5 reasons to study plant magic
this is Orobanche uniflora, a super special (and rare) parasitic plant that grows near my favorite creek spot. Look how cute!!
You might be wondering what the difference between herbalism and plant magic is, and why you'd want to study one or the other. Here's my personal definition:
herbalism = working with plant material (i.e. physical parts) to bring physical or emotional healing
plant magic = working with plant spirits to bring healing or change on any level
Obviously, there's a lot of room for overlap there. Usually, when making plant magic, you're also using their physical bodies (leaves, roots, etc.). And I feel that working with plants at all, including forms of herbalism that are strictly medicinal, call upon the spirit of the plant at some level.
But plant magic is intentionally connecting with the plant in the spiritual realm and asking that plant to help you. From there, you can make potions or smoke or other fun stuff, but the connection is the important part ;)
Since I'm running a sale this month on my 4 in-depth plant magic classes, I made a list of what I think are the best reasons to study plant magic.
5 great reasons to study plant magic:
1. It's always relevant.
Herbalism is great to know, and there are many small ways you can use herbs every day to keep yourself well. But here's the thing: as curious as you might be to know which herbs to use for which health condition, you are probably not going to be cycling through various health conditions continuously. There will be times when you'll need an herb to get you healthy, but much of the time you're using the same 10 or so herbs for wellness, deliciousness, and to calm yourself down.
You might not be cycling through various health conditions at all times, but you are cycling through various emotional challenges, spiritual growth spurts (i.e. very difficult and unpleasant situations), and important goals/projects at all times. That's the stuff of life, and you're always in it.
The "stuff of life" is what you turn to plant magic for. Major projects, transitions, decisions, malaises -- the plants will support you. And magical practices can be a deep solace (or a fire under your bum, if that's what the plants decide you need).
2. It makes you a better herbalist.
Using plants for physical health isn't just a matter of book knowledge & memorizing who does what. Plants are living beings, with personalities and quirks just like you. They have nuance, they have preferences, they have certain types of people they work better with (just like you, I'd expect).
When you study plant magic, you practice approaching plants with this mindset. You get to know their personalities. And trust me, inviting a plant to come make magic with you is the quickest way to get to know them on this level.
Building magical relationships with plants and learning their personalities makes your herbalism much more potent + effective.
3. It's fun + crafty.
Did I mention that it's really fun? I'm honestly not a very crafty person, and magic-making (amulets, burning bundles, potions..) is about as far as I go. I don't even take the crafting as far as most people do. I've had students hand sew & embroider amulets and charm pouches, use handmade paper for spells, make incredible mandalas or art for potion bottles... they put me to shame.
I keep the level of crafting pretty simple, but still, it's fun. If you enjoy making art or making crafts, plant magic will be such a fun way to channel that energy into something magically potent (and I'd recommend starting with Ritual & Spell).
4. It builds your intuition.
Do you know how you get to the place of learning plant personalities and collaborating together? Lots of listening, noticing, and figuring out the ways that plant spirits specifically communicate with you. Yes, there are different ways. Some people simply hear messages from plants, others get messages via dreams, or divination, or Tarot...
Directly engaging with and practicing this type of communication is key -- rather than it being something mystical that you believe in but don't know how to use, it becomes a potent tool in your toolkit for life.
5. It expands your understanding of your place on earth.
This is one of those things that's hard to put a value on, but is honestly so helpful. Are you all existential, worrying about our general future and when the world will end, wondering if it's ethical even to exist, stressing more about trees & insects than daily woes like gas prices? Yeah, me too. I think that some folks just tend to be more "existential" than others, and if you love plants and nature and having enough oxygen, it is especially hard right now.
For me, connecting spiritually with plants (and all the lessons & philosophical nudgings that have ensued) has been so helpful in this regard. I can't give you answers, but the plants can ;)
Even if you're not "existential," we tend to lack the sensation of belonging to our natural surroundings that people experienced throughout most of history. This lack of belonging leads to serious emotional challenges. We need to feel belonging to feel well. Connecting with nature & the land around you in any capacity will give you a feeling of belonging, and plant magic is one (fun, crafty, powerful) way to do that.
Ritual & Magic Courses
Ritual & Potion
The magic: potion-making (i.e. stuff you drink)
The rituals: connect with your purpose
Ritual & Smoke
The magic: smoking & burning herbs (i.e. playing with the fire + air elements)
The rituals: parting the veil to access the Otherworld (shamanic journeying, ancestor work)
Ritual & Bath
The magic: luscious bathing products (topical potions, such as oils and scrubs)
The rituals: the 5 stages of transformation (you choose a transformation, and the baths guide you through it)
Ritual & Spell
The magic: spellcraft! and spell writing
The rituals: one spell per week