The Green Witch Field Guide
The magic of being a Green Witch is about green magic, herbal witchcraft, and plant allies! I find inspiration in the everyday mundane magic of life. This can be anything from creating a hot cup of herbal tea to scrying with a mirror in the middle of the forest.
Green witchcraft is an umbrella term as labels are interchangeable. It’s a mixture of folk magic, hedge witchcraft, sea witchery, and kitchen witchcraft. However, being a green witch is the label that resonated the most with me.
As an earth-based witch, I live my life by the lunar phases and by the seasonal shifts. Even though I live in a tropical climate, I hibernate during the winter months and emerge in the springtime, right around the time the butterflies emerge from their cocoon to greet the world.
Using the elements (earth, fire, water, air, and spirit) and the weather is an integral part of herbal witchcraft. I draw energy from the elements, the weather, the earth, and the genius loci or local spirits of the land.
I infuse my green magic by working with deities, fairies, gnomes, and animal familiars. In addition to that, plant allies are always a must! I can’t imagine my life without my plants and herbs.
Every green witch is completely different and unique. We each carve a path that is all our own and it comes with our own set of rules and beliefs we have for ourselves.
For the sake of transparency, I will be revealing my witchcraft practice and how it works for me. It has taken me years of building a consistent practice to create a green-based religion that is all my own.
I’m hoping by sharing the magic of being a green witch with you, I’ll help you find your green path too! The most important part of being an herbal witch is learning what resonates with you and what makes you tick, then building a grimoire on it.
Plants By Laurali is my green witch grimoire! It’s a collection of magical experiences, herbal spells, and plant allies that make my life blossom, grow, and change.
I’m pretty sure I’ve been a nature witch since childhood. I remember building relationships with the desert cactus in the Mojave Desert where I grew up. The purple sunsets infused me with the meaning of life, even at a young impressionable age.
I always felt a sense of belonging when we hiked the trails or went camping by the Colorado River. It felt like I was always where I was meant to be.
As I grew older, I grew comfortable in my own skin, catching fireflies in jars and singing to rose bushes on a sunny morning. Everything was interconnected and I could feel a thread of magic running through my veins.
As most people do, I had lost a little of my magic along the way. Life had made me jaded and it took me many years to step back into my personal power. In fact, it took me many years to even admit that I was a green witch.
“A plant witch is someone who has plant allies and has a spiritual connection to herbs.”
The concept of being a witch, let alone choosing a path, made me uncomfortable until one day I outgrew the skin that I was in. For me, it took a near-death experience. Several years ago, I was at a point where I was going to take my life.
A family member got me the help I needed and after my hospitalization, something changed within me. It was like this new life force was running through my veins like some kind of magic.
It was during this time that I started the Everyday Laurali Star blog. It was originally meant to be a nature journal and it turned out to be so much more than that. It was through writing my blog that I found myself.
Most people come to witchcraft because they want to create change in their lives. This was definitely the case for me. I had gone through one long dark night of the soul experience followed by many spiritual awakenings.
Even though it’s been a grueling experience, I discovered where my magic lies. For me, my magic lies in being a green witch. My entire herbal craft practice revolves around the magic of nature.
In a way, it was inevitable that I would end up here. Everything in my life had led to this beautiful life-changing moment. One day, I was forest bathing and communing with the nature spirits like I often do, and I felt myself embracing the green path.
The Magic of Being a Green Witch
The magic of being a green witch is derived from the magic of nature! Even at my busiest, I find ways to spend time at my local parks and beaches. I make each day a mini hiking adventure!
As a green witch, I’m at home in nature. I consider it my home and it’s the place where I feel most comfortable in my skin. I bring nature into my home by filling it with living plants, and growing herbs, gemstones, and terrariums.
In addition to that, I have a hedgehog animal familiar that I commune with for hedge riding, astral travels, and off-the-grid spells. My hedgehog animal familiar is at the helm of every little magical thing I do each day.
“Hedgehog animal familiars are masters of disguise. They can be used for glamour spells, protection spells, and grounding rituals.”
I also have a plethora of deities I work with. Lots and lots of deities. I have a relationship with every one of them.
My patron goddess is the Goddess Fortuna and she’s my best friend in the world. I feel closer to her than I do most humans. Goddess Fortuna is the love of my life.
I also have a special relationship with my ancestors that is almost indescribable. Ancestors are family members that may or may not be related to you. When all hell breaks loose, I know I can always count on my ancestors to have my back.
Not all green witches work with deities, but every green witch has an animal familiar and plant allies. I practice animal magic, which I incorporate into my spellwork.
What are animal familiars? Animal familiars are spirit creatures that act as a guide, and ally, and assist you in magical workings. Animal magic is where you work with the essence of an animal and weave it into your spells and remedies.
When I come across animal bones, honeycombs, wasp nests, dead butterflies, and animal fur I keep it in a jar and use it to connect with the animal spirit for future spellwork. I keep dried lizards, frogs, ants, and whatever I can find in jars for later use.
Just to be clear, I never go out of my way to harm any of these creatures. I find them naturally. The only exception for me was when I killed a wasp that got into my home and was trying to dive-bomb me.
In a case like this, I reconciled with the wasp animal spirit and it has since become one of my greatest allies. I promised the wasp animal spirit that its death would not be in vain. In exchange, it helped me with a great little revenge spell.
Last but not least, my plant allies are my everything. I greet my plants when I wake up in the morning, I play songs for them, and I offer them my love and devotion at every turn.
My plant familiar is an aloe vera plant named Alice. Most familiars don’t take on physical form, but Alice lives in my kitchen in a sunny spot near the window. She works with me on the earthly plane and in the fairy realm, where I enjoy spending time the most.
I often work hand-in-hand with plant spirits and the magic of gemstones together! I know which ones pair well together and I like the way they fit.
I sleep with a different combination of crystal grids under my pillow every night as I sleep and dream. My favorites are amethyst and moonstone for hedge riding and prophetic dreams.
Being a green witch means making friends with objects (for example, my wooden stick is also my magical wand), familiars, and plant spirits from all walks of life. I always try to make myself open and available to their frequency and naturally tune into them.
The best part of being an herbal craft practitioner is the magic. The magic of nature is woven into every aspect of my life, from my clothing to my business. I’m infused with the magic of nature and it overflows from me like a waterfall into the hearts of others.
How to Know If You’re a Green Witch
Are you wondering if you’re a green witch? If you’re a green witch, some of what I’ve written about would have resonated with you.
Maybe you’ve always had a special place in your heart for the forest or feel most at home in nature. Perhaps, you’ve always had a secret relationship with houseplants or gemstones. Maybe you feel a kinship with the faerie folk or earth goddesses,
The first sign that you’re a nature witch will be your connection to mother nature. It will most likely be something you’ve felt since childhood and may have rekindled as a grownup.
Another sign you might be a green witch is to have a natural affinity for plants and herbs. Maybe you have a good intuition when it comes to herbs. Maybe you have a green thumb when it comes to plants.
As a green witch, you’ll most likely connect with the raw, natural materials of the earth. You may sleep with crystals under your pillow every night or wear crystals in your bra. You may be drawn to using healing gemstones in your daily practice.
Whatever the case may be, there will be some kind of connection to the natural world. There will be a strong sense of community and belonging. You’ll feel protective of Mother Earth and have a strong desire to love and nurture it.
If you are on the green pathway, you’ll most likely be earth-friendly and kind to animals. Maybe you eat a plant-based diet or you grow your vegetables. Perhaps you pick up litter on the trails or you volunteer at your local animal shelter.
As a greenie, you are a friend to the animals. Maybe animals are drawn to you because you are kind and trustworthy. Maybe you can even understand their language intuitively.
Another huge sign of green witchcraft is working with the fae. One of my first realizations that I was a green witch was having the nature spirits make themselves known to me.
Being a green witch means working with earth-based magic. This means every spell has an earth element within it. You might add a second element, but the element of earth will always be at the forefront of your practice.
You’ll find that the magic of nature is where your heart is at. It will be integral to your practice to work with plants, animals, herbs, and even dirt.
If any of this resonates with you, you might be a green witch. It’s important to keep in mind, that no rule says you have to choose a label. This will be a natural, organic path for you that feels right.
Life As a Solitary Green Witch: What It’s Like
“Being a solitary green witch means making up your own rules as you go along and carving your own path. From poisonous plant garden to karma, find what resonates with you.”
What I like about being a solitary green witch is that I get to live life my way, which is important to me! I'm a free spirit and I don't like to be bogged down by rules and plans. I'm the type of person who lives life very much at the moment!
Therefore, being a solitary witch makes perfect sense for me as a person. I like to craft my nature spells on the go and spend hours in the butterfly garden snapping photographs of bumblebees and botanicals. I like to take my time with everything I do and there's something about working with herbs that makes you slow down and appreciate the enchanted forest even more.
Why did I choose a solitary path versus joining a coven of witches? Again, I don't like groupthink when it comes to rules and regulations. I like knowing at the end of the day that I only have to answer to myself. My spirit helpers are only here to offer me guidance but at the end of the day, it always comes down to following my heart and taking a leap of faith!
Working alone allows me the freedom to let the spells that I want to work come to me freely, unbidden in my mind. I've always been kind of a loner and a non-conformist so this style suits me best when it comes to the craft.
I feel like when choosing a witchy path to go down, it's good to stay within the confines of your personality. If you're an extrovert, I think a witch coven could be a great boost for your spellwork! However, if you're an introvert at heart, it's best to stick with what you know and where you feel most comfortable in your environment.
Why did I choose the path of green nature witch? For me, it feels like the path of the green witch chose me! It was a natural fit for the slow-living lifestyle that I already had going here in Florida.
Being a green witch means that I get to spend more time with my herbs, healing crystals, flowers, and plants. It gives me a direct link to animism, which is at the core of my belief system. Animism is where you believe that every rock, flower, and blade of grass is ensouled.
Working with botanicals has proved my belief in animism to be true! I put a lot more deliberate thought into how my plants are feeling if my crystals like the spot they are sitting in, or if the flowers want to come to join me and live in my hair as part of how I wear whimsical style in the woodland!
It feels like when I found my brand of witchcraft, in turn, I found myself! This is the first time in my life that I feel I am living my true life authentically and standing in my power.
It was like this was the person that I was always meant to be, only this time I was stepping into my power and my truth. I'm embracing kinfolk-style living, and claiming it as my own.
Life has become something of a dream to me at times. I find that using seashells to hear the ocean or making a spell from graveyard dirt comes as natural to me as breathing. Sometimes, it feels as if I'm floating on a feather!
All of this has made me love, appreciate, and understand my signature witch style even more. Being a solitary green witch has rekindled my childhood love and fondness for nature. It's made me become the person that I was always meant to be, filled with the magic of my own making!
What's interesting about magic is that when you first start witching responsibly, you feel utterly and completely helpless. That's why many of us come to witchcraft in the first place. Performing spells helps you take your power back, and helps you to feel in control in a world full of chaos.
For the very first time in my entire life, I feel like life isn't just happening to me. It feels like I have some control over what happens to me and I use high magicks to make things happen. Finding my path has been a lot like finding myself, after groping in the darkness for so many years.
It's a beautiful thing to behold to find your true, authentic self. It's a wonderful thing to live a magical life and incorporate the elements of magic into your green nature witch time capsule wardrobe. It makes you feel powerful and in control, like the magician of your destiny and fate.
What's not to love about that? At the end of the day, that's what we're all looking for. A pathway filled with fairy lights that will always light the way for us, illuminating truths along the way.
Green Witchery: A Sustainable Lifestyle and Kindness to Animals
Part of practicing green witch magic is learning how to create sustainable spells that are earth-friendly and kind to the animals. Being a green witch truly means being green and eco-friendly in every way.
I'm still, a long way off from my futuristic goal to join a coop for organic fruits and vegetables grown fresh from local organic farms, but I know someday I'll get there if I keep following my vision. In addition to that, I have plans of going waste-free, returning to my natural vegan state, and creating a green nature witch capsule wardrobe filled with sustainable, timeless fashions.
However, I know that it takes time to build all of those things into my everyday life. These last couple of years have seen me fluctuating a lot. One minute I'm able to be fully vegan and mostly raw, then the next minute I'm eating a danish with my coffee.
So, I'm trying to find some kind of balance between the two. I do like living a completely plant-based lifestyle, but it isn't always realistic for me.
I took some time off to figure out if sustainability and slow living still have a place on my blog (because it certainly does in my heart!) and I came to the conclusion that it does! When I think about the faerie folk and practicing green magic, I realize that protecting the environment is a big part of my calling.
I think in some ways, I felt like I wasn't in a good place to write about those things because I wasn't 100% living the sustainable living lifestyle that I desired. You know what? I couldn't be more wrong!
Living a green lifestyle isn't about being perfect. It's about making the effort and doing the best you can every single day until one day you get to a place you're happy with.
In the middle of embracing the magical path I am on as a green witch and herbalist, I found myself. I found the person that I'd like to be, which is someone who loves to practice magic ethically and responsibly by using sustainable witchcraft.
This could mean everything from not using palo santo incense or frankincense and myrrh (due to its unethical treatment of the environment) to creating vegan spells as a kitchen witch! If anything, this has made me want to buckle down and work on creating an eco-friendly environment even more!
As many of you already know, I moved into a tiny house this year and now I'm practicing tiny-house living! This was a long-term goal that I've had for a considerable amount of time that finally came true for me.
I wanted to practice living a more minimalist lifestyle because where I live people have too much stuff. People in general, myself included, buy too much junk that has to be thrown away into waste piles that kill our environment and make it a toxic waste dump.
What I'm currently working on is creating less waste. I still have a long way to go, of course, but that's my aim as we head into the future.
What is green magic and how can I practice it? Green magic is where a green witch uses her environment (genius loci) to create spells and rituals. The green witch always knows the lay of the land and communes with plant spirits and the flower fairies!
A solitary green witch is usually into herbal witchcraft! It's not a prerequisite, but working with herbs always seems to align with the path of green magic.
She (or he) might also have gravitated toward green goddesses and the lords of the forest, though it isn't necessary to practice green witchcraft. In other words, you might feel steered toward leaving offerings for plant spirits and nature goddesses like Goddess Nemetona!
It's also not uncommon for a green nature witch to want to slow down and enjoy life by practicing kinfolk style slow living This might mean wearing slow fashions and spending more time in mother nature.
It might mean growing an herbal windowsill garden or foraging for mushrooms in the forest to put food on the table. It's, at the end of the day, about living a more simple lifestyle with less waste!
There is a bit of a rustic element to living this way, but it depends on how deep you want to go into it. For example, it wouldn't be uncommon for a hedge witch to practice hedge witchery from a little cottage home in the woodland. This is a handy way of utilizing your natural resources in the craft!
Whatever path of the green witch you'd like to take is your own! For myself, I've always enjoyed spending a lot of time hiking the trails and having picnics in the forest with the fairies. You might enjoy working with the nature spirits for some green living tips!
I've always been one to reduce, reuse, and recycle! I try to eat a plant-based diet as much as humanly possible for me. I am currently living a minimalistic lifestyle by moving into a smaller home, therefore reducing the amount of waste I have.
I make a habit of picking up trash and litter when I see it in my neighboring environment and of course, I've always been against throwing litter on the ground because hello, this is our earth too! Earlier this year, the fairies channeled a message for me to pass on, please don't litter and pick up trash.
I am getting better at many, many things when it comes to living a greener lifestyle, but of course, I could always be better! That's the point though. We should never give up the good fight.
That's why I'm so happy to be embracing life as a green nature witch. It allows the best of both worlds for me and my readers. It allows me to expand my knowledge of environmental protection through spiritual messages and the like.
At first, I thought maybe practicing green magic would mean writing less or maybe giving something up for myself. Instead, it has helped me to grow in my green magic craft by leaps and bounds! It feels like I get to be me, only better. I'm happy with that!
How to Practice Sustainable Witchcraft
This is a guide on how to practice sustainable witchcraft for green witches! One of the biggest draws to becoming a green nature witch was aligning with my values of being nature-friendly and earth-responsible. Today, we're going to talk about the best way to live a more sustainable lifestyle as a nature witch!
To get started, you might like to read about how to practice sigil magick in the forest! You can create sigils and activate them by leaving them in the woodland while hiking the trails. Bonus points for leaving goddess offerings or creating a nature-inspired altar!
To get to the heart of sustainability in witchcraft, you must first outline what your goals are as a green witch. For some, you might set a goal of going waste-free, while for others you might like to eat a healthier diet that's more plant-based and kinder to the life of bees.
Create at least one green-friendly goal that will help you to reduce waste and live a more ethical lifestyle as a green witch. Having respect and reverence for the animals of the forest and the plant spirits is a huge defining factor in herbal witchcraft and living life as a solitary green witch!
Another thing, if you do decide to practice forest sigil magick, make a point of always going back to retrieve any paperwork or trash left behind. If that's not an option for you, consider using paper that is recyclable and can be broken down by the nutrients of the forest floor.
When you create nature goddess offerings or fairy altars in the woodland, be sure to leave offerings and use items that are at one with nature! This can be anything from using sticks and twigs to weigh your sigil down to leaving offerings of flower bundles and gemstone companions for your forest friends.
Part of being a green witch is using herbs in your craft, as well as spending more time with Mother Nature. With walls of trees closing in all around you, that's when you'll find your conscious connection to the magic of the forest.
When you build a connection to the nature spirits and woodland goddesses, you'll be more inclined to live a more sustainable, waste-free lifestyle! You might even receive intuitive messages from the fairies of the forest, prompting you to pick up trash on your morning hike on the trail.
You can also express yourself through slow fashion and sustainable clothing lines! Slow clothing is much better for the environment than fast fashion is. You can slowly build a capsule wardrobe of ethical clothing by taking a thoughtful approach to building a wardrobe with slow fashion!
Yes, vegan clothing is often more expensive than that of fast fashion, but you can work your way up the sustainable clothing ladder slowly and effectively by making a few tweaks and changes over time. It's important to remember that you don't have to go green overnight. Being a sustainable witch is a lifetime practice with a slow and thoughtful build-up!
To become a sustainable witch, it comes down to creating the life you want and only you can define what your goals are. Maybe for you, you're not ready to give up meat, but you still want to practice an arc of kind living for the animals. This could be anything from only using meat and poultry that's farm-fresh and organic.
Whatever the case may be, you have to create your statement of what sustainable witchcraft means to you! That's your homework assignment today. Simply grab a piece of paper and a pen and write down a personal statement of what kind of green witch you'd like to be and what that means to you.
Working with sustainable witchcraft is extremely personal and you have to work out the details of what's important to you when it comes to global warming and environmental protection. Perhaps, you feel inclined to work with a bevy of nature goddesses and the lords of the forest.
You can write that down in your mission statement as you make a promise to Mother Earth to honor her in your unique way. For making a connection to green witchcraft, I highly recommend that you start with the queen of all queens, Mother Gaia!
Hike out into the forest and leave her an offering of acorns filled with treasures or food that you think the faerie folk might enjoy. Tell her what your goals are, outline how you'd like to honor her and create an altar in the woods for her for regular devotion and worship!
Making a connection with Mother Nature will help you to feel tuned in and connected to all living things. When you feel connected to the collective consciousness and grounded in earth’s energy, you tend to be more likely to want to be respectful of the land and dark places you tread on in the mountains, beach, or living desert preserve!
It's highly important as a green magic practitioner to know the lay of the land and everyone who lives and dwells there. This is better known as genius loci or the spirits of the land. This can include everything from woodland creatures to plant spirits and herbal energy magic.
By doing this, you'll strongly resonate with the flora and fauna of the land, as well as the magical creatures that exist there. It is not uncommon, once you begin working with the nature spirits, to begin receiving tips and advice for becoming a better green nature witch.
This can include everything from giving up meat and dairy to finding a really solid middle ground with hiking in vegan hiking boots. Whatever the case may be, you'll begin receiving downloads of intuitive information that will help you to become a more sustainable witch for the future of the earth and all of its inhabitants!
As you begin to receive intuitive hits, you'll begin to automatically start gearing yourself toward a more sustainable, minimalist lifestyle! This can often include downsizing and moving into a tiny home for tiny house living (been there, done that!) to eating more roughage and plant-based meals on the fly!
Working with the genius loci in your neighborhood and local parks will help you achieve your goal of becoming a sustainable witch! Being a green witch has been one of the greatest lifestyle changes I've ever made.
I didn't suddenly become a green witch one day out of boredom, it was a slow evolution that brought me where I am today. It all started with a hike into the woods that I keep going back for and making best friends with the plant spirits that live and dwell there. Now, it's your turn!
What is Animism? The Foundation of Witchcraft
“Every plant, gemstone, and flower comes with a built-in nature spirit! Animism is a fundamental building block to green witchcraft especially.”
What is Animism? Where Every Plant, Gemstone, and Flower Comes With a Built-In Nature Spirit! Have you ever wondered if the rocks you collect or the flowers that you pick have a soul? Today, we're going to cover the topic of animism and why it's so important to practice witchcraft.
Animism is the core belief that every rock, garden gnome, and grain of sand is ensouled. This includes everything from computers to all of their individual parts. Everything has a soul, but many such souls are sleeping.
To be honest, you don't want to go around waking up the soul of everything in your house and belongings because things can get quite noisy and it's completely unnecessary. Some things, such as living houseplants and a goldstone dragon gemstone are already awake, alert, and ready to go!
So, why would you want to wake up an inanimate object such as a car, computer, or even a coffee cup? Most of the time, you're not going to want to do that, but I have seen people name their vehicles when they have a close relationship with them and/or create an attachment to a specific object in their home based on nostalgia.
In those cases, you might want to activate or wake up the soul of the object you are working with! How to do this? Just touch the object and ask it to wake up! That's all you have to do.
Thus far, I have awakened my yoga mat, an enchanted vintage mirror, and stuffed animals. Often when we do this it's because we would like to bless the object and bring it to life!
In my case, I do thirty minutes of yoga every single day. Therefore, my yoga mat is someone I decided to wake up to bring more blessings and enchantment to my daily vinyasa flow yoga practice.
When thinking of waking something up, be sure to consider its usefulness. What is its use value to you? Do you have a personal relationship with it? Would you name your object to give it a distinct personality and meaning?
These are things to think about as we go along in our journey into animism. The concept of animism lies in the belief that every plant, gemstone, flower, and herb comes with a built-in nature spirit! In this case, we're talking about the elemental faerie folk who have a place in everything in our world.
Even manmade stuff is still derived from nature. Natural materials will often take a new shape and pick up energies, as well as transform over time, but that doesn't mean it is without a soul.
As you will see, this is very much the contrary! Everything, every part of us, every part of the world comes ensouled and it's up to us to connect with the living, breathing life force all around us responsibly through our life as a magical person. How cool is that?
The core belief of animism is that every living thing has a soul, including inanimate objects that you wouldn't think could spring to life. Again, unless the item is something awake and living, nine times out of ten it will not need to be awakened. Would you want to be awakened for no particular reason?
No! It would probably make you grumpy. Always keep in mind that you shouldn't wake something up unless you have a specific reason for doing so.
Another thing to keep in mind is not to wake something up and immediately start asking for favors! Talk about pissing off the soul of something that was sleeping and didn't want to be bothered or awakened. There has to be a good reason behind it and you must go into it with gifts and offerings!
For example, I feed my yoga mat with my daily yoga practice. That is how I honor her and maintain our relationship. Since doing this, my practice has reached an advanced level and I never miss a practice, even on my worst days!
For stuffed animals, I have awakened a pink unicorn with a rainbow tail that belonged to one of my granddaughters. I awakened her to both bless and protect my granddaughter and she was happy to do so. In this case, because she's a unicorn, unicorn symbolism would apply here.
For my vintage mirror, I awakened it so that I could use it in photographs and spellwork. I call her my enchanted mirror because she can be used to reflect bad energy to the sender (hexes and curses, etc.) and is perfect for glamour magick spells. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?
I also awaken the enchanted hair ribbons through color magick! I use ribbons in my hair several days a week, and when I do, I make sure to awaken the ribbon so that I can both bless, enchant, and bring her to life!
This not only brings magic throughout my day but throughout my lifelong relationship with my hair accessories! Being a witch means developing relationships with things you never thought you would and that's part of the charm of using animism in your witchcraft.
In the past, I've awakened a tiara to use as a spirit wand to walk between both worlds. It's always good to wake up an object to bring with you while astral traveling or while walking a shaman journey.
As you can see, there are many uses to animism and it is at the core of all witchy beliefs, even if you don't follow the Wiccan religion and want to go solo like me. With unwakened objects, I tend to use this method sparingly and always give thanks and gratitude afterward.
For awakened souls, such as houseplants and flower bouquets, I always leave gifts and offerings. For example, if I go happy herb hunting in the forest, I'm not just going to take plant clipping, I am going to leave plant offerings and gifts. This is because I am taking something from a living, breathing being of love and light and it's important to respect that.
There's a reason many green witches become vegan or vegetarian, as looking at it from the point of animism, it changes how you feel about animals and the food you eat. It makes you more intuitive and sensitive to the plight of animals everywhere. You'll become more aware and enlightened about animal cruelty and how it is prevalent in our society as a whole.
What about objects like tarot cards and books? I feel like literature and tarot cards are alive and well. They fall under the category of an awakened spirit that may simply need a good magical hygiene cleaning.
There's a reason you need to cleanse and consecrate your tarot card deck before beginning tarot readings! Tarot cards pick up spiritual debris while being created, shipped, and delivered to a future fortune teller. Therefore, a good cleansing is always in order!
But, make no mistake, tarot cards are very much alive and awakened with spirit energy, and essence! It just needs a good scrub before use, a quick blessing, and you're ready to become a tarot reader.
On the other hand, with books and reading, I automatically feel their ensouled energy. Think of it this way: Books are written by people and will usually pick up the energy and the essence of the book author to some degree.
In addition to that, the author brings the characters, places, and story to life through world-building. Therefore, this makes the book an already awakened soul by the time it reaches you and into your heart!
Working with animism springs your spells to life! If you know and believe that your spell is a living, breathing sovereign being, you'll have more faith in its capabilities and hidden talents.
For example, whenever I create an herbal envelope spell, I go into waking up herbs by talking to them! I treat them with respect and I work with their level of agreeableness and disagreeableness. Not every plant or herb is going to want to work with me and I accept that.
Just like you wouldn't force someone to be your friend in real life, the same can apply to herbal spells and plant magick! Building a lasting relationship takes time and energy. In some cases, the plant, herb, or flower may never want to work with you and you have to decide if you should push a relationship or not.
In the case of gemstones, they tend to be more fickle with people and whom they go home with. If you've ever lost a crystal from your bra or pocket while hiking, it means you have a jumper in your hands. This particular crystal decided to part ways with you for its reasons.
Maybe it's to find a new home or a different kind of caretaker. Maybe it just means somebody else needed the tiny amethyst gemstone terrarium you made more than you did and the gemstone could pick up on that. Whatever the case may be, crystal healers go where they want to go!
What is animism? It's where every plant, gemstone, and flower comes with a built-in nature spirit! It's the cornerstone of all witchcraft, from hedge witchery to sea witchery. You'll never look at life the same again and that's a good thing!
Using Shadow Work in Green Witchcraft
There is a dark side to being a green witch too. It’s not always rainbows and unicorns. Part of being any kind of witch is doing shadow work.
As we begin our journey into green witchcraft, we're often told not to waste our time with dark magic. There's something taboo about crafting hex spells and banishing or binding people from your life. As you grow as a witch, you begin to turn toward the dark side of things.
We might start with working spells during the baneful moon phase. This is the period when the moon is waning in energy, making it the perfect time to do curses, banishing spells, and binding spells. It's also the perfect moon phase in which to do shadow work and get in touch with your dark self!
We begin to realize that the dark half of ourselves is just as important as the light side of things! We can't have the light without the dark and vice versa.
What is shadow work? Shadow work is where you work on the dark, recesses of your mind. It's where deep, dark secrets hidden in your psyche come out to play.
Our shadow self can be found during astral traveling and transcendental meditation and what you see isn't always pretty. I faced my shadow aspect head-on recently and I was disgusted by what I saw.
I saw myself in the astral realm in the middle of a graveyard with my headstone engraved. I was screaming and bleeding at first, but by the time I left, I could tell parts of myself were healing and being integrated. I began to look less ugly and more like myself.
The shadow self, once you meet him or her, is different for everyone. Some people have shadow selves that aren't so horrific-looking, while others have a gory shadow self. The important thing is not to let it frighten you when you meet it.
You might be surprised by what you see, but don't let fear overcome you. Meeting your shadow self is an advanced-level witchcraft technique that requires going within.
Always be sure to ground your energy afterward! This is important because you don't want to bring back any space junk or debris with you from the astral plane. You don't want any malicious spirits to follow you home upon returning.
Once you open the door, you'll want to make sure to shut it once your integration is complete. This is why taking an animal familiar with you on your journey is so vitally important!
Even when you visit the fairy realm, you want to be sure to close any fairy portals behind you. We have to keep our world and our energy separate for astral visits and flying the hedge with hedge witchcraft.
If you don't feel ready to meet your dark self yet and this is all new for you, that's okay too. It's better to wait until you're prompted by the universe. You'll know when it's the right time for you!
The important thing to note here is that you are getting to know your darker half and you're forming a relationship with him or her. You can do that by creating a shadow work journal and casting dark magic spells that resonate with you.
It's about taking control of your life and inciting personal power from deep within. You might have to face your fears, as well as some ugly things about yourself, but you'll be better for it. Let's dive into how you can get to know your shadow self, shall we?
To begin working on your shadow self, write down some ugly truths about yourself. I'm talking about your deepest, darkest secrets that you wouldn't even want your best friend to know.
It's better to get them out in the open so you can work on them. We can't fix something if we don't acknowledge its existence in our lives. The first step is admitting what your problem is.
You can keep this in a private shadow work journal and keep it hidden where no one else can see it but you and your spiritual team. This will give you something to look back on to see your personal growth over time.
The next step, which is completely optional, would be to tell all your dark, dirty secrets to a dark goddess. I'll be touching on a few of these dark triple goddesses throughout this article to help you get started.
All you have to do is head into your local park for a nice, long hike and pour your heart out. You can do this in your mind, that way, a passerby won't hear you spilling your guts, so to speak.
Sharing your darkest secrets with a goddess is the quickest way to connect with a goddess! They are very much about, I'll show you mine if you show me yours.
The goddesses won't judge you or punish you for any secrets you share with them. They don't use it as fuel for the fire. They will simply listen and step forward to try to help you in any way they can.
What this does is begin the healing process! This is your first step toward embracing your shadow self and integrating it into your daily life.
Something is healing about releasing a secret that no one knows in a healthy environment where you don't fear judgment. We all have things in our past that we're ashamed of or would do differently.
Some things that might come up for you might be addictions (drug, alcohol, gambling, sex addictions, etc.), dark secrets of the past, a bad past-life experience, fear-based thoughts, and ego-based emotions. Opening up to a goddess acts as a catalyst for change and transformation!
Dark goddesses, in particular, are well-known for change, transformation, and destruction. Sometimes the old way of doing things has to be brought to a natural end so we can build it back better.
Confronting a problem head-on with a goddess brings healing and closure to the issue. It may be triggering and painful for you, but it's the only way to get in touch with your darker half.
By now, you might be thinking, why would I want to get in touch with my shadow self? This sounds painful! You want to embrace your dark half to become a more experienced, well-rounded green witch.
Once you begin to let things unfold, you might begin to have a penchant for working with poisonous plants or performing spells that create boundaries and protection around you. Perhaps you'll open yourself up to breaking hexes passed down from your ancestors or you'll develop a passion for graveyard magic.
You never know where this path will lead you! You could end up healing childhood wounds and trauma or developing a close, personal relationship with a spirit who has passed on.
The important thing is to let this dark magic take you where it wants to go! It's not about the destination, but rather the journey to becoming fully and completely you.
The Green Witch Rede
Every green witch has a personal practice and personal set of beliefs that they adhere to that are all their own. We make up our own rules as we go along based on personal experiences. With green magic, there is no Wiccan Rede to abide by!
My beliefs have changed throughout the years and if I could share one tip with baby green witches, I would say to always question your beliefs and their validity. When we first start, we start indoctrinated by the beliefs and moral codes that society has fed to us.
The only way to change that is through finding your set of beliefs and applying them. I recommend questioning taboo topics, everything from karma to being curse-positive, to see where you stand on the topic.
This will help you understand what your beliefs are as you move forward with your practice. Every witch needs to create their witchcraft rede based on where they stand on certain issues. Be sure to record it in your book of shadows for safekeeping!
Are you curse-positive? Do you believe in karma? What’s your stance on love spells? How do you feel about twin flame relationships?
All of these can be addressed and recorded in your green witch grimoire for future reference. If in the future, more questions pop up, you can reevaluate your stance on it.
