(Via)

What Should I Teach my Children about Witchcraft?

I get this question surprisingly a lot and until today I’ve never had what I felt was a decent answer. Some people will be quick to say that you shouldn’t teach children witchcraft at all. I think they need to take a chill pill and realize that although there are definitely dangerous sects of witchcraft, it is ultimately what you make of it. A parent who is aware of this can steer their child in the right direction and make sure they are safe. How many of us claim that witchcraft is just a skill like any other? Plenty of skills have potential dangers for children yet we still teach them. Why not witchcraft?

At the end of the day I can’t dictate what you should and should not teach your own children, so consider this post more of a friendly suggestion from someone who was raised with witchcraft. Take what works for you, leave the rest behind.

Teach your child patience.

Teach them that results sometimes take a while to manifest. Teach them to keep living their lives, to not stop everything to watch a kettle boil.

Teach them that they may be tiny but they still have power and the ability to protect themselves.

Teach them that it’s okay to say no.

Teach them how to handle no when it comes from other people.

Teach them about grounding, visualization, meditation, but understand that some or all of these things might be hard for them to do. That’s okay. We’re all different and some of us can’t do these things, nor do we need to do them.

Teach them kitchen witchcraft. Instill a strong love and respect for food at a young age.

Teach them the basics of gardening, what plants are most commonly used in magical workings, what plants to not touch or consume. Let them tell you what certain plants make them think and feel and don’t discourage them if their answers differ from yours.

Teach them that if they grow up to hate cooking or gardening, it’s okay. They’ll find their niche in their own time.

Teach them compassion and control.

Teach them to forgive.

Teach them not to be ashamed if they’re unable to forgive certain actions or people.

Teach them that their emotions are valid, all of them. Teach them that anger, sadness, heartbreak, fear, discomfort, can all be used just as strongly as any positive emotion. Teach them that all of their emotions are important, not just the happy ones.

Teach them common sense: fire safety, environmental awareness, chemical safety, etc.

Teach them fairy tales about witches, mages, sorcerers, etc. Never underestimate the ability of these tales to do amazing things to a child’s imagination and to affect their practice in a positive way.

Teach them about science and how they can utilize it in magic.

Teach them how to respect the wishes of oppressed cultures so they don’t grow up to become one of the witches who actively harm closed cultures.

Teach them that they can always come to you if they’re uncertain about what they’re doing and expect nothing but love and support in return.

Teach them about music, art, writing; give them all the tools they need to express their creativity.

Teach them about life, because every aspect of life can be a magical experience if you let it be.

And that’s just the thing. I think whenever someone asks me “how do I teach my young child witchcraft?” they’re looking for a set list of practices and techniques, but there is no set list. There wasn’t when I was little; my mom taught me and my brothers about life and showed us that it can be as magical as we wanted it to be.

As I said, take it or leave it. It’s ultimately up to you how  and what you decide to teach your child about magic, but I hope you instill in them a level of trust and agency that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Truth. He was the only one without an agenda. Just a bro.

Persian Love Cookies | Buttermilk by Sam 

Plant Witchcraft: A Beginner’s Guide to Growing

I would like to start this post out by saying I am in no way a professional and have only been studying/practicing witchcraft for about a year. I just know a lot about plants and the ability to sense the health/needs of a plant comes very naturally to me (I will make a post about how to do this soon!)

EASIEST PLANTS TO GROW IN WITCHCRAFT~

IN ORDER FROM EASIEST TO HARDEST

• Chives- can grow in limited light and  space, very easily propagate (regrow)

• Mint- very hardy, requires shade and some light, start from seeds

• Cilantro- fast growing, can be planted indoors, does not transplant easily, Is NOT perpetual (dies after it flowers, wilts quickly, pretty much dead after one growing season. @rwt-mystic-corner)

• Basil- can grow in small spaces, require sun, start from seeds

• Parsley- easy to grow, low maintenance and limited lights, though hard to germinate 

• Oregano (wild marjoram)- very hardy, easy to grow in winter, requires full sun

• Sage- large, hardy, start from cuttings, requires full sun

• Thyme- requires full sun, hardy, easy to propagate from seeds or cuttings

• Aloe Vera- easy to overwater, low maintenance, slow growing, little water, full sun (they are a desert plant)

• Chamomile- low maintenance, little water, full sun with some shade, easy to overwater

• Dill- start as seeds, small, easy to grow indoors, hard to overwater, requires full sun

• Rosemary- though very large, easy to grow indoors and easy to overwater

• Bay laurel- requires well-draining soil, full sun, water often, grows large, slow growing

• Lavender- hard to grow indoors, requires little water, best in dry conditions, start from seeds

• Roses- requires full sun, seasonal, grows only outside, requires fertilizer, best grown from transplants

SOURCES: Easy to grow herbs | More easy to grow herbs | Gardening resource | @thesigilwitch helped to compile this list

INDOOR VS. OUTDOOR~

THE ONGOING ARGUMENT

Pro-Outdoors

As a green witch with a strong yearning to be at one with nature, I prefer to grow my plants outside. I have a small garden (about 4’ by 4’ and 10” deep) that I have several plants in, mostly succulents. Though my garden is small, it’s very peaceful for me to have my own little space that I can survey all at once. I’ve never grown a large garden and so can’t say if it is better/worse. If you are going to plant outside but have little space to do so, a little garden is a simple solution. This also allows your plants to get more sun, fresh air and space to grow.

Con-Outdoors

Winds, heavy rain or a hot/cold front can easily kill off more delicate herbs and plants. Animals like birds, cats and mice might be attracted to outdoor gardens, and though these animals are delightful to be around, they rarely leave your garden at peace. Planting outdoors is all-in-all a less controlled environment and, though it is more natural, can be tough with little experience.

Pro-Indoors 

If you live in an apartment or can’t plant outdoors, an indoor garden is ideal for you. Plants used in witchcraft like herbs and flowers can be easily grown indoors provided they have enough light and proper care. Having plants inside can really help create a safe space and keeps them from the harm of rain and unwanted animals or bugs. It also gives you easy surveillance of your plants.

Con-Indoors

Plants can easily die if they are strangled by too much care, and beginner gardeners can be over-bearing. The biggest problem with growing indoors is that most plants require 4-6 hours of full sunlight a day and windows are just unable to provide this amount of light. Also, keeping plants in small pots tends to strangle new growth, and limits a plants ability to grow very large. While your plants might be kept warm in the winter, it’s less worth watching large plants struggle indoors.

Conclusion~

Indoor planting is good for beginners or those with little outside space or building ability, but don’t be too over-bearing and make sure they get enough light and fresh air. Outside gardening is better if your plants are healthy and hardy and should be left to more experienced gardeners with enough space to tackle the project.

HOW TO PLANT ANYTHING~

IF YOU DON’T HAVE A “GREEN THUMB”

My Experience

Even though I consider myself a green witch, I also struggled with this in the beginning. Before I really learned to read the health of my plants, they would die without me even knowing it. I thought, “I can’t even keep a cactus alive!” Well, cacti are actually quite hard to care for if you don’t know what to look for. In fact, everything is. Plants are hard to care for if you don’t know what to look for. So first, do your research. Plants have two basic needs: food and water.

Research

Research how this plant grows in the wild. If it grows in the desert, it probably needs a lot of sun and little water. If it grows on the rainforest floor, it needs to be consistently moist and doesn’t need much light. It is important to replicate plants’ natural conditions to keep them healthy. Research is everything.

Food

Plants need sun, and most need lots of it. Plants have to have sun or they can’t produce enough “food” for themselves and they starve. 4-6 hours of good window sun is enough for most plants. If a plant is growing in an odd direction, growing too tall or dropping leaves at the bottom while wilting, it is probably not getting enough sun. Slide it towards a window or put it outside on sunny days.  

Water

On that note, plants need water. This is by far the biggest thing “black-thumb” people struggle with! If you buy the wrong kind of soil, it can drown a plant even if you never water it. If you over-water in the winter, your plant may freeze. Again, think about the plant in the wild. A good tip is to see how thick the leaves are! A cactus is essentially one big leaf, and they are very thick and round, therefore they need very little water because they store it in their “leaf.” A big tree with many leaves or a stalky plant needs a lot of water because it can’t retain any. If a plant is yellowing, mushy or dropping leaves while others remain plump, it is being overwatered. Do not water it again until all the soil feels bone-dry. If it is being under-watered, a plant will be wilted, brown or yellow and the soil will be very dry.

SOURCES: Growing herbs indoors 

PLANT IDENTIFICATION~

WHAT IF I CAN’T I.D. MY PLANT?

Help

A lot of people struggle with this and, if you didn’t buy your plant as a baby from a store that includes labels, then you might not know what your plant even is! Stores like Home Depot, most plant nurseries and private growers label their plants and how to care for them. But if you find yourself not knowing what your plant is, here are some helpful tips.

I’ll divide this plant identification into 2 categories: simple and advanced.

Simple I.D. information

(simple identification tools such as types of leaves, plant anatomy, and easy to use interactive identification)

How to I.D. leaves

How to I.D. flowers

Quiz for determining plant species

Types of Plants

Popular Houseplants

Advanced Resources

(requires knowledge of dichotomous keys, latin names and meanings, and some complex plant anatomy. These are probably more accurate.)

Understanding Latin Binomencalture

Latin Nomenclature of Plant Species

Dichotomous Key to Plant Families

How to Google your Plant-

Of course, Google is always your best friend! If you can determine the type of leaf, flower, color or species from the easy-to-use guides, you can just google it!

SOURCES: The ask this information came from asked by @fuzzzyuniverse

WHERE TO GET HERBS IF YOU CAN’T PLANT THEM~

CONVENIENCE OF STORE-BOUGHT HERBS

Most local supermarkets sell herbs with other spices, in small containers, either ground or whole. While these herbs have already been preserved and possibly seasoned, it is a quick, easy and time/money-saving option for any witch. There is a certain magickal property to growing your own herbs, but it is by no means necessary! I don’t grow any herbs at all; I buy them all from the store. Preparing your own herbs goes much farther than just being able to grow them, and knowing it has been done right by a professional is certainly magickal. They work just fine and are often more enjoyable to smell or eat because they have been grown professionally.

HELPFUL GARDENING TIPS~

AWESOME LINKS N’ STUFF

Herb list from @thebluechicory HERE | More about indoor growing | Micro-gardening tips (outdoors)

I hope this had been of some help to you! If any links are broken or you would like me to add/edit something, just shoot me a message. Happy growing!

Wheat fields are more mystical than fields of other crops. You are 7,000 times more likely to meet an old god or see a portent of doom in a wheat field than in a field of like… soybeans.

If you know someone with a garden be their best friend. Tomatoes are always given away. These friends sometimes sell but at prices you can afford for good veggies. Buy a crockpot. Roast chicken in crockpot. Eat delicious chicken, majority of it. Add water to whats left and veggies and let it go all day. Got chicken soup. Add noodles at end before eating or you get a gloopy mess. 10 bucks for something a couple can at minimum eat for three days. I freeze extras for lazy days when cooking sounds awful.

my parents aren’t teaching me life lessons.

#i need some adults to TEACH ME SHIT ABOUT LIFE

Citrus Confetti Cake