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The
Way of the
Green Witch
Rituals, Spells, and Practices to Bring
You Back to Nature
Arin Murphy-Hiscock
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Copyright © 2006 F+W Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission
from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
Published by
Provenance Press®,
an imprint of Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company
57 Littlefield Street
Avon, MA 02322
www.adamsmedia.com
Provenance Press® is a registered trademark of F+W Publications, Inc.
ISBN-10: 1-59337-500-X
ISBN-13: 978-1-59337-500-3
eISBN: 978-1-44051-798-3
Printed in the United States of America.
J I H G F E D C
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Murphy-Hiscock, Arin.
The way of the green witch : rituals, spells, and practices to bring
you back to nature / Arin Murphy-Hiscock.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-59337-500-X
1. Witchcraft. 2. Plants--Miscellanea. 3. Herbs--Miscellanea.
4. Ritual. 5. Charms. I. Title.
BF1572.P43M87 2006
133.4’3--dc22
2005034622
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Dedication
This one is for:
My husband, who held my hands during the birth of our child and who
rejoices with me daily in our ongoing participation in the cycle of life
My mother, who taught me the glory of thunderstorms, the taste of vegetables
straight from the garden, and the beauty of being myself
And my father, who taught me the joy of being on the water with the wind in
my face and to be humble.
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Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
The Modern Green Witch
Chapter 2
Elements of the Green Witch’s Path
Chapter 3
Listening to the Earth
Chapter 4
The Four Seasons
Chapter 5
Twigs, Leaves, Stars, and Stones
Chapter 6
Crafting Green Witch Magic
Chapter 7
The Garden of the Green Witch
Chapter 8
Teas, Oils, Baths, and Other Potions: Healing with Green
Chapter 9
The Green Witch in the Kitchen
Chapter 10
Expanding the Green Witch Circle
Appendix 1
Magical Associations
Appendix 2
The Seven Central Energies of the Green Witch’s Path
Bibliography
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Acknowledgments
Once it had begun, this book was a series of starts and stops. My second
book, Solitary Wicca for Life, was written during the period set aside for The
Way of the Green Witch, which necessitated a full stop on the original project
and a dramatic change of gears from thinking about the freeform green path to
the more structured, specific subject of Wicca. Later, my son Liam was
unexpectedly born two months ahead of schedule and three weeks before the
revised deadline for The Way of the Green Witch, which then required a
second extension of the deadline. The last part of this book and the revisions
took place while I was caring for a newborn preterm infant, a challenge that
put all my spiritual strength and green witch practices to the test.
All in all, this book has seen quite a few transitions, which is very
appropriate as the main theme of The Way of the Green Witch is working to
attain harmony and balance in your life. Having made it through to the other
side, I know that I’m a stronger person as a result.
Several people have supported me through this project, and without them
this book would not be what it is:
Danielle and Bridget from Adams Media were there for me whenever I
needed help, particularly when this book was temporarily put aside as I wrote
another book. Their encouragement and reassurance meant a lot to me.
Meredith stepped in to smoothly pick up the editorial reins and answered a lot
of questions for me. My thanks also go out to the copyeditors and readers at
Adams Media who helped turn my manuscript into a product I could be proud
of.
My friends supported and encouraged me throughout the ups and downs of
this book. Without them, things would have turned out much worse. You all
know who you are, but Ceri, Lu, Tal, and t! stand out as people who never
stopped cheering me on during this book, celebrating each tiny milestone of
words written and chapters finished. (Ceri and Lu’s feeding us when things
got really crazy was a tremendous life-saver as well.)
My husband Ron made sure I slept, ate, drank enough water, and cared for
our baby so that I could finish things on time. Without him, I would have
been lost during the daily writing process—never mind during crunch time.
My family (blood, by marriage, by initiation, and chosen) saw me through
the most challenging period of my life to date. I love you all. You are one of
life’s greatest blessings.
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Introduction
hat is the basic philosophy of the green witch?
The earth is her primer, the natural world is her
classroom. This introduction lays out the basic
framework for the information found in The Way of the
Green Witch.
The way of the green witch is the path of the naturalist, the herbalist, the
wisewoman, and the healer. The gifts of the natural world are many, but those
who embrace them are comparatively few in today’s world. With the
resurgence of nature-based practices, however, green witches are once again
emerging as guardians of nature and of humanity’s relationship with the earth.
The challenge for the green witch and wisewoman in today’s world is how to
walk a green path in a time of environmental stress, mass industrialization,
and urbanization.
Green witchcraft is a highly individualized practice, usually solitary and
free-form. With The Way of the Green Witch, readers can immerse themselves
in guidelines for walking the green path in today’s highly refined and
technological world. From issues such as the history of the green practice to
support in creating an individual-specific tradition, to methods of interacting
with today’s natural environment, to obtaining the highest quality knowledge
and benefit, The Way of the Green Witch is a handbook for the green witch in
contemporary society.
The green witch uses natural elements to improve the well-being of the
physical body, the spirit and soul, and the environment. The green witch
practices mainly alone by forging a personal connection with the natural
world. Acquiring green wisdom in today’s world can be a challenge: how are
we to form that connection to the earth in an urbanized environment, and
without the structure of a formal religion or spiritual practice?
The Way of the Green Witch offers information to support and nurture the
daily spiritual practice of green witchcraft—from practical tips on walking the
green path in the modern world to ceremonies, information on essential herbs,
plants, trees, stones, and more. Because green witchcraft is a personal
practice, this book is not a grimoire of set rituals and spells. Rather, The Way
of the Green Witch teaches the reader to formulate his or her own practice and
holy days with the guidance of historical practice and knowledge acquired via
personal observation and interaction with the natural world. The Way of the
Green Witch is a guide for the beginner that teaches how to connect with
nature. It is also a manual to help enlighten and deepen the practice for those
who already walk the green path.
Format and Presentation
This is not a book of rituals. Instead, you will find recipes, exercises, ritual
suggestions, and directions for making potions and herbal blends for purposes
magical and mundane. But you won’t find spells … at least not exactly.
The kinds of spells you’ll find in these pages are very loosely structured.
The green witch performs her magic by connecting intuitively with the natural
world and creating a channel of communication between the world of nature
and the disconnected modern human world. The green witch uses intuition
above all other faculties in her work. This does not mean that you cannot
engage in spellcraft. Far from it. It does, however, mean that your spells are
likely to be spontaneous and unique as you respond to what you feel is needed
in each specific instance. Much of the green witch’s spellcraft is likely to
function on the principle of sympathetic magic: by performing a series of
actions with intent and awareness, you seek to create some sort of
sympathetic change.
The power of the green witch comes from participating in the miracle that
is life, from attuning to the energies of the environment around her. The green
witch does not seek to hold massive amounts of power; rather, you seek to tap
into the already existing, subtle flows of energy in and around the earth.
Traditional witchcraft operates on a system of raising and directing energy at
a goal, whereas green witchcraft is a more subtle practice that attempts to
slowly align two disparate worlds.
Note: The medical knowledge in The Way of the Green Witch is in no way intended to replace
the supervision of a physician or licensed herbalist. This information is provided as reference
for therapeutic treatment only. It also adds to the store of knowledge the practicing green
witch or wisewoman already possesses.
In addition, although the green witch and reader are referred to as “she” throughout this
text, the path by no means excludes male practitioners. The pronoun “she” was chosen simply
because more women than men are typically drawn to the green path.
Throughout this book you will see that I present several lists of various
correspondences. These lists of magical associations have been collated over
my years of practice and include both my own associations as well as
traditional correspondences. Apart from personal experimentation and work,
my sources over the years have included such books as Mrs. Grieve’s A
Modern Herbal, Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbalism and
Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen, Paul Beyerl’s The Master Book of
Herbalism and A Compendium of Herbal Magick, and Jamie Wood’s A Wicca
Herbal.
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Chapter 1
The Modern Green Witch
hat is a green witch? Where does the practice
come from? What are the benefits of living the
green life in today’s society? This chapter defines the
green witch’s path and discusses her spiritual ancestors.
A green witch usually works alone, interacting primarily with the natural
world. Historically, a green witch lived apart, using the energies of plants and
trees around her to heal others. Those who needed her services traveled to see
her. These days, a green witch is more likely to be living in the middle of a
city or in the suburbs, and her garden is likely to be small. She’s likely to
work in an office or in sales or in the service industry. Perhaps she’s in the
medical field. Or she’s a teacher or a full-time mom.
A green witch isn’t defined by where she lives or what she does to bring
home a paycheck. Nor is she limited to working with plants, trees, or herbs.
She is not, as people might assume, defined solely by the particular way she
expresses her spirituality or by the religion she follows. A green witch is
defined by her relationship to the world around her, by her ethics, and by her
affinity with the natural world. In essence, she lives the life of a green witch:
she lives the green path.
Why do I use the term “living the path” instead of simply saying “practicing green witchcraft”?
It’s very simple. Green witchcraft is not a practice separate from ordinary life, like ritual magic, for
example; it is an all-encompassing, total-immersion experience wherein all of life is a magical
experience.
The path of the green witch consists of aspects of both witchcraft and
shamanic practice, but is neither. It is an intensely personal path that
integrates ability, likes and dislikes, the climate of your particular geographic
location, and your interaction with the energy of your environment. It isn’t a
tradition so much as a personal adaptation of an ideal.
What Is Green Witchcraft?
