INTRODUCTION
Since the very origin of Witchcraft, witches were revered as those who held a secret knowledge of the plant kingdom. Our ancestors in the Craft started cultivating gardens that held the plants and herbs needed for their magical workings. As Christianity spread throughout the world, however, prosecution forced them to hide their "incriminating" herbs, and so the "witch's garden" came into being. Although the years of prosecution came to an end, the tradition holds fast.
In this post we will discuss the integral role a garden plays in the working of a witch and some basic things to consider when starting a garden.
THE GARDEN AND THE WITCH
As Yvonne [2] points out, one does not follow the witch's path for long before having the need to garden. Since witchcraft is deeply rooted in Nature, we as practitioners feel a "spiritual rush" whenever we can contribute to the energy of the Earth. In the following sections we will discuss methods of siting one's garden, and interacting with one's garden.
SITING THE GARDEN
Roth [1] explains that it is important to consult the spirits when siting one's garden. This can take the form of walking through one's potential garden during different times of the day and sensing the energy flow. As with all other practices in magic, the energies must resonate in harmony for the optimal garden. The physical placement of the garden must also resonate with the needs of the specific plants that will be grown there [2] - the siting of one's garden therefore requires the balancing of those two forces. For most herbs, a garden with an abundance of sun is preferable. This being said, a great deal of powerful magical herbs prefer a shady garden [1] , which helped during the years of persecution.
All in all, a proper analysis of one's needs is required to find the best possible site for your garden [2] . Once the herbs are identified, the siting becomes a great deal easier.
INTERACTION
It is important to interact with one's garden in order to establish, and maintain, a bond with one's plants. Roth describes a method of doing this: planting the herbs in rows, separated by old cardboard boxes or newspapers covered with mulch [1] . He motivates this method as being biodegradable, and it offers one a place to walk and from which to work and learn from his plants [1] .
On the topic of interaction: many practitioners believe in offering the land a sacrifice during the harvest moon. This sacrifice traditionally takes the form of tobacco buried in the soil. This depends on the beliefs of the practitioner, but Roth points out that whenever one gardens, one automatically gives back to the land [1] .
PLANTING BY THE MOON
The effects of the Moon magical practices are regularly felt by all practitioners, it therefore comes as no surprise that the Moon effects gardening profoundly.
A brief guideline for planting in harmony with the cycles of the Moon follows:
During the first quarter (New Moon to the Half), plant annuals or crops that will be harvested for their tops and have seeds on the outside. The second quarter (Half to Full), signals the planting of annuals that have seeds inside their fruit [1,3] .
During the Third Quarter (From Full to Half), plant roots and bulbs, perennials, trees, and shrubs.
In contrast, the Fourth Quarter (from Half to New), must be reserved for the doing of other garden chores besides planting, especially pruning [1] .
Avoid gardening on the full or new moon. Celebrate instead.
CONCLUSION
This post attempted to offer a very brief introduction into the world of gardening for the magic practitioner. For a more detailed description, as well as marvelously informative description of a huge range of magical herbs and planting instructions, see the Alchemy Works website.
REFERENCES
[1] Witch's Garden. Roth H.A.
http://www.alchemy-works.com/witchs_garden.html.
20 November 2011.
[2] The Witches Garden. Yvonne.
http://earthwitchery.com/witches-garden.html.
10 December 2011.
[3] Planting by the Moon. S.a. Online. http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/moonplanting.htm.
10 December 2011
The Witch's Garden
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