~*~ WITCH ~*~
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Originally posted by OCEANOS:
errr.... hehehhe... i dun wan to be called a witch... hahaha!!!
[b]Merry Meet Audlenelee Sweetie,
Of coz you can be more alluring with some Glamoury... You wanna be witch should be able to if you seek my Guidance...ha ha ha The Charmed ones probably has practicioner of the Craft in them... Real Witches perhaps... hehehe...
Blessed Be,
Oceanos[/b] -
Well Its take more than a few mere words or Title to be a Real Witch... if not will be just some little Dabblers or Wannabes who achieved nothing at all... You can see a few in Sgforums already... Witch & Bitch difference is only by an alphabet... ha ha haOriginally posted by audlenelee:errr.... hehehhe... i dun wan to be called a witch... hahaha!!!
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Folklore and Witchcraft: The Blacksmith's Wife of Yarrowfoot
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Traditional Tale from Scotland
Some years back, the blacksmith of Yarrowfoot had for apprentices two brothers, both steady lads, and, when bound to him, fine healthy fellows.
After a few months, however, the younger of the two began to grow pale and lean, lose his appetite, and show other marks of declining health. His brother, much concerned, often questioned him as to what ailed him, but to no purpose.
At last, however, the poor lad burst into an agony of tears, and confessed that he was quite worn out, and should soon be brought to the grave through the ill-usage of his mistress, who was in truth a witch, though none suspected it. "Every night," he sobbed out, "she comes to my bedside, puts a magic bridle on me, and changes me into a horse. Then, seated on my back, she urges me on for many a mile to the wild moors, where she and I know not what other vile creatures hold their hideous feasts. There she keeps me all night, and at early morning I carry her home. She takes off my bridle, and there I am, but so weary I can ill stand. And thus I pass my nights while you are soundly sleeping."
The elder brother at once declared he would take his chance of a night among the witches, so he put the younger one in his own place next to the wall, and lay awake himself till the usual time of the witch-woman's arrival. She came, bridle in hand, and flinging it over the elder brother's head, up sprang a fine hunting horse. The lady leaped on his back, and started for the trysting-place, which on this occasion, as it chanced, was the cellar of a neighboring laird.
While she and the rest of the vile crew were regaling themselves with claret and sack, the hunter, who was left in a spare stall of the stable, rubbed and rubbed his head against the wall till he loosened the bridle, and finally got it off, on which he recovered his human form. Holding the bridle firmly in his hand, he concealed himself at the back of the stall till his mistress came within reach, when in an instant he flung the magic bridle over her head, and, behold, a fine gray mare!
He mounted her and dashed off, riding through hedge and ditch, till, looking down, he perceived she had lost a shoe from one of her forefeet. He took her to the first smithy that was open, had the shoe replaced, and a new one put on the other forefoot, and then rode her up and down a plowed field till she was nearly worn out. At last he took her home, and pulled the bridle off just in time for her to creep into bed before her husband awoke, and got up for his day's work.
The honest blacksmith arose, little thinking what had been going on all night; but his wife complained of being very ill, almost dying, and begged him to send for a doctor. He accordingly aroused his apprentices; the elder one went out, and soon returned with one whom he had chanced to meet already abroad.
The doctor wished to feel his patient's pulse, but she resolutely hid her hands, and refused to show them. The village Esculapius was perplexed; but the husband, impatient at her obstinacy, pulled off the bedclothes, and found, to his horror, that horseshoes were tightly nailed to both hands! On further examination, her sides appeared galled with kicks, the same that the apprentice had given her during his ride up and down the plowed field.
The brothers now came forward, and related all that had passed. On the following day the witch was tried by the magistrates of Selkirk, and condemned to be burned to death on a stone at the Bullsheugh, a sentence which was promptly carried into effect. It is added that the younger apprentice was at last restored to health by eating butter made from the milk of cows fed in kirkyards, a sovereign remedy for consumption brought on through being witch-ridden.
* The above Excerpts are taken from the Internet without any edits mainly for informational purposes only. ~*~ LIGHT OF ATLANTIS ~*~ will not be responsible for any of its contents, misuses or abuses using the information presented. -
very very very interesting
im still trying to digest this bit of information
"Every witch had a special mark on her body. It could have been a birthmark or any other physical anomaly. "
being a typical scorpio
let me go sit on my secret and be mysterious for a while lol
and then maybe i'll decide whether to share the secret or not
on a side note
about how witches get their powers from their mothers
its very interesting how my friend got HIS powers from his mother
coz erm think the sister not interested
ah.. so envious
hehehe
very rare i think for a man
heavy responsibilities too
but then im thinking i really shouldnt be talking about this Hmmm
anything to give an excuse for not studying for my exam tomorrow kekeke -
me scorpio too!Originally posted by nove:very very very interesting
im still trying to digest this bit of information
"Every witch had a special mark on her body. It could have been a birthmark or any other physical anomaly. "
being a typical scorpio
let me go sit on my secret and be mysterious for a while lol
and then maybe i'll decide whether to share the secret or not
on a side note
about how witches get their powers from their mothers
its very interesting how my friend got HIS powers from his mother
coz erm think the sister not interested
ah.. so envious hehehe
very rare i think for a man
heavy responsibilities too
but then im thinking i really shouldnt be talking about this Hmmm
anything to give an excuse for not studying for my exam tomorrow kekeke
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Originally posted by audlenelee:me scorpio too!
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Folklore and Witchcraft: Brewery of Eggshells
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In Treneglwys there is a certain shepherd's cot known by the name of Twt y Cymrws because of the strange strife that occurred there. There once lived there a man and his wife, and they had twins whom the woman nursed tenderly. One day she was called away to the house of a neighbour at some distance. She did not much like going and leaving her little ones all alone in a solitary house, especially as she had heard tell of the good folk haunting the neighbourhood.
Well, she went and came back as soon as she could, but on her way back she was frightened to see some old elves of the blue petticoat crossing her path though it was midday. She rushed home, but found her two little ones in the cradle and everything seemed as it was before.
But after a time the good people began to suspect that something was wrong, for the twins didn't grow at all.
The man said: "They're not ours."
The woman said: "Whose else should they be?"
And so arose the great strife so that the neighbours named the cottage after it. It made the woman very sad so one evening she made up her mind to go and see the Wise Man of Llanidloes, for he knew everything and would advise her what to do.
So she went to Llanidloes and told the case to the Wise Man. Now there was soon to be a harvest of rye and oats, so the Wise Man said to her, "When you are getting dinner for the reapers, clear out the shell of a hen's egg and boil some potage in it, and then take it to the door as if you meant it as a dinner for the reapers. Then listen if the twins say anything. If you hear them speaking of things beyond the understanding of children, go back and take them up and throw them into the waters of Lake Elvyn. But if you don't hear anything remarkable, do them no injury."
So when the day of the reap came the woman did all that the Wise Man ordered, and put the eggshell on the fire and took it off and carried it to the door, and there she stood and listened. Then she heard one of the children say to the other:
'Acorn before oak I knew,
An egg before a hen,
But I never heard of an eggshell brew
A dinner for harvest men.'
So she went back into the house, seized the children and threw them into the Llyn, and the goblins in their blue trousers came and saved their dwarfs and the mother had her own children back and so the great strife ended.
* The above Excerpts are taken from the Internet without any edits mainly for informational purposes only. ~*~ LIGHT OF ATLANTIS ~*~ will not be responsible for any of its contents, misuses or abuses using the information presented. -
I am a LEO .....
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This is a stupid information but I'm still going to post it.
I just came by this information that porn star Monica Mayhem is a Wiccan. I'm just wonderring if all female Wiccan shares her liberating personality? -
i believe so...Originally posted by shutthehellup:is there really such things as modern witches?? -
Merry Meet Faye Valentine,Originally posted by Faye Valentine:i believe so...
Well without denial many Ancient Practices still exist in this Modern Era...
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
Originally posted by John Ching:This is a stupid information but I'm still going to post it.
I just came by this information that porn star Monica Mayhem is a Wiccan. I'm just wonderring if all female Wiccan shares her liberating personality?
Merry Meet Again John Ching,
Wicca do not need such Liberation neither is it encouraged nor needed in any way. Anyone can make claim that they are Wiccan but is that true only they themselves know & probably such info should be viewed with discretions based on One's individual perspective. Do not misuse or abuse "Wiccan" name in any ways thus creating untrue adverse image of Wicca to the Masses. Just a gentle reminder do take note... Thanks for your post...
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
Seasons of the Witch
Imbolc
Excerpted From School of Seasons
An ancient Celtic festival considered the first day of spring.
According to Blackburn, no information survives about the rituals associated with this festival, except that ewes were milked. Various scholars have derived the word Imbolc from Ol-melc (ewe's milk) because the ewes are lactating at this time, Im-bolg (around the belly) in honor of the swelling belly of the earth goddess, and folcaim (I wash) because of the rites of purification which took place at this time. All of these meanings capture themes of the festival.
A medieval quatrain fills in a few more sketchy details:
Tasting every food in order
This is what behoves at Imbolc
Washing of hand and feet and head
It is thus I say
Much of the lore associated with Imbolc was probably absorbed into the
customs surrounding St. Brigid's feast day on February 1.
Blackburn, Bonnie and Leofranc Holford-Strevens, Oxford Companion to
the Year, Oxford University Press 1999
February 1st is the feast day of St Brigid, who began her life as a
pagan goddess and ended up a Christian saint. The great high goddess,
Bride or Brigid, was a fire and fertility goddess, perhaps embodied in the
stars in the constellation we view as Orion. In her temple at Kildare,
her priestesses tended an eternal flame. She presided over all
transformations: birth and brewing, metal-smithing and poetry, the passage from winter to spring.
In Celtic lore, she is the daughter of the Dagda, the Good God, who
marries her to Bres of the Fomors. Her name may be derived from Gaelic breo aigit or fiery arrow or (the Matthews prefer) a Sanskrit derivation Brahti or high one. As Bride, the Queen of Heaven, she seems to have been a sun goddess. In one tale, St Brigid carries a burning coal in her apron. In another tale, flames engulf her body without burning her.
The legends about the goddess Brigid gradually became associated with
the (somewhat spurious) Saint Brigid who founded the first convent in
Ireland (where else?) at Kildare. Her emblem is a cow and many legends
tell of how Brigid kept guests at her abbey supplied (often miraculously)
with milk and butter. Her flower is the dandelion, whose yellow flower
is the color of butter and whose stem when broken releases a milky sap.
St Brigid supposedly helped at the birth of Jesus, thus she is the
patron saint of midwives and pregnant women. She is also the patron of
poets, scholars, healers, dairymaids and blacksmiths, recalling many of the arts under the protection of the goddess Bride.
On the eve of her feast day in Ireland, people put out a loaf of bread
on the windowsill for the Saint and an ear of corn for her white cow,
offerings for the grain goddess like the loaf buried in the first
furrow. Wheat stalks are woven into X-shaped crosses to be hung from rafters as charms to protect homes from fire and lightning.
In Ireland, the birds known as oyster-catchers (in Gaelic they are
called Gille righde, the servants of Bride) appear on St Brigid's day and
are said to bring spring with them.
During the 19th century, Alexander Carmichael collected and compiled
folk customs from the West Highlands, including many revolving around
Bridget. On her holiday, women get together to make Brigid's crosses at
night. They also dress the corn doll or last sheaf (from Lammas or autumn equinox) in a bridal gown and put her in a basket which is called the Bride's bed. A wand, candle or other phallic object is laid across her
and the Bride is invited to come for her bed is ready. If the blankets
are rumpled in the morning, this is seen as a good omen. Obviously the
goddess whose mating brings life to the land is not the abbess of a
convent but the great fertility goddess.
Blackburn, Bonnie and Leofranc Holford-Strevens, Oxford Companion to
the Year, Oxford University Press 1999
Carmichael, Alexander, Carmina Gadelica, Llindisfarne Press
Kightly, Charles, The Perpetual Almanack of Folklore, Thames and Hudson 1987
Matthews, John & Caitlin, Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom, Element 2000
Feb 1: Juno Sospita
In ancient Rome, consuls made a sacrifice to Juno Sospita (the Saviour)
on this day. Girls offered barley-cakes to the sacred snake in her
grove. If their offerings were accepted, their virginity was confirmed and
the year's fertility assured.
Blackburn, Bonnie and Leofranc Holford-Strevens, Oxford Companion to
the Year, Oxford University Press 1999
Feb 1: St Tryphon
His emblem is the pruning knife and he is known as a protector of vines
and fields and a killer of rats and caterpillars. On his day, vineyards
and fields are sprinkled with holy water and blessed. Working in the
fields is not allowed, and it is said that one man who disobeyed this
injunction and went out to work cut his own nose off.
Blackburn, Bonnie and Leofranc Holford-Strevens, Oxford Companion to
the Year, Oxford University Press 1999
Feb 1: Candlemas Eve
This is the official last day of the Christmas season and also the last
date for taking down the Christmas greens.
Leaving them up after Candlemas is bad luck. Ceremonies for Candlemas
Eve
Down with the Rosemary and Bayes
Down with the Mistletoe
Instead of Holly, now upraise
The greener Box (for Show).
The Holly hitherto did sway
Let Box now domineer;
Until the dancing Easter-day
Or Easters Eve appear.
~Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
Here are a few more!
Be An Encourager Day
BEE-Day (Philippines)
Brigmid (Druid Festival)
Candlemas Eve
Canned Food Month
Cross-Quarter Day
Freedom Day
National Baked Alaska Day
National Enrolled Agent's Day
Oystercatchers Arrive Back In Scotland, Heralding Spring (See Also 15
April).
Perchville USA begins (Tawas Bay, Michigan)
Return Shopping Carts To The Supermarket Month
Robinson Crusoe Day
Serpent Day (Celtic)
Spring Mother Celebration (Norse)
St. Bride's Day
St. Brigid's Day (aka St. Bridget; patron of dairy workers, dairy
maids, poultry raisers, the only Irish fairy to become a Saint.)
St. Ives' Hurling of the Silver Ball (Cornell, UK)
St. Pionius' Day
St. Severus' Day (patron of hatters, milliners)
The First Week Of February Is:National Pay Your Bills Week
The Second Monday Of The Month Is: Clean Out Your Computer Day; Fridays
Before Lent Is Fariseos (Mayan Indians; Celebration Making Fun Of
Christian Ceremonies)
The Second Week Is:Love May Make The World Go 'Round, But Laughter
Keeps Us From Getting Dizzy Week
This Month Is Also Known As Known By The Saxons As Sprout-Kale, Because Of The Conspicuous Sprouting Of Cabbage In Winter Gardens During This Time.
Vegetation Month.
Women's Heart Health Day -
we all fear witches as we think they might do us harm...... we get decieved by the words of those who live b4 us....y can't we have our own opinions????
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fear why fear them ???Originally posted by harryryan:we all fear witches as we think they might do us harm...... we get decieved by the words of those who live b4 us....y can't we have our own opinions???? -
dunno leh.... btw ...u look at the number of pple viewing this thread vs the pple who post ....lolzOriginally posted by MeOwSuSan:fear why fear them ??? -
I wonder ....Originally posted by harryryan:dunno leh.... btw ...u look at the number of pple viewing this thread vs the pple who post ....lolz -
maybe there e more closet witches than we all wanna think there isOriginally posted by MeOwSuSan:I wonder .... -
Merry Meet To All,
The word "WITCH" has many connotations. It is a label stuffed full of stereotypes and misconceptions. Those of us living out of the broom closet have had many opportunities to experience these misconceptions firsthand.
At worst these misconceptions are based on fear and ignorance. At best they are rooted in stereotypes and bad made-for-TV movies. Though I have been openly Pagan for the past six years, I have been fortunate thus far to escape the nastier side of religious intolerance. I have taught open classes, led open circles, done Pagan radio shows on commercial radio stations, and written Pagan articles credited with my real name. I have had ample opportunity to encounter all flavors and shades of misconceptions.
The single most obvious misconception is that there is a connection between Satanism and Paganism or Wicca. The confusion is understandable since Satanists often call themselves Witches. However, Witches are not Satanist.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
THE WITCHES OF BELVOIR
On the 11th of March 1618-19, two women named Margaret and Philippa Flower, were burnt at Lincoln for the alleged crime of witch-craft. With their mother, Joan Flower, they had been confidential servants of the Earl and Countess of Rutland, at Belvoir Castle. Dissatisfaction with their employers seems to have gradually seduced these three women into the practice of hidden arts in order to obtain revenge. According to their own confession, they had entered into communion with familiar spirits, by which they were assisted in their wicked designs. Joan Flower, the mother, had hers in the bodily form of a cat, which she called Rutterkin. They used to get the hair of a member of the family and burn it: they would steal one of his gloves and plunge it in boiling water, or rub it on the back of Rutterkin, in order to effect bodily harm to its owner. They would also use frightful imprecations of wrath and malice towards the objects of their hatred. In these ways they were believed to have accomplished the death of Lord Ross, the Earl of Rutland's son, besides inflicting frightful sicknesses upon other members of the family.
It was long before the earl and countess, who were an amiable couple, suspected any harm in these servants, although we are told that for some years there was a manifest change in the countenance of the mother, a diabolic expression being assumed. At length, at Christmas, 1618, the noble pair became convinced that they were the victims of a hellish plot, and the three women were apprehended, taken to Lincoln jail, and examined. The mother loudly protested innocence, and, calling for bread and butter, wished it might choke her if she were guilty of the offences laid to her charge. Immediately, taking a piece into her mouth, she fell down dead, probably, as we may allowably conjecture, overpowered by consciousness of the contrariety between these protestations and the guilty design which she had entertained in her mind.
Margaret Flower, on being examined, acknowledged that she had stolen the glove of the young heir of the family, and given it to her mother, who stroked Rutterkin with it, dipped it in hot water, and pricked it: whereupon Lord Ross fell ill and suffered extremely. In order to prevent Lord and Lady Rutland from having any more children, they had taken some feathers from their bed, and a pair of gloves, which they boiled in water, mingled with a little blood. In all these particulars, Philippa corroborated her sister. Both women admitted that they had familiar spirits, which came and sucked them at various parts of their bodies: and they also described visions of devils in various forms which they had had from time to time.
Associated with the Flowers in their horrible practices were three other women, of the like grade in life,—Anne Baker, of Bottesford: Joan Willimot, of Goodby: and Ellen Greene, of Stathorne, all in the county of Leicester, whose confessions were to much the same purpose. Each had her own familiar spirits to assist in working out her malignant designs against her neighbours.
That of Joan Willimot was called Pretty. It had been blown into her mouth by her master, William Berry, in the form of a fairy, and immediately after came forth again and stood on the floor in the shape of a woman, to whom she forthwith promised that her soul should be enlisted in the infernal service. On one occasion, at Joan Flower's house, she saw two spirits, one like an owl, the other like a rat, one of which sucked her under the ear. This woman, however, protested that, for her part, she only employed her spirit in inquiring after the health of persons whom she had undertaken to cure.
Greene confessed to having had a meeting with Willimot in the woods, when the latter called two spirits into their company, one like a kitten, the other like a mole, which, on her being left alone, mounted on her shoulders and sucked her under the ears. She had then sent them to bewitch a man and woman who had reviled her, and who, accordingly, died within a fortnight. Anne Baker seems to have been more of a visionary than any of the rest. She once saw a hand, and heard a voice from the air: she had been visited with a flash of fire: all of them ordinary occurrences in the annals of hallucination. She also had a spirit, but, as she alleged, a beneficent one, in the form of a white dog.
From the frontispiece of a contemporary pamphlet giving an account of this group of witches, we transfer a homely picture of Baker, Willimot, and Greene, attended each by her familiar spirit. The entire publication is reprinted in Nichols's Leicestershire.
The examinations of these wretched women were taken by magistrates of rank and credit, and when the judges came to Lincoln the two surviving Flowers were duly tried, and on their own confessions condemned to death by the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Sir Henry Hobbert.
* The above Excerpts are taken from the Internet without any edits mainly for informational purposes only. ~*~ LIGHT OF ATLANTIS ~*~ will not be responsible for any of its contents, misuses or abuses using the information presented. -
a bit disappointed. i thot can see wwWWwWWwwAaaaaaAAAAAaaaAAAwwwWWWWwwwWW!!! here. but dun have
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Path of the Green Witch
Traditionally, many paths of Witchcraft are named by their color; red, white, grey, and so forth. Many of these disciplines have changed their names as Witchcraft has gained global unity, but it is Green Witchcraft which has kept its color name from country to country.
To be a Witch means that you worship the Earth as a mother, and to be a Green Witch means that you heal the children of the Earth by bringing them back in communication Her. The disciplines of the Green Witch are many; she listens, watches, learns, heals and, most of all, she teaches. -
The Green Witch listens
An old story tells, Raven created the world and it was he who created the gods. He scooped them from the earth, filled their veins with ocean blood and their lungs with mountain winds. Raven gave them the spirits of the stars, so that, like him, they would never die.
Then Raven went on creating. He made our world as the gods whispered their counsel to him. Raven made rivers, mountains, trees, and all manner of beings. As Raven created, his brother the Destroyer, mangled his creations. "Create speed," counseled the gods. Raven made a perfect animal with long running legs, keen vision, and absolute agility and named it Deer. Destroyer could not bear the thought of perfection and so gave Deer the quality of Fear. Raven cursed as his perfect animal bolted into the woods at the sound of leaves rustling. So, he tried again. "Create strength," counseled the gods and Raven created an animal with burly shoulders, strong jaws and claws that push aside the earth, and he named it Badger. But Destroyer gave Badger the quality of Anger. Raven cursed as his creation swung around to bite him. "Vision," counseled the gods. Raven again created the perfect animal with wide knowing eyes, night vision, and the ability to see in all directions and named it Owl. Destroyer gave the creation Day Blindness. Raven cursed as the animal flew into a tree to sleep until sundown. Finally, Raven was ready to create humans.
"Imagination," counseled the gods. "These animals," spoke Raven, "are special to me because of their ability to create in a way that can be both beautiful and dangerous. You must be willing to help me if Destroyer interferes." The gods nodded in understanding. So Raven created the humans with long, flexible fingers, quick minds, and a need to communicate. Destroyer gave the creation Weakness. Raven called upon the gods. "My creature will sicken and go mad destroying everything in their path. We must help them or all creatures will be in danger." The gods conferred and did a very wise thing. They broke off pieces of their wise star spirits and scattered these pieces across the earth. From these pieces rose plants of every variety. Trees, shrubs, flowers, mosses grew in profusion. "All that will challenge Raven's children, the humans, whether disease, madness, or wounds can be healed by these plants," said the gods. "How will they know which plants will heal which sickness?" asked Raven. "When they call upon us, we shall teach them the language of their plant cousins," they replied. -
The Green Witch watches
Healers throughout the world have been seeking the language of their plant cousins for centuries. Sometimes our animal brothers and sisters teach us their secrets, as in the case of the herb Eyebright. The story goes that an herbalist had a young bird family nesting in her tree. The spring was a difficult one with excessive rain for the season, and sickness took its toll on the young birds. The herbalist noticed that the fledglings had crusted eyes. She shook her head; the birds' singing had given her such joy every morning, "what a shame," she thought "that they won't survive." But the next morning, the herbalist noticed that the mother bird had brought a plant back to her nest instead of the normal grub. "Was she rebuilding her nest?" wondered the woman. She observed the mother bird holding the plant sprig in her beak and wiping the eyes of her fledglings every day until the chicks eyes had cleared. After some investigation, the herbalist discovered the herb in use was Euphrasia rostkoviana, Eyebright. Eyebright produces tiny white flowers with yellow spots and red veins that reminds me of nothing so much as a blood shot eye. This plant is still used as an eye tonic for strains and infections. People suffering from allergies use it to relieve irritated eyes due to hay fever and sinus infections.
The Green Witch learns
Many healers study the physical nature of plants for clues to their properties. The spotted lung pattern on plants like Lugwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) led ancient herbalists to try treating bronchitis and other lung and throat ailments with this plant with good success. The stomach-shaped pods of Senna (Senna alexandrina) lead herbalists to discover the shrub's usefulness for treating the digestive tract.
Even colors speak to those prepared to listen. For years, Coptis species was used as a detoxifier to cleanse the body system. The inner bark of Coptis is yellow, the color normally associated with the liver and with bile. The liver holds and attempts to filter the body's toxins. When the liver is asked to filter more toxins than its capacity, it ends up as a great storage tank for the unfiltered poison. In the 1930's, overharvesting of Coptis species made it endangered and a new detoxifier had to found. Attention was turned to another plant with a yellow inner root bark, Goldenseal, (Hydrastis canadensis.) This plant became the second most popular herb in American apothecaries for the following 50 years. Now goldenseal has become overharvested like Coptis before it, and the new substitute for Goldenseal is another yellow inner barked herb, Oregon Grape (Berberis vulgaris). The need for flushing the toxins from our systems has brought the toxin "scarcity" into our mother's body to be healed as well. Oregon Grape is being monitored by environmentalists, and organic farmers are planting Coptis and Goldenseal to reduce the need for wild harvesting of these plants.
The Green Witch heals
Sometimes the land speaks to the herbalist. St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) came from the semi-dry soils of Turkey and spread throughout Europe and central China as it followed the advance of farm land turned barren by overuse. The wounded land was its nesting place, and the herbalist watched St. John's Wort's sunny yellow flowers line roadsides and other places too rough and ruined for other plants. This is a "bandage" plant, a plant that heals the body of the land as it heals our wounded bodies. The Greeks revered its healing properties and hung it over portraits of the dead, hoping that whatever ills the deceased had suffered would be healed and not passed on to the living. This represents a tradition of using a tool of physical healing to facilitate healing of different levels; many times the healer uses the herb to heal several different levels at once. This is called Deep Healing and it is an important aspect of Green healing. -
The Green Witch teaches
The day after a neighborhood friend had his big birthday party, I was in the kitchen getting an easy Saturday lunch together when I noticed three little heads bobbing under the dining room window. I stepped into the dining room to see what the children were "up to." As the window was open, I could hear as well as see them clearly; my eldest daughter (age 7) was rustling around in one of the herb patches under the window under the close scrutiny of my youngest child and the birthday boy (who was holding his stomach.)
Since my children are still quite young, I don't grow any toxic plants, so I wasn't concerned for their safety — just curious. My daughter held out a handful of freshly picked leaves for the boys to see. "You should chew on these," she said confidently, "This is peppermint. Mom makes us drink the tea when our tummies hurt too. It tastes pretty good if you don't chew it too much." I leaned quietly against the door frame blessing the sacred hoop that showed me this moment.
The previous week, I had experienced a terrible day. My plans were dampened by the misunderstanding of another; I was heart sick. I wandered over to the herb patch in the back of the house to check on a new chamomile patch, when a motion caught my eye. A large raven was sitting in the hawthorn tree. When I saw him I thought "Ah, the Hawthorn berry is good medicine for people with heart conditions. It is also given to people grieving of a broken heart. Raven must be pointing out that this is the healing I should seek." But of instead eating the ripe hawthorn berries as I expected, the raven was picking at the beads of the medicine bag I had hung in the tree branches. He caught hold of the sinew stitching with his beak and pulled. The sinew snapped back and he lost his footing and fell backwards, flapping his wings wildly to keep upright. An avalanche of berries fell and rolled towards my feet, which I hopped over as I laughed. Meanwhile, Raven had escaped in an indignant huff to the confines of the nearby cedar tree. His squawks of irritation soon turned to what sounded like laughter, laughter at himself and laughter at me. Raven had given me a merry heart and just when I needed it. I thanked him and heaved a handful of ripe seed heads under the cedar tree as an offering.
To live the life of the Green Witch is to live with many different levels of understanding at once. I call this path Green Living. It means that what we see is a window to all worlds and that when we are asked to help lift life back into balance, we do so. It means that we heal with the knowledge that all beings are Raven's children and deserve love and respect. Green Living means learning the sacred language of the beings around us, a language without words — the language of life.
— Suzan Stone Sierralupe
is a Green Witch, herbalist, and storyteller living in Eugene, Oregon.