How to Unearth Your Spirituality Through Gardening

"If I were to name the three most precious resources of life, I should say books, friends, and nature; and the greatest of these, at least the most constant and always at hand, is nature."—John Burroughs, Naturalist

Spring is here, and what better time to dig into the magick and mystery of the earth than right now? I have been promising my readers that I have been indeed working on a sequel to my book, Garden Witchery, and the wait is over. Break out your gardening tools, turn over a new section of earth in your yard, haul out your pots and containers, and get ready to have some down-to-earth magickal fun.

My book, Garden Witch's Herbal, is a modern guide into the world of green magick, herbalism, and spirituality. For those of you are looking for a way to advance your magickal skills, here you go. This book is just the thing to get you enthusiastic about working in harmony with the earth. This volume will help you to add some real depth and dimension into your own style and tradition of the Craft.

Just what is it about plants, trees, flowers, and the idea of green magick that continues to fascinate and bewitch us? Perhaps it is their timeless appeal or their captivating qualities. Magickal herbalism is a perennially popular magickal topic. Folks just can't seem to get enough of that old green magick.

No matter how long a Witch has practiced their Craft—be it months, years, or decades—there is a real need (or hunger, if you will) to deepen their connection to the earth, to dig a little further, to expand their magickal skills, and to learn more. With this in mind, Garden Witch's Herbal came to be.

In this, my tenth book, I thought it was time to return to where my journey as an author began, for it is here in nature, working in harmony with the earth and conjuring with flowers and herbs, that my Witch's heart truly lies. In this return trip the Witch's garden, we will revisit herbal enchantments, discover green magick, focus on spirituality, and search even further into the mysterious and magickal world of plants.

So what will you find in Garden Witch's Herbal? To start, plenty of new earthy enchantments and garden witchery to keep you busy. This is my largest book to date. At over three hundred pages long, it also features forty-seven gorgeous plant illustrations. There are chapters on:

• Conjuring a Garden with Heart
• Green Witchery in the City
• Magickal Plants of the Southwest
• Wildflowers and Witchery
• Magick of the Hedgerows
• The Magick and Folklore of Trees
• Gothic Herbs and Forbidden Plants
• Herbs and Plants of the Sabbats
• Herbs of the Stars
• And plenty more!

All of the information here is fresh and new, with plenty of the green magick and witchery that you'e come to expect—just waiting for you to put them into practice. No matter where you live, in this book you will find many practical ideas for adding herbalism and green magick into your life.

I truly wish to inspire you, the reader, to rediscover your connection to the natural world and to deepen your magickal spirituality. Because regardless of what temperate zone or part of the world in which you live, it is important to honor and to work with the local plant kingdoms. Tune into the cycles and seasons of nature in your own neck of the woods; you'll be amazed at what happens when you do. This hands-on herbal is designed to easily enhance any tradition or style of the Craft that you may already practice.

Inside the book you will find dozens of new spells, charms, and herbal enchantments, and of course common-sense gardening information like easy ways to incorporate a touch of Feng Shui into your garden design, how to create atmosphere in the landscape, and ways to work harmoniously with the magick of color in your gardens. There are several practical suggestions for enchanting theme gardens, and even ideas for many bewitching container gardens for you to try.

For those of you who live in the city, I have an entire chapter devoted to gardening in urban areas. I did not want to leave the city-dwelling Witches out. It has been my experience that these urban Witches are often clever and very capable magickal gardeners, and Garden Witch's Herbal includes suggestions for magickal plants and herbs that will adapt to your specific and variable mini-climates.

We will also take a walk on the wild side, and learn new ways of working magick with the bewitching wildflowers you find growing, all while leaving the plants undisturbed in their natural habitat. After all, if we, as the wise and cunning folk, do not honor the wild and protect our native plants and natural areas, then who will?

We will study the Celtic calendar of the trees in this book, learn to communicate with the Dryads, and also take a new look at some different herbs and plants that can easily be incorporated into your Sabbat rituals. You will discover herbal information and green magick that works in conjunction with the planets, the moon, the stars, and even the planetary angels. Yes, I am daring to go where this particular Garden Witch has never gone before—into astrology. But by doing this I discovered a whole other level to add to my green magick and witchery, and I can't wait to share what I learned with you!

The magickal garden and the natural world are open to all of us. I have always felt that the key to becoming a more adept practitioner is to uncover the spiritual mysteries that nature has to offer us. Garden Witch's Herbal will show you how to do that, and more. Are you ready to learn something new and to stretch the boundaries of your green spirituality and herbal magick a little farther? Then come join me in the garden and spend some time with me. I have wonders to teach you.