Foraging – Melusina The Green Witch

Gorgeous Gorse

Gorse bushes, or Furze, are often seen around Ostara and is another of Mother Nature’s bright and beautiful announcements that Spring is here.

It is a perennial evergreen shrub belonging to the pea family, which forms multi-branched, stunted shrubs, usually no taller than six feet high, but it is still considered to be a tree.

The flowers are deep yellow in colour and have a beautifully aromatic coconut scent and, although the main flowering period is from March to August, flowers can be found on the furze throughout the year.

It’s wickedly sharp thorns and its dense habit make it an excellent hedging plant, which can also be used as a barrier to protect young tree seedlings in coppices from grazing.

Due to it’s thorny nature, it is often viewed as having protective powers. In Wales, gorse bushes are even said to guard against Witches and can protect the home against The Fae, who cannot pass through the hedge.

The bark and flowers of the gorse can be used to produce a yellow dye. In Ireland, the flowers were also used to flavour and add colour to whiskey and they’ve been known to be used to make beer in Denmark. The flowers can also be used to make wine and tea.

Medicinal properties

There was a Bach Flower Remedy (Edward Bach was an English homeopath in the 1930s) called “Greenman Essence of Gorse”, which was said to help to ease frustration, restlessness and anxiety, and also helped to promote emotional security and feelings of joy.

Gorse flowers are high in proteins and can be eaten raw in salads or made into tea, cordial or syrup. They can also add extra flavour and colour to beer, wine or spirits and even ice cream!

The buds can also be pickled in vinegar and eaten like capers.

**CAUTION: Do not ingest to excess, as the plant contains slightly toxic alkaloids, which can have a cumulative impact.**

There are surprisingly few medicinal uses for gorse, although its flowers have historically been used in the treatment of jaundice, scarlet fever, diarrhoea and kidney stones.

Magickal properties

Gorse is known as the ‘herb of love’ and is associated with love, romance and weddings. It is also known to protect against evil, negativity and dark magick.

It can help to restore faith, hope and optimism and enable you to gather your strength. It also attracts gold, so it is very useful in money, wealth and abundance spells.

Gorse Spell

Carve the word “Gorse” into a gold or yellow candle, then face east and light the candle. Then meditate on the light, whilst asking for for protection, money, love or whatever it has to offer that you desire.

Lucky Clover

With it being the 17th March in a few days, and therefore St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I’d write a little about clover, as it’s synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day and the luck of the Irish.

I know people usually refer to them as shamrocks, but they’re the same thing. A clover must have three leaves to be considered a shamrock. If the clover has more or less, then it is not a shamrock. Hence, all shamrocks are clovers, but not all clovers are shamrocks!!

There are a wide variety of different types of clover, all of which can be used in your magickal workings.

Clover has always been seen as a lucky plant, which is likely due to the religious connotations associated with the trifoliate (three) leaves, which symbolise the Holy Trinity. Due to this, they were often worn for protection and to deflect evil and spells.

On the other hand, four leaved clovers are often associated with the cross and were believed to bring the finder fortune. In some cultures, four-leaf clovers were worn to help a man avoid military service. They have also been used to enhance physic powers and to detect the presence of spirits. Placing a four leaved clover in your shoe is also supposed to increase your chances of meeting a rich new lover.

Two and five-leaved clovers are much less common than four-leaf clovers, but are still thought to possess potent magick.

Finding a two-leaf clover means you shall soon find a lover, whilst a five-leaf clover will bring riches, especially if worn.

In general, clover is believed to repel snakes, literally and figuratively, from your property if grown there.

It also brings general protection, whether worn or placed around the home, and aids in getting over heartbreak.

Furthermore, clover is one of the flowers of the Fae and can aid in your ability to see and work with them, whether sitting and meditating, or riding the hedge with clover attached to you. Clover blossoms can also be placed on your altar to attract the Fae, should you want to…..

White and red clover have some slightly different magickal properties too. White clover helps to break hexes, whilst red clover removes negative spirits, can be used in lust potions and brings prosperity.

Medicinal Uses

Red Clover is commonly used to treat children with skin problems, especially eczema and psoriasis. For adults, it is commonly used as an expectorant to treat coughs and bronchitis. However, it should be noted that red clover contains a hormone-like chemical called isoflavones which have caused reproductive failure and liver disease in cheetahs and sterility in livestock when consumed in large quantities. Furthermore, red clover is a blood thinner. So do not use red clover regularly and avoid if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

RED CLOVER POULTICE

To make a poultice, combine dried red clover flowers with hot water in muslin and place on the affected area for 10-15 minutes. Red clover can also be used externally as a salve.

Sources:
https://coven.thethriftywitch.com/pages/magickal-uses-of-herbs
https://tesswhitehurst.com/the-magical-properties-of-clover/ Neal’s Yard Complete Wellness

Coastal Foraging Haul

In October 2020 I was out on site all day with various clients and colleagues along the North West Coast of England (I’ve walked 7.75 miles!!). Even though I was doing my day job, I can still do some witchy foraging on the side!!

The first site was a Dockside adjacent to an estuary, with lovely mudflats and salt marsh. It was absolutely FREEZING and rained all morning, but I cheered myself up by collecting some rosehips, marsh marigold, red clover and rowan berries.

The second site was a huge expanse of sandy beach, with defences along the back and some lovely sand dunes to the south. It had thankfully brightened up and stopped raining, but was VERY windy. Bonus though, I got a free face exfoliation from all the sand whipping about! I didn’t find any nice shells unfortunately, but I found some bladderwrack and, my favourite, a couple of smooth pebbles!

Here’s some uses for what I found and brought home (from left to right).

1. Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus) – Protection, sea and water spells, wish spells and money magic.

2. Rosehips (from Dog Rose (Rosa canina) – Can be used as a charm to attract health and wealth, are a symbol of prosperity and fertility and if you place them beneath your pillow, they can protect you against nightmares and nasty spirits that want to disturb your sleep.

3. Marsh marigold (Calendula officinalis) – Can be used for consecration, inner vision, love, peace and truthfulness.

4. Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) – Can be used for exorcism, fidelity, love, money, protection and success.

5. Rowan Berry (Sorbus aucuparia) – Can be used for protection, inspiration and to help open the gateway for spirit communication.

Foraging Book and Pouch

For my birthday, my husband bought me this awesome Foragers Calendar Book and a cool leather and canvass foraging pouch that folds up on itself and can attach to my belt or bag.

I do a LOT of foraging for my witchcraft ingredients and items, so this book is just what I’ve been looking for! It’s collated into what’s available in which month(s) and has sections on fungi, plants, seaweeds and invertebrates.

Importantly, it also has a section on English Law and Legislation related to the Countryside. I already know this kind of stuff, as I need to know it and follow it for my job, but I’m glad they’ve included it in there for other people, so they’re not breaking the law whilst they are doing their foraging.

Moon in Cancer – Family Happiness Wish/Spell

I foraged some branches of hawthorn, apple, hazel, pine and whatever else I could find in my local environment (all thoughtfully and thankfully taken, with offerings of nuts left, to give thanks).

The reason I collected these things was to make a Moon in Cancer Family Happiness Wish/Spell.

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For this wish/spell you will need 3 lengths of 60cm (2 feet) blue twine or ribbon, plus a smaller piece of the same ribbon or twine to hang it. If you don’t have blue, just use what you have! We Witches can adapt and substitute with what our intuition tells us is OK, so if you have neon pink ribbon and you think that’ll work, then that WILL work.

Then you’ll need to find a selection of twigs, or short branches, from apple or fruit trees, hawthorn, hazel, oak, cedar, pine, holly….whatever you can find in your garden, local park or local countryside (even from your neighbours trees if they’re hanging over your side of the fence!)

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Knot the ends of the three long lengths of ribbon/twine together, then plait the three strands til you get to the other end and knot this again.

Form the plaited length into a circle and use the shorter length of ribbon/twine to tie the ends together and make a loop to hang it with.

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Repeat this charm:

With this family garland true,

The lunar time will see anew,

For homely warmth, so loved this place.

With all our spirits filled with grace.

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Then you should gather all your twigs and small branches and thread them through and around the plaited ribbon or twine, to make a garland that is full and as bushy as you can manage (no one will blame you for needing a wee bit of help from some wire or cable ties to keep things in place!). I also put the oven dried cinnamon sticks and orange slices left over from making Christmas mulled wine on there too. Waste not want not, it always pays to be a Thrifty Witch!

Then simply hang the garland on the back of your main entrance door for harmonious living. For us, I’ll hang ours on the back of our front door, as that is the one we mainly use to enter and exit our house.

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Yule Witch Bauble (Witch Ball)

At Yule 2020 I made a Witch Bauble (or Witch Ball) to put on our Christmas Tree.

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It is a collection of specific items (plants, herbs, flowers, nuts, oils, crystals, spices etc), in addition to a bespoke spell I have created, to provide protection, prosperity, health and happiness for my family and I.

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Here is my spell, which details all of the ingredients/items I will use, along with the specific/important correspondences related to those items. I have been collecting all of the contents for the past few months in preparation for this Witch Bauble and they have all naturally air dried on my Altar, so they won’t go off or get mouldy in the bauble/ball.

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Witch Bauble Spell

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This Witches bauble for our tree,

Will work to protect my family for me.

With cinnamon bark, for warmth and prosperity,

And Rosemary leaves, for protection and purity.

Sweet chestnut, for abundance and prosperity,

And a conker, for good luck and money.

A hawthorn branch, for happiness and harmony,

With acorns, for protection and longevity.

Some Tigers Eye crystal, against negativity,

Along with juniper berries, for love and clarity.

Some Ivy leaves, for protection and healing,

And Holly leaves, for good luck and dreaming.

Dried heather for luck, love and health,

And rosehips, to attract health and wealth.

A few drops of frankincense, for cleansing and protection,

Along with sweet orange oil, for prosperity and affection.

Orchid flowers, for love and intuition,

And clear quartz, to bring it all to fruition.

All held within a ball of glass,

To watch over all, within this house.

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I will also do a 9 knot spell. I don’t plan on undoing my knots, however some knot spells do call for them to be undone to activate the spell. I want mine to be contained within the Witch Bauble forever, so with each knot I tie, and as I say the line from the spell below, I will sprinkle some Blue Moon water (that I collected at Samhain) onto each knot to activate it.

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Knot Spell

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By the knot of one, the spell’s begun.

By the knot of two, it will come true.

By the knot of three, so mote it be.

By the knot of four, my love I pour.

By the knot of five, my spell will thrive.

By the knot of six, my spell is fixed.

By the knot of seven, the stars of heaven.

By the knot of eight, all love no hate.

By the knot of nine, all will be fine.

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I’m also undertaking my spells tonight, under a first quarter moon, as this is the perfect phase for undertaking magickal workings related to growth, strength, developing/receiving love and for acting to support your intentions.

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