The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More - Arin Murphy-Hiscock 2017

Working with Green Energy
Live Closely with the Earth
Walking the Green Path

A large part of the green witch’s path consists of using the natural energies contained within plants and trees to attain a certain goal, be it medicinal or magical. Those who follow a path linked to natural magic have long known that we can weave these energies into our everyday life to harmonize ourselves or others with the energy flow of the world around us.

Training yourself to work with these energies takes more than memorizing a list of correspondences. As always, hands-on experience is the best way to learn how you work most effectively. Interacting with a plant while it is still growing and interacting with its energies after it has been harvested will give you a good idea of what this plant can be used for and to what applications its energy is best suited. Books on herbs, flowering plants, indoor and outdoor plants, and trees can be useful as references and general guides, but, ultimately, your energy readings and your instinct will determine how you can best use the energies of the natural world. (Please note that I am referring to the magical application of these items, not medicinal applications. To become competent in herbal medicine, you must take accredited courses in medicinal herbalism, and/or work responsibly with a reliable book.)

The first thing you need is at least one good handbook on the native flora where you live. This isn’t a book on the magical or medicinal applications, but simply a guidebook to identifying the plants and trees.

Before you begin to work with plants, you should know the basic rules of wildcrafting. Wildcrafting is the harvesting of plant matter from the wild, as opposed to harvesting cultivated plants. Why wildcraft? Because there are some plants you can’t grow in a garden. They defy the cultivator’s hand. In addition, few green witches are able today to plant every single herb, tree, flower, or shrub they wish to use in their practice. The basic rules for ethical wildcrafting are as follows:

✵ Never harvest all of anything. In fact, don’t even harvest half of it. A good rule is to harvest only a quarter of what you see, as long as there is plenty of it and it is growing abundantly, and then only if you absolutely need it. It’s better to go back for more fresh material than to be stuck with a huge pile of dried herb you harvested “just in case.” You will probably throw it out. Don’t waste it.

✵ Remember that harvesting wild plant matter can very easily lead to trespassing on someone else’s land. Look for signs. When in doubt, ask.

✵ Picking protected plants is illegal. Make a point of familiarizing yourself with the local laws on harvesting wild flora. Find out what the protected species of your area are and help protect them.

✵ Think clearly at all times. If you travel to harvest wild plants, research the specific region you are traveling to. Know the roads and paths, the dangers and the safe areas. Make an itinerary and stick to it. If you’re going into a forest or into some uncharted land, tell someone where you are going and give them a copy of your itinerary. Carry a phone to call for help if necessary. Keep track of time. Bring a compass. Wear sturdy walking shoes and appropriate clothing. Carry nutritious snacks and plenty of water.

When you know what plants are native to your area, you can better engage in wildcrafting and further explore your connection to the natural energies where you live.

In the following sections you’ll find a set of common correspondences for various natural energies. I’ve chosen to classify plant matter as trees, flowers, and herbs. At the end of the chapter there is also a reference for stones, as these are also of the earth.

IMPORTANT: Although I occasionally include traditional medicinal herbal lore as additional information, if you are interested in using herbs as medical or therapeutic supplements, you must refer to a reliable medicinal guide. Both John Lust’s The Herb Book and Christopher Hobbs’s Herbal Remedies for Dummies are good resources.