Garden Witchery (21 page)

The holly and the ivy
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.

Traditional Carol

Yule/Winter Solstice

The winter solstice or Yule is both the longest night and the shortest day. From this point on, the sun becomes stronger and stronger and the daylight hours begin to slowly increase. The birth of the newborn sun is celebrated, as well as the official beginning of winter. Yule logs decorated with fresh pine, sprigs of holly, and red taper candles are traditional Pagan accessories. So are large, red, cinnamon-scented “sun” candles.

Speaking of candles, those pillars are on sale during late November and December, so go snag some for your seasonal candle magick. Dark green pillars with the familiar scents of pine and bayberry add their own magickal aromatherapy to the home; pine for abundance and protection, the scent of bayberry for bringing good luck in the new year, the fragrance of cinnamon for love and prosperity, and off-white candles in vanilla scents to soothe the nerves and encourage loving vibrations.

For a natural, rustic-looking arrangement for your holiday altar or mantle, try either live or artificial pine swags with white lights sprinkled throughout. Add red, off-white, and green pillar candles in various heights and group them together on either end of the altar/mantle. Create some rustic twig pentagrams by cutting fallen twigs into twelve-inch sections and then binding the ends together with wire. Tuck those into your display.

For your Yule tree, look for outdoor theme ornaments. Hunting and fishing ornaments, bears, birds, small reindeer, a silk cardinal for a tree topper. Fill in with decorative bird's nests and lots of bright red berries and pine cones to finish up your woodland Yule decorations.

For a solstice or celestial theme, decorate with golds and blues, and gilded ornaments in the shape of suns, stars, and moons. Watch for Pagan-friendly ornaments like a stag or oak leaves, and add as many sun ornaments as you can find. White lights, crystal-looking icicles, and snowflakes will add a wintery sparkle. Try looping iridescent ribbon through your greenery on the mantle and group together gold, white, and a few red pillar candles.

My last suggestion is inspired by a miniature tree that I redecorated a few years ago. This small tabletop tree looked like a Charlie Brown tree. It sat on a table at the end of the hall and was pretty sad-looking. All the odds and ends over the years were thrown on it. One day the floral designer in me snuck out and I pulled everything but the white lights off that little tree and took a critical look at it. I had three very nice ornaments with angels and Santas on them—these were the old-fashioned, card-type ornaments that are heavy cardboard with gold edges and have reproduction Victorian-looking designs on them. There were two angels that looked like faeries and one Santa. All the ornaments were in shades of mauve, white, and gold.

With visions of flower faeries and sugarplums dancing through my head, I went to the craft store and hunted through their sale holiday floral picks. I found roses dusted in glitter in shades of mauve and deep pink. I dug deeper and found some grape clusters and tiny apples in coordinating shades, also dusted in that sugary-looking glitter.

In a half-price bin, my husband unearthed a set of a dozen tiny glass ball ornaments. They were mauve, frosted white, and celadon green. We discovered a tiny tree topper star in glittery white and I bought a spool of sale ribbon in sheer white with gold wire edges. We added some mushroom birds in pink and a butterfly to that little tree, and created a knockout miniature garden faery/sugarplum tree. The whole project cost me about ten dollars.

The three trees described for you are all theme trees that we have in our home. The solstice/celestial tree is the only big tree, however. The woodland tree is a four-foot tree for the family room. The faery tree is a tabletop tree and it is about two feet tall.

Before you toss up your hands in disgust at the decorating maniac in me, I want to tell you that all of the decorations I have described have taken me years to build up slowly. I watch for sales and make what I can't afford to buy.

Do I have any projects left? Oh, yeah, I have to redo my artificial pine wreath for the front door, it's looking a little worse for wear. I have a great big three-dimensional sun ornament that hangs in the middle of the holiday wreath and I want to incorporate that in somehow, maybe add some glittery fruit or golden pears . . . I'm not exactly sure what I'll do with it. But I promise you, I'll come up with something.

[contents]

Everybody needs places to play in and pray in,

where nature may heal and cheer
and give strength . . .

John Muir

10

Garden Magick from the Ground Up

W
hat, do you suppose, turns a typical flower garden into an enchanted garden? What elements do you imagine would have to be incorporated to transform an outdoor area, such as the typical backyard, into a sacred space? Think about this for a moment. You could work with the four basic elements of natural magick, earth, air, fire, and water. Incorporating those into your sacred space would be a fantastic way to start. Are any other ideas coming to mind? Yes, there are various statues and representations of the God and Goddess available. Those could make nifty, magickal garden decorations. I can just imagine the little wheels in your mind busily turning away . . .

However, before you start thinking too much in terms of garden accessories and knickknacks, hang on for a minute. I wasn't speaking of something corporeal that you'll have to go out and purchase. No, I was thinking like a witch. I was envisioning more along the lines of the metaphysical and the spiritual. Now I've intrigued you, haven't I?

The single most important and powerful aspect of turning the mundane yard into the magickal sanctuary would be
you
. Yes, you. You and your magickal will and intentions. In truth, the difference between the magickal and the mundane garden is the deliberate act of consecrating the area for the purpose of creating a permanent sacred space. This sacred garden space would be both an area in which to raise your enchanted plants and a place to perform magick. If we are to enter into the world of herbal enchantments and garden magick, we need to leave our excuses and preconceptions behind. It is time to step up and go to work. The easiest way to accomplish this is to get off your rump and start to work in the garden.

Now is the moment to get your hands dirty. You need to begin to put what you've learned about flower folklore and magickal herbalism into practice. Let's make it a part of your everyday life. As you work within the traditions of garden witchery, the garden becomes a place where both our metaphysical and ordinary lives begin to thrive together.

Sweet is the lore which Nature brings.

Wordsworth

Nature, the Ultimate Sacred Space

In
chapter 2
we talked briefly about creating your own outdoor sanctuary. Let's expand on that a bit. Find a relaxing, private place outside, a natural sacred space for you to perform your herbal spells and to garden. Go outside right now, and scout out a likely spot, someplace private that feels right to you. You will know it when you've found it. You may get a bit of a tingle or even a rush. Some folks get a sense of peace, and they'll notice more activity from birds and insects, like butterflies or bees for example.

At home, my sacred garden space is the entire side yard. The side yard is surrounded by a six-foot privacy fence and shielded at one end by large maple trees. This area incorporates the back patio, shade gardens, the rose arbor, and a small fountain. At the other end of the side yard is a full sun exposure area. This flower bed runs along the entire length of our house.

In this sunny bed, I have roses and many of my magickal “sunny” herbs growing all crammed in together, cottage style, such as lamb's ears, tall Russian sage, rue, several varieties of yarrow, coneflowers, phlox, feverfew, and balloon flowers. A pink clematis, growing up the corner section of the privacy fence, frames the garden gate and then peeks over the top of the fence.

Even though we have gardens that surround the house, it is here in my “working space” that guests are always drawn to. With all of the magickal work that I and my family have done in the garden over the years, it definitely carries a mystical energy all of its own.

I want to point out that your personal sacred space does not have to take up an entire section of your yard. I have magickal friends who use their front porches or apartment decks as their outdoor sacred space. They arrange hanging baskets, containers, and pots of magickal herbs and flowers about their porch or deck. Then they add accessories like a little table and a comfortable lawn chair.

My friend Amy uses a cushioned wicker love seat and a matching small coffee table to set a candle and her other magickal supplies onto. Her little back deck is her personal sacred space. She loves it out there. Some nights after her two kids go to bed, she grabs a glass of wine, heads out to the deck, and sits there in solitary splendor, reading, relaxing, or performing her magick.

Large or small, the size of your personal sacred garden space does not matter. You do not require an elaborate setup. Go with what you have. I may have a large sacred space in the side yard, but I usually choose a specific small spot for my spellcasting. When the roses bloom in May, I sit under the rose arbor. During the hot summer months, I work in the shade garden. On nights of the full moon, I stand in the middle of my “full sun exposure” flower beds and cast my spells. No one can see me out there. I am hidden behind the privacy fence, and this particular garden faces southeast and gives me an unrestricted view of the rising moon. Sometimes I simply sit in the grass in the middle of the garden and drag a small table over next to me, to set a candle or two on.

Some garden witches might set up at the backyard picnic table and keep an eye on their little ones while they run around the yard. You could toss down a blanket and sit on the ground, next to a favorite blooming shrub. Or perform your magick quietly under a tree. Again, it is how it feels to you that is the important thing. Ideally, you want to be comfortably surrounded by nature. On the porch, deck, or in the backyard, garden witches adapt to their environment and go where the magick of nature leads them.

Setting Up Your Sacred Space

To set up your sacred space, mark your four cardinal directions or points. If you need to use a compass, then do so. Otherwise put your back to the rising sun one morning and hold your arms straight out to your sides. You will look like a human letter
T
. Here is how you mark out your cardinal points. Your back is meeting the east. Your left arm is the south. Your nose points the way to the west, and your right arm is facing the north. Get it? You could make yourself a set of permanent garden markers to help you remember where the directions are. Try using small decorative rocks or polished stones.

You may mark each cardinal point with the stone or some other type of natural garden accent. Try painting four smooth stones to use as quarter markers. Paint one green for the element of earth and the direction north; yellow for the element of air and the east; red for fire and the south; and lastly, blue for the element of water and the direction west. Then place these markers in the appropriate spots to designate your sacred space.

Don't like the idea of using a rock as a marker? How about a separate container garden to mark each of the four quarters instead? Here's an idea . . . all red flowers, like salvia or cockscomb, grown in a container for the southern quarter. This would represent the element of fire beautifully. The flame-shaped blossoms and the hot color would be complementary to this quarter's energies.

Other colors of plants and flowers that you could incorporate might be earthy green foliage and ferns for the north. Blues and purples for the watery west, and airy and soft yellow and white flowers for the east. What other kinds of flowers or herbs do you imagine you could use?

As long as we are discussing the four quarters and the elements, let's add a natural representation for each of the four elements as well. This will enhance your garden and your natural magick, as it will help you to link more closely into each of the four magickal elements.

For earth, you could incorporate stones and crystals. To acknowledge the element of air, you could set out a few fallen feathers that you have collected. To announce and celebrate the breeze as it blows through your garden, hang up a set of wind chimes, or you could place a bird feeder in the eastern quarter. For the element of fire, try garden lanterns or candles, or perhaps some decorative garden lighting. Finally, the element of water could be represented by a small fountain or a water feature, such as a bird bath or even a small saucer filled with water for the birds to drink from. Encourage the birds, squirrels, and beneficial insects to live in your garden. Make it a happy and safe haven for them and for you.

Now that you have your sacred space all set up (or at least planned out), we should supply you with some spells and charms for this occasion. This elemental trio of charms is to be used to designate your new sacred garden space and to bless your magickal garden and plants. Note: If you prefer, you may also use the “Faery Blessing” charm from
chapter 7
.

Blessings for the Garden

Announcing Sacred Space

I call the Spirits of Nature, the Great Mother and Father.

Assist me now, by the powers of earth, air, fire, and water.

Merge your magick with mine, circle around this place,

As we now announce the creation of a sacred garden space.

Blessing of the Elements

Come water, earth, fire, and wind,

To me, your sacred powers lend.

This garden of mine is now sacred space,

By the elements four, I bless this place.

A Garden Blessing

Through the seasons of rain, sun, and snow,

May these plants and herbs happily grow.

Winter to spring and summer to fall,

Lord and Lady, bless them one and all.

The things that all sacred garden spaces have in common are they are outside, so magickal herbs and plants are close at hand. The sacred space has a working area—a place to sit and a small table or safe surface to work on. The four elements are somehow represented. And finally, the sacred space is consecrated, blessed, and relatively private.

Even if it may be bare bones in your yard right now, don't be discouraged. It's okay, you have plenty of time and opportunity to build that garden. Instead, think of the possibilities! Come up with a plan. Decide what you can do yourself to improve your landscape and future magickal garden over the next few years. Start small, with an eye on expanding the garden's boundaries outward later on.

. . . with silver bells and cockle shells
and pretty maids all in a row.

Mother Goose

How Does Your Magick Garden Grow?

I want to make very clear to you that my gardens did not just
poo
f
!
appear suddenly overnight. It took several years to accomplish what we have today. The gardens are always evolving and changing. Gardeners, both magickal and mundane, are forever learning and trying something new in the yard. My family and I transplant or thin out some perennials every spring and we move things around occasionally. I like to try new plant varieties from time to time. Show me a gardener who doesn't.

Does everything I plant turn out splendidly? No, not always. I make mistakes too. Sometimes you pat yourself on the back, amazed at your own cleverness, and now and then you make a bad plant choice and then you ruthlessly pull things out.