Green Witchcraft

[Pagan Mantis]

Are there any Green Witches here? This is the path I've chosen, have some knowledge, but would love to know what others experiences include.

[Jerrypapers]

I am studying to be a green witch. I started two weeks ago and would really love to know more.

[LadyCelt]

what is a green witch, does it deal with the green goddess or greenman?

[ap Dafydd]

I'd describe myself as a green witch, but don't know if it's in the same sense that you're talking about...

gwyn eich byd

Ffred

[Pagan Mantis]

what is a green witch, does it deal with the green goddess or greenman?
Yes, it deals with both. To me, to follow the green path simply means having a more herbal approach to the craft, though still a beginner. I also find that being in tune with nature may be more prominent, though it really is in all forms of witchcraft. Like I said though, I'm still a beginner!

[SilverClaw]

Hey Pagan Mantis why am I not surpised you started this thread :D As for learning about what a greenwitch is I have sutdied this off and on over the past few years and would like to learn more as well. So look forward to any information that people post here.

[greenwitch]

as you can tell by my screen name, lol I follow the green path... I started out studying green witchcraft, and I strayed from it a bit but I'm coming back into it now. :)

[Astara Seague]

_vb_ Yes I am one! I am a mix between gypsy and greenwitch, I Have been for quite awhile, My Grand ma taught me, I love this path, it is where I belong!

[btrsweet5747]

I am very much a green witch! I started out studying ecclectic Wicca to get all the info I could, and have fallen very comfortably into my path as a green witch- I love it! :bouncysmi

[SoulHealer]

I don't call myself a green witch but I follow a similar path.

[Cryptic]

How did you all learn to be a "green witch"? I am currently looking into Kitchen witchery, but wanted to know how you go about learning it.

[omar]

Is a green witch & kitchen witch the same?

[Sage Rainsong]

Is a green witch & kitchen witch the same?

No it isn't the same thing. Often the two of them go hand in hand but a green witch implies that you are more focused on herbal and plant type energies. A kitchen witch usually refers to someone who practices their magic quickly and simply in the the kitchen, with simple tools and common kitchen items. Their magic is mainly focused on the hearth and home. Also many kitchen witches practice herbalism and consider themselves green witches as well; However, one can be a green witch and not a kitchen witch because green witchcraft can encompass any witch who prefers to work with "green" energies. I hope this helps.

[Tanemon]

Are there any Green Witches here? This is the path I've chosen, have some knowledge, but would love to know what others experiences include.

From this and your later post, I get the sense that you are interested in a personal/spiritual relationship with nature (and have a specific interest in herbs). I know that this basic kind of interest is shared with people and traditions around the world, not just European-related "witch craft"... there are broad pagan connections.

I've long felt close to the Far Eastern traditions of Chan (called Zen, in Japan, Shan, in Korea), and Daoism (also spelled Taoism - a Chinese outlook and way of life). I've chosen to live in a mountain valley, to be with and study nature, to grow organic gardens. I've seen cougars, wolves, black and grizzly bears, eagles, and herons in the wild. I grow a herb garden.

Some of the peripheral aspects of the yoga path in India also relate to herbs, nature powers, etc.

Sometime last year I posted on one of the MW forums trying to find people interested in true "green thumb" abilities (sharing energy with soil and plants so as to promote plants' growth). Are you interested in that??

:sunny: Tanemon

[David19]

I'm not really a Green witch, but i think i've read that it isn't wicca, it's completly seperate from and i think i've read that it mainly deals with herbs, 'green' energy, nature, and Gaia, i think.

But other people here have given some good information.

[Sionnach le Fey]

I consider myself a Green Witch (in training, heh). I honour the Earth and the Divine, which to me is Life itself, and this Divine I see as being split into male and female 'halves', the God and Goddess. I see the Divine in every living thing, and the Earth itself. I'm learning to work with herbs, plants, crystals and other natural things.

[DandelionDame]

I was fortunate to take a Green Witch apprenticeship, and I would explain it as one who practices any sort of witchcraft primarily through and with herbs and stones. This is not only spells in the strict sense, but also healing in various forms. Of course, a big part leading up to that involves a great deal of learning about the plants and stones through reading but also through simply sitting with the plants and stones themselves, and learning from them directly.

[Kylie]

I don't call myself a green witch but I follow a similar path.

Yeah that's like me too, I suppose. Most of the stuff I do has to do with nature.

[Crystal Raven]

Hedge Witch here, some also call us Green Witches, though I would somewhat disagree...hedge witchery, green witchery and kitchen witchery are all very close cousins.

[_Banbha_]

I'm no wiccan and I do not 'follow' a specific path. Being a Green Witch is a part of who I am.

[Cindlady2]

I was fortunate to take a Green Witch apprenticeship, and I would explain it as one who practices any sort of witchcraft primarily through and with herbs and stones. This is not only spells in the strict sense, but also healing in various forms. Of course, a big part leading up to that involves a great deal of learning about the plants and stones through reading but also through simply sitting with the plants and stones themselves, and learning from them directly.

I would say that sums it up pretty well.

I learned my path on my own as a child from the woods themselves and those who ventured into it! My grandparents and an old woman who lived (and owned part) of the woods (I consider mine) taught me much. I also would fallow (they probably thought I was some sort of 'nymph') people in the woods who were foraging or seemed to know something I didn't! Although some people I would fallow just so they wouldn't destroy anything!
When I got older I read alot and applied what I learned as soon as I could.

The most important thing is to become linked to nature! Spend as much time as you can in it.
This is what i wrote in another thread....


When I was young I spent as much time alone in the wood, by the river or anywhere else I could be in nature! Nature taught me my very first Pagan beliefs! I learned to look on it as my religion even though I didn't have a name for it. I tried to credit "God" for what I saw, what I understood. But it just didn't fit with the 'dribble' I was getting in Sunday School. The more time I spent immersed in nature the more I learned, the more I learned , the more I did, the more I did, the stronger I felt about it, the stronger I felt, the more I immersed myself! I created my own path!

And I strongly agree that we should live more by the laws of nature, however, we must live in a world created, destroyed, ruled by man, a 'man' that dose not look at the world the same as us, a man that that thinks he 'owns' the world... rather than being a part of it!

If you like I could send you a copy of an email I wrote to someone else who wanted to know how I 'talk' to trees.

Another thing you could do is just pick a small (3-4ft. sq.) interesting spot in a woods, park, or even a hedged area and just sit and watch. Look at every plant, every insect. every stone. Watch as long as you can, try to imagine what it would be like to be each, try to feel the energy of everything there. If your in the right state of mind (which I think you could be) it's an amazing thing!

Good luck in finding your path!

[Cindlady2]

Books on herbs and herb healing I like.(also someting I wrote in another thread)


I have both Mother Nature's Herbal and The Way of Herbs(Can't find it right now...Poisionivy did I lend it to you?LOL Both are quite good and I do use them though I have others I use more. Here are a few I think are good for beginers.

1. The Herb Book by: John Lust
A great first book! 95% of any of the herbs you will ever want are in there (about 500). Lots of cross references and remedies, as well as "how to's".'

2. Prescription for Nutritional Healing by: James Balch M.D. & Phyllis Balch C.N.C.
This is one of my most woren out books! Look up information by illness, read about symptoms ,Nutrients, Herbs, Recommendations and Considerations. Tons of information! Well worth getting!

3. The Herb Lady's Notebook by: Venus Andrecht
A humous easy read. not much information on individual herbs, but formuls are in easy rference tables. A little hard to get used to in that respect, but the formulas I found to be good ones.

4. The Healing Herbs By:Michael Castleman
I like the way this one is layed out for each herb, good refernce in that sense but only list herbs for an illness, no formulas.

5. The Green Pharmacy by: James A. Duke Ph.D
Find treatments listed by illness, explains benifits of each herb for the illness listed but not alot of formulas. Other good information in it though.

I have a few more advanced books too, but I think these are a good start for anyone!

I would say if you can, go to one of the larger book stores and see if you can find some of these books, take a good look at them and see if it's what you are looking for. I've gotten some that seemed good at the time but when I tried using them seemed just short of useless, others just took some practice to get the hang of.

I hope this post helps! Good Luck! and B. B.!


You also might want to get a good Field Guide to plants in your area.

[Meadhbh]

In part. I'm not wiccan so I don't call myself a greenwitch as a title. But a lot of what I do and what they do match up if not exactly. Like Cindy my grandmother had a good deal or property streaching into the woods and thats where I ended up playing in as a child. When I got older it seemed natural to carry that over.

[Pagan Mantis]

Gods, you're all so great! I had actually kind of given up hope on this thread, as it didn't seem to get much of a response at first! I'm so glad that all of you have something to share, whether or not you consider yourself a green witch. I, for one, don't consider myself to be Wiccan, as many of you have clearly stated, but do in fact consider myself to be a witch! It is to my understanding, through reading and quite a bit of research, that the two are different, being that Wicca is more of a recent Gardnerian path. I've been proven wrong many times before, though that is my belief... hopefully not stepping on any toes there, simply where I'm at with my path. I'm hoping this thread takes off, as I feel there is always so much we may learn from eachother.
On a different note, in case you all may have wondered, I consider the green aspect of my path to embrace a bit more of the natural aspect of our Mother Earth. Focussing not only on plants, rocks, etc., but creatures, elements, and even micro organisms. As such, many paths focus on quite similar aspects, with a certain "kinship," if you will, with all of the other wonderful forms of Pagan beliefs. I really hope many of you share as much of your experience, strength and hope in this thread, as I love to learn as much as possible everyday about witchcraft, especially how and what others are doing in their lives to create a happy, natural balance in all they do.

[DandelionDame]

Green Witchcraft and Wicca are independent of each other (any kind of Witchcraft is independent of Wicca, for that matter) - it's a craft, as the name implies, and so could go along with any religious path or no religious path at all. I'm not Wiccan, nor are most of the people I know who identify as Green Witches.

The "Greenie" threads are always interesting, and I really enjoy the dialogue that happens in them, while learning plenty of new stuff in the process. Glad you brought it up, Pagan Mantis!

[Moonlite Faery]

I am also interested in studying this path, I hope to learn something here :)

[Mera_mera]

I'm glad to find this thread. I have been pagan for about 3 years now, with no specific path, I'd just been exploring, but I've settled into a system where my major interests are in energy work and herbs, gardening and nature, I really like what I know of kitchen witchery, and green witchery sounds really great and comfortable for my path. I'm wanting to learn more about the things I'm naturally interested in and develop them in my spiritual practice. I would like to talk more with people who consider themselves green witches and learn what their practice consists of.

[Semjaza]

I consider myself to be a traditional hedgewitch, but I do acknowledge that my path sometimes crosses into 'green witch territory.' :) I find the path interesting and follow the threads about it on MW.

Cheers,

Semjaza
FFFF

[The Lady]

Has anyone read any of these books (other than cindlady 2)?

1. The Herb Book by: John Lust
A great first book! 95% of any of the herbs you will ever want are in there (about 500). Lots of cross references and remedies, as well as "how to's".'

2. Prescription for Nutritional Healing by: James Balch M.D. & Phyllis Balch C.N.C.
This is one of my most woren out books! Look up information by illness, read about symptoms ,Nutrients, Herbs, Recommendations and Considerations. Tons of information! Well worth getting!

3. The Herb Lady's Notebook by: Venus Andrecht
A humous easy read. not much information on individual herbs, but formuls are in easy rference tables. A little hard to get used to in that respect, but the formulas I found to be good ones.

4. The Healing Herbs By:Michael Castleman
I like the way this one is layed out for each herb, good refernce in that sense but only list herbs for an illness, no formulas.

5. The Green Pharmacy by: James A. Duke Ph.D
Find treatments listed by illness, explains benifits of each herb for the illness listed but not alot of formulas. Other good information in it though.

ETA: I am compiling a list of Herbal books for my own reference and hopefully to add to my own library one day. If anyone is interested in getting a copy I would be glad to share it. Just PM me!

[Pagan Mantis]

Thankies for the suggestions! I need a few more outlooks than Cunningham's "Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs." It's informative, but I also like to compare different authors' suggestions.

[shuvanilu]

I'm Wiccan with a lot of Green Witchcraft influences.:cheers: --shuvanilu