Natural healers and green witches commune with plant spirits to help them tap into the therapeutic power of each individual plant.
Plant spirits are present in every herb, flower, bush and tree. April Horton in her article Listening to the Plant Spirits (Associated Content, 2007) mentions that “Each plant has an essence or spirit like quality. They are living and breathing organisms as well as great healing allies.”
Plant Communication
Ask the spirit of the plant you are working with for its help in healing as failure to do so may render the plant ineffective for medicinal purposes. Talking to your plants is also a way to encourage them to grow more abundantly and to enable them to produce a higher amount of magical healing energy. Witches of old would often enchant, or sing to, their herbs before harvesting them in order to tap into the occult powers of the herbs. This plant-centered spirituality is a way of attuning ourselves to the natural elements of mother nature.
Elementals
Elementals are nature spirits associated with the four elements. The four types of elementals are:
Gnomes - spirits of earth
Salamanders - spirits of fire
Sylphs - spirits of air
Undines - spirits of water
Earth Elemental Gardening
North is the cardinal point associated with the element earth. If possible, face the north when you are performing any type of earth magic to permeate it with more power. Earth magic can be performed to help you in the areas of fertility, growth, love, money and nourishment.
Earth plants include patchouli, wormwood, mugwort and sage. Decorative earth elements include garden statues of fairies and gnomes along with the use of small, decorative boulders and rocks. Colors associated with earth are brown and rust.
Air Elemental Gardening
East is the cardinal point associated with the element air. If possible, face the east when you are performing any type of air magic to imbue it with more power. Air magic can be performed to help you in the areas of communication, education, future goals, intellect, mind and wisdom.
Air plants include ferns, dill, fennel and all grasses such as lemon grass and sweet grass. Decorative air elements include wind chimes, windsocks and flags. Colors associated with air are yellow and white.
Fire Elemental Gardening
South is the cardinal point associated with the fire element. If possible, face the south when you are performing any type of fire magic to imbue it with more power. Fire magic can be performed to help you in the areas of healing, lust, passion, pride, prophecy, spirituality and strength.
Fire plants include calendula, sunflowers and chili peppers. Decorative fire elements include gazing globes, small fireplaces, such as chimneas, and torches. Landscape lights are a fire element which can be enjoyed during the night. Colors associated with fire are orange and red.
Water Elemental Gardening
West is the cardinal point associated with the water element. If possible, face the west when you are performing any type of water magic to instill it with more power. Water magic can be performed to help you in the areas of change, creativity, intensity, intuition, mystery and power.
Water was believed to have magical curative properties which had the power to heal. Particularly potent waters, such as the fountain of youth, were thought to be capable of bestowing the power of immortality onto anyone that partook of the waters. Springs, waterfalls, wells and whirlpools were also thought to be magically potent sources of water.
Water plants include lettuce, willow, aloe and house leek (AKA hens and chicks). Decorative water elements include bird baths, fountains and ponds. Colors associated with water are blue and green.
The copyright of the article Plant Spirits and Elementals in Paganism/Wicca is owned by Lynn Smythe. Permission to republish Plant Spirits and Elementals must be granted by the author in writing.
