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Ophelia by Friedrich Heyser

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Young Woman with Wreath of Flowers in Hair ~ 1896~ Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer (French Symbolist painter, 1865-1953)

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xiaohongshu.com

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THIS!

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-Orlando Furioso-

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'Nymphs Dancing to Pan's Flute' by Joseph Tomanek, (1889 - 1974)

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Witchcraft Exercise - Dig Through The Ditches

While we may not all be able to go for a woodsy hike to connect with our local land spirits and find wild herbs, there is always some sort of ecosystem around us. Making that connection and identifying useful plants can be done just about anywhere.

First, identify your region and find a field guide to the local flora. You’ll want something small enough to carry that has color photographs and detailed descriptions. Peterson’s Field Guides makes very good ones for the U.S. Publishers and availability will vary according to location.

Next, take a stroll! Visit your local community park or green space, or just check out the roadside weeds growing nearest your home. There’s always something. If you don’t feel comfortable lingering in one place long enough to analyze the plants on-site, take some pictures on your phone. That way, you can identify and read about them later.

Take notes about the plants you find. What are their magical uses? Is there any folklore connected to them? Were they ever used in medicine? Where where they growing? What sort of feeling did the plant give you (if any)? How do they fit into the local biome? Is it a native species, an introduced one, or an invasive one?

If you happen to find something that might be useful in your craft, you can go back and collect a small sample, provided the plant is not endangered or likely to harm you and is growing in a public space. (State and national parks do not count as public spaces. They’re great for pictures and study, but please refrain from collecting plants there.) When in doubt, leave it be.

I wouldn’t advise using roadside plants for anything you plan to ingest, but they’re still great for spells, offerings, and the burning bowl. A good rinse-and-hang-dry is highly recommended to make sure your specimens are as clean as they can be.

Make sure you label your specimen bundles and any jars you use for storage to make later identification easier. You can press leaves and flowers and tape them into your witchbook, or include illustrations or photos with your notes.

All of this will help you learn about and connect with the land around you, even if you live in an urban or highly developed area. The energy is always around us. We just might need to be still a while and look a little harder to find it.

Happy Witching! 🌿

ADDENDUM:

There are also plant identification apps like PlantNet, Plantifier, LeafSnap, iNaturalist, and SmartPlant that you can install on your phone.

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.

For more tips and exercise for growing your practice, check out the masterlist here. 😊

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The Mermaid by Francesco Di Santo, aka fradis-art on DeviantArt

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“Woman is the light of God.” ~ Rumi

The Guiding Light by Andrea Fossati (Italian artist, 1844-1919) 

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𝐕𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐩𝐭 †

— by The Phantom Painter

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Jake Wood-Evans. Ophelia, Oil on linen, 2012. 

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Ostara Dragons💐🐉

The dragons of spring are awakening to perform their duties of laying their eggs & assisting the earth in her rebirth.

This is the time to be manifesting and planting your seeds both physically and spiritually

Care for your dreams as the dragons care for their eggs; keep your space clean, protect your home & give them lots of love

To honor them do your spring cleaning, put flowers on the Altar & connect with the egg archetype

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‘Study of Thistles’ by Sophia L. Crownfield, c. 1890.

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‘Moonlit Dreams’ by Gabriel Ferrier, c. 1874.

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Anton Ebert (Czech, 1845-1896) Nymphs dancing to a youth playing a flute, n.d.

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“No matter how attractive a person’s potential may be, you have to date their reality.”

— Mandy Hale