Imbolc was the time in the Irish calendar when you’re hoping the sheep do what sheep do best, and that there are little lambs gestating in woolly bellies. It’s a time for celebration, for spring has begun in the pagan world, and it’s time to start working with nature to ensure the harvest. Because that […]
Journal Entry: Spring 2020 in the witch’s garden – on delayed plants, medicinal herbs, fairy garden planning and a warning to reptiles
The witch’s garden theme this year has been self sufficiency. It’s not the black plague, but hopefully it’s the worst we’ll see in our lifetimes. My plan was to put more focus on the moon garden and cottage garden, but I made the mistake of ordering those plants from Spring Hill Nurseries. Back in February, […]
Laudanum from the Witch’s Garden: The opiate that drove the romantic poets to enlightenment and insanity
Laudanum, from the opium poppy was a drug of choice for the romantic poets. Many thought it brought them closer to enlightenment, but all too often it left them ravaged by addiction. White price are you willing to pay to know the mind of the gods?
Monkshood: A deadly poison and essential ingredient in witch’s flying ointments comes back in the witch’s garden
Monkshood is one of the more deadly plants in the witch’s garden. It was also one of the plants closely associated with the witch’s flying ointment. A look at this diabolical botanical, and how it differs from its cousin, the legendary wolfsbane.
Celebrating the Cowslip on May Day morning in the witch’s garden
Cowslip is a witch’s garden plant which s traditionally found by foraging. Know for its connection to May Day, divination and of course faeries, it’s been celebrated in folklore and by Shakespeare, for its connection to love.
From the witch’s garden, Meadowsweet, a love potion as well as a balm for aching hearts
A look at Meadowsweet, a wildflower traditionally thought of as an omen of love. But with any love potion, it works best when love is already present from the start.
