wildflowers – Melusina The Green Witch

Plant Apothecary

I don’t have much luck with outside plants, due to the crap British weather and the local wildlife that gets into our garden. Therefore, I’ve decided that this year I’ll grow lots of things in the conservatory on the back of the house (which is where our dogs Wade and Wilson and have their beds and bowls, as they sleep there at night and eat their meals in there too).

I found some great potted herbs at Costco and some others in Aldi, so here I have three types of thyme, flat leaved parsley, basil, rosemary, sage and oregano.

Today I’ve planted up into compost slices of cherry tomatoes (as the seeds in the tomatoes will germinate once the slice rots down) and some nasturtiums (trailing orange flowers who’s flowers and leaves you can eat). Nasturtiums are also great companion plants (which is the planting of different crops in proximity for any of a number of different reasons, including pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial insects etc) for tomatoes.

I’ve also bought the following seeds from Amazon, so I can plant up peppers (Capsicum), chilies, peas, purple basil, coriander, marjoram, dill, chamomile, cress, lemon balm and chives.

All these plants and herbs will be invaluable to me as a Green (and Kitchen) Witch and I can’t wait to tend to and care for them when they start growing!

Energy Reviving Tea

I’ve not been sleeping properly, due to one of my chronic conditions flaring, causing me pain and discomfort. However, we have appointments this weekend and plans to go out for the day tomorrow, so I needed a bit of an energy boost!

I had a look what I’ve got in my mini apothecary for energy and revitalisation and decided to make a tea, which can either be drunk hot, or iced, and sweetened with honey (or agave syrup for our vegan friends).

INGREDIENTS

DANDELION – The leaves and root of this plant are known to be used in the herbal medicine of many Cultures, such as Korean, Native American and Arabic, where it is used for energy improvement and general health. Clinical trials have also shown that dandelion may reduce fatigue and promote immune health and different research has suggested that dandelion has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Additionally, dandelion is considered to be a good substitute for caffeine and can help alleviate the fatigue that is brought on by the physical pain caused by certain chronic conditions.

ELDERFLOWER – This flower is good for heightening your energy levels and relieving stress. It also acts as a natural detoxification aid and can enhance liver function, by making your body sweat out toxins and eliminate waste. This natural process is very important for helping your body feel renewed and relaxed.

Elderflower also contains Vitamin B6, which helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue and contributes to a healthily functioning metabolism.

PEPPERMINT – Peppermint is a hybrid of spearmint (Mentha spicata) and water mint (Mentha aquatica). Just inhaling the minty fresh aroma of fresh peppermint leaves, or even peppermint essential oil, can help to boost your energy, mood, alertness and even athletic performance.

Several studies have shown that peppermint can reduce fatigue, boost alertness, improve memory and provide additional energy. One study even found that exposure to the aroma of peppermint essential oil could increase alertness and improve memory.

SOURCES:
http://www.prevention.com/health/health-conditions/a20472817/healing-herbs-to-use-in-a-bath/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/herbs-for-energy#5.-
https://www.herbfacts.co.uk/elderflower/

Magick of Grape Hyacinths

HISTORY AND METAPHYSICAL ASSOCIATIONS

Native to southern Europe, Northern Africa, and western Asia, the grape hyacinth (or Muscari) is a symbol of power and confidence and can also symbolise mystery and creativity.

It has associations with the Greek Earth Goddess Demeter and, as she is known to be the guardian of women, it was often worn as part of a bridal crown.

The Ancient Greeks themselves however, also regarded the grape hyacinth as a flower of death, with many European cultures associating it with remembrance.

It is also the flower of the Olympian sun god Apollo and is a symbol of beauty, peace and commitment, but also of power and pride.

Hyacinths are also often found in Christian churches, as a symbol of happiness and love.

The flower has correspondences of tenderness and softness and is a perfect flower if you want to give flowers to your beloved!

BOTANY

The grape hyacinth is a bulbed flower, which is part of the lily family, and features pretty, purple/blue flowers. Its hollow leaves, which grow only from the base of the plant, resemble onion or garlic, but don’t have the same odor.

USES

The bulbs of the grape hyacinth have been used extensively in cooking and the edible flowers taste like bitter grapes. If you boil them in vinegar (in order to reduce the bitterness), they can be made into very tasty pickles.

The flowers can also be made into an essence, which is said to provide assistance with communication and networking. This essence is also meant to help with feelings exclusion or abandonment, either through crisis or self-defeating behaviors, and can help to address personal crisis, especially when having feelings of despair or feeling like you are out of touch with others.

SOURCES

https://www.atozflowers.com/flower/muscari/
https://www.powerfloweressences.com/grape-hyacinth-flower-essence
https://goodwitcheshomestead.com/2017/03/18/grape-hyacinth/

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.

The Magick of Daffodils

On our walk out with the dogs this afternoon, there were lots of lovely daffodils, so I thought I’d write a blog post to honour them, and add some photos I took, as they make me happy and signal that Spring is definitely on the way!

*PLEASE NOTE: Daffodils are highly toxic and should not be used medicinally or consumed. Even biting down on a stem can cause chills, dizziness and even fainting. Enjoy their beauty, have them in vases around your house, but be extra careful children or pets do not consume them, due to their toxicity.**

Daffodils are sometimes referred to as the “flower of March,” as they characterise of the start of Spring. They’re seen as a symbol of new life, fertility and growth.

Daffodils belong to the plant genus Narcissus, which is a name you may have heard of before, and which is steeped in Greek mythology.

According to Greek mythology, Narcissus was a handsome and charismatic young man who was able to charm almost anyone. Upon seeing him, the wood nymph Echo, who had been cursed by Hera to be unable to speak properly, and instead repeat only the last words addressed to her, fell deeply in love with him. Narcissus spurned her love and told her that he’d rather die than give himself to a wood nymph like her.

Echo, heartbroken, retreated to a cave and, without having any appetite or thirst, withered and starved away, until the only things left of her were dust and her voice.

When Nemesis heard of Echo’s fate, she wanted revenge for how poor Echo had been treated, so she led Narcissus to a pond near Echo’s cave, wherein he fell in love with his own reflection.

Narcissus could not leave his own reflection out of love and vanity and starved to death, just like Echo. But, before he died, Narcissus cried out to his reflection “Farewell, dear boy. Beloved in vain.” Echo’s voice repeated his last words from the cave as Narcissus drew his last breath. To this day, Echo still repeats the last words or phrases in caves or labyrinths.

Other stories tell a slightly different tale of the Gods, scared that Narcissus would waste away, turned him into daffodils. In other accounts, Narcissus drowned whilst trying to hug his reflection, and daffodils sprouted on the bank of the pond where he fell.

Daffodils are considered lucky flowers. One particular folktale says that, if you make a deliberate effort not to step on them and crush them, fortune will favor you with abundance.

Also, if you gift someone daffodils, they too will have good luck, but you need to make sure you give them an entire bunch, because a single flower will bring poverty and ill fortune.

In parts of the British Isles, including Wales, if you are the first your neighbours to spot the first daffodils of Spring, it is said you’ll see far more gold than silver come to your home over the coming year. However, seeing a daffodil growing alone is said to bring the opposite.

Daffodils are also used to represent love. Again, back to Greek mythology, some recounts of the famous Myths say that the daffodil was the flower Hades used to distract Persephone, before stealing her away to the underworld to be his wife.

In some Middle Eastern traditions, the daffodil is considered to be an aphrodisiac. Either way, the daffodil has strong connections with love, which is why it is one of the best flowers to use during love spells and rituals.

Also, due to its association with Hades, the daffodil is sometimes associated with the underworld and death, making it a perfect flower for funeral arrangements to honor the deceased.

Because the daffodil is one of the first flowers to bloom in the Spring, it also has strong associations with fertility and it is said that having a bouquet of daffodils in the bedroom can increase the chance of conception. Daffodils can also be used during fertility rituals to increase the spells potency.

Here’s a number of ways you could use daffodils in your magickal workings:

• Put fresh daffodils in a vase in your home to bring you abundance.

• Place daffodils on your altar during any workings related to love, especially if the relationship is new and you’re still trying to figure things out.

• You can add potted daffodil bulbs to your altar for spring (Ostara) celebrations, along with other spring flowers such as hyacinth, crocus and snowdrops.

• Wear this flower close to your heart to draw love, but be careful that your love is reciprocated.

Yarrow and Salad Burnett

At the front of our house, I keep a ‘wild patch’, purely for the bees and insects. I let it mainly do what it wants, but every year I scatter bee friendly, locally sourced, flower and plant species, to help it along. It doesn’t always look ‘pretty’, some people may think they’re just ‘weeds’, but to me, because of what it’s for, it’s the most beautiful little patch!

Here’s some bees enjoying it over a few years of summers.

Some of the species in there are quite surprising and I have found both Yarrow and Salad Burnet!

Here’s their properties:

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

This plant is often referred to as the ‘Witches Herb’, and has historically been widely used in spells (for psychic powers, love, courage, exorcism, dreams, peace, happiness and protection), for divination and to divert evil spells.

Yarrow was also used by the Druids for weather prediction and young people would use it to show a vision of who their true love might be.

It is said that if you carry yarrow with you, it can allay your fears and bring you personal courage. Also, keeping yarrow under your pillow is supposed to enhance prophetic dreams.

Yarrow can be drunk in a tea or burned as incense, to increase your psychic powers. Burning as an incense blend is also done to invite love, happiness and peace.

Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba Officinalis)

Salad Burnet is one of the few wild species which supplies edible greenery for most of the year. It is used as an ingredient in both salads and dressings, having a flavor described as ‘light cucumber’ and can be swapped with mint leaves in some recipes. Typically, the youngest leaves are used, as they tend to become bitter as they age.

Salad Burnet is listed as an ingredient in some French and Italian recipes, and is often available in markets there in bunches with other herbs and salad greens.

The Latin portion of it’s scientific name, Sanguisorba, translates as ‘drink up blood’ and refers to its astringent qualities, and it has been used to prevent hemorrhages and internal bleeding. Knowing this, soldiers of old would drink tea made from the herb before going into battle, in the hope that any wounds they received would be less severe. It was also used as an anti-Plague (the Black Plague, not COVID-19 unfortunately) tonic and one of 21 herbs combined and dissolved in wine.

In magickal terms, salad burnet can be used for protection, consecration of ritual tools, and counter magick. It also used to magickally treat depression and despondency (but advice from a medical professional should always be sought first).

It just goes to show, Witchcraft doesn’t have to be expensive. Take (respectfully and with thanks) what you have around you. There are plenty of plant identification apps, or use Google Lens, if you’re unsure of what plant it is.

Research it’s properties for magickal uses and health benefits. You may find that one ingredient you’ve been trying to source for a spell or ritual has been growing in your garden, or school grounds or on your walk to work all along!! Take notice of what Mother Nature has provided for you and always be thankful for her bounty.

All information on the herbs sourced from the following, but rewritten in my own words.
https://rowanandsage.com
https://coven.thethriftywitch.com

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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