Hello, my fine Pagan kinfolk! Hopefully you can sense my gusto through your computer, because that was quite emphatic. Strange, really, because I haven't even had caffeine today. Guess hot water and lemon does a body good?
*awkward silence*
ANYWAY, I'd like to introduce a wonderful blogger, tarot reader, and witch named Sarah. She's the fantastic mind behind SarahFawnEmpey.com. If you haven't checked her out, you shoooould! She's wonderfully grounded, practical, and insightful! She also runs a lovely Etsy store where she offers some beautiful items that'll make you the envy of the coven.
Take it away, Sarah!
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Hey there! I suppose I best introduce
myself before I just launch into writing :)
My name is Sarah and I am a witchy
blogger over at sarahfawnempey.com, and I am simply
delighted to be visiting the Penniless Pagan as a guest author today.
Green witching in apartments is a topic
that is near and dear to my heart. This is quite possibly because I live in
one. :D
An apartment is a home just as much as
a house is. So it can be woven with just as much hearth magick.
Still, when you live up in the sky and
just want to dig your hands into the soil, it can be challenging too. That
doesn't mean it's impossible though ;) Even though you might not be able to
garden directly in the earth you can still weave green magick with potting mix
and some nifty window sill or balcony pots!
In this post, I’ve included a few of my
favourite ways to green witch in an apartment as well as some tips on how to
dry and store your magickal herbs when you have limited storage space.
Indoor Green Witching
- Apartment Style
Depending on your apartment you may or
may not have a balcony.
If you have a balcony, this presents a
perfect opportunity for creating a mini green space. In warmer weather, you can
line your balcony with planters or pots and plant to your heart’s content.
This past spring we moved to an
apartment with a balcony and I found that basil, sage, green onions and
rosemary all thrived quite well - despite being 15 stories up!
In magickal terms that means I grew:
- protection (basil)
- an energy cleanser (sage)
- kitchen witchery (green onions)
- hearthy
goodness and protection (rosemary)
If you don’t have a balcony don’t sweat
it. The previous home we lived in was a cosy basement apartment with minimal
natural lighting and we still managed to grow magickal green babies.
You can find plants that will thrive
just about anywhere. Snake plants, for instance, do quite well in minimal
lighting - though they do need some lighting so don't go popping them in a room
without any windows.
Now that the season has begun to cool
and the plants can't stay outdoors anymore I've brought all my magickal green
babies indoors. To maximise light for them and still have space we placed a
side table in a corner by the balcony where they can soak up plenty of rays.
Then, we put the smaller green babies in window sills.
If your window sills are packed
Pinterest has some pretty cool hacks for indoor gardening or green witching ;)
Think small stepping ladders converted into tiered gardens or potted plants
hung from pieces of driftwood attached to the wall. I don't know about you but
I think that those would be delightful projects to check out.
Not sure which herbs to plant? Follow
your intuition. Consider which magickal energies call to you. Then do a dash of
research to find which plants will thrive in the lighting in your home.
Drying Herbs
When your plants are ready to harvest
or prune, you can easily dry them in your home. Then you can store them for
magickal workings later.
For the basil, rosemary and sage I used
a bit of twine wrapped around their stems and hung them upside down on an artsy
sort of stick arrangement we have in our home.
If you happen to have some twigs lying
around in your witchy closet arrange them in a vase and then hang your herbs on
them for a similar effect.
For the green onions a different
approach was needed so for these I prune back as needed. After a rinse to wash
off any dust I use scissors to cut them into 1cm sections and lay these out on
a plate in the kitchen to dry for a day or two.
Storing Magickal
Herbs
When your herbs are all dried out then
it's time to store them.
Have a spice rack? This can easily
convert into a witchy storage space for your magickal herbs.
Then, uniquely shaped glass bottles
from a craft shop like Michael's are another fun way to store your magickal
herbs. These bottles also come in a variety of enchanting colours and are
perfect for infusing a witchy cupboard with colour magick.
If you don't have a spice rack or space
for glass bottles - place your herbs, once fully dry, in small plastic baggies
from the dollar store. Then store all the wee bags of your herbs in a drawer or
transparent plastic container. This is especially handy if you’re running short
on space in your kitchen.
I personally use a combination of all
of the above to store my herbs :)
No matter which herbs you choose to
plant, with love and care you will soon be weaving green magick throughout your
home )O(
Do you keep a magickal garden? What are your favorite magickal plants?
NOTE: As with any recommendation found on this blog, consult your doctor or naturopath before use.
