beginning to unfurl from a happy plant.
Gardening and plants make up a huge part of my magical practice, and my self care practice. My Altar is often adorned with fresh cut flowers, a rotating selection of houseplants (depending on the intention for that altar,) and dried herbs or leaves I’ve either found while out on a walk or grown myself. For me, gardening itself is an active meditation - a time to quiet my mind, focus on being in my body and nurturing my green little babies. Gardening is a good way to get myself in tune with the seasons, and magically it always seems like it’s time to prune a plant when there are things in my life I can let go of!
There are several easy to grow plants that also have magical properties. A good basic magical garden could include
- Lavender: Grows in full and medium sunlight. Good for containers. Dried lavender can be burned for smoke cleansing, and brings soft protection & soothing.
- Rosemary: Grows in any light, but bright indirect light or full sun are best. Also good for containers. Fresh rosemary is great on top of basically any food - and dried rosemary can also be burned for smoke cleansing. I like putting a rosemary plant by my front door, to enhance the protective circle I put around my home.
- Yarrow: Grows best in full sun, and comes in a variety of colors. Does well in containers, but does get fairly tall. If you plant it in the ground, be aware it does spread fairly quickly. Yarrow is a great magical aid for boundaries, and I like to add the fresh flowers to a bath before or after a stressful day. Dried yarrow makes a beautiful home decoration or altar addition.
- Basil: Does best in full sun. Be sure to pinch the flower buds off as they appear to keep your plant lush and leafy. Basil is a delicious add-on to any kitchen magic, and brings abundance. I like to add a citrine gem to my basil plants to enhance all that abundance magic. Also add basil to your lemonade - trust me & thank me later.
Written by Becky Barryte, Seagrape's production Witch