Updated: Jan 8
This month marks the end of Winter as the first Quarter ushers in the Spring Equinox. Woohoo! Of course, it's still feeling very Wintery in most places, but changes are happening nonetheless, and many are already noticeable.
Some things to pay attention to and that I appreciate are the longer days, the slightly less shivery temperatures, the Sun traveling higher across the sky, the Sunbeams penetrating deeper into your bones when you venture out than they did a month ago, the birds looking for and settling into their new real estate and chirping earlier in mornings, new buds forming on trees. There may even be a few early bulbs sprouting green leaves or possibly even flowers shooting up or peeking through the still mostly-drab landscape. These are thrilling things to Sun babies like me who thrive in bright hot climates and wilt under the oppression of extended cold dark seasons. Noticing these changes, especially at Springtime, always bring me joy and a sense of relief that Winter is almost over.
If you're looking to harvest or forage anything, while there's not much available yet, there will be more as the month progresses. This is a good time to work with flowers, roots, barks and aerial parts of plants.
Dandelion
Make friends with early bloomers like Dandelions this month and find ways to incorporate them into your life or rituals. Honey bees collect pollen and nectar from a variety of flowering plants, including Milkweed, Dandelions, Clover, Goldenrod, and trees like Willow and Maple, alongside a variety of fruit trees. Encourage and support your local bee populations by letting this and other early food sources stick around your yard a little longer before mowing over them or yanking them all out (or worse, dousing them with unfriendly weed-killers). Fuck those uppity neighbors who throw looks of scorn at your weed-riddled yard- you're saving the literal world right now and you're a goddamned hero!!
Dandelion has wisdom for us about resilience and reciprocity. It reconnects us to our childhood and honors the wild and untamed. It radiates the energies of hope, nourishment, joy and abundance.
This plant is full of medicine, too. Young Dandelion greens are rich in nutrients and great in salads and soups. Roots can be chopped and roasted for a coffee substitute or cleansing tea. The flowers can be baked in bread, made into jelly, infused into oil and made into a healing salve, or even used as natural paintbrushes. I've also done fun botanical dyes and prints with them.
I like using Dandelion roots for all manner of Sprit work and divination, especially psychic dreams, and seed heads for wish magick and to call someone to me.
Anything you harvest right now for your home Apothecary should replace whatever is leftover from last year's haul. Add old and outdated herbs to the compost or ritual fire as you bring in new ones. You can also move them over for crafting projects such as dying paper or fabric, paper-making, card-making, in chicken coops and nesting boxes, for pretend potion-making ingredients for littles (using your kid-friendly herbs), or as an exfoliant or decorative element in soapmaking... I'm sure you can think of lots more!
Be sure to clearly label all your newly crafted herbal harvests and remedies and include the month & year.
Go Outside
Witchcraft is a practice, a verb. If you just sit inside your house thinking about Witchcraft or reading about it, you aren't really doing it. So now that Spring is almost here, let the longer, warmer days lure you outdoors.
Do a Walk-About
Take time to walk around, notice what's changing. What's growing? Where do the shadows and light fall? What can you hear? Get deeply engrossed in the dramas of the neighborhood squirrels and birds.
Divination
Take your divination, whether it's Tarot, a pendulum or bones, and find a magickal space to do your spreads or castings. It could be your backyard, in a garden, next to a babbling stream, near a bridge, or by a big rock you like, a tree that speaks to you, a meadow, or anywhere else.
Magickal Spaces
This is an excellent time to look for 'magickal places' outside. Some magickal places are certain parks, trails or locations that just have an inviting Spirit. Others might be more liminal, or like portals or doorways in the woods.
When I was a young Witch I found a few magickally charged places like this in the forest. Some have 'stay away' energy, while others have welcoming, comforting 'home' energy. This is a great way to practice your energy work and build those skills, while also learning how to sense and connect with Elementals and Land Spirits.
Treasure Hunt
Collect items for your Altar or Hearth. Look for hidden gems and treasures- antlers and bones, leaves, sticks and branches, stones, insects and feathers.
Visit Old Friends
Check on plants and trees you have visited before and stop in to say 'hello'. While you're at it, venture out and visit favorite places in your town or city, shops, clubs, restaurants, and people-friends, too!
Water Magick
If you work with Elements in your practice, visit a local Water source and collect some water for use in ritual or spellcraft. The energy of Water in March speaks to me of transformation, growth and abundance, nourishment and survival, resilience and strength, movement and progress, road-opening, excitement, hope, potential, beginnings and more. What does it speak to you?
Do Spells for Growth
Are you working on any goals right now? March and the Spring Equinox is a time to focus on growth because it aligns with the energy of what Nature is doing. Draw on the growing energy of the Sun as it moves higher in the sky, warms the Northern hemisphere, awakens the soil and flora, nurtures new fauna, and lengthens the days. This is an excellent time to start spells that need to develop, grow, amplify or increase in some way. You can also time them to peak on or near the Summer Solstice in June for an even bigger boost of power.
Visit a Cemetery
Whether or not you have family resting in a local cemetery, this is a perfect time to visit. The grounds will be starting to wake up and come alive again, reminding us how impermanent death really is in the grand scheme of it all.
Take a stroll through the cemetery and listen or watch for Spirits. Disregard the bad fearmongering perpetuated by the Christian religion and Hollywood- no one (at least not any Spirits) is there to truly bother you and nothing can hurt you here. You are a powerful, physical entity, much stronger on every level than any bodiless Spirit. Not only is there nothing to fear here, there is in fact much to enjoy and learn.
Treat your stroll like a walking meditation and enjoy the peace and tranquility.
If you are visiting family, hang out and catch them up on your life. Spend time 'listening' to their responses.
Bring a journal to write in. Either find a bench or bring a blanket to sit on and spend some time reflecting, listening and writing. Messages can come in the form of feelings, impulses, thoughts, ideas, visions, tastes and smells, physical sensations and more.
Stand and read gravestones that seem to 'speak' to you or that you feel a special interest in. Contemplate the life of the person there. Try to imagine what they looked like, their clothes and hair, what kind of personality they had. What did their face look like when they were happy or sad? What were their favorite hobbies? Their secret desires and hopes? Their pet peeves? What kind of work did they do? Focus on their life, not their death. Speak to them either in your mind or out loud. Introduce yourself. Tell them a little bit about yourself. Ask them questions about their life. Keep it fairly short at first and continue on. I like to leave a dime at graves where I have conversations or feel that energetic 'tug'.
If you do this regularly you'll feel a 'pull' toward certain graves every time you go, like they're asking you to come visit, or excited to see you back, kind of like when you visit a retirement home. The more you practice this the easier it becomes to connect with the Spirits in a cemetery and form relationships there. Over time they can become excellent Spiritual allies for you.
If you're ever curious, and this is always completely optional, you can take a photo of the tombstone (when permitted) or write down the person's name and dates and see what you can find out about them. There may be records online, and that's a good place to start. Libraries sometimes have genealogy records and obituaries on microfiche you can explore, too. How much matches up to what you sensed at their grave? Do they look the way you 'imagined'? Did their life sound like what you thought it was like? What else aligns with what you sensed? Don't worry if things don't match up at first! It's perfectly normal to get a lot of misses. This may be a new skill and practicing it regularly will bring rewards.
THIS MONTH'S BIOREGIONAL HERB:
Personally I LOVE Frankincense. It's so anchored in my brain and my body as a Pagan or Witchy scent. I feel so magickal when I burn it and it takes me back to my beginner Witch days, early rituals and the mysteries of esoteric life. I know this is one many of you will hold in similar esteem.
Frankincense is a popular resin to burn as incense, and as an essential oil used in aromatherapy. It's also a commonly used ingredient for spells and rituals. Its widespread use in the Spiritual community is why I want to include it in my series on bioregional herbalism.
Originating from Africa, India, and the Middle East, most Frankincense comes from about five species of trees from the genus Boswellia in the family Burseraceae. They can be found in North Africa and India, but also in Oman, Yemen, and western Africa.
It's possible to do the painstaking work of growing your own Frankincense in North America. I mean, I'm not willing. But maybe if you are and live in the right places, such as Arizona, you might consider it. Unfortunately, the reality is it's a hard, HARD battle to grow Frankincense here, which is why we really don't have any. According to Jason Eslamieh, architect, environmental planner, botanist, and author of the book, 'Cultivation of Boswellia',
"Boswellia is only happy in its native environment. And even then, it’s not as happy as it could be.”
Like Frankincense, Myrrh is another popular resin used in metaphysical circles. Both of these beloved aromatics are produced from the resin of trees in the Burseraceae, or "incense," family, making them cousins. Frankincense comes from Boswellia trees, while myrrh comes from Commiphora trees.
Frankincense is Listed as Near Threatened
Sadly, Frankincense is currently listed as "near threatened" on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list. This means that Frankincense is susceptible to harvesting pressure (e.g. overcollected, vulnerable to unsustainable trade), and is in supply chains problematic for social inequality of trading practices.
If you don't use Frankincense for the resin you may be thinking you're off the hook here. Nope. Another serious threat to Frankincense comes from the growing demand for Frankincense essential oil. It's one of the factors increasing the pressure on the Frankincense population. Remember, like nearly every plant made into essential oil, 95% of the Frankincense resin is discarded in the production of Frankincense essential oil. I feel like I didn't, like, yell that last bit loud enough. Let me try again. Ah hem. NINETY-FIVE PERCENT OF THIS PRECIOUS RESOURCE IS JUST WASTED when used to make essential oils. It's infuriating to me. I've spoken about some of the problems with essential oils before and I can't stress enough how strongly I encourage everyone to rethink how they use these products.
The extra strain of increased tapping or over harvesting the trees for resin, compounded with damage from climate change, agricultural encroachment, grazing animals, natural pests, charcoal production, fire and disease is quickly bringing some Frankincense species to the brink of extinction.
Myrrh is collected in a similar way as Frankincense. Although it hasn't been assessed for its conservation status, it's likely to face similar challenges. Unfortunately, the story of the exploitation of Frankincense and Myrrh is a familiar one. Many wild populations of plants are in jeopardy, contributing to ongoing global biodiversity collapse.
What You Can Use Instead
The good news is you don't have to give up your favorite exotic resins completely. Not all Frankincense trees are threatened, so you really could order your Frankincense from an ethical supplier who grows the sustainable varieties only. This is something we do in our home, sourcing and ordering these precious resins in small batches about once every year or two.
For the rest of the time, consider using resin sourced from your local trees.
Both conifers and broadleaved trees make resins, but conifers usually produce much larger amounts. Conifer trees can yield up to 25% of resin whereas broadleaved trees max out around 3%. Luckily, conifers are abundant in North America. Yay! There are six-hundred varieties of conifers so I won't list them all here. Conifers you likely have near you include Pine, Cedar, Spruce, Juniper, Fir and Cypress. I like working with all these trees in my Witchcraft and medicine-making because they are highly aromatic, easy to identify, and local. I also like how much variety there is to choose from and the personality differences between each type of tree.
While many trees make resin, some aren't suitable for using as incense, medicine or spell ingredients, including some I listed above.
White Cedar (Thuja), Eastern Hemlock and Juniper are some of my absolute top favorite evergreens to work with in my Witchcraft, but they suck as resin producers. I make a Thuja oil that takes two years because the resins inside are so locked up it really needs a good long infusion to draw out those deeply complex, aromatic resins into the oil. Junipers produce highly aromatic berries that I value in my magickal and medicinal herbcrafting so I don't need to worry about trying to get any resin from it.
Yew is another good example. While I love working with Yew for Ancestor, baneful, cemetery and Spirit work, it's highly toxic and can kill you if ingested. I avoid burning Yew indoors and use extreme caution when burning it outdoors so as not to breath it in. It's said that it takes about two years after felling your Yew branches for it to lose its toxicity but that's not something to take to the bank.
Some resins also simply don't burn nicely. I like resins that will give me a similar experience as the Frankincense by smoldering over charcoal or resin-burner with billows of beautiful aromatic smoke. Instead, some resins have very unpleasant scents when they burn, or they go the way of rice crispies, with snaps, crackles and pops and simply don't like to burn.
Consider Pine Resin
Pine resin is probably my favorite substitute for Frankincense. I collect it whenever I come across a tree or branch that has a good build-up. Resin is a substance that oozes or exudes from trees, (and some other plants), to help heal wounds or seal off insect damage. Lots of factors such as time of year and age of the resin determine whether the resin you find is sticky and soft, or hard and chunky.
The Arbor Day Foundation has an awesome interactive “What Tree Is This?” feature on their site. It should help you get started recognizing the types of Pine grow around you.
You can also check your local or state resources – they have tons of helpful information available!
My tips for gathering your own Pine resin:
Try to gather from fallen pines and branches whenever possible. After storms and heavy snow are good times to hunt for fallen branches & trees.
Pine resin can be seen on the outside when it's produced the resin as a result of a previous wound. Sometimes you'll find it when cutting into a felled branch or tree when it oozes out.
Different Pine varieties have their own unique colors and scents and it's fun to learn these differences and nuances! Some are lemony, some are musky, some are perfumy, some have hints of vanilla, orange, cherry or other sweet notes.
It's OK to gather resin from a living tree IF you are careful not to disturb the healing wound itself. Remember that resin acts like a bandage when a tree gets hurt, so we don't want to interfere with that process by ripping that away. Instead, look for where the wound is producing or oozing the resin, and check the ground and further down the tree trunk away from the wound where the resin has dripped. These are great places to gather your resin from and don't harm the tree!
DO remember that tree resin, especially Pine, is flammable, my Witches. Stay safe!
Any old knife will work for scraping or gathering resin. I use an old one that has a wooden handle and it works perfect for me. IMO, the knife probably is better if it's a bit dull. I've found when resin gets too sticky or very hard you can accidentally slip and slice yourself trying to cut through it or pry it off. Working with a not-very-sharp knife that's sturdy is my preferred tool. I have tried butter knives but sometimes they can bend, so just make sure it's sturdy and you may need to do some trial and error to find what works best for you.
Whatever knife you use, accept it will likely have some resin on it forever, so make that your 'resin knife' and plan accordingly. I once used my husband's pocket knife when I forgot to bring mine and all I can say is he no longer uses that pocket knife.
Bring along some tin foil, parchment, wax paper or a jar to collect your resin in. If using a jar it's best to dedicate it just for this purpose.
Keep in mind resin-foraging can be messy work. Winter is easier to gather resin when it's cold and hardened, but don't let that limit you. Resin can be gotten to all year 'round.
I've tried wearing gloves and not wearing gloves for collecting resins and I have settled on it's messy either way. If you use gloves wear ones that are disposable because it won't wash off otherwise.
You will get resin on your hands no matter what you do, so just accept this fact of life. I've had some success cleaning resin off my hands and knife with rubbing alcohol. Another good way I've found is with oil. Pine is an oleoresin, so it's oil soluble. Dab on some olive oil (any kind of vegetable oil works) from your kitchen and it should rub off with a little effort. Wash it off in warm water with some dish soap, then repeat with the oil and wash again until it's gone.
If you want hard resin, then collect resin only when it's already hardened or mostly hardened. If it's still oozing come back the following year or three because that's how long it will take it to harden. In the meantime go look around other Pine trees nearby as they may have what you need. If you bring home some still-sticky resin, you can use a paper cup or bowl and set it out in the Sun and just let it 'cure' over several months or years. The resin needs good air flow to harden, so if you stick it inside a ziploc or closed container it will remain sticky f-o-r-e-v-e-r.
Use your Pine resin exactly as you would your Frankincense. If you want to find a more sustainable alternative to Frankincense essential oil, consider switching to Pine essential oil, or another wood you enjoy that is more abundant and local.
Conjure & Spell Powders
If you grew and saved some of your own botanicals last year, those plants will be nearing the one year mark soon. March is a good time to start thinking ahead to how you'll use up what's left.
Crafting your own conjure or spell powders can be a great way to make the most use of your Apothecary stores before the next Harvest season arrives. It's also a way to use up bits and bobs you've hoarded or saved from Nature hikes and treasure hunts that need to be used.
Powders in Witchcraft are some of the oldest ways to deploy spells and intentions. To make a spell or conjure powder you just need some dried herbs, seeds, dirt or sand and anything else you want to add. Depending on what my intentions are, I will use a variety of dried things in my powders.
Spell and conjure powders are not just for powdered herbs. No siree. Think way outside of just plants here. Keep in mind not everything grinds up to a fine powder. Do some trial and error to find what works and powders well.
Non-herb powder ideas:
dog hair
cat hair
other animal hair
rust
dirt and sand
rocks
shells (egg and sea)
crystal powders
glass
salts and minerals
baby powder and talc
spiders
insects
sugar
flour
bones
claws and nails
hair
dried skin
dried blood
powdered wood
ash
dried foods and meats
paper
feces
the list goes on!!
Once you've decided what to make your spell or conjure powder with then gather them all together. Grind them with a mortar and pestle or spice/coffee grinder until they are a fine powder. You can do this as a blend or individually and then combine the powders after. It's totally your preference. While you grind the ingredients, tell them what their job is for the blend or powder, and infuse them with your energy and intentions during the whole process.
Your conjure or spell powder doesn't have to be a blend. Traditional single-ingredient conjure and spell powders include red brick dust and cascarilla. Traditional blends include hot foot powder and Witch's black salt. You don't have to limit yourself solely to traditional powders, either- get creative and have fun making your own!
Use whatever color or ingredient correspondences you already use, or go with what feels aligned to your intentions. For example, pink roses might go in a love powder, thistles might go into a banishing or baneful powder, salt might go into a cleansing or protection powder.
Safety
Powders can be a little tricky because they create particulates that you can breath in. That's bad. They can also settle on surfaces near where you process or blend them. I always wear a mask and/or work outdoors when processing my own powders. No matter how magickal and badass you are, it won't save you from lung issues down the road because you were too cool to work safely with your powders today. #DontBeABasicWitch
I also stay mindful of where I'm working so surfaces are covered and my powders don't intermingle with food surfaces. You can do this by working well away from food-prep areas or covering surfaces before working there. Wipe down everything with damp cloths when done, even areas you think were outside your dust bubble. If working in other areas indoors, consider pets and children who may lick or put their mouths on surfaces where some of your powders may have settled on during processing and protect and then clean those surfaces well.
How to Use Conjure & Spell Powders
Below are just some of the ways you can deploy your powders. Feel free to think of other ways to use them and go with what feels right to you.
Sachets: Add your powder to a little square of muslin or multi-layered cheesecloth and tie together with some string to close the four corners. You now have a homemade sahet. Place it where it's needed, such as under a bed for nightmares or protection, in drawers, as a body powder aligned with an intention such as confidence or success, and in corners for cleansing. Use the sachet method to dress items with the energy of whatever the powder was designed for by sprinkling or rubbing over resumes, bills, money, letters, greeting cards, business cards, contracts, legal paperwork, etc. You can also do this with the powder directly.
Symbols & Sigils: Use your powder like chalk to draw out magickal symbols, circles, sigils and other patterns for your altar, ritual, divination or spellwork.
Body Works: Just like the sachet, you can directly apply your conjure or spell powder to your body provided all the ingredients are skin friendly. You can use it like a body powder or like a cosmetic or beauty face powder (if the ingredients are appropriate for your face which can be more sensitive).
Directly: Scatter powders around on floors and rugs, across doorways and thresholds, porches, windows, property, work, car, and anywhere else you want that particular energy.
When deploying against an enemy the powder can be scattered wherever they walk, such as in front of their door, car or sidewalk.
Be mindful NOT to scatter any powder that would raise suspicion for an employer or law enforcement were you to be pulled over. #StayWise
You can disguise conjure and spell powders by blending them with dirt. Hot Foot powder is bright red and easy to spot, for example. When a pinch of hotfoot is mixed in with some local dirt it easily blends in and goes unnoticed, making it much easier to use it against your target as intended.
Of course there are a hundred more ways to use your spell and conjure powders, but this will get you started. Have fun Witchcrafting!
Happy Equinox, Magickal Ones!
Love,
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