Plant Witchery: Discover the Sacred Language, Wisdom, and Magic of 200 Plants - Juliet Diaz 2020
The Seasons
The Secret Language of Plants
The seasons are the almighty elders of the Earth. Winter, autumn, spring, and summer are the original timekeepers, the natural rituals of life. When we let the seasons guide us, we are living in tune with the Earth. We become vessels in which the Earth can transmute her wisdom and medicine. We become aware of being part of a bigger whole, allowing our fears and need to control things float away into nothingness.
Our ancestors knew that the seasons guided life in ways that were vital to survival, healing, and growth. The seasons teach us about the beauty of aging, death, and rebirth. The Plant Witch within us remembers that from the moment we are born, we are beautiful, dying things. The leaves that fall to the ground nourish the Earth. They nourish the insects and provide burrows and homes for the creatures that live in the forest.
Think about the breath you take in, inhaling the oxygen that a tree has given you. Think about the breath you give out, feeding the trees in return. This is the exchange, the eternal gifting and receiving of life and energy. Death is a part of that exchange.
We can learn a lot about ourselves by paying attention to how we feel and act during each season. For example, during the summer, I used to turn into a hot mess, literally. I couldn’t stand the heat, the brightness, but I wanted badly to try and connect with summer. I wanted to feel what others felt about that season, to tap into its joy, playfulness, and fire. So I sat and meditated on it. I called in summer and had long conversations about how she made me feel and how I so desperately wanted to understand her. Do you know what she told me? She said, “You are me. You are all the seasons; you just need to find balance.” So I did just that. I focused on cooling and releasing energy when summer came to visit. I ate more melons, drank more water, and did exercises that helped release my excess energy, such as kundalini, tai chi, and chanting. I meditated before the sunrise and did yoga after sunset. I went through trial and error to find what helped me.
Spring
This classic time of rebirth and renewal is a time to celebrate. Your Magic is at its most fertile at this time, as you are able to harness the power of Mother Earth as she gives birth to another cycle of life. Set your intentions, work in new and creative ways, and simply allow the childlike energy of spring to inspire your imagination.
EFFECTIVE SPELLS: creativity, happiness, new beginnings, purification, wishes
PLANTS TO WORK WITH: morning glory, ivy, air plant, valerian
Summer
This vibrant season is full of passion and power. If you can harness summer’s fire, instead of letting it weigh you down, you can use it to burn away anything that has been blocking you and ignite your creative fire. Like summer, you contain abundance and Magical energy. What are you capable of creating?
EFFECTIVE SPELLS: creativity, love, abundance, manifesting
PLANTS TO WORK WITH: rose, orchid, bergamot, witchgrass
Autumn
This is my favorite season. As Mother Earth begins to tilt away from the Sun, we grow colder, darker. Autumn is a time to peer inward, to look at your own shadows and see them for what they truly are. Speak with and honor your ancestors and spirit guides as the veil between worlds grows thin. What messages do they have for you?
EFFECTIVE SPELLS: spiritual development, shadow work, self-awareness, reflection, psychic ability, opening the door between realms, balance
PLANTS TO WORK WITH: Solomon’s seal, datura, mint, elder
Winter
While Mother Earth sleeps, take this time to rest and rejuvenate. Reflect on what it is you have to offer the world, and what it is the world has given you. Embrace a sense of gratitude, and begin to do the work, laying preparations for Magic to come. Purify your spirit and cleanse yourself of all that you have been carrying as you make ready for a new beginning. The cycle continues always.
EFFECTIVE SPELLS: self-love, purification, protection, peace, healing, energy clearing, clarity
PLANTS TO WORK WITH: lavender, cedar, pine, tobacco
Conversations with the Seasons Journal
I keep a journal for each season, and recommend you do the same! It will help you keep track of how you feel throughout the year, what you experience, and any lessons, messages, and wisdom you may receive.
Use your journal to have a conversation with each of the seasons. What do you love? If you love autumn like I do, think about the comfort and rest she brings you—and then ask yourself how to balance that with the energy you receive from summer. What do you experience with winter? What do you experience with spring?
Pay attention to how your body reacts to each season. How is your appetite? What foods make you feel better or worse? What plants do you notice, and which of them are calling to you, offering you messages? How can you use each of the seasons to balance the others?