Magick and Nature
Common magick is intimately allied with natural forces. In the past, most folkloric practitioners lived close to nature. They worked on farms, in mineral mines, and near woodlands. Homemakers grew and gathered herbs for remedies and food. Even city dwellers kept vegetable gardens. Working with nature requires intuition, as magick users need to make good choices when interacting with beneficial animals and plants. It was also essential to develop magickal coping strategies for things like the weather and health. In current times, an association with nature is still vitally important. People crave contact with the natural world. Interacting with spiritual entities who are connected to our environment is mutually beneficial.
Natural items can contain their own intrinsic, organic power. The four-leaf clover that signifies luck is well-known, but there are many more natural objects that have a talismanic or divinatory quality. Animals can be omens of good fortune, and plants have symbolic meaning. For example, catching a falling leaf means a wish will be granted, acorns represent prosperity, finding hay or cut grass on a path predicts wealth, and birds’ nests mean home and family.
As mentioned in the sections about ethics and magickal beings, working with nature has some boundaries. The spirits of places and elemental forces may require communication, a mutually satisfactory agreement, and some type of payment or reward, including offerings or a show of appreciation. Rituals can be enacted for blessing and thanking natural powers.
This chapter is dedicated to the magick of animals, water, stones, trees, and plants. It includes the symbolic meaning of natural objects, as well as auguries related to nature. There are also some nature spirituality ceremonies for working with natural energies.
Figure 5: Celtic boar totem with knotwork designs
Animals in Magick
Animals have special meanings as omens, symbolizing a particular state of being or a future event. Their products can be used as protective talismans or as ingredients in spells and workings. Animals can serve as familiars, guides, or magickal helpers. They can also have a totemic purpose. Folktales are full of magickal animals, such as the white stag who appears as a prophetic messenger from the otherworld in Celtic legends.
All animals are represented in common magick beliefs, not just the furry or cute ones. They can include insects, reptiles, and amphibians. Fungus and bacteria, which were called “ill humors” by early healers, nonetheless have a role to play in nature. Smaller animals count as well; many people are proud of their eagle totem, but according to a British Isles folktale, the wren bested the eagle to become King of the Birds.
The following are some of the animals associated with common magick.
Horses
Horses, associated with heroes and gods, are integral to many folk stories of the British Isles. The horse represents work, nobility, placidity, wildness, virility, bravery, strength, wealth, and plentitude. A class of esoteric horseshoers, horsemen, or “horse whisperers” were said to have powers over equines and were adept at healing livestock who’d fallen ill or injured. This led to a magickal guild centered around the horse.
Horses can be ornamented for safety and protection by using paint, brass talismans, bells, and ribbons in their manes and tails. The sweat from a horse can motivate a lazy person. The “old gray mare” symbolizes death and rebirth, while a foal born with a white spot on its forehead is a sure sign that all is well. A baby passed beneath the belly of a horse will thrive. Witches supposedly transformed people into horses by using a special bridle, “hag-riding” them until exhaustion. If you encounter a white horse, quietly make a wish. Horsehair charms are used for binding and protection, while a single hair from a strong horse’s tail is used for a pendulum in divination.
Much of the lore and folk magick associated with horses can be transferred to our modern vehicles and homes. Symbols of horseshoes and the rune Ehwaz, representing a horse, are painted on or placed inside a vehicle to prevent accidents and breakdowns. A sigil of a horse is painted on a home to ward away evil. Horseshoes nailed above the door ensure good fortune; hang them like a U to contain the luck.
Rabbits
Stories about rabbits and hares are prolific throughout the British Isles. Witches were said to transform into hares, dancing and cavorting at night. British folktales describe a hunter who shoots a rabbit, but it remains alive and flees, limping. The hunter tracks the animal to the home of the village witch, who has been shot and is injured in the same place on her body as the rabbit was shot. British emigrants took this story to Appalachia, where it was told to the folklore collectors of the 1930s.
Other stories tell of rabbits and their penchant for speed, cleverness, and avoidance of danger. The Mad March Hare is actually doing a mating dance; observing it grants fertility. Saying “rabbit rabbit” on the first day of the month will bring good luck, while stating “I hate rabbits” at a campfire will prevent smoke from getting in your eyes. There is an image of a leaping hare on the moon, and a constellation called Lepus is the image of a hare, complete with long ears. The Teutonic tribes who came to Britain used hares and rabbits to represent fertility and the springtime goddess Oestara.120 White hares are viewed as messengers from the underworld, like the rabbit character Lewis Carroll wrote about, who introduced Alice to Wonderland.
Cats
A black cat is considered fortunate when on a ship, and if a black kitty comes toward you on your path, they bring luck. However, if they cross your path or run away from you, they take your luck away with them.
Pure black cats, Siamese kitties, and gray, brown, and black tabbies seem to be the best familiars, although don’t discount the fluffy calico, who may surprise people with her magickal adeptness. The notion of cats as witches’ familiars has been around for a long time; the word grimalkin in Middle English means both a cat and an ill-tempered old woman, and in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, one of the three witches calls her cat Graymalkin.121; 122
Animal shelter workers tell me that black cats and dogs are the last to be adopted because of superstitions about bad luck, but pet parents report that black animals make excellent companions. Hallowe’en folklore about black cats has little to do with misfortune: The black cat sitting next to someone foretells good luck, and if the cat jumps on a person’s lap, it means excellent luck. A yawning black cat means an opportunity is coming your way.
Dogs
Britain has numerous black dog folktales, including Grim, who guards churchyards; the Cwn Annwn who accompanied Arawn, the Welsh god of death; the Cu Sidhe, fairy dogs; the black Shuck; dandy dogs; ratchet hounds; Gabriel hounds; the Garm; Barget; Herla’s hounds; and ol’ Padfoot. To see them was an omen of death, as the hounds of the otherworld came on Hallowe’en night (or during Yuletide) with their master to gather souls. The dogs accompanying the Wild Hunt could be black, or they could be crop-eared white hounds with red eyes.
Pigs
The pig, sow, or boar was considered by the Celts to be good luck and a symbol of strength, fertility, and wisdom, but it could also symbolize misfortune. A boar with a magickal comb in its bristles was hunted by King Arthur and his knights on a quest; after finding him, the boar gave directions to find the lost prince Mabon. Isolde predicted the death of her lover, Tristan, during a dream about a boar. The goddess Cerridwen was associated with a white pig and, in some versions of her myth, transformed into a sow. Warriors wore the symbol of a boar on their helmets or shields, and the Romano-British sometimes decorated their helms with boar bristles. The Welsh hwchddugwta, or black sow with a cropped or cut tail, is a type of spectral pig that is said to chase after humans on Nos Calan Gaeaf, or Hallowe’en. The Norse deities Frey and Freyja, both symbolizing virility, sometimes rode in a chariot drawn by a pig. In folktales, the swineherd is often really a prince.
Pigs are associated with grain, fertility, and plentitude. This could be why toy money banks are often formed in the shape of a pig. A pig token on a charm bracelet means luck and abundance.
Insects
Decomposers such as beetles, carrion worms, and insect larvae have a role in physical and magickal transformation. Bugs can represent change; for example, consider an insect that evolves from egg to larvae, chrysalis, adult form, gravid, old age, and finally death.
Insects including crickets, dragonflies, butterflies, ladybugs, bees, beetles, and others are symbolic of luck and power and are sometimes considered messengers of the gods. A bumblebee in the house means a welcome visitor will arrive soon.
Spiders
Spiders are viewed as weavers of the sacred web. They represent storytelling and bending or shaping types of magick. They are symbols of industry and earnings. If a spider descends on a thread in front of you, it means you will receive a message.
Bats
Bats are a conveyance for air spirits and a guide from the underworld. A single bat flying in circles is a beneficent omen. Bats can also represent nighttime, darkness, and the unseen.
Toads
Toads have long been associated with witchcraft as a familiar spirit and as a type of charm. A living creature was sometimes used by a “toadman,” or healer, to draw negative conditions or sickness away from a person and into the animal by employing contagion magick.
A dried, mummified toad or a toad skeleton were used in magickal rites, sometimes ground into a powder and put into a healing ointment or potion; sometimes pierced with pins to repel harmful energy. Toad skeletons were also used in talismanic magick or in a ritual where they’re thrown into running water.
Toads are also beneficial helpers in the garden, viewed as the “fairy steed” or conveyance for the wee folk. A toad house constructed of a flower pot on its side can shelter a little friend.
Snakes
Snakes symbolize healing powers in many cultures. Think of the caduceus, or the staff entwined by a snake that represents medicine and first responders. A snake is the guardian of the Norse Midgard, or material realm. A snake also symbolizes wisdom.
Underwater Critters
Sea creatures are magickally important as well. Welsh mythology tells of the salmon of wisdom and the dolphins who rescued sailors, and Irish legends recall the seal who transformed into a female fairy or selchie. All of these animals are found in the coastal waters of the US, while salmon also dwell in the Great Lakes. Trout, bass, haddock, cod, and the panfish living in American lakes and rivers represent abundance. So do the herrings or kippers of the sea. Eating sea creatures may transmit their qualities to humans.
Fantasy Creatures
When we think of animal symbols, let’s not forget the creatures of fantasy, including unicorns, gryphons, water monsters, and the firedrake. They might be considered spirit beings. For example, dragons sometimes represent the energies of fire and are said to live inside volcanoes, but they are also associated with other elements. The red dragon, Y Ddraig Goch, depicted on the Welsh flag, was said to fight against a white dragon representing England. The red dragon was defeated and disappeared underground, but will reemerge to fight another day.
The Scots use the symbol of the elusive unicorn as a magickal figure. Scotland is also the home of the watery, mythological Loch Ness Monster called Nessie. There are water beasts to be found in the US, including a similar creature in Lake Champlain named Champ. The Welsh have the Afanc, which resembles a giant beaver, comparable to a watery creature that is rumored to live in Lake Michigan.
Some magickal animals are combinations of species. For example, the gryphon has the qualities of a lion, serpent, and eagle. These capabilities have mystic significance; the lion’s strength, the wiliness of a serpent, and the eagle’s power are all wrapped up in one creature. Combined, these characteristics signify a much stronger being.
Spirit and Familiar Animals
Spirit Animals
A spirit animal is usually defined as a physical being or spiritual entity that represents a person, family, clan, profession, or other group of people. Many cultures employ a similar concept, including British society. For example, the practice of heraldry often uses animals to signify a family or royal house. Spirit animals can help us as we perform rites, serve as a guide, or be a messenger from a deity.
Birds, fish, insects, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals can be spirit animals in British folkloric magick. Some folktales or fables assign a trait to an animal, such as a clever fox or trickster snake, and use those qualities as a teaching tool about nature, certain events, and consequences. The animal spirit can symbolize natural characteristics, such as the strength of a horse, the motherly instincts of a wildcat, or the prickly, protective capability of a porcupine. The animal can represent a valuable human quality, like the wisdom of the Celtic salmon, the cleverness of a raven, or the sexual prowess of a stag.
Some spirit animals embody all the characteristics of a certain animal and every member of its species. For example, the Great Bear might represent all bears and the virtues of all bears: strength, loyalty, and protectiveness. By calling upon or invoking the spirit of the Great Bear, the magick user takes on those particular aspects and summons the desired qualities of the animal. For a magickal connection to the animal, physical representations of an animal can be used, such as fur, claws, or bones, as well as representational art or symbols.
Animals in folklore may help a hero achieve his goals, perform the role of a trickster, or simply represent a person as their symbol. They can serve as a guide or as a messenger from the spirit realm. They can serve as a foil or opponent to the hero as well.
Familiar Animals
In my tradition, a familiar can be a living animal that works with a person, offering emotional and magickal support. They might be a pet, a farm animal, or a wild animal in nature that lives near human dwellings. A pet cat can yowl in the presence of disquieting energies, and a horse may sense when we are feeling vulnerable and nuzzle us. A squirrel in the yard offers energy for a magickal working by running up and down a tree trunk, chattering along with the spell. Patting a dog soothes people when they are upset, which could be the reasoning behind emotional support animals. Living familiars can also lend us their energy during difficult times.
In other common magick traditions, a familiar is a spirit that takes on an animal form to serve as a magickal helper. In folkloric magico-religions with a Norse background, the fylgja is a spirit animal that connects a person to their fate, or wyrd. Meeting a particular animal might auger, or foretell, certain conditions; for example, seeing the fylgja, or spirit, of Brock the Badger can mean that a person is loyal, stodgy, digs in to solve problems, and has some fierce qualities. Disembodied animal familiars can intercede with the spirit realm, serve as a watcher or ward during rituals, prevent psychic attack, act as a guide, and have other powers beyond a living animal’s capacities, such as human intelligence.
Deified Animals
Often, a deity or other entity may embody the spirit of an animal or manifest the characteristics of an animal. There are dozens of deities in British pantheons who have animal symbols, traits, characteristics, and associations. Some have animal helpers, such as the hunting hounds of the Celtic lord of death and the Anglo-Saxon master of the Wild Hunt. Celtic deities transformed into horses, eagles, owls, rabbits, deer, fish, and other creatures. As the British and Irish are seafaring people, there were also mermaids, mermen, and people who could change into seals.
Many worldwide cultures revere some form of wild forest or hunting deity that symbolizes both fertility and death. This deity is usually male and typically has horns or antlers. Several of them are found in the British Isles, descended from the folkloric traditions of Celtic and Roman civilizations. This includes Cernunnos (also known as Kernunos, Cerunincos, Ciarán, Karnayna, Carenus, Cern, and Herne), Atho (also known as Addo Dhu), Faunus (also known as Pan, Sylvanus, and the satryr), the Buca (also known as Puck, Pook, and Damh), Frey, Robin Goodfellow, the roebuck, and Ol’ Crockern. All of these woodland deities appear as an antlered huntsman and forest god in folklore. The Horned Lord of Wicca or British traditional witchcraft is a similar construct. Images of a horned or antlered man were stamped on British coins that date back to 60 to 30 BCE, believed to be Cernunnos … or perhaps his representative priest.123 The Anglo-Saxons brought the woodwose to Britain as a type of mascot—the Wild Man of the Woods that is part beast.
Animal Omens
Some creatures symbolize good or ill fortune. Seeing a robin redbreast, catbird, or mockingbird means good luck, while a sparrow in the house is bad luck. Butterflies and hummingbirds signify good fortune, as does a house wren, an albatross, twin calves, or goat kids. A catbird singing after dark is good luck, and means you’ll soon be “sitting in the catbird seat.” Bulls, pigs, deer, horses, and cattle represent prosperity, especially to the Celts. Honeybees mean plentitude. Believe it or not, roaches symbolize bounty, as they are attracted to a plentiful food source. Swallows nesting nearby have a positive connotation and are favorable to a voyage. Wild turkeys mean abundance. Geese represent the harvest, prosperity, and protectiveness.
Some animals presage mortality. Pigeons flocking around a house, seeing a single magpie, and dogs howling outside can foretell a human death. A whip-poor-will that only cries three times foretells a death. A bird tapping on the window is bad luck. Killing a swan is the very worst of bad luck. And a hoot owl speaking like a human means that person is not long for this world.
Wild animals are frequent prognosticators of weather and the seasons. House mice coming indoors in September means winter is soon to follow. During autumn, expect frost soon after snakes and amphibians disappear. Blackbirds flying south before Labor Day predict an early winter. Fat mammals with thick fur in autumn predict a cold winter. Woolly bear caterpillars with russet at both ends and black in the middle represent the winter season; more black means longer snows. Busy squirrels mean a hard winter. Yowling cats foretell a heat wave. Cowering dogs predict a thunderstorm. Mosquitoes bite more before a rain, while crabby bees mean a storm. Birds hush before strong winds. Redwing blackbirds singing on a cloudy day portend luck for fishing.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, crickets’ chirping can predict the warmth of the air. Faster chirps mean a higher temperature. Count the number of chirps in fourteen seconds, add forty, and that number is the air temperature in Fahrenheit.124 Often, esoteric symbolism has a solid basis in the material world. House crickets are also considered good luck.
One of the oldest forms of divination involves using the scapula, or shoulder blade, of an animal that was hunted or slaughtered for food, usually a deer, pig, or sheep. The scapula is heated in a fire, and the cracks that form on the bone’s surface are read and interpreted. This was called scapulimancy by the Romans and slinneanchach in Irish Gaelic.
Travelling up a hill and meeting an animal is an omen. Burrowing animals symbolize stability, grounding, and well-being, while a deer means either fleeing a harmful situation or gaining prosperity. An opossum might mean someone is trying to pull off a sneaky trick. Raccoons symbolize cleverness. Red birds, such as cardinals and tanagers, are an omen of good luck. A flock of crows or jaybirds signify a bountiful harvest.
Some animal signs might not mean what we think. For example, a dead fish at the edge of the water may seem like a bad omen, but it is also a sign of plentitude and rebirth. The corpse is teeming with new life, including insect larvae and bacteria.
Some cultures see various birds as good or bad luck, including crows and vultures, who are viewed as either messengers of the gods or an augury of death because they enjoy eating roadkill. Biologists who study animals have realized that crows can be as smart as a seven-year-old human child.125 These birds can solve problems and use tools. In British folklore, crows were often considered good fortune and represented prosperity.
Animals in Rites
Animal products can be used as talismans and for spells and workings under the principle of sympathetic magick. Anything containing a part of an animal can represent the traits of that critter, including snakeskins, teeth, hides, hooves, rooster spurs, owl pellets, shells, bones, and any other discarded products. Items that come from animals can symbolize generalized intangible qualities, like cats’ claw sheaths for protection or antlers for fertility.
Fish scales are cast on a board or cloth for divination. The tail of a horse can be used as a ceremonial fly whisk or scourge. Bird feathers symbolize communication and wisdom; they can also alert us to messages from the gods. Entrails are used for divination. Bear or wolf claws can symbolize protection. And the famous rabbit skin of the folk poem is used as baby bunting.
Old-timey meat markets kept the back left foot attached to a rabbit carcass to ensure that an unscrupulous butcher was not serving his customers a small dog or a cat instead of rabbit meat. Their feet were later sold for magickal implements. The Celts believed that hares are good luck.126 Rabbits’ or hares’ feet are carried as lucky talismans in the British Isles. In Britain, stroking a sick person’s face with a rabbit’s foot is said to facilitate healing, and if the foot is hung near a cradle, the baby will stay healthy. Carrying the rabbit’s foot is believed to prevent rheumatoid arthritis.
Now we must come to the difficult topic of animal sacrifice. This subject makes many magick users feel uncomfortable, but if you’ve ever eaten a hamburger, gone hunting or fishing, or even slapped a mosquito, you have been a participant in a sacrifice. Common magick users recognize that in order to make an omelet, we must break an egg. Animals killed for food must be thanked and comforted, and we must try to end their lives with little pain or suffering. All parts of the animal should be used, and we must understand their meaning and purpose in order to honor their gifts. Welsh herders have a saying: “Use every part of the sheep except the baa.” My ancestors had proscriptions against killing baby animals, instead allowing them to grow and reproduce. When we go hunting or slaughter an animal for food, we wash our hands before and after, thank the animal’s spirit, perform a ceremony to release it to be reborn, and give an offering of a coin, song, trinket, or beverage to the deities of the wilderness.
Some animal-based rites have been falsified, especially those described during the witch trials. For example, a rite called the Taghairm in Scotland is used for divination. A type of shamanic practice, this includes sitting in a cave or the space behind a waterfall and covering oneself from head to toe with the freshly slaughtered, skinned hide of a bull or stag. “Taghairm” means spirit calling, and thus the magick user speaks to the ancestors. The wind in the cave or the rushing sound of the water becomes the voices of the dead. The darkness of the animal-skin covering facilitates astral travel. However, during the times of persecution, this rite was bastardized; it was said that witches practiced the Taghairm while hurting and killing black cats in order to speak to the devil.127 Supposedly, dozens of cats would appear during the rite, stalking and yowling. While the Taghairm did in fact use the product of an animal—the hide of a bull—the other story is untrue.
Water in Magick
Water has always had magickal connotations in the British Isles, as there is so very much of it. Salt water is considered purifying and cleansing. Still bodies of water, like ponds and small lakes, are filled with calmness or stability, while flowing water, especially from a southbound stream, implies movement, change, and transformation. Many older spells advise drawing water from a swiftly running, southbound river and using it for changing a situation, like washing the floors of a workspace to promote industrious behavior. It can also be used for healing. The water of a wellspring is great for health, clairvoyance, and communication with water spirits. Bottled water works nearly as well.
Morning dew gathered at Beltane or Midsummer is used to bathe the face and improve the complexion. Laying a cotton sheet, towel, or cloth in a meadow and wringing out the dew water provides enough to be used in spell workings all year. Rainwater, pond or river water, or well water is gathered to use for washing and healing. A crystal can be placed in water and set beneath the full moon to cleanse its energies. A stone that has been well rinsed, placed in a glass of rainwater or well water, and left outside under the new moon will imbue the water with the crystal’s quality when used as a beverage or wash.
Gazing into water is used for divination, particularly water in a tarn, or a still, dark pond with decayed plant matter creating marl, or rich organic mud, at the bottom. Water scrying can also be done at an old-fashioned yard well or cistern, a calm lake, or a bowl of water. The vessel should be lit by a candle over one’s left shoulder. Other diviners use a mirror to gaze into, with the body of water or the well behind them. However, if the image is disturbed by a jumping fish or a thrown pebble, the envisioned sequence of events will likely be disrupted in consensus reality.
One divination ritual from the north of England uses south-running river water. The water is put into a glass or ceramic bowl. The user will also need a ring or coin suspended by a horsehair, which serves as a pendulum. After asking a question, the user will watch the pendulum for movement. The ring hitting the side of the glass once means a “yes” answer, not touching the side means “no,” and multiple clinks of the coin or ring against the side means that more information is forthcoming.
Certain wellsprings are considered sacred to a water nixie, spirit, or goddess. Many of these holy wells survive in the British Isles, including a few in downtown London. Some of the wells were and are used continually. The spirit of a sacred wellspring can be asked a question, with a coin or crystal offered in return for a vision. Water from these sacred wells was and is used for bathing and drinking, for the reasons of purification and healing. Any water taken from holy wells should be boiled to ensure it’s safe to drink. This may reduce its magickal properties, but it also kills bacteria and protozoans that are harmful to humans.
There is documentation from the Medieval period onward of sacred wells being visited by seekers, and while some Reformation-era ministers chided their congregations for using them, it does not seem to have slowed anyone down.128 Healing rites at St. Madron’s Well (also known as Maddern, Matron, Motran, or Modron; possibly a folk saint, possibly a name of a Celtic goddess) in Cornwall were recorded around 1777, long after some scholars assumed these Pagan ceremonies had died out.129 Seekers partake of the waters, then make equal-armed crosses of straw that are sealed in the middle with a bent pin. These are used as an offering in exchange for health. Bubbles rising from the well are counted by young ladies, corresponding to the year of their marriage or the first letter of their future husband’s name. Brigit’s Well of Kildare in Ireland is now associated with the saint, but it was originally sacred to the goddess Bríd and is still considered a holy well with mystic properties. The fount, situated in a grotto, has offerings of Catholic prayer cards, Brigid’s crosses, ribbons, jewelry, and votive images lining the walls.
Seekers leave votive items in trees nearby the sacred wells—or in the wells themselves—including trinkets, coins, crystals, bent pins, buttons, photographs, drawings, ribbons, and bits of cloth tied to the tree branches. A person in need of healing will wash their afflicted body part with a piece of fabric dipped into the well water, say prayers or words of power, then hang the cloth on a nearby tree limb.
In folklore, whitecaps near a shoreline or riverfront were said to be the “white horses” ridden by water spirits. A river running backward foretold a life-changing event. Items found along the edge of water, such as driftwood or hagstones, contain the properties of earth, sea, and sky and can be used in magickal workings. Any offerings in return must be biodegradable.
The Magick of Stones, Crystals, and Minerals
Stones, crystals, and minerals have become a media trope. In television and movies, witches are often seen using crystal balls for divination, and healers use colorful stones for magick. These portrayals are common because we really do these things, and they work.
Certain stones are said to possess something resembling intelligence, such as the quartz crystals used in radios, watches, and computers. Some magick users believe that crystals have an energetic vibration. These stones are thought to contain powers such as amplifying memory, healing, or enhancing other abilities. They can be a source of, or a container for, magickal energy.
People have been using rocks for magick for centuries. An inscribed pendant that was 11,000 years old and made of shale (and may have belonged to a shaman) was found at the Star Carr site in Yorkshire.130 Agates can be found on beaches throughout Britain and America; also known as chalcedony, they were used by Neolithic peoples as jewelry.131 These stones are thought to provide strength and gentle healing. The crown jewels of the British royal family have many uses besides being pretty; they convey authority and have healing properties. Most common people did not own rubies and sapphires, of course, but amethyst, tourmaline, beryl, jet, amber, topaz, clear quartz, pearls, and cairngorm are native to the British Isles. These gemstones were and are sometimes owned by the middle classes, tradespeople, and merchants, including cunning men and women and other traditional healers. Cairngorm is a type of smoky quartz from Scotland’s northern mountains. It is the Scottish national stone and can be used for grounding, stabilizing, and preventing nightmares. Many Wiccan high priestesses wear amber and jet; these gems have also been used for invoking and banishing, respectively, since ancient times. Neither of them are actually stones, but instead organic mineralites: amber is petrified resin from an extinct species of pine tree, while jet comes from compressed, decaying wood. Both carry a slight negative electrical charge, and both are believed to have curative abilities.132
One natural item that can be found on most rocky beaches is a hagstone or holey stone, also called a fairy stone, peep stone, eye of God, or seer’s stone, meaning a pebble or rock with a hole worn all the way through it by natural means like water or compression. In Britain, these rocks were sometimes called adder stones, believed to relieve snakebite. Pliny the Elder wrote that the stones were formed by a grouping of snakes casting slime, although this isn’t true.133 More likely, that type of “stone” was actually a piece of amber, and while it has healing properties, antivenom isn’t one of them. Neither amber nor hagstones are the product of snakes. Anyway, holey stones are used for clairvoyance, viewing fairies and other beings, seeking truth and clarity, helping to heal ailments of the eyes, and to represent the female principle. They can be hung in the window by using a bit of leather, string, or yarn in order to repel negative energies. A hagstone suspended above the bed prevents nightmares. Holey stones should not be painted, as it can reduce their power.
Another common rock found in Britain and the US is limestone, often containing fossils. These are used to represent permanence and stability, and they carry the properties of life and death as well as water and earth. Fossils are good for polarity, but if you find yourself becoming stodgy, they might not be the best choice. Petoskey stones and limestones containing seashells, ferns, and even small prehistoric animals can be found in rock shops and nature centers, as well as in the wild.
The sacred, white, powdery limestone rock of the chalk cliffs of Britain is good for drawing magickal sigils and figures onto hard surfaces. One art form was cutting turf away from a hillside to reveal the white chalk beneath it. There are more than twenty figures of men, horses, and other animals in England, some of which are up to 3,000 years old.134 These include the Long Man of Wilmington, the Uffington White Horse, and the Cern Abbas Giant. Couples who wish to become pregnant lie down inside this figure’s huge erection. A hill figure can be replicated elsewhere by outlining an image with white stones.
Of course, stone circles had and have great significance in the British Isles. Each year at the summer solstice, modern Pagans meet to celebrate at Stonehenge and other places that are surrounded by a ring of gigantic hewn rocks, which are considered sacred spaces. Psychics state they can perceive a high energy within these stone circles. Tall stones are called dolmens, god-stones, a god stane, and standing stones, while the monuments themselves are called megaliths. Some standing stones had or have capstones across their tops, while others form tables, arches, and possibly altars. Stone cairns, or piles of rocks, and tombs made of stones are also considered to be megaliths, many of them containing magickal energies. Some are believed to be home to the fairies, gnomes, or spirits. The passage tomb in Newgrange, Ireland, has a feature where the sun shines through one end on the winter solstice, while Stonehenge and other megaliths have a portion that lines up with the sun on the summer solstice.
Many of the megaliths were and are used by common magick practitioners for worship rites and magickal rituals. For instance, ladies crawl through or beneath large stones with a hole or monuments with an arch or capstone in the hopes of becoming pregnant. This rite uses the female principle as well as a type of contagion magick. Babies are passed through the opening to ensure their health. One large perforated stone, called the Mên-an-Tol, located in Cornwall near Penzance, is still in use. Circumnavigating a dolmen three times going deosil creates positive energies and well-being. Rubbing or touching the stones brings health. Funeral rites were conducted at the monuments, some of which contain buried grave goods. Burials of dignitaries took place at several megaliths. At some of the cairns, it is customary to add a rock, both to honor the dead and for good fortune.
The paths between stone circles and other megaliths are also considered to have magickal significance. These paths are called Heilige Leinen in German, meaning holy lines, and fairy paths by the Welsh and Irish. They were also called green roads. In 1921, amateur archeologist Alfred Watkins wrote a book called The Old Straight Track about the lines between the monuments, which he found to be geometrically important. Watkins called these paths ley lines, and theorized that they may have been arranged deliberately, may align with magnetic fields, and were possibly used as roads.135 Some people believe that building anything other than a monolith, graveyard, or place of worship on a ley line is unlucky, and that the fairies may destroy the structure or otherwise cause havoc. Ghost roads are similar lines, but are mainly used by spirits walking toward the underworld. Churches, cemeteries, tombs, and barrows can be built along ghost roads. Some common folk believe that standing on a force line could access “dragon power” or “serpent breath,” and they may use a glain or serpent stone to do so.
A common magick rite to check for the presence of negative energies uses three small plain gray pebbles found at the edge of a lake or stream. Seekers place the rocks in a bonfire or hearth fire and look at them after the fire has burned away to ash. If one stone is cracked, a person is causing trouble. Magick users carry the one cracked stone with the two unbroken ones to confront the suspected troublemaker; they will inadvertently reveal themselves and their motives. If two or three are broken, the culprit is a spirit being. If none are broken, there is no problem.
A lucky rock or a penny made from copper brings good fortune. People can pick up a stone, carry it through a dangerous location for protection, and drop the stone as soon as they leave. Some British villages had their own sacred stone, blessed by a saint or magicked by a “cunning man,” used for healing, divination, and to remove negative energies. Some of these rocks were even rented out for use by other practitioners. Common backyard stones include granite (representing strength), pigmented sandstone (used for drawing sigils), volcanic rocks (embodying fire), and sparkly multifaceted quartz, which can augment power.
Plants and Trees in Magick
Trees have considerable significance in British folk magick. Various trees are associated with the moons and seasons, such as oak for June and holly for December. Each tree is said to have different magickal properties. Plants are used as food and clothing, employed as curatives, used for augury, and burned for cleansing rites and heat. Plants and trees of Britain can be substituted by others found in the Americas as long as the practitioner is aware of their qualities. For example, while there are few larch trees growing in the American northeast, Douglas fir can be used instead for talismanic purposes and Yuletide decorations.
There is considerable folklore related to trees, from the spirits who dwell within the forests to the uses and meanings of various species of tree. For instance, oak, ash, and thorn are three magickal trees written about by Rudyard Kipling in his “Tree Song.” 136 The following are some of the trees and plants used for common magick.
Ash
Ash trees symbolize community. Ash is said to represent the male principle. Ashwood bows are highly prized, as the wood is supple—bending, but not breaking. If there is a forest fire, ash trees usually do not completely burn, and thus they are said to bring about safety from house fires. Ash sap is believed to have curative powers, although it tastes really bad, in my humble opinion. Burning ash wood at Midsummer and inhaling the smoke brings about prophetic dreams. Ash wood is used to create stangs or staves, especially those with three prongs or branches at the top. An ash wand can ward off negative energies. The World Tree of the Norse people, Yggdrasil, was an ash tree.
Oak
Oak trees symbolize strength and the male principle. They also represent plentitude because of their abundant acorns, which are food for many wild creatures. A necklace of acorns is used to evoke wealth, while acorns in a bowl on an altar brings prosperity. The Welsh words duir, dewr, or drui and the Irish Gaelic dar, referring to wrens and oak trees, could be the origin of the word Druid. Pliny the Elder wrote of Druids gathering mistletoe from oak branches and meeting together in a drunemeton, or oak forest grove.137 Touching an oak tree on Midsummer can bring about health all year long, and an oak leaf poultice is said to heal sores. Acidic oak leaves are also used for tanning leather. The Oak King, written about by author Robert Graves as the ruler of summer and the opponent of the Holly King, may have come from folktales about two deities or heroes fighting for sovereignty and the right to control the seasons.138 Legends of Llew say that the god turned into an eagle and perched in an oak tree. Sap flowing from an oak branch in the fireplace presages a war. An oaken wand topped with a pinecone, called a priapic wand after the Roman fertility deity Priapus, is used for summoning fecundity and plentitude. Many of the Green Man foliate figures have oak leaves as hair.
Thorn and Rowan Trees
Folklore about lightning cautions, “Beware of an oak, it draws the stroke; avoid an ash, it courts the flash; creep under the thorn, it can save you from harm.” 139 Thorn trees feature prominently in British folktales, including whitethorns, blackthorns, and hawthorn trees. Whitethorns, hawthorns, blackthorns, and rowans are considered sacred, the province of wizards, and homes to the wee folk. They are believed to have magickal properties.
Thorn trees represent the female principle and fertility. These trees will often flower before they produce leaves. “Bauming the thorn” means decorating a living tree with ribbons and trinkets. Sharp thorns and the wood of thorn trees are said to repel malicious spirits and baneful energies, as are rowan branches. Wands made from these woods are used to direct power and to make wishes.
Two rowan twigs, when bound with red thread in the shape of an equal-armed cross, prevent malicious workings and repel harmful entities. Rowan’s white blossoms symbolize purity, although their flowers or branches should not be brought indoors between Harvesttide and Beltane for concerns about bad luck and disturbing the fairies. Nail a whitethorn or rowan branch that is flowering but is without leaves above the main doorway of a home on Beltane to bring about goodwill and blessings all year long. Rowans are also called mountain ash. Their wood should not be cut by metal. Red rowan berries have a pentagram shape. These are used to make sloe, as in sloe gin.
The blackthorn was used by Cornish pellars as a “blasting rod,” a wand to zap negative energies and even cast curses (not recommended). The saying is “whitethorn to bless, blackthorn to blast.” Blackthorn was also used to craft a shillelagh, a cane or weapon.
If one takes a branch from any one of these trees for magickal use, a gift of a coin, trinket, or beverage must be left in its place.
Fruit Trees
Fruit trees are blessed, or “sained,” during a rite around New Year’s Day, called “wassailing the trees.” They are watered with apple cider and given toast to eat, and songs are sung for them. The Apple Tree Man is the elderly spirit of the oldest tree in the orchard, according to British folklore. He is wise and is offered reverence while saining or wassailing the trees.
Apples are considered food of the gods; cutting the fruit across the middle—between the stem and the bottom—reveals a pentagram within the seed cavity. Apple blossoms symbolize springtime, happiness, beginnings, and several of the states in the US.
Birch and Willow Trees
Birch is considered to have female energies. Folk in the British Isles often use birch for broom handles, with twigs of the broom plant for bristles, wrapped by a willow withe.
Willow, which bends easily when fresh, is used to create baskets. It represents the female principle, water, and the power to bend and change reality. Anything made of wicker, such as furniture, the walls of homes, and baskets, was likely constructed of willow bent around the framework of a stronger wood. The Old English word wican could have been derived from the same root word.140 Willow withes used in holiday rites are called wickens.
Evergreens
Since holly and mistletoe are considered sacred trees within my heritage, they’re being listed here. Most people are familiar with the symbolism of evergreens at Yuletide. Not only were pine, fir, holly, and mistletoe used for winter solstice festivities, but species of ivy and bay and laurel leaves are also part of the Yuletide rites.
Holly symbolizes the return of spring after winter as well as everlasting life, since the leaves stay green all year. Prickly holly can repel intruders and prevent theft. Sometimes it was considered bad luck to bring holly into another person’s home, yet talismans are made from holly for good fortune. People may wish to wait to decorate with holly until the actual day of the winter solstice, as doing so beforehand can mean bad luck. Decorated evergreen wreaths on the door help to welcome visitors and prevent malevolent beings from entering all year long.
The popular mistletoe, often associated with the Druids, is a parasitic plant that grows on many different trees, including apple and oak trees. Because it has no roots, mistletoe is said to subsist on air, and thus is considered magickal. The plant inadvertently killed the god Baldur in Norse mythology, when an arrow of mistletoe struck him in his unprotected foot. For that reason, mistletoe was condemned to never touch the earth while alive. Mistletoe is believed to be good luck if it grows on ash or hazel trees. Bronze knives should be used to harvest this plant so that its magickal properties are not disturbed by iron. Mistletoe is considered to have healing properties, although the berries are toxic. Making an eye wash of mistletoe in an infusion of water can bring visions. At Yuletide, the legend about kissing under the mistletoe to seal a relationship was long held in the British Isles, and the plant brought indoors can also prevent house fires. Its evergreen leaves and white berries promise springtime. The clusters of three leaves symbolized the trisula/triquetra, or holy trinity.
Mistletoe and other evergreen boughs should be removed from the home by Twelfth Night or Imbolc, as the plants’ talismanic properties will have worn out by then.
Other Tree Magick
• Several ancient yews are still growing in churchyards in the UK, with dire prophecies if they are ever cut down.
• Juniper trees should not be cut, lest ill luck follow.
• Juniper berries are used to flavor gin.
• Quaking aspens are said to be homes for air spirits.
• Those suffering from epilepsy, palsy, or other diseases that cause nerve tremors can tie a lock of hair to a quaking aspen for the purposes of sympathetic repulsion magick, in the hope of removing the ailment.
• Green broom twigs should not be brought indoors before Beltane.
• Dowsing rods in the US are usually constructed from a forked hickory limb; they are sometimes dogwood or peach or applewood.
• Maples represent food and survival, as do apple trees.
• Witch hazel wands are used for healing, while a tisane of witch hazel is good for curing skin conditions and piles (hemorrhoids). Hazels can also be used for purifying sacred ground, said to be “enhazeled.”
• Elder trees are homes of fairies and elves, so no furniture should be made from elder wood. However, the withes can be braided or knotted while still on the tree to prevent arthritis. This is a type of sympathetic magick, as the supple elder branch represents ease of movement.
• Fairies can sometimes be spotted beneath elderberry bushes at midnight on Midsummer.
• Whistles were constructed from hollow sycamore twigs at Beltane, used to make a ruckus and drive away evil.
Clootie Trees
Clootie trees are often found near sacred wells, said to be the home for nature spirits who aid in healing and who grant wishes. They are usually gnarled old hawthorns, although other deciduous trees or even pines could serve as clootie trees, covered with decorations all year long. They can also be called cloutie trees, fairy trees, raggy bushes, or wishing trees. People bathe themselves in the water of the nearby holy well with a piece of fabric, then tie the material to a tree branch. This not only serves as a votive offering, it is also an example of contagion magick. As the cloth decays, the illness dissipates.
People also leave offerings of trinkets, coins, stones, images, and strips of cloth in or near clootie trees in exchange for the spirit granting a wish. Other wishing trees have coins stuck beneath their bark or nailed to them, some of the coins dating back to the Roman era. Other trees have images cut from tin attached to them. People also hang a dead person’s chair in a tree to remove negative energies after a death.
Clootie trees, raggy bushes, and wishing trees can be seen in photos online, or when visiting rural locations in Britain and Ireland. A biodegradable fabric should be used to enact the healing or wishing rite. Some of the clootie trees are dying under the weight of hundreds of strips of polyester and nylon, which is sure to displease the spirit associated with the tree and the wellspring.
The Magick of Plants, Foliage, and Flowers
There is considerable folklore related to the esoteric properties and magickal use of plants. Allies are plants that are helpful to humans. While some plants are viewed as symbols or augurs for divination, others are used physically for healing purposes. Some plants are used for their intrinsic magickal properties but are not consumed. They can be mixed into a potion, used for sympathetic magick, and then discarded. For ritualistic purposes, plants gathered during the waning moon are for banishing; plants gathered during the waxing moon are for invoking. Plants can be considered hot or cold and dry or wet, according to their qualities. For instance, mint, ginger, and black peppers are adjudged as hot and dry, while jewel weed and cattails are considered cold and wet.
Plant Symbolism
Hazelnuts represent Cernunnos and other forest deities, as well as male fertility. Leeks, the symbol of Wales, and garlic represent strength, victory, and repel negative energies. Leeks growing on the roof of a thatched cottage are good luck; people with rooftop gardens can plant leeks in early spring, then harvest them near Hallowe’en for the purpose of drawing good fortune. Garlic has intrinsic healing properties. Garlic and roses grow well together, complimenting one another as a type of polarity—stinky and sweet. Thistles represent Scotland, and thistles have protective powers.
Hay and straw scattered on a path means good luck, but hay, chaff, or straw scattered on the doorstep means an adulterer or wife beater is living in that building. He draws the wrath of the agricultural gods.
Wearing a “green gown” or “rolling in the hay” are euphemisms for making love outdoors, which might be why green wedding dresses are considered favorable to maidens in folkloric tradition. “Green Gowns” are also a type of nature spirit.
Plants for Spells
Any of the symbolic plants listed previously can be used for sympathetic magick. In addition, vervain leaves can be worn to attract the opposite sex. The fairies were said to ride brooms of ragwort, so hanging that herb outside can attract them. Carrying a pinch of dried thistle leaves can help a runner to never tire. The withes of hazel or willow, dried-out blackberry brambles, heather stalks, and herbs such as mint, rue, and tansy are all used for smoke cleansing or smudging. Thistles, briars, and the thorns from a rosebush or thorn tree are traditionally used to repel negative energies, beings, and feelings, and for protection of a location such as a home, barn, or workplace.
The leaves, root, and fruit of a mandagore, wood byrony, or mandrake plant (or its American equivalent, the mayapple) is sometimes called a hand of glory. This replaces the illegal use of an actual dead person’s hand. A mayapple can be harvested while it has fruit. It can be pulled up from the roots. Then the leaves are wrapped around the flower and apple and tied off with the stem and root. It is burned ceremonially, said to add a boost to any other magickal rite.
Plants for Divination
Hazelnuts are used for divination, painted and cast like stones or bones, or put into a fire to see which way they move when heated. Thick corn husks can foretell a hard winter. Seeds of fern or bracken gathered at Midsummer and tied in a white handkerchief give the “second sight.”
Flowers
Flowers were and are used to convey emotion, such as sympathy at funerals or admiration for a love interest. Different colors of flowers represent various emotions; red roses are for love, white for purity, yellow for a message, and pink for friendship. Planting or giving flowers on Mother’s Day not only symbolizes love for Mom, but also brings good luck and harmonious feelings to the home.
Flowers are used to garland or decorate horses, wells, doorways, a woman’s hat or circlet, and ritual items such as a May branch for the solar holidays. Men usually wear ivy or green branches, but there are no gender limitations. Altars are dressed with flowers during spring, summer, and fall. Blossoms are carried by brides and scattered before a married couple to represent fertility. As with any other plant, the flower should be thanked for allowing its use in ritual.
Peonies are associated with the moon because once their flowers open, they never close, not even at night. Peonies growing near the home offer good luck and protection. A charm called an alraun, carved from a peony root in the shape of a baby, is used to protect children.
Where I live in southwestern Michigan, if lilacs bloom on Beltane, the weather and planting season is on point. Lilacs flowering any earlier means that garden plants may be killed by a late spring frost, so transplanting should be delayed. Any lilac blossoms occurring later means that harvest season might be late.
Witches’ Herbs
Some plants are associated with the practice of traditional witchcraft, which means they might have “darker” qualities. This can include affecting a person’s physical, mental, and emotional state. Some witches’ herbs are soporific, while others are toxic, even poisonous. Wiccan author Gerald Gardner used the term dwale, an older Welsh word for “poison,” to mean a soporific plant, one used in anesthesia or a sleeping potion. In his “Ardanes,” Gardner wrote, “Be sure, if steadfast you go to the pyre, Dwale will reach you,” which meant that if a witch was going to be executed by burning, someone would give them an herb to reduce the pain of immolation.141
Entheogens
These are plants that can bring about a change in consciousness, but they can also be harmful when ingested. One of the more benign entheogens is good ol’ hemp leaves and seed heads, currently becoming legal in many locations. Hemp can either cause a calm, relaxing high or paranoia and disorientation. Its admirers believe it can cure many ailments, from chronic pain to eating disorders.
Nervines
These are plants which are said to help with “nervous conditions,” such as stress, anxiety, or depression. These are also called adaptogens or sedatives. Catnip, linden leaves, valerian, damiana, and lemon balm are all herbs that are brewed into teas that can help calm the nerves. Mrs. Rabbit gave her wayward children some soothing chamomile tea before bedtime in Beatrix Potter’s tales about Peter Rabbit.142 St. John’s wort can be used as a mood enhancer, as can wood betony. Mistletoe was said to calm the nerves and prevent “fits.”
People are cautioned to read up on any possible side effects of these herbs, but many of them are sold over-the-counter at commercial stores. Of course, if one suffers from clinical depression or anxiety, it is best to consult a medical professional.
Hallucinogens
These are more risky entheogens that can bring about visions. Artemisia or wormwood leaves are used to make absinthe, a tincture in acidic white wine. One small tea strainer full of leaves, left soaking in the white wine and put in a warm place, can infuse the wine with oils from the herb. All of the plant material must be strained out, as ingesting wormwood leaves can cause serious nausea and vomiting, to the point of dehydration. If one glass of wine makes someone tipsy, then half of a glass of absinthe will bring visions. A wormwood tisane will also get rid of intestinal parasites.
Skullcap can cause hallucinations, as can mescaline, salvia, ergot fungus, and moonflower and morning glory seeds. The latter two contain arsenic and should be used with great caution, scraping the outer coating of the seed away before ingesting. The psilocybin fungus, or “magic mushroom,” and the amanita muscaria, or fly agaric mushroom, are powerful hallucinogens, used by shamanic practitioners of Europe.
It is suggested that practitioners use a good plant field guide that contains pictures (or look at images online) before gathering any wild herbs or fungi. All of these substances can be dangerous under the wrong conditions, so it is wise to consult an herbalist.
Atropines
These are plants that can cause a hallucinogenic or soporific effect. Their use is very risky. Atropines include henbane, aconite, black hellebore, both black and red nightshade (American bittersweet), belladonna (European nightshade), Datura (thornapple, loco weed, jimpson weed), and mandrake (Mediterranean mandragore, rather than English byrony, Bryonia alba). Several of these plants have pentagram-shaped flowers, while aconite is called monk’s hood, as it resembles a cowl.
Atropines should never be ingested. They can be made into an unguent using melted fat, also known as the famed witches’ “flying ointment” or “lifting balm,” which can be applied topically. While it may bring visions, it can be dangerous. Extreme prudence should be used if trying any of these herbs.
Poisons
Several atropines come under the heading of poisonous, as they can be deadly. Poisonous substances were sometimes used for destroying vermin. Hemlock (the plant, not the tree) should just be left alone, as it’s very dangerous. It looks somewhat like wild parsley or Queen Anne’s lace, so caution is advised. Oleander leaves and twigs are poisonous as well.
Practitioners who harvest plants that are toxic or poisonous may wish to wear gloves to prevent their alkaloid-laden sap from touching the skin. Hellebore can actually cause chemical burns. Ingesting these plants can make a person violently nauseous, have convulsions, or even cause death … a nasty, painful, twitching, vomiting, bleeding death. I am not exaggerating; I once saw a goat that ate thornapple die of poisoning. It was awful. Most atropines are best used as potions, not for human consumption in any manner.
Psychedelic herbs should only be taken under ceremonial conditions, as using them for recreational purposes wastes their energies. They may have an effect for anywhere from an hour or two to all night. The shadow self or unpleasant realities might be confronted while working with them. There might be aftereffects like psychological disruptions and difficulty assimilating back into consensus reality. Practitioners may want to have a “watcher” or helper when indulging. Driving a vehicle, minding children, or operating machinery is out of the question while using any visionary herbs. It’s wise to undertake some journeying or astral travel without use of entheogens before experimenting with these plants. If someone has a medical condition like high blood pressure or a nerve disorder, entheogens are not for them. For others, a fermented beverage like wine or beer can be enough. And if anyone has a propensity toward addictive behaviors, it might be best to just leave these substances alone.
Emmenagogues
Also called women’s herbs or ladies’ friends, these are plants used to bring about menstruation. This can be dangerous, so caution is advised. Timing is everything; if administered over a month after a missed period, emmenagogues can cause terrible cramping and even severe bleeding. No more than one teaspoonful per one hundred pounds of body weight should be taken. Some emmenagogues include pennyroyal, rue, tansy, and black cohosh. The seeds of Queen Anne’s lace can be used as a prophylaxis (birth control) or as a morning-after contraceptive.
As with any item taken from nature, practitioners should leave an offering at a place where they’ve harvested a plant or a portion of a tree such as a twig or fruit. Folk magick traditionalists thank the spirit of the plant for its contribution to our magickal practice. Watering and fertilizing plants and trees is also appreciated.
Other Natural Objects
Some other natural objects used for common magick include mud or clay, sand, and graveyard dirt; tree bark, seeds, leaves, nuts, fruits, and fibers; insect galls, cocoons, and shed exoskeletons; hollowed-out bird eggs; and dried fungus. Foxfire, a glowing fungus, is highly prized by magick users but lasts for only one or two nights. It can be used for protection, divination, and clarity of thought. The sawdust from a woodpecker hole in a tree summons blessings to the home. Graveyard dirt can be used for necromancy or banishing curses, but it also has the property of being a rich fertilizer. Natural clay used to create ritual vessels has the special ability of containment and connection to the land. Milkweed fluff (minus the seed) is employed for pillow stuffing and absorbing menstrual blood. Afterward, it is buried in the garden to bring about crop fertility. Milkweed, like dandelion seeds, could also be blown in the air to make a wish. Cockleburs, or burdock seeds, symbolize “stick-to-it” persistence.
Common Magick Nature Rituals
Natural magick can be the wildest, most unpredictable type of working. The spirits of nature have traits and capabilities that exist separately of human control. Some may be personified in poetry, lore, and stories; think of a tranquil lake, a mighty oak, a frightsome swamp, or a mystic mountain. Nature spirits can be beneficial, such as those of animal or plant allies, which enjoy the company of humans and other entities. Others can be baneful. Rudyard Kipling’s “Tree Song” tells of a tree that enjoys dropping branches on people.143 A spirit animal may cooperate, but it may also run away or bite.
Many natural beings do not have the intention of helping or harming humans, they just “are.” A nature spirit might have a consciousness, yet not be sentient; for example, lightening may not realize that it is electric, wild, and capable of doing harm. It simply exists. Some entities can operate on a different timetable than humans—for instance, the spirits of rock formations may “think” very slowly and not notice the passage of eons. Rivers are ever-changing. Grass may consider life in terms of a season.
Working with nature requires patience. A magick user will need to ground, center, and anchor themselves to consensus reality. A change in consciousness or perception may be required. Expectations must be left behind, as the spirits can open us to new possibilities.
When an animal appears as an omen, it is up to the practitioner to interpret its meaning. For example, an augury of a hawk might mean someone is being preyed upon, or it could signify that they are gaining personal strength, keen vision, and mental clarity. An animal can symbolize more than one aspect of its personality—deer are fleet and strong, but they are also timid and don’t make the best decisions when caught in a car’s headlights.
Folk traditionalists might call upon a spirit to find out information about the animal they represent or to manifest one of their traits. For instance, I might talk to the spirit of Cat to find out why my pet is ailing or summon the spirit of Mouse to politely request they not tear up important documents while dwelling in my cellar. If someone feels lonesome, they might interact with the spirit of an animal that lives in a colony, like barn swallows, or a herd, like bison.
When taking on an animal’s or plant’s traits, a practitioner should be careful to respect all aspects of their nature. Sometimes, people who call upon the very popular spirits of Raven, Wolf, Hawk, Bear, or Cat to manifest a certain desirable quality forget that there are beta wolves as well as alphas, or that bears spend half their lives asleep. Magick users can retain the desirable aspects, then politely thank the spirit as they would an energetic being with a human appearance. The person working with animal totems or spirits must also take care to not lose their human consciousness.
Things that are found during outdoor walks might have a special meaning in nature spirituality and can be useful in sympathetic magick. For example, paper wasp nests can designate an annoyance, danger, or protection. This depends on one’s perception, other items combined with the nest, and the words of power used in a working. (Caution is advised to ensure that the nest does not contain eggs, larvae, or—worse—live insects!)
A folk magick user may want to preserve found objects and store them in an altar, cupboard, or another safe place in order to use the objects in later rituals and workings. Damp items should dry thoroughly before storage to prevent them from rotting. Other ideas include immersing things in salt, which has a drying effect, but this might overpower any intrinsic magickal capabilities. Hanging to dry works well for plants. If natural items are not handled by another human, they are unlikely to need cleansing, although they may require words of power to imbue them with a specific meaning and purpose.
Natural magick does not end in wintertime. Melted snow can be a fantastic cleansing agent, while ice can symbolically freeze an undesirable condition. Winter birds and animals are survivors, while those who hibernate represent the sleeping earth, contemplation, and the body at rest. New snow symbolizes purity, icicles can be used as wands, and objects can be buried in the snow for a ceremonial banishing. In locations where winter means rain, the liquids can be gathered for use in ritual. Winter months are used for introspection and repairing things, and this is a good time to sit indoors by a fire or lit candle, reading folktales and drinking a nice hot cuppa herbal tea.
Many animals can live inside a city, even turtles and deer, but the most common are birds, squirrels, rabbits or hares, raccoons (in the US), and hedgehogs (in the UK). The ubiquitous house sparrows, house finches, pigeons, and starlings are all residents of Britain. A bird feeder can provide hours of delight. Offerings of corn and peanuts can be given to the squirrels, crows, and jays. The summer hummingbirds, who represent happiness and acquisition, enjoy undyed sugar water. Walks in the forest or on trails in a park bring feelings of peace or, conversely, excitement when a chipmunk or woodpecker is spotted. Witches sometimes sit up all night, observing the local wildlife and discovering what the animals presage. Meditations can be undertaken outdoors, allowing us to soak up the energy of the surrounding environment. We also might just enjoy sitting and absorbing the beauty of nature and all of her phases and beings.
120. Katie Edwards, “The Very Strange History of the Easter Bunny,” The Conversation, March 24, 2016, http://theconversation.com/the-very-strange-history-of-the-easter-bunny-56690.
121. Dictionary.com, s.v. “grimalkin,” accessed April 5, 2020, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/grimalkin.
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