Non-Wiccan Ways to Witchcraft: April

Welcome April! This month is a sort-of in-between time and it may feel like a slow magickal month for many. With that said, there's plenty you can still do to stay connected to your practice.

LOOK UP

There's lots of things to view in the sky this month. You don't have to follow or believe in Astrology to enjoy the celestial happenings just above you. Just getting outside under the night sky, star-gazing, looking at planets and constellations, thinking about the sky our Ancestors saw and what they thought about when they looked up at night, dragging your spouse or S/O away from their gaming to look at the Moon or Venus or Mars... it's exciting, mysterious and magickal all on its own.

Here are just some of events happening this month:

The Lyrid meteor shower is happening this month between April 14 to 30, peaking on the 22nd in the U.S. The Moon will be a tiny crescent by then making conditions ideal to see the show at night.

If you enjoy the astronomical details, this calendar might peak your interest:

This month's moon phase calendar:

Full Moon is April 5th and the New Moon is April 19th. All times below are set to my time zone of MDT.

SPRING CLEANING

This month is a great big reset and opportunity to prune. Time for some Spring cleaning! Sort your messes in your life, both literal and figurative. Your kitchen cupboards, closets, drawers, cabinets, garage, stagnant, overwhelming or disappointing relationships, unfinished projects, directionless goals & intentions, and other neglected areas of your life.

Identify what's toxic, moldy, gone bad, expired, redundant, not needed, and excess and DEAL with it. This is not the time to sweep things under the rug. Face it head on and make the hard decisions as you go. Toss out everything you don't want or need with extreme prejudice and instead of replacing it with something new, embrace the empty space for awhile. Allow yourself to breath and enjoy that openness for a minute. Resist the temptation to fill it up again.

Think about how good it feels when you've chucked all the old food and leftover containers from the fridge, wiped it all down until it's sparkly and clean and organized everything. There's room for new groceries, new meals, and more containers now. But right now for this little moment those clean shelves and organized condiments brings in such serene feelings that feel so incredibly good. Live in that for as long as you can this month.

Meet your needs, but try to avoid the excess and clutter and chaos returning by being more mindful everytime you bring something new in to fill that space.

Apply this to everything where that mess exists and root yourself in those moments, anchoring to that calm and peace, that feeling of abundant space as you clear out the old. Focus on how it feels to be free of the mess, even if it's temporary. Really try to exist there and challenge yourself to keep it that way or as close to that for as long as possible.

TAKE UP LETTER WRITING

The U.S. Postal Service declared April National Card and Letter Writing month as a way to recognize and appreciate the art of mail (and probably to boost stamp sales!). As Witches we know how magickal letter-writing can be. Crafting a written spell, making a sigil, creating name papers or petitions, writing down our dreams, prophecies and recording things in our grimoires are all magickal acts.

Personal letter-writing can also be a magickal act. Letters are thought-provoking and personal. The time taken to stamp and post these letters makes them invaluable possessions to the person receiving it.

Historically, letters have been written on a variety of materials throughout the ancient world, including metal, pottery fragments, animal skin, and papyrus. According to Ovid, Acontius wrote a letter to Cydippe using an apple. Letters have primarily been written on paper in recent years, either handwritten or typed. In 500 B.C. the Persian Queen, Atossais, wrote the first recorded handwritten letter.

This month challenge yourself to write one letter every day and send it out. If that's too ambitious, shoot for one or two every week. It doesn't have to be mailed, either! You can also hand-deliver your letters to neighbors, friends and people in your home. Postcards are another great way to send a sweet sentiment that will brighten someone's day.

Unsure who to write to? This can be a great way to connect with online friends, or reach out to old friends from childhood. It can be a thank you, appreciation, encouragement, a congratulations, an invitation, a simple 'Thinking of you', a 'Missing you!', a poem or favorite book or story excerpt, a life update, sweet hello and catch-up, an 'I love you!', a happy birthday, a holiday greeting, or a get well.

Including a recipe, spell or pressed botanical from your garden is also a fun addition to a personal letter.

Start by simply asking for addresses and take it from there. It's up to you whether you want to keep it a surprise or tell them what you're up to. Here is a list of people you might like to write to:

This month write to me and I'll write back! Email me your mailing address to receive mine. I look forward to corresponding with you! (My brain is currently cuing the Blue's Clue's song, 'We just got a letter, we just got a letter...' lol)

BIOREGIONAL HERB OF THE MONTH: DITTANY OF CRETE

Dittany of Crete is not native to where I live and can't easily be grown here. The wild stock is threatened and grows only on the Aegean isle of Crete in Greece. That's a long way from home.

Since Dittany is difficult to come by commercially, we decided to grow our own Dittany from seed. I've written about our Dittany before but I also want to be clear that while we can grow it with some small success here, it's much happier in warm climates, a pain to harvest and the yield is very small.

So it's hard to grow, hard to buy, grows wild only on one island in the Mediterranean, hard to harvest, and is threatened. Dittany is one of those herbs you've probably heard of, I mean, it just sounds soo Witchy. It's even in Harry Potter. But it's actually a rare occult herb because it's just hard to get.

To add to all this, there are imposters on the market to be aware of. True Dittany (Origanum dictamnus) is fuzzy with oval-shaped leaves and resembles a large fuzzy Oregano leaf. But there's also the plant Dictamnus alba ("Dittany," "Burning Bush," or "Gas Plant") that is often sold in occult shops under the name 'Dittany' or 'Dittany of Crete' but these plants are not at all the same. To make matters worse, some shops and vendors sell just plain Oregano as Dittany of Crete.

Dittany is a Mediterranean herb closely related to Marjoram and Oregano. When you rub it between your fingers you'll get very Oregano-esque aromas. Dittany isn't commonly used as a kitchen spice like Oregano, though it can be as it's generally safe to consume (avoid Dittany of Crete if you are allergic to any Lamiaceae family plants such as Oregano, Basil, or Lavender). So yes, it can be used as a culinary and medicinal herb, but it's far more valued as a magickal ingredient.

In Cretan tradition, Dittany symbolizes love and is thought to be an aphrodisiac. In Western magickal traditions it's also a plant popular for use in manifesting Spirits. They like to appear in the smoke, and so burning it has been the best way to achieve this. This plant is also used in trance work, astral projection blends, and is said to drive away venomous beasts. For those who see it called for in their spellbooks and recipes, there are some great bioregional alternatives you can choose from.

The easiest substitute for Dittany of Crete is Oregano. Whatever kind grows in your garden or on your windowsill works great. For love spells, there are always local options for plants because love spells can be found in essentially every culture, so there are sure to be local plants that aid in these efforts. Here some common ones would include apples, roses, and Hawthorn, but know there are dozens more to choose from.

I have great success with Spirit manifestations and astral work using these bioregional plants:

Any one of these works well on their own or you can create your own blend.

I would also like to suggest using Cypress or Eastern Red Cedar as these are common trees found in cemeteries and link to the Underworld or Lower World.

EARTH DAY

I'm an Earth Day geek who's been celebrating this day since the 80's. Earth Day happens on April 22nd. There's so many fun activities to do to raise your awareness, challenge you and support small changes in your journey to live more in harmony with Earth and your environment. Below are some free phone wallpapers for you to download to get you excited about celebrating Earth Day!

There are loads of things you can do this month to get involved.

Here are a few more ideas:

Support the Pollinators!

Create a yard or garden space that's hospitable and welcoming to native bee populations and other pollinators. One way to do this is by selecting the right kind of plants they like.

Plants that Attract Caterpillars & Butterflies:

Different plants attract different species and since some butterflies only pair with native plants, it's best to stick with natives when planting for these pollinators.

COMMON NAME LATIN NAME

Allium Allium

Aromatic Aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

Bee balm Monarda

Black Cherry Prunus serotina

Blue Wild Indigo Baptisia australis

Blueberry bushes Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccomoium angustifolium

Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis

Butterfly bush* Buddleia

Catmint Nepeta

Clove Pink Dianthus

Cornflower Centaurea

Daylily Hemerocallis

Dill Anethum

False indigo Baptisia

Fleabane Erigeron

Floss flower Ageratum

Globe thistle Echinops

Goldenrod Solidago

Grey Dogwood Cornus racemosa

Helen’s flower Helenium

Hollyhock Alcea

Hoptree Ptelea trifoliata

Joe-Pye weeds Eupatoriadelphus fistulosus, Eupatoriadelphus maculates, Eupatorium purpureum

Lavender Lavendula

Lilac Syringa

Lupine Lupinus

Lychnis Lychnis

Mallow Malva

Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa

Mint Mentha

New York Ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis

Ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius

Northern Spicebush Lindera benzoin

Pansy Viola

Phlox Phlox

Pipevine Aristolochia macrophylla

Privet Ligustrum

Purple coneflower Echinacea

Rock cress Arabis

Sage Salvia

Sea holly Eryngium

Senna, American Senna hebacarpa

Senna, Maryland Senna marilandica

Shasta daisy Chrysanthemum sp.

Snapdragon Antirrhinum

Stonecrop Sedum

Sweet alyssum Lobularia

Sweet rocket Hesperis

Tickseed Coreopsis

Tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera

Trumpet Vine Campsis radicans

Zinnia Zinnia

*Butterfly bush is categorized as an invasive plant in many states and is not used as host plant for caterpillars.

Butterflies will be attracted to your garden or yard when you have a range of food sources that include flowers, nectar and host plants for caterpillars that serve as food for larvae when they hatch. Butterflies will also appreciate sunny, open spaces like flat stones around your yard they can use for sunbathing. Bird baths or shallow basins can provide important fresh water sources.

Plants That Attract Hummingbirds

There's a whole big list of these as well, but generally hummingbirds are especially attracted to brightly-colored flowers that are tubular because they produce the most nectar. Choose perennials such as bee balms, columbines, daylilies, and lupines; biennials such as foxgloves and hollyhocks; and many annuals, including cleomes, impatiens, and petunias.

Hummingbird feeders are also excellent food sources and have the added benefit of being able to hang in front of windows where you can easily watch them feed. Note: Keep the red dye out of your feeders as this can be harmful to them. Instead, use plain, clear sugar water (1 part white sugar mixed with 4 parts water). They love it! If your feeder does not have red on it, attach a red label or other item to attract them.

Plants That Attract Bees

Bees need a variety of sizes and colors of flowers because which flowers they like has a lot to do with how long their tongues are. Some have long tongues, some short, so you'll want a variety of sizes and shapes to attract the most bees.

They also do care about colors! Bees can’t see red like hummingbirds can, but they are attracted to purple, blue, white, and yellow flowers.

Stick with true native species as these have the best nectar. Bees don't seem to enjoy hybrids, nativars and double-flowering varieties.

CLEAN UP PLASTIC IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR PARK

Take a walk around your neighborhood, local park or even your own yard to pick-up any trash and plastic you find. Take along a garbage bag and friends or helpers if you have them. Recycle what you can and properly dispose of what you can't so it doesn't end up back outside.

It’s an earth song,—

And I’ve been waiting long for an earth song.

It’s a spring song,—

And I’ve been waiting long for a spring song.

Strong as the shoots of a new plant

Strong as the bursting of new buds

Strong as the coming of the first child from its mother’s womb.

It’s an earth song,

A body song,

A spring song,

I have been waiting long for this spring song.

–Langston Hughes (1902–67)

TAKE MY 31-DAY ZERO-WASTE WITCHCRAFT COURSE!

The 31-Day Zero Waste Witchcraft invites you to expand your awareness, become mindful and align your words and actions with your practices and values. No shaming, just helpful tips and practices to challenge yourself to make small, meaningful changes one day at a time.

That's all for now, lovelies. I wish you all a fabulous April!

Love,

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