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True healing begins when we courageously sit with our emotions, allowing them to flow through us, understanding that in our full presence, they find their path to release and transformation.

Matt Kahn

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Our Lady of Tourists Catholic Wayside Shrine, Gorce Mountains, Poland by Jerzy Górecki

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Paris - July 3rd, 2011

Be not inhospitable to strangers, lest they be angels in disguise.

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Rainer Maria Rilke, tr. by A. Poulin Jr., Duino Elegies and The Sonnets to Orpheus

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Love doing this. One of my favorite personal correspondences-

the driveway of my childhood home was lined with honeysuckle bushes. So while honeysuckle is still for sweetness and joy and all the usual things, for me it's also the literal perfect symbol of boundaries, especially healthy ones. A nice line between home and the outside world. It's unique and specific to me which, I think, gives it that much more meaning.

Witchcraft Exercise - Creating Correspondences

There are dozens of plant species in the arsenal of the green witch. Commonly-used varieties and usage varies somewhat between traditions, but most of us are fairly familiar with industry standards like basil, bay, rosemary, sage, and so on.

But what do you do when faced with a plant that has no listed magical correspondences anywhere that you can find in your witchcraft library? Simple - you create some.

Allow me to demonstrate with a little plant I found in my own backyard. It's a common weed called Virginia copperleaf (Acalypha virginica). But despite it's widespread range and abundant growth as a field weed, there are surprisingly few references to the plant in regional folk medicine and none at all that I could find in contemporary witchcraft.

So in order to incorporate this hardy little weed into my practice, I set about creating some correspondences for it.

First, I researched the physical properties of the plant. It is a small annual spurge with long taproots, a resistance to drought and many herbicides, and a reputation for fast growth and being difficult to eradicate from fields due to prolific seeding. The leaves turn coppery-red in the fall and small spiky flowers bloom among the foliage. It is also mildly poisonous. The juice of the plant may cause contact dermatitis or a mild rash in some people and if ingested, it may cause GI symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.

Next, I researched references to the plant in folk medicine. I could only find a single reference that cited copperleaf as a possible diuretic and expectorant. That does track with the previous mention of GI symptoms, but it doesn't mean the plant is safe to use. I did discover that an alternate name for the plant is three-seeded mercury or mercury weed, likely because of its' tendency for fast growth and the fact that it is propagated by the wind.

So now comes the business of creating the correspondences, using the physical properties of the plant as a basis.

The first and most obvious association is strength. Any weed that is resistant to drought and herbicide and uprooting is bound to be useful for spells involving tenacity and fortitude. Prosperity is also a likely use, both because of the name copperleaf and the way in which the plant grows and spreads quickly. Because of the alternate name mercury weed and the wind propagation, it could be used for wind magic or communication spells. (I often associate the element of air with communication and the name of a messenger god is right there as well, but your mileage may vary.)

The plant could also be used as an ingredient for baneful magic, either to bind and frustrate someone's efforts by consuming available ground where their ambitions might grow, or in its' capacity as a mild poison, to cause physical discomfort and stomach trouble.

So in the end, I have a handful of copperleaf and a listing in my witchbook that details the properties of the plant and notes that it could be useful for spells involving strength, tenacity, prosperity, wind, or communication, as well as possible baneful uses including binding, discomfort, and sickness.

This is my system for assigning correspondences to previously-unknown plants, and I encourage readers to use it as a template for their own practices or to create their own system. Either way, I recommend the use of a field guide or plant identification app like PlantNet to properly identify plants as you find them. Remember to forage and harvest responsibly, be a good steward of the land around you, and always label your plant cuttings.

Happy Witching! 💚🌿

(If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. You can also check out my show Hex Positive wherever fine podcasts are heard. 😊)

More witchcraft exercises here:

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First sketchbook page of the year 💘

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Finger rosaries make the perfect tool for anyone who suffers with anxiety, in particular, social anxiety. Pray with it while waiting in line at the grocery store, while in the doctors office, etc.

Finger rosaries are small and discreet, making them perfect for those with social anxiety, as it shouldn’t draw anymore attention your way. 🙏🩷

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Sacred Heart with Doves, French Catholic Holy Card

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'Hermit Fathers and Immaculate Women' by Mikhail Nesterov (1932)

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'The Annunciation' by Mikhail Nesterov (1901)

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'The Virgin and Child' by Mikhail Nesterov

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Mikhail Nesterov 'The Apparition of the Virgin'. Oil on Canvas

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The Queen of the Night (Simon Quaglio, 1818)

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Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn