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Plants. Thankfully they are everywhere and most of us have a variety of green things just outside our door… but what do we do with them?
Cultures across the world have different applications when using versatile plants. I’m going to share some of the uses of plants through the lens of my European ancestry and Druidic practice. While there are many other cultures with their own plant folklore and uses, I do not come from those cultures and do not feel well-versed enough to speak on those cultural differences. My heritage, however, is highly influenced by the Celts and that tradition is what I am exploring. According to OBOD, Druids understand there are thirteen uses of plants. I am going to briefly cover those thirteen uses and provide you with personal examples for each. Plants As Food: The nature of being human is we have to consume life-sustaining substances in order to stay healthy and… well alive. Modern humans are very spoiled with our access to food and snacks, but our early ancestors would have been always seeking or thinking about their next meal. There was no guarantee when your next meal would be which is why food and especially plants were considered sacred. We may not have to worry as much about food these days, but the food you choose to nourish your body with is important to pay attention to. I am not the cook in my family, but Jake is. My role is to grow/harvest the food to provide to Jake. He has such a passion for food he always makes our eating experiences magical. Plants in Drinks, Elixirs, and Tonics Have you ever had a wine made by a neighbor or local person? While delicious, it’s not necessarily inherently special. In many traditions, however, the crafted drinks, wines, meads, and/or beer are made specifically for fellowshipping or celebrating events such as births, weddings, or an abundant harvest. The herbs chosen for these drinks would be chosen for the intended purpose. For example, meadowsweet was an herb commonly chosen for flavoring honey mead. Not only did meadowsweet represent jubilation and celebration, but it acts as an aspirin making it useful as a pain reliever. Mead is just one example of plants being used in drinks. Plants can be mixed with all sorts of liquids to craft the desired tonic, elixir, or potion. Clothing Back in the day you couldn’t just run down to the Walmart for a new outfit on school picture day when you spilled your syrupy breakfast all over your top, you had to make your own clothes and the first step usually included growing your own fibers. Fibers for clothes came from different sources, but most common were farmed animals like sheep and growing plants like hemp, cotton, or flax. Flax, for example, makes linen. You could have a seamstress sew you a dress if you had extra pennies, but for most people, buying the linen and sewing the outfit themselves was more cost effective. Today, those with a passion for natural fibers, are growing their own crop and transmuting the plant into a fabric in which they can sew amazing things. Journeying in Consciousness: There are many plants out there who have been used to facilitate an altered stated of consciousness. Magic shrooms and marijuana are most known for their psychoactive properties, there are so many other plants available to you for use in spiritual travel. Mugwort is one of my personal favorites for supporting my travels into consciousness. It is a native plant to Europe and Asia, but naturalized in North America. I have a few friends who have found mugwort out foraging, but as it’s look alikes are poisonous, I grow my own. A cup of mugwort tea is essential before any of my divination practices. Medicine Plants are the real OG for healing modalities. There are many synthetic versions out there, but pretty much all medicines can trace their origin back to a plant. Two of my favorites to grow and use are: valerian for prized for its calming effect and lavendar - swiss army knife of herbs Annointing Annointing is the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person’s head or entire body. For example, oil of primrose and vervain were mentioned in some texts as being part of Ceridwen’s brew; a magical brew that can gift the recipient with poetic wisdom, inspiration, prophecy. This blend can be reused to bless a bard or one who sees their creativity as an innate spiritual ability, and who chooses to nurture that ability partly or wholly with Druidism. Ritual Plants and rituals go hand in hand. We were made to work together! In practice, flower petals might be used to cast a protective circle and garlic cloves can be sprinkled across the threshold before inviting spirits of the departed into a house to take part in a ritual feast, such as on Samhain. Incense Can be used to cleanse and perfume a working space or the aura. There are many different ways to make an incense. You can customize you scents for your intended purpose. Can be powered, loose, made into a cone, or a stick Ritual washing Listen, teaching is hard and sometimes I bring the day home with me. This is absolutely not fair to Jake. One of the first things I do when I get home is take a shower using soap made with plants which can help me ritually cast off the day. Washing the day down the drain puts me in the mindset of being home and in my safe space. There are many plants you can infuse with your soap to cleanse, but for an example, I use soaps infused with rosemary often. Spells I’m super cautious of spells as most druids are. There is an old saying, ‘When the gods want to punish us, they answer our prayers’ and i think that’s something to note before crafting a spell. There are ethical and magical implications that can happen when we pull the strings of fate and it is in my opinion, spells need to be crafted with thoughtfulness and care. If you’re in need of a quick getaway or wish to pass unnoticed through a hostile crowd, however, ferns can be used in a spell for invisibility. Charms and Talismans Followers of the Old Ways are familiar with the idea of energy and vibrations. A plant will emanate a certain vibration, and if we carry some of this plant with us, perhaps it will exert a continuous influence on our aura. I like carrying acorns in my pocket for strength if I’m doing any kind of public speaking. Offerings Giving gifts seems innate to humankind. Part of being alive involves wanting to give. So, offering plants to a deity on an altar, to a couple on marrying, or a grave at a funeral seems the most natural in the world. My mom’s favorite flower is a daisy and as a child I would go out and gather wild daisies to give her. At the time I just knew these were her favorite, but the whole time I was offering her a little piece of sunshine and happiness. Oracular Use Divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. Sometimes that can involve using plants to divine the knowledge you seek. A popular example would be tea leaf reading. Tea leaf reading began in the 17th century after tea was introduced from China to Europe. The reader will look at the shapes of the leaves around the cup and interpret the symbols they see. Plants are amazing and truly are allies from our natural world. Go out and play with your local plants!
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AuthorCaitlin is a full-time special education teacher with a penchant for the wyrd. When she isn't hanging out with the coolest kids, she's out in her garden tending to her herbs or frolicking with her 2 goats, 40 chickens, 6 ducks, 2 turkeys, 2 dogs, and 6 cats. She understands it's a hoarding situation at this point, but life is too short to worry about boring things like that. Archives
May 2024
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