Connecting with plant spirits: Everyday magical herbalism

For a lot of ‘baby witches’ connecting with plant spirits might seem a little alien at the start of walking your magical path. Spirit work is however, part of the bare bones of witchcraft practices and spiritual traditions the world over. But when we say spirit work, what exactly do we mean? Usually people are referring to connecting with spirits of varying types and in various states of consciousness. This for beginners might seem daunting, but don’t fear, no one is expecting you to dance around a field naked and high on magic mushrooms talking with the trees and rocks. Spirit work can be as simple as lighting a candle and calling to a loved one who recently passed. Maybe you know that a deity or local spirit you

want to establish a connection with enjoys rose petals, so you leave an offering for them and spend the day with the feeling that it was appreciated. Sometimes brewing tea with the intention of learning from the spirits of the plants in that brew is all you need, potential health benefits being a nice bonus.

Spirit work just like Witchcraft can have a myriad of meanings and definitions to people who experience it as a religious belief system or a part of their everyday lives. Animism, the attribution of a living soul to plants, inanimate objects and natural phenomena, is a topic that could fill a whole series of books. In its

essence it aligns with arguably all practices of witchcraft both modern and historical, the idea that spirit lives in all things. Your own local ecology also has its own spirit ecology, often unseen but commonly felt. In Iceland these are the Huldrafolk, Trolls, Elves, Landvættir and so much more. But these are also the spirits of rocks, plants, rivers and even objects that we see as commonplace. Working and

interacting with these spirits can be massively enriching to your practice, and something I’d argue all witches should be actively doing. It’s all very well and good praying to the ‘Up Highs’, they can help out a lot, however establishing a relationship with our own local spirits is massively beneficial.

Learning about local land spirits usually consists of walking the land, holding ceremonies and space out in nature and leaving offerings as a means of inviting those spirits out to greet you. However, as with all communication this is a two-way street. Sometimes spirits may come to you, sometimes you may call on them. It’s a nice balance that can also help you work out your own theological ideas and personal mythos. I want to speak on ways you can personally open up channels of communication between yourself and plant spirits, and use this to deepen your own magical practice and help to give your spell

craft and casting an extra kick.

Plant spirits are interesting in the way that they work. They’re very accessible, existing as both the individual spirit of the plant in front of you, and as the higher spirit of the species. This part of my personal view on plant spirits makes sense if we think of how plants can grow again and again from a single cutting, the ‘big mama original plant’ splits itself into so many smaller versions of itself, all the while maintaining that connection. It’s a similar view of spirit to the idea of legions of spirits in various grimoires and even in some faiths like Quimbanda, with a more archetypal spirit ruling over many smaller and indistinguishable spirits that belong to that same house. The spirit of sage for example, may have some small differences to the individual sage spirit you’re about to try to connect with, maybe your plant hasn´t grown in the typical environment the sage thrives in, Iceland being a prime example of this

sort of variation. But in general, your connection with the sage spirit in front of you will deepen your connection with the spirit of sage. This is done through a variety of methods, here are a simple few to start you down the path.

Brewing and consuming teas. The simplest method and most useful when you don’t have the fresh plant at hand or have it growing in your garden. It’s worth noting that this of course needs to be done with care, some plants cause allergic reactions, some are simply poisonous or cause irritation or strange effects in high dosages, so make sure you know yourself and what you’re drinking. The most commonplace culinary herbs can be most easily connected with in this way. Sage, Rosemary, Lavender, Thyme etc. Sit with the tea, sip it slowly and mindfully and see what it might bring to you. Peppermint reveals its soothing healing virtues after a few sips, the cooling mint giving one a sense of calm and relief.

This is very basic communication with plant spirits, the transition of energies and feelings between them and you. The more you practice being open to receiving information from the plant the easier this will become. Yarrow (Vallhumal) can be a great teacher through tea alone. Giving energy or soothing depending on your need. The phrase “If you don’t ask, you don’t get” can be applied to communication with almost all spirits and humans alike, so it may also be wise to state what you’re needing from the plant before consuming the tea, ask your thyme to sooth that sore throat or rosemary to help you banish that negative person from your life. In this way a cup of tea can become a spell in its own right.

Diving in a little deeper, meditation with plants is a great way to learn of their virtues and ‘personalities’. Meditation is without a doubt one of the most important skills to have harnessed when it comes to spirit communication. Altering your own state of consciousness helps us gain a clearer picture of the messages and information spirits want to communicate to us. Meditating with a plant can help you contact the plant spirit and learn a lot about it. It’s pretty self-explanatory as well, just sit with the plant and once in a deeper mental state become aware of it and see what it wishes to share with you, this might take time and practice but it certainly pays off.

Something to try when you can’t sit around drinking tea and meditating would be research, whether online or in books. Learn the plant’s lifecycle, its preferred habitat, learn its ruling planet, element and any deities associated with it. Learn its magical, medicinal and culinary virtues. After all what is a relationship without getting to know one another? As always however, be wary of misinformation, cross-reference and use your own intuition to help you learn. A great and widely accessible book to start with is Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopaedia of Magical Herbs, a very good basic intro to the magical virtues of many common herbs and plants.

Two final ideas to get you started in communicating with plant spirits that I highly recommend are, on top of meditation, adding suffumigation (the magical act of burning materia) or the use of plants in ointments. Meditating while burning a small amount of the plant you’re focusing on can help you immerse yourself deeper into that particular plant spirit’s world. Smoke works well to help draw focus during meditation, and the smell of that particular plant burning — as well as having the benefit of associating memory and feelings with said smell — also usually works as a magical method of summoning that spirit to you. Burning some plants also helps clear out other energies that might be

interfering, so really using this method is a win-win.

Lastly the method of using ointments helps in a similar way, using smell and sensation to help focus your meditation. If you’re using an ointment made from the specific plant, you’re focusing on going the extra mile to inhabit that particular plants world. Make an ointment using an oil infused with the plant you want to connect. I’d suggest also adding some wormwood or mugwort, both magical plants from the Artemisia genus. The properties of these plants are many. Physically they contain chemicals which have

very mild sedative and hypnotic effects, the perfect aid for meditation, but magically they both enhance psychic awareness and bring on visions. They can act as a very good bridge to connect you and the other plant in deeper meditations and during journeying. Decide upon a suitable carrier oil, using something you can find in most kitchens like sunflower oil, with its Solar correspondences could work well in a pinch, however using something like olive oil, ruled by Jupiter or sweet almond oil, ruled by Mercury, could be more beneficial with spirit communication.

A homemade ointment for plant and spirit communication can become an invaluable tool in your magic. Focusing a meditation on a plant you wish to know, while anointing your wrists and third eye with a little of this ointment, can help take you to a deeper state and so open channels to communicate with the plant in focus. I’ve used this to great effect and would recommend it to anyone who might need a meditation aid.

Plant spirits are all around us, and are able to teach us a lot, and easily too. Don’t be scared to ask them for their help and knowledge. With practice I’m sure you’ll uncover your own methods of spirit communication, and in doing so gain the tools needed to get deeper into spirit work in its many forms. Start with your favourite plants — or the few you may already be familiar with — because there’s a good possibility they may also already be familiar with you...

-Albert

An ointment can be made from herbs like this:

Simmer the dried herbs you’re using in your chosen carrier oil (1-part herbs to 2-parts oil) on a low heat for 4-6 hours. Use a double-boiler, not just herbs in oil over a naked flame.

Alternatively, you could just infuse the dried herbs in a jar of carrier oil for 6+ weeks, shaking every few days. If you’re using this method make sure the herbs are completely submerged in oil.

Once your oil is sufficiently infused, combine it together with beeswax at a ratio of half a cup of oil per 15g beeswax. Add a few drops of benzoin or rosemary essential oil to help with the preservation.

Quickly and carefully transfer the mixture to a container, bees wax cools and solidifies fairly fast — so have the containers you’re planning to use ready beforehand — making sure they’ve been cleaned and sterilised so the ointment won’t mould.

Ointments tend to keep well for a few months if kept in sealed jars in the fridge.