill your diet, and offer another service. If you have space for a vermicompost bin or tower, that can still help contribute to the garden. Learning other skills like soap making, cooking, sewing/knitting/crocheting, electrical skills like wiring and soldering, welding, woodworking/carpentry, etc. means you will still have valuable skills to contribute towards the group, and this will set up the basis for a larger mutual aid network within your community.

[queeranarchism]

Unless you have a huge amount of land, resources, a shitload of free time and a lot of gardening skills, trying to live completely off your own garden within a year is a ridiculous idea.

Most of us can’t do it ever even if we use all our space perfectly. Some of us can do it after years of building those skills, and we might still have bad years. And in the end, what does it get us? Self-reliance is a right-wing preppers dream but it isn’t what we should be aiming for.

If we’re thinking about collective survival and we’re looking at food as part of that survival, there’s two things that work:

Start a community garden. Bring together the resources, time and skills by getting together in a big group. 

Or learn to grow a few crops really well and share them with all your friends. 

The last one is what I’m going for and it works great. You can chose a few crops that are perfect for your soil, shade/sun conditions, skill level, amount of time, etc. Perfect those crops so you’ll have a huge harvest, and share share share. With a couple of friends doing the same, it’s much easier to get to a point where you’re no longer relying on stores for your fruit and veg.

[restfulraccoon]

[rainstormpics]

[cottagehaunt]

physically i’m here. mentally i’m in the hollowed out trunk of an ancient oak. i do not move, moss grows over me and i become a part of the forest. animals walk past me without fear, for i am not a threat. i photosynthesize and live as one with nature. we, the forest, are at peace.

[vcrcleaner]

Extremely City white people are so fucking weird they see a pic of a deer and theyre like “its an Old God, tell me the wisdom of the trees Forest Lord … wow this is just like game of thrones” its a deer. Its a fucking stupid idiot animal it doesnt know shit

[whenthebirdsareheardagain]

Yes deer are dumb panicky dinguses in real life, but sometimes a picture will capture one looking all majestic and we just… want to believe…

[whenthebirdsareheardagain]

Case in point: this dude

Yes he got like that by being so hormonally addled that he tried to fight a tree. But try to tell me a forest god wouldn’t have big leafy antlers just like that if he were to take a physical form.

[knivesandteeth]

who says the old gods aren’t stupid animals who are so hormonally addled they’d try to fight a tree

[mutedtempest]

@librariansheart for your enjoyment

[alexaloraetheris]

Look, I’ve lived a good chunk of my childhood in a halfway abandoned mountain village in the middle of nowhere. Which meant wildlife galore whether you liked it or not.

And that meant sometimes we saw a deer in the middle of the road at midnight and the majestic motherfucker just stared us down until my mom shredded our tires to stop from hitting him. Once we stopped he did a little half-bow as if saying ‘You have not committed an act of godslayer this night. Your bloodline shall bear no curse of mine’, and walked away chill as you please.

The next day a neighbor told us a deer with fucking big antlers got tangled in his fence because it was trying to steal his grapes.

I went on a hike with another neighbor to collect yarrow for tea. A bear came out of the woods towards us, went on its hind legs and inquiringly roared. And he pushed me, tiny as I was back then, behind me out of sight and spread his jacket wide to make himself seem bigger than he already was. He let out a sound I had not known humans were capable of making. He and the bear looked at each other for a moment, and came to an understanding. The bear went down and walked away, respecting a powerful opponent protecting its young.

A week ago, there had been a bear that completely tore apart our trashcan and gorged itself on half-fermented apples we threw away. My cousin had to chase it away, drunk out of its tiny fucking mind, with an umbrella that made weird noises when opened. The bear ran for its life, crashed into our wall, fell on its ass, and scampered away.

I was playing on a swing once, all alone, and a fox came up to me, the most beautiful animal I had seen in my ten years of life. Thinking it wanted to pass, I stopped swinging and sat still not to spook it. But instead of passing, the fox circled the swing, found it wanting, and came to sit before me perfectly poised and looked me in the eye, and I could swear it wished to tell me something but I could not understand the language spoken before human time.

Then my mom came out of the nearby inn, shrieked at the fox and swung her purse to chase it away. The fox jumped, ran off and fell into a ditch, all notions of grace gone with the wind.

What I’m saying is: the old gods are absolutely idiot animals who embraced the life of constant sex and hedonism in return for losing their higher power. Whether or not they regret it, we’ll never know.

[we-are-knight]

@thegreenchapel

[thegreenchapel-deactivated20211]

Well the Old Gods are old. In the same way your grandparents are old. They’re a font of experience and wisdom, they’ve survived wars, famine, poverty–but they’re thwarted by a smartphone. The Great Stag understands “car” in the same way he understands “challenger.” He understands “fence” in the same way he understands “brambles” or “underbrush.” He can handle plant fiber in his way but metal might be a bit beyond him. The Old Gods understand their ways. The Great Stag can can give you the wisdom of being a stag, but humans aren’t stags, so not all of his wisdom applies to our experience. If you promise not to hunt in his forest for a year and a day, he’ll show the trails his herd uses so that you can get out of the woods faster. Maybe you’ll keep that memory, maybe you won’t. If you do remember, you are responsible for being a stewart.

Some believe the Old Gods are living gods. There’s no one single Mother Bear. It’s a title that gets passed on. The beings are inhabited by divine force much older and deeper than any human can imagine. Picture a pebble being thrown into a pond. Each new incarnation is like a new ripple expanding outward. If the Old Gods are living beings then they are limited and falliable. They make mistakes and are prone to embarrassment. Like we all are. Instead of merely venerating them, sympathize with them.

[dateaforestgod]

date a forest god who hums under his breath and sings little songs to the creatures in his domain

[coffeestainedcashmere]

IN BED

[firewindearthsea]

A Herbalist's Glossary: Herb Actions

This is a list of terms used when describing the way a particular herb affects the body. Herbals can be confusing to read sometimes so I’ve put everything in one place here 🌿

Abortifacient: induces abortion

Adaptogen: helps the body processes return to normal when stressed

Adjuvant: modifies the effect of another substance

Adrenergic: acts like adrenaline or describes how adrenalin affects the body

Alterative: restores the body’s functions to normal

Analgesic/Anodyne: a pain killer

Anthelmintic/Antihelmintic: destroys/repels/expels intestinal worms

Antibacterial: inhibits bacterial growth

Antibilious: helps the body to remove excess bile

Anticatarrhal: helps the body reduce excess mucous and phlegm

Anticholinergic: a cholinergic blocking agent

Anticoagulant: slows or prevents clotting of blood

Antidote: counteracts or neutralizes a poison

Antiemetic: reduces the feeling of nausea, can help to prevent vomiting

Anti-inflammatory: helps reduce inflammation

Antilithic: prevents formation and aids removal of stones in the urinary system

Antimicrobial: helps the body destroy or resist pathogenic micro-organisms

Antimitotic: prevents division of cells

Antineoplastic: inhibits or destroys tumours

Antioxidant: eliminates hydroxyl free radicals

Antipyretic: prevents or reduces fever

Antirheumatic: relieves or protects against rheumatism

Antiscorbutic: prevents or cures scurvy

Antisudorific: stops or reduces perspiration

Antiseptic: prevents growth of microorganisms

Antispasmodic: prevents/eases spasms or convulsions

Antitussive: reduces or relieves coughing

Aperiant: laxative

Aphrodisiac: stimulates the sex drive and sometimes sexual ability

Aromatic: an organic compound containing benzene, or, of herbs, having a fragrant/spicy smell

Astringent: contracts tissue and reduces the function of said tissue, affecting haemorrhages, secretions, diarrhoea, bleeding etc.

Bitter: herbs that promote the appetite

Cardioactive: affects the heart

Cardiotonic: increases function of heart muscle

Carminative: relieves flatulence and colic

Cathartic: purges the bowels

Cholagogue: stimulates the release of bile from the gall bladder, sometimes acts as a laxative

Choleretic: stimulates the production of bile in the liver

Counter-irritant: causes inflammation of the skin, used for temporary relief from deep irritations

Demulcent: soothes/protects inflamed or painful surfaces

Depurative: removes impurities from the blood

Diaphoretic: increases perspiration to aid the body in removing toxins

Diuretic: increases the flow of urine, aids in removing toxins via the urinary tract

Emetic: induces vomiting

Emmenagogue: stimulates and normalizes the menstrual flow

Emollient: used internally to ease inflammation or externally to soften skin

Escharotic: a substance that sloughs off dead skin, corrosive

Expectorant: helps the body to expel mucous

Febrifuge: prevents/reduces fevers

Galactogogue: increases or induces lactation

Hallucinogen: affects the senses, produces a wide range of reactions often including hallucinations

Hepatic: strengthens and tones the liver as well as stimulating the flow of bile

Hypnotic: induce sleeps

Hypotensive: lowers blood pressure

Laxative: promotes evacuation of the bowels

Lymphagogue: promotes/increases lymph flow

Miotic: contracts the pupils

Mydriatic: dilates the pupils

Narcotic: in small doses promotes sleep and reduces pain, but can cause poisoning with comas or convulsions

Nervine: strengthens the nervous system, eases anxiety and stress

Oxytocic: stimulates uterine contractions

Parasiticide: kills and removes parasites

Pectoral: used to treat respiratory complaints

Placebo: an inactive substance that is believed by the patient to be a cure

Prophylatic: prevents disease

Psychotropic: affects the mind

Purgative: produces very strong laxative effects and watery evacuations

Reagent: involved in a chemical reaction

Retardant: delays or slows down a chemical reactant

Rubefacient: stimulates circulation locally when applied to the skin

Sedative: calms the nervous system

Sialagogue: stimulates the secretion of saliva

Spasmolytic: relieves spasmodic pains

Sternutatory: causes sneezing

Stimulant: enlivens the physiological functions of the body

Stomachic: promotes digestion and strengthens the stomach

Styptic: stops bleeding by contracting the tissue

Sudorific: induces sweating

Tonic: strengthens and tones either specific organs or the whole body through nutritional stimulation

Vasoconstrictor: constricts blood vessels

Vasodilator: dilates blood vessels

Vermifuge: expels or destroys intestinal worms

[autumnalsonata-deactivated20190]

“To lie awake in linen smelling of lavender, and hear the nightingale,”

— Edna St. Vincent Millay, from The Collected Poems: “Short Story”

[ohjessmarie]

harryandfrank

[chaos-self]

[matchbox-mouse]

Day spent enjoying lush moss & the sound of rushing water.

Hiking in Cypress Falls, BC.

[cottage-vibes-deactivated202004]

[earlymornings-blog]

[rosemarymilkwitch]

🌿 Offerings to the Earth 🌿

When forging or harvesting flowers, plants, herbs and other living things from nature to use in your craft, it is wise to ASK PERMISSION FIRST, listen and use your intuition. The plants may ask for you to leave an offering - sometimes they will tell you exactly what they want and at times they’ll ask for a surprise, but leaving an offering for the earth in appreciation and gratitude is very vital, for they are magickal alchemist.

Here are some ideas of offerings to give to the earth: 

A sacred song 

A graceful dance

A beautiful prayer 

A poem 

A story

A handwritten love note 

A small crystal or gem 

Tobacco // Sage 

Your hair 

Biodegradable Tiny sealed jar with sacred menstrual blood 

Biodegradable Tiny sealed jar spell 

Moon water 

Rose water 

Holy water 

Herbs, seeds + other Plants 

Your most sacred item 

 \Please reblog with any other resources you might think of!