Plant Witchery: Discover the Sacred Language, Wisdom, and Magic of 200 Plants - Juliet Diaz 2020
Cactus Cactacae
A Compendium of Plants
ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES
protection, healing, clarity, strength
Plant Witches with particular gifts of compassion and empathy are often drawn to the cactus. Cacti are great healers, mothering plants that bring a sense of calmness. They thrive in the most trying of environments, tolerating droughts, floods, extreme heat, and extreme cold.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
In Latin America, several varieties of cactus serve as a food staple because of their many healing benefits. Agave is a natural antiseptic, used for cuts and burns, and the prickly pear cactus can help us breathe better, purifying the air, removing toxins and even background radiation. Cacti also help increase our focus, clarity, and productivity, making them ideal for office environments and great for creative minds who need a bit more organization in the brain. Cacti can also treat diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, and more.
Cactus Self-Sabotage Protection Spell
We all unwittingly sabotage ourselves sometimes. We keep ourselves from growing, rising, expanding, and healing. Cacti can help you combat this tendency. Setting new goals is never easy, and the strength and willpower required to stick to those goals are hard to find in the world we live in today—but this spell will help you stay focused and on track. It can be used to break old habits, addictions, and thought patterns that no longer serve you.
WHAT YOU NEED
1 small cactus with spines
Small bell or holy smoke
(I recommend cedar or mugwort, but you can use what you have available)
Rainwater
Banana leaf, tobacco leaf, or banana peel
WHAT TO DO
· Set your cactus in front of you. Clear the energy around you by ringing a small bell, or by cleansing with holy smoke.
· Hold a glass of rainwater in your hands and close your eyes as you speak your intentions. A good example of an intent that I would use for this spell would be “Keep me focused and strong while I heal my body” or “Keep me from breaking my own promises.” These are general, so make sure to be more specific to better fit what you are asking for. You are filling this rainwater with your prayer/incantation. Take your time and focus on the energy flowing from your hands into the water.
· Open your eyes and water the cactus with the rainwater, which now carries your intentions. A little goes a long way, and you can save your jar for the next time you need to water the plant.
· As you pour the water, ask the cactus to please take your intention and care for it. Use this 1 intention for just this 1 cactus; let this cactus be the bearer of this specific intent. It will now drink it and it will live within it, growing strong, resilient, powerful, and protected.
· If you need to release something at the same time that will help amplify your intention, take hold of a spine. Speak into it what it is you want to let go of. For example, “laziness,” “self-hate,” and so on. Place that spine in a banana leaf, tobacco leaf, or banana peel, and then bury it.
· Place a note with your intention under your cactus to remind you of your spell. Your cactus will continue to keep this spell going for you as long as you care for it. When you are done with the intention and no longer need the plant to assist, simply water it with regular water and thank your cactus for being your companion in this spell. Explain that you no longer need it to keep working.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES
Cacti are very powerful Magical companions, calling to those in need of protection, healing, and personal growth. Just as they remove toxins from the air, cacti also remove toxins from the spirit. The principles of feng shui (the art of arranging your living space to best enhance the flow of energy) state that anything with sharp points, thorns, or spines will bring bad luck—but I do not believe this is true for cacti. They do sometimes stir things up in order to clear out any bad energy, and it can be uncomfortable having a plant dive into the depths of your soul! But remember, this is only temporary, and it’s how we truly grow and heal. While that kind of active energy is not something you want in your bedroom (or wherever you go to find peace and relaxation), take advantage of cacti’s grounding and protective qualities by placing them at the four corners of your home where they will ward off intruders and ill will.
PLANT WISDOM
When I speak to cacti, they tell me tales of love and peace. They remind me of my strength, and that all beings are pure love with a warrior spirit. Cacti have been a huge support system for me, guiding me and releasing me from old memories and pain. Cacti are great for retrieving things hidden within that are hard to bring out. Cacti thorns can help break unhealthy habits, as the spines can poke through the toughest of issues and open up a new direction, path, or perspective. For all their prickliness, I find cacti very chatty in the mornings—they love the sunrise.
Dreaming of cacti can mean a couple of different things. If you’re dreaming of being poked by their spines, this may symbolize something you are facing, or an issue you need to stop ignoring. If in your dream you are surrounded by cacti but not being poked by them, it means you are standing in your power, strong and resilient. Pay attention! Huge opportunities and changes are coming, and you are ready for them.