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WILDCRAFTING BASICS: PERMISSION AND OFFERINGS

Wildcrafting is the craft of harvesting medicinal plants from the wild. Humans have been wildcrafting since the dawn of time, but today when medicines are so easily procured, one might question the effort and time required to gather your own. I can assure you that the benefits of harvesting and making medicine from wild plants are many. It is not only more sustainable to use the medicinal plants that grow in the regions where we live, but the herbs we gather will be fresher and more potent. Also, because they are born of the same forces that give shape to our own physical and spiritual beings, local plants are more likely to offer deep healing benefits for our bodies, minds, and souls. In this series of posts covering Wildcrafting Basics (excerpted from my book Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants), I will share with you the many elements wildcrafters ought to consider in order to safely and sustainably practice this age-old craft.

Asking Permission and Making Offerings Once while on a search for cascara sagrada, I found a tree with many inward growing branches that was perfect for harvesting. I asked permission and the tree said “no.” I was baffled, but as I continued up the trail just a bit, I found a tree with a large broken branch that was still full of life and ripe for harvest. Another time, I sat in front of wild ginger in early October completely exhausted after an incredibly busy year of harvesting and teaching. When I asked permission to harvest, I was told that I was too tired to harvest and was instructed to go lay under a tree and take a nap.

Always ask the plants for permission to harvest. Develop your listening skills. The answers come differently to each person. For me a “yes” may be a feeling of openness in my heart or a vision of arms reaching out to hand me a bunch of plants. A “no” will feel like a shrinking of my energetic being or my head will begin to nod from side to side. At first you might hear “yes” a lot and may doubt yourself, but when you hear the first “no,” you will begin to trust your ability to hear the plants.

Reverence and gratitude open the pathways for us to receive. Offer tobacco, cornmeal, beads, shells, some kind words, a song, or some of your hair to express your gratitude to the plants. As I make offerings to the plants, I thank them for all of the healing that they have brought to me and my community and very clearly describe the help that I and others will need from them.

A Short Meditation to Deepen Your Connection with the Wild Feel your feet on the ground. As you breathe in, feel the energy of the Earth rise up through your feet and into your body. With each exhale, send roots deeper and deeper into the Earth. Let this energy fill your body. As you continue to inhale and exhale, the energy will reach the top of your head and burst forth into the sky. Now, as you breathe in, draw energy up from the Earth and into the sky above. As you breathe out, pull energy in from the sky and send it down into the Earth. You are now a conduit between the sky and the Earth. From this place radiate awareness from your heart in all directions. Tune into the life energies that surround you. Listen to the sounds of the birds and insects. Feel the wind as it moves across your skin. Experience the subtle movements of the plants and trees. Do you feel more connected now?

Prayer to Enter the Forest I come here to remember how to be in harmony with all life on this planet I open myself to the light of the forest To the wisdom of the plants To the clarity of the waters I align myself with the stars and the sun and the moon May my heart beat with the heart of my Mother, the Earth

I come here in peace to learn and to see To hear, to smell, to feel Please hold me, please guide me Receive me as your child I call here now upon the Grandmothers and Grandfathers of this place to help show me the way I come here to remember who I am

May it be so

https://forestmedicine.net/blog/2017/4/13/wildcrafting-basics-permission-and-offerings

[the-world-tree-is-calling]

Local Witchcraft

Every witch has a deep well of local energy to draw from in their craft. So much can be learned from what’s around you; you just need to tap into it.

Learn about endangered species. Take steps to protect them.

Learn about invasive species. Learn their properties, pull them up, and use them in witchcraft.

Study the plants around you.

Learn their medicinal properties.

Learn their magical properties.

Learn their scientific names.

Learn which ones are edible and which ones are poisonous.

Learn about local animals– which ones are endangered, myths surrounding them, etc.

Research the meanings behind names of towns, streets, parks, buildings, etc. There may be interesting bits of history or folklore.

Identify major natural forces in your area (eg: storms, the ocean, wildfires)

How do they affect you?

How can you get in touch with them?

How can you harness their power in your magic?

Research local folklore.

Get involved with conservation programs or environmentalist groups in your area.

Observe how the land around you changes with the seasons. What can you see at certain times that you can’t at others? What flowers bloom, what bugs are active?

Go out in nature! Familiarize yourself with the wonderful energies that surround you.

See also: 

https://rootandrock.tumblr.com/post/58725340251/books-dont-cover-everything

http://grimnirs-child.tumblr.com/post/164025583442/traditional-witchcraft-in-the-city

http://spiral-path.tumblr.com/post/159040832260/to-be-a-local-witch

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Happy Solstice! Yesterday I planted native trees in my local naturalization area (where I met this snail friend), and today I greeted the dawn on the lakeshore. After a day of fasting from dawn until dusk, I feel like I’ve made some solid steps on my spiritual path.

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A baby bird had fallen from its nest onto the sidewalk sometime this morning. I dug a grave for it under the Iris in my garden, and gave it some seeds and water. I was going to ask my partner to join me in saying goodbye, but she was busy and I didn’t want to wait. The chick had been alone in the cold, and I wanted to send it home as soon as I could.

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I went camping this weekend on the Trent River. It was nice to connect with the land.

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queer is a slur, grow up

‘Queer’ was reclaimed as an umbrella term for people identifying as not-heterosexual and/or not-cisgender in the early 1980s, but being queer is more than just being non-straight/non-cis; it’s a political and ideological statement, a label asserting an identity distinct from gay and/or traditional gender identities.People identifying as queer are typically not cis gays or cis lesbians, but bi, pan, ace, trans, nonbinary, intersex, etc.: we’re the silent/ced letters. We’re the marginalised majority within the LGBTQIA+ community, and‘queer’ is our rallying cry.

And that’s equally pissing off and terrifying terfs and cis LGs.

There’s absolutely no historical or sociolinguistic reason why ‘queer’ should be a worse slur than ‘gay.’ Remember how we had all those campaigns to make people stop using ‘gay’ as a synonym for ‘bad’?

Yet nobody is suggesting we should abolish ‘gay’ as a label. We accept that even though ‘gay’ sometimes is and historically frequently was used in a derogatory manner, mlm individuals have the right to use that word. We have ad campaigns, twitter hashtags, and viral Facebook posts defending ‘gay’ as an identity label and asking people to stop using it as a slur.

Whereas ‘queer’ is treated exactly opposite: a small but vocal group of people within feminist and LGBTQIA+ circles insists that it’s a slur and demands that others to stop using it as a personal, self-chosen identity label.

Why?

Because “queer is a slur” was invented by terfs specifically to exclude trans, nonbinary, and intersex people from feminist and non-heterosexual discourse, and was subsequently adopted by cis gays and cis lesbians to exclude bi/pan and ace people.

It’s classic divide-and-conquer tactics: when our umbrella term is redefined as a slur and we’re harassed into silence for using it, we no longer have a word for what we are allowing us to organise for social/political/economic support; we are denied the opportunity to influence or shape the spaces we inhabit; we can’t challenge existing community power structures; we’re erased from our own history.

I’m not kidding. Cis LGs have literally taken historical evidence of queer people’s involvement in the LGBT rights struggle and photoshopped it to erase us:

Pro tip: when you alter historical evidence to deny a marginalised group empowerment, you’re one of the bad guys.

“Queer is a slur” is used by terfs and cis gays/lesbians to silence the voices of trans/nonbinary/intersex/bi/pan/ace people in society and even within our own communities, to isolate us and shame us for existing.

“Queer is a slur” is saying “I am offended by people who do not conform to traditional gender or sexual identities because they are not sexually available to me or validate my personal identity.”

“Queer is a slur” is defending heteronormativity.

“Queer is a slur” is frankly embarrassing. It’s an admission of ignorance and prejudice. It’s an insidious discriminatory discourse parroted uncritically in support of a divisive us-vs-them mentality targeting the most vulnerable members of the LGBTQIA+ community for lack of courage to confront the white cis straight men who pose an actual danger to us as individuals and as a community.

Tl;dr:

I’m here, I’m queer, and I’m too old for this shit.

[the-world-tree-is-calling]

Happy Equinox!

It’s a bright and sunny day on the north shore of Lake Ontario. The beginning of Summer at last! In dedication to the Sun, and the Earth, and my kith and kin, human, and nonhuman, I spent some time today walking around the neighborhood picking up litter. The snows banks tend to accumulate trash over the course of the winter, so now is a good time to help clear it up.

Happy Summer!

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Walking along the lake shore today, spotted this small owl sleeping in a pine tree. I think it’s a an Eastern Screech Owl, but I’m not positive.

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Hail to the Spring! Our Mother Earth is reawakening, and life is sprouting again! And just like these little cousins, my blog is going to start blooming again. I took a long hibernation, from almost all spiritual things, but it’s time to shake off the dust, and get back to my roots. Tomorrow is the start of the next Moon, and a few days later is the Spring Equinox. Hail to the end of Winter, the dark half of the year! As much as I love the snow, it’s time for new beginnings, and there’s lots of potential for growth, today.

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An offering of blood, let on a candle, and tea; given in love and reverence, as thanks for all I have, and a prayer for guidance and wisdom.

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Please, please be careful with the gifs you choose for witchy posts.

I have epilepsy. Some of these gifs that are so popular with pagan and witch blogs make it impossible for me to interact with a post, either because they’re flashing, swirling, or have rapid movement. THEY ARE A HEALTH HAZARD. They can trigger seizures, migraines, and dizzy spells. I literally just came across this nice post about daily witchy things you can do, and then right as I get to the bottom, bam, a gif that i can’t look at. How am I supposed to safely view this? Not everyone has access to gif blockers, and most of them turn off all gifs, which then makes it difficult to ascertain whether it’s a safe gif or not. It’s not effective. Like please, just be a little more considerate about the gifs you use. I like gifs, they’re fun, but some make it harder for me to enjoy things.

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Tree Grounding/Rooting

So this is a technique I learned a while ago before I really got into witchcraft. I guess it could considered a mindfulness meditation as well. It doesn’t really matter what you call it. 

A lot of my craft focuses on the mind and centering it on what’s going on inside of you and then reaching out to what’s around you. In this particular exercise you dispel negative energy by feeding it back into the earth and then, if needed, draw up neutral energy (because everything that goes into the earth becomes neutral until we do something to change it) back from the earth to recharge yourself. 

To Begin:

I like to start this exercise sitting cross legged on the floor, you can do it outside or in a chair inside-whatever is easiest for you. 

Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. See if you can feel the different flows of energy and emotions within your body with each breath.

Visualize yourself as one with the Earth. Realize that despite be physically separate, energetically we all come from the same thing. 

Start to, in your mind’s eye, see your spine/tail bone grow like the base of a tree or a vine, and see yourself being rooted into the Earth itself. 

Visualize your roots going deeper into the Earth, searching for it’s core.

When you’ve found where you feel your roots need to be, stop. Enjoy feeling connected for a moment. Let your mind wander, this is healthy, just remember to come back. 

Feel that energy flowing through you again. Try to separate the negative energy you don’t want out from the rest. 

Give it a color or a form in your mind and try to push it down through the roots into the core of the Earth, asking that she take it into herself and neutralize it where it can no longer harm anyone. 

Once you feel the negative energy fully leave you and your roots, think about how you feel. Do you feel lighter? More calm? A little freer maybe? At this time do you need to recharge with some more neutral energy that you can make positive?

While still connected to the Earth by your roots, if you need to recharge, ask for some neutral energy in return for your offering you have just given. With each breath in feel the energy come higher up the roots and eventually fill you. Allow it to flow through you, knowing that it simply is, and has possibilites to go either way, depending on what you do with it. 

When you are ready you can thank the Earth for helping you and start to pull back your roots with each breath. Once you feel like you have full returned you can open your eyes and evaluate how you feel. 

Hopefully this can help some of you. It doesn’t take super long, although I know it seems to have a lot of steps. I was trying to break it up for readability. I’ve used it before spellwork, tarot readings, seances, and just when I need to cleanse myself of negativity. It can be quite helpful. Let me know what you guys think and your results? 

[the-world-tree-is-calling]

TO THE PAGANS IN A PINCH WHO CAN’T AFFORD FOOD TO THE DEITIES

Not everyone is so lucky to have food that they can make or give specifically to the deities. Sometimes, great financial burdens come upon us and we don’t even know when our next meal is, much less when we should give to a deity. There is nothing wrong with not being able to afford food for deities, and having to nourish your body first.

OTHER TYPES OF OFFERINGS

-Drawings, doodles, chicken scratches that are done with the intent of honoring the gods

-Some type of arts and crafts, like sewing, weavings, handmade jewelry or statues

-Play your favorite song that makes you think of them or make up your own. Your hands and voice are all you need to make music

-Poetry, stories, hymns and anything creative

-A glass of water. Consecrate and bless it, then offer it up to a deity

-Volunteer your time at places that would please that specific deity. Clean up the forests and sides of the road for Gaea, or the beach for Aphrodite, or help out at an animal shelter for Artemis.  

IF YOU’RE DEAD SET ON USING FOOD

Dedicate a meal or supper to them that you are eating. With every piece of food, tell the gods that you are dedicating this meal to them and eating it along side them, that as it nourishes you, so it nourishes them. It would be a good idea to see what foods they like and to try and get those types, if you can.  

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Your bedroom at 5 am 

*reads at 5:13 am* 

Yes

Places where reality is a bit altered:

• any target • churches in texas • abandoned 7/11’s • your bedroom at 5 am • hospitals at midnight • warehouses that smell like dust • lighthouses with lights that don’t work anymore • empty parking lots • ponds and lakes in suburban neighborhoods • rooftops in the early morning • inside a dark cabinet

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For those who are celebrating, I hope your days are filled with warmth and light.

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One of the hardest lessons to learn when it comes to altars.

If there is any object,substance,idol etc on that thing that doesn’t make you overcome with joy that its there. Then it doesn’t belong there. Keeping things on YOUR altar simply because “that’s the way its done” is a dangerous mindset in magic. You’re basically putting it out there that you don’t trust yourself to make your own choices, that instead you need to hold on to something that you feel no connection to simply for the sake of tradition.

When making an altar. There are three important questions to ask when building.

1. Does this item serve the purpose I want it to? 2,Is this purpose something I actually want/need? 3. Does this item empower me?

Its your space, its your choice. Not Raymond Buckland’s, not your coven’s, not your family’s and certainly not stuck up diva witches on tumblr.

If you don’t like the dual gendered aspects found in many traditions, then don’t include them. If athame make you uncomfortable, then don’t use them. If you find that a WWE wrestling action figure somehow adds to your space in a manner you enjoy. Then put it on there. If that angel figurine your grandma gave you makes you feel happy even though you don’t work with angels, then put it on your altar. You don’t answer to anyone but the person in the mirror. Your space, Your rules.

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I feel like this was necessary for me to read right now, although it provides little comfort in the moment

Why is loving someone such a risk? It's almost like a paradox: it's a great feeling but it has the potential to hurt you, as well...

Life involves risk. All of Life takes risks. A sea lion a deer, risks its life just to eat. This is the Life we all share. This is how it is. We take risks too, physical risks and emotional risks. This is just how it is.

Love hurts so much because we risk so much. We put our rawness out there to be judged, we bare ourself to another and we share with them our raw self. We open to them and expose ourself to them, athis is a great risk and this is why it hurts. We risk because it is a great feeling, it feels good and amazing to feel love, so we risk a lot for it. It’s worth the risk and we are open and love in-spite of the risks. We get hurt and we find the strength to heal and to love again. This is life, it is a push and a pull a, rollercoaster, you hang on, scream and let gravity take you, let love pull you along and be with the ups and the downs. This is love and this is just life.

Feel, be and try to find the source of all the love in your life that you encounter.

My thoughts on this,

~greg