Whether you call yourself a green witch or not, it’s hard to escape the deep connections between witchcraft and the environment. Witches in greater numbers are choosing to become advocates and activists working toward a greater respect for the planet and its inhabitants, and a lot of that activity occurs on the Internet and in social networking groups and pages, where witches exchange petitions and events for marches, protests, educational gatherings, and more. In a sense, we are all ideally becoming green witches if we hope to have a healthy planet to exist on.
Walking your talk means doing your best to live a life that respects Earth and does as little harm as possible. The Golden Rule and the Threefold Law no doubt include how we treat the planet we live on and how the planet in turn treats us. Greening your practice, whether you are a Wiccan, pagan, witch, herbalist, or simply someone who is drawn to a more natural experience of life, is easy when you become aware of the trash you leave in your wake and how you can take control of it.
With all the herbs and plants you will be using, it helps to know what can be done with the waste products rather than just throw them away. Composting allows you to dispose of the leftover stuff in a way that not only protects the planet but offers your garden a special boost. Compost of organic materials is mixed with a bit of soil to create humus, which builds the soil and feeds your flowers, veggies, and fruits. You can even compost organic materials in everyday trash to add to the rich, nutrient-heavy compost.
Composting can be divided into three types:
• Cold composting
• Hot composting
• Vermicomposting
Composting is a way to create nutrient-rich soil for your garden all by yourself. It’s economical and helps the environment by reducing what you put in the garbage.
Cold Composting: Using a large bin, tumbler, or spot in the backyard, you gather all of the organic materials in your home trash along with yard waste. Organic home materials include eggshells, coffee grinds, shredded newspaper, sawdust from untreated wood, straw, dry leaves, grass clippings, bark chips, fruit rinds, and vegetable waste, all of which are tossed onto the pile. Cold composting requires leaving the materials in the pile for at least a year to allow them to naturally decompose. The first item of business, then, is to determine where your pile will be and how many piles you have room for. Think about keeping your compost pile out of sight so you don’t have to look at it, or use a premade bin if you don’t have a lot of materials. Bins and tumblers are also a better choice if you are unable to turn your compost materials regularly yourself because of an injury or physical issue. You do not want to compost oils, grease, fats, meats, or things like garlic and onions, which repel earthworms. When it comes to composting, earthworms are your friends. Do not compost dairy products, dog and cat poop, pressure-treated wood chips, or any plants that show signs of disease.
Identify ahead of time your greens and your browns. Green materials consist of vegetable scraps, plant parts, weeds, manure, eggshells, coffee grounds, grass, and leaves. Brown materials include autumn leaves, straw, shredded newspaper, cardboard, twigs, small branches without leaves, sawdust, and even those pesky toilet and paper towel roll tubes. Experienced composters say that for all types of composting, the ratio should be about thirty parts brown materials to one part green materials, but this is for the fastest composting. Use what you have, and don’t stress over it.
Important points to remember: Make sure the pile is not so big that you cannot turn it. Keep it properly aerated to combine the contents and keep the microorganisms happy that are feeding on the materials. Keep it at the proper moisture level and add more browns or greens, whatever you have, to soak up excess water, so the whole pile doesn’t rot. Cover the pile with a tarp during rainy weather, and don’t allow the microorganisms inside to drown.
Hot Composting: This method is for the experienced gardener or anyone who wants to speed up the process, as this takes only about three months to complete if done during warm months. Hot composting requires adding nitrogen, carbon, air, and water to the materials to feed microorganisms that speed up the decay process. Wait until you have enough materials to form a pile about three feet high before you start. Combine the wet, green materials with the dry, brown items, such as leaves, tree branches, cardboard, hay, and newspaper. These brown items add carbon to the mix. Keep the pile moist but not too wet and add more brown stuff if needed. The pile should look and feel slightly moist to the touch.
You must water the pile regularly, especially during the dry and hot summer months, but keep the consistency to that of a damp sponge. You don’t want to drown the microorganisms working on your compost heap, or that will cause it all to rot. You can feel the center of your compost pile for warmth, which means that it is decomposing properly. If it feels cool, it is rotting instead. Use a pitchfork or shovel to turn over the materials once a week. This spreads oxygen throughout the pile and allows it to decompose faster. It also keeps a terrible stench from forming. You might also chop up additional green materials, like banana peels and apple cores, to spread throughout the pile. You will know that the compost is ready to be used when it is dry, brown, and crumbly. This is the time to add about six inches of compost to your gardens, flower beds, and potted plants, preferably at the beginning of the planting season.
Vermicomposting: Adding worms to your compost heap allows the worms to eat food scraps and release nitrogen-rich castings. These castings speed up the decomposition process, but you cannot use any old worms. Redworms, also known as “red wigglers,” are the worm of choice, and you can buy them online or at any garden center store. You can also use white worms and earthworms.
Adding earthworms to your compost can speed up the decomposition process.
Vermicomposting is ideal for reducing household trash and works great for those in small homes and apartments. You don’t need a huge yard, just a worm bin made from large, plastic storage bins with lids. The longer and wider bins work better than tall, narrow ones. Use a drill or screwdriver to poke plenty of air holes in the lid. Premade worm bins are available online and in garden stores, but it is fun and more hands-on to make your own.
Add in your food scraps; shredded, moistened paper; and worms (a pound of worms is great per bin). Cover it all with the lid. Once a week, take a small shovel or gardening tool and move the materials around for aeration. Keep a layer of shredded paper, preferably newspaper, or sawdust on the top. This will prevent pests and odor. Keep it only as moist as a squeezedout sponge. If you have a thermometer, the ideal temperature should be between 55 and 75 degrees in order for the worms to thrive and do their job. The compost will be ready about a month or two after you stop adding the top layer, so plan accordingly to meet your timing needs.
If you live in a suburban or urban neighborhood, restrictions may be in place regarding composting out in the open due to potential odor and unsightly piles that your neighbors might not appreciate, so make sure to check with your local regulations and city hall before you begin, and follow the rules. Covered compost bins might work best in urban environments.
Kids can get involved in worm composting and get a kick out of taking care of the little critters as they also learn about the environment and the importance of recycling as many material and waste products as we can. Let the kids do the work from picking out the worms to aerating the compost to spreading the final result on flower beds and lawns.
Did you know that standing outside on the grass or soil barefoot has healing benefits? Earthing is a grounding technique that has a growing body of scientific research behind it. Once thought to be the stuff of children or hippies who shunned shoes, going barefoot has been proven to reset body systems and recharge cells.
The human body is an electrical system, and the Earth is full of electrical energy as well. Earthing is the practice of walking barefoot on the soil to allow these energies to flow freely between Earth and people.
Because all living things are electrical beings, an electronic bond will always exist between our bodies and our surroundings, albeit one we don’t readily observe. The surface of Earth conducts energy, and that energy seeks the path of least resistance into whatever is upon it, which is why you feel static electricity course through your body on super dry days. Earthing puts your body in direct contact with that energy.
The human body holds positively charged electrical energy, but when you walk on Earth, the transfer of electrons is possible because nothing is blocking it, such as cement, shoes, pavement, etc. Your skin acts as a conductor that is able to receive Earth’s natural electrical force. The surface of Earth contains a limitless supply of free or mobile electrons, and the negative charges create a stable internal bioelectrical environment for normal functioning of bodily systems, including regulating circadian rhythms and balancing cortisol levels. Because the human brain, heart, and neurotransmitters all rely on electrical activity and signals to operate, earthing is good for heart, brain, and nerve health and has anti-inflammatory properties that fight off free radicals and reduce diseases related to inflammation (which covers just about every disease).
According to the 2012 issue of the Journal of Environmental Public Health, “Throughout history, humans mostly walked barefoot or with footwear made of animal skins. They slept on the ground or on skins. Through direct contact or through perspiration-moistened animal skins used as footwear or sleeping mats, the ground’s abundant free electrons were able to enter the body, which is electrically conductive. Through this mechanism, every part of the body could equilibrate with the electrical potential of the Earth, thereby stabilizing the electrical environment of all organs, tissues, and cells.”
A 2007 research paper published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that earthing during sleep improves sleep patterns and normalizes cortisol rhythm, which is why people love to go camping and sleep as close to the ground as possible. Our primitive ancestors slept on the ground itself or on skins or plant-leaf bedding. Today, our bodies are far removed from Earth during sleep with foundation slabs, flooring, and bed frames that keep us a few feet from the ground.
The neutralization of free radicals from the surface of Earth can reduce acute and chronic inflammation and slow the aging process by improving the circulation of blood and oxygen throughout the body, better distributing nutrients to where they are needed, and flushing out waste and toxins. Earthing reduces stress and brings a sense of calm and connectedness missing in modern times, when the majority of waking hours are spent indoors. Cortisol levels are not only normalized, they return to the natural rhythms of Earth and the Sun, which means more energy and alertness in the mornings and lower levels at night to help us unwind and prepare for sleep.
With all the science behind the benefits of earthing, a new line of products is flooding the markets from shoes to beds and flooring that allow Earth’s electrons to transfer into the body. This way, even with all the hours spent indoors and during sleep, we can benefit from the amazing healing properties of the energy of the planet. Earthing mats provide the opportunity to sit or lie on the ground, much like a yoga mat. You can even buy earthing shoes that have a small conductor embedded in the sole under the ball of the foot.
To get the greatest benefit, shun the shoes and walk outdoors barefoot as much as possible, even in short bouts. You can garden without your shoes, walk on the beach or in the park, do yoga poses or tai chi outdoors, lie directly on beach sand instead of a chair, or just go out in your backyard and stand in the grass while absorbing some vitamin D directly from the Sun. Run with your kids through the sprinklers on the back lawn. Be like a kid again. Kids love to go barefoot, and maybe this is one of the reasons why. It made them feel good! It isn’t rocket science. The only things to remember are:
• Do not wear shoes or socks.
• Do not walk on fake grass, cement, stone, blocks, or pavement.
• Try to spend at least 10 minutes or more to get the most benefit.
Another way to benefit from Earth’s energy, in this case via healing negative ions, is to spend time near moving bodies of water. Nature provides us with a host of negative ions that contribute to our health and well-being. Why are negative ions important? Just as with earthing, a body of scientific research is growing regarding the positive effects of the presence of negative ions in the air we breathe and in our own bodies. Our ancestors understood the power of negative ions when they built seaside spas to cure skin diseases in ancient Greece and send the mentally and physically ill to resorts by the sea in nineteenth-century England. Even today, we recognize the invigorating changes from a trip to the ocean or a seaside vacation to destinations like Hawaii, where crashing waterfalls are a tourist must-see.
What are ions, and why are they so important? Ions are charged air particles, molecules, or atoms that have gained or lost an electrical charge (either positive or negative). They are created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, or moving air and water. A positive ion has lost one or more of its electrons. Negative ions are oxygen atoms that contain extra negatively charged electrons and are found throughout the natural world near mountains, forests, beaches, and waterfalls. Water that is in any kind of motion is a major source of negative ions. They are also present in higher amounts right after a thunderstorm. Tons of negative-ion air purifiers are on the market that you can buy for your home or office that provide the benefits of being outdoors if that is not possible. The constant flow of negative ions rids the air of dust mites, pollens, allergens, bacteria, and viruses and also attach themselves to positive ions to neutralize them.
Exposure to negative ions increases serotonin levels in the body, making us feel better, and one way to come into contact with these negative ions is with water that is in motion. This is why things like ocean waves and waterfalls bring us a sense of peace.
Being outdoors makes people feel great and being near bodies of rushing water is exhilarating not just for the general beauty of the environment but because of the outflow of negative ions that enter the body. The human body is made up of positive and negative ions, but it is the overexposure to positive ions that comes with today’s abundance of technology (computers, cell phones, gadgets) that has a negative influence on our own magnetic field. Anytime the human body is out of balance, we suffer for it. No wonder we feel so tired all the time. We live and work indoors and spend hours in front of computer screens, television sets, tablets, cell phones, and gadgets. The positive ions from all of these strip us of good energy and vitality and the body’s ability to ward off disease and stay in homeostasis.
The science behind it is simple. Ions, positive or negative, reach the bloodstream and produce various biochemical reactions, good and bad. Negative ions increase serotonin, which makes us feel better, and they help relieve built-up stress. They also fight off free radicals that lead to diseases. Going to the beach is such a great “natural high” because the crashing waves of the ocean contain tens of thousands of negative ions. Contrast this with the few hundred or less contained in the average home or office building, and you can see why a trip to the sea is such a feel-good experience. Overexposure to the positive ions of our electronics and to internal and external pollution is a major gut punch to our well-being, but it is fortunately one that can be easily corrected by getting back to nature every now and then. A name even exists for the malaise and lack of energy caused by working hours and hours indoors, “sick building disease,” which refers to the pronounced presence of internal pollutants trapped within a house, office, or other type of building, including too many positive ions, allergens, toxins, stale air, bacteria, and viruses. All of these factors cause or contribute to illnesses and diseases, including restlessness, anxiety, and the blues.
Combine earthing with negative ions present in nature, and you’ve got a double dose of healing. Taking a long walk on the beach or running through the grass offers exercise for the body plus a boost of negative ions and positive Earth energy as it all serves to balance our electromagnetic fields and forces within our bodies, hearts, and brains. Buying negative-ion purifiers and putting water features in the home or backyard certainly help, too, but nothing beats standing under a raging waterfall or digging your toes into the wet sand as you watch the waves roll in and out. Like earthing, being around negative ions has many healing benefits, including:
• Reduced pain
• Reduced stress
• Reduced inflammation
• Reduced risks of cardiovascular disease
• Reduced number of free radicals present in your body
• Increased energy
• Increased vitality
• Increased calmness and ability to handle stress
• Increased ability of your immune system to fight disease
As scientific research grows, no doubt that the body of evidence will continue to give us more undeniable reasons to stop and smell the roses, preferably outdoors, barefoot, and near a rushing water source.
In Greek mythology, Gaia, or Gaea, was the Mother of All Life, the deity that represented Earth, the primal Mother Goddess and parent and consort of Uranus, the Sky, Tartarus, the Land, Aether, the Air, and Pontus, the Sea. Gaia was Earth itself and all the living things that lived on it. Even today, the word encompasses the planet we live on and every organism to be found.
Gaia (also spelled Gaea) is a Greek primordial deity who is the personifcation of the planet Earth. The Gaia hypothesis named after her is the idea that all of Earth is a single organic being and as such we should treat it with respect and kindness.
When we refer to Gaia today, it is usually accompanied by calls for treating the planet we live on as itself a living, breathing entity. It calls for living sustainably and caring for the environment and asks all Earth-based traditions to become activists on behalf of Mother Nature. It’s pointless to claim to worship nature even as we are destroying it. For those who know of the power of the natural world to heal the body, mind, and spirit, it’s impossible to sit still and watch the decimation of forests, the poisoning of water sources, and the extermination of species of plants and animals.
Earth magic is about working in harmony with nature and the forces that are all around us and recognizing the healing potentialities in living things we share the planet with. It begins with a belief in the universal rights for all living things: a right to a healthy life, one free from poisons and pesticides, is something we can fight for not just for ourselves but for our children. Respecting different species and allowing them to be safe in their own natural environments is key, as humans have a way of destroying and disrespecting the “homes” of other living things.
The life-affirming nature of Earth traditions is the glue that holds disparate surface opinions and ideas together in a world that continuously places nature at the bottom of the priority list, especially oil and gas companies, large corporations, factory farms, agriculture business giants, pesticide companies, and those who seek to turn just about every inch of open space into another office building or parking lot.
You don’t have to become a full-time activist and give up your family, job, and home to hit the streets to fight for Mother Nature, but if you choose to call yourself a follower of an Earthbased tradition or practice, then walk your talk and talk your walk. Mother deserves it.
Here is a lovely ritual you can do alone or with family, coven, or friends. Wear yellow and green for this ritual. Gather these things to represent the four elements and directions: a container of water for the element of water, a leaf for the element of earth, a small candle for the element of fire, a feather for the element of air, and a blue ball or marble to symbolize Planet Earth. Take the water and brush the ball with some droplets. Take the leaf and rub on the ball. Take the candle and move the ball through the flame. Take the feather and sweep it across the ball. Now take the ball and place it into the container of water with the other objects (blow out the candle first, of course). Envision Earth being cleansed by air, fire, earth, and water. Envision Earth being renewed by air, fire, earth, and water. Envision Earth being healed by air, fire, earth, and water. Take the jar and place it in a sacred place in your home or garden where you can see it and be reminded to pay your respects to the planet. Do this ritual alone or with your children to encourage them to honor and respect Earth, for it is theirs once we are long gone.