Most plants used for cooking can be harvested at any time of day but if a herb is being harvested for medicinal use there are certain times of the day and certain weather conditions that are best for capturing the strength of the most active ingredients. Also if herbs are being used for magikal works there are times that the plants energy is at its optimum and therefore aids the work being undertaken. The perfect conditions for gathering leaves flowers and fruit for drying and storing is a very dry day probably around mid to late morning as any moisture on the surface from rain, mist or dew can cause the plant material to degrade quickly and can induce fungal and bacterial growth. Harvesting should also be avoided when the sun is high and hot as the essential elements of the active ingredients can be evaporated or lose strength.
Having said all this there are times that you may stumble on a particular plant that has been eluding you and you are totally unprepared for collecting it in the perfect weather conditions, moon phases or with the correct tools and in these situations it comes down to the two choices
come back when the conditions are right which I have done and then been unable to find the plant again
pick it anyway and hope that the active ingredients are not too diminished (I have been in this situation and have had good results anyway)
It is best not to harvest any herbs that have been growing close to the road as the leaves take in the carbon monoxide and poisonous fumes given out by the traffic and take it down into the plant to the root where it becomes stored. Do not pick wild herbs and plants from verges or throughfares as this contravenes several laws and also the fact that most areas like these are open to our friendly dog and cat population.
If harvesting wild plants leave a large amount of flowers, seed and root as the plant population of that area will very quickly die out if you go in mob-handed and wrench up the only two plants for miles around. Make sure you know what you’re picking this is very important when harvesting in the wild there are many pocket spotter books available that are invaluable when identifying plants, I try to carry one with photographs rather than drawings as sometimes they can be a little misleading.
When to harvest
Most herbs are harvested in the summer either before or during flowering. Seeds and most types of bark are collected in early autumn and roots in early autumn and spring. The leaves of evergreens are collected throughout the year but don’t collect large amounts before or during a heavy front as this will leave the plant vulnerable.
Early Spring: Collect Dandelion roots
Late Spring: Arial parts during flowering; Lungwort, Sweet Violet, Flowers: coltsfoot, cowslip, elder
Early to Mid-Summer: Arial parts/leaves before flowering; Agrimony, Angellica, Catmint, Cleavers, Dandelion, Dill, Fennel, Feverfew, Garlic, Hysop, Ladys Mantle, Lemonbalm, Motherwort, Parsley, Peppermint, Plantain, Sage, Stinging Nettles, White horehound, Yellow Dock. Bark while flowering: Rose. Flowers; Borage, Camomile, Honeeysuckle, Linden, Pot Marigold, St Johns Wort
Mid to Late Summer: Arial parts whilst flowering; Californian Poppy, Heartsease, Marjoram, Marshmallow, Meadowsweet, Mugwort, Shepherds Purse, Skullcap Thyme, Vervain, Wild Lettuce, Wood Bettony, Wormwood, Yarrow. Flowers: Hops, Lavender, Mullain. Leaves After Flowering: Borage, Colsfoot, Cowslip, Fenugreek, Lungwort, Sweet Violet.
Autumn: Roots/ bulbs when leaves have wilted: Angellica, Black Cohosh, Burdock, Comfrey, Cowslip, Elecanpane, Garlic, Goldenseal, Lovage, marshmallow, Soapwort, Valerian. Seeds/ fruit: Celery, Elder, Howthrorn, Dill, Fennel, Lovage
N.B. When getting plants from the wild, respect the area and plant you are harvesting, never strip a plant bare, never pull it out by the roots to get a few leaves and always check if there are other plants of the same species around. Also be very sure that the plant you are about to pick is what you think it is, Mother Nature can be very tricky sometimes, and 2 seemingly identical plants can have very different effects when ingested.
It is best to ask permission of the plant before taking it’s bounty, and remember, respect, respect, respect !
Transporting your herbs must be done carefully to retain their valuable powers. It’s best to take an open-topped basket or cotton bag with you and some layers of tissue so that herbs can be transported dry and safe back to home, it is pointless seeking out a special plant, than sticking it into a carrier bag in your pocket so it sweats, bruises and it unidentifiable mush by the time you get home.
By Rainy-Day-Witchcraft
This post a little spinoff from my “Explaining Crystal Healing” post, and describes how energy is directed throughout a stone based on the different, both cut and raw, shapes of gemstones. Enjoy ♡
Natural Point(s)⌇Best used when energy is meant to be concentrated and pointed in a specific direction. If a stone has more than one point, the energy will also tend to be directed in those multiple directions. Larger points make wonderful wands!
Grounded Point/Obelisk⌇Stronger version of the (natural) pointed stone, as the bottom of an obilisk-shaped crystal is flat, and allowing for a more grounded directional energy. Because these are meant to be placed standing and pointing upwards, they are best used when energy is needed to be pointed up from a flat surface.
Double-Terminated⌇Think of these cuts as having two poles, like the earth, moving energy in a elongated sphere around the crystal. Energy is taken in by each point and added to the ‘bubble’ of energy the crystal can work with.
Tumbled⌇Crystals and stones that have been tumbled (yet not quite into a perfect sphere) will have energy that softly emits in all directions, sometimes directionally varied if the stone is a little more abstractly shaped.
Natural/Raw⌇Energy flow with naturally shaped and formed stones, while being stronger than man-made stones, tends to be more sporadic than smoother or more even stones (unless, of course, the stone forms naturally with a smooth texture). Energy flow depends on the shape and texture of each mineral - Rough, cubed, pointed, etc.
Faceted/Multiple-Faced⌇Energy in and around faceted gemstones, such as those commonly used in jewelry, will be given off similarly to how a mirror or glass pane reflects/directs light; In this example, think of each face of the stone as glass, and energy as the light. This method of energy flow also applies to multiple-faced, non-pointed stones, such as some varieties of raw minerals that grow with cubed or edged faces.
Spherical⌇Crystal balls and spheres will give off energy in an evenly distributed way, as you expect a perfect sphere would. Spherical gemstones that are translucent and able to focus light (similarly to how a magnifying class can focus sunlight) can also direct energy in one direction if used in certain ways.
“Palm” Stone⌇Palm stones are similar to spherical stones in that they emit energy in a constant way, though these stones are more grounded. Because of their grounded nature and palm-like shape, these types of stones are ideal for emotional healing, grounding, or stress.
Worry Stone⌇Worry stones are created to, just as the name suggests, decrease or eliminate worry! These are made to work a bit differently than others; the piezoelectric energy of the stone is made to be given off as a trigger to physical touching or rubbing one’s thumb on the slightly concaved area of the stone. Besides metaphysical healing purposes, these are also made to give a person something do fiddle with in their hands to take the mind off worry.
Thou root of Mandrake from Earth’s bed Shaped and fashioned by my own hand Become the likeness of the one Whose will I’ll bend to my command
The Mandrake or Mandragora has been used in various purposes in withcraft and it is known because of its roots resemble a human figure.
Use this spell when you wish to influence the mind of a certain person. Care must be taken when performing such task as you must do this with full resolve, without any doubts. You are to affect your will to someone else so there should be clarity in your thoughts.
since i cant do much for Ostara this year i figured the least i could do is come up with a nice tea recipe in celebration for it, i came up with this from what herbs i have on hand here at school.
Materials
¼th lavender
1part rose
1 part lemon balm
1/2 chamomile
¼th rosemary
a pinch of cinnamon
a healthy splash or two of milk
a good spoonful of honey (preferably local)
boil water, then steep herbs mixture for 5-10 minutes once steeped strain/ remove the herbs. then add the honey and milk. Serve in your favorite mug and enjoy.
Also dont forget to leave some outside as an offering. (i usually pour it onto the roots of one of my favorite trees)
-HoneyCoyote-
ALWAYS research herbs and other ingredients before use to make sure they wont cause any medical complications
🌙
Lappland, Sweden
Started the 12th of this June and will end November the 19th. This is a time for new beginnings and rude awakenings. Pay special attention to your desires and your personal relationships; now is the time to be brutally honest with yourself. During this time others will tend to be as well.
NYXTURNA
do you have a telescope? Ever notice how when you point it at the moon, a beam of light shoots out the eyepiece? Congrats you just found a super concentrated way to charge shit with the moon.
It seems that when people have actual problems you suddenly forget all about 'magic' and just tell them to seek real practical solutions
Because this isn’t Harry Potter and it’d be stupid not to.
Magic doesn’t solve all your problems. A job spell doesn’t mean anything if you never send out resumes. All the wards in the world don’t replace a lock on the front door. A friendship spell is going to have a hard time manifesting if you never leave the house. A protection amulet isn’t a brick wall that’s going to stop someone coming at you with a knife. All the prayer circles in the world don’t do anything for communities ravaged by natural disaster. We live in a world that is both physical and metaphysical, so why would a solution be only one or the other?
People interpret magic differently. I see it as often tilting probabilities: a job spell would nudge an employer’s attention to your resume, a ward will make intruders feel that maybe they don’t need to rob you after all. You don’t chant for a while and then sit back and expect the universe to do everything else for you, and in cases where someone is being abused or has health conditions – which is usually when we bring out the mundane advice over the magical on this blog – hell yes you do everything you possibly can.
Sure, there are exceptions: a friend might recommend you for a job without you ever stepping foot outside the door, for example. But there’s a reason every experienced magical practitioner I know or whose texts I’ve read emphasize that a) magic alone doesn’t solve everything, and b) you’ve got to do the physical work, too. As a professional spirit worker once explained to me, her wight protected her on magical and spiritual planes, not physical, because that part was her job.
A witch – in my opinion – should be, above all other things, practical, and the work doesn’t end when the candle burns out.
- mountain hound
The way magick works for me is in shifting probabilities. You can increase or decrease the probability of something happen but working with small probabilities it’s extremely hard for it to matter. It’s like adding a teaspoon of water to a lake and complaining that you don’t notice a difference. Mundane things help shift the probabilities even more in my favour. Without the mundane helping it along a lot of times your magick won’t add up to shit.
Sparrow
before asking | faq+tags | resource blog
Hi everyone! So, I’ve mentioned before that there are a million different ways to incorporate magic into your every day life. I think that making magic part of your everyday routine is important, but you can also add a magical boost to your bedroom! Here are some ideas for making your room magical. Enjoy!
The Bed:
Draw sigils on the bed frame (maybe underneath the bed so that it’s out of sight) for good sleep or to ward off nightmares (or to add a little extra spice for when you bring guys from the bar home…I don’t judge.)
Or you could stitch sigils into your pillow case or sheets instead.
When you lay down to go to sleep, create a big energetic shield around your bed to protect you while you sleep
The Windows:
Enchant your curtains/shutters/blinds to keep out prying eyes
Place tarot cards, crystals, and other tools on the window sill to let them charge with the power of the moon/sun.
Open up the windows every once in a while to release all of the excess and negative energy out of your room and into the air.
The Carpet:
Make cleansing “floor washes” for your carpet by making a powder with herbs and baking soda. Sprinkle it over the carpet and vacuum to remove. If you have wood floors in your room, you can make a liquid floor wash instead.
The Shelves, Side Tables, etc.
Create a small altar on top of a shelf, side table, or other surface in your room. It can be to honor the deities that you worship, or it can be for something else like drawing in prosperity or good fortune.
Dedicate shelves to different purposes by anointing them with different magical oils.
The Walls:
Magically program the walls with protective energy, like a giant shield around the entire room
Enchant posters or paintings of people/celebrities/etc to watch over the room or give the room a certain desired vibe.
Create a “vision board” with pictures of things that you would like to have in the future (vacation destinations, dream jobs/houses, etc). Every time you look at it, send some energy into it. Over time, the build up of energy will help draw those things to you.
The Closet:
Write down things that you would like to keep secret from the world or things that you would like people to not notice. Hide the pieces of paper in the closet to hide them from the world like “skeletons in the closet”.
Charge your favorite clothes to help bring confidence, motivation etc. to you when you wear them.
These are just some ideas that you can play around with to keep magic alive in your everyday life :) If you have any questions, feel free to send me an ask. Thanks for reading,
Livi
The musings and inspirations of a London Witch. This is my side blog related to my endeavors as a practicing witch. Leo, Female, Crystal/Space Witch with Sami blood in her veins.
99 posts