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Rosehips are the seed-filled bulbs that grow at the base of the blossom of a rose. Sometimes called the fruit of the plant, the hips are round or oval-shaped and usually orange or bright red. Each hip contains rose seeds inside, along with hundreds of fuzzy hairs. All varieties of roses (Rosa species) produce hips, and all of them are edible and medicinal.
Used as a food and herbal medicine throughout the world, sweet and tangy rose hip is a lovely botanical for daily wellness. The ancient Chinese, Greeks, Romans, and Persians used them in traditional herbal medicine. During the Dark Ages, raiding Vikings fortified themselves with rosehips while invading foreign lands. During WWII, when food sources were limited, British children took doses of rose hip syrup to promote wellness, while children in North America were paid to wild-forage rosehips at 3 pennies a pound. For this blog entry, we are going to discuss rosehips from the mult-flora rose which is invasive to my home in Indiana. I don’t mind picking a lot from invasive plants. Multiflora rose is known by many different names Rosa multiflora, baby rose, Japanese rose, seven-sisters rose, rambler rose Scientific family Rosehips belong to the Rosaceae family, which includes various flowering plants. Habitat and description Multiflora rose is an exotic invasive perennial shrub native to China, Japan, and Korea. It was introduced into the US in the 1860s and was used in the horticultural industry as readily available rose rootstock for rose breeding programs and as an ornamental garden plant. By the 1930s it was widely planted in the Midwest and northeastern states at the encouragement of the USDA, Soil Conservation Service for erosion control programs, wildlife habitat enhancement programs, and as a natural barrier to roaming farm animals (I.e. living fence) By the 1960s, conservationists were warning others of the dangers of this plant to unmanaged natural areas. However, those warnings were ignored and the multiflora rose continued it’s spread throughout the Midwest and northeast. Interested people and organizations were encouraged to plant multiflora rose to create a source of food for song birds and for wildlife cover for many kinds of animals including cottontail rabbits, bobwhite quail, and pheasants. The plants were even encouraged to grow on highway median strips to reduce headlight glare from oncoming traffic and as a natural crash barrier to stop out-of-control cars because of the species’ ability to form dense thickets quickly. As with other exotic invasive plants, multiflora rose was promoted for all the wrong reasons while being widely planted through the Midwest, northeast, and elsewhere. It has escaped cultivation spreading into public and private lands and is now classified as a noxious weed in many states. This rose is a climbing and rambling shrub with a single stem, or at times multiple stems, which can grow up to 10-15 feet or more in some situations. The canes have paired, stout, curved thorns or prickles. The leaves are alternate and compound. The serrated leaflets range in size from ½ inch to 2 inches long and are ovate in shape with an acute or pointed tip. White flowers appear from May through June and are grouped or clustered as a corymb inflorescence. Red fruits (rosehips) appear in August and persist into the winter months as clusters of round ¼ inch hips. The hips do not split apart easily and need to dry out before accessing the seeds. Multiflora rose is shade-tolerant. However, it frequently invades sunny spots which is why it is seen growing in open fields and pastures, along field edges, along roads and paths, in open woodlands, and in Anya other areas that are sunny. Rosehips are typically harvested in the fall/winter after the colder air has had a chance to soften the hips. I like to start harvesting early and force soften the hips in the freezer for 24 hours before drying or tincturing. Parts used The most commonly used part of the rosehip is the fruit itself. After the petals of the rose flower fall off, the remaining fruit starts to form and ripen. The rosehips are harvested when they are fully matured and have a rich color. The seeds inside the rosehips are usually removed before using the fruit for various purposes. Planetary influence In astrology, rosehips are associated with the planet Venus. Venus represents love, beauty, and harmony, and rosehips are believed to carry the energy of these qualities. Associated deities and heroes In various mythologies, roses and rosehips are associated with goddesses like Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, and Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. These deities are often depicted with roses and are believed to have a connection to the healing properties of rosehips. Festival associations Rosehips are often used in festivals and celebrations that honor the beauty and abundance of nature. They are a common ingredient in traditional dishes and drinks during harvest festivals and autumn celebrations. Medicinal qualities Rosehips in general are good for a healthy dose of Vitamin C and Trace Iron among many other healthy nutrients. It can boost your immune system, combat anemia, aid in in alleviating menstrual cramps, hemorrhoids, bladder and kidney infections, poor circulation, weight loss, joint pain, sciatica, infections, headaches, stress and nervousness. When using rosehips, add them to tea for a sore throat or upset stomach. Soak a cloth in cool rosehip tea and apply to the body for headaches, backaches, bruises, or other sore spots. Soak your achy feet after a day at work or out and about. Spiritual and energetic uses In spiritual practices, rosehips are believed to have a grounding and calming energy. They are often used in rituals and ceremonies to promote emotional healing, balance, and harmony. Rosehip oil is also used in aromatherapy for its soothing and uplifting properties. Just like roses, rosehips energetically hold the vibration for self love. Rosehips are also associated with the energetics of luck, good fortune, love, health, beauty, peace, anti-nightmare, protection, money, prosperity, confidence, family and friendship, divination, and truth. Magical uses Some of the most common magical uses for dreams, prosperity spells, self love ritual baths, and infused oils for candles and spell jars. When doing any love spells using roses and rosehips are common herbs used to boost your spells and rituals. For a stress reliever - fill a mesh bag with crushed rosehips and rose petals. While in the bath, meditate all of your stress and negative energies away. Visualize them washing down the drain with the water when you are done. To inspire love in your relationship, share a cup of rosehips tea with honey with your significant other before a romantic evening. Add a little ginger or cinnamon to spice up your love life too! Stash rosehip charm bags around your home to help encourage positivity and loving energy among family members. Folklore In folklore, rosehips are often associated with enchantment and hidden treasures. It is believed that fairies and spirits are drawn to the sweet scent and vibrant colors of rosehips. In some legends, it is said that consuming rosehips can grant the ability to see into the fairy realm. Here's a simple recipe to make rosehip tea Ingredients: - 1 cup dried rosehips - 4 cups water - Honey or sweetener (optional) Instructions: 1. Rinse the dried rosehips under running water to remove any impurities. 2. In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. 3. Add the dried rosehips to the boiling water and reduce the heat to low. 4. Cover the saucepan and let the rosehips simmer for about 20 minutes. 5. Remove the saucepan from heat and let the tea steep for an additional 10 minutes. 6. Strain the tea to remove the rosehip solids. 7. Add honey or sweetener if desired, and stir well. 8. Pour the tea into cups and enjoy the soothing and nourishing benefits of rosehip tea. Remember to consult with a qualified healthcare professional before using any herbal remedies or supplements. Rosehips are truly nature's gift, packed with both physical and metaphysical properties. Whether you enjoy them for their medicinal benefits, their spiritual significance, or their magical allure, rosehips are a fascinating and versatile plant that can enhance our lives in many ways. Embrace the healing power of rosehips and let their enchanting energy surround you. References https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/multiflora-rose https://eattheplanet.org/multiflora-rose-an-invasive-but-nutritious-wild-edible/ https://greenmanmeadows.com/using-rosehips-magic-witchcraft/
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Mugwort, also known by its scientific family name Artemisia vulgaris, is a fascinating herb that has been used for centuries due to its various properties and associations. In this blog post, we will explore the many aspects of mugwort, from its habitat and description to its medicinal and magical uses.
Names it's known by Mugwort is known by several names, including wild wormwood, cronewort, and sailor's tobacco. These names reflect the herb's diverse uses and the different cultures that have embraced its power. Scientific family Mugwort belongs to the scientific family Artemisia, which includes other aromatic plants like sagebrush and wormwood. This family of plants is renowned for its medicinal and spiritual properties. Habitat and description Mugwort is a perennial plant which grows approximately 2-4 feet tall and occasionally 6 feet tall. The leaves are deeply pinnate, with up to 7 lobes which are deeply cut and dark green on top with silvery undersides. The whole plant is aromatic to the touch and has been described as smelling camphoric, fresh, herbaceous and bitter. Some have compared the scent of mugwort to the more herbal facets of cannabis. The flowers are yellowish green in color, small and fairly insignificant to see, and blossom in tall, branched spikes. Mugwort is native to Europe and parts of Asia, but has been naturalized in North America since the 16th century. The plant tends to prefer disturbed soil and waste ground to grow on, but I have not had luck finding wild mugwort to forage and harvest. Personally, it looks too much like others in the carrot family which can be highly toxic so I choose to plant starts from reputable sources. Parts used Different parts of the mugwort plant can be utilized for various purposes. The leaves and flowers are commonly used in herbal preparations, while the roots can be dried and powdered for medicinal use. Mugwort can also be burned as an incense, with its smoke believed to purify and protect the environment. Planetary influence In astrology and herbalism, mugwort is associated with the moon. The moon's energy is said to enhance intuition, dreams, and divination. Mugwort is often used in rituals and spells related to these aspects, harnessing the moon's mystical influence. Associated deities and heroes The plant is associated with Artemis, Chandra, Diana and Hecate. Following the theory that each culture has its own version of the various assorted deities, it may also follow that the plant can be associated with other Crone Goddesses such as Cerridwen, and Moon Goddesses such as Arianrhod. Given that the plant also has a long history of use for dreams, prophecy and witchcraft in general, this reinforces the links with Goddesses such as Hecate and Cerridwen, both of whom are well known Witch Goddesses. There are also some links with the Underworld implied, possibly using the 'as above, so below' metaphor as Diana and Hecate seem to live on opposite polarities to each other, Diana ruling the Moon and the night sky and Hecate being primarily of the darkness and underworld. Festival associations Mugwort is often celebrated during the festival of Lammas or Lughnasadh, which marks the beginning of the harvest season. During this time, mugwort is used in rituals and offerings to honor the earth's abundance and fertility. Medicinal qualities Mugwort is antibacterial, antifungal, and can be used for a wide range of digestive problems due to its action in promoting appetite and supporting digestion. It also can inhibit the growth of cancer cells and is a mild sedative. There is a connection between Mugwort and the reproductive hormones, so it could be used as part of a prescription for disorders involving excessive androgen production, for example,PCOS. This would certainly fit with the overall profile of the herb as being deeply feminine in nature. Apparently a prime indication for needing Mugwort would be a weaker pulse in the right wrist and a stronger pulse in the left, indicating that masculine tendencies have overwhelmed and outbalanced the feminine tendencies in the body, leading to imbalance. This would certainly fit with the overall tendencies of the plant to bring everything back into balance! Mugwort is a useful diuretic, nervine and reproductive herb, which can bring on delayed periods (so don't take it if you think you may be pregnant, ladies!) Some authors mention that it can be used to ease the tremor associated with Parkinsons, as well as to ease epileptic fits, settle the nerves and possibly relieve insomnia, especially where this is due to anxiety. Mugwort is a fantastic blood cleanser and can be used as the European version of Echinacea for deep seated infection or infestation of the body. In addition to being an excellent digestive herb, Mugwort is a useful herb in the treatment of cramping and spasmodic complaints, such as menstrual cramps and cramps related to the digestive tract. Spiritual and energetic uses Mugwort can be used to bring about balance in mental and emotional energy. It is used to ground people who have an overactive psychic tendencies, causing them to have disturbed sleep due to excessively disruptive dreams. In addition to bringing visions, it can also help to balance those who find they are overwhelmed by visions and find it hard to stay grounded. Conversely, it can also be used for those who are too rooted in reality and find it difficult or impossible to exercise spirituality or any kind of creativity. It can be used to allow people to connect with their muse. I think its a middle domain herb, and can bring things back into balance again. Mugwort can be used to help integrate psychic awareness into our daily life and to help us to understand on a deep level the symbolism behind dreams, as well as to balance the transition between day and night consciousness. It is recommended for people who are over emotional, irrational and hysterical due to dreams It is entirely possible that it works on one or more of the chakras, possibly the brow, although some people also associate it with the throat chakra, which in turn is associated with the expression of emotion and with creativity. The plant can be used to help people to connect with their warrior selves, in order to develop strength and foundation and gain clarity. Magical uses As mentioned above, Mugwort has a longstanding association with prophecy and divination, and as such can be used in any incense to bring about prophetic dreams. It can also be used as a ritual bath for similar purposes, and to cleanse and purify divinatory tools such as crystal balls, blackened mirrors and scrying bowls. Mugwort can be used in a ritual to release blocked creativity, in addition to in spells and charms to increase psychic visions and activity, astral travel and projection and any kind of dream work. Mugwort has a long history of use for protection, in charms and talismans, when grown by the home or when used as smudge sticks to purify and protect the home. According to folklore, when the herb is gathered on St John's Eve, it can be used to protect against ill health and bad luck, as well as to break faery enchantment and allow the user to see the situation clearly, stripped of all illusion. The herb has a strong connection with the crystal ball which is not at all surprising in light of the fact that the herb is associated with the Moon Goddess, and bearing in mind the fact that the crystal ball does resemble a full moon to some extent. The plant can be used to engender and encourage the growth of spiritual activity. Folklore According to folklore, the herb was known as cingulum sancti, Johannis, or St John's Girdle, in the Middle Ages, as legend has it that St John the Baptist wore a girdle of mugwort whilst in the wilderness. It was also traditionally worn on Midsummer's eve as a garland whilst dancing around the fire. Afterwards it was thrown onto the fire to protect the wearer from danger and sickness throughout the year. Interestingly, Mugwort has been used, much as Elder has, both to protect the wearer from witchcraft and also as an ingredient in the magic of witches. One way the plant was used was as a juice to anoint scrying devices to aid in divination. Another piece of folklore mentions that a rare coal can be found under mugwort but only during one hour of one specific day of the year. If this coal is put under the pillow, it will bring about dreams of a future husband. This legend is of ancient Germanic origin, and states that the correct time to dig the plant is at noon on Midsummer's day. The coal in question is a certain remedy against evil and may even become gold. Mugwort was anciently known as Mater Herbarum (the mother of herbs), and was sacred to the Anglo Saxons, as can be seen in the Lacnunga, which has this to say about Mugwort: 'eldest of worts, thou hast might for three, and against thirty, for venom availest, for flying vile things, might against loathed ones that through the land rove.' There is a Russian folktale about Mugwort, known in Russian as Zabytko. Apparently a young girl, gathering mushrooms in the forest, fell into a deep pit, which turned out to be the home of snakes. The snakes did not harm her, and took care of her throughout the winter, during which time both she and the snakes got their nourishment from a mysterious glowing stone (a possible allusion to the moon?) When spring finally arrived, the snakes formed a ladder with their bodies, allowing the girl to climb out, and as a parting gift, the Serpent Queen taught her the language of the plants, but warned that if she should ever call Mugwort by name, she would immediately lose the ability. A long time afterwards, she was walking with her lover along a footpath when he asked her the name of a tall herb growing by the wayside. Without thinking, she answered 'Mugwort' and immediately forgot the language of plants. The Russians know Mugwort as the herb of forgetfulness. Recipe Mugwort Dream Tea: Ingredients: - 1 teaspoon dried mugwort leaves - 1 cup hot water Instructions: 1. Place dried mugwort leaves in a tea infuser or teapot. 2. Pour hot water over the leaves. 3. Allow the tea to steep for 5-10 minutes. 4. Strain the tea and enjoy before bedtime to enhance dream recall and promote restful sleep. Remember, mugwort should be used with caution, and it is always recommended to consult with a knowledgeable herbalist or healthcare professional before using it for any purpose. Mugwort is a truly remarkable herb with a rich history and a wide array of uses. Whether in herbal remedies, spiritual practices, or magical rituals, this powerful plant continues to captivate and inspire people around the world. Embrace the magic of mugwort and explore the wonders it has to offer. Oh the weather outside is delightful, but the family time can be frightful, and since we’ve no place to go, let the lavender flow! I truly do not need to go into the details of holiday anxiety for anyone reading this blog post. If you’re here you are most likely already preparing for the stress that comes naturally this season. If you’re like me, you already battle mental health concerns daily and the festivities exasperate these feelings. My anxiety is already incredibly high this year. Actually, it seems that my anxiety has progressively gotten worse each year following the pandemic. Thankfully we have so many resources to help alleviate this extra stress! Lavender![]() Most of us know what lavender smells like because of its common use in perfumes, soaps, and recipes around the globe. Lavender isn’t just a lovely smelling flower, it also has a long history of being used to create a relaxing atmosphere. In fact, lavender can promote calm moods without being a sedative. According to a 2005 study from PubMed, lavender essential oil has been found to be effective in reducing:
Lavender can help in regulating these bodily processes by restoring a natural state. This involves lowering the heart rate, adrenaline levels, and slowing the breath. How to use lavender for anxiety: Oral administration and aromatherapy are suggested to be the most effective methods to reduce symptoms. However, because I’m not a medical professional and cannot give you medical advice, I’m going to share with you how I use lavender to alleviate my holiday stress. Aromatherapy - Pack a bottle of high-quality, therapeutic lavender essential oil in your purse, pocket, car, etc. Sniff deeply out of the bottle with vigor for 10 minutes. Between the deep breaths and lavender you will begin to feel better after a minimum 10 minutes of inhalation. Lavender is also a safe to smoke herb. Feel free to also make an herbal cigarette to light up later. Bath time - Hot water is already known to help relax tired or sore muscles. Adding a few drops of lavender essential oil to your bath, a scoop of The Hall Family Homestead’s lavender and basil bath salts, or make your own bath tea with dried lavender plant parts. This next part is simple. Get nakey. Topically - When applied topically through massage, lavender oil is rapidly absorbed by the skin, resulting in a sedative and relaxing effect. Since I don’t always have my lavender massage oil on me, I’ll tap the side of the bottle and apply the oil behind my ears, wrists, and nape of the neck. Tea and Tinctures - Teas are dried or fresh plant material steeped in boiling water for a certain amount of time to infuse the water with the plant’s properties. Tinctures are highly concentrated plant or herbal extracts made from distilling lavender flowers and buds in alcohol or apple cider vinegar. I prefer a lavender tea throughout the day and will drink it hot or cold depending on what other herbs are involved in the blend. Chamomile![]() Chamomile is another one of those herbs we are all familiar with, but may not think about outside of it being a nice tasting after-dinner drink. Chamomile, however, is not only gentle and powerful, it seemingly does a thousand and one different things. Chamomile has been effective in:
Orally - I prefer a warm chamomile tea to envelope me in a warm hug after a stressful day. Something about the taste and feeling the tea gives me feels so nurturing. However, if I am on the go, a chamomile tincture also does the trick! Bath time - Chamomile makes a fabulous bath tea or bath salt blend. Topically - I like to keep chamomile lotion on hand to apply before bed. Chamomile is just so soothing and when mixed with skin happy butters and oils it can make you feel perfectly ready for bed and a great night’s sleep. Sweet Basil![]() I have a special place in my heart for sweet basil. Not just because it makes the most perfect pesto, but because it’s also a healing herb. Basil was a gateway herb for me as it was the first green thing outside of green beans I ate right out of the garden and loved entirely. To be clear, sweet basil is not the same as holy basil. While holy basil has been classified as an adaptogen and highly praised for its impact on regulating the nervous system, it is not scientifically confirmed to be similar to sweet basil outside it being a closely related kin. Sweet basil has been found to be effective in supporting:
Though sweet basil has not been officially declared an adaptogen, research indicates sweet basil works on both sympathetic and parasympathetic sides of the atomic nervous system. As with lavender and chamomile, the following can also be used similarly with sweet basil:
All of these herbs can be easily grown in your yard or purchased at your local grocery store. Remember, if you can’t find fresh you can always buy a pre-made tea blend with any or all of these ingredients.
May your holiday season be merry, bright, and stress free! It’s always been important to Jake and me to provide the best possible care for our animals without the use of harsh chemicals. We rarely vaccinate or use over-the-counter treatments on our animals, including our dogs. Now, this lifestyle isn’t for everyone and it certainly comes with a lot more work, but for us, we feel it’s worth it. I have so much I can write about keeping our critters safe with herbs, but we do not have the time. So, I’m going to share with you my critter worming protocol with herbs.
While these protocols have worked for us, it is good to engage in your research and exploration to find protocols that work for your specific situation. We have a mixed-species barnyard and my focus is on keeping everyone healthy and not eating things they shouldn’t. I know it sounds mundane to say routine barn cleaning is vital to the health of your animals, but it’s true. Animals can be super gross and chickens might be the worst. They poo everywhere, scratch at all the things, and can’t seem to figure out how not to poop in the same box they lay their eggs. All that poo has to go somewhere and if not taken care of appropriately can attract all sorts of critters and parasites you don’t necessarily want around your goats. Goats tend to pick up their parasites from the ground and if the ground is covered in decaying poo, it can lead to issues. For example, my ducks decided one night they were going to roost right over the water bucket. The next day the bucket was so full of feathers a feces it was putrid. Other animals can’t drink that. That water is now a breeding ground for all sorts of diseases and parasites. Keeping their living space clean will save you so much in the long run! That said, I don’t do a full barn clean every week. I just don’t have time for that. It’s so much easier to break the chores up into more manageable tasks. Daily - Once a day I will venture up to the barn just to check on everyone. I make sure the water is clean and if anyone decided to be a jerk that particular day. I don’t always gather eggs daily, but I will if someone lays one under the roost or under your goat. We free-range and the goats have plenty of hay so not a lot of daily chores. Weekly - While we believe in healthy eating, we also appreciate a nice cheat day. So do the critters. Once a week we clean out our fridge from the produce we used that week and are going bad. All this produce gets saved throughout the week (add grain to mix if needed), combined with anti-parasitic herbs, and fed to everyone in Golden Coral style. I grow all the herbs in my garden and feed them fresh, and dry for the winter months. Oregano, thyme, sage, cayenne pepper, and pumpkin seeds are easy to grow, dry & store well, and are easy to break down to be mixed into your critter’s food. For us, once a week this mixture gets lovingly prepared with other food scraps or grain and made available to all our animals. This is a highly valued treat for them so I have different food stations to make it less of a Jurassic Park situation. While all the critters are munching down on their healthy “junk food”, I rake the barn and community spaces. Focusing mainly on the community areas, but if I have time I will do under the chicken roost as well. I shovel up all the black gold throughout the month and save for compost or fertilizer. Monthly - Each month the critters get a “busy” snack from me with the theme of being anti-parasitic if possible. We do a lot of pumpkins and watermelons. I set those snacks out away from the barn which allows me to thoroughly clean the barn to the best of my abilities. This includes raking the entire barn, cleaning out nesting boxes, scraping down roosts, and throwing Diatomaceous Earth everywhere. DE is incredibly helpful for parasites and pests, but it’s not great to breathe in. I do this when I can lock all the animals out of the barn until it settles and I wear a mask. Please use caution as it can be irritating, especially when inhaled. And that’s pretty much it. I have additional herbs I have successfully used to treat parasitic infections in the past I keep on hand in case of break-outs or emergencies, but we’ve rarely had to use them. We’ve found with this routine we can keep our animals healthy without doing anything crazy extra. In fact, we did a fecal sample on our goats recently and discovered they were parasite-free! I hope this helps! 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! |
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
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