Green witchery: The basics
Being a green witch basically means you want to incorporate plants and nature into your craft! Other names include: nature witch, plant witch, garden witch, forest witch, etc.! I’ll talk about some of the basics being a green witch could entail, but this certainly isn’t an all-encompassing list!
On gardens and growing plants:
Whether you have a flourishing garden filled with everything one could possibly think of, a little windowsill herb garden with the bare essentials or one potted succulent; there’s no denying the joy that comes from helping green things grow!
A container around 2-3 feet deep and filled with soil is perfect for growing potatoes! Plop ‘em in, water them occasionally and harvest in the fall.
Plant things for the butterflies and bees!
Sage, rosemary, basil, mint, thyme, oregano and cilantro are all helpful herbs that you might consider planting.
Daffodils, marigolds, roses, sunflowers and primroses are my favorite witchy flowers.
Eggshells and banana peels are your friends.
These food plants can easily be regrown.
#garden witch / #garden magic / #garden tips
On bringing the green in (houseplants):
Let’s be real, not of all of us have access to areas for planting gardens, or infinite space for indoor plants! It can make being a green witch a bit tricky.
Spider plants, lucky bamboo, air plants, aloe vera (succulents) and cacti are all pretty easy houseplants.
Terrariums are adorable and you can make them into mini gardens!
Grow one plant for each area of your life (happiness, mental health, etc) [source]
You can get bulbs for grow lights that fit into normal lamps, just be sure to put the plants directly under it!
Watering plants with rainwater will make them happy!
#houseplant magic / #houseplant tips
On incorporating nature:
Find a place outside you can safely visit. Try to spend at least five or more minutes a day sitting and watching. Quiet your mind and just be. (This could be your front porch or backyard, it doesn’t have to be in the forest)
Wander on some nature trails. Visit the local body of water. Walk outside.
Start taking pictures of beautiful wild places, or wildlife.
Learn about what birds and animals live in your area, and perhaps what their tracks look like.
Climb a tree, go swimming in wild waters, take your shoes off and feel the ground beneath your feet, remove invasive plants and plant native ones, pay attention to weather patterns, collect rainwater, etc.
#nature witch / #nature magic / #connecting to nature
On wild plants:
Get some basic plant field guides. I really like Audubon and Peterson, along with Botany in a Day.
There are also plant apps and websites.
Learn what plants have poisonous look-alikes and how to tell the difference.
Get a calendar. Go out at least once a week and document what stages the different plants are in. For example: March 4th. Oso berry leaves almost open. Nettles small but fully established. Bitter cherry has unopened flower buds. Salmonberry leaves almost open. Also worth adding where (elevation/location) which is SUPER helpful for harvesting reference later.
Pick a plant a week and research/journal it. Points include: What it looks like, what look-alikes there are, ecosystem + elevation it grows in, medicinal uses, edible uses, magical uses, etc.
Harvest plants and use them for medicine and food after safely doing research*.
#plant magic / #plant witch / #wild plants
Helpful links:
Green witch tips
Garden witch guide
Plant witchcraft: A beginner’s guide to growing
Tip: When your plant is dying
Keeping plants alive when you leave for a trip
Researching herb safety
Anatomy of plants
USDA plants database (external site)
Wildflower identification tool (external site)
Collection of helpful plant websites (external site)
Butterfly plants list (external site)
Bee friendly plants (external site)
Crystals and houseplants
Garden blessing
Plant growth spell
Spell to heal a wilting plant
Desert plant correspondences
Dealing with plant spirits
How to communicate with plant spirits
Bedridden witch: Nature edition
Realized I missed an important category to link:
The etiquette of herb gathering
7 tips for foraging
A guide to foraging wild edibles (external site)
Guidelines for sustainable foraging (external site)
Sustainable and safe herb gathering practices (external site)
Collecting herbs for magical workings
