Wellness Witch

THE GARDEN

A wellness witch relies on her garden. She grows her herbs with care and intention, harvests them at the right time, and dries them in bundles that hang around her hearth and home.

That home, of course, will vary from witch to witch. We can’t all live in a cottage in the woods. But a tiny studio apartment or even just the corner of a bedroom can be enchanting—as can its garden. The size and location are meaningless, for it’s the intention of the gardener that matters.

In a plot of earth or a small window box, cultivate any combination of the following commonly used herbs:

BLUE VERVAIN: Vervain should be allowed to flower for a few days before it is collected. Both the leaves and the flowers should be harvested; trim the vervain as you would thyme, and pinch off the flowers to dry separately as you would with marigold or chamomile.

CHAMOMILE: The flower is the most beneficial part of this plant, and you’ll want to wait to harvest it until it is at its peak—which tends to vary from blossom to blossom. When the sun is high in the sky in the late morning, go through your chamomile looking for a blossom that is just about to open. Pinch it off at the base and leave it to dry in a woven basket, adding more flowers to your collection throughout the summer. Be sure to allow a few blossoms to go to seed so that your chamomile will continue on next year.

LAVENDER: Allow your lavender to come into full bloom, then trim the stem three inches or so below the flowers, using scissors or a harvesting knife. Do this in the early morning, before the dew has dried. Gather the stems into a bundle and hang this upside down to dry.

LEMON BALM: Lemon balm can be used fresh, a few leaves at a time, or it can be harvested by cutting the stem two inches above the soil before it begins to flower. Bundle and hang upside down to dry.

MARIGOLD: Calendula, or marigold, will thank you for each flower you take, pushing to give you more. Cut the stem of each flower head at the base of the leaves, harvesting in the early morning before the dew begins to evaporate. Pinch off each flower and allow it to dry in a basket out of direct sunlight. This may take longer than you expect—give it two weeks, just to be safe. Leave a few seeds for next season, of course!

MINT: Use fresh leaves as often as possible, but when your mint starts to get unruly, cut it down to one inch above the ground just before it flowers. Tie the stems, and hang them upside down to dry or freeze them.

MUGWORT: Mugwort should be harvested just as the plant begins to flower, before the blooms open completely. Remove the leaves and flower heads and dry them separately on paper-lined trays; do not hang dry.

MULLEIN: Use mullein fresh, or dry just a few leaves at a time on a cloth for its first year. By the second year the plant will be hardy enough to harvest the leaves by cutting the thickest stems close to the base of the stalk and bundling and drying them as with sage. You can also harvest and dry the flowers and buds for similar use.

ROSEMARY: You can use fresh sprigs throughout most of the year, as rosemary is fairly hardy even in cold weather. To harvest, collect the sprigs about three inches from the top of the plant, just as they start to bloom. Tie a bundle and hang it upside down to dry.

SAGE: Use fresh sage a few leaves at a time. To harvest for drying, take the maturest stems just before they go to seed, cutting them right down at the base of the plant. Lay your stems in the same direction and tie them tightly together with string. Hang your bundle upside down to dry for at least a week.

THYME: Thyme can always be used fresh, but grows so rapidly that harvesting is often a necessity. Harvest your thyme midmorning by cutting near the base of the plant just below a new branch filled with healthy leaves. Bundle this up and hang it to dry.

YARROW: Harvest your yarrow after the flowers are in full bloom, cutting the entire stem halfway down the plant. Bundle your stems and dry them hanging upside down out of direct sunlight.

THE CUPBOARD

Just as there are plants that you’ll return to again and again, there are several items that are always useful to have on hand. You don’t need a cauldron, but a decent-size pot is a good idea—in fact, you’ll need two, since you don’t want to make candles and poultices in the same saucepan you use to brew tea. On the other hand, you really only need one mortar and pestle, since the herbs you’ll be employing are edible. You’ll need a good selection of jars, spray bottles, and containers, including some of those dark blue or brown glass bottles for storing tinctures and essential oil blends.

crystals

There are a lot of powerful crystals out there, and the study and practice of determining which ones work best for you are part of your growth as a witch. However, these stones are a good place to start:

AMETHYST: This stone activates your crown chakra, connecting you with the mystical unknown. Amethyst aids in meditation, calm, and tranquility and relieves headaches.

AQUAMARINE: This gem opens your throat chakra, aiding you in expression of your personal truth, and reduces fear and tension.

CALCITE: Calcite amplifies your energies, allowing you to communicate with the spiritual world.

CLEAR QUARTZ: You could limit your collection to clear quartz alone, if you wanted, because clear quartz can be programmed to serve whatever function you require of it. To do this, simply hold the crystal and focus your intentions. If you leave clear quartz as is, it will serve as a general healing stone.

HEMATITE: This is a protective stone, one that will ground you and close your aura to negative energies.

LAPIS LAZULI: A powerful stone of focus, it will aid in meditation.

OPAL: Opal is another energy amplifier and will enhance any mystical practices by inviting creativity.

Your crystals will need to be cleared and charged every so often, depending on how regularly you use them. Clear your stones with wild running water, such as a stream or rain, or by soaking them in salt water or smudging them with sage.

Activating a crystal can be as simple as holding the stone while focusing on your intention for it, but if you have a little more time, you can perform the following ritual.

Stand in pure light—sunlight if you’re looking for clarity, moonlight if you’re looking for mystery—and cup your crystal in your hands so that the light shines upon it. Set your intention for the stone, speaking it aloud or in your mind, and then hold the stone to your heart as you bow your head and give thanks.

essential oils

Essential oils are, well, essential! They are the purest distillation of the healing plants you will use—a drop of spearmint essential oil is more powerful than a fresh leaf. Again, there are a lot of them out there, from a wide variety of sources that can vary in quality. For the most part, purchase what you can afford; there’s no need to plunk down fifty dollars for a tiny bottle of frankincense oil. Look for therapeutic-grade oil, but don’t stress about how highly rated it is, as there’s no governing body managing such claims. Make sure your oil is pure—100 percent undiluted—and definitely don’t drink it. Even essential oils made from herbs we normally eat, like sage or thyme, can be toxic because they are so very intense. Some essential oils are so strong that they are best diluted with a carrier oil like olive or almond oil before they are used directly on your skin.

You’ll want to investigate which essential oils work best for you, depending on your personal preference, but here are a few to get you started:

CHAMOMILE: This gentle oil is useful for skin care—it’s safe to apply directly on your skin—bugbites, and inducing calm.

CLOVE: This surprisingly powerful oil is good for respiratory and digestive health, as a disinfectant, and as an aphrodisiac.

GINGER: Ginger is warming, energetic, and helpful in reducing joint pain.

LAVENDER: The ultimate in soothing and relaxing essential oils, lavender is safe to apply to the skin and can be used to reduce headaches, help with sleep, clean, and restore emotional balance.

LEMON: It’s not such a great idea to use lemon oil directly on your skin, as it can cause a sunburn, but its healing, disinfecting, and energizing properties can work wonders when blended with a carrier oil.

PEPPERMINT: Peppermint provides a welcome lift, both in your respiratory system and in your heart and mind.

ROSE: Properly diluted with a carrier oil, rose is as good for your skin as it is for your heart. It gives a sense of calm optimism.

SWEET ORANGE: This is the happiest of all essential oils. It calms inflammation and soothes allergies, but more than anything, it provides comfort and a sense of well-being.