nature – Page 2 – Melusina The Green Witch

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.

Plants for Psoriasis

**Please note, these plants will not cure your psoriasis and advice from your doctor or primary care specialist will always be the best advice. These are just a few ideas of plants you could try to incorporate into a recipe, which might help.**

Seeing as though a lot of people suffer from psoriasis, including me (it’s hereditary in my mum’s side of the family and mine randomly started at 18…just when I thought I’d escaped the curse!), it stands to reason we may have some sufferers that are reading this.

Mine is really bad on my elbows, forearms and knees, with a tiny patch on either side of the bridge of my nose, where my glasses sit. I am slowly covering both arms with tattoos (mostly flowers, dot work Mandalas and insects!) to try and hide them as much as I can. I also have psoriatic arthritis.

I did a bit of research, as I wanted to see if there were any more natural solutions I could look into and thought I’d share my findings with you lovely people!

Oregon grape (barberry) (Mahonia aquifolium)

Oregon grape is a plant native to North America.

It is thought that extracts of this plant actually slow down the production of Lipoxygenase, which is an enzyme involved in psoriatic skin cell production. The plant itself also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Indigo naturalis

This plant is used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of psoriasis and is derived from the plant that produces the dyes that make our jeans blue!

Aloe vera

Everyone knows the multitude of benefits Aloe Vera has. It’s widely known to be soothing and cooling, and is often used in aftersun products.

I suggest you do your own research, like I’ll be doing, to find out how the best way to prepare them is, whether in an ointment, or cream or rub.

Foraging Haul

Late last summer my husband, stepson and I went for a little (4.5 miles though!) walk in and around the countryside near our house. We are truly blessed to have this on our doorstep and I’m forever grateful.

It was around 13°C and beautifully sunny. We took plenty of water, some homemade biscuits and some apple spiced Bourbon (purely to keep out the cold, honestly!!).

We saw lots of birds, rabbits and squirrels and hardly any other people, just how we like it!!

The local farmer is also getting his pumpkin crop ready to sell!!

We managed to forage some awesome things! Here’s what we found and brought home (from left to right).

1. Pine cones (fresh and fallen) – Signifies health and prosperity, healing, protection, fertility, money/prosperity.

2. Yellow crab apple – Can be used for divination and in love spells/charms.

3. Conkers (Buck eye) – Conkers are useful in luck charms and spells and some people keep them in their pockets or purses to attract luck and bring them money. Other things they are good for are arthritis relief, migraine relief, male virility (in terms of fertility and things of a sexual nature) as a cold/flu remedy. **Not to be eaten in any form though, as they are toxic**.

4. Acorns (fresh and fallen) – The magickal properties of acorns include protection, abundance, fertility, strength, courage, abundance, longevity and healing.

5. Fuschia flower – Assists with accepting long repressed emotions and dealing with grief.

6. Elderberry – Good for exorcism, prosperity, banishment and healing. The berries are used for protection and in breaking spells that were cast against you or to undo spells of evil intent. Growing an elder in your garden will protect your property from misfortune and harm. In Europe, they planted elder in cemeteries to keep away the evil spirits.

7. Yarrow – Psychic powers, love, courage, exorcism, dreams, peace, happiness, divination and protection.

8. Ivy leaves – Protection and healing.

9. Holly leaves – Holly can be used in spells for material gain, physical revenge, beauty, protection (especially against lightening!), luck and dream magic.

10. Datura – Astral travel, concealment and invisibility, divination and enchantment.

11. Alder flowers (catkins) – Flowers are on catkins and, as the Alder is monoecious, which means that both male and female flowers are found on the same tree, there are two types. The long pendulous ones are male and the round ones are female. Alder helps you face up to things you’ve been avoiding, allows access to the fae and their realm and is thought to reduce nervousness and anxiety. It can be used in spells to aid success in business and academic matters.

12. Horsetail – Horsetail strengthens resolve and defines boundaries, can be used to make affirmations and commitments firm, to protect your psychic space against unwanted intrusions and it can help cleanse unwanted emotional leftovers from the system.

Blessed Basil

Basil Is Known Far And Wide As A Culinary Herb, But It Also Contains Some Interesting Magical And Medicinal Properties. In Some Countries, However, Basil Is Considered Something That Real Men Don’t Eat — Why? Because It’s Associated With Teas That Are Used To Provide Relief From Painful Menstrual Periods.

It’s Also Used As An Anti-inflammatory. Try Some Of These Methods To Incorporate Basil Into Your Healing Magick.

Chewing On The Freshly Harvested Leaves Has A Couple Of Different Benefits – It Can Help Relieve Symptoms Of Coughs And Colds, And Even Better, It Can Leave Your Breath Smelling Healthy And Refreshed!

Use A Bit Of The Oil Or Extract On Insect Bites To Relieve Pain And Itching.

Boil The Leaves In Water To Make An Infusion, And Take A Small Amount Every Few Hours To Help Reduce Fever, As Well As Provide Headache Relief. Gargling With Basil Water Can Make A Sore Throat Feel Better.

Basil Is A Wonderful, Robust Herb, Which Is Attributed To A Variety Of Magical Uses Such As Consecration, Divination, Exorcism, Fertility, Fidelity, Luck, Happiness, Harmony And Love. Basil Is Bound To The Planet Mars And The Element Fire.

Marvellous Mint

Mint Is For Symbolic Of Success, Motivation, Money, Healing. It Is A Cure-all, Relaxes The Nerves And Stimulates The Brain.

Medicinal Use: Mint In Tea Form Aids Upset Stomachs, Flu, And Can Be Used To Ease Hiccups. Inhalations Of The Leaves In Boiling Water Is Recommended For Head Colds And Asthma.

Mint Tea Used Instead Of Aspirin Is Great For Headaches, Particularly Premenstrual Headaches. Aids The Respiratory And Circulatory Systems. An Anti-inflammatory And An Antiseptic. Ideal For Treating Indigestion, Flatulence, Varicose Veins, Headaches, Migraine, Skin Irritations, Rheumatism, Toothache, And General Fatigue.

Magical Use: Used For Healing, Strength, To Augment Power, Luck, Travel..

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.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Burning Bay Leaves to Manifest Wealth and Abundance

I did a quick ritual out in the back garden (not recommended for indoors, as it really smells!!) to manifest/attract wealth and abundance.

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I wrote onto 6 bay leaves (I won’t say exactly what, but it represented my intentions) and spoke to the Universe whilst burning the bay leaves in my mini cauldron.

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Once it’s all cooled down, I’ll scatter the ashes to the wind and say:

‘The Moon has Awoken, with the sleep of the Sun,

The ashes are are scattered, the spell has begun.

The powerful Conjunction, of Jupiter and Saturn,

Will trigger my spell, for an affluence pattern.

With blessed relief from stress and from debts,

So our lives will be free of worries and frets.

My Magick has spoken, so mote it be.’

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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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