A Druid's Handbook to the Spiritual Power of Plants: Spagyrics in Magical and Sexual Rituals - Jon G. Hughes 2014

Understanding the Nature of Your Donor Plants
Assessing the Natural Resources

As we have seen, knowing the energies and attributes of the plants you use is fundamental to Druidic lore. The energies and attributes of plants vary, not only from one plant species to another but also according to the parts of the plant of which you make use. Without knowing the individual energies and attributes of each plant and the effect these will have when used in the context you intend, it is impossible to channel them toward their intended purpose.

Each plant is imbued with the energies of its species. These may then be enhanced or subdued according to a number of factors affecting the plant during its life cycle. We have already listed some of these factors, such as its location, the plants surrounding it, its state of health, and its age, and we shall explore these again when we look in detail at selecting a plant for harvest.

Thus, we may designate certain energies to each plant according to its genus and species and identify any external influences on these energies by looking at the health of the plant, its neighbors, and its surroundings. But what of the various parts of the plant: How do these energies vary from one part of the plant to the other?

To begin to understand this we must look at the simple astrological system that Druid lore applies to the plant kingdom. Contrary to general opinion, the Druidic tradition—at least the Welsh Druidic tradition—has a very simple system of astrological beliefs. Although most books on the subject talk of Druidic “astrologers,” no such people exist in the tradition I was taught. Druidic divination does not embrace star charts or astrological tables; it works on a much more terrestrial level.

The suggestion that Stonehenge and other standing stone circles are actually forms of complex Druidic astrological clocks/calendars/calculators/compasses was discredited some time ago. Nearly all the stone circles in the United Kingdom pre-date the Druids by centuries. It may be true that Druid priests or priestesses used these convenient “circles” for their rituals, and indeed many still attempt to do so, but this was (and is) for two main reasons. First, the stones form the basic circular shape required for every Druidic ritual; some even have distinct entry portals as required for the Druidic protective Circle. Second, most are constructed on ley lines (a narrow, invisible line of energy that runs across the landscape below the surface of the earth) of immense power, which work on a conscious and subconscious level, and these powers are often channeled for use during Druidic rituals.

The fundamental universal power of the Druidic tradition is the collective energy, which exerts its influence through two celestial bodies only: the sun and the moon. These represent the eternal balance and harmony of the cosmos. The sun represents the male influence; the moon, the female. The balance of these influences is sought in all things. These are equivalent to the yin and yang of the Chinese Taoists, the Shiva and Shakti of the Hindus, and Aristotle’s fire and water.

Each of the four basic elements (or essences) is governed by its corresponding celestial body—air and fire by the sun, earth and water by the moon. The fifth element (essence), the quintessence (fifth essence), is the combination of them all, the collective energy of Druidic lore. In the Druidic tradition, every plant comes under the influence of either the sun or the moon and is therefore ascribed with the aspects and nature of its governing celestial body. These aspects and nature have a profound influence on the plant’s energies and attributes and dictate how we should interact with the plant from harvesting to the eventual use of its complex and incense.

In wand making, for example, trees under the sun’s influence must be harvested only during daylight and the wands they yield are used by priests; on the other hand, trees that are influenced by the moon are harvested under moonlight and are used only by a priestess. In the Celtic sex magic rituals we shall be looking at later (see here), each potion, complex, and incense we use will vary depending on the gender of the person on whom it is used and whether it is a priest or a priestess facilitating the ritual. This selection will be governed by whether the plant comes under the influence of the sun or the moon.

The various parts of the individual plant are also designated as being within the realm of one or the other of these two celestial bodies. In general, the parts of the plant associated with the moon are either those that are dependent on the elements associated with the moon (earth and water) or the reproductive organs of the plant concerned. These female parts of the plant are seen to be the producer. The male parts of the plant are dependent on the elements associated with the sun (fire and air) and are the provider of the plant.

Therefore the roots, wood, and stem of the plant are under the influence of the moon, as they are within the soil (the element earth) and carry the water supply to the plant (the element water), respectively. These, then, are the female parts of the plant.

The leaves, petals, and bark of the plant are under the influence of the sun, as they are most closely associated with the elements air and fire (for fire, read light/sun in this context). These parts of the plant either gather light (the element fire) or allow the plant to breathe (the element air). These are the male parts of the plant.

Most of the plants we shall be dealing with are hermaphrodites, carrying both the male and female reproductive organs. The location of these organs will vary according to each species, and we will look at each one separately later in this book. Most hermaphroditic plants produce male and female organs at different times of the year to ensure cross-pollination. For our purposes all the plant’s reproductive system is classed as female and comes under the influence of the Moon.

These designations may be questioned by modern-day science, as the work of the various parts of the plant are not so simply defined by the botanist. Yet this system of classification has been used within the Druidic tradition for millennia and has been proved to work well within the context that we require.

So, to recap: We have seen that each plant species has its own unique energies. These may be strengthened or weakened by the plant’s overall growth environment and its health. These may be further enhanced or suppressed by the effects of its neighboring plants. This energy is the plant’s own individual share of the collective energy that we find in all things.

Each plant comes under the overall influence of either the sun or the moon. We call this its central influence. The various parts of the plant are further influenced by one or another of these celestial bodies, depending on the element or elements it is most closely associated with. We call this its associated influence.

When we manufacture our complex, our first thought is to select the plant with the correct central influence for the purpose of our work. Having done this, we then select the plant species with the most potent energies that are necessary to carry out the work intended to best effect. Next we attempt to find a particular plant whose energies and attributes will have been enhanced by its neighboring community of plants.

Once we have targeted the particular plant we intend to harvest, we must select the parts of the plant that best serve our needs. In doing this it is possible to emphasize the male or female aspects in order to serve our purpose, but each complex must be manufactured from a combination of male (sun) and female (moon) essences to maintain the balance of nature’s power. We must therefore harvest at least some parts that come under the sun’s associated influence and some that come under the moon’s.

Later in the workshop these parts are separated and become known as the cardinals, from which we extract the cardinal essences. It is these cardinal essences that are amalgamated during the ritual to form the potent complex we desire.

For the purpose of refining our cardinal essences (and subsequently our complex and incense), all of our plant matter will be processed by one of two methods. The first is known as the complex of the flower; the second is called the complex of the tree.

Everything prepared through the complex of the flower method will have two cardinal essences, and the solid plant material will also undergo a process of fermentation. Everything prepared through the complex of the tree method will have three cardinal essences, and there will be no fermentation process.

This may sound as if we are able to use only flowers and trees in our work, but this is not the case. A plant may be refined “as a flower,” for which we use the complex of the flower method. This method, therefore, will not be used only on what we commonly know as flowers, but will also be used on the flowers of flowering trees, herbs, shrubs, and thistles. Alternatively, a plant may be refined “as a tree,” in which case we employ the complex of the tree method. We would use this method, then, not just on trees but also on plant stems, woody sprigs of herbs (woody stem and leaf groups), and sprigs of bushes and shrubs.

How, then, do we decide which process to use on which plant or plant part? The answer is that you will need to commit to memory the method for each plant and each part of the plant. This prospect may be off-putting to some students, but do not be deterred. Remember, although there is a great volume of plants and plant parts, there are actually only two refinement methods, so it may not be as tedious as it first seems.

In general terms, flowers are divided into petals and flower heads, which form the two cardinals of the flower. Trees are separated into leaves, wood, and bark, which provide the three cardinals of the tree. There are then some obvious guidelines to follow.

If we harvest a new young branch from an oak, we detach the leaves, strip the bark from the branch, and shred the remaining wood of the branch. This gives us the three cardinals we need for the cardinals of the tree method of refinement. If we harvest a dog rose flower, we separate the petals from the flower head to give us the two cardinals we require for the cardinals of the flower method.

This simple process of division allows you to account for the vast majority of the plants you will be using. But in some cases, a category may not be so obvious. For instance, the dog rose bush from which we harvested our dog rose flower to refine through the cardinals of the flower method may at the same time yield a leafy sprig for harvest. This sprig will be refined through the complex of the tree method by separating its leaves, bark, and woody stem. The two resulting complexes will be used in different ways to produce different results, and it is these subtleties of treatment that must be committed to memory.

To ease this process, I have included two tables of comparison for most of the plants available for use in Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and England (see here and here). Many of the plants listed also grow as wild or cultivated plants in the United States. Alternatively, they may well be available as seeds from seed suppliers should you wish to cultivate them for yourself. These tables list, among other things, the traditionally designated method of refinement assigned to each plant and plant part.

We can see from the above that the dog rose yielded two very different harvests in the form of its flowers and its leafy sprigs, but this is not quite the end of the story. At a certain point in its life cycle, the dog rose will also produce its seed in the form of what we call the rose hip, a cluster of seeds held in a berrylike casing. Traditionally, this rose hip is made into a syrup and used to treat coughs and sore throats, but how is it refined in Druidic lore: Is it a flower or a tree?

This raises the question of the designation of all types of seeds—those contained in fleshy fruit, berries, hips, and nuts and acorns. Fortunately, the answer to this is a simple one. All are treated as “flowers” and therefore have just two cardinals. The cardinals are divided as follows.

· Fleshy fruit. The kernel, pips, or seeds are the female cardinal, equivalent to the flower head. The fleshy outer part of the fruit is the male cardinal, equivalent to the petal.

· Berries. Single-seed berries are treated in the same way as fleshy fruit. For berries with “clusters” of seeds, the fleshy cluster containing the seeds is treated as the female cardinal, while the sepal (the small leafy “cup” in which the berry rests) is treated as the male.

· Hips. The seeds forming the core of the hip are the female cardinal; the fleshy shell surrounding them is the male cardinal.

· Nuts. The kernel of the nut is the female, and the shell and sepals are the male.

· Acorns. The kernel is the female cardinal, and the cup and sepals are the male.

These divisions may in some cases seem to contradict the cardinals of the flower definition, where the petals are male and the flower head (which includes the sepals) is female. The reason is that the prime constituent of the female flower head of the flower is the reproductive organs; the sepals in this case just represent the “body” of the plant. Similarly, the main function of the male petal is as a receptor for the influence of the sun (male).

In the case of nuts and berries, the fertilized “seed,” in whatever form, is the product of the plant’s reproductive organs (female producer) while its nourishment and security are provided by the fruit’s fleshy covering or its “umbilical” connection through the cup or sepals of the plant (male provider).

Now there is just one remaining major anomaly—herbs. If we wish to harvest the flower of the herb, we treat the flower the same way we do all other flowers. If, however, we need to harvest the leaves and stems of the herb (which is often the case), we need to know how to refine its cardinal essences.

Woody herbs are the simplest to deal with. Herbs, such as rosemary, that have a woody branch system are harvested and refined by the cardinals of the tree method. The leaves are removed, the bark stripped, and the inner wood ground or shredded. This is the perfect method for extracting the cardinals of the tree. The difficulty comes with herbs that have fleshy stems.

Let’s take the common mint as our example. We can remove the leaves as we did with the rosemary, but it is impossible to strip the outer “bark” of the stems from the inner stem. The answer is that we keep the stems whole. Rather than use the cardinals of the tree method, we use the cardinals of the flower method.

We separate the leaves from the stems, treat the leaves as the male cardinal (due to their interaction with the sun and air), and treat the stems as the female cardinal (due to their interaction with the earth and water). In this way we keep the same male and female associations with their elements and also arrive at a practical way of refining the plant parts.

Thus, we can see that herbs in particular are refined using either the cardinals of the flower or the cardinals of the tree method depending on the “woodiness” of their stems. Bearing in mind that plant stems are “woodier” at some times of the year than others and that in general most plants’ stems will become woodier as the plants grow older and larger, we may end up with cardinal essences from the same plant refined by different methods at different times. This is fine as long as we remember their differing energies and attributes when we put them to use.

Understanding the nature of your donor plants is imperative to understanding how plant material is used in Druidic lore. Here we have learned a number of the fundamental principles that have an effect on how we select our donor plants and how we then use them. It is crucial that you take time to absorb this information before moving on. Normally, this amount of new information would take months to be taught through the traditional oral method, so do not be disheartened if you need to reread the previous section a number of times before it begins to make sense. Gaining a true understanding of these concepts and coming to grips with the vocabulary is a major step forward. Without this knowledge, you may well find what follows difficult or even incomprehensible.